Close to the Bone (Widow's Island #1)(9)

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Daphne might.”

“I don’t want to send her the photo without speaking with her first,” Cate said. “Can you give me her phone number?”

Rex recited the digits as he continued to stare at the photo.

Henry looked at the portrait he’d set back on the table. Becca wore a few bracelets, but they were black thin cords.

Rex handed Cate’s phone to Dustin. He looked at the bracelet photo and shook his head.

“I thought you moved here after Becca disappeared,” Cate said. “Why do you think Dustin could recognize a bracelet, Mr. Conan?”

“Ever since I finished building the house, Dustin would spend weeks at a time here. My brother and his wife did too.” He gave a half smile. “Dustin was Becca’s official chauffeur when he visited.” He shrugged. “It was worth letting him take a look.”

“Of course.” Cate stood, signaling the interview was over. “I’ll be in touch later today, Mr. Conan.” She paused. “I’m very sorry to interrupt your night.”

“As if I sleep anyway,” he said without emotion. “Dustin can guide you back.”

They said their goodbyes and left the home, stepping out into the cold November air. No one talked. Henry paused halfway up the cliff stairs, breathing hard, and looked back at the glowing mansion.

Money doesn’t guarantee happiness.





5


The next morning, the wood floors chilled Cate’s bare feet as she headed to her grandmother’s kitchen, seeking the source of the coffee aroma that filled the home. Cate had grown up in her grandmother’s house, and her feet recognized every small imperfection in the floors. She avoided the board that still squeaked near the stove and headed straight for the coffee pot. She’d been home for less than a week, and it felt as if she’d never left. She wasn’t the only returning child; her brother, Logan, had recently come back to the island, but his work hours as a park ranger were long, and he lived in a cabin on-site. Cate had barely seen him.

She tightened her bathrobe and looked out the large window of the kitchen. Frost decorated the needles of the pines. The charming home had been built in the early part of the last century by Elias Bishop for his lover, Ruby, and it’d been handed down through the generations. The small house on Ruby’s Island had been a retreat for the lovers, but this was Ruby’s formal home.

The home wasn’t big and stunning like the Bishop mansion Elias had built for his wife, Camilla; this one had more character. Cate wished she could have heard the explosive gossip when the islanders had realized Elias wasn’t building an additional home to sell—it was for his lover.

“Good morning, sweetie!” Jane Sutton stepped out of the butler’s pantry with a plate of cinnamon rolls in her hands as Cate poured coffee into her favorite delicate childhood teacup.

“Morning, Jane.” Her grandmother insisted her grandkids use her first name.

Jane planted a kiss on her cheek as she hustled past to set the rolls on the table.

No worry about losing weight while I stay here.

Cate sat down and plopped a roll on her plate. They were still warm. She sighed in contentment.

“So what happened in the middle of the night?” Jane pulled up a chair and fastened an eager gaze on Cate. “I heard you come back in around five this morning.”

Cate had fallen asleep as soon as her head had hit her pillow.

“Bones of a young woman were found on Ruby’s Island.”

Jane froze, her coffee cup halfway to her mouth. “Whose?” Her eyes darkened.

“Don’t know yet.”

“Could it be Samantha?” Jane whispered, leaning toward Cate as she set down her cup.

Cate swallowed hard, the cinnamon roll suddenly dry in her mouth, and took two sips of coffee to make her tongue function. “Could be. You know Rex Conan’s daughter went missing two years ago. I think it’s more likely to be Becca Conan, since she was found near her home.”

Jane ran a hand over her long gray ponytail, blinking rapidly. “Is her father a suspect?”

“That’s jumping ahead, but of course we’ll talk to him.” Cate didn’t mention that she’d met the man last night. The heavy aura of sorrow around Rex and his home kept her lips shut.

“What’s next?”

“Well, we need to get the bones to an anthropologist and have someone compare the dental records to Becca Conan . . . and Samantha. Any word on the ferry yet?”

Jane shook her head. “They’re saying at least another twenty-four hours before it’s running again. My circle put the word out to let us know if the breakdown has caused issues for anyone; we’ll find them a ride. So far, no one is hurting from the lack of service.” Her eyes twinkled. “Most of the islanders just shrug. We like to believe we don’t need anything from the mainland, you know.”

“Complaints don’t start until the Black Tail Bakery runs out of coffee.”

“Damn right.”

“The ferry is already causing an issue with this investigation,” said Cate. “I shouldn’t be handling this case since I’m on medical leave, and we need to get the remains to the right sets of eyes. At least I can review the old cases from our database.”