Secrets Never Die (Morgan Dane #5)(16)

“Sit.” Sharp pointed a wooden spoon at a kitchen chair. He stirred something on the stove.

Lance dropped into a seat.

Morgan walked into the kitchen carrying a cup of coffee. “I cleaned your boots and put them on the back porch to dry.”

“You didn’t need to do that,” Lance said.

“I know.” She smiled.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She dropped into the chair opposite him. “Tell us what happened on the search.”

Sharp set a gross-looking green protein shake in front of him. Lance drank it without asking what was in it. He had no doubt it contained all kinds of antioxidants. Sharp’s lifestyle was the reason he looked as fit as he did twelve weeks after major surgery. Sharp frowned at Morgan’s coffee, but after working together for nearly nine months, he’d mostly given up badgering her about her caffeine and sugar consumption.

“We followed Evan’s tracks on a game trail that led to Deer Lake Campground,” Lance began.

“Didn’t they close that place a few years ago?” Sharp turned off the burner on the stove. He scooped the contents of his cast-iron frying pan onto a plate.

“Yes. It’s in pretty rough shape.” Lance’s mouth watered. Protein bars could sustain him, but his body wanted real food. “After I called you, the K-9 unit was able to track Evan to the boathouse and the public bathroom. The deputies found blood in both buildings.”

“How much blood?” Sharp set the plate in front of Lance. Scrambled eggs and home fries with onions were piled high. Everything would be organic, of course, and the eggs free-range as well.

Lance dug in. “Enough to indicate a serious injury.”

Morgan’s brow furrowed. She gripped her coffee cup in both hands.

Lance sniffed. “That coffee smells amazing.”

“I’ll make green tea.” Sharp shot her mug a disapproving look. He lit the burner under the teakettle, then turned to face them, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back on the counter. “Did you see any sign that someone was following him besides you?”

Chewing, Lance shook his head.

“So where is the person who killed Paul?” Morgan sipped her coffee.

“I don’t know.” Lance plowed through the eggs and moved on to the potatoes. “But Evan was running all out, as if he thought he was being pursued.”

“He must have been terrified.” Morgan’s eyes misted.

Lance reached across the table and squeezed her hand. For a woman who’d once been a successful prosecutor, she was a softie. She’d rescued two stray dogs and cared for her elderly grandfather. The young woman who worked as her nanny suffered from kidney disease. Gianna might help out with childcare, but it was clear that Morgan was the one looking out for her. Lance had no doubt that Morgan would work on Evan’s case without any discussion of compensation.

Nodding with approval, Sharp collected his empty dishes. “Since you’re back, I assume the dog lost the trail.”

“Yes.” Lance sat back. “He picked up the scent in the buildings, but outside was a no go. We suspect Evan took a boat from the campground. The handler walked the dog along the shoreline, but he didn’t hit on anything.”

“All that heavy rain and wind messed with the scent trail.” Sharp frowned.

“What is the sheriff’s game plan?” Lance asked.

Morgan outlined the usual procedure the police typically followed when looking for a missing teen. “He didn’t say much else.”

Lance stiffened. “Why? Aren’t we all on the same side here?”

“The sheriff is holding this case close.” Anger flattened Morgan’s lips.

“I’m not surprised.” Lance’s food churned in his gut. “What about all the scumbags Paul put away?”

“Colgate says they’re looking at Paul’s old cases,” Morgan said.

“The bullet between the eyes feels revenge motivated to me.” Sharp dropped a metal tea ball into a pot and filled it with hot water. He turned to Lance. “Do you need a combat nap?”

“No. We need a murder board.” Lance couldn’t be still, not with Evan still missing. The short break, shower, and food had revived him. He stood and headed for Morgan’s office, which they used as a war room in major cases.

A long whiteboard spanned the far wall. He hadn’t noticed when he’d stuck his head in earlier, but someone had already begun organizing the little data they possessed. Photos of Evan, Paul, Tina, and her ex, Kirk, hung on the board, affixed with magnets. As the victim, Paul held the center position.

Morgan walked in and brewed herself another cup of coffee. She sat at her desk. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a white bakery bag and offered it to Lance. It was full of chocolate donut holes.

“No, thanks,” Lance said. A sugar rush would lead to a crash, and he was already strung out.

Morgan ate one in two bites and wiped her fingers on a napkin. “As you can see, Sharp and I started laying out Paul’s case. While our primary objective is to find Evan, his disappearance is likely intertwined with Paul’s murder.”

On the right side of the board, Sharp’s blocky print spelled out POSSIBLE MOTIVES. Underneath, he’d listed ROBBERY and REVENGE. Next to ROBBERY, Lance picked up a marker and wrote, MISSING ITEMS?