Page 72 of Family Jewels

“I was hoping he could do something about it.” And because Buck Reynolds had scared me, but I didn’t want to tell her that part.

“Rose, Jed operates on the other side of the legal system. What did you think he was gonna do?”

“I don’t know, Neely Kate. I think I just wanted to tell someone who could help me if things took a turn. Buck Reynolds gave me the creeps.”

“Didn’t you have your gun in your purse?”

“No! I was on a date! I hid it under my front seat.” But it was definitely in my purse now.

She pursed her lips and gave me a look of disapproval. “Raddy Dyer was skulking in your barn last night, his wife was murdered for a necklace he hired us to find, and Homer Dyer showed up at our office fit to be tied—you should have had your gun.”

“And what would Levi have said if I’d whipped out a gun during dessert?”

“He would have said, ‘Thank you for saving my life, Rose.’”

“Very funny,” I grumbled.

She shrugged, wearing a goofy grin. When she saw I wasn’t laughing, she turned serious and grabbed my hand, clasping it between both of her own. “Maybe it was too soon after all.”

We were silent for a few moments before she asked, “So what are we going to do with what you found out with Trixie and Buck?”

“I guess there’s nothin’ to do. I can’t exactly call Deputy Miller and tell him I had a vision, and besides, I didn’t even see anything useful. Suspicious, yes. Useful to the sheriff’s department? No.” I sighed, thinking about James’ questions. “Why do I even care? It’s not like Radcliffe Dyer is a model citizen.”

“True, but neither was Bruce Wayne when you got him out of his murder charges last year. He had a record.”

“That was different. It was plain as the nose on my face he wasn’t a murderer. I’ll never forget how scared he looked in that courtroom. I couldn’t let the rest of that jury convict him, and Mason was well on his way to having them on his side.”

“Whoever murdered Rayna wanted that necklace,” Neely Kate said. “So I say we keep lookin’ for the necklace. That’s how we help find the real murderer.”

“I don’t know . . .”

“Let’s just sleep on it. We can’t do anything tonight anyway.”

“Okay.” She was right. I wasn’t ready to make a decision one way or the other.

* * *

The next morning, Neely Kate and I planned to drive separately to the office. I was helping Bruce Wayne today, but first I needed to go by the Hendersons’ to replant the bushes Jonah’s guys had attempted to plant.

Muffy seemed to feel better when she woke up, but she was still drugged. I didn’t want to leave her alone at the office since Neely Kate had a few outside-the-office appointments of her own, but I also wasn’t sure taking her with me to the job sites was a good idea.

I called Maeve to ask if Muffy could hang out at the nursery. “I can bring her by when you open.”

“You know that Muffy is always welcome,” Maeve said. “I’ll see you both soon.”

When I headed downstairs, Neely Kate was already sitting at the table. She looked up as if I’d startled her and gave me a wobbly smile. I realized she’d been staring at her phone.

“Everything okay?” I asked as I carried Muffy to the back door.

“Of course.” But her answer was a little too quick to suit me.

When I came back inside, she had gotten up and was buttering a piece of toast.

“Have you heard from Joe?” I asked, worried he’d found something. If he had, I couldn’t believe he’d tell her on the phone.

“He texted last night to make sure we were okay. Rayna’s murder makes him nervous.”

Rayna’s murder mademenervous. “I suspect we might hear from Jed today.”

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