Page 88 of A Dangerous Proposal

“I’m sorry, Cam. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Listen to me whine.” Cami grimaced.

“Done.” Madison leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head before glancing at the recording monitor. “That’s episode six done.”

Cami exhaled and clicked her pen against the table. “Which means we’re officially at the halfway point.”

Their latest season was one of the most ambitious they’d taken on. The deeper they dug into Jesse Carlisle’s case, the more confusing everything became. It wasn’t as clear cut as some of the other cases they’d covered because Jesse’s death had technically been ruled an accident.

“So,” Madison said, flipping through her notes. “We interviewed Jesse’s sister, Lauren, two coworkers, the neighbor who first saw the fire, and the private investigator who claimed the gas line regulator was tampered with.”

“Still need to get someone from the fire department,” Cami pointed out. “Preferably someone who wasn’t directly involved in the investigation.”

Madison frowned. “That might be tough. The department doubled down on the ‘faulty equipment’ ruling, and anyone who speaks to us is basically admitting they think their colleagues covered up a crime.”

Cami sighed. “Yeah, but it only takes one person willing to go on the record.”

“We should talk to the gas company. Find out when the last time his meter was checked for leaks.”

“Good idea.”

“Lauren’s still trying to put us in touch with a retired firefighter who worked in the next county over,” Madison reminded her. “He didn’t investigate Jesse’s fire, but she was adamant that he agrees it was a cover up.”

“It’s not proof though,” Cami muttered, jotting down a note.

Madison tapped her pen against the table. “That just leaves Cary Weaver.”

“She won’t return our calls.”

“Since Jesse’s death, she’s kept her head down. Her brother is the number one suspect in the court of public opinion. Her staying silent could just be her way of protecting her family.”

Cami chewed her lip. “I keep thinking about the timeline.”

Madison nodded. “Jesse’s house goes up in flames around midnight. Clint Weaver is one of the first officers on the scene, and Cary’s other brother Elijah was on the fire crew that responded. WeknowJesse and Cary were in the middle of an ugly custody battle. I can personally attest to the fact you might want to kill someone during one.”

Cami scrunched her nose. “True. Add in the fact that Jesse himself told people he thought someone was messing with his gas line?—”

“And suddenly, it’s a lot harder to believe this was an accident,” Madison finished.

“But without Cary, we’re stuck. We need her side of the story, and right now, it’s looking like she might never give it to us,” Cami sighed. “It’s not like we can force her.”

Madison hesitated, then tilted her head. “What if we change tactics?”

Cami arched a brow. “I’m listening.”

“What if we stop chasing her and start chasing the people around her? Maybe if we get more pressure from the outside—people in her life encouraging her to talk—she’ll be more likely to come forward. Even if it’s just to ‘clear her brother’s name.’”

“Ideally, we would go in person. But I’m not sure how that all would work right now.”

They sat in silence for a beat before Cami reclined in her chair with a sly grin. “Change of topic… Did you know Declan has beenverysupportive of your marriage?”

Madison frowned. “James’s brother?”

Cami nodded. “Yeah. It’s irritating James immensely, but he can’t do much because Declan is still healing, and James doesn’t want Olivia to murder him for arguing with Declan.”

Madison raised a brow. “Why does Declan care?”

“No clue. He and yournew husbandhave apparently known each other for a long time.”

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