Page 23 of Lone Star Secrets

“One of them,” Angel answered. “So is Kenton’s father.”

“Yes, a piece of work,” Ruby grumbled. “But the cops will also question your foster parents, Mia, and anyone else who lived in the house at the time.”

“They will,” Angel and Presley verified together. “And they’ll want DNA samples from all of us for elimination purposes in case they do manage to get some DNA from the blood they found.”

“Absolutely. Presley’s and yours are already in the system since you’re former cops,” Ruby stated. “Birdie’s and Dwight’s as well because of their criminal records. The CSIs got them from Melanie and RJ when they were at the house. That leaves Mia, and from what I understand, Sentron has a DNA and fingerprint database on all their employees.”

“Yes,” Mia verified. “I can give them permission to release that to the cops.”

“Good,” Ruby concluded. “That can save some time.”

“Do I need to turn in my resignation?” Angel came out and asked when Ruby paused.

The woman took her time answering. So much time that Angel could feel his future crashing and burning. “No,” she finally said. “And if you try to turn in your resignation, I won’t accept it.” She huffed. “Am I happy with the way you’ve handled this? No,” Ruby answered for him. “But if I had been in your situation when I was sixteen, I likely would have done the same thing. I don’t want to lose a damn fine operative because of mistakes made as a kid.”

Angel felt some of the muscles in his chest and stomach unclench. He had very much wanted to keep his job, but more than that, he had needed for Ruby to be on their side. She could be crucial in Mia and him clearing their names.

“So, now let’s move on,” Ruby continued a moment later. “I have a suggestion for the next steps. Let’s do something to maybe jog your memories of what went on when Kenton was killed. The CSIs have finished processing the foster house, and I want Mia and you to meet Presley and me there. Your foster parents will be there. And Birdie.”

Angel didn’t ask how she’d managed to put together that gathering with Birdie. Ruby had a broad skillset that included, well, pretty much everything.

“Meet us there in one hour,” Ruby spelled out. “We’re going to do a reconstruction of the crime scene, and with some luck, we’ll be able to figure out the identity of the killer. After that, we turn everything over to the police. Everything,” she emphasized.

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Chapter Eight

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Mia had to wonder if the morning was going to end with her arrest. Or Birdie’s since it was her blood on the knife. Heck, the cops might end up arresting both of them, but Mia had to hope that Ruby’s reconstruction would work and that Angel’s and her names would soon be taken off the suspect list.

She had to take several steadying breaths when Angel took the final turn toward their old neighborhood, and some familiar places came into view. The library was still there, but the café where Angel, Presley, and she had worked part-time in high school was now a thrift shop for used clothing. The stately church had been converted to a halfway house.

Once, a hundred or so years ago, this had been a somewhat affluent area of San Antonio with its large Victorian-style houses. Over the decades, the community had declined. Some houses had been converted into apartments. Others hadn’t been well maintained, and it’d been one of those rundown houses that RJ and Melanie had bought twenty-four years ago.

Because of the recent background checks that both Angel and she had run, Mia now knew the couple had gotten the house for well under market value and had used donations for the down payment and to do the necessary repairs. RJ and Melanie were now fifty-two but had been in their early thirties then. Of course, as a teenager, Mia had thought of them as old. Ironic, since they’d been younger than Angel and she were now when they’d started here.

“I can’t imagine taking on a houseful of foster kids,” Mia muttered. “Especially teenagers.”

Angel made a sound of agreement. “And they’re still at it.”

They were indeed, and because of those reports, Mia knew they currently had three teenage girls who wouldn’t be there today. The ever-efficient Ruby had arranged for them to be with a trusted neighbor just up the street while the scene reenactment was in progress.

Mia needed a few more deep breaths as Angel pulled to a stop in front of the house. There were already two vehicles in the driveway, and Presley was waiting for them on the front porch. As usual, Presley wasn’t showing any nerves. In fact, he smiled at them and greeted her with a hug.

“RJ, Melanie, and Ruby are inside,” Presley relayed. “But you should probably steel yourself up some. Ruby’s gone all out on this reconstruction.”

That didn’t help settle Mia’s stomach which was already in a tight, hard knot.

Presley led them into the foyer, and Mia felt the slam of memories. So many good ones. This was where she’d met Angel. Where they’d become lovers. They had lives here through those often turbulent teen years.

And then Kenton had arrived.

Definitely no good memories associated with him. He’d been a pain in the ass from the moment he’d stepped foot in the place.

“Mia, Angel,” she heard someone say, and she turned to see Melanie making her way down the stairs toward them.

Melanie was still just as beautiful as ever with her blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. Of course, those eyes were filled with concern today, but just as Presley had, she greeted them with a smile and hugs. When she pulled back from the hug, she was crying.

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