Page 53 of Dead Man's Alibi

“Okay, so someone requests the report.That doesn’t mean someone couldn’talsotalk to Jake.They’re not mutually exclusive endeavors,” Aly pointed out, the calm peacemaker in all this.“Though I’m not sure Cal or Sam should be the ones talking to Jake.”

There was a moment of silence.Landon didn’t want to get involved, but beyond that, he didn’t trust himself.If there was even a hint Hayes knew something and was keeping it from the court to make Nate look guilty…

Yeah, his reaction would be a lot like Sam’s.

To his way of thinking, there was only one choice, and since Cal and Sam had looked in her direction, too, Landon figured they were unanimous in their answer.

Jill’s eyes widened.“Oh.Surely not… me.”

“You’re the least likely to commit a crime,” Cal muttered.

“And the only one we have a chance in hell of Hayes actually talking to.”Sam sighed.“And that’s a big fuckingif.”

Chapter Eighteen

The Harrington Cabin

Jill was questioninga lot of things right now.

Why had she moved to Montana?Why had she stayed?Why had she let her friendship with Aly bring her into the world of the Bennet brothers?

Why did the way Cal looked at her feel different thaneverything?

She didn’t head down to town immediately.She went back to the cabin.Grandma wasn’t in the living room or kitchen, so Jill sat down at her laptop and wrote a quick, concise email to Jake asking if there was a time they could meet today or tomorrow.Or never.

Then she closed the laptop with a decisiveclickand got to her feet.She looked at the ancient coffee percolator in the kitchen and wondered if the cabin’s generator would even handle the electricity for Cal’s fancy coffee machine.

Grandma came in from where she must have been out in her gardens.

She frowned at Jill.“Heard the truck.Back so soon?”

“I’m… well, Cal asked if I’d go ask Detective Hayes a few questions.So, I guess I’m taking a break from writing today.Waiting for the detective to email me back.Then I might go back down and meet with him.”She winced.

“Something wrong with that?”

“No.No, I want to help in any way I can.I just… Maybe it’s best to…”

“It’s best to help,” Grandma said firmly.“A lessonyoutaught me, little girl.”

Jill wanted to smile.When she’d been little, Grandma had written her letters and always called herlittle girl.It was a nice memory.

Life had been simpler back then.At least for Jill.Not for Grandma, who’d been a prisoner of her own trauma.

But through the truth, Grandma was better.Really, truly better.Jill still wanted her to get some therapy, but still.So much progress had been made in only a month.

Because of the truth.Which felt like an indictment.Like Jill had to help fight to find the truth for her friends, just like they’d helped fight to find it for her grandmother.

“Do you want me to go with you?”Grandma asked gently.

It was a kind offer.Genuine.Still Jill shook her head.“Not unless you want to pull out the ghost of Marietta routine?Give the detective a good scare.”

Grandma smiled a little.“If I thought Hayes might believe it, I would.”

It made Jill laugh.Then she sighed, thinking of Detective Hayes.The Bennets.This whole weird thing.

“What do you think of him, Grandma?”

Glenda had a way of seeing people for who they were.Her gut was rarely wrong.She just didn’t alwaysverbalizeher gut.