He must have come up with some story to pass on to the sheriff as a follow-up to the man’s visit.

BK flipped off the light in the bedroom and returned to the kitchen. Pulled a pad of paper and a pen from a drawer and sat at the table.

It was time to list next steps in the elimination plan, starting with a deadline and working backward.

After tapping the end of the pen against the blank sheet of paper, BK wrote in a date.

Saturday, July 13

By one week from today, Grace Reilly would be dead.

24

MORNING, GRACE. I don’t usually see you in here on Sunday.” Jolene stopped beside the window table at the Spotted Hen, order pad and pencil in hand.

“Hi, Jolene.” Grace set the menu down. “I went to the early service and was in the mood for a splurge breakfast this morning.” Especially after her much-anticipated date last night had failed to materialize.

“You came to the right place. If you want to indulge, go for the western skillet special with a side of biscuits. That’ll hold you till dinner. Guaranteed.”

“Sold.”

Jolene picked up the menu and tucked it under her arm. “You’re lucky you got a plum table. Usually we’re packed on Sunday mornings, with a long line waiting to get in.”

Grace surveyed the three-quarters-full restaurant. “What’s going on?”

“One word—flu.” The waitress shook her head. “Folks are dropping like flies. I understand our sheriff’s the latest victim.”

Was there anything this woman didn’t know?

“How did you find out about that?”

“One of the deputies stopped in earlier for coffee. Nate must have passed the news on to his second-in-command, and Deke shared it with the crew on weekend duty.” The woman waved at a newly arrived family group and motioned toward an empty table.

“It’s a bad bug, that’s for sure.”

“Must be, if it can fell someone as hale and hearty as Nate. That means none of us are safe.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe I’ll run a plate of food over to him after I get off duty.”

“I applaud your charitable impulse, but I don’t think he’s in the mood to eat yet.”

Jolene studied her. “How would you know that?”

Whoops. She’d walked straight into that one.

“I, uh, talked with him earlier by phone. About a case.”

That was true. She had mentioned Friday’s autopsy when she’d called him after church—but her main purpose had been to see how he was feeling.

“Must be a hot case, if you two spoke on a Sunday.” Jolene continued to assess her.

“All cases are hot until they’re solved.”

“Uh-huh.” Jolene stuck the pencil behind her ear, lips twitching. “I’m thinking that’s not all that’s hot around here—and I’m not talking about the weather.” With a wink, she moved on to the table of new arrivals.

Grace rolled her eyes. So much for keeping her relationship with Nate under wraps. If Jolene had picked up on the electricity zipping between the two of them, the rest of the county wouldn’t be far behind.