DNA processing of the shoe placed on the victim. We could share the case, work alongside them. We can avoid the potential allegation of a conflict, and still maintain our involvement."
Brody nodded and fished his cell phone out of his pocket to call Dan Walters.
<><><>
On Covington Avenue, a white utility van crawled past the alleyway next to the Morel Bar and Grill so its occupants could rubber-neck the activities in the alley. Inside the van, dressed in white painter's coveralls and caps, Evan and Devan watched as the body they'd left hours before was loaded into the coroner's van.
"And so the game begins," Devan’s mouth pressed into a smirk as he rolled down his window. "There's no one behind us, so stop the van."
Braking, Evan peered down the alley. "I don't see Gabe Chase."
"Neither do I, but there's the sheriff. He doesn't look very pleased, does he?"
Evan laughed and took his foot off the brake. "I predict he'll become less and less pleased as the game progresses."
<><><>
As soon as Gabe sat down in a booth at Mollie's Cafe, he realized what a mistake it was to choose her restaurant to wait for his brothers. Across the room, Mollie Adams honed in on him like a heat-seeking missile. She shot across the restaurant and slid into the seat across from him.
"Not a good time, Mollie," said Gabe, as his waitress poured a cup of coffee. "Just leave the pot," he told her, then glanced at Mollie, wishing she would leave him alone.
"After what I did, I doubt a good time will ever come for one of the Chase brothers to want to talk to me," Mollie said, swallowing the tears forming at the back of her throat. "I need your help, Gabe."
"What do you need my help with?"
"I need for you to talk to Cameron for me."
"Mollie, there is no way in hell I am going to talk to Cameron for you. You chose to smother Brody with kisses in his hospital bed after his surgery. What in the hell were you thinking? You knew Brody was in a relationship with Carly. Most importantly, you knew how Cameron felt about you."
"I'm guilty. I know. I don't know what came over me. When I heard Brody had been shot, I rushed to the hospital. My original intent was to find Cameron and wait for word about Brody's condition. But when I asked at the nurses' station, they said Brody was in recovery and I could visit with him for a minute."
"And the rest is history. I already lived this experience; I don't need to relive it, Mollie."
"Please ask Cameron to talk to me and give me another chance."
"Not going to happen."
"Why not?"
" You chose to tell Cam for months that he was the one you were in love with — not Brody. You chose to molest Brody in the hospital. I mean, the guy was still under anesthesia. What were you thinking?"
"I can't explain what I did. I have no clue what came over me. I've been over Brody for years."
"You couldn't have hurt Cam more if you'd stabbed him in the chest. He's been in love with you for years. He thought you loved him, too," Gabe said. "If he ever forgives you, that's his decision. I'm not intervening on your behalf."
Wiping tears from her cheek, Mollie went back to the kitchen.
Gabe's cell vibrated on the table. The call was from Kaitlyn, the very last person on earth he wanted to talk to right now. What would he tell her? He'd just found a body in an alley that looked an awful lot like her sister. Bryan hadn't made an official identification of the body yet. Gabe ignored her call and prayed she was nowhere near the crime scene.
Brody was right. If the body was Abby's, he'd be considered a person of interest — the last thing a private investigator building a business wants to be. A sickening sense of guilt washed over him. How could he be concerned about his business when a young woman just lost her life in such a violent way?
Gabe
Brody nodded and fished his cell phone out of his pocket to call Dan Walters.
<><><>
On Covington Avenue, a white utility van crawled past the alleyway next to the Morel Bar and Grill so its occupants could rubber-neck the activities in the alley. Inside the van, dressed in white painter's coveralls and caps, Evan and Devan watched as the body they'd left hours before was loaded into the coroner's van.
"And so the game begins," Devan’s mouth pressed into a smirk as he rolled down his window. "There's no one behind us, so stop the van."
Braking, Evan peered down the alley. "I don't see Gabe Chase."
"Neither do I, but there's the sheriff. He doesn't look very pleased, does he?"
Evan laughed and took his foot off the brake. "I predict he'll become less and less pleased as the game progresses."
<><><>
As soon as Gabe sat down in a booth at Mollie's Cafe, he realized what a mistake it was to choose her restaurant to wait for his brothers. Across the room, Mollie Adams honed in on him like a heat-seeking missile. She shot across the restaurant and slid into the seat across from him.
"Not a good time, Mollie," said Gabe, as his waitress poured a cup of coffee. "Just leave the pot," he told her, then glanced at Mollie, wishing she would leave him alone.
"After what I did, I doubt a good time will ever come for one of the Chase brothers to want to talk to me," Mollie said, swallowing the tears forming at the back of her throat. "I need your help, Gabe."
"What do you need my help with?"
"I need for you to talk to Cameron for me."
"Mollie, there is no way in hell I am going to talk to Cameron for you. You chose to smother Brody with kisses in his hospital bed after his surgery. What in the hell were you thinking? You knew Brody was in a relationship with Carly. Most importantly, you knew how Cameron felt about you."
"I'm guilty. I know. I don't know what came over me. When I heard Brody had been shot, I rushed to the hospital. My original intent was to find Cameron and wait for word about Brody's condition. But when I asked at the nurses' station, they said Brody was in recovery and I could visit with him for a minute."
"And the rest is history. I already lived this experience; I don't need to relive it, Mollie."
"Please ask Cameron to talk to me and give me another chance."
"Not going to happen."
"Why not?"
" You chose to tell Cam for months that he was the one you were in love with — not Brody. You chose to molest Brody in the hospital. I mean, the guy was still under anesthesia. What were you thinking?"
"I can't explain what I did. I have no clue what came over me. I've been over Brody for years."
"You couldn't have hurt Cam more if you'd stabbed him in the chest. He's been in love with you for years. He thought you loved him, too," Gabe said. "If he ever forgives you, that's his decision. I'm not intervening on your behalf."
Wiping tears from her cheek, Mollie went back to the kitchen.
Gabe's cell vibrated on the table. The call was from Kaitlyn, the very last person on earth he wanted to talk to right now. What would he tell her? He'd just found a body in an alley that looked an awful lot like her sister. Bryan hadn't made an official identification of the body yet. Gabe ignored her call and prayed she was nowhere near the crime scene.
Brody was right. If the body was Abby's, he'd be considered a person of interest — the last thing a private investigator building a business wants to be. A sickening sense of guilt washed over him. How could he be concerned about his business when a young woman just lost her life in such a violent way?
Gabe
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