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“Or his parents, for that matter,” Kelly bolstered. “Brogan laid out that theory. It’s not a stretch to think that.”
“Right now, the focus is on Jarreau until it’s not,” Jade said.
Lucien nodded. “But where is he now? And what did he do with Elliott? With Trey?” He reached out to take Brogan’s hand in his. “I’m sorry. I know I lost it. This case is making me crazy. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry.”
She put her arm around his neck and pressed her lips to the side of his jaw. “You can be an ass sometimes, but I love you anyway.”
“I love you, too.” He checked the time on his watch and switched gears. “Anyone craving ice cream? I feel like celebrating finding this new suspect with ice cream. Vanilla Bean Machine is still open for another twenty minutes. If I hurry, I can get there before it closes.”
“I’d love a dish of chocolate mint,” Jade declared, stretching her back and yawning.
Kelly leaned back in her chair. “I’ll take blueberry. Ice cream should invigorate all of us.”
“You already know my order,” Brogan noted.
“Either peaches and cream or ask if the pumpkin spice has come out yet.”
“There you go.”
Jade sat up straighter. “Pumpkin spice is an option?”
Brogan grinned. “We can hope.”
“Then I’ll take that,” Jade corrected.
“Make it three,” Kelly added before glancing toward the corner where the dogs had calmed down. “Better get pup cups, too. And we’ll need to take them for potty breaks later.”
“Want someone to come with you to help carry all that?” Jade asked.
“Nah, I got it. This may take a while. I’ll wait until all the customers clear out before talking to Daniel about the upcoming search at Spirit Lake.” He got to his feet and leaned in to give Brogan a chaste peck on the cheek. “I really am sorry for yelling at you.”
“You’re forgiven. Now go. My mouth is watering for that ice cream.”
After he’d gone, Jade exchanged looks with Kelly. “I like how Brogan and Lucien can scream at each other one minute and then make up the next.”
“This case is overwhelming both of us,” Brogan admitted. “We’ve been butting heads over Pollock versus Deming. Now we add a brand-new suspect into the mix, and we’re ripping each other apart. Disagreements happen. But they shouldn’t result in a screaming match.”
“But you can still be friends. That’s what’s important,” Kelly noted. “Are you planning to go see the mother of Vincent Jarreau?”
“I think we should, don’t you?”
“That’s a seven-hour drive,” Jade pointed out. “You’d better make friends fast and keep it that way. A long car ride can make or break a relationship. I know from experience. I once went on a cross-country road trip with a guy I thought I liked. That is until we shared a car for two thousand miles. It turns out we weren’t compatible at all. One hot, humid summer night, our differences came to a head in Medicine Park, Oklahoma, and we almost ended up strangling each other.”
As Jade tittered with laughter at the story, Brogan’s embarrassment floated away. “Thanks for that. I’m sorry that happened in front of you guys.”
Kelly brought Miles closer for a hug, rubbing the dog behind his ears. “What happened between you and Lucien is nothing compared to what I’ve seen in my family. Disagreements about everything. My poor dad has to contend with my mother’s five sisters, who all have varying opinions and share them regularly. I’m fairly certain this is the reason my parents don’t retire. They’d spend too much time together butting heads. They’d probably end up in divorce court.”
“How does your dad cope with all those women?”
“Whether or not they gang up on him, he hides in his workshop, tinkering with building or fixing something. Right now, he’s putting together a new trailer. It keeps him sane to work with his hands.”
“Are you guys spending the night?”
“Absolutely,” Jade said. “I’m waiting for ice cream, though, then I’m turning in. I can’t wait to see your guest house.”
Brogan stood up. “Why wait? I’ll give you the grand tour now.”
Along Pelican Pointe’sboardwalk, people were out and about enjoying the night air. After finding a parking place on the other end of the strand, he got out of his truck and headed toward the Vanilla Bean Machine. Underneath an umbrella of stars, Lucien strode down the pier, listening to the tides lap against the wooden pillars.
