Steve blinked. “Very. Aunt Sharon has been a constant in my life since the beginning. She never missed a baseball game or a school recital.” His voice broke.

Laurel wasn’t tall enough to sit all the way back on the sofa and unobtrusively moved a mocha-colored pillow behind her back. “Do you have any idea who would want to harm your aunt?”

“No.” Steve rubbed his clean-shaven jaw. “I’ve been busy with my law practice and haven’t spent much time with her the last few years.”

The mayor and his wife walked in from what looked like the kitchen, both dressed nicely. Mayor Bearing was around six feet tall with silver gray hair, pale blue eyes, and smooth movements from playing baseball most of his life. For the meeting, he wore pressed gray slacks and a yellow polo shirt with a Hawaiian golf course logo above the pocket.

Teri Bearing wore light pink linen pants and a flowered sweater with a silver cross necklace and small silver hoops at her ears. Her hair was blond and feathery, her eyes green, and her posture perfect.

Huck stood as they entered the room. “We’re very sorry for your loss.” The mayor had lines extending from his eyes, and Mrs. Bearing’s nose was red and her eyes swollen as if she’d been crying.

“Thank you,” the mayor answered, leading his wife to the chair adjacent to her son and then sitting on an ottoman near the brick fireplace.

Huck introduced Laurel and himself, giving their job descriptions. “We’re very sorry to bother you at this time, but we need to gather facts while they’re fresh in your minds.”

Mrs. Bearing clasped her hands together in her lap, showing one gold band on her ring finger and light pink fingernails. “We understand.” Her voice was soft but powerful.

Laurel studied them both. “Would you run us through the events of last night, Mrs. Bearing?”

“Teri. Call me Teri.” She sat straighter and her gaze moved up and to the right as if to remember. “My sister asked to stay at our cabin to work on a new book of poetry and went up there, about two weeks ago?” She looked to her husband, who nodded.

“Is that usual?” Laurel asked. “That she’d leave town for weeks and use your cabin?”

“Yes,” the mayor answered. “She has always secluded herself somewhere when really digging down to work, and she has often used our cabin, even for a girls’ retreat for her college friends one week every summer.”

Laurel nodded. “All right. Please continue.”