"Daddy has made many enemies over the years. There are people that don't wish him well. Do you think he argued with someone? That was blood on the floor, right?"

  "It was," Jared confirmed. "It looked like he'd been hit on the back of the head."

  Lydia lifted her head, her eyes watery and red. "I think he was hit with the award he won last month. You know, the one the hospital board gave him for donating all that money for a new children's wing. I saw it on the floor next to him."

  "Did you hear him talking or arguing with someone?" Dahlia asked Lydia. "Was he meeting with someone tonight?"

  "I was in bed. The last person I saw him with was Tom." Lydia groaned and buried her face in the tissue again. "Someone should call Tom. He doesn't know yet."

  Dahlia made a face. "My own brother doesn't know yet. He's off getting drunk. Again."

  "Has anyone looked for him?" Lydia asked, digging into her robe pocket for a fresh tissue. "We should try and find him. He's going to be so upset."

  "When he sobers up," Dahlia said, rolling her eyes. "For all we know, David was the one that Dad argued with."

  "Dahlia Elizabeth, you take that back right now."

  The voice was from the entrance to the living room. Sandra was already back from talking to the sheriff.

  Her daughter, however, didn't seem bothered in the least by her mother's admonishment.

  "Don't act so surprised, Mother. You know they hated each other."

  "They didn't hate each other. They simply had very different personalities."

  "If you mean that Dad wasn't a drunk loser, then you're right."

  The family was starting to turn on each other. This could get ugly fast.

  "Why don't I take a look around for David?" Jared offered. "What kind of car does he drive? I can check the garage to see if it's there."

  And we can get out of this tension-filled room.

  "That's a good idea," Sandra replied, giving Dahlia a reproving look. "He drives a blue BMW sedan. No one else has a car like it."

  "We'll go take a look around, then." Jared helped Misty up from the couch. "Is there any place that he usually goes?"

  "The local watering hole," Dahlia said, her tone sour. "And when that closes down, he heads out to the barn. Even the horses don't want him there."

  "Dahlia," Sandra said in warning. "He's your brother and he has a drinking problem. It's an addiction. He can't control it."

  Sighing, Dahlia didn't respond but her expression showed her disgust.

  Jared and Misty headed for the front door but there was a deputy stationed there. He held up his hand in a stopping motion when they tried to exit.

  "Sorry, folks. I'm not supposed to let anyone out of the house."

  The guy, who looked a little rumpled as if someone had woken him up for this murder, was just doing his job. Jared, however, didn't really want to go back into that living room. The Reynolds family had issues. A boatload of them.

  "We're actually looking for David Reynolds," Jared said. "No one can find him. I'm sure the sheriff would be interested in his whereabouts, too."

  "I am interested in that," Sheriff Hammond said, coming down the staircase. "Why don't we go look for him together? Mike, stay here and make sure no one leaves, okay?"

  "Will do, Sheriff."

  Hammond held the door open and Jared and Misty followed him out to the front of the house and around to the separate garage on the east side. He stopped at the door, not reaching for the handle.

  "Is there anything you want to tell me, Mr. Monroe?"

  "I don't think so."

  What was this guy going for here? He had a strange look on his face.

  "One of my deputies is pretty good with computer stuff. I had him run your name and a whole bunch came up."

  Well...shit. He hadn't expected this. But he should have. Hammond wasn't a rookie.

  "Yes, I would imagine that would happen."

  "My husband doesn't want to talk about Wade Bryson, Sheriff."

  His sweet Misty. Always sticking up for him even when she didn't need to. He'd deal with this.

  "It's okay, honey." He took a step forward so that he and the sheriff were eye to eye. "If you're looking for a blow-by-blow account then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. That story is Logan Wright's to tell. I was just helping out a friend. There were a lot of us doing that."

  Hammond shook his head. "I don't need to know about Bryson, although I bet it's a hell of a story. No, I'm talking about you. You're a cop. A damn good one if the information my deputy dug out is true. I could use a hand here. We don't get many murders in this little town, and I want to wrap this one up as quickly as possible. I don't want this to get too much press attention, if you know what I mean. I don't need them saying that a podunk sheriff can't find a killer in his own backyard."

  That's just what they would say, too. In fact, they'd probably be far more vicious.

  "Frankly, I don't need the publicity either, Sheriff."

  Hammond smiled and chuckled. "I'd be happy to take all of the credit. And call me Eli, by the way. I think we're going to be good friends."

  They might.

  "I don't know that I'm looking for any new friends."

  "A man can always use friends. Now how about we shake hands and put our heads together on this? You can't tell me that you're not intrigued. That you don't want to investigate this, just a little bit? You can consult. Isn't that what you do?"

  Maybe a bit. It was a curious case. It appeared that Adam Reynolds had plenty of enemies right under his own roof.

  He glanced down at Misty to see what she thought of all of this, but she was already grinning, barely able to keep her laughter hidden.

  "He wants to help, Eli," she said with a smirk. "He just doesn't want to admit it. He loves a mystery and he hates being wrong."

  Luckily, I'm not wrong all that often.

  "I think it would be good to try and find out who did this," she went on, her expression immediately sobering. "He might be my father, after all. I want him to rest in peace."

  Eli's brows shot up. "He might be your father?"

  Jared placed his arm around Misty's shoulders, pulling her closer. "It's a possibility and we'd appreciate this not getting in the newspapers."

  "Not a problem here. I've kept most of the secrets in this town for more than a decade. My lips are sealed. Now how about we check out the garage for David Reynolds' car?"

  "Fine. The sooner we catch the killer, the sooner I can take my wife home."

  And get out of this crazy family.

  Jared had a bad feeling about all of this. Very, very bad.

  10

  David's car was in the garage, but it didn't take long for Jared, Misty, and Eli to find the wayward son. He was passed out on a pool lounger clutching an empty bottle of Captain Morgan to his chest. It was clear that no one had really tried all that hard to find him because it hadn't been difficult. He was less than ten feet from the back patio doors.

  Between Jared and Eli they'd been able to wrangle him out of the lounger and into the house, pouring him a cup of coffee and slapping a couple of cold washcloths on the back of his neck to rouse him.

  Misty immediately saw scrapes on the man's knuckles. Had he and Adam been in some sort of altercation? They'd been at each other's throats most of the evening.

  Tugging at her husband's arm, she pulled him aside. "Did you see...?"

  He nodded grimly. "I did. Considering his attitude earlier, I'm not that surprised. Doesn't mean anything, though. He might have punched a raccoon for all we know."

  At some point while they'd been looking for David, Taylor had come home and Tom had shown up. The teenager was crying inconsolably while her grandmother Sandra held her. At the moment, Dahlia was regarding her brother with a sour look on her face, ignoring the wails of her daughter.

  "You've really done it now, little brother. You killed our father."

  David, his head in his hands, shook his head. "I didn't kill anyone. I wouldn't do that."

  His tone was plaintive and slightly desperate. He looked up at his mother who had her arm around Taylor. "You believe me, don't you, Mom? I didn't kill Dad."

  Eli cleared his throat loudly. "How about I ask the questions? Mr. Reynolds, what do you remember about last evening? When did you last see your father?"

  "After dinner. Mom told me to go to bed, but I went outside instead. That's the last time I saw him."

  "What happened to your knuckles?" Eli asked, pointing to the scrapes on David's hand. "Looks like you might have got in a fight. Did you and your father argue?"

  "No, that didn't happen." David groaned and rubbed at his forehead. He probably had a nasty headache. "I didn't argue with him. I was mad and I punched a wall. That was it."

  "What wall?" Jared asked. "Did you leave a mark?"

  "Shit, I don't know. I was drunk. I don't even remember exactly where I was. I was outside, that's all I know. I would never hurt my father."

  The last was spoken louder, as if saying it at full volume would make everyone believe him.

  "But you and your dad had issues?" Eli pressed. "You didn't agree on most subjects."

  "I wanted to leave," David sighed, his head hanging again. "I wanted out of this house, but he said he'd cut me off if I left. He wanted to control my life. Hell, he wanted to control everyone's life."

  That was motive, albeit not a super strong one. He wasn't alone, though. It didn't say much for Adam, either. He hadn't come off as controlling to her but then she'd only known him a few short hours. Jared's research had painted a far different picture, one that she hadn't liked in the least. She wanted to believe that his terminal illness has changed him but what did she know? Nothing, that's what.

  Lydia sniffled into her tissue. "Adam was just a complicated person."

  "He was a bastard," Sandra said loudly. "He could be a total jackass and everyone here knows it. I'm honestly surprised it took this long for someone to kill him."

  Lydia scowled at Sandra. "Then why are you even here? You divorced him ten years ago."

  "I'm here for my children. And I don't have to explain myself to you. For all we know, you killed him yourself. He was getting ready to replace you with a newer model."

  "That's not true," Lydia hissed, her cheeks turning bright red. "You don't know anything about me and Adam."

  "I know that he had several mistresses when we were married." Sandra shrugged carelessly. "He's never been faithful to anyone. Look at Misty. She's Exhibit A of that. He was cheating on me when I was pregnant with David."

  Now it was Misty's turn to be embarrassed. She could feel the heat crawl up her neck as everyone's heads swiveled toward her, waiting for her reply. She really didn't know what to say, though. Sandra wasn't lying. Adam and Annette had been having an affair while he was married. Ugly but true.

  "Oh God, leave her alone," Dahlia said in a long-suffering tone. "Poor Misty didn't ask for any of this crap and it's not her fault. She came here because Dad asked her. We all know what he was like. He had faults and some of them made us angry. He had people who hated him. That was no secret. If he cheated on you, Mom, maybe you shouldn't have stayed with him as long as you did. No one forced you not to divorce him. David and I could hear you and Dad arguing all the time. It was a relief when you two separated."

  Misty was surprised that it was Dahlia defending her. She'd been under the impression that the other woman wasn't all that fond of her.

  "None of this is helpful," Jared cut in, insinuating himself between Misty and the others, his body protecting hers as if he expected them to start throwing things. "Tom, we need to get your statement as well as Taylor's. Everyone else needs to calm down and stop throwing out accusations. That isn't the way to help this investigation."

  Taylor finally looked up, her face scrunched up with anger. "Who the fuck are you to tell us to do anything? Go fuck yourself. My grandfather died tonight and you probably killed him."

  The teenager had quite the potty mouth but it didn't bother Misty. She'd been known to toss around a few four-letter words when a milder word simply wouldn't do.

  Eli held up his hand. "That's enough. Just so you know, Jared is an experienced lawman and I've asked him to help me with this investigation. I'd appreciate your utmost cooperation."

  Lifting her chin, Taylor didn't back down. "I meant what I said. There are only two new people here and now my grandfather is dead. I don't think that's a coincidence."

  Misty didn't feel the need to defend herself and it wouldn't make any difference anyway. The poor girl was distraught and not thinking clearly. She needed someone to blame, so of course it made sense to pick on any newcomers. They should have expected it.

  Sandra pressed a clean tissue into Taylor's hand. "Hush, you're getting all worked up. They didn't kill Adam and you know it."

  "They could have," the teenager muttered. "Grandpa's gone."

  "Your grandfather made a lot of enemies," David said. "Everyone but you and Lydia hated him."

  "That's not true," Taylor shot back. "Lots of people loved him."

  "Name five," David laughed. "I could name more than a couple dozen who thought he was a son of a bitch. I could name at least ten people whose lives he ruined. Face it, Adam Reynolds only loved himself. The minute you stepped out of line he would have come down on you. It was only a matter of time."

  Taylor looked up at her mother. "Mom, make him take it back. It's not true."

  To her credit Dahlia appeared conflicted, not quite ready to jump to her father's defense but not ready to condemn him, either. "Your grandfather was a complicated man."

  That wasn't the answer that Taylor was looking for. She burst into tears again, cuddling closer to her grandmother.

  "I think my daughter makes a good point, though," Dahlia went on. "How do you know for sure that Jared didn't do this? He could be helping you frame an innocent person."

  "My husband didn't do this," Misty protested, finally finding her voice. "And neither did I. I came here to get to know Adam. I wouldn't kill him. That doesn't make any sense."

  "That's enough," Eli said firmly. "I'd like to speak with Tom in the dining room, please. Taylor, then I'll speak with you."

  Tom, who had been quiet this entire time stood up quickly, only glancing at Dahlia briefly. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed it but Misty did, especially after Jared had seen them kissing just hours before.

  "I'm happy to help in any way I can, Sheriff."

  "Then follow me." Eli paused for a moment. "I just want to address your question, Dahlia, as to why I don't think Jared and Misty killed your father. It's because Jared Monroe is considered one of the best lawmen in this country. If he was planning to kill your father, he wouldn't have done it so sloppily. He would have done it in a way that no one would ever have known, and he would have made it look like an accident. That's how I know. The person that did this was an amateur."

  With that, Eli strode into the dining room, Tom trying to keep up. That left Misty and Jared with a roomful of people that may or may not be inclined to like them all that much. It was an uncomfortable feeling and it reminded her of growing up in Fielding. The town residents hadn't been all that supportive of Misty since she was the daughter of the town tramp. She'd been teased, bullied, and ostracized through most of her formative years. It was only after marrying Jared that she'd been able to deal with her tormenters. He'd given her the self-confidence to thumb her nose at the busybodies in a small town.

  But this was no small town, and these weren't the pious and gossipy members of the Ladies Auxiliary. These people might be family.

  And that was a mighty depressing thought indeed.

  11

  Jared was drinking a hot cup of coffee on the back patio when Eli came out to join him. He sat at the table, a bottle of water in his hand.

  "I've known these people for almost a decade, and I can say without a doubt that any one of them is capable of this under the right conditions," Eli said, settling back into the chair. "Adam was not a well-liked man."

  "We've been here less than twenty-four hours, but we've already seen quite a bit of animosity between them, although I have to say that Adam Reynolds has been nothing but nice to Misty and I. But then we only knew him for a few hours."

  "Where is your wife? Is she okay? I would imagine she's taking this hard."

  "She went upstairs to lie down and get some rest. I do think she's upset but she tends to keep things to herself because she doesn't want to bother anyone," Jared sighed. "I also think she's confused about the whole situation. Frankly, I would be too."

  "My late wife was the same. Didn't want to be a bother. Even when she was sick, she'd just say that she was fine. Never wanted to complain."

  Eli wasn't all that old. Maybe in his forties?

  "I'm sorry for your loss."

  "Cancer three years ago," the sheriff replied with a grimace. "She fought long and hard but eventually... Anyway, she was a wonderful wife and I was lucky to have her for as long as I did."

  "I feel the same way about Misty."

  "She seems like a fine woman. Not sure how she'd fit in with this group. They're all a little bloodthirsty but it's really not their fault. Adam brought them up that way. Wanted them to compete with one another."

  That was something Jared knew a great deal about. He'd been brought up the same way but luckily it hadn't been quite as intense. He'd never murdered a sibling over it.

  "Sounds like you know them well."

  Chuckling, Eli nodded his head. "Adam Reynolds was the type that thought that the local police worked for him and him alone. I told him once that I worked for the taxpayers of this town and he told me that he paid the most taxes by far so that meant that he was my boss. He told me that the mayor, my real boss, would agree with him."

  Small towns and politics. Never a dull moment. Jared didn't miss it in the least.

  "Did you ever ask the mayor about it?"

  "I did. He told me to keep Adam Reynolds happy and that no one else really mattered. He also said that if I told anyone that he'd said that, he'd deny it."