Dane plopped back on the couch. “Give me a minute.”
I ate my bagel as he jabbed his finger over his phone screen. “We don’t have a ton of time, Dane. Whoever killed William knows we’re digging into the case.”
“It won’t take long. Spencer works fast.”
I chewed faster so I could get my question out quickly. “The guy from last night?”
“Yeah.” He typed some more.
“Dane.” I held off on my next bite. “Why didn’t you ask him originally?”
He glanced up from his phone and smirked. “I wanted to let you work your magic. That was back when I thought you had good ideas. I know better now.”
“Yeah, well, next time just give me the number for the smart guy.” I finished the top part of the bagel, wiping cream cheese from my fingers.
Dane’s phone beeped. “We’ve got her name and phone number.”
“Are you serious?” I asked, my mouth full of bagel. That took less than five minutes. I hadn’t even finished my breakfast. He let us run around this town and almost go to jail, and he could have had the information in less than a bagel? “I’m so annoyed with you.”
“No, you’re not,” he said, using the pad of his thumb to wipe a crumb from the corner of my lips. “You think I’m hot.”
I finished the bagel and crumpled up the bag. “I can think you’re hot and still find you annoying.”
“You’re sure this is it?” I asked as our Uber stopped at the curb in front of a three-story house on the south side of the city.
Dane gave the area a small whistle. “This is what Spencer said, and I always trust Spencer.”
The home was painted a bright white color with a big wraparound porch. It looked like whoever lived there probably didn’t need to work.
“The mortgage has to be expensive,” I said as we left the Uber.
Dane closed the door and stood beside me as we stared at it. “That’s probably family money.”
He knocked, and we stood beside it together. I’d prepared a few questions, but the direction of my questions depended on who opened the door.
A short, frail woman’s face greeted us. “Can I help you?”
“Are you Alma Lynn?” Dane asked.
She hesitated, staring at the bulky man beside me.
I held out my hand. “We’re writing an article about Boone Hall Plantation, and we heard you’re on the research team.”
Alma’s shoulders relaxed, and her concerned expression turned into a smile. “Yes, I have a position on the team. But I’m the newest member. Would you like the name of our lead?”
Shit, a real reporter would probably want to talk to the boss.
But we weren’t real reporters.
“No,” I said, shaking my head quickly with my lips pressed together hard. “We just have a few questions. I’d really like to get the article written up today. You know how it is on a deadline.”
Alma laughed. “We can’t have you missing a due date. I always held my students accountable when I taught.”
“Oh, you used to be a teacher before working at Boone?” I asked.
Dane stood wisely behind me and tried not to look scary. It was only fifty-fifty.
“Yes,” she said. “Can we sit outside for your questions?”
