He jogged back to his car. Back at the inn, he parked his car next to Jed’s truck. Not good. Danny wanted some privacy with Mandy. Whether she liked it or not, they had things to discuss.

Mandy wasn’t sure how long she sat in her car, waiting for her stomach and her nerves to settle. When she was able to plaster a benign look on her face, she opened the car door and walked across the grass.

She took a minute to listen to the wind rustling though the tree branches. She used to wish something would happen out of the ordinary in this trap of a town. Now she just hoped life could return to the normal, boring routine she hadn’t known to appreciate until it was whisked away.

The throaty rumble of Danny’s engine stopped her. Tires crunched on gravel. She turned to watch him get out of his purple convertible. He stopped to wipe something from the fender with the hem of his T-shirt. The gesture brought a bubble of giddiness up into her throat. Like shiny paint was going to help him catch a homicidal maniac. God, she was losing it.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Yes.” She led the way into the kitchen. Forget the lemonade. She needed a glass of wine. A big one. Danny closed the door behind them. Too bad it was so early, and she had too much work ahead in her day to indulge.

Jed was drinking coffee at the island. “Mrs. Stone just left. The rooms are clean. Your mother’s friends picked her up a few minutes ago. They took her to get something done to her hair. Said they’d be all afternoon.”

“OK.” Mandy dropped her duffel by the door so she wouldn’t forget to clean the weapon later.

Honey sat at Jed’s feet, ears pricked forward. Despite their entry, the dog’s focus didn’t waver from her master’s face. Behind her, the door to the family quarters was propped open with a stool.

“Find Bill,” Jed commanded. The dog spun around and dashed into the apartment.

Mandy plunked her purse on the counter. “What are you doing?”

“Just a game we’ve been working on.” Jed got to his feet, rinsed his mug, and put it in the dishwasher. “Keeps the dog and your brother busy.”

With the thud of heavy footsteps and the clatter of dog nails on hardwood, Bill and Honey rushed into the kitchen.

“She found me again! That’s five times in a row.” Bill dropped to one knee and threw his arms around the dog’s neck. She licked his face. “Honey is the smartest dog ever.”

Mandy gave Jed a what’s-going-on look.

He shrugged off her stare. “It’s good to keep her nose in practice.”

“But she’s a retriever, not a scent hound,” Mandy pointed out.

“What’s the difference?” Danny asked.