“Not at all. I meant to mention that while you were in here.”

“Thanks. I’m putting the call through.”

Five seconds later, Nate greeted the attorney. “I understand you have a client with information that may be of interest to law enforcement.”

“Yes, I do. Tyler Holmes.”

Nate sat up straighter. Hard as he’d tried to put together a strategy to get the nineteen-year-old to talk, he’d come up blank. The mere sighting of his car coming out of Mavis’s driveway the night she died was nothing more than circumstantial evidence.

But apparently he’d put the fear of God into the kid, if he’d hired a lawyer. Holmes must be willing to bargain—and talk.

“When would you like to meet?”

“Monday. My client gets off work at three. We could be at your office by four.”

“I’ll put you on my calendar.”

“My client, his father, and I will be in the meeting. We’ll see you next week.”

The attorney severed the connection, and Nate returned the handset to the cradle.

Two back-to-back possible breaks in the Templeton and Wilson cases on this last Friday in June.

Not a bad way to close out the month.

Whether they led anywhere remained to be seen, but his instincts said they were getting closer to the answers Grace was searching for in both deaths.

His phone began to ring again, and he huffed out a breath.

As soon as he got a spare minute, he’d share the news with her. Two separate but related leads lent credence to each other. Meaning it wouldn’t be premature to alert her to today’s developments. He’d also get a dinner date on the books. Not for tomorrow night, since he was on Saturday evening patrol, but as soon as he could manage it.

Because while the outcome of the seed-related cases remained fuzzy, he was very clear on one high-priority personal goal.

Namely, getting to know the forensic pathologist who’d entered his orbit a whole lot better.

ASAP.

Grace Reilly was a thorn in the side.

BK slammed the empty scotch glass on the counter, rattling the ice, and began to pace.

The woman’s doggedness was aggravating—but on the positive side, forewarned was forearmed. Fortunately, credible contacts and a sympathetic ear were excellent assets if a person was on the hunt for information. It was astonishing how loose-lipped many people could be around those they dismissed as harmless. Safe. Not important enough to worry about.

Well, the surprise was on them.

Appearances weren’t always what they seemed.

The question now was what, if anything, to do about the tenacious pathologist.

BK stopped beside the window and watched the comings and goings of the neighbors, all caught up in the drudgery of daily living. Working day after day to pay the bills and put food on the table, finding occasional respite in fleeting moments of pleasure, content to let those with more clout push them around.

Pathetic.