Page 10 of Lost Hours
Nolan spun to face Mina. “You’ll want our statements. We’re happy to cooperate in whatever you need.”
Okay, back to the business at hand, and no explanation of Gabe’s comment. Had Nolan told his team she dumped him? If so, why would he lie about that? If he wanted to save face, he would’ve done just the opposite and explained how he’d left her. For some reason, it seemed like he wanted them to think badly of her. But what Nolan and his team thought of her was of no importance.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
She planted her hands on her waist. “I’ll first take a look at the scene.”
“The room is just down the hall,” Nolan said. “I can take you there and walk through the events if you would like.”
Like? Like? No. Not like at all.
If this were a normal crime scene, if such a thing existed, and she didn’t have a room full of former law enforcement officers, she would absolutely refuse the offer. But Nolan, or anyone in this room except Harmony, could be trusted not to contaminate the scene and respect any boundaries she set. But did it have to be Nolan?
“I’m sure the team needs you here.” She looked at the others, running her gaze from person to person. “Is there anyone else who would want to show me through the scene?”
She got a few mumbled nos and head-shakes. They’d obviously talked about her arrival and had decided Nolan would be in charge. Had they talked about the big breakup too? Hashing over the embarrassing event when he walked out on her without a backward glance?
“Fine,” she said to Nolan. “I’d appreciate you walking me through the evening. But only if you agree to follow any directions I provide.”
“Of course.” A forceful shove of his hands into his pockets contradicted his cheerful response. “I’m glad to do whatever you say to help find the mayor’s killer.”
She held out her hand. “Then lead the way, but stop at the door where my deputy will give you booties and gloves.”
He strode out. She was right on his tail but turned to look at the group. “I don’t have to tell you not to discuss what you witnessed, but I’m going to tell you anyway. And Deputy Banfield will remain here with you to be sure you don’t talk about it.”
She got some grumbling and a challenging look from Abby, who, as a former sheriff, was used to being in charge in such situations. She had to be jonesing to get involved, and only loyalty to Nolan could’ve gotten her to sit back and let him accompany Mina to the crime scene.
“I’ll be back,” she said to Banfield and slipped out of the room.
Nolan was already talking to Deputy Ewing and putting shoe coverings over his shiny dress shoes. She hadn’t really noticed the details of his attire, but his traditional black tuxedo looked like it was custom-made. And it likely was, the cut highlighting his broad shoulders and trim waist. He probably owned it from his days on the president’s security detail.
Man, if only she wasn’t on the outs with him, she would love to sit down and talk about when he worked the detail. Not to get gossip about the family or the president, but just to find out what it was like to protect the most powerful man in the country. Some would say the most powerful man in the world.
She put on her own booties and a pair of gloves. “Wait here while I get the lay of the land.”
She stepped inside the doorway. She ran a quick look over the room, but her gaze landed on the bald head gleaming in the overhead light and held.The mayor.She swallowed. Once. Twice. She’d expected to see him, but nothing really prepared you to see a body. Especially not of someone you knew and worked closely with.
She gritted her teeth and turned away to face Nolan. “Walk me through the night.”
He took a few steps closer to her. “We had dinner in the dining room. It was served by a man named Smythe, but we don’t know him or who sent us the invitations.”
“Perhaps from the property owner, as this is quite an elaborate scheme for one night’s rental.”
“I don’t suppose you know who owns this place.”
“Cody Palmer. I’ve never met him, but he purchased the mansion as a business investment a year ago and lives out of town. The business is registered, and we have property records, so we can easily get his information and contact him.”
“We should make that a priority.”
She ignored thewepart of his statement and scribbled a reminder in her notebook. “Do you remember if the invitation envelope had a return address?”
“It didn’t,” he said. “I double-checked because I wanted to know who it was from.”
“I’d like to see the invitations and envelopes they came in.”
“No can do on the invitations. We had to surrender them to Smythe when we arrived, but maybe someone kept an envelope. I’ll ask the team. We also had to surrender our phones.”
“Seriously?” She blinked at him. “You willingly gave up your phones?”
