Page 26 of Cold Case Discovery

Besides, he was the sheriff.

So he instructed the deputies to take the chest away and search it with the utmost caution and keep everything as potential evidence for the time being. When the detectives arrived, Jack explained the situation, and they did what they were supposed to do.

Hart separated Jack from Chloe and askedhimquestions about what had happened while Laurel no doubt did the same with Chloe. Jack didn’t like it, but he understood they were doing their job. A job complicated by the fact that the people involved were also cops.

Jack could see Laurel and Chloe on the porch, but Hart had pulled him out by his cruiser close to the street, so he had no idea what Laurel was asking or how Chloe was answering. But he had to focus on the questioninghewas part of.

He explained what had led them to look at the chest, what he’d seen, what Chloe had said about it. Hart noted down his answers, and once he was satisfied, he switched gears to all their other issues.

“Since Mark Brink would have lived on the land at the time of your parents’ disappearance, we’ve already been looking into him,” Hart explained, “in regards to the remains. Just to get an idea of the players if the ID is positive. We called the correctional facility in Texas, and they got back to us this morning.”

Jack could tell by the way Hart said it that the news wasn’t going to be good.

“He got out on parole last week.”

Jack swore.

“So far he’s cooperated with his parole officer. It’d be quite the feat for him to get up here, wait around until the cabin was empty, do all that with the mutilated snake and then get back for his check-in.”

“A feat, but not impossible.”

“No, not impossible,” Hart agreed. “We’re arranging to have an interview with him. It might be another day or two. Lots of red tape to wade through.”

“Isn’t there always,” Jack muttered. He really had no idea what to do with this information. It was such a strange thing, to have all these answers visible but out of reach. There was still the off chance those remains weren’t even his parents’—though he didn’t hold out any hope for that.

Maybe he hadn’t given up on hope, on answers, but he hadn’t thought they’d land on his doorstep one random day with Chloe in tow. Surrounded by all these seemingly disparate events.

“Speaking of red tape,” Hart continued. “Zeke got us hooked up with a forensic anthropologist. She got here this morning. We’ve got to get through some paperwork to make sure everything goes smoothly from a legal standpoint, but she should be able to get to work tomorrow. Once she can examine the remains, she’ll have an ETA on identification. We’ll keep moving forward with the investigation, but it’s going to take time to narrow down time frames.”

Jack nodded stiffly.

“We’re sorry we don’t have more clear-cut answers for you just yet, but we’re working on it.”

“Luckily, I know how it all works.”

“Not sure how lucky that is.”

Jack tried to force a smile but knew he didn’t manage. He glanced back at the porch, where Laurel and Chloe were still talking. Chloe had definitely put her cop mask back on. She didn’t look upset or rattled.

But it was lurking underneath. How could it not?

“Look, I know Brink is one of your deputies,” Hart said, lowering his voice to almost a whisper even though Chloe wouldn’t be able to hear them from this distance. “But this is bound to get messy. It might be better if you kept some distance. I’m not sure her and Ry Brink being in the Hudson Ranch-Hudson Sibling Solutions circle is the best move here.”

Jack let Hart have his say, and he didn’t bother to argue or defend himself. He just said his response in the simplest terms there were. “It’s the only move here.”

Because he’d be damned if he was going to keep his distance from Chloe when she might be in some kind of danger. He walked away from Hart, not about to wait for the man’s permission.

Hewas a sheriff. Head of the Hudson clan. And damn if he was going to be scared ofmessywhen Chloe might have to pay the cost of that fear.

Laurel moved away from Chloe before Jack reached the porch, and she nodded at him. “I’ll keep you updated on what we find. We’ll treat it like a joint Sunrise-Bent County venture for as long as that makes sense. Unless you want to be kept out of this part too?”

Jack shook his head. “I want to know everything about that chest.”

Laurel didn’t say anything, but she didn’t hide the fact she was studying him either. Then she shrugged and walked over to Hart, and the two took their leave.

Chloe approached Jack, chin up, eyes fierce and a little bright. He could already tell there was a storm brewing deep underneath.

“Whatever you’re about to say, don’t,” he said. His temper was already on edge due to a million things, and he didn’t need whatever she was gearing herself up to say to send him over.

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