Dagger followed her inside and mouthed, Don’t ask.
Three different texting chimes sounded.
Dagger held up his phone. “Cage, Marti, and Hardman are heading back to Pine Creek. Cage says you may have figured out where Ludlow’s hiding out.”
“Way to go, team!” Lacey said and raised her hand for a high five.
Feeling a little foolish because she’d sounded like a cheerleader, he raised his hand and gave her palm a light smack. “So, how’d it go with Ethan Palmer?” he asked, trailing them inside the house.
Lacey sat on the couch. “It’s interesting. The same anonymous shell company that bought the store next to Deadly Delights bid on it.”
“Anonymous?”
“Yeah,” she said, with a nod. “I gave the information to Fig to track down who owns it. She said it should be a snap.”
Dagger sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. “Swear to God, I never get tired of watching you drilling for information.” He glanced at Preacher. “She’s relentless, but the idiots nearly trip over themselves to give her every little bit they can.”
Preacher grinned. He’d seen her in action. “So, we have this shell company plus Edna as possibles.”
“We’re making progress,” Lacey said. “You know how it works. As we dig, we cross off folks until we see who’s still left standing.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. He wasn’t good with frustration and inaction. Both made him wish for a fight—a head to smash, bones to break. Sighing, he pushed to his feet. “There’s plenty of chili left. Help yourself. Fig said she’d stop by later to eat. She’s bringing cookies.”
“Chocolate chip?” Lacey said hopefully.
Dagger’s eyebrows rose. “Oatmeal?”
“Oreos.”
They both smiled.
“I love twisting off the tops,” Lacey said.
“I love dunking them in milk,” Dagger said.
He left them while they began to argue about the “correct” way to eat the cookies. He went outside and sat atop the porch steps. The sky was darkening just as Fig pulled into the driveway, leaving the end of her truck in the street because of all the vehicles filling the space.
Fig climbed out. “I have something. Just printed it all off,” she said, holding up a manilla folder in one hand and a grocery bag in the other.
Preacher stood and went to the door, opening it for her. “Go straight back to the kitchen. There’s a table there, and I’ll get you a bowl of Elaine’s chili.” Yeah, he wanted her to blurt out what she’d found, but again, he wanted everyone there to hear it so the information didn’t have to be repeated. He signaled to Dagger and Lacey to follow him inside to the kitchen.
After getting her a bowl and placing the condiments in front of her, he took the chair beside her. Dagger and Lacey sat on the opposite side.
Fig dished cheese on her chili but skipped the pico. Waving her spoon, she glanced sideways at Preacher. “This afternoon, I did a deep dive into Bob’s hardware store. Guess what I found?”
He gave her a glare. He didn’t have the patience to play the twenty questions game.
She bugged her eyes. “Okay, so, a few years ago, he got deep into debt and sold the hardware store.
Preacher’s eyebrows shot upward. “He doesn’t own it?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Guess who does?” She winked before he had a chance to grumble. “Edna Posick. After he sold it to her, she qualified for some women-owned business low-interest loans the government offered and brought them back into the black.”
She shoveled in a bite of chili and moaned. “Damn, this is good.”
Preacher wished he’d held off feeding her until after she’d told them everything.
Still chewing, she flipped open the folder she’d laid on the table and pointed at a copy of incorporation documents. “That shell company, Dead Horse Limited, is owned by…” She glanced at Preacher.
“Edna,” he said.
“Nope.” She looked as smug as the cat who’d swallowed the canary. “Bob.”
“They’re in on it together,” he said softly.
“Looks like,” Fig said. “We for sure have motive.”
“Did you tell the sheriff?”
She nodded. “He was a little huffy. I think he’s ready to ream the detective he put on this. Anyone could have found this—”
“Not anyone,” Lacey said. “Just someone who doesn’t stop when the first door shuts on a lead. Great work.”
Preacher’s phone rang. “Call’s from the sheriff,” he said. “Wonder if he’s already arrested them.” He swiped the screen and put the call on speaker. “Preacher here.”
“Preacher, it’s Sheriff Brown. Just wanted to let you know Laura’s store is on fire. Fire department’s already on the way.”
Preacher sucked in a swift breath.
“My shop’s on fire?” Laura’s voice cut through the stunned silence.
Preacher jumped up and walked to where she stood, one hand braced against the doorframe. Her face was white. “Let me help you to a chair.”
Dagger leaned toward the phone. “Do you know where Bob Updike and Edna Posick are right now?”
“I was working on search warrants with the judge. Didn’t want to tip them off that we’re looking at them as suspects into Laura’s attacks. I sent units to Bob’s and Edna’s places, as well as the hardware store, but they’re in the wind.”
“How bad’s the fire?” Laura asked, her voice wobbly and her eyes filling with tears.
A sigh sounded, and then the sheriff cleared his throat. “It’s fully engulfed, Laura. I’m sorry. The fire department is having a time trying to confine it. The empty building beside it is almost gone, but they’re hoping to save the salon next to your store.”
Laura closed her eyes and bowed her head.
Lacey glanced at Dagger. “We only need one of us here.”
Dagger pushed away from the table. “I’m heading down there. Another set of eyes. I’ll keep a lookout for the two of them.” He bent to kiss Lacey’s cheek then departed.
“Who all knows that we suspect them?” Preacher said into the phone.
“Just the deputies I sent to bring them in. I wanted to talk to Bob and Edna before I made our investigation public and give them a chance to explain themselves.”
Lacey rolled her eyes.
Preacher glanced at Laura who hadn’t moved. Her hands were clutched together in her lap, and her shoulders were slumped. “We’ll keep watch over Laura. Bob might be jonesing for her store, but I think Edna’s out for Laura.”
“I agree. I’ll have deputies swing by every hour until we find these two.”
“Thank you.” He rang off and then reached for Laura’s clutched hands. He gave them a squeeze. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I’ve lost everything.”
“Do you have adequate insurance?”
“I think so,” she said, lifting her face. Worry wrinkled her forehead.
“Then it will be okay. You don’t have to face this alone.”