Unlocking Secrets by Layne, Kennedy (25)

One week later…

“Did you hear about Clayton and Wes?”

Lance didn’t look up from his cue stick, having the perfect lineup to sink the eight ball. He gently drew back the cue and followed through until the chalked tip connected with the cue ball in a perfectly choreographed moment of precision movements.

And…the eight ball gracefully moved across the table and sank in the left corner pocket he’d called a few seconds prior.

He smiled. His job here was done.

The Cavern was crowded this Friday night and the live band was in full swing. The lead singer had been encouraging the ladies to line dance all evening and had finally been successful in getting more than a few of the available women to line up, even bagging a couple of the men wanting to impress their dates.

“Yeah, I heard.”

Lance couldn’t say he wasn’t glad that Clayton Schaeffer decided to head back to the city while he awaited the district attorney’s decision on the plea deal his defense attorney had proposed. He might still manage to end up doing community service instead of jail time.

As it stood, the two older brothers had decided to give up the contract to build the new cottages up at the lake. Some of the townsfolk weren’t as forgiving as Brynn had been, but most of them had followed her lead. In the end, it didn’t matter to more than a few folks here in town. Clayton was his own worst enemy. He was having trouble excusing his own behavior, let alone expecting others to follow suit.

“It was probably for the best that he headed back to the city. Tensions around here don’t seem too forgiving, if you get my drift. And hey, you got a damn good job out of it, too.”

“That I did.” Noah raised his beer in celebration, though Lance understood more than anyone that this wasn’t the way he’d wanted to go into his partnership with Miles and Chad. “Rose agreed to Miles’ terms in regard to the projected end date. We start first thing Monday morning. The inspection will still require a journey electrician to sign off on at least the first cottage, but I should have my state license by the time we start the second one.”

Lance took a seat at the high-top table, waiting for Noah to begin racking the balls for another game. He never did like to lose. Two out of three it was.

A rather distinctive laugh came from one of the corner booths. Lance didn’t have to look that way to know it was Harlan Whitmore. The real estate agent had been hitting the hard stuff pretty regularly since his interview, especially now after Calvin’s heart attack and Clayton’s fucked up decision to try and torch Lance’s house.

Lance casually observed the other patrons, both at the tables and bar. Brynn wasn’t back from the phone call she’d answered on her cell earlier. She’d gone to her office for some peace and quiet. He wasn’t the hovering type, but he couldn’t bring himself to let her lock up by herself after closing time any longer. It made for some long nights, but he didn’t mind in the least.

Things could change once Detective Kendrick made an arrest, but Lance didn’t see that happening any time soon. He didn’t mind the adjustment to their schedules. As a matter of fact, he and his dad had gotten used to tag teaming certain projects. It was working out well, and Lance wasn’t inclined to change a thing.

“Didn’t you say Jace is coming home next week?” Reese asked, tossing a peanut shell back into the bowl. It was only the second time she’d spoken in the last hour. She’d had her nose practically pressed to the screen of her phone, searching for God knows what on the Internet. It was a wonder she could even focus her eyes on them when she inquired about Jace. “Did your dad mention what property Jace will get the keys to…maybe the Stoll farm to the west of town?”

“Do I even want to know what you’re researching over there?” Noah walked around the table until he was standing behind Reese, doing his best to look over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of her cell phone. “Is that—”

“Tobias Essinger?” Reese finished the name Noah seemed to choke on. Her raised eyebrow told Lance she’d found something interesting. He took a seat at the table as well, double checking to see if Brynn had returned to the bar. She hadn’t, which only gave her another minute before he sought her out. “Did you know that he used to do inspections on worksites?”

“Reese, you’re going down that road again,” Lance warned, sharing a look with Noah that said nothing good could come from them playing amateur detectives. “Tobias is lucky he has the strength to carry those western novels around that he likes so much. He wouldn’t have been able to physically abduct Whitney, let alone kill her.”

“No, but he would.”

Noah already had a front row seat, having rested his palms on either side of Reese so he could lean in closer as she pointed to the display on her phone. Lance all but scrambled around the table. Could she have found something that Detective Kendrick missed? It was doubtful, but at this point, anything was possible.

“Wait,” Lance cautioned, slowly taking the cell phone out of Reese’s hand. He studied the man’s face, having seen him before. “I remember this guy. He’s—”

“Harold Burke.” Noah rested a hand on Reese’s shoulder, drawing her attention toward him while Lance read the article associated with the picture. “Sweetheart, I hate to break this to you, but that man is dead.”

Reese might have stumbled onto a roadblock, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t headed in the right direction. Harold Burke had been a state certified housing inspector who helped Tobias out once in a while on the bigger jobs back in the day…but he hadn’t been the only one.

“Give Detective Kendrick a call,” Lance suggested, handing Reese back her phone. “He most likely has already checked out this lead, but you might be onto something. Harold Burke wasn’t the only city inspector to help out old Tobias.”

Talking about who could be responsible for such horrific murders had Lance searching for Brynn. She’d yet to come back from the phone call she’d taken in her office.

“I’ll be right back.”

Lance didn’t stop to make small talk with those who tried to grab his attention. As for the media crews, only one news anchor and his cameraman were still in town. That group just happened to still be able to drink at the Cavern, though Brynn was keeping them on a tight leash. Charlene Winston hadn’t been seen since Tiny had kicked her out of the Cavern a couple of weeks ago.

“She’s still in her office.”

Now that statement caught Lance’s attention enough to slow his steps. Irish was resting his forearms atop a high table waiting for Chad to finish his round at the dart board. There was nothing in his demeanor that would have told any civilian he’d served in the military, but Lance wasn’t a noncombatant.

“What branch?”

Irish didn’t reply right away, but instead took a draw on the beer bottle in his hand. The delayed response told Lance this man wasn’t comfortable sharing details of his past. Blue eyes clashed with one another as this newcomer all but made it known he wasn’t in the mood to chat.

“Lance, good to see you.” Chad joined Irish at the table, unaware of the slight tension. He reached for his beer. “I hear Jace is coming home next week.”

“Yeah, that’s the word,” Lance replied cautiously, still scrutinizing the stranger who seemed to blend right in without anyone questioning his presence. “Chad, I might need you to look at something out at the house. Maybe you could drop by next week.”

“Sure, I can swing around your place Monday morning.”

Irish carefully set his beer on the table, his cautious gaze sliding from Lance toward the hallway leading to Brynn’s office.

“It looks like it’s my turn.” Irish slapped the surface of the table, signifying it was time to bring this uncomfortable conversation to an end. “Schaeffer, you’re about to buy the next round.”

Lance had questions, but it looked as if they wouldn’t be answered until Monday morning. He excused himself and made his way down the small hallway toward Brynn’s office. Not bothering to knock, he twisted the doorknob and walked inside.

“…see you soon. Drive safe.”

“Who will we see soon?” Lance closed the door behind him, drowning out the bass reverberating through the floorboards. Concern washed over him at the worry written across her beautiful features. “Blondie? What’s going on?”

“That was Shae Irwin,” Brynn replied, almost as if she didn’t believe it herself. She even glanced down at her cell phone for confirmation. “She’s coming home.”

“Home, home?”

Lance needed more clarification on that account, because it sounded as if Shae was moving back to Blyth Lake. He wasn’t so sure that was a good idea after what happened with Whitney. Granted, Shae’s picture wasn’t in the tin he’d found in his basement, but it had been her sister that had gone missing twelve years ago.

“Sorry,” Brynn said with a quick shake of her head. He made his way around the desk and offered her his hand. “What I mean is she’s been getting updates from Detective Kendrick, but she wants to be here herself. She said she hasn’t been able to sleep, she’s been losing weight, and she’s constantly calling the detective for updates. Shae’s driving herself crazy, so she’s cleared her schedule and is taking a leave of absence from the hospital.”

Lance heard through the grapevine that Shae had become some type of psychologist or psychiatrist, living in a state up north. He couldn’t recall the details. Not that it mattered. He would most likely feel the need to be close to the investigation if this were about one of his siblings.

He pulled Brynn into his arms and held her tight without saying another word. She, Julie, and Emma had been almost inseparable back in the day. Losing Emma had been hard on everyone, but she’d been like a sister to Brynn…who’d already lost her parents. There was only so much loss a person could take.

“I told Shae she could stay upstairs in the apartment while she’s here.”

It took a moment for Lance to get the significance of what Brynn was saying as she disclosed some of the discussion she’d had with Shae.

“If you’re not—”

Lance hadn’t realized how long he’d remained silent as her declaration finally sunk into his thick head. There wasn’t a chance in hell she was changing her mind now.

He kissed her, cutting off whatever she’d been going to say because he’d been too shocked to reply. The two of them had been splitting their time between their respective places, though more and more they spent the night at the house…their house.

“We can start packing your stuff right now,” Lance whispered, going in for another taste. She was as sweet as the Classic Coke she’d been drinking earlier. “The bed of my truck is empty, so it won’t take me more than a couple trips.”

Brynn gave a throaty laugh, wrapping her arms around his neck and standing on her tiptoes.

“I love you, Lance Kendall.”

“That’s good, because as I said before…you’re stuck with me.”

Lance had driven into town after twelve years away, but there’d been something special missing in the welcoming he’d experienced—Brynn Mercer.

She’d been right when she said they couldn’t change the past, but what she didn’t understand was that he wouldn’t have altered a second about the years they’d spent together or the decade they’d spent apart. Every day after had led to this moment.

“Let’s go home, blondie.”

~ The End ~

Thank you for joining me in the Kendall family’s journey. The mystery is still ongoing, and you’re not going to want to miss the next installment in the Keys to Love series—Unlocking Lies!

Shae has suffered for twelve years without knowing why her sister disappeared. The long-awaited answers are now within reach, and she’ll have no choice but to trust the one man who knows more than he’s telling.

It isn’t long before Jace and Shae are lost in the mystery of solving a case that’s long gone cold. When they find the answers they’ve been looking for, a darkness is unveiled that will leave one of them in the crosshairs of a psychopath.