Be careful.
He raised his eyebrows. “What’s this?” He held it up.
“I wrote the contact information on the back of a note Micah left for me after he finished the repairs in here. Another example of why I always felt he looked out for me.”
“What do you think prompted this warning?”
She shrugged. “Coming on the heels of the fire, I imagine it was his way of showing he cared about me. Like his produce and egg deliveries, and the occasional bouquet of wildflowers he picked in the meadow. He was a sweet man.” She massaged her temple. “Now I’m going to rest for a bit.”
As she once again retreated down the hall, Brad pocketed the note.
“It would be sad to have no family who cared when you died, wouldn’t it?”
At Cara’s quiet question, he gave her his full attention. Compassion had softened her eyes, the slight shimmer in their depths evidence of her caring nature.
“Yes, it would. But maybe the name on this paper will lead me to a long-lost relative.” He tapped the shirt pocket he’d slipped it into.
“What will happen to him if no one claims ... if there’s no one to make arrangements?”
“I’ll talk it over with Natalie. She may have some thoughts on the subject.”
“That makes sense.” She motioned toward the hall. “I’ll go on to the study and let you get down to the lake.”
Much as he’d like to extend his time with her, duty called.
He crossed to the back door and turned. “I’ll keep you and Natalie apprised of the investigation.”
“Thanks.”
He let himself out, then struck off for the lake, circling counterclockwise to speed up his trip to the location Cara had provided.
It didn’t take long to make the short circuit, and the young deputy was waiting for him on the path above the body.
“You take a close look yet?” Brad stopped beside the man.
“Only to confirm he was dead.”
Not surprising. Newly minted deputies weren’t inclined to get up close and personal with death if they could avoid it.
“Coroner should be here soon. I’m not going to touch much until Rod’s done. He always gets first dibs. Hang tight till he shows up.”
“Roger.”
Brad scrambled down the slope, gave the body a cursory once-over, took several photos, and rejoined Alan to wait for the coroner. Rod’s assessment would help guide the investigation, what little of it there was liable to be. Unless he found obvious evidence of foul play, they’d document the scene, then rely on the autopsy to determine cause of death. In all probability, manner would be accidental or natural.
Several minutes later, Larry appeared around a bend in the trail, Rod and his assistant behind him with a stretcher in tow.
After a brief exchange, Brad followed the coroner down to the edge of the lake.
The man took a number of overall photos, then got up close and personal with the body.
“You see the gash on the back of his head?” Rod leaned closer.
“No. I was waiting for you.”
“Water washed away the blood. It’s not easy to spot with all the hair this guy has.” He patted the edge of the boat. “There’s a smear of what appears to be blood on this side.”
“You think he fell, knocked himself out, and went into the water?”
