Page 84 of Only One More Lie

A truck sat in the driveway.

“Is that Jared’s or Tim’s?” Andi asked as he followed her gaze.

“I have no idea.” Duke opened his door. “Let’s go find out.”

CHAPTER 44

Andi and Duke hurried to the front door.

Andi wasn’t sure what vehicle Tim usually drove. But only one was parked in the driveway, and she didn’t recognize it from the camp—not that she’d been paying that much attention either.

She saw that the doorbell was cracked, so she knocked on the door instead.

Soon after, footsteps sounded, and the door opened.

A man who looked like a younger version of Tim stood there, staring at them with a confused expression on his face. He wore a beanie down over his ears, ripped jeans, and a flannel shirt. Based on his red nose, his heat either wasn’t working or it was turned way down to save on electrical cost.

“Can I help you?” He brushed some potato chip crumbs from his chest.

“We were hoping to ask you a few questions. I’m Andi, and this is my friend, Duke. We’re with the true crime podcast calledThe Round Table.”

He remained unimpressed. “That’s cool and all, but I don’t listen to true crime podcasts.”

“We’re not here specifically to ask about our podcast,” Andi started. “We’re here to ask about your dad.”

“What about my dad?” His eyes narrowed, and he shifted. “Did he do something?”

Andi tilted her head. “Do you think your dad did something?”

Jared sighed as if flabbergasted. “That’s not what I meant. But you’re true crime podcasters, and you show up here asking about my dad. What conclusions am I supposed to draw?”

“I could have worded that better,” Andi conceded to his statement. “Duke and I are working on solving the murders of Calvin and Mary Burrows, your uncle and aunt.”

Jared’s eyes widened. “Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense. I still can’t believe what happened to them. We were never especially close but . . . they didn’t deserve to die that way.”

“We actually came here looking for your dad,” Duke said.

“Why would you come here to look for him?” His forehead wrinkled.

Andi paused at his question, realizing something wasn’t fitting. “Because you called him and said you needed his help with something.”

Jared shook his head again. “No, I didn’t. Sorry to disappoint you, but I haven’t spoken to my dad in years. There’s no way I would call that man to ask for help.”

So Tim lied, Duke mused. Why would he do that unless he had something to cover up?

“I’m sorry,” Andi said. “There must have been a misunderstanding. Because your dad left the camp and said he was coming to help you with something.”

“Well, he made that up. He was clearly looking for an excuse to get away, though I couldn’t tell you why.”

The breeze swept across them, and Andi shivered.

Duke nodded at the house. “Listen, do you mind if we come in? Since we’re already here, I’d love to get your take on what happened to your aunt and uncle.”

Jared stared at them another moment as if weighing his options. Then he blew out a breath and sighed. “I guess so. But only for a few minutes. Then I have to go to work.”

“What do you do for a living exactly?” Andi pulled her collar closer around her neck, her nose and cheeks red from the cold.

“I work at a big box store down the road. I figured we might close because of the snowstorm, but more people are coming to buy things in case they’re trapped inside for an extended period. It’s a catch twenty-two if you ask me.”

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