Clara shook her head, her gaze distant, as if trying to recall. “Not that I remember. Just property lines and abutters.”
“Who are the abutters?”
Clara flipped open a file, glancing down. “Let’s see... Horton family to the north; they’ve had that land forever. Whitfield estate to the east—been in probate for years. And to the south...” She looked up. “Convale Energy.”
Jo’s eyebrows shot up. “Convale?”
Clara nodded. “They own a significant chunk of land bordering Garvin’s property.”
Jo leaned back, taking that in. Convale Energy had been muscling in on White Rock for years, but she hadn’t realized they were that close to Garvin’s land.
“Interesting,” Jo murmured. She watched Clara’s reaction carefully. “Think they’d be interested in Garvin’s property?”
Clara gave a small shrug. “Who knows with a company like that? They’re always expanding.”
Jo let the silence sit for a beat, her mind ticking through possibilities. Finally, she stood, nodding to Clara. “Thanks. You’ve been a big help.”
Clara walked her to the door. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Sergeant.”
Jo slipped out, her mind buzzing with new questions. So, Garvin’s son had shown up at the surveyor’s office—something Sam hadn’t known. And Convale land abutted Garvin’s, giving them a possible motive. She needed to share this with Sam—and soon. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to wait long. It was almost time to meet at Holy Spirits.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bridget set a steaming dish of turkey meatloaf on Kevin’s kitchen table. “Dinner’s ready,” she announced.
“Smells incredible,” Kevin said, pulling out a chair for her. “Seriously, you didn’t have to do all this.”
Bridget shrugged, brushing off the compliment. “You’ve been working hard, and I like cooking. Besides, you could use a good meal.”
They ate in companionable silence until Bridget couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “So,” she asked casually, “any leads on the case?”
Kevin paused mid-bite, setting down his fork. “Nothing concrete, but we found the car I mentioned. Belongs to a land surveyor. Turns out Garvin was looking into the property where Jo’s cottage is.”
Bridget’s brow furrowed. “Why would he be looking at that land?”
“Good question.” Kevin took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. “Could be something about the land’s history, maybe an ownership issue. We’re still digging.”
“Jo’s been doing some digging of her own,” Bridget said, smiling. “She even called Mick for backup.”
Kevin chuckled. “I wouldn’t be surprised if those two get to the bottom of it before we do.”
Bridget smiled, pride flickering in her chest. Jo had always been the tough one, always looking out for everyone else. And even with her career on the line, here she was, still working to get to the truth.
“So,” she ventured, “about that note. The one about the thumb drive. Any leads on who left it?”
Kevin’s face darkened. He set down his fork, sighing. “No idea who left it or why.”
Bridget reached across the table, resting a hand on his. “You’ll figure it out.”
Kevin nodded, his eyes lingering on hers for a beat. “I just can’t shake the feeling that the thumb drive’s bigger than we thought. What if the bodies at the Webster property had nothing to do with the thumb drive?”
“Or,” Bridget said, leaning back, “what if we got the coordinates wrong?”
Kevin’s eyes sparked. “Maybe. Or maybe they weren’t coordinates at all. We just assumed because that’s where we found the bodies.”
They chewed over possibilities as they ate, lost in the thrill of the mystery until the plates were cleared. Bridget rinsed the dishes while Kevin dried them, the rhythm between them easy, like they’d been doing this for years.
Kevin broke the silence. “If those numbers aren’t coordinates, they could be anything. A code, maybe?”
