“What? Of course not,” Jo said.
“As mentioned earlier, we suspect he’s connected to the bomb at your house.” Sanders’s voice rose. “And about that, how would your father have known about the bomb? Howis he connected to this man?” Accusation edged his tone as if he suspected she was holding back what she knew.
Cole bristled. This felt more like he was interrogating a suspect. Jo was the victim here.
Jo blew out a frustrated breath. “How would I know?”
Cole stood. He grabbed the cell phone and turned off the recording. “I think that’s just about enough. You said this wasn’t an interrogation.”
The man stood too and snatched his phone back. “It’s not.”
“It’s okay, Cole,” Jo said. She eyed Detective Sanders. “Detective, those are the same questions I have. If you’re looking for answers from me, you’re looking in the wrong place. I want to know the answers too, so I hope you find them.”
“And you have no idea where your father is?” He said it like he didn’t believe her.
Cole wasn’t sure he liked this guy.
She sighed. “If I did, I would be there with him, asking him these questions myself, not here answering yours.”
Jo stood and walked out of the room and left Sanders staring after her. Cole too. Remi went after Jo.
Cole seethed, but he held it back. He needed this guy on their side of this investigation. Still, he said, “That was about as helpful as a spare tire in a sinking boat.”
“It’s a waste of time for me to coddle the victim.”
“The victim? You weren’t treating her like a victim. You were treating her like an accomplice.”
“All right.” Sheriff Thatcher stood. “Everyone just calm down.”
Hawk stood too. Their meeting was coming to an end. At least they’d learned something.
“Look, I won’t apologize for my direct questions,” Sanders said. “Her life is in danger.” He lowered his voice for his next words. “Frankly, she should already be dead.”
Cole clenched his fists, holding back his anger. “How dare you?”
“How dare I lay out the raw truth?” Sanders didn’t act like any detective Cole had ever met. His background and training made him more like a bulldozer.
Hawk stood between them. “We’re on the same team. So how about we work together?”
“I’m good with working together. You keep her safe while I investigate,” Sanders said.
Cole shook his head. “She’s hired me to find her father.” What was he supposed to do about Naomi’s investigation with her in the hospital? She was still recovering and hadn’t responded to his texts. But that investigation was intricately connected to Ransom Driscoll as well as the danger from Michigan, so with or without Naomi’s go-ahead, he was in it.
“How effective can you be when your attention is divided?” Sanders asked.
Cole walked to the window to stare out. This guy was unbelievable. But he wasn’t wrong. “Okay, look. Like Hawk said, we’re on the same team. If you learn anything, please let me know.”
“I do know something.” The detective’s features seemed to soften. So hecouldbe a nice guy. “I’ll let the sheriff tell you. I need to take this call.”
Sanders stepped away from them—as far as he could get in this house. Cole half wondered if he was snooping and was of a mind to follow him, except for what the sheriff said next.
“You ever wonder what a man who leaves does with the assets he leaves behind? Dodge-Driscoll owned the R&D for over twenty-eight years.”
“I don’t know, let someone else run it until he comes back?” Cole couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice. “Or leave it to his daughter?”
“He sold the business to Evelyn Monroe.”
The eccentric woman who owned the Cedar Trails Lodge and facilitated helping people who wanted to disappear?
