Page 75 of What We May Be

“Follow the roses?”

“That’s a lot of roses, even for red ones. Someone would notice a purchase that large.”

“Charlie. Sean.” Abel called to them from where he stood with Officer Sylvan next to the evidence table at the end of the pool closest to them.

“We’ll be right there,” Sean said before speaking quietly again to Charlie. “Take a minute to gather yourself.” He waited for her to nod, then stood and climbed down the bleachers, taking the tablet in its evidence bag with him.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Officer Sylvan said. “HU Administration has been ringing me from outside every five minutes for the past hour. I better go talk to them.”

“Stall for now,” Abel said.

“Yes, sir.”

Once he was out of earshot, Abel asked Sean, “How is she?”

“Shaken but pulling it together. Just give her a minute.”

He set the bagged tablet on the table next to two other evidence bags. One held the latest note—a slip of paper that read: #3 – SWEETS TO THE SWEET. The other bag contained an unmarked bottle of pills, likely the same pills that had drugged those cheerleaders and maybe Charlie too. All three items—the tablet, the note, and the pills—had been waiting for them on the starting block where Craig had taken his last breath. Politicians and their power trips. There was a certain irony to Craig being powerless in the end. Sean wondered what his constituents would think now, especially if that video was ever leaked.

He looked back up at Abel. “What’ve you got?”

“Just got off the phone with the marshals. Beth Martin was in a holding cell in Athens all night, and she’s been in their car since six this morning.”

“Does she have any connection to Craig?”

“None that we’ve found so far, but Jaylen and Diego are at the station digging.” And watching over Trevor. “Marsh is on it too.”

He caught his friend’s worried glance from the top row of the bleachers on the other side of the pool. They’d exchanged only a few words on the car ride over. Marsh had read Sean’s anxiety the moment he’d opened his motel room door and wisely hadn’t pressed beyond questions about the case. The whole time, though, Marsh’s thumbs had beat a steady rhythm against the steering wheel, no doubt wondering why Trevor and Charlie had also exited his motel room. They’d get into that later. Right now, Sean’s immediate concern was keeping his family safe.

“Once CSU logs that”—he nodded toward the bagged tablet—“Marsh gets it. If there’s something to be found, we need it before Beth arrives.”

“I’ll go tell the techs to double time it,” Abel said.

The clack of heels alerted him to Charlie’s approach. “Do you still think Beth’s involved?” she asked. “There’s no mention of her in any of Dad’s or Cal’s files, and other than being a colleague, Trevor didn’t know her either.”

“It’s looking unlikely since she was in custody last night, but we can’t discount that she could be working with an accomplice.” It was a stretch, but it was all they had to go on. “We need to talk to Trevor again. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s clear this latest murder has something to do with your family. But we can’t deny our killer may also be doing this for Trevor. Jeff tried to railroad his tenure. Julian stole his wife. Craig almost cost him his baseball scholarship. You need to make your lists, have him look over them, and see if he can make any connections we’re missing.”

Charlie’s phone vibrated in her hand, an alert lighting up the screen. “Shit, I’m supposed to be staking out Julian’s funeral in an hour. I told Annie—”

“Go,” he said. “But not alone.”

“I thought you wanted to talk to Trevor.”

“I do.” He flagged down Marsh, who snapped his laptop shut and unfolded from his spot on the bleachers, slowly making his way down, his cowboy boots clattering. “Marsh will go with you.” Charlie started to object, but Sean gave her reasons not to. “One, he’s good backup. Two, he’ll be right there. Give him your list. He’ll start the cross-checks immediately. Three, he’s big enough to break up a brawl if things escalate again with you and Trace.”

She chuckled weakly, but he’d take it.

“We’ll get through this. I promise.” He lowered his head and kissed her, hard and fast. A firm press of his lips, enough to make his point but not enough to be indecent in front of others, including Marsh who cleared his throat behind them. “Sorry to interrupt you kids.”

Sean glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, so I can start calling you old man now?”

“You do and there will be consequences.”

Charlie laughed, more strength to it than before.

Sean was happy to keep needling Marsh if it kept her laughing. “Well, if you’re not too old to break up a catfight today—”

“Hey!” Charlie shoved his chest and continued her mock offense by pointedly turning her back on him and addressing Marsh. “If you wouldn’t mind a return trip to the cemetery, I could use some backup.”

“Happy to help.” Marsh grinned as he flicked his eyes at Sean. “Especially if it gets me away from that asshole.”

Charlie snickered and Sean reached around her to slap his friend’s shoulder. “You’re a fucking riot. And just for that, one more thing on your to do list.” He snagged the evidence bag with the tablet, gestured to Abel, and when Abel gave him the thumbs up, handed it to Marsh. “I need you to dig into this. Anything you can find.”

He glanced at the tablet, then back up, dark eyes dancing with mirth. “Too much to hope for porn?”

Charlie’s laugh was music to his ears.

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