“Not everything, of course, but it’s what the police have pieced together. So when Ray was about to be released, Isaac decided to disappear rather than face him. Ray has a track record of being thrown back in jail within months of being paroled, but this time it didn’t happen. Isaac began to get worried that Ray would talk, so he turned himself in yesterday and is cooperating with the authorities.”

Dumbstruck, Katie leaned back in her chair. “So what about Octavia’s jewels?”

“Pawned.”

“And her cat?”

“I don’t think anyone asked him about her cat. He’s probably long gone by now.”

“Wow.” Katie scribbled as fast as she could. “Why was Stephen a suspect?” she asked, remembering that her nephew had been questioned.

“Never a suspect, but he did have a set of keys that belonged to Isaac Wells—keys that Ray Dean hoped would lead him to the loot. The police didn’t know the connection, of course. Not until now.”

“So what happens now?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I think Ray will be sent back to prison and Isaac will get a lesser sentence for turning himself in. I think Octavia’s insurance company will probably sue and Isaac will have to give up whatever he has left to pay off the claim. But I’m not sure. That’s just conjecture.”

Katie chewed on the end of her pencil. “So how did they break into Octavia’s home?”

“Isaac knew someone who had once cleaned Octavia’s house and knew where she kept the extra keys. The old lady was foolish, I think.”

Katie stared out the window toward Luke’s apartment. A squirrel was racing along the gutter, then scrambled into the overhanging bows of a pine tree. Blue was barking, running along the edge of the carriage house, his nose tilted into the air, his eyes trained on his quarry. But Katie didn’t pay any attention to the squirrel’s antics or Blue’s frustrated cries. In her mind’s eye she saw her story forming, but some of the joy she’d expected to feel the satisfaction of getting her big scoop—was missing. “I owe you, Jarrod.”

“Just take care of yourself.”

“I will. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“You know I’ll have to talk to Ray Dean,” she ventured, ready for her brother’s temper to explode.

“Go ahead. As long as he’s behind bars.”

* * *

The next couple of days were busy. Too busy. Somehow Katie avoided Luke, though she suspected he was the one doing the avoiding. By the time she got up each morning and peeked out the window, his pickup was gone; she didn’t hear it return until after midnight. She’d talked to Ralph Sorenson a couple of times and Josh had tentatively gotten on the phone and spoken to his grandfather. Things were still tense, but working out. Eventually they would all meet.