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“We’ll see.” Jo finally turned around, a hopeful glimmer in her eyes.
Sam nodded, taking another sip. “Best of luck. You deserve it.”
“Thanks, Sam.” Her lips curled into a small smile. The kind of smile that said she appreciated his words more than he knew.
All he could do was tip his beer in response, sinking a little deeper into the chair. Even though he and Jo were close, all this time he’d wondered if maybe she was only renting because she didn’t plan on staying. He was glad she was making a move to buy the cottage. He’d hate to lose her at the station and as a friend.
A lingering twinge of hurt remained in Sam over Jo’s initial secrecy. She’d come to White Rock for a lead on her sister’s case, not opening up to him about her true motives until very recently. Yet he understood that situations could spiral and lines could blur. He’d been down that road himself, keeping secrets when perhaps he shouldn’t have.
As they talked, the door creaked open, diverting their attention to the entrance.
“Knock, knock.” Holden Joyce stood in the doorway with a six-pack of beer. Holden had to be in his early sixties, but the only thing that gave away his age was the gray in his hair.
Sam glanced at him, grudging respect in his eyes. “Look who’s here. Old Man Winter himself.”
Holden’s hearty laugh filled the room. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Sam. Or is it mockery? I can’t tell the difference.”
Sam shrugged, a wistful smile playing on his lips. “Maybe a bit of both.”
Bridget gestured toward an overstuffed chair. “Have a seat. Want a glass for your beer?”
With a simple shake of his head, Holden replied, “Nope,” as he twisted off the beer cap and took a leisurely sip. He eased into one of the plush chairs, eyeing the charcuterie board with a slight frown.
Sam noticed and felt a grin tug at the corners of his mouth. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who thought it was a little bit fancy.
Once upon a time, the relationship between Sam and Holden would have been described as rocky at best. But things had changed. Sam knew that Bridget saw Holden as a father figure, and that alone carried weight. And now, with Holden helping them dig into the cold case of Jo and Bridget’s sister, Sam found his initial skepticism about the man waning.
As if on cue, Lucy ambled over to Holden, her tail wagging in restrained optimism. She nudged his hand with her nose, and he obliged, petting her softly. Sam watched the interaction, his thoughts crystallizing.
If Lucy liked Holden, then he had to be decent. That dog had instincts sharper than any detective’s, and her approval was as good as a background check in Sam’s book.
Perhaps it was time to fully let go of past reservations. After all, they were all on the same side now.
Sam scooped up a fig with a cracker. Was that how you were supposed to eat those things? Should he put cheese on it? He added a piece of cheese and took a bite. That was pretty good, so maybe Bridget was on to something.
Bridget leaned in, shifting the atmosphere. “Remember Eve Duchamp?”
Jo nodded. “Our babysitter? She was devastated when Tammy disappeared.”
Holden took a sip of his beer before speaking. “The FBI put her family under the microscope, especially her dad.”
“He was cleared, though, right?” Jo asked, a trace of old pain in her eyes.
Holden shook his head. “Yep. They found nothing on him. But the scrutiny still left a stain on the family. They changed their name and moved away.”
Bridget glanced at Jo. “So, what originally brought you to White Rock?”
“I got a tip from one of the seasoned detectives on Tammy’s case,” Jo began. “But what does Eve have to do with any of this?”
Bridget piled some prosciutto and fig on a cracker. “Well, you remember she moved away, and as Holden said, her family changed their last name.”
Jo, who’d been reaching for another slice of cheese, paused. “Yeah?”
“Turns out they moved to White Rock,” Bridget stated, her eyes meeting Jo’s.
Jo looked back and forth between Bridget and Holden, her hand hovering in midair. “What? But her family had nothing to do with Tammy’s disappearance. Are you sure they moved here?”
“Absolutely.” Bridget nodded. “Heard a rumor, so I checked it through some resources Reese has access to.”
