“You’d better be here to kiss me good-night,” Lily exclaimed.
“I kissed you while you were sleeping last night. Besides, you know how it works. If I’m not here to kiss you good-night, then Nanny gives you double kisses,” Olivia replied.
“And I think I gave her triple kisses last night,” Rose exclaimed.
Minutes later Olivia left the house and headed for the station. She hoped the issue of her and Daniel’s previous encounter had been laid to rest, for she was depending on him to accompany her as she interviewed some of the key players in the two-year-old murder case of Shelly Sinclair.
So he’d thought about her over the years. His words had surprised her. She’d always figured she’d been nothing more than a slight blip on his radar. A sexy guy like him had to have had plenty of hookups before and after that night they’d shared.
Of course it didn’t matter if he’d thought about her or her about him. It didn’t matter if he was still attracted to her and she was attracted to him. Nothing would ever come of it.
She wasn’t a young, vulnerable woman anymore. In fact, she rarely thought of herself as a woman. She was a mother, but she was also a law enforcement official. She wore those titles much more easily than that of simply a woman.
It was nine o’clock when she and Daniel left the station and got into her car to drive to Claire Silver’s small house on the swamp side of town where she lived with her new husband, Bo.
“Bo moved in with Claire when his family home was burned down by the high school coach who had become Claire’s frightening stalker. They got married a couple of weeks ago,” Daniel said.
“I read the file on Claire’s stalker, Roger Cantor,” Olivia replied. She’d been grateful that there was no awkwardness between her and Daniel. It was as if their conversation the night before had never happened, and that was the way she wanted it. In fact, the tension between them that had been apparent since they’d first seen each other had dissipated.
Daniel guided her to a renovated shanty much like where Olivia was staying. “They’re my neighbors,” she said as she pulled her car to a halt in front of the house. “I’m staying five houses down in the bright yellow place.”
Daniel had called ahead to let Bo and Claire know they were coming, and Bo opened the door before they reached it. “Daniel,” he said in greeting and then held out a hand to Olivia. “Sheriff Bradford, it’s nice to meet you.”
Bo McBride had a firm handshake and clear blue eyes that appeared as if they wouldn’t know how to hide a secret. His dark hair was long and slightly shaggy and his features were well-defined and handsome. “Please, come in,” he said and gestured them into a small living room where a petite curly-haired blonde woman stood at their appearance.
Further introductions were made and then the four of them sat at the kitchen table where Claire offered them something to drink and they declined.
“I’m glad you’re reopening the case into Shelly’s murder,” Bo said.
“News travels fast around here,” Olivia replied drily.
“The small town gossip mill is alive and well,” Bo replied and then frowned. “I was basically run out of town on a rail in the weeks after her death because of nothing but gossip. Sheriff Walker made it clear that I was guilty and it was only because they couldn’t find evidence that I was still walking around free. It destroyed the life I’d had here.”
Claire placed a hand on Bo’s arm. “Bo couldn’t kill anyone, especially not Shelly, who he loved with all his heart.”
Olivia pulled out a small pad and pen from her purse. “I need you to tell me everything you can about that time. I want names of the people Shelly was close to, ideas you might have as to who might have wanted her dead...anything that will guide us as we dig into this case.”
For the next hour, Bo talked about his long-term relationship with Shelly. He was honest about the fact that he wasn’t sure if Shelly ever would have married him, that she had longed for a life away from Lost Lagoon. But, Bo’s successful business was here, along with his mother, and he had no desire to leave the small town.
Both Olivia and Daniel asked questions and not once did Olivia get the feeling that Bo was hiding anything from them. He confessed to them that he still owned Jimmy’s Place, that at the time of the murder many of his customers had turned away and that was when he suggested to his best friend, Jimmy Tambor, that he take over as manager and rename the place.
For almost two years following Shelly’s murder, Bo had built a new life for himself in Jackson, coming back to Lost Lagoon only in the dead of night on the weekends to visit his mother, whose house Jimmy had moved into to help care take of her.
“I came back a couple of months ago when my mother passed away and while I was here I met Claire.” He covered her petite hand with his and smiled at her lovingly. “She convinced me to stay in town and fight for my innocence, but then her life was in danger and my sole concern became keeping her safe.”
“So, you haven’t done much investigating on your own into Shelly’s murder,” Olivia said.
“If you’re asking me if I know who killed Shelly, then the answer is no. I’m no closer to knowing today than I was on the night she was murdered,” he replied. “All I know is I didn’t do it and I’m as eager as anyone to get the killer arrested.” His eyes blazed fervently.
“So, what did you think?” Daniel asked Olivia once they were back in her car.
“I’m mostly a facts-only kind of person, but my gut instinct says that he’s being truthful,” she replied.
“How about we grab a hamburger at George’s Diner before we head back to the station?” he suggested. “It’s not too far down the road from here.”
Olivia glanced at her watch. It was just after eleven. “All right,” she agreed. She’d eat a quick lunch and be back in her office by noon to check in on things there and to write up a complete report on the interview with Bo and Claire.
Daniel pointed the way, and before long she was parked in front of the small building with a huge sign on top that read George’s Diner.
“It doesn’t look big enough to be a diner,” she said as they got out of the car.
“I told you it’s really just a glorified hamburger joint. Most people order and take out. There are only five stools at a counter inside. George has everything from fried gator to shrimp scampi on his menu, but most people come here for the burgers. It’s a dive but he makes the best burgers you’ll ever wrap your mouth around.”
The interior of the small establishment was empty and held the gamy odor of the swamp and hot grease. “We’ll eat in the car,” Olivia whispered, finding the variety of cooking smells unpleasant.
At that moment a big man lumbered out of what she assumed was the kitchen. Jowls bounced as he greeted them with a smile and slapped two menus in front of them.
“I heard there was a new sheriff in town.” His deep voice resembled that of a croaking bullfrog. “George King,” he said. He swiped a hand on his dirty white apron and held it across the counter to her.
Olivia shook his hand and mentally thought of the small bottle of hand sanitizer she kept in her purse. “Sheriff Bradford,” she replied as she shook his thick, meaty hand.
“So, what can I get for you two? I got some fresh gator meat in this morning,” George said.
“No gator,” Daniel replied. “We’ll take two of your special burgers and a couple of sodas to go.”
“Got it.” George disappeared back into the kitchen area.
“Did he know Shelly?” Olivia asked.
Daniel smiled. “Everyone