“Maybe,” Bree said. “Let’s get the original case report on the son’s suicide. I want to understand the family history.”
“What’s next?” Todd asked.
Good question.
Bree needed to clear her head and absorb the information they’d uncovered. “I’m going home. Speculation about motive is getting us nowhere. We need evidence. Let’s hope forensics has something concrete for us tomorrow.” She grabbed her laptop and stuffed it into her briefcase.
“I’ll order the report. I can also ask Jim Rogers if he knows anything about the Hudson Footmen,” Matt said. “During Jim’s interview, I felt like he was holding back.”
Bree felt like she should be going with Matt. She hated to take an evening off, but she needed to see her family. Her relationship with Luke felt uncomfortably fragile this week, and the suicide of the Crighton boy weighed heavily on her. Luke had to be more important than work, no matter how much she wanted—needed—to catch a killer.
Parenting had as many ups and downs as a big coaster. Seeing the family meant she wasn’t working. She knew delegation was part of her job, but that didn’t mean she liked it. Respect to all the women balancing work and family life. “Be careful. Don’t go alone. If you think Rogers or anyone else will talk more freely without me being present, take Todd or another deputy along, even if they just observe from their vehicle.”
“Let me know if you want my company,” Todd said.
“Will do.” Matt gathered his notes. “I’m going to make some more calls about Dylan. I got some weird vibes at his place. He’s up to something.”
Todd tapped on his keyboard. “I just got a report from forensics. The flower petals are from a Buddleia davidii, or butterfly bush. It’s not a native shrub but isn’t hard to grow. I don’t remember seeing any flowers of this color and size at Bernard’s house, but now that I know what the bush looks like, I’ll double-check in the morning. I’ll also run past Kenny McPherson’s and Heather Oscar’s places and see if I spot one.”
“Be discreet,” Bree suggested.
“I’ll drive my personal vehicle,” Todd agreed. “No one will notice me.”
Bree left the station and drove home. But talking to Luke at dinner proved as fruitless as working on the case. He mumbled one-word answers and sullenly stared at his plate as he shoveled spaghetti and meatballs into his mouth. His irritation clearly hadn’t affected his appetite.
Bree salvaged the evening by playing a board game with Kayla, then sent her upstairs for a shower. She promised to drive her to school the next day. When Kayla settled in to finish her reading homework, Bree stopped by Luke’s room.
She paused in the doorway and knocked on the frame. “What are you working on?”
“Pre-cal.” He sat at his desk, hunched over his notebook and pencil.
“Almost done?”
“Uh-huh.” He looked up, his eyes stubborn.
“OK. I’ll leave you to it.” She turned away from the silent treatment, wondering how long he would stay mad at her. Conflicts were a normal part of parenting, but his rebuffs hurt more than she’d expected.
Restless, her mind returned to the case. She headed to her office to process paperwork, type interviews, and review evidence reports. The investigation was less satisfying than her interactions with Luke. No matter how many times she replayed Bernard’s lies, Bree wasn’t completely convinced he was guilty.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Matt used a lacrosse stick to fling a tennis ball as far across his backyard as he could. Greta streaked after it. She made a sweeping turn. Barely slowing, she snatched the ball off the grass and raced back. Dropping it at Matt’s feet, she backed away and barked at him.
At eight o’clock, the evening was going dark. He’d spent an hour calling his contacts in the SFPD asking about Brian Dylan. But none of the SFPD officers admitted to knowing him well.
Cady walked across the grass and stopped next to him. “She is so demanding.”
“She never gets tired,” Matt said with pride as he hurled the ball again.
“You and Brody are going to miss her when she’s gone.”
Lying at Matt’s feet, Brody all but rolled his eyes.
Matt laughed. “I might, but I think Brody will be happy to return to his regularly scheduled naps.”
Cady shoved her hands into her pockets. “So I gave the caterer the final guest total.”
“I can’t believe we sold every ticket to a black-tie night of board games.” Matt sent the tennis ball sailing again, but he sensed reservation in his sister’s tone.