Page 34 of The Secret of Emerald Cottage

Lips pursed, Sloan paused for several seconds, gaze connecting briefly with Brec’s before it returned to Miss Lilly once again. “Because, ma’am, we believe Roy was murdered,” he said quietly.

“Murdered …” Molly whispered as her gaze wandered into a distant stare, her silent suspicions completely borne out. She glanced up at Sloan. “So, death by smoke inhalation, then, which caused a heart attack like the doctor said?”

Sloan expelled a quiet sigh. “It was a heart attack, Molly, but it wasn’t from smoke inhalation. The autopsy shows significant traces of potassium chloride.”

Molly’s jaw dropped as she slumped back into the loveseat, well aware as both a nurse and the former fiancée of a police detective just what a few grams of potassium chloride could do. From paralysis of the central nervous system and convulsions, to kidney failure and death from heart failure. She swallowed hard. So much so that it was the primary method of capital punishment in the United States, mixed with a barbiturate and muscle relaxant to render a prisoner unconscious.

“An autopsy? But who on earth requested that?” Miss Lilly whispered, her shock still evident in the gray pallor of her skin.

“I did, Miss Lilly.” All eyes homed in on Chase as he hooked an arm to Cat’s waist to draw her closer on the sofa, as if to protect her from what he was about to say. “Roy’s neighbor, Cecil Parker, actually carried Roy from the house just seconds after he spotted the fire, but when we got there a few minutes later, Roy had already passed. As a former Navy SEAL, I’m trained to recognize the signs of smoke inhalation, so when Cecil said Roy still had a pulse when he’d rescued him, but didn’t exhibit any of the primary indicators—coughing, hoarseness, runny nose—that was a red flag. Especially since the house wasn’t fully aflame yet, so it was unlikely Roy would pass from smoke inhalation that quickly.”

“Sweet Lord of Glory, save us.” Miss Lilly’s eyelids drifted closed.

Chase unleashed a cumbersome breath. “But when the Fire Chief pulled Sloan and me aside to tell us he suspected arson—”

“What?” Cat spun around. “How on earth could he determine that so quickly?”

Chase rubbed her arm. “Firefighters are trained to note the color of the flames, babe, along with the color and amount of smoke, the rate at which the fire spreads, and even the sounds the fire makes.”

“Because those are all clues as to what is burning and how,” Sloan explained, “since various materials burn differently. So with the fire chief’s assessment in conjunction with Cecil’s, and the arson investigator’s report pinpointing gasoline at the point of origin?”—he gave a slight shrug—“Chase and I agreed an autopsy was warranted.”

“Holy martyrs,” Brec muttered under his breath, slashing fingers through his hair. “First thing tomorrow morning, I’m having a sprinkler system installed, Aunt Lilly, no argument.”

Chase offered Brec a faint smile. “Agreed, Brec, and if it’s all the same to you I’d like to install it myself to ensure my satisfaction, but I’ll need your help if you’re game. I installed both security and sprinkler systems before I enlisted in the Navy, so I do have experience.”

Brec gave a short nod, but Molly could feel him relax as he slumped back against the loveseat, sensing his gratitude.

So, where do we go from here?” Molly asked, the sleuth in her anxious to get involved in the investigation, but not wanting to step on Sloan’s toes.

“I’m glad you asked, Molly.” Sloan took a drink of his coffee, which had to be cold by now, before he zeroed in on her and Brec with a sober look. “Roy’s house is a murder scene now, so I’ve called in extra investigators to interview everyone on the lake, which means all of us will be interviewed, but it can’t be helped. Then we all just need to keep an eye out around here”—his gaze shifted to Miss Lilly briefly before turning back to Brec and her with a pointed gaze—“especially Emerald Cottage.”

Rising, he picked up his empty cup, absently fingering it before he turned to carry it toward the kitchen. “Because something in my gut tells me there’s a connection between Miss Lilly’s break-ins and Roy’s situation. Which means whether we like it or not,” he said, pausing to send a grim look over his shoulder— “we’ve got a murderer on our hands.”