He c.o.c.ked his head to one side. aNow why would you ask a question like that?a aBecause we found out a couple of things about Gwen Milleras death that werenat advertised. One of those things involves a quit claim deed. The other one is the ident.i.ty of the mystery girl at Rana.a His eyes flicked up, and he gave an infinitesimal shake of his head.

Barr touched my arm, cutting me off, and stood. aGood to meet you. Iad love to grab a coffee sometime, exchange war stories.a He pulled me to my feet, though I resisted.

Schumaker stood as well. aThatad be good.a aAny suggestions for a good place to get a cup?a What the heck?

Schumaker hesitated. Looked at his watch. aZillahas Cafe is good. I go there most days for lunch.a aSounds good. Letas go, Sophie Mae.a aWhat? Wait a minute a He took my arm and gently steered me to the half-open door. aWeare going to be late.a Late for what?

Out in the parking lot, I started to demand why we had to leave before quizzing Schumaker about Krista Jaikes and the quit claim deed, but he shushed me.

aCamera,a he said once we were in the car. aThereall be one in this parking lot, too.a Oh.

I felt like an idiot. Jaikes might have left the building, but it still was a lousy place to talk about him.

aWeall have to wait until lunch time,a Barr said.

Ah. The coffee discussion made sense now. Mr. Ambrose was a rather clever bear.

Apparently some secret cop signal had flashed between them, because Barr a.s.sured me Schumaker would be at Zillahas Cafe at noon. So we had over an hour to kill before lunch. I talked him into going to the health food store with me to pick up ingredients for the body b.u.t.ter I wanted to make later for my mother. Anna Belle had complained the evening before about how the high desert sun dried her skin, so I was going to whip up a concoction that would cure the problem in no time.

Supplied with olive oil, shea b.u.t.ter, and vitamin E oil, we found the cafe and parked. Inside, we discovered a large s.p.a.ce which had been broken up into sections delineated by low gla.s.s walls and cushy furniture groupings. The seating areas were private enough that it was the perfect place to talk, and if the cooking smells were any indication, the place served a lot more than coffee. The large blackboard behind the register listed menu offerings.

I ordered coffee drinks and sandwiches at the counter while Barr commandeered an arrangement of chairs in a back corner. Meatball submarine for him, grilled Reuben for me. Schumaker came in as I loaded our lunches on a tray. Our eyes met and I indicated the back of the cafe with my chin. He saw Barr sitting there and nodded.

Soon we were all ensconced in the ultra-comfortable seating. Barr and I were munching and sipping away, but the sheriffas investigator had only ordered coffee.

aThanks for comingaa I began.

Schumaker cut me off. aLet me make something perfectly clear. You are still a person of interest in this case, Ms. Reynolds. I am not here to discuss any part of it with you. Nor am I here to buddy up with another cop. I met you here for two reasons: to clear up any misunderstanding about the sheriffas daughter and the death at Rancho Sueo, and to find out what the heck you were talking about regarding a quit claim deed.a He sat back with an expectant air. Took a sip from his Grande whatever.

aI respect that,a Barr said.

I nodded. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise a murder investigation or get Schumaker in trouble. Head been a pretty good guy considering how head met me.

aOkay. Who quit claimed what to whom?a aOgden Dunner quit claimed the Rancho Sueo property to Joe Bines two years after Gwen Miller died,a I said.

His lips came together as if he was going to whistle, and he looked at Barr. aNo kidding.a aTwo years after Gwen Miller and Bobby Lee died, and one year after he shut down Rancho Sueo. Joe was only twenty years old.a Schumaker had taken a small notebook out and began scribbling.

aBlackmail is a good motive for murder,a I said.

His glance was sharp. aNot, repeat not, discussing the Bines murder case with you.a But his eyes softened then, and he said, aHowever, I do indeed thank you for this information. Of course I knew the dairy was located on the old Dunner property, but didnat know the particulars of the real estate transaction. This does change things a bit.a I smiled. aIt also links the current case, which we are definitely not discussing right now, to what happened eighteen years ago.a aPerhaps,a he conceded.

aIs Ray Dunner a suspect?a The inspector wagged his finger at me. aMaybe. Maybe not.a Barr said. aThen thereas that other connection between the current sheriff and a certain girl who was present the night Gwen Miller died.a aWho was Gwen Milleras best friend, actually,a I said.

Schumaker frowned and swept the room with his gaze before answering. aYes. About that. How did you find out she was there?a aShe talked to a reporter at the hospital that night. Carrie Romain. But only briefly, until Ray Dunner pulled her away, and then Kristaas whole story changed.a He looked surprised. aNow where the heck did you come up with that crazy idea?a aI saw the reporteras notes. She never went to press with the alternate storyaprevented by her editor, Iam guessing, since she was also asked not to reveal Kristaas name.a aKrista was only seventeen.a aWe understand that,a Barr said. aBut she was also the daughter of a sheriffas deputy who had political goals. If she were anyone else her name would have been right there in print for the world to see. Now, what were you going to tell us that would clear up any a'misunderstandingsa we might have about Kristaas involvement?a I could feel the tension rolling off him as he spoke. I wondered whether Schumaker could, too.

aKrista Jaikes was only seventeen,a Schumaker said again. aBut she knew what she had to do. She sat down and told sheriffas investigators everything she knew.a aHow do you know that?a aItas all in the case file,a he said, impatient.

aHow about the fact that Gwen Miller and Ray Dunner were more than friends. She was his girlfriend.a He shook his head. aAfter you were asking about that incident in relation to your brother, I went over the file. There was nothing about those two being involved romantically.a aNonetheless,a I said.

aMilleras parents would have known if they were dating, donat you think?a aMaybe. Believe me, if I were dating him, I wouldnat have dared to tell my mother. She wouldave thrown a fit.a I couldnat imagine dating a jerk like that anyway. Ray Dunner or Joe Bines. Now those two I would have expected to be best friends, not Joe and Bobby Lee. aBut I would have told my best friend.a The inspector shook his head. aWhy would Krista Jaikes have lied?a aWell, I talked to her on the phone, and even after all these years Ray Dunneras name still terrifies her. And she actually hung up on me when I told her Joe had been murdered.a aYou talked to her on the phone? Are you crazy? What were you thinking? Sheriff Jaikes is going to come after you with both barrels if he finds out youave been hara.s.sing his daughter. Finding your lip balm under Binesa body is nothing compared to that.a I put down my half-finished sandwich and leaned forward. Barr touched my arm, but I shook him off. aOh, for heavenas sake. I asked her some questions about my brotherathereas no crime in that. Sheas a grown woman, and perfectly capable of deciding whether she wants to talk to me or not. By the way, she mostly chose a'not.a She certainly doesnat need Daddy watching out for her anymore.a I pointed at him. aBut you make a good point. I bet Deputy Jaikes would have done a lot to protect his little girl.a Anger narrowed Schumakeras eyes. He stood up. aThis conversation is over. I understand that youare trying to heal an old wound, but youare going about it the wrong way. If and when you step on the sheriffas toes too hard, donat expect me to be on your side.a He slammed his coffee cup on the table and strode out the door.

I turned to Barr. aOops.a aNo. Not oops. You gave him a lot of valid information, and while I understand his reticence to rat on his boss, Iam a little surprised heas not more interested in following up on it.a aHeall follow up on the quit claim. Iam sure of it. For one thing, itas relevant to the case heas working now.a aAnd that might lead to more information about the past,a Barr said. aAt least I hope so. Youave only got until day after tomorrow, and if you donat figure out what happened with your brother I think your head might explode.a aA slight exaggeration,a I said.

aNot by much.a _____.

Barr promised to call that evening, and left on the five-hour drive up to see his family. My parents were both at the university again, and who knew where Kelly, Meghan, and Erin had gone off to this time. It was a perfect opportunity to make the body b.u.t.ter for Anna Belle.

First I melted the olive oil and shea b.u.t.ter together over low heat. Once they were combined, I set the pan on the counter to cool and dug out Dadas stick blender. I spent an hour catching up on e-mail, then checked the oils. They were cooling nicely, and barely starting to solidify. Upstairs, I dug through the essential oils Iad brought with me, deciding on the jasmine since Anna Belle had such a preference for loud floral scents. A call to check in with Cyan relieved my mind about Winding Road Bath Products, and by the time I was done, it was time to finish up the body b.u.t.ter.

I stirred in the vitamin E oil and essential oil first, then hit it with the stick blender. The result was a fluffy, emollient mixture the color of heavy cream with a slight greenish tinge from the extra virgin olive oil. The jasmine was a little overpowering, but Anna Belle would love it.

Time for a walk a'na think. Cadyville was small enough that I walked many places, though I didnat think about it as exercise. However, while everyone else had been riding their bikes and going on hikes, Iad been driving around Spring Creek. It made me feel sluggish; I needed some movement and some time outside to organize my thoughts.

The weather had cooled to the mid-eighties. At that temperature the dry air actually did make a difference, and I hardly broke a sweat as I power-walked down to the park. It wasnat very large, taking up only one city block, and I circled it once, admiring the gardens and smiling at the children who played on the swings. Three college-age boys were throwing a Frisbee, and an elderly couple sat on a bench holding hands. I could only hope Barr and I were still so affectionate in our eighties.

As I continued, my steps fell into a steady rhythm, and soon my brain was clicking along at the same pace. Bobby Lee did something he was ashamed of. Took part in something he was ashamed of. A girl died after falling in a frozen river. Everyone said Bobby Lee wasnat at the river that night. But something happened, something everyone was lying about. Had Gwen Milleras plunge been more than an accident? What was Ogden Dunneras role in the whole thing?

Speaking of more than an accident: Who the heck killed Joe Bines? He wasnat the nicest guy in the world, and I wouldnat be surprised to learn that head angered someone enough for them to kill him. Like maybe someone he blackmailed. Someone with a temper. Someone like Ray Dunner.

Or maybe Joeas death was, if not random, at least unrelated to past events or my family. Still, if that were the case then the sheriffas investigators would have discovered something by now, and I didnat get the impression from Schumaker that they had.

Granted, he wasnat one to share whether they had developed any leads or not, but I couldnat shake the idea that whoever bashed Joe over the head did it because of something that happened eighteen years ago.

Which meant that I might be partly responsible.

Was that true? Really? Had I started something in motion by asking so many questions?

I sighed, and my steps slowed. Iad come as far as College Avenue, and the cars whizzed by. I walked south for a block and started toward the house again. My parentsa neighborhood hadnat changed much over the years, though the trees in the front yards had certainly matured. Most of the homes had been built in the sixties and seventies, everyone took care of their yards, and all the streets were named after universities: Tulane, Harvard, Stanford, Duke, etc.

Joe and Tabby had blackmailed the Dunners. Or at least Joe had. I was sure of it. But they hadnat been there the night Gwen Miller died. Or had they? Were they Tom and Jane Smith? Or, if the blackmail was unrelated to the girl in the river incident, then what the heck did they have on the Dunners that would be incriminating enough for Ogden to give up on his dream of Rancho Sueo?

The walk helped me to organize my questions, but did little to provide answers. At least my blood circulated through my veins with more enthusiasm as I neared the house. That counted for something.

A large black pickup was parked on the street in front of the house, and I could see in through the screen door to the great room. Someone was home.

Then I saw the b.u.mper sticker on the truck: Dunner & Son Auto Sales.

The hair on the back of my neck and arms stood on end when I saw Ray Dunner sitting on my parentsa sofa in the great room, red soda can dangling from his fingers. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and thick work boots. As soon as I came in the door, Erin jumped up from where shead been sitting in Dadas big recliner and ran to me.

aThis man is here to see you, Sophie Mae.a Dunner glowered up at me from his seated position but didnat say a word.

I put my hand on her shoulder. aThanks, Bug. Iall take it from here.a She craned her head to look up at me. Her eyes were scared.

aGo outside and play,a I said.

Bless her heart, she didnat take umbrage at being told to go out and play like a third grader, and she didnat hesitate, either. I waited until I heard the sliding door in the kitchen open and close, then came farther into the room.

aMr. Dunner,a I said. aWhat can I do for you?a He swished the c.o.ke in the bottom of the can and took a final swig. Leaned forward and put the empty can on the carpet, then made himself comfortable on the sofa again. He stretched out one booted foot and put it on the coffee table, the picture of insolence. As much as I wanted to knock it off, my hand remained steady at my side. He still hadnat spoken.

I shrugged. aWell, if you just came over to drink my folksa soda, I guess youare done.a He picked at his teeth with a thumbnail and regarded me with dark eyes. aTabitha tells me you have a letter of hers.a My stomach swooped. Trying to appear casual, I walked to the window and looked out. aIam not sure what youare referring to.a Anna Belle and Dad were still at the university. Meghan and Kelly were gone.

Erin had been here alone with Ray Dunner.

His answer was a snort. aI want to see it.a I faced him. aSorry I canat accommodate you.a His foot came off the coffee table, and he leaned forward in one sudden, smooth motion. aIt wasnat a request.a My heart was beating so hard I could hardly hear him. I didnat say anything.

He stood up, and I jumped.

aI donat have it!a I said.

aSure you do.a aI donat! My mother put it in her safe deposit box.a aThatas c.r.a.p.a But he looked unsure.

I took a deep breath, encouraged by my own lie. aTabby saw the letter. Didnat she tell you what was in it?a He scowled. aGive it to me.a She hadnat told him. Or she had told him, and he didnat believe her.

aSeriously.a I forced myself to walk toward him. aI donat have it. And I donat know why youad care about it anyway. It was just a love note from my brother to his girlfriend.a A tiny flicker of relief crossed his face at that. I could tell he really wanted to believe the letter was innocent.

aWhat did you think it said?a Now he looked scared. Oh, how I ached to ask him how Joe had blackmailed his father. But I didnat dare, not all alone with him like this.

Keeping my voice calm and low, I said, aI really am sorry you came over here for nothing. I showed the letter to Tabby because it was written to her. Her mother sent it back before she saw it. But itas the last thing Bobby Lee wrote, the last thing he said to anyone that we know of, and for that reason my mother values it more than anything.a All of that was true, and it all pointed to the idea that Anna Belle would put the letter in her safe deposit box, without repeating the lie. Maybe that was the trick: Tell as much of the truth as possible when youare lying.

But he took a determined step toward me. aYou have a copyaTabby told me. Show me that.a I shook my head, mentally scrambling. Would it be so bad to show him, after all? I mean, it didnat say anything incriminating, not really. Heck, maybe he could tell me what Bobby Lee was talking about. At least it would get him out of the house.

Oh, but I didnat want to give Bobby Leeas letter to this man, not when I didnat know what it meant.

Anger flared behind Dunneras eyes, and he took another step. I backed away. aYou have it. Show me!a aHi, there,a Kelly said from the top of the steps.

Rayas nostrils flared.

I spun around. aHi!a aIam Kelly OaConnell.a He came down the three shallow steps and walked right up to our guest.

Dunner had been a salesman for a long time; clasping Kellyas outstretched hand was automatic. aRay Dunner.a Kelly didnat give any indication that he knew the name, just looked at him expectantly.

aCame to see Sophie Mae here.a aUh huh.a Didnat give him an inch.

I tamped down a grin. aGood to see you, Ray. Sorry you have to go.a Opened the front door. Kelly took a step forward, crowding Dunner.

aUh. Right. But Iall check back with you about that thing we were talking about, Sophie Mae.a aOh, thatas okay. You neednat bother.a His parting look from the front sidewalk dripped with malice.

aBuh bye.a I closed the door and locked it. Turned to Kelly and gave him a humongous hug. aOh, G.o.d, thank you. I was about to give him the letter just to get him out of here. Have you been home this whole time?a aYeah, I was down in the bas.e.m.e.nt. Meghan ran to the grocery store to get a few things for dinner and left Erin with me. I didnat even know Dunner was here until she came and told me.a I looked up to see Erin standing in the kitchen. aYou little scamp. You didnat go outside at all, did you?a She grinned and shook her head. aOpened and shut the door then tippy-toed down to the bas.e.m.e.nt. That guy was spooky.a I was glad to hear her internal alarm was in good working order.

aTook you long enough to get up here,a I said to Kelly, now that my heart rate had returned to normal.

aI came right up. Thought Iad let things play out a little, see what he said.a aNice. Well, I feel a lot better now, knowing you were here all along. Itas frustrating, though, because we didnat learn anything except that he wants to read the letter.a aWhich means your friend Tabby didnat share the contents with him.a aI was thinking that. Why would she tell him about the letter at all? And once she did, why not tell him what was in it?a He smiled. aMaybe you should ask her that.a aSureaand then she can give me more non-answers. Itas her specialty.a Meghan came in then, calling for help with the groceries. Erin hopped to, but before Kelly went he put his hand on my arm. aYou need to be careful. Dunner threatened to come back, you know.a aI know. Iam calling Inspector Schumaker right now.a aThatas a start.a _____.

Schumaker found Ray Dunneras visit interesting, but it turned out there wasnat much he could do to help us. Dunner hadnat actually done anything except ask to see a letter, and his threat to me had been so subtle that he could easily deny it.

aYou be careful, Sophie Mae,a Schumaker warned. aHe has a mean streak and a history of violence. Ran off three wives over the years and is known for getting into fights at some of the local drinking establishments.a aFights with people like Joe Bines?a I couldnat help but ask.

aA few times,a Schumaker acquiesced. One visit from Ray Dunner had sweetened the inspectoras att.i.tude toward me. aDunner had a thing for Tabitha for a lot of years. Didnat like that she married Joe.a Oh, brother. Why wasnat Ray in custody?

aSounds like motive to me,a I said.

Schumaker sighed. aThereas a lot of that around. Weare still sorting it all out. Just be careful, okay?a I a.s.sured him that I would and hung up the phone feeling less safe than I had before making the call. That creep had been alone with Erin. Down in the bas.e.m.e.nt, Kelly hadnat realized shead let him in. Iad asked her about that, too. We didnat encourage her to be afraid of people, but she wasnat stupid and she knew how to deal with strangers. When Dunner had knocked, shead opened the interior door and left the screen door closed. Head opened it and let himself in. Meghan tried to hide her distress when Erin told us that, but I saw her hand shaking as she reached for her gla.s.s of tea.

The law couldnat protect us, but Kelly had already intimidated him once and would have no qualms about getting physical if he had to. Plus, there were six of us in the house. Wead lock up carefully tonight, including the windows my parents usually left open in the summer. I dreaded telling them what happened, but they needed to know, and maybe theyad have some ideas.

In the meantime, there was another person Ray Dunner had responded to: his father. Ratting him out to his dad might not work, but it seemed worth a try.

Ogden Dunner had an unlisted number, and I couldnat find his address online. I didnat want to run into his son again, but Ray hadnat been dressed for work. My bet was that Ogden was holding down the fort at the new-and-used luxury car lot.

But when I told Meghan what I wanted to do, she didnat like my idea one little bit. aNo. Absolutely not.a Dad came in then, all sweaty and pumped up from riding home from the university on his bike. I related what happened all over again.

He reacted with more speculation than fear. aSo Ray Dunner thinks Bobby Lee wrote something about him eighteen years ago. Which means Bobby Lee knew something about him that he doesnat want advertised.a aOr he thinks Bobby Lee knew something. Either way, it fits the Dunners being blackmailed.a aRay sounds desperate. That makes him dangerous,a Dad said.

aI want to go talk to Ogden, see if he can call his son off.a aHe could be just as dangerous. After all, he was the one who signed over the family land to Joe Bines, not Ray.a aWill you come with me?a I asked.

aI insist on it. Let me get changed.a My father, the former investigative reporter, looked downright excited to get in on some of the action.

Meghan gave in since I wasnat going by myselfaand she couldnat very well tell Dad what to do. Still, her face was pinched with worry when we left.

Dad drove. We parked on the street, and he walked onto the lot while I stayed in the car and watched. If I was wrong and Ray Dunner was manning the store, he didnat know what my father looked like.

But it was Ogden who opened the office door and descended the rickety steps. He wore a dark suit utterly inappropriate for the weather. It made him look like an undertaker. I got out of the car and joined them.

He smiled when he saw me approaching. Close up I could see the dark half-moons under his eyes like twin bruises. I wondered when head last slept. If anything, the gauntness of his face had increased since Barr and I had first seen him, and his skin had a gray tinge to it.

Oh, but those dark eyes still crinkled with benevolence, and his voice betrayed nothing. aSophie Mae, how nice to see you again. Have you come to test drive that Jaguar?a I shook my head. aNo. Iam sorry, but weare not here about a car.a aOh. So youare with this gentleman?a aThis is my father, Calvin Watson.a aIam very pleased to make your acquaintance, sir.a aLikewise,a Dad said.

Ogden regarded me. aSo if this isnat about a car, how can I help you?a I glanced at Dad then back at Ogden. Took a deep breath. aI need you to talk to your son.a I didnat think the older man could look more tired, but I was wrong. He slowly raised his eyebrows in question.

aHe came by my parentsa house today. My housemateas eleven-year-old daughter was there alone, and he opened the door and walked right in.a Okay, so it was a slight exaggeration. Sue me.

aHe didnat hurt her.a But the statement sounded like a question. Not encouraging to know Ogden thought his son capable of hurting a little girl.

aNo, thank goodness, but she didnat invite him in, either. He wanted to talk to me.a I stopped. How much should I tell this man? Ogden was, after all, up to his bushy eyebrows in whatever was going on. aMr. Dunner, Ray wanted to know the contents of a letter my brother wrote before he died. He was very insistent, threatening even. He frightened me.a His shoulders slumped under an unseen burden.

I continued. aNow, why does your son think my brother knew something incriminating about him?a His large hands came up to rub his face. aIam so sorry. Iall talk to him.a aThank you.a The hands fell to his side. aMy sonas not a bad man.a Neither Dad nor I responded.

aHeas had some problems, I admit. His mother left us. I never gave up on him, though. Never.a aI understand,a my father said.

I did, too. And I was positive this man was telling the truth. Head quite possibly saved his sonas life. But at what cost to himself?

aI just donat want him to come back,a I said. aWill you please a.s.sure him that Bobby Lee said nothing, absolutely nothing, about him in that letter?a Relief washed across Ogdenas face, and I realized head been worried about what might be in the letter, too. I was pretty sure this was the first head heard of it.

aIall tell him. You donat have to worry,a he said.

aThank you,a I said again. aMr. Dunner?a aYes?a aWhat happened that night at Rancho Sueo? The night Gwen Miller died?a His face continued to emanate that intense melancholy. aA girl died. And a dream was lost.a Iad been hoping for a little less drama and a little more detail.

Dad said, aA boy died, too.a Ogden nodded. aItas a terrible thing to lose a son. Iam so very sorry.a Sorry sympathy? Or sorry apology?