He was just tired, he reassured himself. These murders were consuming him and messing with his head; once they were solved, things would settle and he’d be able to look at Katie and see the beautiful, sexy woman he wanted and nothing more.
When the service ended, he and his deputies filed out of the church first, and then he walked beside the Lee family and Jilly’s casket through town to the cemetery. Tourists stood aside as the procession passed, heads bowed in respect. Sun beat down as they climbed the steps to where Jilly’s family would lay her to rest.
Cubby stood behind the mourners, his eyes hidden behind sunglasses as he watched. Was the killer there too? Was it someone he knew, or was it Elijah Willis as Brady believed? The man had been seen nearby only a matter of months ago, so Cubby thought it was a solid lead, but until they’d dug deeper, he was keeping his options open.
Jilly’s family had asked as many people as possible to wear her favorite color of pink, so he and his deputies had ribbons tied around their sleeves, as did many of the other suit-wearing men. Cubby’s eyes found Katie standing across from him dressed in a black straight skirt that stopped a few inches above her knees. Her small waist was cinched in a shiny black belt and she wore a pale pink, short-sleeved top. Both clung to her lovely body, and he had no right lusting after her in such a place, but the hell of it was he did. He hadn’t seen her in anything but shorts or jeans since she’d arrived in Howling, but today she wore heels that did spectacular things for her legs, and her hair was a mass of curls. As if she sensed him, she raised her head and looked his way, and he noticed her lips were painted in something pink and glossy. The woman had no right to be that sexy.
Everyone placed a flower in the grave, and hugged the family, and then trooped back into town to the Hoot, where Willow and Buster were hosting everyone because the Howler was full of tourists getting ready for the Hot Foot. Cubby stayed with the family at the graveside until he was sure they no longer needed him, before he joined them.
Kurt Sinclair was the first person he saw when he walked back into town. Making a detour, he headed to where the man stood looking at the lake.
“Not sure why you’re here, Sinclair, but whatever your reasons are, they won’t include rekindling a relationship with Katie McBride.”
He turned to face Cubby at his words.
“I came to apologize, Sheriff, and nothing more. In my grief over the loss of my girlfriend, I treated Katie badly, and I needed to make amends for that. I didn’t know Katie had left LA, but when she didn’t answer her phone or the door to her apartment I got worried. E.J. didn’t want to tell me she was here, but I finally convinced him two days ago, so I flew here the next day.”
The guy was smooth, there was no getting around that fact. Dressed in jeans that had a label Cubby was sure he wouldn’t recognize, and were probably worth more than a week’s salary. His polo shirt was peach, and Cubby was suspicious of a man that dressed in pastel. It wasn’t logical, but you had to follow your gut.
“Okay, I’m willing to accept that if it’s the truth, although not sure why an email or phone call wouldn’t do the job.”
Irritation flashed across Sinclair’s face.
“I don’t answer to you, Sheriff.”
“In this town you do.”
“You’re serious,” Sinclair laughed.
“Deadly.” Cubby kept his eyes on the man.
“Look, I don’t mean Katie any trouble. This was just something I needed to do face to face, and E.J. agreed. So I took some time off, and this is the first stop of a few I have planned.”
“Got more than one fence to mend, Sinclair?”
For the first time he looked unsettled.
“Yes, and if you’re finished with the interrogation I need to leave so I can catch my flight from Brook.”
“Have a good trip,” Cubby said. He then watched Kurt Sinclair until he had driven out of his town, before making his way to the Hoot.
Cubby patiently answered questions about the investigation, saying repeatedly that it was progressing but understandably he could add nothing further. Making his way through the mourners, he looked for Katie but couldn’t find her.
“You doing okay there, Sheriff?”
“Yes thanks, Mr. McBride.”
“You call me Patrick at card night.”
Cubby found a smile for the man who he’d loved like a father since he was a child.
“I’m keeping up appearances, sir.”
Jake would look like this one day. Distinguished with gray hair and well placed wrinkles. It was the bone structure, or so his mother believed.The McBrides all have a good bone structure, son, she often said, and he had to agree.
“All right, I’ll let it lie then. How’s your sixties outfit coming along?”
“Newman told me I could wear anything in my wardrobe.”
