Page 13 of Lost Hours
“Just one problem with that.”
Bad news was coming. Nolan didn’t want more bad news today, but he also wouldn’t run from it. Meet it head-on and deal with it. That had always been his philosophy. “And what’s that?”
“Tommy died from leukemia a few months ago.”
Nolan’s heart sank in his chest. Since Tommy hadn’t delivered the note, he probably wouldn’t have told the truth about it. But if he were alive, there would at least be hope.
Now that he knew Mina hadn’t simply ignored his plea to call him, he would’ve liked to resolve once and for all something else that had weighed heavy on him for years.
But that, like who killed the mayor, remained a mystery.
4
As Mina made her way around the escape room, she could feel Nolan watching from the doorway. She should be concentrating on the murder, but she couldn’t get over the fact that he’d supposedly left her a note. He seemed sincere, but he could just be trying to get on her good side so she wouldn’t suspect him or one of his friends of this murder.
Sincere or not, how could he have left a note without her receiving it? Tommy was a loyal friend until the day he died. If he’d gotten a note from Nolan, he would’ve delivered it.
Wouldn’t he?
His mother had always hinted that he had a crush on her, and they would make the perfect couple. He’d protested and said that’s the last thing he wanted. That they were just good friends. But could he have been covering up for his true feelings and kept the note from her because he hoped they would get together?
No. No.She was certain of that. Even if he wanted to be with her, he wouldn’t have decided her future for her. Not Tommy. He was as loyal and honest as they came.
So let it go. It’s all in the past. Spilled milk and all that. Don’t cry over it. She’d done plenty of that when Nolan had disappeared from her life.
Chalk it up to a summer romance. That was all it was. This kind of romance happened around these parts with tourists and college kids coming to work in the shops and hotels during the peak season. Love ’em and leave ’em. It still happened today, leaving lots of broken hearts.
Not hers. Not again. Though it would be different now. Nolan seemed like he planned to stay this time. Set down roots and all.
Also didn’t matter. She wassonot going there, but seeing him made clear an issue that had nagged at her for years. She needed to find a way to forgive him. Not for him, but for her. The Bible clearly said if she didn’t forgive him his sins, her Father wouldn’t forgive hers.
And then what if she didn’t? She couldn’t even begin to comprehend the consequences because she couldn’t find a way to let go of the hurt long enough to forgive him.
She had to address it and soon. Not now. Now she had to get to the bottom of this murder.
Gritting her teeth, she spun to look at him. She wanted to move on to the murder, but her emotions betrayed her. “Why here? Why set up your business at the inn?”
“Lost Lake got under my skin when I visited, so when I decided to leave my post with the Secret Service to come back to Oregon, I thought this was where I wanted to live. So did the others. I was already in escrow on the inn before I knew you were still here, much less the county sheriff. Your goal was always to experience big city policing, and I knew you’d moved to Portland.”
She wouldn’t ask him how he knew that, because she really didn’t care. “I got my fill of city living and came back as a deputy. When the sheriff stepped down, I decided to run. Folks around here didn’t much like that I’d left, so no one was more shocked than me when I won.”
“They must’ve liked you better than your opponent.”
“I guess so, though the deputy I ran against had been a deputy here longer than me.”
“Is he or she still on the team?”
She nodded and left it at that. She didn’t want to talk about the challenge of supervising Sergeant Abell, who’d vied with her for the sheriff’s office. He often pushed her buttons simply to get a rise out of her, which she wouldn’t fall prey to. “I’ve seen enough here. As much as I want to keep this investigation in-house, our county is too small for a full-time forensic staff. I’ll need to call in the state team.”
Nolan nodded, but his gaze flitted around the room.
“What are you not saying?” she asked.
He hesitated for a long moment. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure the state team is quite capable.”
Before she said something she would regret, she clamped her mouth closed, then took a breath. “But you’ve worked at the federal level, and you don’t think the state staff possesses the necessary skills.”
“I’m not saying that, but I was going to suggest we bring in the Veritas team from Portland.”
