That place is falling down. You know that sister never could sell it, right?”
“I remember something about that. But you just heard Anna Kate tell us her sister thought Jocelyn did it. And she’s still living here in town.”
“So what? That’s ancient history.” Leia recognized the look on Gemma’s face, though. “Don’t go sticking your nose into the past. Nothing good ever comes of it.”
Since someone had already told Anna Kate about the note, Gemma decided it was no longer a state secret. “Ben Zurcher was carrying this piece of paper that said he knew who killed the Copelands. He must’ve mentioned what he knew to the wrong person. Now he’s no longer walking around to tell anybody about who did it. I just want to go take a look inside the house, walk the floorplan, get the lay of the land, so to speak.”
But something had just dawned on Leia. “By the wrong person, you mean the killer. The same guy who killed the family, killed Ben? That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
Gemma moved a shoulder and shrugged. “I believe so. But I’m not trying to step on Lando’s toes or anything.”
Leia lifted a brow. “Aren’t you? Since when?”
“Okay. Maybe I am a tad curious. What would it hurt to look around, though?”
Not completely sold on the idea, Leia took a long look at Gemma. “Is this because you’re bored with married life already?”
“What? No, of course not.”
“Bored with your job then?”
“No!” But when Leia kept staring, waiting for a better explanation, Gemma let out a sigh. “Not married life so much as I’m tired of sitting behind this stupid desk for part of the day. Being mayor reminds me too much of my old way of life back in San Francisco. I hated practicing law. You know that.”
“At last, honesty. So, you’d rather spend time at the murder house and piss off Lando than sit here and have a perfectly normal upstanding job as mayor.” Leia shook her head. “Some days, I swear the world is upside-down, and I’m the only one with my head on straight. Okay, I’ll go with you. Mainly because I haven’t gotten under my brother’s skin this year, and here it is March already. Although I don’t like the idea of going out to Moonlight Ridge just the two of us.”
Gemma bumped Leia’s shoulder. “Moonlight Ridge. Another part of town no one thinks much about these days. Do kids still go out there to make out?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m not in high school anymore. But from what I’ve heard, the place still makes for a great lover’s lane.”
“You’ve been out there with Zeb, haven’t you?”
Leia’s lips curved. “Maybe. But not since we stopped sneaking around behind everyone’s back.”
“Which was stupid. Anyway, we should stop and pick up Lianne. If we ruffle a few feathers, we should all go down for the crime.”
“Sistas united. Sure. I like the sound of that.”
3
From the top of Moonlight Ridge, Gemma could see the city of Coyote Wells stretched out all the way to the ocean. She took a gulp of air and set her sights on a small tract of homes that made up Oyster Landing, a subdivision sitting smack dab in the shadow of the ridge itself.
The area had never gained the same kind of successful tenancy as other neighborhoods. Most of the lots remained unsold. It was that fact that caused some people to refer to it as the ghost-town part of town. Gemma couldn’t deny it gave off that kind of vibe. And after many years of not being able to sell lots here, the land had recently been repossessed by a major financial institution out of San Francisco, reinforcing the idea the area might be dying sooner rather than later.
But for the people who lived here, it was an affordable alternative to living along the coast, where prices tended to be more expensive and out of their reach. Even if homeowners had to settle for the rather haphazard range of styles and quirky designs, it was less expensive here. There were mobile homes on the same block as A-frames and custom-built cabins. With lot prices cheap, there was no shortage of neighbors.
Gemma kept that in mind from where she stood while studying the streets below and the town’s layout. “Oh, look, I can see Gram’s house from here.”
“When are you gonna start calling it your house?” Lianne wanted to know.
“Old habits,” Gemma muttered as she pivoted to face the Copeland farmhouse. This hundred-year-old