Secrets Never Die (Morgan Dane #5)(50)

They were all quiet for a few seconds. Lance didn’t like that scenario one bit, but it was all too plausible given Tina’s story. “Can we verify any of the details Tina gave us on her background and her father?”

“Revenge is a great motive, but it wouldn’t be very satisfying unless she knew it had been Joe who had done the deed,” Sharp pointed out.

The printer on Morgan’s credenza whirred and spit out a picture. Lance retrieved it.

“Your mother emailed this to me this morning,” Sharp said. “That is Joe Martin when he went to prison twenty-five years ago. She is still looking for a current picture.”

Lance positioned the photo on the board and labeled it.

Sharp said, “I have another lead on some info regarding Joe Martin and his gang. I’ll follow up on that today.”

“What lead?” Lance asked.

Sharp stared into his drink. “Twenty-five years ago, Olivia Cruz did an in-depth piece on gang violence in Newark, New Jersey. She covered Joe’s trial and interviewed gang members.”

“Olivia Cruz?” Lance grinned. “The same reporter who helped us out on our last big case?”

“Yes,” Sharp said in an irritated tone.

“The same woman you owe a favor to?” Morgan asked, her mouth twitching with a small smile.

“Yes.” Sharp jabbed a finger in the direction of the board. “Can we get back to the case?”

Sharp could deny it all he wanted, but he had a thing for Olivia Cruz. Considering that Sharp thought all reporters were the direct descendants of Satan, the attraction he was trying to fight was hilarious. If Lance weren’t so worried about Evan, he would enjoy the hell out of Sharp’s discomfort.

“Sure,” Lance chuckled. “Evan’s father, Kirk Meade, is next on my list. What do we know about him?”

“He has a supposed alibi at the group home, where he checked in for the night at seven thirty,” Morgan said. “But when I asked the sheriff if anyone saw him after that time, he didn’t answer.”

“That’s probably a no,” Sharp said. “But we should talk to the supervisor and other residents of the group home.”

“Morgan and I can do that this morning,” Lance volunteered. “By all accounts, Kirk is a manipulative, lazy scumbag. Tina was his meal ticket. He was causing trouble for Tina and Paul, dragging Tina to court for visitation rights, charges of violating the court order, and parental alienation. All bullshit charges designed to make Tina’s life difficult.”

“Revenge for divorcing him,” Morgan added. “How far would Kirk go to get even with Tina?”

“He blamed Paul because she wouldn’t take him back,” Lance said. “We need to talk to Kirk.”

“Do we want to talk to Jake again?” Morgan asked.

“I don’t see why. Lance already searched the farm.” Sharp tapped his fingers together. “Evan wasn’t there. When you questioned him, did it seem like he was lying?”

Morgan shook her head. “I didn’t pick up on any lies.”

“Me neither.” Lance switched back to coffee. “But I’ll bet the person who attacked me was looking for Evan there too.”

“Do we have any other leads?” Sharp asked.

“Rylee Nelson, Evan’s secret girlfriend.” Morgan wrote her name on the board. “She was super defensive about her brother. Something is up there.”

“My mother will research the family, but maybe we should drive by her house,” Lance suggested. “Evan didn’t want his family to know he was dating Rylee. Maybe the reason lies with her family, not his.”

“Where shall we start?” Morgan scanned the board. “Are we agreed that our most likely suspects are Brian, Kirk, and Joe Martin?”

“Yes,” Sharp said. “Let’s focus on those three for now.”

“Let’s start with Kirk, then move on to Rylee.” Lance picked up his empty cups. He’d finished the shake and the coffee and was feeling almost human. “Do we visit Kirk at the group home or furniture warehouse?”

“Group home first.” Morgan turned away from the board. “Kirk is a parolee. His employer will be keeping a close eye on him. We shouldn’t jeopardize his job. He can claim harassment. Besides, we want to talk to the group home supervisor anyway.”

Lance glanced back at the board. They’d gathered information and generated leads, but their case still felt scattered. The lines of investigation bloomed across the white space like a spiderweb when what Lance wanted was a neat grid.

He tossed his cardboard coffee cup in the wastebasket. “Let’s go poke some holes in Kirk’s alibi.”





Chapter Twenty

Standing on the doorstep of the group home, Morgan buttoned her blazer and pressed the doorbell. The door lock was an electronic card key entry system, with a slot to swipe a card and a keypad to enter a code.

She stepped back and scanned the street. A Hand Up Transitional Residence for Men occupied a huge brick-fronted Tudor-style house. The neighborhood was zoned for mixed use, with several of the large houses on the main street having been converted to professional offices. The group home sat between an accounting firm and a similar house that had been divided into apartments.