Still, he needed to calculate his next moves carefully. He ducked behind the door as Megan and Luke passed by the room. His gaze narrowed into slits. Little did she know, but Megan was a dead woman walking. So was her entire family. One by one, he would smash them into oblivion.
The couple disappeared around the corner. His phone vibrated. He released the syringe and flexed his fingers before unhooking the phone from his belt.
“It’s about time you return my call.”
“Things are busy down here and I can’t disappear any time I want. But don’t worry, I have the information you need. Let’s meet.”
They arranged a time and place before he hung up. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, he slipped from the supply closet. The drive wasn’t long, but it would be enough to plan. To figure out exactly how he would mop this mess up.
Megan wasn’t the only loose end he needed to tie off.
Four
Luke rubbed his chilled hands together before shoving them in his jacket pockets. The porch swing rocked and trees on the outer edge of June’s yard rustled with the wind. Lights inside the house glowed. June had run her private investigation business out of her home, and it seemed Megan was focusing on the office first.
Headlights made their way down the street. Two quick flashes bounced off the rearview mirror, and Luke relaxed against the seat. A Medina County Sheriff’s patrol vehicle pulled up next to his, Lieutenant Brent Granger behind the wheel.
Motion detection lights attached to the house lit up Brent’s face. A dark beard covered his jaw, an offset to the boyish cheeks plaguing him since grade school. His head was shaved—in solidarity with his mother who was undergoing chemo treatments—and Brent’s shoulders bunched up to his ears as he crossed the distance between the two vehicles. When he opened the passenger-side door, a gust of icy wind scented with french fries slipped in.
Brent hefted his weight into Luke’s truck, the movement fluid despite the bulk of his duty belt and bulletproof vest. “Holy moly, it’s freezing out here.”
“You doing the night shift again?” Luke asked, bumping up the heat to ward off the chill. “I thought those days were behind you.”
Brent had been with the sheriff’s department for almost a decade. As a lieutenant, he didn’t normally do patrol.
“Watson has a new baby. I’m picking up some of his shifts so he can help out his wife.” He handed Luke a large takeaway mug and a bag from a fast food place. “I heard about June’s accident from Sheriff Franklin when I showed up for my shift. He said you were worried about it being foul play and that Megan might be in danger.”
Luke set the coffee in a cup holder and fished fries from the bag. He quickly ran through his conversation with Megan, including her suspicion that June’s accident was connected to Franny’s murder.
Brent whistled. “Wow. No wonder the sheriff and the chief deputy were huddling in his office tonight.”
Dan Carter, currently the chief deputy, had been the lead investigator on Franny’s murder case. Brent had assisted.
“How do you think Dan handled the investigation?” Luke asked.
“There was a lot of pressure to solve Franny’s murder. Megan isn’t wrong about that, but everything Wade told us lined up.”
“I figured as much.”
“You did nothing wrong, Luke.” He twisted in the seat to face him. “Wade was in love with Franny and angry because she didn’t feel the same way. It was an argument fueled by drinking that went sideways. You can’t let your feelings for Megan interfere with the investigation.”
“I’m not.” He jerked the bag of food away. “I have my eyes wide open.”
Brent’s jaw tightened.
Luke took a deep breath, realizing that his tone was more hostile than necessary. His friend’s warning wasn’t unjustified. As much as he hated to admit it, Luke couldn’t completely divest himself of his emotions when it came to Megan.
He took another deep breath. “I don’t intend to work this case by myself. I have a plan.”
“Okay.” Brent paused. “Just…tread lightly. The Dickersons will be upset if you reopen Franny’s case. They won’t be the only ones.”
“I know. One thing at a time. Let’s see what the forensic unit finds when they examine June’s vehicle.”
“Yeah, okay.” Brent reached for the door handle. “I better get back on patrol. I’m on till six so let me know if you need anything.”
“Hey, before you go, how’s your mom doing?”
“She’s not bouncing back from the chemo like she did with the first round of cancer, but she keeps fighting. Thanks for sending over the flowers. She loved them.”
“Anything I can do, let me know. And Brent, I appreciate the coffee and the advice.”
“Anytime.”
Brent strolled back to his vehicle, and his taillights faded into the night. Luke’s gaze drifted back to June’s house. The living room lights were still on. Megan was being thorough, and for the hundredth time that night, Luke wasn’t sure what outcome he was hoping for.
Early-morning sunlight creeped across the countertop. The scent of fresh coffee filled the kitchen, and Megan breathed it in, hoping for a jolt of caffeine by smell alone. The metallic toaster morphed her reflection, but nothing could hide the dark circles under her eyes. She’d been up most of the night searching for the evidence.
Archimedes, her aunt’s cat, twined around her legs. He let out a meow.
“Yes, yes. I suppose the first order of business is you.” She fed him, and the tabby cat attacked the bowl with gusto. Megan laughed. “I fed you last night. You can’t be that hungry.”
The coffee finished dripping, and she poured a cup. An open bag of jelly beans she’d discovered hidden in her aunt’s office sat on the counter and she popped a couple in her mouth,
