Page 33 of Dead Man's Alibi

“I want to cover whatever angles I can until this is over for certain, but we’ve got a lot of people helping.It doesn’t have to be you.I can see if Landon—”

“I want to help,” Jill repeated, feeling silly for being concerned.If there was something she could do to help, she needed to do it if she wanted to be a part of this community she claimed as home.“I’ll call around.”

He smiled at her.“Thanks.And look, it doesn’t have to be a lie.You could come up with a real reason for your book.Or a future book.”Cal shrugged.“The truth is complicated.”

Jill nodded while Cal walked through the yard to his SUV, and the trio got into the car.She watched as they drove away.

The truth is complicated.

Boy and how.

Chapter Twelve

Honor’s Edge Investigations Office

Days passed.Nate,Sam, Cal, Jill, and even Glenda kept collecting information, but nothing seemed to add up to anything concrete.Even finding out where and how Jules had been killed didn’treallygive them answers.Just more pieces to a puzzle that seemed to get bigger and bigger.

Nate tried not to think about strangulation.About Jules being in some crappy motel outside of town—definitely not in Bozeman or Livingston—and living out a threat she’dknown, and no one had taken her seriously about.

He tried not to think about how little traction the police seemed to be finding.That, as far as he knew, no other suspects had been identified or questioned.They’d searched Nate and Sam’s house, Honor’s Edge.They hadn’t taken much, because what was there to take when he hadn’tdoneanything?

Nate wanted to believe Michael Hyatt was the murderer, because that would be simple enough.But he’d found absolutely no evidence and didn’t get the impression the police had either.Sam hadn’t found anything that spoke to bitterness or hate from the girlfriend, a motive or even an opportunity.Cal hadn’t found anyone Jules might have hired, and the friend Jules had been staying with hadn’t been receptive to being questioned, though Sam was going to give it a shot since Jill hadn’t gotten anywhere on that front.

Everything was just in a terrible holding pattern.Sometimes a new detail emerged, but it didn’t lead them anywhere.

Still, Sam was handling everything a little better.With so much information to collect, it gave her somewhere to pour all her nervous, anxious energy.But she still wasn’t sleeping or eatingenough.More than nothing, but notenough.Nate didn’t know that he could make that happen until someone was arrested for the murder.

Someone that wasn’t him.

Something about the fact that Hayes had been scarce bothered him.Maybe it should set his mind at ease.Hayes was out there actually investigating a crime instead of screwing with him, trying to pin it on him.

But the longer this went on, the tighter Nate’s nerves pulled.Sam got revved by all the different places to investigate.Nate felt a bit like a noose was tightening around his neck.

Case in point, he was currently going through the records Jules had given him about Michael—financials, phone records, realty holdings and the like—looking for something,anythingthat might be a clue.

Sam let out a little whoop of triumph.Nate glanced over at her.She’d put her cell phone down and was throwing things into a tote bag in a rush.It was the most animated he’d seen her in days.“Olivia Underwood agreed to meet with me if I can get to Bozeman by noon.”

Nate glanced at the time.She’d be cutting it close.

He rose.“I’ll drive.”

Sam stopped what she was doing and inhaled.

Then she shook her head.“I think it’s best if it’s just me.Woman to woman, for starters.We don’t know what Jules told her about you.”

“Okay, what about—”

“Cal can be charming, sure, but it isn’t the right time,” she said, all but reading his mind.“Her friend’s been murdered, and I don’t know if she knows you’re a suspect, but she no doubt knows the suspects are all men.If she knows your name, she’ll know Cal connects.Besides, I’m a female private investigator who just wants to bring a man, the right man, to justice.It’s a better angle to start with.”

Nate had no doubt she was right, but her going alone didn’t sit right with him.Which probably wasn’t a sane thought considering she’d investigated and questioned plenty of people on her own.She carried a weapon.She was trained.She didn’t need some kind of protector and he knew that.

Usually.

She was already moving though, shouldering the bag, pulling her keys out.“I’ll bring back lunch.What sounds good?”

He eyed her.“Whatever you’ll eat the most of.”

She sighed, irritated with hismother-hen routine, as she called it.“I’m not going to waste away.”