Page 60 of Fatal Witness

She’d seen Levi around the area but didn’t really know him. Not until today. The poor guy seemed to think any silence had to be filled and had talked nonstop from the airport to the house. Now, she and Mark knew all about him, his family, his wife’s family...

“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have said that.” He shot anapologetic wince her way. “Lots of people don’t mind living where someone died.”

Give it a rest, she wanted to tell him. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with it.”

She’d gotten a call from Keith’s attorney during their layover in Dallas, telling her that she was her uncle’s only beneficiary and asking if they could get together while she was in town.

Dani had scheduled an appointment for Tuesday morning. She hoped she could take care of everything and book a return flight for Thursday. Four days was surely enough time to look through the house and make arrangements. Keith had wished to be cremated, so she could return at a later date for a memorial service.

Levi pulled in front of the house and parked. “You folks staying here while you’re in town?”

“I don’t know yet.” She still had her apartment in town, but it was only one bedroom, and that might prove awkward. And there were no hotels or even motels in Clifton.

“I’m sure we’ll still do drive-by checks.”

“Thank you,” Dani said. “And thank you for all you’ve done. Keith always bragged on the sheriff and you deputies.”

He beamed. “Always liked your uncle.” He climbed out of the cruiser. “I’ll get your bags out.”

“I can do that,” Mark said as he crawled out of the backseat. Gem bounded out behind him and immediately began sniffing the air.

They all turned as an SUV came through the gate and sped toward the house.

“Sheriff said he’d be coming by, so you won’t be needing me any longer?” Levi asked.

“No, and thank you again.”

“I didn’t expect this,” Mark said as the deputy pulled away from the house and then stopped to talk to the sheriff.

She glanced at Mark, surprised at how thankful she was thathe was here with her. Gem as well. “What? That the deputy would talk your ear off, the sheriff being here, or the house?”

He laughed. “All three, but especially the house and...” Mark swept his hand toward the vista. “It’s beautiful.”

She followed his gaze. He was right. In the distance were banded cliffs and sandstone formations of buttes and tabletops and what looked like mushrooms that had all formed by thousands of years of wind and water erosion. Harsh but beautiful. “Funny how you get so used to seeing something that you forget to appreciate it.”

They both turned toward the sheriff as he pulled beside them and parked. Sheriff Crider climbed out of his SUV. Once a rodeo bulldogger, he kept himself in shape. Dani would hate to be a criminal going one-on-one with the former steer wrestler.

“Welcome home,” he said to Dani, his hand engulfing hers before he turned to Mark and studied him. “I gather you’re the deputy I spoke with on the phone.”

“Yes, sir.” Mark shook the hand Crider offered.

Evidently Mark had passed some unspoken test because the sheriff relaxed. “Glad she didn’t have to make the trip alone. This your dog?”

Mark nodded. “Her name is Gem.”

“Wish we could afford one, but a county this size doesn’t have much budget. It’s all I can do to get a decent salary for my deputies.”

“I think every county has that problem,” Mark said.

“I talked with your chief deputy this morning and couriered the bullet the medical examiner took from Keith’s body to the Tennessee State Police to see if it matches the .45 caliber bullet that was recovered the night your parents were killed.”

Her respect for the sheriff grew. “You think there’s a possibility the killer used the same gun twenty-five years later?”

“I’ve learned criminals like to hold on to their guns. Alex Stonealso emailed Keith’s letter to me. Did he ever mention any diamonds?”

“Never. Everything in his letter is news to me. I’m still processing it.” She looked up at him. “Did you find the original letter?”

“Afraid not.” Crider nodded toward the house. “So, if you’re ready, I need you to go through each room and tell me if anything is missing.”

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