June turned and looked at them. “I think Gilbert Fry was looking into a cat burglar that I’m guessing stole both the heirloom jewelry set and those glass slippers.” June swallowed. “Only he opened a can of worms when his prime source of information died in a car crash.”
Margo’s eyes widened at the words cat burglar and taking a back seat to a car crash.
“Those slippers belonged to Cynthia Frost!” Margo realized, and both June and Mina nodded in unison.
Ace gave a low whistle as he said. “So, do we still do the segment or not?”
“Not!” Holt cracked down.
“No!” June shook her head and looked at them. “Do the segment.” She glanced at Mina. “We’ll make it a segment about the town’s founding family and the theft of their missing heirloom.”
“June, that’s brilliant,” Margo agreed. “Because if we do the promo just right…”
“Other people from Sandpiper Shores might come forward, especially if we ask them to,” Mina picked up on the thread of thought. “And I can do that.”
“No!” Holt boomed. “We can’t use civilians as bait.”
“We don’t have any other options,” June told him lightly. “And Mina can be the one everyone comes to to tell their story, so the avatars of the show don’t get exposed.”
“Okay, but I want Margo under protection twenty-four seven,” Holt ordered. “Let’s not forget that whoever’s behind this may already have figured out who three of the avatars are.”
“I’ll make sure Margo is protected,” Rad stood up, and despite the fear and her trying to be brave, that made her heart go wild.
“I’ll keep an eye on you, Mother, and get someone to be with you when I’m not around,” Holt stated.
“Oh, yay, a bodyguard,” Mina mocked.
“We’d better go,” Margo said.
“Please keep checking in,” Holt demanded.
“We will,” all chorused as they headed for the door.
Margo walked with them.
“Rad, give me thirty minutes, and I’ll pop past the lighthouse,” Willa told him.
“I’ll meet you all at the campsite,” Ace said. “With the boat.”
“Margo…” Rad began and glanced down the hallway before pulling her out of sight and onto the front porch. “I know my timing sucks, but I learned the hard way that there is never a good time for this.”
“A good time for what?” Margo’s pulse once again picked up speed.
“When we get back from this camp,” Rad said. “And I know it’s not ideal. But I’ll have to be with you a lot until this is resolved.”
Margo didn’t mind that at all, and she swallowed, trying to still the butterflies flapping around in her stomach. “I don’t mindthat.”What the heck, Margo? The words had popped out before she could stop them.
“That’s good,” Rad said with a sexy smile. “Would you go on a date with me?”
“A date date?” Margo asked him. “Like dinner, movie, and a walk on the boardwalk type date?”
“Yes, a romantic date,” Rad said. “One that I hope after the first, you’ll want to repeat many more times over.” His eyes caught hers. “I’m not going to mince words here. Things are getting crazy with this case.”
“I know, right?” Margo croaked, her nerves intensifying and her breath becoming a little ragged with excitement.
“I’m falling for you, Margo,” Rad told her, and her heart nearly exploded in her chest. “I have been from the moment I first saw you, and you smiled at me.”
“I…” Margo’s voice seemed stuck in her throat. She cleared it and tried again. “I feel the same, and yes, I’d love to go on a romantic date with you.”
