Page 102 of Diamonds in the Mud

“Right.” She glanced around. “Where do we start?”

Rayne and I decided to conduct our search methodically by going room by room. We combed through every room for any shred of evidence that might tie him to the murders of Mayor Taylor and the Dupont brothers.

We started back in the living room, pulling apart cushions and rifling through drawers in search of anything out of the ordinary. But aside from a few old newspapers and a pile of unpaid bills, there was nothing to suggest Quincy’s involvement in anything more sinister than a messy personal life.

Frustration ate at me as we moved on to the kitchen, opening cabinets and peering into closets in search of hidden clues.

I watched Rayne bag a few kitchen knives and realized she was still looking for the murder weapon. It wasn’t as easy as finding someone who owned a particular gun. This was a knife. Everyone had knives. I had one in my boot or strapped to my leg most days.

Once again, our efforts yielded little more than dust and disappointment and a dozen or so steak knives.

“We’re missing something,” Rayne murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration as she surveyed the room. “Quincy was smart, too smart to leave anything incriminating lying around.”

I nodded in agreement, my mind racing with possibilities. “We need to think like Quincy,” I said, my voice low with determination. “If he was involved in these murders, he would have taken steps to cover his tracks.”

With renewed purpose, we continued our search, scouring every inch of the house for any sign of Quincy’s involvement. But as the hours passed and the sun began to sink below the horizon, it became increasingly clear that our efforts were in vain.

“I don’t understand,” Rayne said, her voice tinged with frustration as we stood in the empty living room, surrounded by the remnants of our fruitless search. “There has to be something here, something we’re missing. Why else would he have…” She broke off.

I understood what she was saying. He’d been caught, but as a police officer, he knew that he could probably get away with a slap on the wrist and a few years behind bars for the drug charges. But murder, well, that changed everything. The only reason we could think of for the man killing himself was that he was tied to something darker. Something that would have assured he’d be locked up for life.

I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair in frustration. “I don’t know,” I admitted, feeling a sense of defeat settling over me. “But we can’t give up. We have to keep looking, keep digging, until we find the truth.”

Rayne nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with determination. “Wherever the proof is, I won’t stop until I have answers,” she said firmly.

“We won’t stop,” I corrected, taking her hand in mine. “We’re in this together. Until justice is served and we have all the answers.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“True friends are like diamonds—bright, beautiful, valuable, and always in style.”

–Nicole Richie

Rayne

There were a lot of really good reasons why I enjoyed Jameson staying with me at my place. The best reason was the sex we managed to slip in during a shower once we got home from work.

I’d never had sex that made my legs wobble and honestly fear that I’d fall on the slick tile and hurt myself. Thankfully, Jameson was there to hold me up.

We’d just managed to get dressed when there was a knock on my door.

“I’ll get it,” I told Jameson, who was trying to find a clean shirt in the boxes of his things a few other agents had delivered.

I held in a groan after opening the door to Sabrina.

“What in the living hell, Rayne,” she said, her arms crossed over her chest.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not answering any—” I started as I tried to shut the door.

Sabrina pushed the door open and rushed to hug me. “I just heard everything,” she said into my hair. “Are you okay?”

I tensed for a second and then relaxed. “Off the record?”

She jerked slightly. “For this, yes. I know you and Randy are trying to keep it from getting back to Edith.” She leaned back and looked me in the eyes. “I promise you right now that I won’t print a word of what happened inside the bullpen.”

I saw the truth in her eyes and nodded. “Come on in. We have some time before we need to head over there for dinner.”

“We?” Sabrina’s eyes arched.