Page 39 of Beneath Still Waters

Especially since he missed. “The fragment will be across the road. Hopefully a tree caught it otherwise who knows how far it flew. He didn’t have a chance to take a second shot, but I can show you where he stood. He wasn’t on horseback.”

“We’ll have a shoe size then, if nothing else. As long as the grass was damp enough to leave an impression.”

“I never thought I’d be thankful for all this rain lately, but I am.”

She walked with him in silence to the spot where Milly had reared. Two deep hoof prints marked the spot. A few feet away, big chunks of mixed gravel had been tossed back by Lacy’s horse when he took off.

“I see where she dove down the bank and landed. I’m glad she didn’t break an ankle or toss you. People have died from getting bucked like that.”

“And if I’d been knocked off, I would’ve been a sitting duck.” She paused. “Then again, the last two days, I’ve been a sitting duck no matter where I go. We need to find this guy. It’s personal now. I have to leave for home in five days. I want an arrest made before I leave.”

THIRTY-TWO

Ferd followed Duke into Sacred Grounds later that day for coffee. He held the door for her, then followed her to a table. Clem picked up two small napkins and set them down as they got comfortable. “Afternoon. It’s always a good time for caffeine. Would you like an extra shot?”

Ferd snorted. “Maybe not today. I’ve already taken my chances. I’ll have my usual.”

Clem’s usual optimistic smile faltered. He opened his mouth then closed it. He turned to Duke and waited.

“Same.” Duke rearranged the little napkin carrier on the table until everything was perfectly in place.

Clem grinned and left to give the order to the barista. Ferd tugged on her watch band. Everything felt tight and ill-fitting today. Did stress cause swelling? Duke’s phone buzzed and he answered immediately.

“Hello.” He mumbled a few quick acknowledgements of whatever was said, then hung up.

“That’s interesting.” His brows rose.

“What?” Ferd waited to hear whatever he’d been told.

“The DNA on the lip of that can matched the blood under Bailey’s fingernails. Either he invited the guy over to drink who later killed him, or the cans in Bailey’s apartment had to have been planted. Maybe to make Kelly think he was a raving drunk.”

Why would someone plant evidence to assassinate someone’s character? “So, if the two issues are connected, he was murdered by someone he knew well enough to have a key. It can’t be his ex, though she could’ve given a key to someone else or hired them. It can’t be Heath and Kevin, no matter how weird and suspicious they are because there’s no way they have a key.”

Duke frowned but nodded. “Not to mention the fact that they don’t seem like the kind of guys who know anything about boats. But that note left on the fridge was weird and kind of indicated that they did.”

She spun the drink napkin under her finger. “True. I’m still not sure if those were left by him or to send us off the track. If someone planted beer cans, they could’ve planted those little notes.” She leaned back as Clem left her coffee in front of her.

“Miss Kincade? Will you be at church on Sunday? I missed you last week. The rows weren’t quite even without you.” He stood in place, his tender face as serious as she’d ever seen him.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t feeling up to going last Sunday, and I’ll be traveling this week. But since you know in advance, you can seat people so it’s not so unbalanced.”

He gave her a huge smile and a thumb’s up. “I knew you’d understand.”

“He’s worked here for as long as I can remember.” Duke tilted his head slightly. “This place wouldn’t be the same without him.”

“Agreed, and I haven’t been here as long as you.” She wrapped her fingers around her cup. “So, no wife. No Heath andKevin. We didn’t think his boss had anything to do with it, but he has a key.”

“One thing we didn’t ask his ex was if she has any new boyfriends, though I wouldn’t think that would be a motive for murder. His ex definitely didn’t want him for anything but his money.” Duke slid his mug to the side and grabbed his laptop. He flipped it open and pressed a button to turn it on.

“Yeah, I didn’t see a single picture of anyone in her home. Not a new boyfriend. Not family. Just her cats. If she is dating, he’s got to get closer to her than that orange terror.”

Duke exhaled quickly with a half-smile. “I don’t want to make any assumptions, but if I had to make one, she doesn’t have another man wanting Bailey’s old position. But let’s stop back at her place after this and ask her.”

“That leaves George, the man who wanted Bailey’s body. There’s no one else on the list.”

“I called Doris at the Inn, and she told me she hasn’t had anyone staying there at all in the last two weeks.”

“Kinda feel bad about that but who is going to visit Piper’s Ridge? Even if they did, who wants to stay in a vintage hotel wherevintageis actually an expletive, not an adjective.” Ferd took a sip of her coffee.