“Thank you for including us in the planning,” Ben said, and Erik knew his partner would understand just how big an admission it was on the chief’s part.
“I want to be in the loop all the way along,” Hendricks added in a stern tone. “Full partner. Don’t make me regret this.”
“After the threat I got about Ben, I told Susan I thought it would be best if she didn’t come in to the store until we got to the bottom of this,” Erik said. “And that she take extra care not to become a target. These guys are ruthless, and they would know that threatening her would be leverage.”
“I’ve already invited her to stay with us for a while, spend time with the grandkids,” Hendricks replied. “Thank you for thinking about her safety.”
“Of course,” Erik said. “That’s what friends are for.”
Susan left with Hendricks after giving Ben and Erik hugs. “Stay safe,” she admonished. “I don’t want to be away from the store for long.”
Once they were gone, Erik locked up and tidied the break room before he and Ben headed up to the apartment.
“Did I miss anything besides a threat on my life?” Ben asked, but his humor fell flat.
Erik gathered him into his arms. “Never joke about that,” he growled, and kissed Ben. “I’m going to keep you safe no matter what it takes.”
“Weare going to keepeach othersafe,” Ben corrected when they stepped back. “And a good offense is a great defense. We need to start offending.”
Erik chuckled at Ben’s wording. “That seems to come naturally.”
“You know what I meant.”
“I got that list of buyers from the Commodore Wilson sale,” Erik told Ben as he retrieved the chicken casserole Susan brought and turned on the oven. “I thought we could split it up after dinner and see if any names pop out to us. I don’t think we’ll find Gusev or Barone themselves, but we might spot an underling. Or someone with minor organized crime connections who could have been working on their own for a third party.”
“You think that will help us find the dome?” Ben poured drinks and set the table.
“I’ve got a hunch that the dome never left this area,” Erik replied. “Maybe Cape May proper, but not the general vicinity. Call it intuition.”
“Backed up by psychic abilities, that’s way more than most people’s hunches,” Ben said. “Do you have a theory?”
Erik shook his head. “As to why someone would buy the dome and not pass it off to a wealthy purchaser? I’m still working on that.”
The next morning, Erik woke after a restless sleep. His mind kept turning the questions of the case over and over, and he didn’t have a breakthrough to show for it.
“I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee,” Ben said. “It’s going to be a long day. What are you going to work on, since the shop is closed?”
“Maybe it’s a wild goose chase, but all that tossing and turning did yield an idea,” Erik replied. “I keep thinking, if the dome never left the area, where would it be, and why was it forgotten?”
“I’ll bite.” Ben made himself a piece of toast with peanut butter. “Why?”
“I haven’t gotten that far yet,” Erik admitted sheepishly, “But what if someone temporarily stored the boxes at another property they owned, and then for some reason wasn’t able to go back and get them?”
“Why would it still be there after all these years?” Ben’s background as a cop made him good at punching holes in stories.
“Maybe the property fell on hard times, and no one has been paying a lot of attention,” Erik theorized. “That’s what I’m going to research today, hotels and other large locations that existed when the Commodore Wilson was demolished that are still standing, but maybe not in good shape or abandoned.”
“Promise me you won’t go spooking around old cellars alone.” Ben gave him a look that silently addedor else.
Erik waved him away. “No. I’m hoping that I can come up with a couple of options, and then we figure out where to go from there.”
“I’m hoping to make a short day of it.” Ben set his coffee cup in the sink and took his mostly dry raincoat down from a peg and put it on. “With luck, Jenny and I won’t find any leaks or overflowing gutters, and the punch list will be short.”
“Stay dry, and keep your eyes open for trouble,” Erik warned as he stood to give Ben a kiss.
“I will.” Ben tapped the holster at his belt. “And I’ve got my Glock.”
Erik sincerely hoped Ben didn’t need the weapon, but he felt relieved that his partner had taken the warning seriously enough to go armed, just in case.
