Page 202 of Taken Away

Burke laughed despite himself. "I seriously doubt that."

"I was there."

"You were probably causing it."

Anne considered that. "That's fair."

The sheriff chuckled.

Then his expression shifted back to business.

"I came to ask a few questions about Mabel."

Both Savannah and Chloe straightened.

Burke removed a small notebook from his pocket. "I'm trying to get a clearer picture of what she was working on during the weeks before her death."

Savannah nodded. "Most of that would've been on her computer."

"Emails. Calendar. Notes." Burke scribbled something. "Anything else she kept?"

The women turned to each other.

Then froze.

"Oh my God," Savannah said.

"The planner," Chloe said, slapping a hand against her forehead. "The day planner."

Burke lifted his head. "What day planner?"

"Mabel's planner." Savannah was already moving. "She carried it everywhere."

"Every meeting," Chloe added. "Every appointment. Every note."

Burke straightened. "Where is it?"

The women exchanged another glance.

Savannah pointed toward the back offices. "When she passed away, we locked everything important in the safe."

Chloe hurried down the hallway. "We totally forgot about it."

Burke watched her go.

When he turned back, Anne was studying him.

Still evaluating.

"You're enjoying this," she said.

Burke raised an eyebrow. "The planner?"

"The mystery."

Burke slid the notebook back into his pocket. "Comes with the badge."

Anne nodded. Then her expression softened.