Page 141 of Buried Too Deep

“None yet,” Antoine said. “None that have been uploaded to the online files. We can call my brother to ask.”

“Captain Holmes,” Cora said with a nod, then winced at the sharp pain in her temple.

Her head hurt. Her heart hurt.

Everything hurt.

It didn’t matter. She had to pick herself up and move on.

I’ve done it before.

“And the sister-in-law of Medford Hughes?” she asked. “When do we see her?”

Burke made a face. “I was hoping you’d forgotten that you heard that.”

“Not a chance,” Cora said. “I want to meet her. I think Phin’s right. Clancy mentioned her for a reason. Let’s find out what that reason was.”

“Tomorrow,” Burke insisted. “Molly will be here soon to take over the night shift. She’s bringing dinner. You will eat, Cora,” he snapped when she started to refuse. “Afterward, we keep looking through the attic. Antoine continues trying to break into that old computer of your father’s and looking for Patrick’s aunt. I’m going to put one of my guys on Patrick’s condo. I’m counting on Tandy telling her father straightaway what we told her. Including the fact that your father had a private WITSEC business and a Swiss bank account. Which, incidentally, I wish you hadn’t shared, but that’s water under the bridge now. I don’t want Patrick running from us and based on what we know, I can see that happening.”

Cora’s nod was slight. It still hurt her head. “Okay.”

Burke looked suspicious. “Which part is okay?”

“Most of it. If Patrick did this, he needs to be punished. If he didn’t, I’ve lost my remaining family. But Joy and Minnie deserve the truth. I deserve the truth.”

Phin’s hand was warm on her back. “Yes, you do. And we will find it for you.”

Burke was frowning. “You said most of it was okay. What part wasn’t?”

Cora met the man’s eyes. “The part where we wait until tomorrow to see Medford Hughes’s sister-in-law.”

“Goddammit,” Burke spat. “I was afraid of that. It’s a bad idea.”

“All of this is a bad idea,” Cora fired back, angry now. “Phin? You don’t have to go with me, but I’d like it if you did.”

“Then I will,” he said. “You coming with us, Burke?”

Burke rolled his eyes. “Yes. Although I’m no longer sure who’s running this investigation.”

“Where does Hughes’s sister-in-law live?” Cora asked.

Phin held out his phone. “I found her address. She lives in Mid-City. Let’s eat first, then we’ll go over.”

She leaned her head against his biceps, so tired of all of this. “Okay.”

19

Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 8:00 P.M.

VAL STOPPED THE SUV IN front of Sara Morton’s bungalow. Medford Hughes’s sister-in-law lived in a nice neighborhood, only minutes from where both Molly and her fiancé lived.

This should be a low-key visit. No danger involved. Phin hoped.

He, Val, Burke, and Cora all wore Kevlar under their clothing, just in case.

“I think Miss Morton has company,” Phin said, looking at the town car in the driveway. “She doesn’t have a town car registered to her.” He’d watched Antoine search the DMV database for the Camry earlier that day, and Antoine had given Phin his credentials to use as needed. Phin wasn’t going to let Cora go into any situation that he hadn’t personally vetted to be safe, so he quickly ran a check on the town car’s plates. “Wow. That’s unexpected.”

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