Dr. Chandler walked toward a beat-up SUV. Danny looked down at the business card. The doctor had likely treated Nathan at some point. Dr. Chandler probably knew more about the residents of Huntsville than anyone else in town. He didn’t seem like the type of guy to blab on his patients, but maybe Danny could wheedle some info about Nathan’s family out of him. As Mandy had pointed out, Danny didn’t know squat about Nathan or this town.

Unfortunately, Danny’s statement to the annoying lieutenant was all too accurate. Danny had a better chance of winning the lottery than finding Nathan, especially without Mandy’s help.

Somehow, Danny had to convince her to work with him. She’d lived in Huntsville all her life, and she’d worked for Nathan part-time. She must know personal stuff about her former boss. Who knew what might provide a clue to his current whereabouts? Or who he’d been sleeping with.

Danny picked up his pizza and ate a slice as he drove toward the Black Bear Inn. Guilt twisted in his gut. Mandy was in for another reminder of the night she wanted to forget.

Mandy stowed the last clean pan and glanced at the clock on the oven. Eleven thirty.

The back door opened, and a tall, spare woman in her sixties let herself into the kitchen. Gray-streaked hair was pulled back in a severe knot from her ruddy face.

“Hello, Mrs. Stone,” Mandy said.

“Good morning.” The inn’s only employee, Mrs. Stone, closed the door with red hands that had seen decades of hard work. She stowed her handbag in the closet. “How many rooms today?”

“Eight.”

“Terrific.” Mrs. Stone nodded. “You’re nearly full. I was worried that ugliness over the winter would affect business.”

“Me, too.” The bookings had been a big sigh of relief to Mandy, and the guests actually showing up had been even better. It was hard enough to make ends meet with a ten-room inn. Winter was slow because Huntsville wasn’t convenient to any of the major ski resorts. Three seasons of decent bookings barely generated enough income to keep the inn afloat. Luckily, tourists didn’t have many options in this area. Last winter’s killings had been written off as a bizarre, random event. But if Nathan turned up again, tourists might decide to try their hunting or fishing luck elsewhere.

And the Black Bear Inn would be in deep trouble.

“I’d hate to lose the supplementary income. Social Security just doesn’t cut it these days.” Mrs. Stone grabbed her bucket of cleaning supplies and headed upstairs.

Mandy wiped down the counters. Masculine voices drew her gaze to the window. Danny’s convertible was parked next to Jed’s truck. Jed was still on the ladder trimming branches. Danny stood at the base of the trunk, looking up at Jed.