“The police never found the bullet, so they didn’t believe her. Thought she was too busy crying over Dan to think straight.”
“Ed, stop.”
“Let the man talk.” Cal realized he finally found a person who could tell him something worth knowing.
Ed’s eyebrow crept up a notch. “Nothing more to tell. Not from me anyway. I do find this interesting, though.”
Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “What?”
“You.” Ed cleared his throat. “With him.”
Oh, no. Time to stop that line of thinking. “Wait a second.”
Ed’s attention stayed on Cassie. “I’ve only seen two things get you this riled up—the investigation and…”
Cal noticed everyone started looking at him. “What?”
Ed smiled. “You.”
Cal had no idea what to say to that. He didn’t get a chance to come up with a zinging response because Cassie jumped in.
“Spend a few minutes with Cal and you’ll be screaming, too,” she muttered.
Cal ignored the slight. “You’re trying to tell me she’s not usually like this?”
Ed patted the corner of the desk near Cassie. “She’s quite calm and lovely.”
“Really?”
“You’re no prize, either,” she said.
Cal’s headache kicked up to Big Band levels. It didn’t help that the older man’s face broke into a wide grin. Cal swore he heard Ed whistle a strange melody.
Cassie tapped her fingers against the desk. “We’re getting off track here.”
“I’d say,” Cal mumbled in agreement.
“We’ll deal with all that later.” Ed leveled a knowing look in Cal’s direction.
For the first time since he was thirteen, Cal thought about running for cover. “I don’t think so.”
“What are you talking about?” Cassie asked.
“Never you mind, Cassie darling. Cal, here, has some questions about Dan’s work. Let’s get them answered.”
“I need to see Dan’s flight logs and take a look at his books. It would be helpful if you had a map around that sets out the crash area.”
Ed nodded. “Have plenty of maps, and you’re welcome to whatever the police left behind.”
“Can you tell me anything about Deputy Chief Greene and that DEA agent he’s hanging out with?”
Ed’s mouth screwed up in a frown as he thought about the question. “Ted? He’s solid. From Kauai. Straightforward.”
The assessment mirrored Cal’s impression as well. “And Windsor?”
“Well, now, he’s a different story. He’s been in the papers a lot lately. Usually does joint drug cases with Travers. Seems inoffensive enough but his discipline is a question.”
“The timing is interesting,” Cassie pointed out.
“Meaning?” Cal asked.
“The chief goes away, Dan dies, and the police part of the investigation is rushed through before the chief can get back and look into anything.”
Finding the truth would take forever if Cassie kept finding conspiracies in every corner. “Could be a coincidence.”
“You know what?” She tapped that foot again. “I’m sick of everyone using chance as an excuse for everything.”
“Are you pouting?” The opportunity to provoke her was too appealing for Cal to pass up.
A rosy hue burned in her cheeks almost immediately. “When I find that gun, you’re a dead man.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” Cal turned the conversation back to Ed. “Anyone around here know about Dan’s business?”
“Normally I’d say no but there’s been some talk about a silent partner and some business dealings other than flying.”
Cassie jumped off the desk and glared at the older man in a way that would make most men hide. “You never told me that.”
“Because I can’t imagine Dan getting hooked up with that character.”
“Who?” Cal asked.
Ed hesitated as if wondering how much to tell. “Man named Bobby Polk. The kind of guy who has his fingers in everything, pretending he’s the boss when he’s really the problem.”
“Dan didn’t need a partner,” Cassie insisted.
Cal admired Cassie’s defense of Dan, but from the way Ed’s eyes narrowed Cal guessed the older man believed the rumors. Cal had his own concerns. He knew the real reason Dan left the Air Force. Nothing voluntary about that choice.
Cassie didn’t know, and Cal didn’t want to be the one to disillusion her. He also didn’t want her to know the part he played in Dan’s removal from the service.
Ed slipped his hand into Cassie’s. “All I know is that Polk started showing up around the office and dragging his pretty young girlfriend with him. Louisa something.”
“How young?” Cal tried to assimilate the information.
“Early twenties, maybe. Polk’s more than twice her age and not in her league, if you know what I mean.”
Cal did.
“Anyway,” Ed continued, “Dan was pretty secretive about the deal. I figured he was transporting something for Polk.”
“Something illegal?” Cal asked since someone had to.
Cassie’s eyes grew wide. “That makes sense. If Dan knew someone was using his business to carry out illegal operations, he would do something about it. That might be the motive for killing him.”
Cal put the brakes on that line of thinking before Cassie tried to make a citizen’s arrest. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Cal ignored the question and went back to Ed’s story. “Is this Polk character still around?”
“He does business here on Kauai. No idea what kind. That’s one of the mysteries surrounding the guy. There’s a storefront but not much activity there.”
Cassie nibbled on her bottom lip. “You don’t believe Dan was—”
Ed tightened his hand around Cassie’s. “It’s all rumors, Cassie darling. Don’t concern yourself.”
Cal filed the information away for later. “I want to take a look at the crash site and maybe scout out a few other areas.”
Ed’s solid form seemed to shrink. He shot a sheepish glance in Cassie’s direction. “Maybe you and I could go down into the canyon.”
Cal appreciated Ed’s protective streak. “Sounds good.”
But Cassie was having none of it. She stepped between the men, making them focus on her. “I’m going.”
The older man’s dark eyes grew soft. “This isn’t necessary.”
Cal decided that coddling her was the exact wrong approach. It made her weepy. He needed her strong. “You still think you’re so tough?”
She turned on him in an instant. Just as he wanted her to do.
“I’m the one who’s been down there.”