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Dania glanced at the box. “What’s this?”
“All the evidence Sheriff Kennard had on Matt’s investigation.”
Dania sprang to her feet and peered inside. “That’s Matthew’s cell and laptop.”
“Yeah. Don’t get too excited though. Kennard told me that he had to get a court order to make Vanessa let him go through the history on both of them. That expired a couple of years ago. No one came to claim them, so he kept them just in case. They need to be charged.” He rinsed his bowl out. “However, Kennard printed up all the data.”
Dania pulled out two huge files.
Brett sat next to her. “I also asked Kennard if they collected DNA from the crime scene that we could hand over to a criminal genealogist. Since your home is vacant, he said he’d look into it. DNA samples can stay good for years. I’ll take this file.” At the top, it read Laptop. He handed her the one that read Cell Phone. “You can go through this one.”
Each page was dated according to when the calls and texts were made. She flipped to the last three months of Matthew’s life and started reading. The texts ranged from clients wanting trusts set up to neighbors suing over property rights. One stuck out to her. She glanced at Brett. “A guy named Skinner texted Matthew. Let me read it:I’ve lost my ranch because I trusted you.And that’s it. His name is in Matthew’s planner. He met with the man a day or so before he died.”
“Make a note of it. I’ll see if BB can track Skinner down.” He continued poring over his file, carefully concentrating, like she was.
They had worked for well over an hour when her eyes finally needed a break. She glanced at Brett focused on the pages before him, and embarrassment flooded her all over again that he’d caught her in his room. But she was also glad because he’d bared his soul to her about Deputy Mansfield and what had happened, and she now had a much better picture of his character.
And they’d shared a moment that had stirred up feelings and emotions she’d never dreamed she’d have again. Dared she bring it up to him? Or just let it go?
He glanced up, blurry eyed, and yawned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Here was an opportunity. “For years, I’ve misjudged you because of your father.” Where was she going with this? She wanted him to know how grateful she was. “After everything you’ve told me, I realize how very, very stupid I’ve been.’”
“You’re not stupid.” He seemed uncomfortable. “I swore I’d do everything I could to honor Logan’s name and be exactly like him.” He paused, deep in thought. “He never married and gave his life helping others. As the years have gone by, I guess I’ve reconciled that my life will probably be much like his.”
“So you want to stay single and die in the line of duty? Don’t you want to fall in love, get married, and have a family of your own?”
“It’s never been in the cards for me.” He held her gaze. “If I meet someone like you, I might. I’ll just have to wait and see.”
She didn’t know what to say. She studied Brett. After everything that had happened, could they somehow have a future together?
The doorbell rang.
Brett stood and returned his file to the box, business as usual written all over his features.
Dania took a deep breath and returned her file too. She didn’t know what had her more worried: who was at the door or what to say to Brett about what he’d meant by “someone like you.” Was that his way of saying he wanted to be with her? No. It could be entirely possible she’d read him wrong, though she didn’t think so.
He motioned for her to go upstairs. “It’s probably Rex. I’ll get rid of him. Stay out of sight.”
She hoped he was right.
Chapter Twenty-One
Brett opened the door fullyexpecting to find Rex standing there, but instead, a middle-aged woman with short, stark-white hair and glacial blue eyes stood before him. Dressed in a burgundy suit that looked designer-made, she held a briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other. “Deputy Marshal Rollins?”
“Yes.” Already, she had him at a disadvantage.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She brushed past him as she let herself into the house. Surprised that she’d slipped by so quickly, he closed the door.
“I’m Vanessa Cromwell.” She put her cell phone in her jacket pocket and held out her hand to shake his.
He reciprocated, but he didn’t like that she’d shown up on Gran’s doorstep. “I’m sorry I didn’t drop by your office as I intended; something came up. You didn’t need to come here.” He paused. “How did you know you could find me at my grandmother’s house?”
She reared back and smiled. “I was out of the office when you called, running errands. The most curious thing happened. I saw a man talking with a woman in a purple Geo Tracker. You don’t see many of those tiny SUVs anymore, but I digress. The woman looked amazingly like Dania, except for short reddish hair. I thought it was odd. When I checked in with my office, Sherry told me that you’d called and wanted to talk with me. After I finished a meeting at a couple of my clients’ office, I googled you. And guess what?”
He said nothing; he didn’t want to play this game.
“The man I saw talking with the woman who looked like Dania was you!” Her brows rose.
