“That’s what the video shows.”
I stared at the screen.Craig Barlow had been on the water the night Eddie died.Out for four hours in the middle of the night on a boat that wasn’t his primary vessel.That was a window that overlapped entirely with the estimated time of Eddie’s death.
“Do we know whose skiff that is?”I asked.
“Not yet.It’s not registered to Craig.Could be borrowed, could be one of the community boats the fishermen share.”
“Hmm.We can probably pin that down pretty quick.”
“Yes.”She tapped her pen on the desk, looking uneasy.“There’s something else too.It’s not anything on the video, but it’s about Craig.”
“What is it?”I frowned.
“Well, I was getting a latte this morning at Driftwood Coffee before coming to work.”She cleared her throat.“The owner, Lena Castillo, pulled me aside and said she’d heard some gossip about Tess Barlow and Eddie.That they were sleeping together.”
I squinted at her.“Tess andEddie?”I remembered what Spencer had told me last night about Tess and Gil flirting at the Rusty Anchor.Now she was supposedly also having a thing with Eddie?“You sure that’s who she said Tess was fooling around with?”
“Positive.”
“Who told her that?”
Bree bit her lip as if recalling her conversation with Lena.“It wasn’t that anyone took her into their confidence.She said she’d overheard Craig bitching about how he was going to fuck Eddie up for messing with his wife.”
My heart sped up.“He said those exact words?”
“Apparently he did.He was talking to some guy he works with on the Blue Whale.They were having coffee about a week before Eddie died.The guy was trying to calm Craig down, but Craig is such a hothead, he wasn’t listening.He just kept saying Eddie was going to pay for sleeping with his wife.”
“Well, shit.”I met her gaze.
“I know.If that’s true…”
I put my hands on my hips.“Looks like I need to go have a cup of coffee and a little chat with Lena.I need to hear what she has to say in person.”
“I figured you would.”Bree nodded.
“Why didn’t Lena come forward with this information sooner?”
“She said she just couldn’t believe that Eddie’s death was anything but an accident.”Bree sighed.“But that conversation she overheard was eating at her.When it took so long for you to rule Eddie’s death an accident, she finally decided she had to say something.”
“Better late than never, I guess.”I sighed.“I need to get a fresh notepad out of my office.Then I’ll head over to talk to Lena.Depending on what she says, and if she seems credible, I’ll need to bring Craig in later today.This might be just the break I needed to get this case moving.”
Bree murmured, “It’s been stagnant far too long.”
“Agreed,” I said, heading down the hallway to my office.When I got inside, I grabbed a new notepad out of the top drawer.When my phone buzzed, I pulled it out of my pocket and saw a text from Spencer.
Smiling, I sat down in my chair to read it.I could hardly walk today thanks to you, Chief.
I couldn’t help laughing and I felt a little lighter just seeing his text.
I responded.I’d give anything to be able to get out of here and grab dinner later.Unfortunately…
He typed,Hey, that’s how it is when you’re the big-shot Chief of Police.Me?I get to go home tonight, have a beer, and maybe watch some porn.
I grinned.I don’t need porn.Not when I have memories of you.
Aww.That’s sweet.Kind of.In a pervy way.
I was smiling at my phone like an idiot when Bree opened the door.I quickly set my phone on the desk, face down, and she gave me a funny look.
