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“Exactly what I was thinking,” Doug replied. “Better make sure the crime lab dots all the I’s and crosses all the T’s. This is going to be an evidence case.”
“I’ll make sure the evidence isn’t tainted,” Tom told him.
“I like being able to pay my bills and feed my family,” the other man said. “But money is way down the list of things I’d harm somebody over. In fact, it’s not even on the list.”
“Same here. Greed.” He shook his head. “It’s landed plenty of people in federal prison. And if I can prove that anybody in Downing’s household had anything to do with his stepdaughter’s death, I’ll help them right into an orange jumpsuit.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.”
* * *
Tom drove back to Raven Springs, dragged into his motel room and sat down. He was too tired to go out and get supper. He wasn’t certain that he was even hungry. He’d spooked at least one potential witness. That woman sitting next to Granger Downing, May-something, she was high on his list. She knew something. He was going to find out what.
He pulled off his clothes and got into his black pajama bottoms. They were actually sweat pants, but he slept in them. He couldn’t abide an undershirt in bed, so that went in with the laundry. He’d have to find a coin laundromat somewhere and get his clothes washed. It looked as though he was going to be here for a while. It was great to have Doug come out, Tom thought, nice of the man to come all that way. But it had produced results. Tom would sleep well, knowing they’d gotten somewhere.
He’d just climbed into bed and closed his eyes when he heard banging on his motel door. And he knew why. He groaned. There hadn’t been a parking space in the motel’s lot and he was so tired. He’d parked in the driveway again. Surely it wasn’t going on eleven o’clock . . . ?
He looked at the clock. It was ten thirty.
He opened the door with a long sigh. “I’m sorry,” he told the silver-eyed, furious woman in front of the door. “It was late and there wasn’t a damned parking space and I was worn-out.”
“I’m sorry, too, but I have to get to work.” She was staring at him and became a little flushed with appreciation of that muscular physique, fascinating to her because she knew male bodies very well indeed. His was awesome. Almost perfect. She’d never seen a man so attractive in a pair of sweatpants.
“You could get a job pole dancing,” she said with twinkling eyes.
He chuckled. “Stop ogling me. You’re too young for me, kid. I’m older than dirt.”
She looked up at him with a big smile. “Not hardly.”
“Thirty-six,” he said.
“Not bad, for your age,” she said. “And I take back the bit about salads. There’s not an ounce of fat on you.”
“We’re required to keep fit. So we can chase bad guys.”
“I’ll bet not many escape from you.” She stared at him. “I’ll stop ogling if you’ll get your car keys and move your car.” She hesitated. “There’s a carport. It’s made for two cars, but I only have one. You can park your car there, if you like.”
“Well! That’s a nice gesture. Why?”
“You’re very good to look at. I haven’t had a reason to ogle anybody since my favorite TV show went off the air.”
“Which one?”
She cleared her throat.
“Well?” he prompted.
“Game of Thrones.”
“Wow.”
She cocked her head again. “Wow?”
“You don’t look the sort of person to like that show. There’s all sorts of naughty bits in every episode,” he added with a wicked smile.
“It was a great series.”
“It was, until the last season. I didn’t like the way it ended.”
