Harlan’s gaze lingered on the page for several moments. “Did you ever mention this to Sherry?”
“Yes,” Laney said, sitting and leaning back in her chair. “I told her about it after I found it, not long after David’s death. She said it was nothing. That she and David had stopped at the diner for lunch and they both forgot their wallets. She told him she’d swing back later and pay the bill, and I guess he made a note of it so he wouldn’t forget.”
Her voice trailed off. Saying it now, it sounded even less believable than it had before, like a story that didn’t quite fit. She stared at the page again, at the simple scrawl of Sherry’s name and the word beside it, and felt that faint knot of unease twist in her stomach.
Harlan seemed to be thinking the same thing. “Why would he write something like that in a notebook that he used for police work?”
The question landed heavily, because she had no good answer.
Oh, God.
Did David’s former partner have something to hide? And if so, was that the reason they’d all just been slammed into a nightmare?
Laney had no idea. But she knew one thing. She and Harlan would be paying Sherry a visit.
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Chapter Six
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Harlan sat at the large dining room table, watching the morning play out around him. Listening, too, for any sound that shouldn’t be there. Anything that could warn him that there was a problem.
So far though, so good.
He intended for it to stay that way.
The curtains in the room were drawn tight, muting the morning light to a dim gold glow. It felt closed in, but it was far safer than the kitchen with its wide, uncovered windows. The table was set simply, coffee steaming in mugs, toast cooling on a plate, and Evie’s favorite cereal in a bright bowl in front of her.
“Uncle Harley and Mommy stayed all night in my room,” Evie said around a mouthful of cereal, her little legs swinging so hard they thumped the underside of the table. “All night,” she repeated for what had to be the tenth time.
Clearly, Evie had enjoyed herself, and Harlan was damn glad she had. Better that she didn’t know how close danger might have been. He’d known, of course, and the night had been a strain for him in more ways than one.
Sharing a room with Laney had put her only a few feet away from him. Close enough for him to hear the slow rhythm of her breathing. Close enough to take in her scent and to feel the weight of memories he had no business holding onto.
Harlan’s phone gave a sharp beep, the kind that made his pulse kick before his brain caught up. He thumbed the screen awake and saw the motion-sensor alert. A vehicle had just turned onto the road leading to the ranch.
A live feed popped up, the camera showing a Crossfire Ops van and a dark SUV making their way toward the house. He recognized the person in the SUV right away. Garrett McCall was behind the wheel, his easy confidence obvious even through the grainy image. The van would be the security team, here to put in the extra motion sensors and whatever else they needed to keep this place buttoned up tight.
“They’re here, Laney,” Harlan said, setting his phone on the table.
Laney gave a quick glance toward the window as if she could see through the heavy curtains. She didn’t breathe easier. Not yet. And maybe easy breathing was completely out of the picture until they knew who was behind these latest threats.
When the vehicles pulled up out front, Harlan went to the door. Garrett climbed out first, scanning the yard in that slow, deliberate way that meant he was already assessing threats. The van doors opened and the security crew stepped out, hauling cases of equipment.
“Morning,” Garrett said as he came up the steps. “We’ll get everything in place. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours, and I’ll stick around with Carol and Evie while you two head out.”
Garrett didn’t have to ask where they were going since he’d been on the group texts where they’d worked out the details. And the plan was already set. Laney and he would be at the sheriff’s office when Billy Maddox was brought in for questioning because they wanted to see Billy’s face when the hair clip and the DNA were put in front of him.
After that, they would take the drive to Sherry Dalton’s place and have a chat with her. The question about that “payment” note in David’s notebook had been chewing at him since last night, and he wanted answers before the day was over.
Laney came up beside him, pulling her sweater tighter around her. Harlan made the introductions.
“Garrett McCall,” Harlan said. “This is Laney Sutton.”
Garrett gave her a nod before glancing toward the van where two men and a woman were unloading gear. “They’ll start on the exterior. More motion sensors, plus alarms on all the windows and doors. For part of it, they’ll need to come inside.”
Laney’s mouth tightened a little. “Do you trust them?” she asked, but then she shook her head almost immediately. “Forget I asked. Of course you do. Crossfire Ops,” she added as if that alone were enough credentials.
