Huck smiled, all charm. “If you have any information that would help us with the case, we’d really appreciate it.”
The women gave basic information that didn’t help much, but Laurel thanked them anyway. Then they moved off to work the rest of the quaint restaurant.
Laurel finished her salad. “Do you think that you disliked Pastor John so much because of the killer in your last big case? The preacher?”
“No.” Huck’s phone buzzed, and he lifted it from his back pocket to read the screen. His expression shifted to cop mode.
Laurel set down her fork. “What is it?”
He looked up, his gaze a deep brown. “Ena got the warrant an hour ago, and our tech dug into Lisa’s cell phone and computer, which weren’t even locked. There are hundreds of texts and emails, some quite sexually graphic, between Lisa and good ole Pastor John Govern.”
Laurel tossed her napkin on her plate. “I did not get a hit on that from him. At all. Did you?” The pastor was good at keeping secrets.
“I did not,” Huck said, pushing his water glass to the side. “Let’s head back to the church and have a nice discussion with him before going out to interview Robert and Jasmine Caine. Lunch is on me.”
Laurel stood. “Thanks. I wonder what else is Pastor John Govern hiding.”
* * *
The pastor was nowhere to be found when they returned to the church after their very late lunch. Huck and Laurel debated the necessity of putting out a BOLO on Pastor John Govern as Huck drove through another residential area to farmland, where he found the long, fence-lined driveway belonging to Robert and Jasmine Caine. “I think we should bring him in officially,” Huck reiterated.
Laurel watched the snowy fields fly by outside as winter darkness slowly pressed in. “It’s one strategy, especially since he no doubt knew we’d discover he’d been dating Lisa. But this man is entrenched in the community, and he doesn’t mind stepping out of the proverbial pastor box. He owns part of a marijuana growing farm, for goodness sake.”
Huck couldn’t argue with that. “True. Plus, Lisa was of the age to consent, so he didn’t break any laws. Although he clearly broke church doctrine, with the sex and all before marriage.”
“Your voice deepens when you get sarcastic,” Laurel mused quietly.
Huck glanced her way. In the gray day, her hair was like a beacon of fire. He didn’t blame the pastor for his initial reaction to her beauty. He found it even more alluring that the woman had no clue as to her appeal. “All right, we won’t put out the BOLO unless we fail to locate him after tomorrow morning. Then, it’s BOLO city.”
“Agreed,” Laurel said, sounding distracted.
Huck followed the driveway around another bend. The snow-filled fields were vacant, but several red barns dotted the landscape in the distance. A sign loomed to the right, indicating this was the correct way to the Caine Stables and Riding Academy. “It looks like Robert Caine has diversified his portfolio.”
Laurel turned to face him, and her dual-colored eyes glimmered in the drizzly day. “Have you noticed we keep coming back to Abigail Caine?”
“Yes. Hopefully her half-brother will be able to shed some light on the woman. I don’t like enigmas.”
“Neither do I,” Laurel murmured.
Huck pulled around a circular driveway in front of a white clapboard farmhouse, complete with deck currently in full Christmas mode. Green and red lights hung from every eave, a series of fake poinsettias covered the entire porch, and a lit-up cross made the snow sparkle around an outside tree covered with bright blue lights from top to bottom. “They’re certainly in the spirit.”
“Humph.” Laurel opened the truck door and jumped down.
Huck followed suit and waited for her at the front of the truck while Aeneas made good use of bushes by the garage. Her boots were the same ones that lacked traction, so Huck kept near in case she started to slip. “You want lead on this?”
She shrugged. “We’ve been playing off each other well so far. Let’s just see where the interviews take us.”
He liked that about her. No pulling rank or one-upmanship. She just wanted answers. Did she even have an ego? Everyone did, right?
The door opened before Huck could knock, and the man standing inside jumped. “Oh. Sorry. You took me by surprise.” He smiled at Huck and then turned to Laurel. The smile disappeared and his mouth gaped open. Both of his blue eyes widened, and he stepped back. He was about six feet tall and looked like a country guy with a red flannel jacket, jeans, boots, and a cowboy hat. His face was angular with a short beard and mustache. “What the hell?”
Huck’s instincts flared and he moved forward, partially putting his body between Laurel and the threat. “Excuse me?”
The guy shook his head, looking shocked. “What is going on? Who are you?”
“Honey?” a woman called from inside the home. “Who’s at the door?”
Huck lowered his chin and made sure his hands were free in case he needed to take this guy down. “I’m Captain Rivers from Fish and Wildlife, and this is Special Agent Laurel Snow from the FBI. We just want to ask you a few questions.” What the hell was wrong with the guy?
