"After it was properly logged and secured?" June's voice carried the disbelief of someone who understood how evidence protocols worked.
Holt nodded grimly.
"I don't think we should discuss this or anything regarding Lacey’s accident or the fires and incidents here," he said, lowering his voice further. "There are too many people coming and going. And these walls are not as soundproof as I’d like them to be."
June agreed with a slight nod. "When do you want to visit the accident site? We should document everything again before more time passes."
"I want Lacey’s statement first, and then we'll go to the impound lot to re-examine her truck. The physical evidence on the vehicle should still be intact." Holt knew that Tom and Rad were already at the accident scene and would get to Lacey’s car again.
But Holt wanted to gather his own evidence as he didn’t believe for a minute that Rad had been careless or misplaced the evidence. No matter what that horrible woman at the evidence lockup said.
Holt was about to suggest they head to the hospital when June's phone beeped. She glanced at the screen, and her expression brightened.
"It's a message from Lacey," June said, reading the message. "Lacey is being discharged and wants to know if I can give her a ride to the Sandpiper Inn." She smiled at him. “Lacey and Lucy are staying there while the Hoops House on Point Drive is being fixed. Something about a bad foundation.”
“That’s a big job,” Holt said. “We can fetch her together, and while we’re taking her back to the inn, I can ask her questions about her accident.”
"That's a good idea," June agreed. “If you don’t mind driving, we can take Carmen’s car again.”
“Of course,” Holt said. “As you know, I don’t have a car, so I’m glad we have Carmen’s to use.”
Twenty minutes later, they were in Carmen's car, with Holt behind the wheel, heading toward the medical clinic to pickup Lacey. The afternoon sun was warm through the windows, and Holt found himself appreciating the quiet comfort of having June beside him in the passenger seat. Their morning at the salvage yard and the federal meeting had felt like a natural partnership, the kind of easy collaboration he hadn't experienced in years.
They found Lacey waiting in a wheelchair near the clinic's discharge area, looking significantly better than she had the day before. Her arm was still in a sling, and bruising colored her cheek, but her eyes were clear and alert.
"Thank you for the rescue," Lacey said as Holt helped her into the back seat. "Lucy was going to drive me, but she got called to an emergency surgery."
"Not a problem," Holt assured her, settling back behind the wheel. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got rolled down a hill in a truck," Lacey replied with a wry smile. "But much better than yesterday."
As they drove toward the inn, June filled Lacey in on the morning's federal meeting and the possibility of her serving as the wildlife consultant for the investigation.
"I don’t mind at all," Lacey said immediately. "If you have permission to get into the reserve, we should go now. We need to get out there as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that injured or displaced animals won't survive."
"Lacey," June said carefully, "you just got out of the hospital. Maybe you should rest for a day or two before taking on fieldwork."
"Absolutely not," Lacey said firmly. "If there are animals suffering because of that fire, I'm not going to sit around recuperating while they die. While we are already all together, now is as good a time as any."
Holt glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Are you sure you're up for that? It's rough terrain, and we'll be walking through burned areas."
"I'm fine," Lacey insisted. "My shoulder is dislocated, not my legs. Besides, I know that area better than anyone. I've been doing wildlife surveys out there for years."
Holt looked at June, who shrugged slightly. If Lacey felt well enough to work, and they needed to move quickly on the investigation, it made sense to combine both objectives.
"All right," Holt decided. "But we take it slow, and if you need to stop at any point, we stop."
"Fair enough," Lacey agreed with a nod and a triumphant smile.
Holt changed direction, heading toward the Henderson farm instead of the inn. The road took them through the quieter residential areas of Sandpiper Shores, past small houses with neat yards and the occasional glimpse of water through the trees.
As they approached Miller Creek Road, where Lacey's accident had occurred, Holt noticed her posture change in the back seat. She sat forward slightly, her attention focused on the landscape outside.
"Could you pull over for a minute?" Lacey asked as they neared the curve where her truck had gone through the guardrail.
Holt found a safe spot on the shoulder and stopped the car. "Are you all right? We can turn around if this is too difficult."
"No, I'm fine," Lacey said, but her voice had a different quality now, more focused and determined. "I just want to look at something."
