Page 17 of Murder in the Lighthouse

“Let’s hope so,” Lucien said. “We’ll keep you updated through text messages if that’s all right?”

“Texts are fine. Let me know if you need any other information. What about paying you for your time? How does that work? I have my savings.”

Lucien got to his feet. “Let’s see if we turn up anything before we get to that point.”

“Sure. Okay.”

After walking Lacey out, Brogan turned to Lucien. “What did you think?”

“The truth? I watched her while she talked. For the most part, she seemed honest enough. But did you see the nervousness that flickered across her face when you mentioned Pelican Pointe? I believe she was holding something back, a piece of information she wasn’t quite ready to share.”

“Yep. I caught that.”

“Why do people ask for help when they don’t want to share everything? If they want us to unravel what’s happening, all concerned should be more forthright,” Lucien announced. “Why would she hold back knowing Sam’s dead? What benefit is that?”

“I don’t know. Do you suppose they had rekindled their relationship but wanted to keep it a secret from Bethany?”

“Why would they need to keep it a secret? Do you think Lacey had feelings for Sam?”

“Oh, most definitely. I’d say Lacey has been carrying around a torch for Sam—a big one—for several years. I’m not sure if Sam felt the same way, though. I suspect their relationship might best be described as a ‘friends with benefits’ kind of thing. For now, we need to get an idea of the situation from Sam’s parents. Let’s see if they love Lacey as much as she adores them.”

Barry and MartaHeywood lived in a middle-class section of Santa Cruz in a Cape Cod-style house not far from downtown.

Barry welcomed them into their cozy living room, filled with family photos and knickknacks collected over the years. A retired schoolteacher, Barry appeared guarded but composed, while Marta, a retired nurse, seemed clearly grief-stricken about her son and worried about her daughter.

Brogan got comfortable on the sofa while Lucien continued to stand. “Thanks for seeing us on such short notice. We know it’s a horrible time for both of you. As Lucien explained on the phone, Lacey wants us to find the person responsible for Sam’s death. In the process, we hope to find Bethany.”

“Whatever it takes,” Barry remarked. “Marta and I have our retirement savings. We’re more than happy to pitch in on a private investigation.”

“Before we go that far,” Lucien began, “there are a few things we need to understand about your children, about Sam and Bethany. Did they mention any problems to you in the weeks leading to Bethany’s disappearance? Were they concerned about their safety?”

Barry cleared his throat. “No. Sam might’ve been preoccupied with work, but he was always diligent regarding hisjob. His coworkers liked him. And he got along well with just about everyone.”

“Did you want him to look for Bethany at Wilder Ranch?”

“Well, yes. Sam went out that first afternoon and didn’t even see her car parked there. By the second day, when none of us had heard from her, we called the police. It was the sheriff’s department who showed up. They knew she was an employee of the county. Because of that, we expected them to do more to find her.”

“But they didn’t?” Lucien prompted.

“Not to our satisfaction,” Barry admitted.

From her position in a well-worn recliner, Marta reached for her husband’s hand, offering him a reassuring squeeze. “Do you think there’s any chance that Bethany will be found safe and sound?”

Brogan angled toward the Heywoods. “To be honest, I don’t know. Three weeks is a long time. Right now, we’re trying to figure out why Sam ended up at that lighthouse in Pelican Pointe and how he ended up deceased. We know he was looking for Bethany, but what led him to that location?”

“Was Bethany upset about anything when she borrowed your car that Sunday morning?” Lucien asked.

“I wouldn’t say upset, more like intense. She called around seven to ask to borrow my Mazda because she’d taken hers in on Friday so they could fix an oil leak. The repairs were more serious than first thought, and the work would take a few days. That meant she wouldn’t get it back until Monday afternoon. Barry took the phone out of my hands and told her to come over, and he’d fix breakfast for her. Pecan pancakes. Her favorite. We ate breakfast. We laughed. We talked. And she left about quarter to nine. That was the last time we saw her.”

Lucien rubbed the back of his neck as he paced the length of the room. “How did she get here to borrow the car? Did someone drop her off?”

Marta’s mouth dropped open. “I’m not sure. I never asked. But she was here within a few minutes after the phone call.”

“And you have no idea who she planned to meet at Wilder Ranch?”

“No. I know Beth was interested in a cold case she came across while transferring data from an old file to its digital format. It was a project she’d been working on since last spring with all the old case files. As she began moving the files containing boxes of documents, something about this case caught her attention. It had to do with that unsolved murder that occurred back in 1999. That is the one thing she discussed if we mentioned work.”

“Going how far back did she bring it up?” Brogan asked.

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