When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,23

be going on or why the kids hadn’t been to school?”

Randy appeared at the corner of the house, and Joe motioned for him to join us.

“I’m gonna need to take statements from you and Mr. Beauregard… Yes, it’s necessary because this is turnin’ out to be a serious matter, but first I’m gonna need one of you to come over and let us into Mike’s house.” He frowned. “Yes, Mrs. Beauregard, this is necessary too. Your grandchildren have been out of school and your son hasn’t notified the school. We’re just here to make sure everyone’s okay.” A look of disgust washed over his face while he listened. “You can be upset with me all you want, but I’m about to call child protective services and break a window to get into Mike’s house, so I suggest that you or your husband come over here with a key so you’ll have one less thing to worry about.”

I could hear her angry voice, although I couldn’t make out the words.

“Oh,” Joe added, looking completely unflustered by her tirade. “If Mike happens to contact you, you go ahead and tell him that the Fenton County Sheriff’s Department is looking for him and his children. He knows my number.” He hung up and lowered his hand to his side.

“She didn’t know anything,” he told me.

“What if she’s lyin’?” Neely Kate asked.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think she is,” Joe said, then turned to Randy, who had just walked over to us. “Deputy Miller, I’m gonna call in another deputy, and once he shows up, I want you both to take the lead in goin’ through the house. I’ll follow behind.”

“Why are you doin’ that?” Neely Kate asked.

“To help negate any claims of bias should we find something,” Joe said. “Ideally, since I have personal ties to the case, I wouldn’t go in at all. But this is a small town and county, which means I can’t avoid everyone I know.” His jaw twitched. “Plus, I promised Vi.”

I put my hand on his chest and looked up into his face. “You’re keepin’ your promise, Joe.”

Like he always did.

He glanced down at me, and his worried expression stirred up my own anxiety, making me feel like a shaken beehive.

Taking a deep breath, he took a step back and started making calls and issuing orders. The second deputy showed up, and they were about to break into the house when Mike’s parents finally showed up a half hour after Joe had called. They’d brought a familiar-looking younger woman with them, and it took me a second to realize who she was.

“They brought an attorney,” I said, almost under my breath.

“What?” Neely Kate asked, craning her neck to check the woman out. “How do you know?”

I could understand why she’d asked. The woman was dressed in a pair of jeans and a bohemian shirt, but she didn’t look all that different from when I’d first met her at the Henryetta Police Department nearly two years ago. “It’s Deanna Crawfield. Violet called her for me when I was taken in for questioning about Momma’s murder.”

Joe was standing closer to the house with Randy and the other deputy, who had arrived about ten minutes earlier. Deanna approached them with a determined look in her eyes. “Do you have a search warrant, Deputy Simmons?”

“If I had a search warrant, would I be asking Mr. and Mrs. Beauregard for a key?” Joe asked in a good-natured tone, but I could see he was holding back his anger.

“There’s absolutely no reason for you to go into the Beauregards’ home,” Deanna said. “If Mike’s parents aren’t worried, then why are you?”

“If your clients aren’t worried, then why did they bring you?” Joe asked. “Seems to me they’re plenty worried—we’re all just worried about different things. I’m worried about the safety and welfare of two young children. Your clients are worried about their son. Seems to me they’d be worried about both and welcome the sheriff’s department’s concern. If the Beauregards can confirm the whereabouts of their grandchildren, we’ll happily walk away. Otherwise, we are going in that house.”

“This isn’t a sheriff matter,” Deanna said. “We’re still in Henryetta city limits, which means it’s under the jurisdiction of the Henryetta Police Department.”

“While I understand why you’d make that assumption,” Joe said, “this is actually part of an ongoing investigation the sheriff’s department took over from the Henryetta police last fall.”

“The break-in at Violet’s attorney’s office?” Mike’s mother asked in shock. “What on earth does that have