Bree slid behind the wheel. “Someone’s watching.”
Matt closed the passenger door. “I saw her.”
“Could you get a description?” She started the engine.
“No. Too dark.”
Bree shifted into reverse. “Definitely a woman, though?”
“Yes.”
As she began turning the vehicle around, she glanced through the windshield. Dylan hadn’t moved. Bree’s gaze went to the window. No sign of the woman. “Do you think he was lying?”
“Yes.” Matt scoffed. “About so many things.”
“He knew who Kenny was.”
“Absolutely,” Matt agreed. “He was also lying when he said Oscar hadn’t contacted him recently.”
“Yep, and when he denied having a cell phone.”
“He probably uses burners,” Matt said. “He’s definitely part of the Hudson Footmen, but he doesn’t want to talk about them.”
“Interesting that was the final straw for him. Maybe there’s some fear there.”
“Maybe. I wouldn’t trust anything Dylan said. Everything he said felt like a lie.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Matt’s stomach rumbled as they neared the station. He spotted a fast-food place. “Can you go through the drive-through? We need food.”
“I’m not hungry.” Bree turned into the parking lot.
“I’m starving, and you need food whether or not you want it.”
“Fine.” She pulled into the drive-through and lowered the window. The smell of french fries wafted into the vehicle.
Matt heard Bree’s stomach audibly gurgle. He ordered two grilled chicken wraps for himself. Bree went for a burger, fries, and a vanilla milkshake. She passed him the bag, and he handed over her food. She ate the burger in a half dozen bites, then made quick work of the fries.
“It’s a shame you weren’t hungry.” Matt dug into his second wrap.
“OK. I admit that was really good.” Bree crumpled the burger wrapper into a ball and stuffed it into the empty bag. Grabbing her shake from the cup holder, she drank. “The sugar will keep me from going into a grease-and-fat coma.”
“Interesting theory.”
“I’ll eat a salad tomorrow.”
“You won’t.”
“Probably not,” she admitted. Bree called home to let them know she’d be late. After ending the call, she said, “At least I had breakfast with the kids. I hate when I can’t put them first.”
“You always put them first,” Matt corrected. “But some days, they don’t have pressing needs, and the job does. When was the last time you missed dinner?”
“Yesterday,” Bree said.
“Before yesterday.” He knew she struggled with balancing work and family.
“It’s been a while,” she said. “The last couple of months have been nice and boring.”
Cops typically spent more time on paperwork than working homicide cases.
“You’re doing a great job with the kids.”
Bree sighed. “With Kayla, I don’t have to juggle her desire for independence with parenting yet. As a teen, Luke is more challenging. He’s annoyed with me for not allowing him to go camping with his friends.” Bree described the proposed trip.
“On the bright side, he’s acting like a normal teenager,” Matt said. “He’s secure enough in your relationship to get mad at you.”
“I guess. But he’s right. When an important case comes up, I do work too much. Sometimes I think I’m setting the exact wrong example when I work these crazy long hours. I hate choosing between the job and the family. I always feel like I’m letting someone down.”
“You’re teaching them about working hard, following through on responsibilities, and being passionate about their work.”
“I hope their passions don’t involve dead bodies.”
They arrived at the sheriff’s station. Twenty minutes later, Matt carried a mug of coffee and a notepad into the conference room and sat at the table. Bree was already inside, opening her laptop at the head of the table. Todd hustled in, carrying a computer, the murder book, and some loose files.
Bree tapped on her keyboard. “We don’t have the forensics report yet, but it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since they finished processing the scene. So far, we have the following persons of interest: Bernard Crighton, Heather Oscar, Kenny McPherson, and Brian Dylan. Todd, where are you in reviewing their personal information?”