Page 28 of Veil of Silence

“Everyone, this is Austin Donnelly,” Nora introduced him. “His father was the FBI agent assigned to Christian’s case ten years ago.”

Everyone introduced themselves.

Nora’s mother, Ruth, looked from her daughter to Austin. Some type of motherly instinct must have kicked in because she asked, “Is everything okay? You both look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

“Actually, no.” Austin slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. “We found my father.”

Ruth went still. “You found Agent Donnelly?”

Austin nodded.

Wren lowered her glass of tea. “Is he all right?”

There wasn’t a careful way to tell them the truth.

“No, ma’am. He’s . . . he’s dead.” His voice cracked on the last word.

Silence fell over the kitchen.

“I’m so sorry,” Ruth whispered before crossing the room and giving him a hug. “I’m so sorry.”

Austin looked away. He’d delivered death notifications before. He’d stood on porches and in hospital corridors and known exactly what words to use, what tone to take, when to stop talking.

None of that helped from this side of the conversation.

Nora’s father rose from his chair. “What happened?”

“We don’t know yet.” Austin kept his voice even because that was easier than letting anything else into it. “There were no obvious injuries. The medical examiner will have to determine the cause.”

Marlowe studied him. “But you don’t think it was natural, do you?”

Nora shot her sister a look. “Marlowe.”

“What?” Marlowe straightened. “He doesn’t.”

Austin glanced at her. Apparently subtlety wasn’t one of Marlowe Loveless’s defining characteristics. Unfortunately, her words weren’t wrong.

“I don’t know what I think yet.” He paused. “There are a few things I don’t understand.”

Nora’s father frowned. “About his death?”

“About what he was doing before he died.”

Austin hadn’t planned to discuss Dad’s investigation with the entire Loveless family. He still wasn’t sure he should.

But he needed one answer. “I’d love to talk to you sometime about Roy Callahan.”

The man’s name had been in his father’s notes.

“Roy?” Clayton Loveless asked.

“That’s right.” Austin kept his attention on their father. “I understand you were friends with him.”

Clayton looked away, his body language clearly indicating the man knew more than he wanted to say.

Austin hadn’t come here to interrogate the family. But he couldn’t let this opportunity slip by either.

“Dad?” Marlowe pushed away from the counter.