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A good investigator sees the details that others blow off.

T he evening was already chilly, so Meg packed a pair of jeans and a hoodie in Watson’s backpack.

She’d have to find a clump of trees to change from the capris into jeans, or she’d put the oversized hoodie on first while switching into warmer clothes.

Of course, she’d probably have to roll up her jeans in order to wade out to the boat.

Just the price you paid to play on the water.

Dalton grabbed the backpack as soon as he came to get them. With Watson in tow, they made their way down the stairs and into the truck.

“So how was your day? Did you get a new assignment from Ms. Aster?” Dalton asked as he drove away.

She talked about the new assignment and her trip to the campus to get set up for classes.

“I didn’t realize you were thinking about going back.” Dalton glanced over at her from the driver’s seat. “That must be exciting.”

“I have to say I’m looking forward to it.” She grinned as they parked in the town lot. “Remind me that I said this in about a year, when I’m tired of doing homework around my two jobs.”

“You’ll do fine. I think sometimes it takes people time to figure out what they want to do.” He parked the truck, pausing the conversation as she got out of the truck and lifted Watson out. “You do know what you want to do, right?”

“Kind of. It’s a work in progress,” Meg admitted. She waited for him to remote-lock the truck. “Should I have grabbed Watson’s backpack?”

“No, we’ll come back. I’ve got us a table out on the Whale Fin patio tonight.” He pointed to the restaurant, which was down the street. “A guy from work said he saw a group of gray whales coming this way. I was hoping we could see them from the restaurant or at the bonfire.”

“So we’re not going to drink and get rowdy with your friends?” Meg followed him down the sidewalk to the restaurant.

“I have acquaintances at the bonfire, not friends.” Dalton held the patio gate open for her. “Is that why you said yes? To drink with the rowdies?”

“No, I said yes because I like your company. And it’s a good way to figure out who is who on the island.

At least in our age group. The age-appropriate class at church turned out to be a female-bonding hour.

Which I didn’t mind. Mom thought there would be eligible bachelors for me to meet.

Instead, I got hit with a cruise time-share presentation. ”

Dalton chuckled as he followed the hostess to their table. “Irene found a new prospect. She must be over the moon. Did she pull out her laptop for the full half-hour slideshow?”

“So everyone knows to stay away from Irene? It would have been nice to have had some warning. All Natasha did was laugh.” Meg sat down, and Watson went under the table to sleep until the food arrived.

“I didn’t realize you were looking for a new boyfriend at church.” He opened his menu and studied it.

“I didn’t say I was looking for a new boyfriend.” Meg rolled her eyes. “Mom is the one who was playing the matchmaker card. And don’t tell her that the young adult group is filled with women. Otherwise, she’ll find something else for me, and Junior will be taking her to church going forward.”

As they ate, Dalton watched the sound for any sign of the whales. The silence between them should have been comfortable, but Meg kept wondering about the picture of Emmett’s boat registration and why Dalton had removed it from her phone.

Frustrated, she set her fork down. “Look, I know you don’t want to talk about it, but why did you delete that picture from my phone?”

He turned his gaze back from the sound to her. “I’m sorry about that.”

“That’s it? You’re sorry? That’s not an explanation.

How can I trust you if you go behind my back and do things like this?

You know I’m already dealing with trust issues.

” Meg felt her anger building and pressed her lips together.

Yelling at Dalton wasn’t going to change what had happened. And they were in a public place.

“I’m not Romain,” he reminded her. “But I do owe you an explanation. Emmett is a friend, but he’s also a client.

And he trusts me with his boat. I can’t be taking pictures and turning him in to the police because he had some sort of business deal with a guy who wound up dead.

I have a responsibility to look the other way unless it’s an actual crime. ”

“How do we know he didn’t kill Meade?” Meg pointed out.

“I get that, but, Meg, we don’t know he did.

And the evidence is less solid than what your uncle has on Natasha.

And we both feel like he should be able to see through that.

” Dalton took a deep breath before he continued.

“I told you I’d talk to him about calling your uncle and telling him about the loan.

And he did. He went to the bank last week to get a loan to pay off Meade’s estate. So he’ll be done with him.”

“I figured that.” Meg picked up her fork and continued eating.

Dalton stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“I saw him at the bank when I set up a safety-deposit box for the engagement ring. Well, the ring and my important papers, which don’t even begin to fill up my box.

So if you want to put your passport and other stuff in my box, there’s room.

” She broke off a bit of bread and held it under the table for Watson.

“You’re asking my papers to move in with your papers? Magpie, I didn’t realize we were at that stage yet.” Dalton pretended to think. “Okay, I accept, but they get to be in a separate envelope, so your papers can’t be all touchy-feely.”

Meg snorted, and the heaviness in the air between them broke.

“Fine. I see your point about your professional relationship with Emmett. And if you don’t need space in my safety-deposit box, I’ll ask Natasha if she needs some.

Although our girl is much more adult than either of us. She probably already has one.”

“I think she does. She had me drop her off at the bank to put something inside her box a few months ago. But she’s never offered to share with me.” He finished his meal and leaned back. “You’re fast becoming the number one friend on the ranking list.”

“Whatever,” she responded, giving Watson the last of her roll.

He took her hand and squeezed it. “And as a reward for that kindness, look out to your left. The whales are here.”

They sat there for quite a while watching as the whales played in the water. Then they swam away from the spot where Meg could see them. She smiled over at Dalton. “I’ve missed home. I’ve missed these moments. In Seattle it was all about the rush. Here I have time to think and watch.”

“We’ve missed you, too.” He looked over at the waitress, who then came by with the check. “We better get out to the bonfire, or we’ll miss Nate falling over drunk and almost nosediving into the fire. It’s one of his best tricks.”

“Besides yelling about those people who are ruining his life,” Meg added.

Dalton pretended to hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “How could I forget that?”

* * *

Nate and Violet were at the bonfire, but the couple was surprisingly quiet. The group was smaller tonight, and the talk centered around the murder and who would commit such a violent act. Everyone seemed to know already how exactly Meade had died. No one knew who had killed him.

Finally, one guy stood and held his arms wide. “No more sad talk. We’re young and alive. Turn up the music.”

Dalton leaned over. “That’s Blake Adams. He works over at the marina.”

“He has good taste in music,” Meg responded as she leaned into the chair that Dalton had brought her. Luna was over on the other side of the fire, sitting with a guy but staring at Dalton. “So you aren’t dating anyone?”

Dalton smiled and shook his head. “Nope. I’m spending time with my friend right now. Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“More like trying to figure you out,” Meg admitted. She rubbed her fingers on Watson’s back.

“Good luck with that.” He opened a bottle of water and took a drink. “Is Natasha coming?”

“I don’t know.” Meg glanced around at the people at the bonfire.

Natasha had already been here when Meg arrived the last time, but tonight she was nowhere to be found.

“I think she’s worried about Robert’s murder.

I know she didn’t kill him, and I’m sure Uncle Troy will clear her soon. But that has to be stressful.”

As they spoke, Natasha walked onto the beach from the small parking lot on the north side. She had a cooler in her hand as well as a towel wrapped around her waist.

Meg waved. “Speak of the devil.”

“I’m going to tell her you called her that.” Dalton stood and walked over to Natasha. He took her cooler from her hand.

The man was a gentleman. To her, to Natasha. To everyone. To prove her point, he offered Natasha his chair, which she turned down, spreading the towel next to Meg’s chair instead.

“I brought a cake and wine coolers. We’re celebrating.”

“You had me at cake,” Meg joked. “What are we celebrating?”

“Your uncle called me a few minutes before I closed the bakery. My timeline matches up with the street cameras. And my apartment lights go on right after that. So it’s unlikely I killed Robert Meade.

Or at least I’m no longer the most likely suspect.

Your uncle doesn’t like being crystal clear on these things.

Anyway, I’m taking the call as I’m off his list. And he said I was too short to be a viable suspect, anyway.

I guess the neighbor’s cameras caught someone fighting with Meade the night he was killed, but the camera view was almost out of frame. ”

“So they don’t know who killed him, but you don’t match the killer’s body type.” Meg hugged her. “That’s the best thing that’s happened today.”

“Besides the whales?” Dalton looked hurt.

“And the cake, especially if it’s chocolate,” Meg added.