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“Any time.”
They found a table in a back corner that was quiet and out of the way.
“When I first met Mia, she was running from an abusive ex,” Grant explained. He wouldn’t give Wallace any details that he didn’t need. Just the bare minimum. “He was shortly after put in prison for burglary. However, recently she’s been receiving rather ominous text messages. Her home was also broken into, although they ran when the alarm went off. She’s said a few times that she felt like she was being watched or followed. I’ve looked into her ex, and he’s still in prison. I also observed her daily routine and didn’t see anything not normal. In addition, I checked into one of my exes as well, as she’s caused some trouble the last few weeks. So far, I’ve come up empty. When we got the call about Lane and Mike, we were up in Savannah looking into a few of her ex’s friends thinking that perhaps they were acting on his behest.”
“You came up empty?”
“We did, although we didn’t have much time to do a great deal of investigating before having to come back. We talked to his former cellmate who assured me that he wouldn’t do anything unless he was paid a lot of money.”
“Sounds about right. You think that your girlfriend’s break-in is related to this one?”
“I don’t know,” Grant confessed. “My gut says yes, but my brain doesn’t like the inconsistencies. For example, we only saw one intruder at Mia’s home. But if someone broke into Lane and Mike’s and managed to injure one and kill the other, well, that sounds like at least two, maybe three, people. Even with surprise on their side. Plus, the guy at Mia’s ran when the alarm came on. But Lane and Mike had an alarm, but that didn’t scare them off.”
“You make a good point. It doesn’t make much sense,” Wallace agreed. “Whoever broke into the Ellers’ home appeared to be determined to hurt them. It was quite the scene when we got there. It’s been a long time since I’d seen anything like it.”
“Mike said he doesn’t remember much. He’s probably shaken up after all that happened. I don’t actually know many details. Can you tell me what exactly happened?”
“Doesn’t remember?” Wallace said with a frown. “He gave me a full statement a few hours ago. Lots of detail. Detailed descriptions of the intruders. That’s how I was able to pull some photos for him to look at.”
That didn’t make any sense.
“He told Mia and I that he didn’t remember much at all. That it was a blur.” A hit on the head could be unpredictable. Perhaps Mike had remembered at some point, but had forgotten or blocked it out? “He gave you detailed descriptions? Wasn’t it dark?”
Sheriff Wallace gave him a wry smile, shaking his head.
“Son, how about you go with me to the crime scene? Take a look. I can tell and show you what happened according to Mike Ellers. I wouldn’t mind a second set of eyes on this case.”
“Most cops don’t like others looking over their shoulder.”
The older man chuckled, taking a sip of his soda.
“Do you see this gray hair?” he asked, pointing to the top of his head. “I’ve been around a long time, and the one thing I’ve learned is that I don’t know it all. I’d rather set my ego aside and solve a case than act like I know it all but don’t do my damn job. I want justice for Lane Ellers, and my delicate feelings don’t matter right now.”
Grant wanted the same thing, and if Wallace was willing to let him see the crime scene while doing it? He was all in. He simply couldn’t shake that things didn’t make sense so far.
Did Mia’s break-in have any connection to her friends’ deadly home invasion or not?
* * *
Mike had half-heartedly pointed out a few people that might resemble the two men that had broken into his home. For the most part, he shook his head and said he couldn’t be sure. The officer had said that they’d check out the ones he’d pointed to, and they might also bring more pictures for him to look at the next day.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said when the deputy had exited the room. “I hate being alone. Of course, you already know that about me. Remember that time all three of us went down to the Keys? We had such a great time, didn’t we?”
Mia did remember that trip vividly. They’d all gone on a fishing charter and gotten sunburned because they didn’t reapply their sunscreen. It had been an overcast day, and they’d simply didn’t think about it. They’d all suffered for that mistake.
It was true Mike didn’t like being on his own. Lane had always laughed that he was someone who couldn’t entertain himself, and he had to have people around him at all times. He had always been the life of the party.
“I remember,” Mia said. Her throat once again tightened as images flooded her brain of Lane smiling and having so much fun. Her friend had always been so alive. It still wasn’t truly real that she was gone. “We had fun on that trip.”
“It was the best,” Mike replied with a huge grin. “You had one too many pina coladas, and you danced on the pier at sunset.”
Mia had a distinct memory of many of them doing exactly the same thing. She hadn’t been alone in partying that night. They’d had a wonderful vacation, and it had been the first one after leaving Kevin. She’d cut loose a bit, and she had no regrets.
“We all had a wonderful time.”
Mike went on about the Keys and then started in on their trip to Disney World the next year. The entire time he was grinning ear to ear and, frankly, it was starting to creep her out a bit. Lane had just died. In all this reminiscing, he hadn’t mentioned her name once. Had he blocked it all out? Was this his way of coping?
Mia didn’t want to judge how someone mourned and handled grief. While Lane had been like a sister to her, Mike had lost his wife. His life partner. They’d had plans for their future. They were going to travel and build a house in the country. They were going to grow old together. It had to be a devastating loss for him. Perhaps, he was handling it by not handling it.
