AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I want to head out to talk to Amy and Jeff, the aunt and uncle. I want to know what they knew before we take this to the Lennox siblings.”
“One-two-nine Cottonwood Drive,” I confirmed, and he rolled his eyes at me. “You wanna take my car instead of rolling up in the sheriff-mobile?”
Yep, that earned me another eye roll, but it was my car we took for the twenty-minute drive.
Neil couldn’t help himself, poking around in my SUV like it was some treasure trove. I watched his fingershover over the extra buttons and switches, and it was obvious he was itching to press something. His gaze fell on the glove box, and he noticed the fingerprint scanner before I could stop him.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Don’t touch that,” I gasped theatrically.
Neil snatched his hand back, narrowing his eyes at me. “Why?”
I deadpanned, not missing a beat, “Missiles.”
He froze, his eyes widening before I snorted, unable to keep a straight face. The confusion and panic on his face were priceless. I loved making him squirm.
He shot me a glare as I laughed, shaking his head. “Asshole,” he muttered, but there was a hint of a smile there, too.
We ended up in Collier Springs on Cottonwood Drive, pulling up in front of a small, neat house that looked as though it had been plucked straight from a postcard. The lawn was trimmed, the flowerbeds were well-kept, and the white paint on the siding was fresh, not a flake or chip in sight. It was one of many similar houses on the road, all tidy, all quiet, as if they were hiding some deep secret behind their perfect facades.
We walked up to the door, our boots crunching on the gravel path. I noticed the curtains twitch before the door opened. Amy stood there, short and plump, her face creased with worry as soon as she saw Neil. She wasn’t smiling, not that I expected her to. Something about her demeanor told me she knew this wasn’t a social visit.
“Sheriff Windham? Can I help you?” she asked, her voice cautious.
“Can we come in?” Neil asked, his tone professional but gentle.
She hesitated for just a moment before nodding. “Both of you?”
“Please.”
“I suppose so.”
“Connor Mason,” I introduced myself.
“I know who you are,” she sniffed. “Came to town with Quinn.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She wrinkled her nose, which summed up her feelings for me.
As we stepped inside, Neil asked, “Is Jeff here?”
Amy nodded, glancing toward the back of the house. “I’ll call him. He’s in the yard.”
She disappeared, leaving us in the small, neat living room. Everything was in its place, not a speck of dust to be found. The kind of place that was lived-in but kept under tight control. Photos of Rachel’s kids were lined up on a shelf alongside plates and mugs, but there was no sign of a photo of Micah, and I recalled talking to people in town who spoke about the rift in the Lennox family.
I should have pushed for more back then.
A moment later, Jeff walked in, tall and stern, his expression unreadable as he shook hands with Neil. His grip was firm, the kind of handshake that said he wasn’t a man to be messed with.
Amy hovered by the door, wringing her hands. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Neil didn’t waste any time. “We want to talk to you about Rebecca Lennox.”
Amy’s face went pale, and she collapsed into the nearest chair as if her legs had given out. She and Jeff exchanged a long, loaded look. Resignation settled over them. Was it a silent acknowledgment that a conversation had been coming?
Jeff sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Let’s all get coffee and take this to the kitchen,” he said, tired and sad.
