"Well, you have been known to get in trouble here and there.”
She frowned. "Seems all the troublemakers in my life are gone.”
"What will you do now?"
She shrugged. "I don't have a job anymore. I don't have any family here in Coconut Key. I'm not sure. I'm in a transitional phase, so to speak. I think I might travel. See the world. Do some soul searching.” She paused. "I take it your investigation is closed.” Her eyes surveyed me.
The question was more than just casual conversation.
"All the players have met with a tragic end. I don't think there's anywhere left for the investigation to go.”
She looked at me with relief in her eyes. Maybe she was more complicit than she admitted.
I wasn't going to push the issue.
"Thanks for coming. I know it would have meant a lot to Shane." Then she added, "It means a lot to me."
"You need anything? Is there anything we can do for you?”
She sucked her lips and shook her head. "No. I'm fine. It’s just going to take time.”
My phone buzzed with a call from the sheriff.
"Always busy, aren't you?"
“It never ends," I said before answering.
"You’re not going to like this," Daniels grumbled. "Bryce Van Allen is out of jail, and the state’s attorney declined to pursue charges.”
I exhaled with frustration. "You gotta be kidding me.”
"Bryce made the argument that he hugged Sydney before she left the Hollister residence. He claimed he was wearing the suit in question, which explains the transfer of the fiber. Apparently, the prosecutor didn't feel the case was strong enough to move forward. Get something more.”
I groaned, then said, "I will.”
"I guess I’ll let you get to it, Deputy," Riley said when I ended the call.
She lifted on her tiptoes and gave me a kiss on the cheek. After saying goodbye to JD, she walked back to her car.
"What are you going to do about her?”
"That case is closed, isn't it?"
"I guess so."
We watched her go, and I broke the bad news about Bryce to JD.
He had a few choice words.
We walked back to the Porsche, hopped inside, and drove back to theAvventura. We changed back into street clothes, and I cooked up a plan to roast Bryce. I wasn't going to let him get away with this.
53
"Ihave nothing to say to you," Judy said, her voice crackling through the speaker phone at her gate.
"I think you'll want to talk after I tell you this," I replied.
She didn't disconnect.
