“But usually to younger people. More careless people. Ed must have known his way around guns after serving in the military.”

“He did. He’d grown up with guns on the farm.”

“What did Ed and Robbie do after the gun went off?”

“They called 9-1-1 and started CPR. Tragically, they couldn’t save her.”

“Had your dad been drinking?”

“No. There was no alcohol or drugs in his system. Robbie saw everything. He testified at Dad’s trial that it was simply a terrible accident.”

“But was Robbie an impartial witness? He’d have said anything, wouldn’t he, to protect his older brother? The one who’d protected him from Vietnam?”

“The circumstances are fishy,” Finley conceded. She’d always had the sense that more was involved. “Neither Robbie nor Dad ever budged on a single detail. We talked about it a lot, and they told me that’s how it happened.”

Luke grunted.

“You think Dad wanted to kill Carla?” Finley asked.

“Probably.”

Her pulse pounded. “Why would someone with no history of violence suddenly kill his girlfriend? And why would he do it with his brother present?”

“I can’t answer the first question. But having his brother present meant he had a chance of making a jury believe he’d killed her accidentally while cleaning her gun. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter?”

“Yes.”

“Which comes with a much lighter sentence than murder.”

“But I knew him. Better than anyone.” She fidgeted with the edge of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon album. “My father was not a murderer.”

“Tell me more about Carla.”

“She’s from the town of Toccoa. Her mother and her three younger brothers still live there. They hold a fundraiser in her honor every year. It’s coming up, actually. I always go, but anonymously, since I don’t think they’d be delighted to see me.”

“Her family members might be the ones who pose a threat to you.”

“If they wanted to take revenge on me, they’d have done it by now. Also, there’s no way for them to know about this treasure hunt. Dad arranged this hunt while he was awaiting trial for killing Carla. Her family members are the last people he’d ever have told about this.”

She peeked at him. He was frowning.

“Her mother and brothers all have great reputations,” she said. “They’re active in the community. Centered on their families. Well-respected.”

Luke didn’t press the line of questioning further. However, she could almost hear the gears of his brain grinding as he thought about who might be chasing after her treasure and why.

After a time, he handed her a receipt he’d found inside an album from the seventies. “Is this anything?”

She studied the receipt and album. “Maybe. Let’s set all of the possibilities to the side.” She laid the items on the hardwood floor adjacent the rug.