Page 4 of Dead Man's Alibi

He assumed it would be Sam and Nate since they were the only other ones with keys to the building.It was a little early for them to be at the office—since his apartment was situated above Sam’s Honor’s Edge Investigations—and even then, they didn’t usually come up the stairs to bother him.

He considered last night.The party had been fun.His family—the family he cared to acknowledge—had come together with a few friends, namely Jill and Glenda Harrington, to celebrate his passing the Montana bar.Essentially, celebrate him being home permanently after over a decade in Texas.

He’d managed to get his stick-in-the-mud middle brother off the Bennet Ranch and into town, no doubt his sister-in-law’s doing.But Landon and Aly had seemed to enjoy themselves.Sam and Nate had enjoyed themselves, too, though Cal wasn’t sure Nate had taken his eyes off Sam.So much so that Cal had kind of been glad that Jake hadn’t been able to show up because of whatever work thing he had.

Cal might consider Jakesomethinglike a friend, but there was no denying Jake and Nate in the same room always had the potential for disaster.Especially if Sam was involved.

Jill and Glenda had stayed longer than he’d expected.Long enough for him to spend some time flirting with Jill.Not really something he should indulge himself in.Sure, she was smart and pretty, and her writing fascinated him, but even with a passed bar, a five-year plan, and a therapist on speed dial, he should not be sniffing around anything that evenwhisperedof roots and commitment.

Everything about Jill screamed both those things.

But what was the harm in a little flirt?

Which was the problem.It had been a nice night.Normal.Fun.Not things that happened in the Bennet world.

So, trouble on the other side of that door?Yeah, seemed about right on time.

Setting his plate in the sink, Cal moved over to the door.He didn’t bother to look out the peephole, just opened it.

Sam and Nate stood right there on the other side.They both stopped whispering at each other and peered at him like they were surprised to find him in the apartmentherentedfromSam.

“Good morning,” Cal greeted.“Or is it?”

“Jules Hyatt was killed,” Sam announced with no preamble.Or explanation.

Cal waited for some kind of dawning horror to hit him, but the name wasn’t familiar.Certainly not anyone he knew or had a relationship with.

“Who’s Jules Hyatt?”

“The woman who hired Honor’s Edge to investigate her husband’s affair,” Nate said flatly.

The memory of a tall, built, blonde woman flashed.Right.She’d hired Nate to investigate, but she had seemed far more interested in him than in answers.

Uh-oh.Cal studied his brother.Stoic as ever.

But this was definitely trouble.

He moved out of the doorway and gestured them inside.“Coffee?”

They both shook their heads.

“Nate thinks I’m overreacting, but Jake very purposefully came to our house after your party to question Nate.And make it clear he’s a suspect.Then this genius answered questions without a lawyer present.”

Sam wasnotstoic.She was vibrating with a kind of fury that would make a smart man tread carefully.

Cal Bennet wasn’t always smart.“Well, I’m sure he is one.”Before Sam leapt at him—which Cal was sure was incoming—he held up a hand and continued.“They have to look at anyone who was in her orbit toward the end of her life.That’s what detectives do.They’ll talk to the husband, coworkers, neighbors.And yeah, the guy she hired to get proof her husband was cheating.It’s just procedure.”

“What Jake was doing wasnotprocedure,” Sam returned through gritted teeth.“Coming to our house late at night, after a party—a party heknewabout.”

Cal agreed that was a little out of the box of normal procedure, but he didn’t know enough about the case to know why Jake might have taken that route.There could be a reasonable explanation.

“We all know Nate didn’t do anything.They’ll look into the case, probably want your records.Maybe your emails with her.You just cooperate, and it’ll be fine.”

Cal thought Sam’s eyes might actually bug out of her head.

“Do you guys not remember what happened fifteen years ago in this very town with this very police department and a lot of the same damn players?”

It was a fair enough question, Cal supposed.No doubt Sam was a little touchy about it, considering it was her father who’d spent nearly fifteen years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.