Page 63 of Dead Man's Alibi

Anybody who didn’t see through Nate Bennet didn’t knowshit.

So she had one of those Bennet knives and she claimed it was Nate’s.So what if it was?There was plenty of other evidence.Jakeknewit.

But something about that knife poked at him, like he was missing a piece of some puzzle.

Except hewasn’t.Because the puzzle would be complete once Nate Bennet was convicted.

Still.Jake dove back into previous work.He pulled up the responding officer’s report of coming across Jules Hyatt’s body.He read over it—nothing out of the ordinary.The report was as thorough and by the book as they went.

So he read through the transcription of the 911 call that had sent first responders over to the TikTok Motel.Nothing out of the ordinary there either.He’d interviewed everyone who’d been working at the motel at the time, the people staying closest to Jules Hyatt’s room.No one had seen or heard anything—not uncommon for a dingy motel outside the city limits.

Jake went through everything that had Jules Hyatt’s name associated with it, including his own notes on the crime scene and…

Yeah, the report he’d taken when Jules Hyatt had come to see him.Normally he wouldn’t have taken a report for such a pointless visit, but she’d seemed like the kind of woman who’d complain to higher-ups, so he’d made sure to put the whole meeting in writing.To keep his nose clean.

But now she was dead.And that meeting hadn’t shed any light on anything, pointed nowhere.

All it did was connect him to the victim.

So, after a moment’s consideration, Jake overrode the system and deleted the file.

Chapter Twenty-One

The Bennet Ranch

Aly woke witha start at the sound of a loudbang.Her hand flew to her heart, where it galloped in shock and fear, as she looked around.

She didn’t remember falling asleep, but apparently she had.She looked down at the broomstick in her hand.Right, she’d been sweeping and then had just thought to sit down and enjoy the sun streaming in the windows and…

Hurricane Sam apparently had landed.And slammed the door for good measure.

Sam looked down at Aly in the chair.“Sorry,” she said.

She didn’t exactly look apologetic though.She looked furious.

Not unusual for what had been going on, but still.“Is everything all ri—”

“Where’s Landon?Skinny said he was up here.”

“Oh.I…” Aly looked around, fuzzy and out of it.

Landon was in the house?Had he caught her napping?She had told him after lunch she was more than fine, so that would be a little embarrassing, but why would Landon be at the house at… Aly looked over at the clock on the wall.

It was dinner time.GoodLord, how much energy was growing this baby going to sap out of her?

Aly got to her feet, worked to breathe through the wave of nausea, just about the same time Landon rushed in.“Is everything okay?I heard a bang.I was just making dinner.”

“Landon.”It was chastisement, but he didn’t even spare her a glance.

He was clearly concerned Sam’s loud arrival was bad news.

“Remember last year when you made a list of everyone who would have had that Bennet pocketknife?”Sam demanded.

Landon shook his head as if to change gears.“Um, yeah, I guess.”

“Do you still have it?”

Landon blew out a breath, clearly trying to remember.“Probably on that old piece of junk computer in the office.”