Page 37 of Dead Man's Alibi

Sam couldn’t interact with that thought.She had todo, not considerwhat-ifs.

“I appreciate it.Really.Take care, Olivia.And you have my contact information if you think of anything else.Please feel free to reach out with anything, even if it feels like nothing.”

Olivia nodded as Sam rose, but before Sam could step away, Olivia held up a hand.“Wait.I don’t know if this helps any, but Jules was happy after she met with an officer there.She didn’t tell me anything concrete, but she was in such agoodmood.Like she’d gotten exactly what she’d wanted.So, I assume someone theredidbelieve her, or pretended to?They might be looking into that, then?Don’t you think?”Olivia asked hopefully.

Sam nodded, though her mind was reeling.Jules had told Nate they hadn’t taken her seriously.But to her friend, she’d been happy… like she was sure the police, theMariettapolice, were looking into it.

It was something to poke into.Even if they’d brushed her off, and Jules had been happy to assuage her friend’s worry, there’d be a report.Therehadto be.She had gone there.

So why hadn’t anyone mentioned that?Who at the police department had talked to Jules?What had been the real outcome?There had to be evidence of all of that somewhere.

And Sam was damn well going to find it.

“Thank you, Olivia.Really.This gives me somewhere to go.”

“Would you… I know the police will release things, but would you… if you find something, would you let me know?”

Sam looked into the woman’s teary blue eyes.“I will, Olivia.I promise.”

Chapter Fourteen

Honor’s Edge Investigations Office

Cal pulled hisSUV into his spot in the back parking lot of the Honor’s Edge building.He noted Sam’s junker of a car was gone, but Nate’s truck was in the lot.

He was glad Sam wasn’t there to look at him with some kind of hope in her gaze, only to hear no new information had been unearthed and Nate remained a suspect.

Cal was starting to feel as frustrated as Sam acted.

Jill had sent him a text that wasn’t really information.She’d been calling around to different officers at the Livingston and Bozeman stations and got next to no information.She’d put in a lot of work too.Enough work Cal was starting to almost feel guilty for using her.This wasn’therfight, and she had a book to write.

Glenda hadn’t been able to get much more out of her source because that bailiff didn’t really knowshit, though Cal did think he was right about the strangulation.About the location.And he was still hopeful that itcouldlead to a line on which officer had responded to the call that had presumably gone out when someone had found Jules.

Some kind of physical evidencehadto have been left behind if it was a strangulation.Those kinds of tests could take some time, so Cal had to remind himself to be patient.

But surely that time was getting close to being up.

Cal considered heading up to the ranch, talking to some of the ranch hands and seeing if they knew anyone who worked at the police department.Sometimes you never knew what strange ties you could unearth in a small town.

But Cal was avoiding the ranch andreallytrying not to think about how weird it was Landon and Aly had been particularly quiet and holed up.Usually, Aly would have been insisting on nightly family dinners, just to ease everyone’s mind.She’d be force-feeding Sam if she were anywhere near herself.

Cal had a theory.The kind that belied big-ass changes he didn’t want to take on board at the moment.

He got out of his vehicle and crossed the lot, entering the Honor’s Edge building from the back.He pushed through the back door, and while he’d planned on going up the stairs to his apartment to avoid anothernope, nothing new, he wondered if he’d feel better if he shared his theories about Landon and Aly with Nate.

Maybe.

But Nate wasengaged, so maybe those types of future events wouldn’t terrorize him as much as they did Cal.

Cal shuddered.He was happy for Landon and Aly if he was right.Just like with the wedding.Landon and Aly should live happily ever after with as many kids as they wanted, but it was like a symbol of…

Cal not knowing what the fuckhewanted.

Considering forty was breathing down his neck, it felt pretty damn late in life to still be feeling that way.And he just didn’t want anyone looking athim, thinking,Oh, poor Cal with the mental problems probably won’t ever have this.

Well, maybe he didn’t want it.

Maybe.