Page 34 of Lost Hours
“Let me talk to my detective. If she agrees to be embedded with your team, then I’ll approve it.”
“And my role? Are you still wanting me to work the murder investigation with you?”
She nodded, but her sour expression said she would rather shake her head. “You can help me figure out what your team’s past has to do with the mayor’s death. Because, honestly, Nolan, I don’t have any idea where to begin on that.”
“Then I’m glad to help you.” He gave what he hoped was a confident look when he had no clue why someone would kill the mayor and try to pin it on him or one of the people he cared most about in this world.
10
A killer of an evening. Yeah, the invitation had come through as promised. The strain lingered in his teammates’ eyes as they gathered in their conference room late that night. Or should he say early the next morning. Once the inn’s dining area, the oversized space had a huge commercial kitchen with stainless steel everything connected through a set of swinging doors at the end of the room.
After Nolan had gone to the sheriff’s office to get a reasonably good digital sketch made of Smythe, Mina agreed to let his team, with the help of her detective, take on Becca’s disappearance. He didn’t want to wait to gather the team, so he had a patrol deputy drive him to the mansion to pick up his SUV while she’d updated her sergeant and detective.
Nolan had brewed a large urn of coffee and dug a chunk of cake from their grand opening out of the freezer. He sliced the nearly frozen cake and handed the small plates down the table.
Memories of the day came back. Not a big celebration, it was more of an event for the team to mark the day. But the mayor had insisted on providing a cake from Stella’s Bakery downtown, along with a big bowl of punch. He had come to cut the ribbon at their front door. Becca had accompanied him, and that’s where Jude had met her, putting him in his precarious place as a murder suspect.
Grinning, Jude held out his hand. “Give me the biggest piece you’ve got. If I’m a condemned man, I might as well get some cake in before I’m incarcerated.”
Reece swatted at him. “I don’t know how you can laugh at a time like this.”
She might have commented on his misplaced sense of humor when someone had lost their life, but no one else thought anything of it. He simply employed a coping mechanism that law enforcement officers often used to get through difficult situations, and Nolan suspected that she’d used it a time or two in her career as well.
After handing out the last piece, Nolan sat at the small table they’d shoved together with several of the old dining room tables to form one large conference table and shoved a fork into the cake. The utensil came away with a bite of vanilla cake, raspberry filling, and creamy white frosting. He let the sweet goodness melt in his mouth. “I thought this might’ve tasted old by now, but it’s almost as good as the day it was baked.”
“You might be exaggerating just a teeny bit.” Reece laughed.
Nolan laughed with her, but it was short-lived as the point of their meeting wouldn’t let go of his brain. “Before I start, I told Mina I would ask if anyone kept their envelope from the invitation. Anyone have one?”
“Mine should still be in my trash,” Gabe said. “Haven’t emptied the can in my office area for a while.”
Hayden snorted.
“What?” Gabe mocked an innocent pose. “Many more exciting things to do along the coast than waste time with trash.”
He spoke the truth, but if they only did things they liked, they wouldn’t be able to successfully run the business.
But trash wasn’t something Nolan wanted to waste time discussing. “If you can retrieve the envelope when we get done here, that would be great. Keep the fingerprints to a minimum.”
“No problem, but after fishing it out of the trashcan, I don’t know what else might be on it.” He laughed.
Nolan shook his head and looked around the team. “Thanks for dropping everything to meet.”
Abby frowned. “With Becca missing, it’s the least we can do, boss.”
Nolan might’ve founded Lost Lake Locators, and the team had voted for him to be the leader, but he wasn’t the boss, and being called that reminded him of his father, a memory he’d rather not have. Besides, each member of the team had an equal financial partnership and equal say in everything.
He ran his gaze around the table. “What’s it going to take to get you to let go of thebossthing?”
“Well, you are kind of bossy.” Reece laughed.
“That could be said of everyone at this table.” Nolan took another bite of cake.
“Someone’s gotta take charge,” Jude said. “And we tasked you with the job, so that’s how we think of you.”
“Sorry if you don’t like it.” Hayden stabbed up a bite of cake but held the fork midair. “But you also own this property, so it’s only fitting that you’re the boss.”
Nolan ran his gaze over the group again. “But you all have the freedom to remodel and decorate your suites as you see fit. If I was really bossy, I would tell you what to do there too.”
