investigation.”
“I will,” Tyler said, hoping he could convince her that Tommy was on her side. Having help from someone in law enforcement could prove beneficial.
“This mess could take a while to untangle. A man like Milton probably has a lot of enemies.” Tyler grabbed his keys from the counter.
“I’d bet money on it.” Tommy was already walking toward the door. “I’m heading over to the motel now. Maybe we’ll know more once we process the scene.”
“While I have you here, have you made any progress on your investigation into Mom and Pop?” He thought about Tommy’s comment about time being the enemy of a murder investigation. Were all the leads cold on the O’Brien case?
“I’m sorry. I don’t have anything new yet. You’ll be the first to know when I do.” Tommy excused himself and walked out the door.
Tyler grabbed a pair of socks from the downstairs laundry room and slipped into his boots. He was ready to head to the main house when someone knocked on the front door. He could see Red with Dan standing next to her.
“What happened?” he asked as soon as he opened the door.
“I’m not ready to talk to the sheriff. I decided to take a walk and this guy forced me to go with him,” Jessica said, chin up in defiance. Determination filled those sea-green eyes.
“I’m sorry, sir. I tried to take her to the main house but she went ballistic,” Dan said, looking exasperated. “Given her condition, I thought it was safer to bring her back to you.”
“Thank you. I can take it from here,” Tyler said to Dan.
“Yes, sir.” Dan excused himself.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked Jessica as soon as he closed the door behind her. He couldn’t help but notice the red marks on her arms and wrists, still fresh from yesterday, as he ushered her into the kitchen. And she was shivering.
“Me, yes. At least for now. My sister is the one who is in trouble,” she said, rubbing her arms to warm them.
“Pull another stunt like that and I might not be able to help you,” Tyler warned, his anger raised from a place deep inside...a place that made him feel helpless and weak. He bit back a curse as he retrieved a blanket from the couch and handed it to her.
“I can’t make any promises. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my sister is safe.” Jessica draped it around her shoulders before folding her arms across her chest in a defensive position.
“Come and sit down. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” Tyler didn’t wait for her to make a move toward the kitchen before he walked over to his counter. He poured two fresh mugs. He needed to tell her the news about what had happened back at the motel and he needed to find a way to do it without scaring the hell out of her. “You like sugar or cream?”
“Black is fine,” she said, accepting the mug and taking a sip.
“You want to sit?” Tyler asked, motioning toward the bar stools at the granite island.
Red seemed to catch on to the fact that he had news. She set the cup on the counter and turned to face him, hands fisted on her hips. “What is it? What’s happened?”
There was no good way to put this, so he decided to come out with it straight. “A man was found dead in your motel room.”
“Milton?” Red sank to her knees. Her skin paled. Tyler crossed the room and helped her onto the stool a few feet away from her.
“No. Not him.” Anger tore through him again when he realized how badly she was shaking, this time from fear not cold.
“How?” she asked, looking utterly stunned. “Who?”
“Tommy doesn’t know the answer. The guy had a fake ID so they’ll start trying to identify him. As for how, he was stabbed to death after arguing with a man who we suspect was Milton,” Tyler said. “A witness says the two were fighting about a woman and a necklace. I’m guessing the woman is your sister and you by proxy. Any idea what the necklace is about?”
* * *
“T HAT ’ S THE FIRST I’ve heard about it but
“I will,” Tyler said, hoping he could convince her that Tommy was on her side. Having help from someone in law enforcement could prove beneficial.
“This mess could take a while to untangle. A man like Milton probably has a lot of enemies.” Tyler grabbed his keys from the counter.
“I’d bet money on it.” Tommy was already walking toward the door. “I’m heading over to the motel now. Maybe we’ll know more once we process the scene.”
“While I have you here, have you made any progress on your investigation into Mom and Pop?” He thought about Tommy’s comment about time being the enemy of a murder investigation. Were all the leads cold on the O’Brien case?
“I’m sorry. I don’t have anything new yet. You’ll be the first to know when I do.” Tommy excused himself and walked out the door.
Tyler grabbed a pair of socks from the downstairs laundry room and slipped into his boots. He was ready to head to the main house when someone knocked on the front door. He could see Red with Dan standing next to her.
“What happened?” he asked as soon as he opened the door.
“I’m not ready to talk to the sheriff. I decided to take a walk and this guy forced me to go with him,” Jessica said, chin up in defiance. Determination filled those sea-green eyes.
“I’m sorry, sir. I tried to take her to the main house but she went ballistic,” Dan said, looking exasperated. “Given her condition, I thought it was safer to bring her back to you.”
“Thank you. I can take it from here,” Tyler said to Dan.
“Yes, sir.” Dan excused himself.
“Are you okay?” Tyler asked Jessica as soon as he closed the door behind her. He couldn’t help but notice the red marks on her arms and wrists, still fresh from yesterday, as he ushered her into the kitchen. And she was shivering.
“Me, yes. At least for now. My sister is the one who is in trouble,” she said, rubbing her arms to warm them.
“Pull another stunt like that and I might not be able to help you,” Tyler warned, his anger raised from a place deep inside...a place that made him feel helpless and weak. He bit back a curse as he retrieved a blanket from the couch and handed it to her.
“I can’t make any promises. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my sister is safe.” Jessica draped it around her shoulders before folding her arms across her chest in a defensive position.
“Come and sit down. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” Tyler didn’t wait for her to make a move toward the kitchen before he walked over to his counter. He poured two fresh mugs. He needed to tell her the news about what had happened back at the motel and he needed to find a way to do it without scaring the hell out of her. “You like sugar or cream?”
“Black is fine,” she said, accepting the mug and taking a sip.
“You want to sit?” Tyler asked, motioning toward the bar stools at the granite island.
Red seemed to catch on to the fact that he had news. She set the cup on the counter and turned to face him, hands fisted on her hips. “What is it? What’s happened?”
There was no good way to put this, so he decided to come out with it straight. “A man was found dead in your motel room.”
“Milton?” Red sank to her knees. Her skin paled. Tyler crossed the room and helped her onto the stool a few feet away from her.
“No. Not him.” Anger tore through him again when he realized how badly she was shaking, this time from fear not cold.
“How?” she asked, looking utterly stunned. “Who?”
“Tommy doesn’t know the answer. The guy had a fake ID so they’ll start trying to identify him. As for how, he was stabbed to death after arguing with a man who we suspect was Milton,” Tyler said. “A witness says the two were fighting about a woman and a necklace. I’m guessing the woman is your sister and you by proxy. Any idea what the necklace is about?”
* * *
“T HAT ’ S THE FIRST I’ve heard about it but
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