His jaw went slack. “Could you please not profile me at every turn?”
Oh. She blanched. Normally she kept her thoughts to herself, but apparently she was becoming much too relaxed around Huck Rivers. “I apologize.” She shouldn’t have said all that, even if it was the truth. “I will do my best not to profile you.” The term was inaccurate, but they both understood what it meant to him, so she made the promise. “Either way, I don’t mind your natural inclination to protect me in the field.”
“Gee. That’s great,” he said.
She nodded. It was nice to be back on the same page. “Although I am trained and can fight.” Sort of. While her mind was quick, her reflexes were merely average. Perhaps she could not win a fight with the sheriff, who was built like a wrestler and had supposedly been quite successful at the sport in high school and college. “Do you think I could take the sheriff hand to hand?”
“No.”
Her eyebrows rose and laughter bubbled up her chest. “You could stop and ponder the question for a moment.”
Huck smiled. “Sorry. I know you’re trained, but so is he. With his wrestling experience, he’d have you on the ground fast, and that’s where you’re at a disadvantage with your size and strength. However, you’re a zillion times smarter than he, so perhaps you’d kick his ass in the end.”
True. Not that she was going to physically grapple with the sheriff any time soon. Or ever. “Nice save.”
“Thanks.” His phone buzzed and he glanced at the face. “We can speak with the sister now at the mayor’s house.”
Laurel jumped off the table, careful to keep from spilling her drink. “I’d rather interview her alone without her family around her.”
“I tried and not a chance. Not only will Mayor Bearing be there, but his oldest son will as well.”
Laurel tugged on her earring. “Mrs. Bearing wants a lawyer to speak about her sister?” That was odd. She’d interviewed Steve Bearing as part of the investigation into the Snowblood Peak killings, and he’d asked her on a date. The attorney was charming and seemed intelligent, but a cloak of ambition clung to him so obviously even she could see it. As the mayor’s eldest son, he no doubt felt pressure to achieve.
Huck shrugged. “Who knows. He is her kid and most likely wants to be there for her. But it isn’t ideal as far as we’re concerned.” He snapped his fingers at the dog, who happily trotted into the hallway. “Although we want to interview him about his aunt, too, so we might as well take advantage of the moment. Seeing all three of them in the family home might give us insight.”
“Agreed. I’d also like to get a read on the mayor and see what he thought of his sister-in-law.” Laurel stopped by the computer room.
She introduced Huck and Nester. “While we’re gone, would you continue conducting background searches into the lives of all three women and buy me a copy of Dr. Lamber’s poetry books?” She stopped. “Also, let’s run a background check on the husband. We need to know more about him before we call him in.”
“Sure thing. I already started looking into Morris Lamber, and he’s as boring as you’d think an accounting professor would be. I’ll have more concrete information for you in an hour or so,” Nester said, country music playing in the background. “How long do you want us in today? I have a date tonight.”
“Must be nice,” Huck said. “Where are you going?”
Nester tapped his hands on the old door. “Kenny Chesney concert.”
Huck grinned. “Sounds like fun.”
“Yep.” Nester turned back to his computer, typing rapidly. “My date actually got the tickets and asked me. She’s in marketing for the arena and has decent connections as well as eyes the color of a summer sky.”
Huck chuckled. “A computer guru with a romantic streak. It’s nice to meet you, Nester.”
“You, too.” Nester didn’t look up from his monitor.
Laurel walked down the hallway. “You’re a Chesney fan, Huck?”
“Definitely.” Huck followed her past the old pastry case, pausing to smile at Kate, who also had a Staggers latte in front of her. “How are the girls, Kate?”
“Busy. Very, very, very busy,” Kate said, writing on a legal pad. “My oldest is dating a guy who mumbles. Can’t understand a thing he says. I just want to smack him on the top of his head.” She looked up, seeing Laurel put on her coat. “Do you need me for the rest of the day?”
“Oh, no. It looks like Nester will work for a few more hours, and I don’t know when Huck and I will return today.” Perhaps Laurel shouldn’t have called her in. While she’d been helpful, she had her hands full with three teenagers. It appeared as if the girls’ father wasn’t cooperative, but Laurel didn’t want to pry. “You can head out if you’d like. Stacks of work will still be here on Monday.” Probably more if she managed to glean useful information from Mrs. Bearing. “Thanks for coming in.”
“Sure.” Kate crouched down to rub her hands through Aeneas’s fur. “Who’s a good dog? Who’s the best dog?” she crooned. Then she looked up. “After spending time with this cutie a few weeks ago, my girls all want a dog now. I’m probably going to give in and get one, but who has time to train one?” She stood, brushing off her jeans.
Laurel smiled. “The girls would help, I’m sure.” She buttoned up her wool coat. “I’m thinking of turning a barn into a house.” She knew she should also share personal information, since she and Kate were friends. In fact, she’d almost lost her mind when Kate had been kidnapped during the last case, and that was rare for her.
Kate blinked. “A barn into a house?”
“Yes.” Laurel tugged her gloves from her pockets. “There’s a nice old barn that used to hold tractors, and I think it’d make a great home if remodeled correctly. Even if I don’t stay in town, I could always use it as a rental for people who want to get away. It’s right up against a creek and quite lovely and secluded. You wouldn’t know a good architect, would you?”
