Suddenly, Sara had a thought, and turned to Greer. “Headstones of angels cost a lot. Is your grandmother rich?”
“I don’t think so, but she and I never discussed money. I think maybe she had some sort of inheritance.”
“‘I will prosper through you,’” Sara whispered. Kate and Greer looked at her. “It’s something I heard someone say. Only prosperous people can afford stone angels. They—” She topped talking because the three men appeared. “How long do we have to solve this?” she asked.
“To solve this murder?” Sheriff Flynn asked. “Or to wait for the next person to be killed?” He was staring at Greer. “What are we going to do with you? You show up and the murderer will realize he got the wrong one.”
“I don’t think he did,” Sara said. “I think he wanted Rachel—” The sheriff’s look made her stop talking.
“It doesn’t matter who, what, or why. The murderer will know he screwed up.” He frowned at Greer. “You, young lady, will be as good as dead.”
“Oh,” was all Greer could say.
“How about if Gil and Quinn take her to Colorado?” Jack said. “We’ll get her out of here.”
Sheriff Flynn turned to him. “She impersonated a woman who was probably a thief and maybe a murderer, but she’s totally innocent? You think that’ll hold up in court?”
“He’s right,” Greer said.
Jack didn’t say a word as he sat down by Kate, with Randal on her other side.
The sheriff looked at Greer. “You’re to stay with Gil, but you don’t leave this town. I’m going to deputize Gil so he’ll keep watch over you.”
Greer blinked a couple of times. “Will he wear a uniform? And a gun?”
Her meaning was so clear that Sara, Jack, Kate, and Randal had to swallow to keep from laughing.
The sheriff glared at them. He was not amused. “I can see that all of you are overcome with grief at the death of that poor woman. What about her family? Does she have children? People who love her?”
They lowered their heads. He was right. They’d been much too frivolous about this.
“Rachel has a daughter,” Greer said. “She lives in Texas. They’re estranged. Her ex-husband remarried. I can find out about the rest of her family.”
“You do that,” Daryl said. “But don’t tell them that someone took her life away from her. I want—” He stopped when his phone buzzed and he read the text. “That was Bea.” She coordinated his office and kept up with everything. “The woman has been taken to the hospital.”
“Not the coroner?” Sara asked.
“Not her!” the sheriff snapped. “The old woman. She fell down the stairs.” He looked at Greer. “She’s with you.”
Sara was the first one to understand who he meant. “Alish? Is she all right?”
Daryl looked at her with interest. “You have some connection with her?”
Before Sara could speak, Greer said, “They share dreams.”
Daryl threw up his hands in surrender. “A dead body falls out of a closet, a head dumps out jewels, a dead woman shows up in Jack’s bed, butyouare playing with your dreams. Are you gonna get a book out of it? Are you—?” Again, his phone buzzed. This time he turned pale. “It’s Cotilla.” He glared at them, then went to the front door. “Yes, sir?” he said, then left, firmly closing the door behind him.
Sara gave a loud sigh of relief. “That bawling out wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
“About a seven,” Kate said. “We’ve had tens. Or maybe we’ve grown tougher. At least nobody cried.”
Jack was looking at Greer. She seemed to be thinking hard.
“Jewels? In someone’s head?” Greer asked. “I guess that was Mr. Oliver. But how did they get there? How was he killed? Did someone—?”
Sara spoke loudly. “Alish is in the hospital!”
Immediately, Greer let go of her thoughts about Derek Oliver. “Yes! I was distracted. I must go see her.” She stood up. “Where is she? Could I use your loo before we go?”
