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Mike pressed his lips together, gave her a small nod, then hurried out the door. He lifted his hand in a wave. “I’ll be in touch.”
Owen stood for a second and let the emotion from his father’s words pass through him. He wasn’t sure what choked him up more—his father’s concern over his wellbeing or the idea of Marie looking out for him.
Marie suppressed a shuddering breath as she jogged through the rain to the main office of Piper Properties. She opted to keep Nora snuggled in her car seat with a blanket over the detachable chair. Luckily the small parking lot in front of the stand-alone red brick building was mostly deserted, and Owen parked close to the office. A white awning stretched in front of the door, and she dashed under its protection.
Owen opened the door and took the heavy seat from her. He pressed his firm palm against the small of her back and ushered her inside.
Her stomach churned, both from the excitement of his touch and in protest of the lack of food she’d had since morning. Afternoon had come while they’d lingered in the hospital, but their appointment with Steven Piper was more important than grabbing a bite to eat.
Luckily, she could feed Nora no matter where she was, and her little love had quickly fallen asleep once her belly was full.
Marie pressed a hand against her stomach as Owen approached the pretty young blonde behind the lone desk in the reception area. Pictures of smiling men and women dominated the walls, and a coffee station sat in the corner. The smell of a fresh pot called to her, but the caffeine wouldn’t help her jangled nerves.
The woman at the desk glanced up from the computer with a pleasant curve of her lips and questioning eyes. “Hello. May I help you?”
Owen presented the receptionist his badge. “I’m Deputy Wells, and this is Marie Robinson. We’re here to speak with Steven Piper. He’s expecting us.”
She nodded and her brown eyes turned solemn. “One second.” She lifted the receiver from the old-fashioned phone and tapped a few numbers on the keypad. “Hi, Steve. The deputy is here to see you.” She replaced the receiver. “Go on back.”
“Thank you.” Owen rounded the desk and started down the short hallway.
Marie stayed a step behind him, her gaze cast on the worn burgundy carpet and unease flowing through her blood stream. Police reports, another gunshot victim, and even more questions consumed her morning. She couldn’t handle much more, and after what she’d learned about Eddy Jones, this meeting was bound to bring nothing good to the mix. But hopefully, it could at least bring answers.
A door at the end of the hall swung open and a balding man with thick, black-framed glasses and a deep frown lingered in the doorway.
Owen closed the distance between them and stretched out his hand. “Good afternoon, Mr. Piper. Thank you for seeing us.”
“Please, call me Steven.” Steven shook Owen’s hand then reached for her, squeezing her palm for a beat before turning back into his office. He sat behind a large oak desk, piles of paper stacked high around a flat-screen monitor. He motioned to the two leather bucket chairs in front of the desk with a wave of his hand. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Marie sank into the smooth leather. The dampness of the rain clinging to her thighs made the material rub against her skin. She sat with her back ramrod straight and waited for Owen to speak. She was an observer, and she’d prefer to say as little possible and get out of there quickly.
Owen set Nora’s carrier between the two chairs then sat beside her. He leaned forward with his forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped together. “I understand you spoke with the sheriff earlier, and he filled you in on our investigation.”
Steven sighed and nodded, rubbing a hand over the white stubble that shadowed his chin. “He gave me the bare minimum. I’m afraid I still don’t understand what’s going on. He said you’re searching for Eddy in connection with a murder investigation. I just can’t believe he’d do something like that.”
The exhaustion in Steven’s voice squeezed Marie’s heart. She understood all too well the emotions that came along with trying to keep a family member out of trouble—and the overwhelming feeling of failure when that person let you down.
“We believe your nephew is harboring a murder suspect. There are also suspicions that he’s involved in the manufacturing and possible distribution of drugs. Do you know where your nephew is hiding? Is there a history of drug use in his family?” Owen asked.
Steven rested an elbow on his desk and cradled his palm around his head. He squeezed his eyes shut for a beat, and tears misted in his blue eyes when he opened them again. “It was really hard on Eddy when my brother-in-law got sick. He was very close to his father, and watching the cancer take away his life little by little made Eddy bitter and very angry. I suspected Eddy stole some of my brother’s pain pills, but I was so lost in my own grief I didn’t handle it right—didn’t know how to handle it. I tried to find ways to keep him busy, make him happy, hoping it would help.”
Understanding tightened Marie’s chest, and she couldn’t keep quiet. “It’s almost impossible to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.” The words croaked from her dry throat. She’d lived this man’s same pain her entire life and wanted to offer whatever she could to ease his conscious.
He gave her a sad half-smile and sniffed back his emotions. “I should have tried harder.”
Owen straightened. “What did you do to help? What types of things did you think would make him happy when he was in so much turmoil?”
Steven shrugged. “It might sound dumb, but I bought a small patch of land and had a little house built. Eddy and his dad loved to hunt together. Even when my brother was too weak to hunt with Eddy, he’d still go to the house and watch out the back window, hoping to get a glimpse of the boy doing something he loved.” He dropped his forearm to the desk and widened his eyes. “Maybe that’s where he is. At the house. I haven’t been there in months, but Eddy has a key.”
Marie deflated against the back of her chair. If Steven thought Eddy would be at the house she’d lived at with Bill, he didn’t have the answers they needed.
“Is this house located on the river, just north of town?” Owen asked.
Steven nodded. “Yes.”
Owen shook his head. “We’ve been to that property, and no one’s there. Is there anywhere else he would go? Any friends you know who would let him crash and keep it a secret?”
“I don’t know many of his friends.”
