Page 76 of Hunting Justice

“What else?” Noelle asked.

“It’s fairly well known within his circle that he cheated on his wife before her death.”

Juliette scrunched her nose. “What a peach. How did she die?”

Matt raised a finger. “I can answer that. Car accident. Hit-and-run. The officers never discovered who killed her.”

“So it could have been on purpose.” Alana’s words stopped the conversation.

“I’m not sure SPD ever considered that angle. The report states the person responsible ran a red light and smashed into the driver’s side, killing her instantly, then drove off.”

Wet crimson covered Jonah’s hands. How many lives had he saved, and the one that meant the most had slipped through his fingers. Bile crept up his throat. He shoved his failure to the back of his mind and fought to keep his late lunch in place. He blinked away the blood. “Then it’s possible Mrs. Sanford’s death wasn’t an accident.”

“After everything we’ve heard, I think it’s a real possibility. Or at least one we shouldn’t ignore.” Decia twirled her pen. “We have a cheating husband and a wife who died under unknown circumstances. What about the son and others in the congressman’s office?”

“The son is protective of his father and is against him ‘talking with the cops.’” Juliette used air quotes. “I guess he considers me law enforcement. Anyway, he’s secretive. I’m not sure if it’s his personality, the attorney in him, or he’s actually hiding something.”

“What about the aide and the administrative assistant?” Decia asked.

“The admin is knowledgeable of everything that goes on in that office. I’d be surprised if anyone makes a move without her knowing.” Juliette sighed. “But beyond that, nothing had me questioning her involvement in illegal behaviors.”

“She might be a source of information once we have specifics to ask,” Matt said.

“And the aide. What was his name?” Noelle snapped her fingers. “Royce Dwight.”

“Now, he’s an interesting one.” Juliette scrunched her nose as if smelling a rotten egg. “From the outside, he looks squeaky clean.”

The air conditioner kicked on, and the cold air tickled the back of Jonah’s neck. “There’s dirt on him?”

“Not really. He’s too clean, if you catch my drift.” Juliette shrugged. “Sanford was a friend of his father’s during high school. The congressman offered him an internship because of it, and Royce has become an invaluable part of Sanford’s political team. If I had to guess, I’d say the aide is willing to do anything for the congressman.”

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. “So, we have a whole lot of nothing. We can’t point at anyone, and yet we can’t rule them out either.”

“Do you think the congressman is our killer?” Alana asked.

Decia squinted at the screen. “I get the feeling you have a reason you asked.”

Alana’s brow furrowed. “Maybe.”

“You visited the restaurant where the congressman was seen with the current victims. What did the waitstaff at Twilight Serenade say?” Noelle continued to hold Jonah’s hand.

“They recognized several of the victims.” Alana eased back in her chair and swung her seat side to side. “They remembered Sanford wining and dining the women, but each employee insisted that the congressman treated the ladies well.”

“That does not prevent him from being a killer,” Decia stated.

“True. But why? His platform is tough on crime. Is he hiding behind his words?” Jonah ran the fingers of his free hand through his hair. “What else, Alana?”

“The bartender, Austin James, who I discovered, when I asked about security footage, is also the owner, gave me consent. He emailed me the videos for the weeks in question. I think Raven gave everyone copies of the stills.” Alana raised a brow.

“I got ours.” Matt answered Alana’s unspoken question for himself and Decia.

“Us too.” Jonah lifted the envelope. “However, we haven’t looked at the photos yet.”

“No worries. Y’all had a lot going on,” Juliette said.

“You can say that again,” he mumbled.

Noelle tilted her head. A smile graced her beautiful face. She grabbed the packet and slid out the contents.

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