left a message on your home phone
last night but you never called back.”
“Wisconsin. I came up to check on the new resort. Allie, Bryan’s dead.”
“No shit?” There was a long silence, and then Allie said, “Well, not to be morbid or anything, but
that isn’t exactly a bad thing for you, is it?”
Hailey cringed. A little digging and Shane would figure that out as well, if he didn’t already know.
“I’m pretty sure he was murdered. The police were just here questioning me.”
“What? Why you?”
Hailey ran her hand over her brow. The shakes were gone, thankfully. But she still felt like she
might throw up. “Because I went by the house yesterday before coming up here.”
“Well, technically it’s your house, right? How do you know he was murdered?”
“Because they wouldn’t have been here questioning my whereabouts if he hadn’t been. Allie, it’s
not going to take them long to figure out exactly what you just said. I have motive. I had means. I
have a crappy alibi.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up the train, circus-girl. What do you mean you have a crappy alibi?
Where were you yesterday?”
Hailey bit her lip. She wasn’t going to drag Allie into this. They were friends, but Allie was up for a
promotion. And unlike Hailey, she was a damn good officer.
“That doesn’t matter. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. My father was autopsied. I saw the final
report, but nothing stood out to me. Can you get hold of the report and have your dad take a look at
it? See if something jumps at him?”
Allie’s father was the Monroe County medical examiner. If ever there was a death expert, it was
James Hargrove. “You think your father didn’t die of heart failure like the ME concluded? And for
the record, I saw the way you changed subjects there.”
Hailey ignored the last sentence and focused on the important one. “I’m not sure. A few things he
said to me at the end don’t make a whole lot of sense. I’ve got this strange feeling he was trying to
tell me something. I was dealing with a lot right after his death. I didn’t read the report as carefully
as I could have.”
“Yeah, H, I can do that, but what does this have to do with Bryan?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a gut feeling. Something’s not right.”
“I’ll say. Stinky and Denmark come to mind.”
“I’ve never understood that saying.”
“Me, either,” Allie said. “I’m sure it offends someone somewhere, but I’m always offending people,
so that’s nothing new.”
This time when Hailey smiled, she did feel marginally better. If only for a second. But her smile
quickly faded. “You’ll never guess who the detective was that questioned me”.
“Howie D!”
Hailey couldn’t help it. She chuckled. Allie’s obsession with the Puerto Rican Backstreet Boy was
legendary. Through Hailey’s short marriage to Rafe, Allie had routinely pointed out that Rafe
looked like an older, taller version of the singer. A fact that used to piss Rafe off to no end.
“No. Unfortunately. Think tall, dark and brooding Chicago detective.”
“No!”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Allie whistled on her end of the phone. “What happened?”
Since Hailey had already told Allie all about Shane and their combustible chemistry, no explanation
was needed. She did, however, think it wise to omit the whole make-out session in his apartment
last night. “Not much. He insulted me. I insulted him. He tried to get me to confess to killing my
cousin. Match made in heaven, don’t you think?”
“Honey, we need to work on your man skills.”
“Among other things. Look, Allie, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
“You better. I’ll get in touch with my dad and get what you need.” Her tone grew serious. “And, H,
seriously, if you need anything else, call me. I mean it. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be fine. But thanks.”
Hailey hung up, then dialed the car service she frequently used. The
last night but you never called back.”
“Wisconsin. I came up to check on the new resort. Allie, Bryan’s dead.”
“No shit?” There was a long silence, and then Allie said, “Well, not to be morbid or anything, but
that isn’t exactly a bad thing for you, is it?”
Hailey cringed. A little digging and Shane would figure that out as well, if he didn’t already know.
“I’m pretty sure he was murdered. The police were just here questioning me.”
“What? Why you?”
Hailey ran her hand over her brow. The shakes were gone, thankfully. But she still felt like she
might throw up. “Because I went by the house yesterday before coming up here.”
“Well, technically it’s your house, right? How do you know he was murdered?”
“Because they wouldn’t have been here questioning my whereabouts if he hadn’t been. Allie, it’s
not going to take them long to figure out exactly what you just said. I have motive. I had means. I
have a crappy alibi.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up the train, circus-girl. What do you mean you have a crappy alibi?
Where were you yesterday?”
Hailey bit her lip. She wasn’t going to drag Allie into this. They were friends, but Allie was up for a
promotion. And unlike Hailey, she was a damn good officer.
“That doesn’t matter. Listen, I need you to do me a favor. My father was autopsied. I saw the final
report, but nothing stood out to me. Can you get hold of the report and have your dad take a look at
it? See if something jumps at him?”
Allie’s father was the Monroe County medical examiner. If ever there was a death expert, it was
James Hargrove. “You think your father didn’t die of heart failure like the ME concluded? And for
the record, I saw the way you changed subjects there.”
Hailey ignored the last sentence and focused on the important one. “I’m not sure. A few things he
said to me at the end don’t make a whole lot of sense. I’ve got this strange feeling he was trying to
tell me something. I was dealing with a lot right after his death. I didn’t read the report as carefully
as I could have.”
“Yeah, H, I can do that, but what does this have to do with Bryan?”
“I’m not sure. It’s a gut feeling. Something’s not right.”
“I’ll say. Stinky and Denmark come to mind.”
“I’ve never understood that saying.”
“Me, either,” Allie said. “I’m sure it offends someone somewhere, but I’m always offending people,
so that’s nothing new.”
This time when Hailey smiled, she did feel marginally better. If only for a second. But her smile
quickly faded. “You’ll never guess who the detective was that questioned me”.
“Howie D!”
Hailey couldn’t help it. She chuckled. Allie’s obsession with the Puerto Rican Backstreet Boy was
legendary. Through Hailey’s short marriage to Rafe, Allie had routinely pointed out that Rafe
looked like an older, taller version of the singer. A fact that used to piss Rafe off to no end.
“No. Unfortunately. Think tall, dark and brooding Chicago detective.”
“No!”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Allie whistled on her end of the phone. “What happened?”
Since Hailey had already told Allie all about Shane and their combustible chemistry, no explanation
was needed. She did, however, think it wise to omit the whole make-out session in his apartment
last night. “Not much. He insulted me. I insulted him. He tried to get me to confess to killing my
cousin. Match made in heaven, don’t you think?”
“Honey, we need to work on your man skills.”
“Among other things. Look, Allie, I gotta go. I’ll call you later.”
“You better. I’ll get in touch with my dad and get what you need.” Her tone grew serious. “And, H,
seriously, if you need anything else, call me. I mean it. I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be fine. But thanks.”
Hailey hung up, then dialed the car service she frequently used. The
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