“You’re saying Joshua bought it specifically to hide the car?”
“Yep. Ten to one, the technicians will find the car died and wasn’t able to be moved without a tow truck. Bonnie’s vehicle was a hunk of junk.” Reed let out a breath. “There are some other loose threads. What about Bonnie’s earrings in Mike’s room? And the fact that Joshua couldn’t provide an alibi for the time around my sister’s disappearance?”
“Trust me, I’m not wiping Joshua off the suspect list. Not by a long shot. I’m just telling you there are inconsistencies in the evidence. He might not be our man.”
Reed heard the frustrated note in Cooper’s voice. He shared it. “Any news on Owen?”
“No. I’ve had troopers investigate all of his favorite drinking places. We’ve talked to his friends and his ex-girlfriends. No one has heard a word from him since he ran away from the hospital.”
Another piece of the puzzle that didn’t fit. Was Owen behind all of this? Or was Joshua? Or were they overlooking a vital suspect, like Judge Norton?
On the porch, Emma and Vivian’s discussion was taking a turn for the worse. Reed was too far away to make out the words, but the stiffness in Emma’s shoulders was enough to worry him.
“I’ll go talk to Margaret Carpenter again,” Reed said. “She was Bonnie’s best friend. If there was a problem between Bonnie and Judge Norton, maybe she knows something about it.”
“Keep me updated.”
“Will do.” Reed hung up. He strolled across the yard. Vivian slipped into the house just as he climbed the porch steps.
Emma glanced up as the screen door closed behind him. Lily was sitting in her lap.
“Hey,” Reed said, gesturing to the space next to them. “This seat taken?”
“We were saving it for you. What did Cooper say?”
He repeated their conversation. About halfway through, Lily worked her way onto Reed’s lap. He tucked the baby into the corner of his arm and rocked the swing. With Emma nestled on his other side, it felt right. A little whisper of worry told him not to get used to it. Emma was hesitant to give her heart to a man with a risky job. Not that he could blame her. Especially after she’d already lost one husband.
But what if he wasn’t in law enforcement anymore? Could he live a happy life working his family’s old ranch? He loved being sheriff, but his career had taken a toll on him. Maybe it was time for a change. A slower pace of life. A less dangerous profession. He wouldn’t make any decisions until after Bonnie’s disappearance was solved, but it was something to consider.
When he was done telling Emma about his conversation with Cooper, she shook her head. “Wow.”
“Wow is right.”
“I’d like to go with you to talk to Margaret. I know we stayed here last night, but it’s probably better for me to stay away from Lily and Vivian until we know what’s going on.”
“I agree.” He paused. “Everything okay with you and Vivian?”
“No.” Emma’s gaze slid away from his and she bit her lip. “We were talking about what’s going to happen next for us.”
“What does that mean?”
“We can’t keep going like this, Reed. The case keeps stretching out and now my facility and house are gone. I have to start thinking about my family and creating a permanent place for Lily.”
He stopped the swing. Lily dropped her toy on the floor. “You’re leaving Heyworth?”
“I don’t want to, but I may not have any other choice.”
“Where will you go?”
The baby started to cry, and Emma handed Lily her favorite toy. The stuffed lamb was looking worn around the edges. “Vivian’s house hasn’t sold, so I think we’ll go back to Boston.”
Boston. It was thousands of miles away. With his sister’s case unsolved, Reed couldn’t leave town. The pain in the center of his chest radiated out. It hurt so bad, Reed actually looked down at his uniform to make sure he wasn’t bleeding. “When?”
“Soon. I want to give it a bit more time, in the hope that the threat can be eliminated and we can stay. I love Heyworth, and as it turns out, Vivian doesn’t want to leave either. She and your aunt have discovered a mutual love of cooking. They’re talking about opening a restaurant together.”
Her voice vibrated with pain. The interaction he’d witnessed between the two women suddenly made sense. “You’ve done more than your fair share,” he said. “I know this hasn’t been easy on any of you and the decision is a tough one. I know this isn’t what you wanted.”
“No, not at all—” Her voice choked off. Emma’s gaze dropped to Lily in his arms. The baby hugged her lamb and babbled.
“This was supposed to be your home,” he said.
A safe place to raise her daughter and build a life. Now it was a nightmare filled with dead bodies and threats.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I thought God had brought me here to settle down and make my life. Now, I’m not sure. Maybe...maybe I was brought here to aid Bonnie’s case. I pray finding the car will provide the necessary evidence to locate her.”
“Emma...” A lump in his throat choked him. He wanted to ask her to stay. The words burned his tongue, but he swallowed them back. Lily’s safety and happiness had to be first. “I hope we can stay in contact and remain friends.”
Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Always.”
Reed pulled Emma closer, until she was nestled up next to him, and pushed the swing. Her tears wet his shirt. There were no words to make it better. He knew that, but he also knew he had to hold on to this moment. This breath of time when his arms were full with a family he hadn’t known until recently he
