Page 5 of Promise Keeper

Anna took Logan's hand. My cute little couple. "We'll go ask the kids our age what they know. We'll start at the Soda Pop Shop."

"Okay, and I'll take Monica to the Soapy Savant and question everyone there. We were on our way to get coffee when this all went down anyway."

"Post in the group chat if you get any info," Logan said. He'd recently put a group text message together for us to use to get on the same page.

"I can't figure out how to read your messages on this thing," Johnna said, pulling her ancient flip cell phone from her knitting bag. "And I haven't even begun to think about sending something back."

"I lost my phone about a month ago," Roy said, "so don't go expecting any chats from me, anyhow."

I patted Logan's arm in consolation. "I'll call Roy and Johnna if there's news."

They all headed out and I ran upstairs to collect Monica. "Did I break anything in your box?"

"No, and it was only old odds and ends anyway. What did your brain trust come up with?"

"We're going out to talk to people. You and I are going to get that coffee this time. I still need some caffeine, especially now to offset what Roy passes off as booze."

"I don't want to know." Monica sealed the new box with packing tape and grabbed her handbag. "Let's go solve a murder."

3

The Soapy Savant was packed with Steve Longo's bus tour. Ben sat at a table with Andy, who used to be my handyman and was now a cameraman for the local TV news. I left Monica to stand in line for our coffee and made my way over to them.

"Taking a break, copper?" I asked, kissing my husband on the cheek.

"We do get donut breaks, you know," he said, grinning, and holding up a scone.

"Is that orange-cranberry?" I reached over and broke off a tiny bit before he could stop me. Theresa's orange-cranberry scones were my favorite. She and Soapy, whose real name was Pete, owned the place. Soapy was also the mayor.

"Help yourself. I need to get back to work anyway." Ben broke the scone in half and handed me one of the pieces.

"Any news on the bones?"

"I was just giving Andy the run down for the afternoon news," he said. "A few of the smaller bones are missing, but what we do know is that it's a male and the bones are old."

"That's it? How old was he?"

"We don't know yet."

"How did he die?"

"Cam, we know he was a male and the bones are old. That's it."

I groaned. "What's happening now? Are you tracking down any leads?"

"Now we're waiting for a forensic anthropologist to get here to help with the bigger questions. In the meantime, Sheriff Reins and I are searching through old cold cases trying to find something that might be related."

"That sounds like searching for a needle in a haystack," I said.

"Without even knowing we're looking for a needle." Ben shook his head and stood from the table. "I hope this forensic specialist can tell us more. I'll be home for dinner." He squeezed my hand and wound his way through the crowded room to the door.

"How's it going, Andy?"

"Pretty good, just getting the scoop. We'll air an update this afternoon, and then Ben said he'd go live for me tonight for the late news."

"Great! Who's reporting on it?" I hoped not Ed Stone who referred to our town as Murder Town during the winter festival. That guy didn't deserve to get an exclusive from Ben.

"Alexis Hartline. She's the new anchor with Ed."

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