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“I’m sorry about that,” Kim said as she went to reclaim her seat. Denise tried to scoot to the end, but Kim had returned more composed and determined to get answers. “A moment alone was just what I needed, and now I’d like some answers. You were inside the cabin with my daughter, Ms. Sloane. I want to know how you found her.”
Someone else entered the bar, and it was clear that the place was a favorite for lunch. Brook took another sip of her coffee before leaving her mug on the table as she exited the booth.
“Why don’t we take this outside? Get some fresh air while we finish our conversation?”
Denise quickly gathered her cell phone and the business card, tucking both into her purse as her mother patiently waited for her. The three of them eventually made their way outside, the cool breeze hitting them as they stepped onto the sidewalk. While the sun was shining, the warmth wasn’t enough to chase away the chill of what she was about to disclose to Luna Breen’s family.
Brook waited to speak until they were a block away from the bar.
“Mrs. Breen, the sheriff reached out to the park rangers after Luna didn’t return to the B&B on Sunday night. They assembled search parties, and their starting point was a particular trail that Luna had mentioned to Mauve Benson during breakfast. Two of the experienced volunteers happened across an abandoned cabin quite a distance away from the trail. Once they realized what they were dealing with, they radioed back to base where someone there contacted the FBI.”
“What did you find that the sheriff couldn’t handle?” Denise asked as she all but pulled her mother down on a bench. Given that there weren’t many storefronts on the main thoroughfare, the bench had been positioned in front of a bakery. This must have been where Theo had purchased the donuts for this morning’s briefing. “What did they find that was so bad that the local police wouldn’t take the case?”
“It’s not that the local police wouldn’t have taken the case,” Brook amended as she leaned against the old-fashioned lamppost instead of joining them on the bench. She’d rather be facing them when she recited the facts of the crime scene. “It’s more of a jurisdiction issue, along with what agency can best provide the resources needed for a case like this. You see, Luna’s body was discovered tied to a chair. She’d been cut with a knife several times, and I believe she bled to death. Again, we won’t know for sure until an autopsy is performed. I’m only telling you this so you understand the significance of this investigation.”
As expected, Kim’s face lost all color as she listened to Brook’s toned-down description of what had been done to her daughter. Denise appeared equally horrified, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. There were other factors that they didn’t need to know right now, and Brook had glossed over the brutality of Luna’s last few hours.
“I will keep you apprised every step of the way,” Brook assured them as she took a step forward. She knelt before them, resting a hand on each of their knees. “There is no reason for you to stay here. I know that doing so makes you feel close to Luna, but you should return home. Plan your daughter’s funeral. Say goodbye to her in a way that honors her memory. We’ll handle everything else.”
Denise began to whisper reassurances to her mother, though Brook wasn’t sure that Kim could process anything but her own grief right now. Luna’s sister was very mature for her age. There would come a time when Denise would buckle under her own grief, as well. Until then, she would be a source of strength for her mother.
Brook decided to give Kim and Denise their privacy, but she waited until the young woman nodded her consent. Brook slowly stood and began to walk back towards the bar.
She’d noticed upon exiting the pub that the same male subject who had been sitting at the counter last night had been standing outside the diner. He was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, but he wasn’t wearing an apron. She couldn’t distinguish whether or not he worked at the diner.
It looked as if Wyn wasn’t going to get his lunch today. Sitting down and having a conversation with the bartender was at the top of her list of things to do, but she was curious as to why the man standing in front of the diner seemed so fascinated with her and the team. She stepped off the curb, taking the time to look in both directions even though there wasn’t a lot of traffic in Moonshine Valley.
When Brook refocused her gaze on the male subject, he’d already tossed his cigarette butt into the street and was halfway down the block. He never once looked back. She debated following him, but she wasn’t quite ready to have a confrontation. Since she was already close to the curb, she figured she might as well take advantage of those inside the diner.
Sirens pierced the strange blanket of stillness that she’d first noticed upon driving into Moonshine Valley. Maybe it was due to the town’s location and the picturesque view of the Smoky Mountains. Others might find peace in the quiet, but she found it hard to do so when a young woman had bled out not even an hour and a half away.
By the time Brook stepped onto the sidewalk, a sheriff’s car had pulled alongside the curb. Whoever was inside shut off the engine, killing the siren with it.
“You must be the infamous Brooklyn Sloane.”
“And you must be Sheriff Otto Jackson.” Brook wasn’t sure what had brought the good ol’ sheriff to Moonshine Valley when Riggs had explained the small department being short on staff. She’d exchanged voicemails with the sheriff, but he hadn’t seemed inclined to get too involved with the investigation. “You have perfect timing, Sheriff. I think it’s time that the two of us were on a first name basis, don’t you?”
Chapter Seven
Brooklyn Sloane
October 2023
Friday — 11:56am
“Notwhatyouexpected?”
Sheriff Jackson had claimed a table next to a large stone fireplace that took up most of the back right corner of what she would have called a restaurant. This wasn’t a diner in the usual sense. The flickering flames cast a warm, inviting glow across the room, and the scent of burning hickory wood had greeted her over what she thought would be a greasy aroma.
The walls of Moonshine Diner were made of exposed wooden beams, and the hardwood floor had creaked slightly under her feet as she followed the sheriff’s lead to a table and chairs made of sturdy, rough-hewn wood. The tablecloths were red and checkered, and each place setting had black cloth napkins.
“I’m not one who is usually surprised, but this place is a gem.”
The ceiling was low and made of wooden planks, but it was the collection of antique hiking and climbing gear that hung from the walls that were the center of attention. She considered herself intelligent, but there were items included from nails and hooks that she wouldn’t have been able to name if her life depended on it.
“You must not read those traveling magazines then.” The sheriff removed his sunglasses and set them off to the side. He’d never put on his hat after exiting his vehicle, but he did have it in hand. He used it to cover his sunglasses before flipping over a black ceramic mug. “Moonshine Diner has been featured in a few of them over the years. People come from all over to eat here. Unfortunately, they’ll all be coming to Moonshine Valley for another reason.”
Brook reached out and turned over her mug, as well.
