Page 186 of Taken Away

Luke dropped into the chair across from the desk. “Anne Langford’s back.”

Burke closed the file in front of him. “How bad?”

Scout appeared in the doorway carrying a coffee.

Burke looked from one deputy to the other. “Why do I feel like I’m about to regret asking that?”

Scout grinned. “Depends.”

“On?”

“Whether you enjoy watching every man over fifty forget how to act in public.”

Luke shook his head.

"I'm tellin' you, Red forgot how to breathe."

Scout smiled.

"You saying she's attractive?"

Luke shrugged.

"For sixty-eight? Shoot, yeah."

Scout smirked.

"Ohhh, I see how it is. Didn't know you went for the older ladies."

Luke snorted.

"Yeah, your ass."

Burke didn't even look up.

"Glad to see we're tackling the important parts of this homicide."

“That’s not even the best part,” Luke said.

Burke pointed at him. “Any sentence that starts like that is never good.”

Luke leaned back. “She went straight to Bennett.”

“Bennett?”

"She asked if Bennett had been cleared."

Scout shrugged. “To be fair, she also said her sister was murdered, and everybody should be looked at.”

“Which is exactly what we did,” Burke said.

Luke nodded. “I know.”

Burke reached for a folder. "Credit card charges in Florida. Security footage. Flight records. Cell phone records. She was exactly where she said she was."

“So she’s clean.”

“As far as Mabel’s murder goes.”