Page 135 of It Runs in the Family

I didn’t know anything about Cody, other than he was Boone’s younger brother and had gotten mixed up in something. When he’d asked Boone for help getting out, he’d disappeared. But this was proof he’d been in Mesquite County, or at least nearby.

And Selena and Rebecca were mixed up in this mess too.

If Boone was protecting his brother by taking the photo, then he was protecting Selena as well.

There wasn’t anything else on the fridge that might be helpful, so I headed back into the living room looking for Boone. When I didn’t see him, I went down a short hall and found him in the first bedroom. He was standing in front of a dresser, holding a small ceramic jewelry box.

“Do you think your brother killed Rebecca?” I asked in a neutral tone.

He stared at me in disbelief. “How can you ask that?”

“It’s a fair question. I don’t know him, and he’s with her in the photo. That you took.”

He set the box down and turned to face me, his expression blank. “Maybe your cousin killed her.”

“Maybe she did,” I conceded, hating what I was saying but knowing it could be true. “I don’t think she did, but I’m not ruling it out. How can you?”

He started to say something, then stopped.

“I know you want to save your brother,” I said gently as I took a step into the room. “Just like I want to save my cousin. But they might be past the point of savin’, Boone.”

He looked down at me, shaking his head.

“I hope to God they’re both victims in this mess, but we have to be open to the possibility that they’re not.” I swallowed. “You need to put that photo back.”

He started to say something, then stopped when we heard a knock at the front door.

“Sheriff’s department,” Garrett called out, his voice muffled through the door. “Is anyone home?”

I froze. Boone went stock-still, listening. I moved the short distance to the doorway, my gaze on the front door. The doorknob jiggled, and my heart began to gallop.

“It’s locked,” Boone whispered. “He won’t come in unless he has a warrant. Or permission.”

My eyes flew wide. “From Deanna?” I could see it now, a deputy asking her if they had permission to enter the house and Deanna telling them, “Sure, and Iris Gardner and her hot friend can let you in.”

I started to hyperventilate.

Worry pinched Boone’s face. “Listen to me, Iris,” he whispered. “It’s gonna be okay. Do you trust me?”

Did I? He’d just taken a piece of evidence. But in my vision, he’d been sprinting to save me. I’d felt his desperate need to protect me. I might not trust his judgment when it came to his brother, but I trusted him to do everything in his power to keep me safe.

I nodded.

He gave me a tight smile. “Good. We’re gonna move to the back of the house, but we need to be quiet. If he hears a noise, it’ll give him reason to come in.”

“Okay.”

He headed to the entrance of the bedroom, angling his head to listen to what might be going on outside the front door.

Garrett’s voice filtered into the house in snatches. “Spare key… stoop… permission…”

Terror swept over me. If they’d gotten hold of Deanna, Garrett could very well be looking for me in here.

Boone snagged my wrist and led me out of the bedroom farther down the hall to two closed doors. He carefully opened the door to the left, reveling a bathroom with a tiny window. The second door opened to another bedroom.

Garrett’s voice was faint as he said, “Thanks Mr. Cavanaugh. I’ll put the key back where I found it.”

“Sounds like he called the landlord,” Boone said as he gave me a soft push into the room and closed the door behind us as I heard the front door open.