Holt was quiet for a few seconds.
“I believe you and Rad took Margo to Teacups last night,” he told her.
June’s brows shot up in surprise, and her head turned toward him so fast she went slightly over the middle line, then quickly corrected the car.
“Excuse me?” June spluttered. “The bracelet we found in Teacups was Carly’s?”
“It was,” Holt confirmed. “So I guess it was a good thing you went against my orders to Cedar Key and then Teacups without me.”
“Yes,” June admitted, giving him a quick smile. “I know you told me not to go, but…”
“I know,” Holt said. “Rad told me everything.” He looked down at his hands for a second, then back up. “I’m not angry, June. In fact, it was lucky you did.”
That eased something in her at once.
“So I take it Rad showed you the smartwatch as well?” June asked.
“He did,” Holt answered.
“We think the smartwatch was Judy’s,” June told him. “And then Margo found the bracelet at Teacups. I didn’t really get a proper look at it because Rad bagged it before I could.”
Holt gave her a tight smile. “If you had seen it properly, you would’ve recognized it instantly.” She heard the emotion in his voice and knew he was thinking about his sister. “Carly wore it a lot.”
A lump rose in her throat so quickly it hurt. June knew exactly which bracelet he was talking about. She remembered that set all too well, as Abe had given it to Carly when she turned twelve. Carly had been so proud of it.
June gripped the steering wheel more tightly as she pushed memories of her late best friend aside.
“That whole set,” June said quietly, “along with some of your sister’s other things, went missing that day.” Her throattightened further. “That day we all went to…” She cleared it. “To say goodbye.”
“Yes,” Holt said. “And then I went after your sister because I thought Annie had stolen it.”
June swallowed. “Do you think whoever started the fire dropped the bracelet?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Holt’s voice steadied into the investigative tone she knew so well. “What I do know is that the theory has to fit the evidence process. Teacups was processed after the fire. The scene would’ve been photographed in stages, the area around the origin point carefully examined, and anything visible near the cooker noted and recovered. A bracelet wedged under the unit is the kind of thing they should have found unless it wasn’t there at the time.”
June thought that through. “So you think it was planted.”
“I think that is more likely than the forensic team missing it,” Holt said. “Or someone went into the shop after the cops had cleared out and dropped it accidentally.”
“Do you think it was planted by the person who originally stole it?” June’s eyes widened.
“Possibly.” Holt looked ahead, his expression hardening. “Or someone planted it to point us toward whoever stole it and connect them to the fire or fires, since it was found beneath the cooker believed to have caused the fire at Teacups.”
“But we would have to know who stole the bracelet first,” June said.
Then the thought hit her. She glanced at Holt. “But you already have an idea, don’t you?”
“Yes,” Holt said. “And I’m afraid it may cost me another date.”
June had just started easing into a parking spot in front of the police station when the meaning of that sentence landed.
She hit the brake too hard.
“Ow.” Holt’s shoulder jerked against the seat belt. “I think you just gave me whiplash.”
“You think Victoria stole the jewelry?” June stared at him in shock, ignoring his whiplash comment.
“I think,” Holt said dryly, “that if you brake like that again, I’ll need Lucy sooner than planned.” Then he sighed. “Rad recognized the bracelet. He had seen Sienna Morrison wearing it at the beach a couple of weeks ago.”
