Page 19 of Breaking Rules

Jo leaned across Sam. “Can we get three jelly?”

“Of course!” Emily headed off to grab their order.

A minute later, she returned with a large paper bag and two steaming cups of coffee. “Here’s your dozen assorted with three jellies, two black coffees, and...” She held up a small paper bag. “Two donut holes for Lucy.”

Lucy gave an approving woof and wagged her tail excitedly.

“Thanks, Emily,” said Sam, passing her cash through the window.

“No problem. Enjoy!”

“Will do,” Jo replied, grabbing the bag. “I need some brain fuel.”

They pulled away from the drive-thru window and continued toward the station. Jo opened the bag, and the sweet scent of baked goods filled the SUV. She fished out a jelly donut and took a big bite, getting raspberry filling on her cheek.

“Mmm, that hits the spot,” she mumbled through a mouthful.

Sam chuckled and grabbed a napkin, handing it to her. “Try not to get jelly in the police car.”

Lucy let out an impatient huff, eyeing the bag with the donut holes.

“All right, all right, here you go.” Sam passed one back, and Lucy gobbled it up.

“So what’s our next move?” Jo crumpled up her napkin, having polished off the first donut.

“We need to figure out if the money had anything to do with Alex’s death. Who knew he had it? Was he spending more than usual?”

“Good call,” said Jo, nodding. “And we should...” She trailed off, looking back at Lucy.

The dog had sat up and was whimpering softly, claws scratching the window as they drove past a long dirt road.

Sam glanced in the rearview mirror. “Lucy okay back there?”

“She’s scratching at the window, looking down that dirt road to Fish Cove,” said Jo. She watched the dog, whose amber gaze was fixated on the road.

Sam slowed the Tahoe. “Huh, weird. She doesn’t usually react like that.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Jo agreed. “Isn’t that the road that Thorne Industries is building that storage facility on?”

Sam nodded. “Sure is.”

Jo leaned back in her seat. “We should check that out. Why does everything always seem to lead to Thorne?”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Back at the station, the atmosphere buzzed with the urgency of piecing together Alex Sheridan’s last night. Sam leaned against one of the desks, arms folded, as Jo perched on the corner with a furrowed brow.

Jo handed around the donut bag, and Wyatt, Kevin, and Reese pulled chairs into the middle of the room.

“So Alex was seen arguing with Marnie in her office.” Reese nibbled on a chocolate cruller. “And then he ends up at the Moose later on?”

“Yep.” Jo nodded and took a sip of coffee.

Kevin chimed in, scrolling through notes on his tablet. “And these two mystery men had to carry him out because he couldn’t walk straight.”

“Pete didn’t actually see him leave, but he said they were holding him up. John said there were drugs in the tox report, but the question is did Alex take them on his own, or did someone spike his drink?”

“And then the next question is who would do that and why,” Jo added.

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