Page 16 of The Sheriff's Baby

“I’ll let you know,” Shanda repeated, and then she ended the call.

Duncan put his phone away and began to process everything he’d just heard. Judging from the way Joelle’s forehead had bunched up, she was doing the same.

“Shanda believes Brad could be guilty,” Joelle concluded. “Along with Kate’s statement, maybe that’s enough for us to get access to Brad’s financial records to see if he hired the gunman and the kidnapper?”

“Maybe,” Duncan muttered, but he could already hear Brad’s lawyer putting up an argument about that. An argument he might win since Kate’s own mental state couldn’t be verified right now. Still, it was worth a try.

Duncan texted the assistant district attorney to put in the request. He’d have to follow that up with some paperwork, but he might be able to get enough out of Kate and Shanda to justify the warrant.

“You want to try to get some rest now?” Duncan asked her after he’d finished his text.

Joelle opened her mouth, no doubt to argue, but was cut off by the sound of footsteps. Moments later, Carmen appeared in the doorway.

“There’s a PI here to see you,” Carmen said. “Al Hamlin.”

Duncan repeated the name, but it didn’t ring any bells. Joelle shook her head to indicate she didn’t recognize it, either.

“Did he say what he wants?” Duncan asked.

Carmen nodded. “He claims he knows who kidnapped Molly and tried to kill Joelle. And he says he has proof.”

Chapter Five

Joelle slowly got to her feet, her attention fixed on Carmen. She immediately had a bad thought, that this was one of the gunmen using this visit as a ploy to come after Duncan and her again. The concern must have shown on her face, too, because Carmen spoke right up.

“Hamlin didn’t set off the metal detector,” Carmen pointed out, “but Luca’s back, and he frisked him. He was armed with a Glock that he’s licensed to carry, but Luca is holding onto that and keeping an eye on him.” She shifted her gaze to Duncan. “Do you want to see him, or should Luca interview him?”

“Oh, I want to see him,” Duncan assured her. “Take him to interview room one. Joelle and I will be in there in a minute or two.”

Carmen nodded, stepped away and then backtracked. “While Luca was frisking him, I ran a quick background on Hamlin. He is a PI from San Antonio but currently living in Austin, and he’s twenty-three. That’s all I have on him right now, and I’ll dig for more, and if anything comes up while you’re talking to him, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks,” Duncan said. “Dig, but finding Molly is the top priority, and I want you to sit on the lab to get the results on the blood that we found at Molly’s place. So, don’t spend much energy on Hamlin because this visit might turn out to be nothing,” he added in a mutter.

Joelle knew Duncan was right about both things. Molly being the priority and this turning out to be nothing. Crackpots surfaced all the time during investigations, and even though there hadn’t been that much time between this PI showing up and the attack and Molly’s kidnapping, word of it would have already gotten out. Still, Joelle felt herself clinging to the hope that this Allen Hamlin could give Duncan and her some much-needed answers.

“I won’t insult you by asking if you’re up for doing this interview,” Duncan told her once Carmen had left. “But if you want to keep on the searches you’re doing, I can handle Hamlin solo.”

“I want to hear what he has to say,” Joelle was quick to let him know. Oh, yes. That hope was burning bright and hot in her.

Duncan studied her a couple of seconds, not with the heat that was sometimes in his eyes when he looked at her. All right, there was some heat. Always was, but Joelle was certain he was trying to make sure she was holding up okay. She was barely holding on and now battling the dreaded adrenaline crash, but there was no way she would sit this one out.

He finally nodded and tipped his head toward the interview room just down the hall. Judging from the sounds of footsteps and voices, Carmen was already escorting the PI there.

Because Joelle was behind Duncan, she didn’t get her first glimpse of Hamlin until they were in the room with him. He looked even younger than twenty-three and was wearing khakis and a white button-down shirt. His short cropped hair was a pale blond. Actually, pale described the rest of him, too, what with his light skin tone and gray eyes. He had a thick envelope tucked under his arm.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Carmen muttered to Duncan before she left them.

“Sheriff Holder,” the man immediately said, and he extended his hand for Duncan to shake. Duncan did, but before Hamlin had released his grip, he looked at Joelle. “Deputy McCullough. I’m Al Hamlin.”

Joelle was a little uneasy that Hamlin could identify them when she was reasonably sure she’d never seen him before. “Have we met?” Joelle came out and asked.

Hamlin shook his head. “I followed news of your father’s murder so that’s how I knew who you were. Both of you and the other deputies were mentioned in the press a lot.”

Father’s murder. No way for her not to react to that, but Joelle tried to mask the quick punch of grief. But Hamlin was right about the press. No one in her family or the sheriff’s office had escaped the publicity.

“Thanks for seeing me so early,” Hamlin said, glancing at both Duncan and Joelle. “You’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”

Duncan motioned for Hamlin to take a seat, and when he did, Duncan and she sat across from him. “You told my deputy that you had information about two crimes that were committed a few hours ago.”

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