Page 116 of Our Daughter's Bones

“I don’t understand,” he said. “I talked to my boss in Chicago and to Captain Murphy. Everything was fine.”

Peck cleared his throat. “After the way the last cases were handled, it’s best to be cautious.” His gaze lingered on Mackenzie a little longer than necessary.

“Agent St. Clair is an important asset. We’ve been using FBI’s white-collar crime division to help us track down a shell company,” she said in a hard voice.

“You don’t need Agent St. Clair for that. We can’t afford any more mistakes.”

“Lieutenant Peck, there won’tbeany mistakes,” Daniel assured him. “I’m just a consultant. I don’t even have access to any evidence––”

“No one’s questioning your competency; this is a conflict of interest. It’s messy to have an officer related to one of the victims on the case. We’re grateful for your contribution. But this is the end of the road for you.”

“Sully?” Nick said.

Sully shrugged helplessly. But his pout screamed disapproval. Daniel fidgeted before nodding stiffly. He stood up and shook Peck’s hand: an act of professionalism. As they exchanged insincere pleasantries, Mackenzie’s eyes never left Peck.

Had she been wrong to confront Peck about his negligence? Was this her fault? Perhaps it would have been wiser to keep quiet. She’d rattled him.

“Detective Price,” Daniel’s face came into view. “If there’s anything I can do to help you in the future, give me a call.”

He looked like he was going to burst. His eyes were glassy, and a vein in his forehead throbbed.

“We’ll walk you out,” Nick said.

Outside the building, Daniel let out a loud breath and squeezed his eyes shut. He pressed his hands into his knees, as his chest moved in waves.

“I’m sorry, man,” Nick shook his head. “I don’t know why they changed their mind out of nowhere.”

“Just please find out what happened to my sister.” He swallowed hard. “I… I don’t like depending on others, but I don’t have a choice anymore.”

“We will,” Mackenzie promised.

He turned to leave but paused. “Perhaps it’s not my place to say this, or maybe I’m too paranoid, but something bad is going on in this town.”

She knew that. A dusty wind blew across the street. Lakemore didn’t have dust storms. Yet it seemed like one was right around the corner, with the imposing clouds hurrying across the sky and the dirt prickling her eyes. Maybe it was a sign that even a town like Lakemore could surprise you.

Sixty-Four

October 8

Mackenzie never understood the appeal of the violin. There was something disruptive about the sound. It lacked the softness of the piano or the grace of the harp. She watched the man playing the instrument. It was played like a machine; the strings ground and grated.

“Why’re we here?” Nick asked.

The restaurant was quaint and authentic, with brown walls and red-and-white checked tablecloths. Behind Nick was a large pizza oven. The air was saturated with the smell of bread and cheese.

“I wanted Italian food,” she replied, puzzled by her own answer.

“You don’t have any other friends, do you?”

“Do you want to leave?” She gnashed her teeth and raised an eyebrow.

“No way. You’re paying. I never refuse free food.”

“Is it my fault?” she blurted.

“What?”

“Peck giving Daniel the boot.”