Read Online Walking on Her Grave (Rogue River Novella, Book 4) by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melinda Leigh
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stiff and awkward with anger. Keys jangled. The front door opened and closed as he left the house and again as he came back in. He threw a crumpled register receipt on the table.
Seth picked it up. “You checked out at one thirty-two p.m. What time did you pick up Peter?”
“Five o’clock,” Alex said.
“What did you do for three and a half hours?”
Alex shifted in his chair. “I came home.”
Seth leaned against the doorjamb and stared for a few heartbeats, as if waiting for Alex to confess something.
“I don’t have a choice about talking to her .” Alex jerked his head at Carly. “But next time you want to interrogate me, I’m calling a lawyer.”
“Then we’ll be having our next conversation at the county sheriff’s office.”
Alex met his eyes with a steady, indignant glare. “I have nothing else to say to you.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Seth pushed off the doorway.
Carly picked up her file and followed Seth out of the house.
“Where are you going?” He removed his suit jacket and tossed it into his car.
“I have two home visits.”
Seth’s brows rose.
“Nothing I can’t handle on my own.” She waited for his response.
Six months ago he would have launched into an interrogation about her clients. He’d have pressed for names and addresses. But today he simply nodded. “Okay. Call me if you need me. I’d like to stop and see Brianna tonight, if that’s all right.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll bring chicken from Nell’s.” He got into the cruiser and started the engine.
Climbing into her Jeep, she drove away from the curb. Seth pulled out behind her. Carly glanced back at the Rollins house. The dead landscaping reflected the family’s despair. She didn’t need this animosity between her and Alex Rollins. But there was no way to separate her case from Seth’s. She wished she knew whether Alex and Peter had been swept up in something out of their control or were active players in a dangerous game.
Entering the Solitude PD, Seth waved to Sheila, who was taking a phone call.
At ten minutes after five o’clock on a Friday afternoon, he’d expected the chief to still be working, but not Sheila. The county support staff cleared out at five on the dot. There was no money in the budget for overtime.
“Zane?” he mouthed.
She nodded and waved him toward the break/interview/supply room. The multipurpose space was the size of a walk-in closet. Seth closed the door behind him.
Zane was sitting at the scratched table, reports spread out across the Formica.
Seth took the folding chair opposite the police chief. He glanced at the log sheet from the construction site. “Find anything?”
Zane looked up from the papers. “The problem is that I know most of these people, and I can’t imagine any of them setting the O’Rourke resort on fire.”
“Any of them having money trouble?”
Zane propped his elbows on the table and rubbed his eyes. “Probably all of them, but everyone who was at the site yesterday was an employee, a supplier, or a subcontractor.”
“All of whom are dependent on the O’Rourkes for their next meal.”
“It doesn’t make sense for any of them to sabotage the job that’s feeding his family,” Zane agreed.
Seth ran a finger down the list. “Eric Hearne was at the resort yesterday. When I talked to Katelyn yesterday, she mentioned they’d had a disagreement about an invoice.”
“If Katelyn mentioned the argument, it was probably more than a minor disagreement. But it might be best if you talk to Eric,” Zane said.
“Probably.” Seth laughed. Eric had made a play for Stevie, but Carly’s sister only had eyes for Zane. “I’ll be passing the hardware store on my way out to the Taylor farm. I’ll stop and talk to him. Did you know Faye was having heart trouble?”
Zane’s head snapped up. “No.”
Seth broke out his notebook and gave Zane a rundown of his discussion with Katelyn and Faye.
“How the hell could she keep something
Seth picked it up. “You checked out at one thirty-two p.m. What time did you pick up Peter?”
“Five o’clock,” Alex said.
“What did you do for three and a half hours?”
Alex shifted in his chair. “I came home.”
Seth leaned against the doorjamb and stared for a few heartbeats, as if waiting for Alex to confess something.
“I don’t have a choice about talking to her .” Alex jerked his head at Carly. “But next time you want to interrogate me, I’m calling a lawyer.”
“Then we’ll be having our next conversation at the county sheriff’s office.”
Alex met his eyes with a steady, indignant glare. “I have nothing else to say to you.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Seth pushed off the doorway.
Carly picked up her file and followed Seth out of the house.
“Where are you going?” He removed his suit jacket and tossed it into his car.
“I have two home visits.”
Seth’s brows rose.
“Nothing I can’t handle on my own.” She waited for his response.
Six months ago he would have launched into an interrogation about her clients. He’d have pressed for names and addresses. But today he simply nodded. “Okay. Call me if you need me. I’d like to stop and see Brianna tonight, if that’s all right.”
“Of course.”
“I’ll bring chicken from Nell’s.” He got into the cruiser and started the engine.
Climbing into her Jeep, she drove away from the curb. Seth pulled out behind her. Carly glanced back at the Rollins house. The dead landscaping reflected the family’s despair. She didn’t need this animosity between her and Alex Rollins. But there was no way to separate her case from Seth’s. She wished she knew whether Alex and Peter had been swept up in something out of their control or were active players in a dangerous game.
Entering the Solitude PD, Seth waved to Sheila, who was taking a phone call.
At ten minutes after five o’clock on a Friday afternoon, he’d expected the chief to still be working, but not Sheila. The county support staff cleared out at five on the dot. There was no money in the budget for overtime.
“Zane?” he mouthed.
She nodded and waved him toward the break/interview/supply room. The multipurpose space was the size of a walk-in closet. Seth closed the door behind him.
Zane was sitting at the scratched table, reports spread out across the Formica.
Seth took the folding chair opposite the police chief. He glanced at the log sheet from the construction site. “Find anything?”
Zane looked up from the papers. “The problem is that I know most of these people, and I can’t imagine any of them setting the O’Rourke resort on fire.”
“Any of them having money trouble?”
Zane propped his elbows on the table and rubbed his eyes. “Probably all of them, but everyone who was at the site yesterday was an employee, a supplier, or a subcontractor.”
“All of whom are dependent on the O’Rourkes for their next meal.”
“It doesn’t make sense for any of them to sabotage the job that’s feeding his family,” Zane agreed.
Seth ran a finger down the list. “Eric Hearne was at the resort yesterday. When I talked to Katelyn yesterday, she mentioned they’d had a disagreement about an invoice.”
“If Katelyn mentioned the argument, it was probably more than a minor disagreement. But it might be best if you talk to Eric,” Zane said.
“Probably.” Seth laughed. Eric had made a play for Stevie, but Carly’s sister only had eyes for Zane. “I’ll be passing the hardware store on my way out to the Taylor farm. I’ll stop and talk to him. Did you know Faye was having heart trouble?”
Zane’s head snapped up. “No.”
Seth broke out his notebook and gave Zane a rundown of his discussion with Katelyn and Faye.
“How the hell could she keep something
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