“The Thompsons,” Daisy supplied quietly.
“Yeah. The Thompsons. And one of them,” Ace continued, “I think Mick’s his name, walked up and said he’d give them a ride. I told him no. I had it. He’d been drinking all night.”
“And you hadn’t?” Paige asked.
Ace’s mouth went dry. He kept his expression steady. “I hadn’t.” He hadn’t touched a drop and had been clear-headed, watching over Amka because his brother had asked. He couldn’t believe Ivy was dead. It felt unreal and wrong at a fundamental level. He glanced at Daisy. “Is May covered right now?”
“You know she is,” Daisy said, giving his hand a brief pat. “You have Brock at the hospital.”
Ace itched to get out of that room. “Yeah, but Brock has a job to do.”
“No, he doesn’t,” Jeb said roughly. “He’s completely off this case because of his connection to you.”
Damn it. Ace wanted Brock on this case. Ivy deserved justice. He trusted his brother’s instincts but appreciated Brock keeping an eye on May. Poor Ivy was the second blonde with blue eyes who’d died in their town. The pattern made his stomach twist. “Are you sure Senator Mercer was out of town all last night?” Ace asked.
“Yep. He’s alibied for the entire night fishing and didn’t fly back until at least six this morning,” Paige said.
Ace leaned back, the chair groaning faintly under his weight. “Then who killed Ivy and the college kid?”
Jeb folded his hands on the table. His tone stayed calm, almost measured. “You’re looking real good for it, Ace.”
Ace didn’t flinch. He’d been in fights before and knew when someone was trying to get a rise out of him. He kept his breathing even and his shoulders relaxed. “I gave Ivy and Jennifer a ride home. That’s it.”
Paige watched him carefully. “Walk us through the entire scenario.”
“I walked them both out to my truck and told Amka I’d return shortly and help her clean up. There were still tons of people at the bar, even at one in the morning, so I knew Amka was safe.”
“Was Ivy upset?” Paige asked.
Ace considered the question. “No.”
“Angry? Scared?” Jeb interjected.
“No.” Ace said.
Paige made another notation. “Did either Ivy or Jennifer argue with anyone before you left?”
Ace replayed it again. The music. The chatter. Ivy dancing to the music coming out through the speakers. “No,” he said firmly. “Nothing out of the ordinary. What did Jennifer say?”
Paige shrugged. “Not much. She’s pretty upset about her friend being murdered.”
So was Ace.
Jeb crossed his arms. “Did Ivy say she was meeting anyone at home?”
Ace shook his head. “No.”
“Did anyone follow you?” Jeb asked.
Of course not. “No,” Ace said. A headache was roaring in through the base of his skull.
Jeb stared at him beneath heavy lids. “Help me understand something, Ace. You’re the last known person to see Ivy Carter alive. You had the opportunity. You had privacy. And now she’s dead.”
Ace felt heat crawl up his neck, but he didn’t let it show. “I didn’t touch her.”
Paige’s voice softened. “Nobody can confirm what happened between the tavern and her front door.”
“That’s correct.” Ace looked down at his hands resting on the metal table. They were steady. He forced himself to look back up. “I didn’t kill Laura and I didn’t kill Ivy,” he said through gritted teeth, May and her safety flashing through his mind. “How much longer are we going to be here?”
