Page 60 of Whispers Left Behind

“What is disturbing is that an innocent man—acquitted by a jury of his peers—up and disappeared without a trace. The Fallbrook Police Department doesn’t appear to be concerned, either. I feel the public has a right to know that—”

“Kin, is everything alright here?”

Kinsley had spotted Shane crossing the street. Serra, on the other hand, had been so caught up in his little speech that he hadn’t noticed someone approaching them. Her heart hammered in her chest at the possibility of Serra suspecting she had something to do with Gantz’s disappearance.

A sense of dread settled in her stomach.

No one had been around when the shooting took place or when Noah had arrived on the scene. The same could be said for when she had broken into Gantz’s residence to grab his clothes and passport. She and Noah had also taken additional precautions when placing the man’s body in the trunk of his car and driving it to Terrapin Lake, where it now rested at the bottom of the large body of water.

Not one witness.

Serra somehow had Kinsley questioning her own sanity.

“Everything is fine, Shane,” Kinsley responded with a tight smile. “I was just giving Serra advice on the proper way to ask for a comment from a detective.”

“And seeing as I have now been properly chastised, I'll be heading back inside to enjoy the rest of my evening,” Beck said wryly, never breaking eye contact with her. “It's been... enlightening, Detective Aspen.”

Beck finally glanced toward Shane, but neither man decided to introduce themselves. Beck finally disappeared through the front entrance of The Bucket, leaving several dark thoughts swirling in her mind.

“Kin?”

“I’m fine.” Kinsley forced a smile. “Really. He has been a pain in my ass since the trial.”

“I take it that was Beck Serra?”

Shane had still been sharing her bed when Serra’s article regarding his interviews with her father and Gantz had been published in the national newspapers. Beck had no doubt been paid some pretty pennies for such an exclusive.

“The one and only,” Kinsley replied sardonically as she took a step toward the entrance. Shane beat her to it and opened the door for her. “I’ve got to grab Alex. We need to head to the hospital. And Shane?”

By this time, Kinsley was standing just inside the door. She waited until it had shut completely, sealing out the cold, and she had his full attention.

“I truly appreciate the help tonight.”

“Anytime.”

There was a promise in his voice that she would go out of her way to avoid, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t appreciate the sentiment. She flashed him a genuine smile this time before threading her way through the crowded tables. She ignored those at the bar, not wanting to engage in a staring contest with Serra. The closer she got to the booth, the louder Alex and Wally were in their discussion about the depth players of theMinnesota Vikings football team. He spotted her approaching the booth.

“Kin, explain to Wally that—” Alex broke off when she took a seat beside him. “I know that look.”

“Me, too,” Izzy agreed.

“Shit,” Wally muttered as he picked his phone up off the table. “Was one of my players put on injured reserve? It better not be my tight end. I—”

“You idiot,” Izzy muttered as she elbowed Wally in the side. “Kin figured something out about their case.”

“Really?” Wally studied Kinsley before shaking his head to the contrary. “I don’t buy it. That is the same expression she gets when she is set to receive more points than me.”

“You aren’t even playing her this weekend.”

“One of Wally’s wide receivers pulled a hamstring in practice today. And while the player is questionable for Sunday’s game, that’s not why I’m here.” Kinsley turned to Alex, wishing she could take a swig of his beer. As it stood, she was glad it was only half empty. “Alex, do you think there is a possibility that those inside the hospital room knew we were in the hallway today?”

Alex considered her question carefully while Wally muttered an expletive under his breath. He was already searching his phone for confirmation about his injured player.

“Sure, it’s possible,” Alex responded before lifting his bottle of beer. She quickly snagged it from his fingers and set it down on the table. He frowned in irritation, but he didn’t make a move for it. “There was a metal sheet protector on the door. They could have seen our reflection. I take it we’re driving back to the hospital tonight?”

“You figured out who killed Rachel Hanson, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Kinsley replied to Izzy’s question. “Hear me out. Douglas Glynn was able to get a discount on brakes and pads for Gage’s truck. Only I think Douglas might have made the offer outof pure selfishness. This brake thing has been mentioned several times during our conversations with them. Think about it. Gage isn’t the type of man to let his brakes go like that. He fixes equipment on the farm all the time. It’s in his nature to make sure everything is running smoothly.”

---