“Let me ask again. You ever see them talking to one another? And I’m not asking because I think she killed him.” But she’s not off my list. Gillian was thin. She’d have to have caught Reuben by surprise with a powerful swing of the mallet to overpower him.
Could happen.
I need to interview her again.
Mason recalled Ray’s easy manner with the woman and clamped his teeth together.
Don’t think of Ray now.
“I can’t think of a time when I saw them,” Kaden was saying. “They’re next-door neighbors, so I’m sure they talked.”
Mason’s phone vibrated with a text, and he checked the screen. It was from Jill.
Call me asap
Dread swamped him. “I gotta make a call. Thanks for your help.” The words tripped out of his mouth. “Call-me-if-you-think-of-something-else.” He pointed at the business card in Kaden’s hand, turned away, and speed-walked across the street to his SUV.
I need to sit down. It could be bad. Shit, Ray.
He sat in his vehicle, and his fingers shook as he hit the screen to call.
“Mason?” Jill answered.
“What happened?” Every muscle in his body tensed.
“Ray was struggling to breathe. It set off alarms.” Her voice quivered. “They’re taking him back to surgery.”
Shit.
“Oh, Mason. He was still sedated. I haven’t even spoken with him yet, and now . . .”
Mason closed his eyes. “I’m sure they’ll take care of it.”
“No one’s telling me anything. The kids . . . Can you . . .” Soft sobs came across the phone.
“I’m on my way.”
13
Ava had moved to the passenger’s seat of Zander’s SUV, her half sister Kacey still on the phone sobbing and babbling about her father’s death.
This isn’t happening.
“Slow down,” Ava repeated as a gush of garbled words spilled from Kacey’s mouth again. “Take a few deep breaths. Is anyone with you?”
“Yes.” Kacey noisily sucked in air. “Kevin and his wife. My husband flew back to San Diego yesterday for work.”
“Kids there too?”
“Yes. They don’t know yet.” Kacey’s voice cracked. “How do I tell them their grandfather is dead? Kevin’s kids are way too young to understand.”
Ava thought that was a blessing but didn’t say it out loud. Her half brother’s toddlers were adorable, and Kacey’s two kids were eight and ten. They were going to take the news hard.
“What did the police tell you?” Ava asked. “How did they know where to find you?”
“We’ve been here for two weeks,” Kacey said. “We’ve met everyone, and you know how Dad is. He’s everyone’s friend within seconds of meeting. The couple that found him recognized him immediately.” She took a shuddering breath.
“How did he die, Kacey?” Ava asked gently.
“H-h-he was shot . . . in the head,” she whispered.
Ava sagged into her seat.
Why this man? Why this kind man?
“I’m so sorry, Kacey.”
“I don’t know what to do.”
“Just keep your family close. You don’t need to do anything. The police will guide you. Was it the Seaside police?”
“Yes. But the detective was from Clatsop County.”
Ava had known the small city’s police department would ask county or state for assistance in the murder. Seaside police were more accustomed to handling drunk tourists and speeding teenagers.
“I know the Clatsop County sheriff,” Ava said. “I worked with him on a case over there a few months ago. I’ll call him and get an update.” She paused. “Do you need me there?” she asked tentatively. Ava knew it wasn’t practical; she had just been assigned to one of the most important task forces in recent history.
But it was her family.
Sort of.
“No,” said Kacey. “You’ll just sit around with the rest of us waiting for information. You must have a ton of work.”
Guilt swamped Ava. She’d only known Kacey for nine months, but the woman had already learned that Ava’s work would always come first. Ava had used the excuse several times when David or Kacey had invited her to San Diego.
Is my work more important than this?
She met Zander’s gaze. He was in the driver’s seat, watching her intently, sympathy in his eyes.
“What do I do?” she mouthed silently at him. Confusion warred with responsibility in her brain.
“What do you want to do?”
That’s no help. She covered her phone’s microphone. “I don’t know. I feel like I should be there for them, but we have a huge case on our hands.” Ray’s face flashed in her mind. She wanted to track down his shooter. “I wouldn’t be able to help the case in Seaside. I’d simply be standing around with the rest of them.”
“You’ve told me a dozen times you don’t feel a connection to this family.”
She had said that. And it was true. Sort of.
What is wrong with me?
“I want to find Ray’s shooter at the moment,” she admitted.
“Since he’s injured and his prognosis is up in the air, that makes sense. You’ve had a tight connection with him for a few years.” Zander gestured at her engagement ring. “Mason is tightly intertwined with the case here too.”
The mention of Mason was the deciding factor. Ava immediately knew she had to stay but didn’t know how to explain it to her grieving half sister.
“Kacey? I’ll get back to you after I call the sheriff and see what information he has so far. That will help me decide if I should be there or not.”
Her excuse was lame, and she cringed as she said it. It focused on the murder, not the family.
“Okay.”
“I’ll call you as soon as I can,” Ava promised. “Oh, Kacey . . . have you heard from Jayne? I thought she might have accepted your invitation to the coast.”
I nearly forgot to ask.
“No. I haven’t heard from her in weeks. She never answered my invitation to join us here.”
“I’m sorry about that, Kacey. She’s . . . Well, you know.”
“I’m learning. You’re two very different people,” Kacey said softly. “Dad really did love you two, you know. He was so happy when he found both of you. He’d always felt a piece of himself was missing.” Quiet crying came through the phone. “Call me when you can.” Kacey ended the call.
Ava slowly lowered her phone. “I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. I feel horrible.” She was numb, drained.
I wouldn’t be any help to that family.
My family.
“I’m really sorry, Ava,” said Zander. “I know how confused you are about David and his family, but I also know you hoped for the fairy tale.”
Her fairy tale.
One big happy family. With both a mother and a father.
She turned wet eyes his way. Zander always saw everything. “I did,” she admitted. “It was stupid.”
“No, it wasn’t. It’s absolutely normal for children who never knew their parents to hope they’ll appear in their lives one day and they’ll live happily ever after.”