Page 56 of Exposure of Murder

“Do you remember the case?”

“Yes,” she said. “Then there was the rumor that David owed a mobster a significant amount of money and needed it fast.”

Ethan’s mind raced. Isn’t this what Sean mentioned and told him to look out for? The key was to find the man in charge, which was proving to be difficult.

He thanked the judge, who had no more information for him, and tried to connect the dots.

If he were guessing, Jane’s farm had something to do with a real estate deal gone bad. Why her property, unless it was part of the buying and selling at a discount? No one would think twice about personal property being discounted. The fact that Thornton was obsessed with her property because of the supposed agreement their great-grandparents might have made didn’t make sense. Maybe he hid the stolen money on the property, assuming he’d outbid Jane, and then tried to get it back, and whoever he was working with or stealing from killed him.

Ethan stared at the phone. Thornton carried the mystery to his watery grave, but someone knew or suspected what David had done. Jane was potentially in danger from secrets of the past.

Thirty

One phone call down. Ethan reclined back in his chair, the worn leather creaking, and massaged his temples. The morning sun streaming through the window illuminated the dust motes, turning them into little sparkles.

Every angle he considered led to more questions and more dead ends. Old feuds, land disputes, buried secrets all twisted together and caused his head to ache. Thornton had been a thorn in the town’s side, and his death was proving to be just as troublesome.

The one positive thing he could do for himself was to call Jane and set up that date.

Leah had given him some suggestions about where to take Jane that she might enjoy, and they sounded pretty good. The Twisted Fork Bistro was hosting a farm-to-table harvest dinner showcasing the area’s bounty. Then he could follow that up with a stroll downtown to admire the Halloween decorations. The merchants had done an outstanding job decorating with pumpkins, ghosts and skeletons and hanging orange twinkling lights in the trees. They could end the evening with after-dinnerdrinks at his house, or her house, and hopefully with a kiss or two—maybe more.

He dialed Jane’s number and listened to it ring several times, his eyes following people walking on the sidewalk, laughing and talking.

“Hello.” Jane sounded slightly out of breath.

“Jane. It’s Ethan,” he said. “I didn’t pull you away from anything, did I?”

She laughed. “No. Bucky and I were just corralling some wayward sheep into the barn. How about you?”

“Busy,” he said, glancing at the stack of files and mail on his desk. “Trying to piece together Thornton’s case and getting more frustrated,” he admitted. “However, I’m calling to follow up on our date.”

There was a brief pause at the other end. His heart skipped a beat.

Had he made a mistake? She did say she would go out with him, right?

“Great. I was hoping you’d call,” she finally said. “What did you have in mind? Or would you like to come here for dinner?”

Ethan smiled. “No to you making dinner. Not that I wouldn’t mind a homemade meal, but this is our first date. I was thinking you would enjoy the farm-to-table harvest dinner that the Twisted Fork is putting on. Then we can take a walk downtown to look at the Halloween decorations before they take them down. The parade is on Saturday, and it’s always a lot of fun. The kids dress up and march down Main Street.” Oh God, was he rambling?

“Sounds perfect.”

“Then if you’re up for it, after-dinner drinks at my house or yours,” Ethan added. He hoped he didn’t sound too eager.

Jane laughed again. “You really thought this through.”

“Just want to make sure we have a good time,” Ethan said, popping his neck and releasing some tension. “It’s been a while since I’ve dated.”

“Well, that sounds wonderful. Let’s come back here after. I know Tanner has to get up early.”

“Perfect. Tomorrow night, then. I’ll pick you up at six?”

“I’ll be ready,” she said with a smile in her voice.

They said goodbye, and Ethan hung up the phone.

He stared at it for a minute before smiling to himself. He had a date.

A date!

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