Page 58 of Little Stolen Memories

He opened the front door and said, “This doesn’t change anything. My brother may have made some inappropriate phone calls because he was seeking attention. It doesn’t make him a killer.”

I walked to the car wondering who Marcus was trying to convince about Xander’s innocence more—me … or himself?

CHAPTER 25

Simone and Hunter were sitting on the sofa, laughing, when I walked into the office.

I sat beside them, brow raised. “What’s so funny?”

“Simone just told me a joke,” Hunter said. “Want to hear it?”

“Sure.”

“What name would a detective use if she decided to open a real estate business?”

I gave the question some thought.

Nothing came to mind at first.

And then …

“I’m guessing it has something to do with a play on the word homes,” I said. “You know, as in Sherlock Holmes.”

Hunter shook her head and said, “Shoot, you’re no fun.”

“Why? Because I guessed it right?”

“Close enough—the real estate business would be called Holmes Homes.”

Corny, but cute.

I moved the conversation in a more serious direction.

“Simone, have you spoken to the victims’ families?” I asked.

“I was just going to message you about what I’ve found out,” Simone said. “Brynn and Aubree’s parents no longer live in the area. Brynn’s parents are in Texas, and Aubree’s moved to North Carolina.”

“Did you talk to them?”

“I spoke to Brynn’s mother on the phone. She made it clear they’ve left their daughter’s murder in the past. They want no involvement in our investigation. She asked me not to call again, and then she hung up on me.”

I understood Brynn’s mother’s reaction to Simone’s call.

Dredging up the painful past would prove too hard for some to bear, a pain they wouldn’t want to go through a second time.

“What about Aubree’s parents?” I asked. “Did you speak to them?”

“They divorced about a year after Aubree was murdered. I left a couple of messages for her mother. She hasn’t returned my calls. Her father talked to me, but he said nothing of significance. He doesn’t believe he could be of any help with our investigation.”

Tough crowd.

But not unexpected.

“Seems like you struck out with the girls’ parents,” I said. “What about Aidan, Jackson, and Owen? Do their families still live in the area?”

“Not in Cambria, but close enough. They’re all in the central coast. I’ve met with all three of the boys’ parents. Which family visit do you want to hear about first?”

Based on what I knew about them so far, Jackson had seemed to be the orchestrator when it came to stirring up trouble. He also had a controlling stepfather whose negative influence could have been the reason for Jackson’s rebellious behavior.

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