sounded like she was trying to deflect our attention away from herself with that outlandish story. Did Lester strike you as the type who would even read a book, let alone write one?”
Grace smiled at me, and I asked, “What?”
“You don’t trust much, do you?”
I shook my head. “If nothing else, I like to think that I learn from my past mistakes. Are you ready to look into this some more?”
“You know me. I’m game for anything.”
As we headed back to April Springs, I couldn’t help wishing that Jake were in town. We didn’t often coordinate our investigations, since his work was official and mine was always under the radar, but I would have felt a lot better having him handling the case from the other side. It was wishful thinking, though. He was tied up, and Chief Martin wasn’t all that likely to give me a hand with my private search. If I was going to figure out what happened to Lester Moorefield, I was going to have to do it myself.
And with a little help from my friends, too, of course.
* * *
We were almost back to April Springs when my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket and said, “Hello?”
“Hey, stranger,” said a voice I’d been longing to hear.
“Jake,” I yelled as the wheel slipped a little in my hands. “Hang on a second.”
“Pull over before you kill us both,” Grace said.
I took her advice and pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned storefront for lease. “Where are you?”
“I’m still in New Bern,” he admitted.
Some of the punch suddenly went out of me. “How’s it going?”
I could hear his grin as he said, “We just wrapped the case up and managed to catch three bad guys, so it wasn’t a bad day at all. How would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow evening?”
“Why wait?” I asked as I glanced at my watch. “If you hurry, you can be here by seven.” I couldn’t believe how much I’d missed him since he’d been gone.
“I wish I could, but I’ve got a deskful of paperwork I have to finish first. I can leave here around noon tomorrow, though.”
“That would be great.” I’d never been the kind of woman who needed a man around to be happy with my life, but I had to admit that it was nice having someone close who really cared about me.
Jake said abruptly, “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” I said.
I hung up the phone and looked at Grace. “He’s coming home tomorrow.”
“I thought he was headed to April Springs,” she said.
“That’s what I meant.” I glanced at Grace before I pulled back out into traffic. “What’s that grin for?”
“It’s just nice to see you so happy.”
“Trust me, it feels even better than it looks.”
“So, if you’ve got a date tomorrow, we should get busy with the rest of our day today. Any ideas on what we should do next?”
I’d been thinking about it for the past few minutes. “I want to find out more about this book, and if it even exists. Do you think Cara would know about it?”
“It’s worth a shot. Do you want to call her?” Before I could say anything, she touched my arm lightly. “I mean after we get back into town.”
“Let’s pop by the radio station. I’ve got a hunch that she’s probably still there.”
I changed my route and headed for the radio station, but Cara’s car wasn’t in the parking lot.
Lester’s was still there, though.
“I figured they’d have taken that in for evidence by now,” Grace said.
“Maybe they’ve already searched it.” I pulled in, an easy task now that the police tape and guard were gone.
“It’s got to be a dead end.”
“Not yet,” I said as I parked beside it.
“What are we going to do?” Grace asked me as we got out.
“Let’s see if it’s unlocked.”
“Suzanne, you’ve had some bad ideas in the past, but this one goes to the top of the list. It’s one thing to have our own investigation on the side without the police, but this is a crime scene
Grace smiled at me, and I asked, “What?”
“You don’t trust much, do you?”
I shook my head. “If nothing else, I like to think that I learn from my past mistakes. Are you ready to look into this some more?”
“You know me. I’m game for anything.”
As we headed back to April Springs, I couldn’t help wishing that Jake were in town. We didn’t often coordinate our investigations, since his work was official and mine was always under the radar, but I would have felt a lot better having him handling the case from the other side. It was wishful thinking, though. He was tied up, and Chief Martin wasn’t all that likely to give me a hand with my private search. If I was going to figure out what happened to Lester Moorefield, I was going to have to do it myself.
And with a little help from my friends, too, of course.
* * *
We were almost back to April Springs when my cell phone rang. I dug it out of my pocket and said, “Hello?”
“Hey, stranger,” said a voice I’d been longing to hear.
“Jake,” I yelled as the wheel slipped a little in my hands. “Hang on a second.”
“Pull over before you kill us both,” Grace said.
I took her advice and pulled into the parking lot of an abandoned storefront for lease. “Where are you?”
“I’m still in New Bern,” he admitted.
Some of the punch suddenly went out of me. “How’s it going?”
I could hear his grin as he said, “We just wrapped the case up and managed to catch three bad guys, so it wasn’t a bad day at all. How would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow evening?”
“Why wait?” I asked as I glanced at my watch. “If you hurry, you can be here by seven.” I couldn’t believe how much I’d missed him since he’d been gone.
“I wish I could, but I’ve got a deskful of paperwork I have to finish first. I can leave here around noon tomorrow, though.”
“That would be great.” I’d never been the kind of woman who needed a man around to be happy with my life, but I had to admit that it was nice having someone close who really cared about me.
Jake said abruptly, “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye,” I said.
I hung up the phone and looked at Grace. “He’s coming home tomorrow.”
“I thought he was headed to April Springs,” she said.
“That’s what I meant.” I glanced at Grace before I pulled back out into traffic. “What’s that grin for?”
“It’s just nice to see you so happy.”
“Trust me, it feels even better than it looks.”
“So, if you’ve got a date tomorrow, we should get busy with the rest of our day today. Any ideas on what we should do next?”
I’d been thinking about it for the past few minutes. “I want to find out more about this book, and if it even exists. Do you think Cara would know about it?”
“It’s worth a shot. Do you want to call her?” Before I could say anything, she touched my arm lightly. “I mean after we get back into town.”
“Let’s pop by the radio station. I’ve got a hunch that she’s probably still there.”
I changed my route and headed for the radio station, but Cara’s car wasn’t in the parking lot.
Lester’s was still there, though.
“I figured they’d have taken that in for evidence by now,” Grace said.
“Maybe they’ve already searched it.” I pulled in, an easy task now that the police tape and guard were gone.
“It’s got to be a dead end.”
“Not yet,” I said as I parked beside it.
“What are we going to do?” Grace asked me as we got out.
“Let’s see if it’s unlocked.”
“Suzanne, you’ve had some bad ideas in the past, but this one goes to the top of the list. It’s one thing to have our own investigation on the side without the police, but this is a crime scene
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