Page 23 of Lost Hours
“You were on the way back from Portland when the mayor was killed, is that right?”
“Correct.”
“What were you doing in Portland?”
“Not that it’s related to the investigation in any way, but I had just come from the Multnomah County Courthouse where I was looking up records for our investigation.”
“He’s being modest,” Nolan said. “He had a lead on a property that we couldn’t get detailed owner information about online, and he got the clerk to give him the owner’s name, which led us to find our missing girl in time.”
“The Jennings girl from Seaside Harbor.”
“Yeah,” Jude said. “That’s her.”
“Congratulations on finding her.”
“We were glad to bring her home.” Nolan smiled as he recalled the moment she’d reunited with her parents.
She smiled back at him. “Always a good day when a missing person case turns out that well.”
He loved feeling the warmth of her genuine smile again. “Which is why we do what we do, even if we sometimes step on law enforcement’s toes in the process.”
Her smile vanished. She probably realized a day could come when she would butt heads with him over such an investigation. She shifted her focus back to Jude. “Did you stop along the way where anyone could’ve seen you?”
“No.”
“Make any video phone calls?”
He arched a dark eyebrow. “Why video in particular?”
As a former FBI agent, he knew the answer to her question, and for some reason, was playing dumb with her. Why, Nolan didn’t know. Maybe testing her skills.
She didn’t miss a beat. “You know we can trace any calls you made on the drive, triangulating your location. A video call proves that you were with the phone when the call was made. Otherwise, if you texted or made a regular call, it only proves that your phone was in that location.”
“No video calls.” Jude’s expression was deadpan. “In fact, no calls at all after I left Portland other than with the team while I ate a granola bar or ten and drooled over their burgers.”
Jude had probably hoped for a laugh with the burger comment, but she didn’t crack a smile. His rejection by his parents when he’d gone into law enforcement had done a number on him, and he’d taken to using humor to cover up his emotions.
“Do you know who invited you to this party tonight?” Mina asked.
“No.” He flexed his fingers but kept a blank expression. “Just like the rest of the team, I was surprised by the invitation.”
“How about the property? Know who owns it?”
“No.”
“What about Smythe? Do you know his full name or anything else about him?”
“No. Tonight was the first time I’ve ever seen him.”
“Why do you think the locker you opened was the one that contained the mayor’s body?”
Jude sat up straighter. “I have no idea.”
“One of your trophies is present in the room too. Do you have any idea why that might be?”
“Not my trophy.” He stared at her, looking like her endless questions might be getting to him. “Just one made to look like I got it. Unless it’s a plot to make me look guilty of something.”
“You mean you’re being set up?”
