She unfolded it on Wheeler's desk.
"Sam Vela is a SEAL. He was Liam's swim buddy on the teams. The dates are from the summer before Liam died. I’ve never heard the word Tigris before. But I know Sam, and he’ll tell me what he can."
"You have a number for him?" Wheeler asked.
"In my phone."
"All right. I’d like to set up a call to him on the secure phone with you and me in the room. I would also like Mr. Steele here, if you trust him, and I’d like Cooper Lawton to be here. He was an army Ranger and may hear things Sam doesn’t say.”
Grace nodded. “I’d like to have Reno be there. And Cooper’s a good idea. Sam might feel more comfortable knowing there’s another military man on the call.”
Wheeler said, "The most likely outcome of tomorrow morning's call is that it gets us exactly nowhere. Mr. Vela may have no idea what the note means, or he may not be able to tell us what he does know. He may also tell us the note has nothing to with what’s going on here in Cobbler Cove. I want you to know that going in.”
Grace nodded.
Reno commented, “It’ll be good news if he thinks that note has nothing to do with here.”
“How do you figure that?” Wheeler asked.
Reno shrugged. “Means we’re looking in the right place for answers. It’s a local problem.”
She looked down at her hands clenched on her knees. Huh. They’d stopped shaking in the past few minutes. It felt good to have a plan of action. And if anybody knew what Liam had been up to, it would be Sam. They’d been like brothers.
Wheeler and Reno exchanged significant looks, and it was Reno who cleared his throat to speak.
"Grace, you cannot sleep alone in that house tonight with Lily."
She saw where he was going and didn’t know what to say.
“The sheriff’s department is gonna be spread thin keeping an eye on your store, your house, you, and Lily. So, it makes sense for . . ."
"I can’t ask you to . . ."
"You're not asking me. I'm telling you I’m not letting the two of you be alone. Either I sleep at your place or you sleep at mine.” She opened her mouth automatically to say no way, but Reno cut her off gently. “Someone reached through your daughter's window and intentionally let you know he’d done it. He’ll escalate matters next time. Do something else. Something more direct."
"How long are we talking here?" She looked back and forth between Wheeler and Reno.
Wheeler fielded that one. "Until we catch whoever’s doing these things, Grace."
She sat there for a minute, considering the impossible. Reno sleeping under her roof for the foreseeable future. She would feel better with a big, strong man nearby. And she wouldn’t sleep a wink if she was worried about Lily’s safety.
"Okay," she said heavily. “But I have one condition.”
“Anything. Name it,” Reno said quickly.
Instead of answering him, she looked over at Wheeler. "Tell Reno not to do anything brave."
Wheeler smiled briefly and looked over at Reno. "Don't do anything brave. Got it?"
"Yes, Sir. No heroics."
She left shortly after that, and Reno walked her out.
"Grace? Thank you."
"For what?"
"Letting me look after you and Lily.”
