Sam shook his head, sighing as he sank into his chair. “No maps, but Lucy found something interesting in the snow outside. We bagged it for the lab.”
Kevin nodded, holding up the evidence bag. “It’s some kind of blue substance. We’re hoping it might give us a new lead.”
Wyatt leaned back in his chair, his fingerssteepled in front of him. “Well, I wish I had better news on my end, but this Parker Studies place is a ghost. It’s like they’ve gone out of their way to hide what they do.”
Sam frowned, his mind turning over the implications. “That’s not a good sign. If they’re that determined to stay off the radar, they must be involved in something shady.”
“And with Marnie Wilson making secret visits there...” Kevin trailed off, the unspoken conclusion hanging in the air.
Sam stood up, pacing the room as he thought out loud. “It doesn’t look good for her, that’s for sure. But what could she be involved in? And how does it tie into Garvin’s murder?”
Wyatt shrugged, his expression grim. “I don’t know, Chief, but if she becomes the next mayor, it could be a real problem for the town.”
“All the more reason to figure out what she’s up to,” Sam said, his jaw set with determination. “I might have to pay a visit to Parker Studies myself, see what I can dig up.”
Lucy, who had been curled up under Sam’s desk, suddenly perked up, her ears twitching. Sam glanced down at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. “What do you think, girl? Ready for another adventure?”
Lucy’s tail thumped against the floor in response, her eyes bright with eagerness.
Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. “I think that’s a yes, Chief.”
Sam nodded, his mind already planning his next move. “All right, let’s see what the lab comes back with on that blue substance. In the meantime, Wyatt, keep digging into Parker Studies. There’s got to be some way to find out more.”
“On it, Chief,” Wyatt replied, his fingers already flying across his keyboard.
Sam turned to Kevin. “And Kevin, I want you to take another look at the evidence from Garvin’s house. Maybe there’s something we overlooked, some clue that might tie into this Parker Studies angle.”
Kevin nodded, his expression serious. “I’ll go over everything with a fine-toothed comb, Chief.”
With his team set to their tasks, Sam retreated to his office, Lucy following close behind. He closed the door, leaning against it for a moment as he collected his thoughts.
His eyes fell on the framed photo on his desk, a candid shot of him and Jo at last year’s Fourth of July picnic. They were both laughing, their faces lit up with joy. The memory brought a bittersweet smile to his face.
“We’re going to get you out of this, Jo,” he murmured, his fingers brushing the frame. “I promise.”
Lucy whined softly, as if sensing his mood. Sam reached down to scratch behind her ears, drawing comfort from her steady presence.
A sudden movement caught his eye, and he looked up to see Major sauntering into the office, his tail held high. The black cat leapt onto Sam’s desk, green eyes blinking slowly as he surveyed the room.
“Hey, Major,” Sam said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “Come to offer your expertise?”
Major meowed in response then promptly curled up on top of Sam’s paperwork, looking quite pleased with himself.
Sam shook his head, chuckling softly. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
With a sigh, he reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Jo’s number. He hesitated for a moment, his thumb hovering over the call button. What if she didn’t want to hear from him? What if she blamed him for not finding the evidence to clear her name?
Pushing aside his doubts, Sam hit the call button, holding the phone to his ear as it rang.
“Sam?” Jo’s voice was tinged with surprise as she answered. “What’s going on?”
Sam took a deep breath, steeling himself. “We’ve got a new lead, Jo. Something called Parker Studies. Marnie Wilson’s been making secret visits there, and Wyatt can’t find any information on what they do.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Sam could almost hear the gears turning in Jo’s head.
“Parker Studies?” she repeated, her tone thoughtful. “I’ve never heard of them. What do you think they’re involved in?”
“I don’t know,” Sam admitted, frustration coloring his voice. “But whatever it is, it doesn’t look good for Marnie.”
