Page 75 of Lost Hours
“I’m Cadence Vaughn, and I think my dad has information on Mayor Sutton’s murder,” she said.
“How so?” Mina asked, now honestly interested.
Cadence glanced at Grace and Nolan. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”
Mina hated to agree without knowing if this woman really did have legitimate information, but without any strong leads, she didn’t want to turn it down.
“We can go to my office.” Mina tipped her head at Nolan. “But Deputy Orr is very involved in this investigation, and he’ll sit in.”
Cadence gave a sharp nod. “I’d like to talk to you before my dad joins us. Mind if he waits here?”
Odd, but if that’s what it took to get the information. “Fine with me.”
Cadence stepped over to Grace, her high-heeled boots clicking on the ancient vinyl floor. “Would you mind keeping an eye on him? Make sure he doesn’t leave?”
Grace frowned. “It’s not really what I do.”
“Please.” Cadence’s pleading tone would be hard to say no to. “It’s important.”
“Go ahead, Grace,” Mina said. “We won’t be long.”
“If you insist.” She plopped onto her chair and crossed her arms. “But please don’t take too long.”
“Follow me.” Mina opened the secured door to the long hallway leading to her office.
The walls had recently been painted vivid white to brighten up the area, but it was still underlit and gloomy. The air smelled like burnt coffee and microwave popcorn, the two staples her team lived on. She entered her office door and came up short. Hayden sat behind her big wooden desk, his laptop in front of him.
“What are you doing here?” she asked as Nolan and Cadence stepped in behind her.
Hayden looked up and grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were coming back. The internet’s down at the inn, and El said I could work here.”
He stood. “But now that you’re back, looks like I’m sprung from solitary and put back in gen pop.”
“General population,” Cadence said.
Hayden’s gaze flew to her, and he gave her an admiring once over, letting his gaze linger. “You know prison slang?”
“Cadence Vaughn.” She returned his gaze with an equally interested one of her own. “Crime reporter for the Oregonian.”
Mina spun on her. “Now wait a minute. You didn’t say anything about being a reporter. If this is a ruse to get an interview, there’s the door.”
Cadence held up her hands. “This has nothing to do with my job. It’s honestly about my father.”
“She seems sincere to me.” Hayden’s focus remained locked on Cadence.
Mina knew a man’s interest for a woman when she saw it, but she never expected it from Hayden. Under any other circumstances, he’d be the first person to call out a reporter and make her spill her guts.
“I guess I’ll be going,” he said, sounding like a little boy forced to leave a baseball game.
“Might as well stay.” Mina motioned for him to sit, and he complied. She could use another set of eyes, even ones that were jaded by this woman’s beauty. She turned to Cadence. “Have a seat and tell me what this is about.”
Cadence took a seat and crossed her long legs incased in skinny jeans, and Nolan leaned against the bookshelf.
“So you’re not local, Cadence.” Mina pushed the in-basket on her desk out of the way and rested on the corner. “What’s your connection to the mayor?”
“My father, Percy Vaughn, retired here about five years ago.” Cadence peered at Mina, the intensity of a reporter on the hunt obvious. “He’s an avid birdwatcher, and he met Ernie on one of his trips. They became good friends and often went birdwatching together.”
Mina nodded. Mayor Sutton was as passionate about birds as he was about his sports memorabilia. “Go on.”
