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“Not much. I won’t have the tox screens back for another couple of weeks,” Dr. Kraft explained. “I understand there was a bottle of booze on the table, but I didn’t see any alcohol in his stomach. His last meal was a hamburger, likely consumed shortly before his death.”

“I didn’t see any fast-food wrappers around,” Nina whispered.

He shrugged. Mark Lange didn’t have a car, at least not that he saw at the cabin. Or a driver’s license. Either the food was delivered or he’d cooked it himself.

“I also didn’t find any signs of long-term alcohol or drug abuse,” Dr. Kraft went on. “I know he has a criminal record related to drug trafficking, but if he was a user, he’s been clean for years. His heart and lungs were in good shape for his age.”

“I knew it,” Nina whispered.

“Okay, if you could send your report to me when it’s finalized, I’d appreciate it. Especially the tox screen.” Jackson rattled off his email address. “Thanks for doing this so quickly, Dr. Kraft.”

“You’re welcome.” The doctor ended the call.

Jackson looked at Nina. “I think you’re right—its looking like murder.”

“Too bad we don’t know the motive behind it.” Her brow furrowed. “I think we should concentrate on Temple as a starting point.”

He tipped his head to the side, regarding her thoughtfully. “It’s only a few hours from here, so I’m not opposed to the idea, but what’s the plan? We just show up and start asking questions?”

She flushed. “I’m not sure. Maybe we start with the hospital. I know medical records are confidential, but with my mother being murdered, I’d think we should be able to access them. There’s no concern for confidentiality once a person is dead.”

It wasn’t a bad idea. But he didn’t want to go empty-handed. He reached for his phone. “I’ll ask Owens to get a judge to sign off on a subpoena. That way we’ll avoid getting the runaround.”

“Not sure you have enough probable cause,” Creed drawled. “And have you forgotten it’s Saturday?”

He had forgotten. Yet law enforcement work didn’t stop on the weekends. He shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try. There’s always a judge on call. And this is a murder investigation. I’m sure our boss can express a sense of urgency.”

“Normally, I do the paperwork for our subpoenas,” Nina said with a sigh. “It’s really strange to be on this end of things.”

When Owens didn’t answer, Jackson left a message, glancing at his watch. Temple was almost two hours south of their current location. Hopefully, if they headed out as soon as they finished breakfast, they’d have the subpoena when they arrived at the hospital.

He went to refill his coffee cup. Less than five minutes later, there was a sharp knock at the door. As before, Jackson pulled his weapon and stood behind Creed as his fellow ranger peered through the peephole before opening the door.

Jackson didn’t relax until Creed had taken the tray from the hotel employee and handed over a generous tip.

Nina reluctantly put the computer away to make room on the small table. “Smells good.”

“I’d like to say grace.” Jackson found it easier this time to pray out loud. “Lord Jesus, we ask You to bless this food we are about to eat. Please continue to guide us with Your wisdom as we seek the truth. Amen.”

“Amen,” Nina murmured.

A heartbeat later, Creed echoed with a muttered, “Amen.”

They ate in silence for several minutes. The food was good, and he sensed Creed watching in amusement as he doused his eggs with hot sauce. As if there was another way to eat them.

“I think we may need to rent another SUV,” Creed said between bites. “In case we need to split up.”

Jackson nodded. “That’s a good idea. We can cover more ground that way.”

Nina frowned as if she didn’t like that plan. After a moment, she said, “I’d like to stay focused on digging into my birth mother’s background. I need to borrow your phone to call the Dallas PD about my mother’s case. If we’re splitting up, maybe Creed can continue investigating my uncle’s murder.”

“Sure, that works. We also need to pick up a disposable phone for Nina.” His mental checklist was getting longer. He ate faster than usual, itching to hit the road.

“I really wish it wasn’t the weekend,” Nina said. “I would love to check out the high school, but I’m sure it’s locked for the weekend.”

“Yeah, that does put a crimp in things.” Jackson frowned. “There may be yearbooks online, though.”

Nina perked up at that. “Good idea. I’ll start there. Maybe I’ll find pictures of my mother with her friends.”