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“You and Ian must come over for supper one night and we can talk,” Kelly said.
“Sounds great,” I said, pleased to see my brother and his wife so happy.
Mo followed Ian and me to his vehicle, and we headed for town.
“That’s Amy’s car,” I said as we approached Yesterday’s Treasures.
“Her dad’s as well,” Ian said pointing to Noah’s old car parked not far from Amy’s.
I thought aloud. “I wonder if they came together or if Noah spotted her car and stopped.”
“Let’s find out,” Ian said already pulling into a parking space.
I loved that he anticipated my thoughts.
“You are to sit here and not bother anyone, Mo,” I instructed once on the porch. Mo sat a safe distance from the door. He had his vest on him, so people knew he wasn’t a stray, though most people were familiar with him and knew he belonged to me.
Kate stepped out on the porch. “I caught a glimpse of your dog through the door. He’s beautiful. He’s welcome in the shop if he remains by the front desk and he’s good with cats.”
Mo stretched out on the porch.
Kate smiled. “I guess he answered for himself.”
“He enjoys the cold and while he’s good with cats, he’s better off waiting out here,” I said and looked to Mo. “Be back in a few.”
“Your friend, Amy, is here. I spotted the pin you bought for her. She wears it well and has a pin waiting to purchase once she’s done in the book section,” Kate said once inside.
A scent of apple and cinnamon not only greeted customers but enticed them to take their time and browse.
“Did Amy arrive alone?” I asked.
“She did but I believe someone she knows is with her now. I heard her talking and laughing with a man in the romance section.”
“Thanks, Kate, I thought that was her dad’s car I saw outside,” I said, offering an explanation for my odd question, though if Kate thought it was odd, she didn’t show it.
“I’ll keep an eye on Mo for you,” Kate said.
“Thanks,” I said, though it was actually Mo keeping his eye on the store since me and Ian were inside.
“Pepper!” Amy said, surprised when we entered the romance section to find her and her dad sitting in the comfy chairs talking. “Did I find him? Was it the right Pete Carson?”
“It was thanks to your mega sleuthing talent,” I said. “My dad is curious as to how you found him when no one in the police department could?”
“I gave thought to some things Betty Carson had said and started tracking him from when last she had heard of him. Someone had mentioned to her that he thought he saw Pete washing dishes at a small eating establishment in New Mexico. I figured he was looking for jobs that paid off the books to keep anyone from finding him. Maybe he thinks a solitary life is a form of penance for what happened to his daughter. Anyway, I called the place he was spotted at and went from there until I tracked him to Arizona. I’m glad it was the right guy.”
“You’re quite the investigator,” Noah praised, his eyes steady on his daughter.
“Amy and I have solved some baffling mysteries since young,” I said with pride.”
“You never searched for me, Amy?” Noah asked.
“There was no reason. Your continued absence made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me or Mom, so why would I search for you?”
Ian and I exchanged glances, both of us proud of the way Amy had responded to her dad’s question. And Noah responded just as I thought he would.
“You’re right. Why would you search for me when you didn’t think I loved you or your mom anymore and that was my mistake,” Noah said, keeping his eyes focused on her. “And I do hope that someday you will forgive me.”
“We’ll see,” Amy said, dismissing it as if it wasn’t important. “So, what happens now with the Carson case?”
“Pete Carson believes that Travis and his daughter may have been running away that night,” I said.
“And they rendezvoused on lodge property where no one would expect to find them,” Ian added.
“But someone found out and tried to stop them?” Amy asked.
“The only ones who would have wanted to stop them would be Rita’s parents and Pete had only speculated about the possibility and Betty never mentioned it to you,” I said to Amy. “I think the female bones found beneath Travis is the key. We discover who she is, and we know more of what went on that night and who the murderer might be.”
“This is all quite intriguing,” Noah said, “but would the murderer even be around after thirty-five years?”
“Even if he isn’t, we’ll find him,” Amy said with confidence and glanced at her phone. “I’ve got to go… appointments. I wish I had more than a couple of hours free, but I shall return. Is there any more I can do to help with the Carson case?”
