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That got most of them moving toward home, including Brogan, Lucien, and their friends. “Not you two,” Brent stressed, walking a few feet away from anyone within earshot. “I want a word with you and Lucien. Eastlyn told me you offered the city money for a new police officer. Is it true you offered to fund a new hire?”
Lucien nodded. “We did. We noticed this afternoon how your team seems stretched to the limit. You could use another experienced officer.”
“No conditions or strings attached?”
“None,” Lucien returned. “Who you hire and when you hire them is up to you. Eastlyn said you had someone in mind already.”
“I do. Have you mentioned this to anyone else?”
“No. Why?” Brogan wondered. “It’s no one’s business where the money comes from. No one needs to know. I’ll take care of the paperwork on my end and line up the deposits for the first five years into whatever city account you and Murphy deem appropriate. How does that sound?”
Brent let out a sigh. “Like it’s an answer to a problem that’s worried me since I took this job. Pelican Pointe is a great place to live, but try convincing an outsider they should take a pay cut to join our team. It’s not happening.”
“It is now,” Lucien verified.
“Now that that’s settled,” Brogan stated. “I have a question for you. Do you think Vera Lockhart murdered this guy you found?”
“Was he a homicide victim? I don’t know yet. At this stage, no one can answer that. But the guy didn’t stuff himself into that blanket chest. He didn’t stay hidden for the better part of half a century on his own.”
“Hang on a sec,” Lucien said before turning to Beckett. He tossed his truck keys in that direction. “This could take a while. You guys should head back to our house. There’s dessert in the fridge.”
“A cheesecake,” Brogan added. “We’ll be there in a jiff.”
“I can call Jade to pick us up,” Birk offered.
“No need to do that,” Lucien provided. “We’ll be along directly. We’ll hitch a ride with Eastlyn or Colt. Check on the dogs for us, though. Thanks.” He watched the trio climb into his pickup before pivoting back to Brent. “You think the dead guy’s been in there that long?”
“Definitely. I’d be surprised if it isn’t longer.”
“What do you know exactly about Vera Lockhart?” Brogan asked.
Brent folded his arms across his chest. “She knew my grandmother. They made jam together and baked cookies for the church social. But I’m not letting that cloud the fact I was just inside her house looking at a dead body stuffed into a box.”
Brogan shifted her feet. “Here’s a crazy idea. What if she killed the man who murdered Gidget?”
Brent’s eyes widened. “A possibility but not likely.If, and I stress the wordif, the timing fits. I’m not convinced the guy wasn’t dead long before 1978.”
“This whole thing is weird,” Brogan mumbled. “When did Vera first arrive in town?”
“Good question,” Brent murmured. “I intend to dig into her background.”
“Let us do it,” Lucien suggested. When he got a scowl from Brent, he added, “Don’t look at me like that. You wanted us to look into Gidget’s cold case. Consider this turn of events a detour into Vera. There may be a connection. We need to know. Plus, we have the time and resources to do it. If the two of us can’t come up with anything, we’ll hand it off to Birk. I already mentioned to him about doing a deep dive into her past. And that was before we knew anything about the body.”
“Birk’s a whiz at uncovering those pesky hidden past transgressions,” Brogan tossed out for more incentive.
Lucien’s face split with a grin. “Even with his busy schedule, he knows people. We can make it happen by tomorrow afternoon.”
“Fine. Okay. You take it. But I want to know everything personally. Not a text or an email. I want to know what you find out immediately. Deal?”
“You got it,” Brogan promised. “Do you mind if we talk to Cord and Keegan?”
“The three of us will do that,” Brent advised. “Tonight. Let’s head back to the station where we don’t have an audience. Colt and Eastlyn need to stay here to wait for the coroner and protect the chain of evidence. You guys can ride with me.”
6
Inside the break room at the station, Lucien made a fresh pot of coffee while Brogan found five mugs and rinsed them out at the sink. After making up a tray with cream and sugar, she carried it into Brent’s office.
“I couldn’t find any decaf. I know it’s getting late for coffee, but you can always blame the caffeine for keeping you awake tonight instead of why we’re here.”
