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Gah! Jane exhaled with a huff. Maybe investigative work wasn’t as easy as she’d supposed. Who to believe? Hagger or Emma? The video corroborated Emma’s seeming ignorance of Belfry’s presence. But what if she merely sought to cover her tracks?
Maybe Belfry was the kind of guy who thought he owned a woman, just because he’d paid for a meal and received a couple kisses. Maybe he’d been jealous of Tony and killed him out of spite, without Emma’s knowledge.
Bottom line? Jane needed to speak with “hothead” Reggie Belfry.
She added another task to her to do list. Hunt down Belfry. Which she’d do as soon as she got home…before her date with Conrad kicked off.
Do not think about the date. Or the agent. Her hand shook as she stabbed the hearse key into the ignition. Since Med and Care was closer to her current location, she went that way first. Only, as she meandered along Vermeil Street, admiring the fall decorations, she caught sight of Beau, coming out of The Burger Joint with a plastic sack stuffed to the brim and dangling from a hand.
Uh, this was his important task of the day? Rather than guarding the cemetery while she helped prove his innocence in an ongoing murder investigation, he’d slept in and grabbed brunch…for two?
Her mind whirled. He wasn’t headed toward Prospect Street, the fancy part of town she’d just vacated. Which signified he wasn’t headed for his home. A gorgeous building that also served as the office for Peach State Security.Thatindicated he wasn’t feeding Isaac and Holden, who were on the clock. So, what was Beau’s destination and with whom did he plan to dine?
Curiosity exploded through Jane. She whipped the hearse to the curb and parked under an oak tree with gold and red leaves, praying the vet hadn’t spotted her. Surely he hadn’t. His back was to her. As quickly as possible, she killed the engine, slung her purse strap across her chest, and exited.
Sticking to the shadowy part of the sidewalk, she trailed him by roughly twenty steps. When a sudden breeze blew off her hat, she didn’t turn to give chase. Yet. Though she’d waited weeks for the darling sapphire headpiece to go on sale, she kept her sights glued to Beau. She’d hunt down the hat later.
The longer she followed, the more guilt prickled her skin. Should she really be doing this? Tracking her dear friend?
Well. Yeah. Absolutely. Hadn’t she vowed to cross any line to find the truth? Learning Beau’s secret would only help her clear his good name.
Anyone she encountered along the way, she avoided. Which wasn’t difficult.Ignored once again.
Spotting Tiffany and Abigail at the Treasure Room, she pumped her arms and legs with great force. The two were eating scones, sipping lattes, and laughing at a small, round table outside. Thankfully, they didn’t notice her. Even when her phone rang. A call she disregarded. Had to be the reporter, Ms. Katz.
Beau turned a corner, momentarily disappearing from view. Again, Jane quickened her step, snaked the same corner and—smacked into a hard wall of strength. She bounced back, catching herself before she fell.
“Want to tell me why you’re on my six?” Beau asked, both pleasant and curious. So different with her than he was with others. Sunlight bathed him, highlighting every strand of glistening gold in his hair and deepening his tan.
“Not particularly, no,” she replied, meeting his gaze with a distinct lack of shame. “For the record, at what point did you notice me?”
He pounded his chest with his free hand, then arched a brow, allgirl, please. “Bo-bo notice Janie when she hit Vermeil.”
She snorted at his expert caveman impersonation. “Janie will work on her stealth. In the meantime, would you like me to give you an update on your case?”
Two twenty-something women holding shopping bags skirted around them, rubbernecking to keep their gazes locked on Beau. He didn’t seem to notice.
“Silly question,” Jane said, motoring on. “Of course you do. Who wouldn’t? I’ll fill you in as we walk.” She wouldn’t stop talking until they reached his destination. “Well? What are you waiting for? Come on.”
With a roll of his eyes, he started forward. Happy as a clam, Jane strolled at his side, telling him about everything she’d learned and everyone she’d spoken with. Then she shared each of her suspicions. By the end, those green irises of his possessed a wee bit of a glaze.
“The way your mind works,” he said, and he even sounded dazed. Conrad often used the same tone paired with the same look. Must be a guy thing.
“I can rule out Lucy Chang,” Beau added. “Holden bumped into her soon after he heard Fiona’s scream. He started running toward the noise at go.”
Wait. Hold up. “Where did this bump in occur?”
“Eden Valley, near the bridge. Or on the bridge. I’m not sure. Yes, she had time to kill Tony and sprint hard from Eden Valley to the Valley of Dolls, but she wasn’t winded, so it isn’t likely.”
So Lucy legit wanted to hire Jane? Not to influence the outcome of the investigation, but to take advantage of her extraordinary talents? Well. Pride puffed her chest. She lifted her chin and thrust back her shoulders. What an interesting development.
Unless Lucy had hired an assassin? Because why hadn’t the loan officer mentioned the encounter?
“How does Holden even know who Lucy is?” she asked. “It was dark, and he was in a hurry, yes? I doubt he lingered.”
Anothergirl, pleaseexpression was cast her way. “First, Peach State Security didn’t let anyone operate a booth without doing a checkup. We knew every name and face. Second, we work best in the dark.”
Well. Talk about a perfect meet cute! Except. Again, Lucy hadn’t mentioned a bump in the Viking-like warrior. Something anyone with a pulse would remember. Plus, such a detail helped clear her name. Assuming the assassin thing didn’t pan out. But why not shout about Holden from the rooftop? Unless she didn’t want Jane to know she’d ventured into Eden Valley? Why go into the unlit Eden Valley in the first place? Only one reason made sense. Lucy acted as the murderer’s lookout.
