Page 111 of Family Jewels

There was no way I could deal with this all day. I walked back to Jed’s makeshift work space and put my hands on my hips. “What on earth is going on with you two?”

He continued to study the laptop he’d set up on the table. “Nothing.”

I slammed the lid and shot him a glare. “Don’t younothingme. She started to tell me before you came back down from the roof, so I know there’ssomething. Now tell me.”

He leaned back in his chair, crossing his own arms and giving me a hard look. “It’s not my story to tell.”

“Then whose is it?”

“Neely Kate’s.”

What on earth? I dropped my arms and put a hand on my hip. “Did you two have an argument?”

Silence.

“When did you see each other tohavean argument?”

More silence.

“Did she do something to upset you?”

Something like guilt flashed in his eyes before it was completely replaced by impassiveness. I wondered if he and James had practiced their poker faces together growing up.

What could have possibly happened? I dropped my hands to my sides. “Well, you two need to make up before you drive me crazy!”

I stomped back to my desk and started to text James that this was never going to work. But I stopped before hitting the send button. I was a grown woman—too old to be tattling and complaining. Besides, Jed had played babysitter for Neely Kate and me often enough. I could suck it up for one day.

I’d just sat down when my phone rang. Given what had happened the previous night, I wasn’t all that surprised to see Joe’s name on the screen. I steeled my back and answered, “Hey, Joe. How’s your search goin’?”

“What do you know about Raddy Dyer’s death?”

“Well, good morning to you too.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“If you’re asking if I had anything to do with it, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I had no idea he’d been murdered until I woke up this morning.”

“Why am I having a hard time believing that?”

Probably because I’d been evasive with him a half-million times before. “I don’t know who did it, but I suspect it’s because of the necklace.”

“No shit,” was his terse reply.

“Do you want me to tell you what I know or not?”

I could practically hear his teeth grind before he said, “Go on.”

Obviously I couldn’t tell him the full story, but I could condense it. “Raddy called me in the middle of the night and told me he’d had a run-in with Buck Reynolds.” Basically true.

“Buck Reynolds? What do you know about Buck Reynolds?”

“Honestly, not much. Only what Raddy told me.”

“You never had a run-in with him last winter?”

This was the first time Joe had ever asked me for any specifics about my time working for James as the Lady in Black. I’d admitted the truth to him about a month ago, but I’d refused to give details. Until now, he hadn’t pressed. “No. Was he one of Mick Gentry’s guys?”

“You’d be in a better position to know than me.” I was surprised there was no antagonism in his voice.

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