He’d been sitting in a cell for hours waiting for the troopers to get back, and not even Brock could spring him. That had been a new experience. His brother had tried. Ace had seen it in the tight set of Brock’s jaw before they’d shut the bars again.
Troopers Jeb and Paige sat across from him once more, this time even less friendly than before.
“All right, so give us the scoop of exactly what happened last night,” Paige said. Her multiple pens were lined up in front of her. She was writing with a blue one at the moment, her handwriting small and controlled.
Ace exhaled. “I went back to Sam’s Tavern after walking with May to the hospital. Nate and Annie were inside having their baby.”
“What did you do at Sam’s Tavern at that point?” Jeb asked.
Ace could still hear the noise of it, glasses clinking and laughter rising too loud as tourists slapped each other on the back, proud of themselves for catching fish, while the smell of beer and fried food hung thick in the air. Amka had moved fast behind the bar with her thick hair swinging over her shoulder. “I sat at the bar and chatted with Amka for a while because it was pretty busy. Then I ended up just getting drinks and clearing tables for her. She needed some help.”
“Where were your brothers?” Paige asked.
“Brock and Ophelia had already left when I went to the hospital. So had Damian. Christian left earlier on some kind of mission for the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.”
“We’re aware of that,” Paige said. “We’ve already been in contact.”
Ace figured they had.
“Then what?” Jeb prompted.
Ace dragged a hand over his jaw, feeling the scrape of stubble. It had been a busy night. “I helped by clearing tables and taking out the trash. I made sure nobody drove off hammered.” His gaze flicked briefly to Daisy. She sat straight with her hands folded on the table, watching the troopers.
“And Ivy?” Paige asked.
There it was.
Ace shifted in the chair, the wood digging into his shoulder blades. “She was there. Like half the town.”
“Did you speak to her?” Jeb asked.
“Yeah.” Ace didn’t bother pretending otherwise. “She was drinking margaritas and having a good time.” He could see it now. Ivy perched on a stool, laughing too loudly at something someone had said.
Paige’s pen scratched faster. “Did you offer her a ride home?”
Ace met her gaze. “Yes.”
The word hung there, heavier than it should have been.
“She wasn’t in any shape to drive,” he added. “I wasn’t drinking.”
The clock ticked again. Somewhere down the hall a door opened and shut. The building carried sound in a way that made everything feel closer than it was.
“Did she accept your offer of a ride?” Jeb asked.
“Yes.” He thought through the night. “At some point, Ivy and Jennifer Walters stumbled up to the bar, laughing and asking Amka if they could stay in the back room for a while.” Their cheeks were flushed, voices too loud for the space. Ivy had stumbled against the counter, her words running together. “I offered them a ride home because they obviously couldn’t drive.”
“That was nice of you,” Jeb said.
“I’m a nice guy,” Ace returned evenly.
Paige didn’t smile. “I see. What time was this?”
Ace dragged a breath through his nose. “I think it was around one.”
“Was it just the two of them?” Jeb asked.
Ace searched his memory. The night blurred at the edges. He hadn’t been tracking everyone’s movements and had been focused on Amka and keeping things from getting out of hand. “They were the only two who needed a ride home,” he said. “They’d been partying and drinking and playing darts with those three guys who always wear flannels. What are their names?”
