one lingering case that follows you forever. I don’t know if I’ve helped—”
“You have,” Axel assured him.
“Then I guess I’ll head on out. But if you need me again, in any way,” he told them, looking from Axel to Nigel and on to Andrew, “you know I’ll do anything. Search, dig, go through records. I’m retired, but if you need it, call me.” He offered a rueful smile. “Like that song title, call me. I’ll be there.”
They all thanked him, and he left.
For a while, they were quiet. “So, no estate for anyone to get. A well-liked person. She and her friend—also dead now—had a little spat over a game machine. But Terry said they had those little spats all the time—they were part of the day. They didn’t bet big amounts or lose big amounts or win big amounts. They would vie for different machines, and then laugh about it later.”
“Thirteen years ago,” Jon reminded him. “And if you’re right, it’s damned chilling. A murder-for-hire enterprise that’s been going on for all these years possibly starting before Fran Castle disappeared.”
“She left the casino after a phone call,” Raina mused.
“Lured out,” Axel theorized.
“It’s late. We need to start fresh in the morning,” Andrew said. “Maybe Jordan Rivera will be out of his coma by then. And when there’s light, we can start searching again.”
They were all silent. Then Axel stood up. “Right. We won’t get anywhere without some sleep. And Angela is busy on records.” He hesitated. “We might even have to take a quick trip to South Dakota. I’d like to meet Peter Scarborough’s wife and find out more about their split.”
“So far, no money trail,” Jon said. “I’ve read and read and... I’m not seeing anyone giving or receiving large amounts of money.”
“Maybe the reasons for murder differ,” Raina suggested.
They all looked at her.
“I mean...maybe someone just hated someone. And then, in another case, maybe money was involved. And then, in another case, there was a job out there that was coveted by someone else and they were behind. I mean, I don’t know...”
“It would still be murder for hire,” Axel mused. “And if that is the case, someone had to be getting money from somewhere. Angela has to find something—offshore accounts. Murder for hire. Money. Unless...”
“Unless?” Nigel asked, leaning forward.
“Unless payment is in a different form,” Axel said.
Nigel sat back. “What kind of form?”
“I don’t know,” Axel said. “A favor done...for a favor? We can look at the victims and those close to them and see how their lives might have changed.”
“I can hop up to South Dakota and see the one-time wife of Peter Scarborough,” Jon offered.
Axel nodded. “Tomorrow, we’ll start here with the most recent victim, Jennifer Lowry. We’ll head back to the dentist’s office.”
“And maybe the doctors will be able to wake Jordan Rivera by then,” Raina said. She hesitated, wincing inwardly. “Because he might well know something.”
There was silence again.
Axel stood up; it was time for them all to leave. Frustrating to have to break for the night.
As they left, Raina looked up at the sky.
Night. It made such a difference out here. Andrew barely seemed to notice, but this was his home. He had always known the darkness and shadows and simple eeriness of the Everglades by night. There was, of course, still a moon. It seemed to ride higher in the sky here than it did above the city lights.
Stars themselves seemed different. Brighter. And yet all around her, the darkness was more complete, and nature’s light allowed for strange shadows, making the sound of the creatures that lived and died in the ever-flowing river frightening at every turn.
She seemed to be the only one who noticed. They exchanged a few more words as they all headed to their cars.
They drove in silence, but as they neared her house, Axel looked at Raina and said softly, “This has gone on for years, you know.”
“I know,” she said. “And I know things aren’t solved easily.”
“Hey, this is it. We’re on track. We will get where we’re going.”
They reached the house. Titan jumped out of the car and ran ahead. Jon and Kylie had just pulled in ahead of them.
Raina quickly stepped out of Axel’s car, anxious.
But she needn’t have worried.
Titan was ready to greet them, convinced already they belonged there. She lowered her head and let out a soft sigh, relieved, and then hurried up to open the door and let them all in.
Night.
She found herself more distracted than ever, confused and