Dead of Winter (Cold Case Psychic #15) - Pandora Pine Page 0,39

Jennifer’s other lies. I would have known if she was the killer.” At least Ten thought he would have known.

“What’s more important is the fact that these friends haven’t spoken since they graduated,” Kevin said. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I spent every free moment I had that last summer before I entered the police academy with my friends. Why the hell didn’t they?”

Jude was nodding. “Were they even friends after Skye was murdered?”

“I plan on asking Lisa and Heidi that very question.” Without bothering to turn around, Ronan headed out the door.

17

Ronan

Ronan was dead on his feet. He’d spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get in touch with Skye’s other best friends, as well as her older brother and sister. He didn’t have any luck. Most people didn’t answer calls from numbers they didn’t recognize. Now that Ronan had left voicemails, everyone would know who he was.

“Why hell haven’t any of these people called me back?” Ronan thundered as he walked into the kitchen.

Ten was drying the dinner dishes and stacking them on the counter. “I don’t like this case, Ronan.” He threw down the damp dish towel and took a seat at the table. “After what we’ve encountered so far, it’s no wonder this case has been cold for thirty-five years.”

“What you’re too kind to say is that you hate these people.” Ronan had a weird vibe from the parents the day he’d met them. Nothing that happened today did anything to make him change his mind about the case.

Ten shrugged. A guilty looked was plastered over his face. “Here’s where I am. The statute of limitations in Massachusetts has expired for every crime that could be charged, with the exception of murder. If that woman today had underage sex with Kyle Danner or spent her dead friend’s cash, none of it would matter. The only thing Jennifer could ever be arrested for is Skye’s murder.”

Ronan shook his head. “You saw how well put together that woman was. Between the designer clothes, shoes, handbag, and jewelry, she’s worth at least twenty thousand dollars walking in the door. Someone has money, most likely her husband. If she were somehow involved in this case, even on the fringe, she won’t want word of that getting out to the rest of her rich-bitch friends.”

“Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. I just assumed since Skye was Jennifer’s best friend from the sharing circle, she would want to do everything in her power to see this case be solved and Skye get justice.”

“I hate to say it, but not everyone is like you, Ten. All of the potential witnesses in this case have moved on with their lives. Only Muriel and Butch Washington are still stuck living in the past. Days and years have gone by, but for them, they’re stuck in 1985, which I hate to say is a bit creepy.”

Ten shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong, Ronan.”

“What am I wrong about?” Ronan wore a bemused grin. He wasn’t often wrong. It would be interesting to see what Tennyson was talking about.

“Kyle Danner,” Tennyson said, puffing out his chest. “If what Jennifer said about his life taking a nosedive after Skye’s murder is true, he’s the next person we need to speak with. I know you’re worried about Jennifer passing along her version of the story to the other friends, but with her fancy car and fancier address, there’s no way in hell Jennifer is still in touch with her loser of a high school crush.”

Ronan stood and applauded. “Damn. You got me there, Nostradamus.” Ten hit the nail on the head. Kyle Danner was another person whose life stopped moving forward in 1985. He ran out of the kitchen and grabbed his laptop from the coffee table. “Okay, let’s see what’s going on with him.” Ronan looked up at Ten. “Unless, of course, you already know?”

“No, I don’t know. Just what Jennifer told us, and I have the sneaking suspicion she wasn’t completely honest with us about what she knew concerning Kyle.”

Ronan hummed under his breath while his fingers hunted and pecked at the keys. “Wow.” He blew out a rough breath. “This guy has a rap sheet as long as your arm. Drugs, theft, mostly petty things, but there’s a years’ long list of them. It seems the judge in his last possession case agreed to send him to rehab instead of sentencing him to jail. That was back in 2005, and there