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“Yeah. Give me time on that too.”
Time. I wasn’t at all patient. I wanted everything solved now. The case, the tension, the worry over the new baby in the NICU, but I could try for patience. Try.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Monroe
The end of summer was also a beginning, one filled with anticipation. In the week since Rob and Jessica’s new baby had arrived, I’d been in a blissful bubble with Knox, making plans for my B&B, daydreaming about a future together, and working on the Stapleton case. Leon had been forced to move our initial interview time because of a doctor appointment for Frank. Now it was Wednesday again, late afternoon, and Leon and I were in Holden’s cheery front room. Stacks of syllabi on the dining table foretold the coming of the Fall semester, as did Holden’s dress shirt and askew tie. He’d come from a faculty meeting, less coffee shop time as the semester drew closer. He’d set up a recorder for Leon’s statement, and luckily, Leon didn’t disappoint.
“Yep. That’s him all right.” Leon pointed at a picture we had of the suspect from roughly the right time frame, between college and when he later turned up in Florida. “Slick fella. Came into town with a door-to-door knife sales pitch but got caught up in the kitchen doodad craze.”
“How long was he around?” Holden glanced at me as I shuffled papers to reveal our working timeline.
“He was here for the summer and fall that year. I’d have to ask Frank, but he might have gone out with the search parties a time or two.” Leon narrowed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. “Had a rental outside of town, nearer to the coast, up by the lake and quarry.”
“The lake.” I set the timeline aside and pulled up the report of the cursory search they’d done around the lake area. Diving and sonar equipment had improved over the twenty years since the last lake search. “If we went for a drive, think you could show us?”
“I reckon.” Leon made a sucking noise through his teeth. “We gonna take Holden’s hot rod?”
“If you ask nicely.” Holden smiled at him. He had a custom sports car that accommodated his larger frame, wheelchair, and other necessities, and the bright-red color stood out around town.
“I always do.” Leon smirked. We continued asking him questions and making arrangements to drive up to the lake later in the week. The more Leon talked, the more my excitement grew that we might be able to tie the suspect to the area if nothing else. As we wrapped the interview, I made notes for pulling rental records, fishing licenses, and other document searches. I was deep in my head when Leon tapped my arm.
“I hear you might have need of some breakfast recipes.”
“Has Knox been spilling all my plans?” Smiling, I looked up from my laptop and piles of papers.
“Yup.” Leon gave a toothy grin. “And making some of his own.”
“Should I be afraid?” I snapped the laptop shut.
“Probably. Way we see it, Knox is about to be busy, while Frank and I are about to be at loose ends all retired.”
“What are you three thinking?” Holden asked before I could.
“This B&B is going to need some help. Knox thinks Frank and I are the guys for the job.”
I blinked. “I wasn’t aware I had job openings.”
“You do now,” Leon cackled, and Holden joined in before Leon continued, “You’ll let Frank putter around, be your resident handy person, but leave the heavy lifting to the rest of us. And me, I’ll ply you with recipes, do a little baking for you till you get your sea legs, so to speak. And cleaning. I’m good at that. Ship-shape, Lieutenant.” He gave me a jaunty salute.
“What’s the catch?”
“No catch. The whole damn town, or most of it minus the realtor lady, wants to see you succeed.”
“They do,” Holden heartily agreed. “And I want that book on the Stapleton case. We’re going to crack it. I can feel it.”
“We’re closer now, thanks to you.” I nodded at Leon, who waved off the praise.
“Nah. Thanks to you two and your detective work. And thanks to Monroe, our boy came in all smiling this morning to the work site. Brought donuts even.”
“On time,” I coughed because it had been a close thing, frantic frot, rushed showers, and gulped coffee.
“Close enough.” Leon shrugged, then hardened his eyes to deadly diamonds. “You hurt Knox, and Frank’ll bury the body so deep even Holden’s sleuthing skills won’t find it.”
“Duly noted.” I matched his solemn tone. Knox having people looking out for him was a good thing, even if I was chafing at all the protectiveness. Leon. Frank. Rob. Hell, even Holden had murmured a “hope you know what you’re doing” before Leon arrived at the interview.
“Rushing home?” Holden gestured at how I’d packed up the laptop and my papers, almost unconsciously, brain, body, and heart ready to see Knox.
