all the evidence corroborated what he said. It was an open-and-shut case so there was no need for an investigation.”
That was no big surprise. Pike was a small town with limited resources. If Rudolf’s explanation was backed up by the store owner, everyone would have been happy to close the file and move on.
“What do you know about Delbert Frey?”
Kathy glanced away. Was she trying to remember the man? Or was she hiding her expression? Impossible to know for sure.
“He was a regular guest in lockup. Petty theft. Drunk and disorderly. Drugs. A real creep.”
“Where did he get his weapon?”
“I think it was stolen.”
“From someone local?”
“I don’t remember.”
Kir swallowed a curse. It felt as if the woman was deliberately keeping her answers vague. As if she didn’t want to give away more information than absolutely necessary. “Did Delbert come from Pike?”
“No. I think he grew up in Grange and his wife came from Madison,” she said. “I remember her sister came to pick her up the day after the shooting. She didn’t even bother to arrange a funeral for her husband.”
Kir considered his limited options. He wasn’t ready to give up on his suspicion that the killer had some connection to that night. Unfortunately, he was running out of means to get more information.
“I want to see the files from my father’s shooting,” he abruptly demanded. If nothing else there might be a way to contact the liquor store owner listed in the report. Or maybe Delbert Frey’s wife.
“Come back this afternoon and ask the task force.”
Kir scowled. “Why can’t you get them for me?”
She folded her arms over her chest, the very image of implacable resistance. “I’m no longer on the case.”
“But—”
“I won’t tell you again,” Kathy interrupted. “Come back this afternoon.”
“Shit.” Kir whirled on his heel and headed for the door. There was no point in trying to argue with the woman. He’d do as she said and return that afternoon. Maybe someone on the task force would be willing to listen to him.
Until then, he intended to search Rita’s house. There was a very small possibility she might have returned home before she was murdered. If the letters were still there, he intended to find them before the killer did.
Chapter 26
It was midmorning when Lynne returned to the office. She’d spent the past few hours with her intern driving from one end of the county to the other. Farm calls were always a draining, physical ordeal, but the brutal weather made them even more difficult. She was frozen to the bone by the time she’d peeled off her outer clothing and entered her office.
Like an angel from heaven, Bernadine followed behind her, placing a steaming mug of coffee on the desk.
“You sit down and warm up,” the woman commanded.
“Thanks.” Still shivering, Lynne slid into her seat and cupped the mug in her hands. “I’m becoming more convinced with every passing day that my dad made the right choice to flee to sandy beaches and sunny skies.”
Bernadine heaved a small sigh. “I miss him.”
Lynne sipped her coffee. She’d always wondered if Bernadine had harbored a secret love for her employer, but she’d never tried to probe. She adored the older woman and would never do anything to hurt or embarrass her.
“Me too.” Lynne wrinkled her nose. “Especially now.”
“There’s evil in this town.” Bernadine pursed her lips. “You should go spend some time with your dad. Get away from this place for a while.”
Lynne smiled wryly. “You sound like Kir.”
“That’s not a bad thing, is it?” Bernadine’s expression softened. Clearly she’d fallen victim to Kir’s potent charm. “He strikes me as a smart, highly competent young man.”
“Yes.” Lynne smiled. “He is.”
“And he’s not hard on the eyes.”
“Not hard at all,” Lynne readily agreed.
Bernadine cleared her throat, as if considering whether to speak the words hovering on her lips. “Perhaps I shouldn’t say anything,” the older woman said in an apologetic tone, “but you’ve done worse.”
Lynne felt a stab of regret. It didn’t feel fair to compare the men she’d dated over the years to Kir. They hadn’t been bad men. Not even Nash, despite his weaknesses. But they’d never been right for her, and in her mind they would never rival Kir. Not on any level.
“Yeah,” she breathed.
Bernadine studied her with a searching gaze. Lynne struggled to keep her expression from revealing all the emotions she wasn’t prepared to share.
“Is he returning to Boston?”
“We haven’t really discussed the future.” Lynne took another sip of her coffee, her stomach clenching