Bred in the Bone (Widow's Island #4) - Kendra Elliot Page 0,4

work when I wanted him to—of course, then he’d be pissed he had no paycheck. It never sunk in that the amount of effort he put into a job equaled how big his paycheck was.”

“Then why’d you give him a job?”

“He was my son,” Jon said simply. “No one else would hire him. For my own peace of mind, I had to at least give him the opportunity to prove himself. Never happened.”

“Where is Brad’s mother these days? Would she remember anything from back then?”

He snorted. “Hell no. She took off when he was five. Said she couldn’t handle the isolation of the island. She’s been living in eastern Washington since then—in a fucking very isolated town—and has remarried twice since she left.”

The island has a way of expelling the people who aren’t meant to be here.

The room was silent for a long moment, and the women exchanged a glance. They were done. Both stood.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Gill,” Tessa said, and Cate echoed the words. “We’re very sorry for your loss.”

Jon appeared to shrink in his chair, but he took a deep breath and stood to give them firm handshakes. “Hope you find some answers,” he told them.

The sun had set by the time they pulled away from the apartments, and Tessa’s relief about the successful encounter was nearly palpable inside the vehicle.

“Remember how Samantha bragged about having pot that night . . . and she had a ride with someone,” said Cate. “I always had the impression it was someone older. Could it have been Brad Gill?”

“Can’t ask him,” Tessa said sourly.

Have we hit a dead end already?

“I want to check in with Samantha’s mother, and we need to talk to Arlie Babcock,” Cate went on. “What’s he like?”

“I don’t know. Haven’t had any encounters with him, so I guess that’s a good sign. If he works, I don’t know where.”

“Tessa.” Cate’s heart stopped at an abrupt thought. “Do we need to bring in ground-penetrating radar to check around the pump house and farm?”

Tessa’s knuckles whitened, her grip tight on the steering wheel. “Jesus. Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because we didn’t want to consider that she could be . . . ” In Cate’s head, Samantha was alive somewhere, and now this personal belief had affected her investigation process. A rookie mistake that they’d both made.

“We can’t afford equipment like that,” Tessa stated.

“I’m sure the bureau has access to one.”

“But Samantha’s case isn’t active.”

“Missing children cases are always active. The necklace might be a strong-enough reason to get a GPR to the island.”

“There’s too much physical ground to cover. The orchard is huge, and just scanning the pump house won’t be sufficient. We need more evidence.”

Cate knew she was right. “It’s something to keep in mind.”

“Let’s find out what Arlie has to say first. There’s no rush.”

Translation: if Samantha was dead, it made no difference if they found her remains now or later.

Except for their own peace of mind.

2

The next morning Cate stopped at Sam’s mother’s home. Tessa was working on Brad Gill’s case and had called Cate early to say she would have to talk to Marsha Bishop and Arlie Babcock on her own.

Cate understood. She had the freedom to look for Samantha; Tessa’s current investigation was her priority.

Samantha had occupied Cate’s thoughts since the necklace had been found. A million explanations for its appearance had rocketed through her head—all of them weak.

Had Sam’s coat been left on Widow’s Walk that night to steer the investigation somewhere else?

Samantha’s mother lived in a tiny home in North Sound that was within walking distance of the shops and restaurants. Marsha’s mental health had been slightly unstable since her daughter disappeared, and her husband’s suicide soon after hadn’t helped. The family of three used to live in the glamorous Bishop mansion and had been the closest thing to royalty on the island. A direct descendant of Elias and Camilla Bishop, Samantha had never cared about the lineage; but Marsha had been proud and borderline boastful that she’d married into the line. Although the Bishops had once been leaders in the community, the tragedy of Samantha’s disappearance had nearly ground the family into dust.

Marsha was a thin wisp of her former self and eked out a living by selling her jewelry at Shiny Objects, the jewelry and trinket store. Since Cate had returned to the island, she’d learned Marsha mindlessly strolling the roads and beaches of North Sound was a regular sight.

Samantha’s mother opened the door, glee on