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“I’ve already started,” Dottie replied. “I’ve identified three separate inconsistencies so far in the postmortem examination. The pattern of petechial hemorrhaging alone suggests asphyxiation prior to submersion.”

Hank leaned forward, interested. “Would that be consistent with strangulation before entering the water?”

“Precisely,” Dottie said, clearly pleased. “The hyoid bone also showed microfractures consistent with manual strangulation. I could tell that just by looking at the pictures. If you could exhume the body I could be even more thorough.”

Dash winced. “I’d hate to put more stress on Elizabeth’s father.

Let’s wait on that and see if you can find everything you need through other means.

” His gaze moved to Hank. “Hank, we identified the country club as a key information hub last night. Can you work your connections there? See if there’s anyone with loose lips who remembers Elizabeth’s death. ”

“Consider it done,” Hank agreed. “I have a standing tee time with Judge Calloway tomorrow morning. Man’s been a member for forty years and knows every skeleton in every closet on this island. He tends to become particularly talkative around the third hole when he’s had a Bloody Mary or two.”

“And Bea—” Dash turned to her, “—your social connections are invaluable for this investigation.”

“You mean I know where all the bodies are buried,” she said with a knowing smile. “Metaphorically speaking, of course.”

Dash nodded. “The more Mabel and I searched through files and witness statements, the more connections we came across. But the statements left in the case file are incomplete at best. Some of them refer to statements taken, like Clinton Harrington, but his statement isn’t in the file at all.

We need information about the relationships between Milton, the Harringtons, and the Cromwells.

Focus on the time period just before and after Elizabeth’s death. I want all the dirt on all of them.”

Bea’s eyes lit up. “I’ll dig through my files. It’s going to be juicy. I remember that summer. This island was a hotbed of scandal. If I remember right, that was the same summer Cromwell’s wife had an affair with Clinton Harrington.”

“I don’t think so,” Deidre said. “I think that was several years before Elizabeth was killed.”

“I’ve got pictures somewhere,” Bea said. “If I’m right you have to let me go shopping with you to pick out some new clothes. And you have to pay for them.”

“I have no desire to look like a lady of the night at my age,” Deidre said. “I’m a Whitmore.”

“Don’t pull that lord of the manner attitude with me, Deidre Whitmore. I remember your Aunt Phyllis. Woman knew the inside of every bedroom on Grimm Island. And your Uncle Josiah married his first cousin.”

“That’s ancient history, Bea,” Deidre said, sucking in her cheeks.

My eyes had grown wider as the conversation progressed, and everyone was quiet. None of this was ancient history to me, so I watched with fascination.

“Chicken,” Bea said.

“Fine, you’ve got a deal.”

Satisfied, Bea made herself at home behind the counter and poured herself a drink.

Dash turned to me last. He looked a little shell shocked, but he continued on with the briefing. “Mabel, you and Dottie should follow up with both of Milton’s ex-wives as we discussed. See if you can jog their memories or shake loose information that we might not have in official reports.”

“I have Lucinda’s number, so I’ll give her a quick call,” Dottie said. “We were friends when she lived on the island. But I haven’t spoken to her since she moved away.”

As the meeting broke up, each Silver Sleuth heading off with their assigned tasks, Dash lingered at the counter while I refilled the coffee carafe.

“You doing okay with all this?” he asked quietly.

“Sure,” I said, smiling. “I’m living out my Nancy Drew fantasies and helping a group of octogenarians keep their minds active. Seems like a win in my book.”

He smiled, but his eyes remained serious. “About last night?—”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” I interrupted quickly, heart hammering. “It was just…”

“Just what?” he prompted, his voice dropping and his gaze dropping to my lips.

Before I could answer, Walt approached us with purposeful strides, interrupting the moment.

“I’ve got a plan of attack,” he said, holding up his list. “Wish me luck.”

As Walt left I turned back to Dash. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to interrogate those construction workers like they’re enemy combatants.”

Dash chuckled. “He’s formidable. I’d have loved to have someone like him on my team when I was in Afghanistan. He’ll be a great asset for this case.”

My eyes widen at the bit of information he let slip about himself, but I didn’t say anything, hoping he’d reveal more. “None of them are to be underestimated. They’ve all had impressive careers, and now they’re channeling all that expertise into this case.”

“I’m starting to realize that,” Dash said as the group filed out, each with their assigned mission.

“I better get to that budget meeting,” he said reluctantly. He hesitated, looking like he wanted to say more, but instead simply nodded and headed for the door. Just before exiting, he turned back.

“By the way,” he said, those dark eyes finding mine across the room, “you look nice today.”

And then he was gone, leaving me with a fresh wave of butterflies and the unmistakable feeling that my carefully constructed widowhood was crumbling faster than I could shore it up.

“I got through to Lucinda,” Dottie announced, making me jump. I’d forgotten she was still in the tea shop. “It just so happens she’s coming to the island tomorrow to visit her sister. She’ll meet us for lunch at The Blue Crab at eleven o’clock.”

“That’s great,” I said. “We can head over to Vanessa’s boutique now. I’ve never met her.”

“You’re not missing out on much,” Dottie said, rolling her eyes. “Milton deserved every bit of that horror show.”

I laughed and served sandwiches while we waited for Genevieve to show up to take the afternoon shift.

* * *

Dottie and I walked down Harbor Street and took a right onto Driftwood toward Vanessa’s boutique. I intentionally slowed my pace some to make sure Dottie could keep up, but I ended up having to lengthen my stride. She was spry for a woman her age.

“So you’re friends with Milton’s first wife?” I asked.

“Oh, I’ve known Lucinda since we were girls,” Dottie said.

“Her maiden name is Conroy. She comes from one of the founding families. Those Conroy girls were something else back in the day. They were wild as wild could be, but they were fun. Everyone on the island wanted to be invited to a Conroy party. I think that’s why Milton wanted Lucinda.

He was always about having a good time. The dummy. Never did grow up.”

“Amazing he was ever elected sheriff in the first place,” I said.

“Lucinda’s daddy helped with that,” she said.

“Wanted to make sure he could support his baby girl. Then Lucinda’s sister Marjorie ended up marrying one of Roy Milton’s cousins, but they divorced not long after Roy and Lucinda split up.

Marjorie has pretty severe MS and can’t travel easily, so Lucinda comes back to visit and check on things. But Roy burned her pretty badly.”

“I’m surprised Lucinda moved away if her roots run that deep,” I said.

Dottie nodded. “She’s still got a lot of family here. And she owns property here. But being married to Milton must have been too much for her to bear, and she made her escape when she could. Family ties are hard to break here.”

“Then good for her,” I said.

Dottie looked at me with an intuitive gaze that made me uneasy. “You’re thinking of the ties to your own family?” she asked.

I shrugged and said, “Families like the ones on Grimm Island fascinate me. Generations upon generations of the same last names and family properties. I never knew my grandparents. My mom’s parents were divorced and she took off to marry my dad when she was barely seventeen.

They didn’t approve so she never talked to them again.

Both of my dad’s parents died in a car wreck when he was fifteen and he was swept into the foster care system.

It’s why he joined the military. It’s just such an odd feeling to live in a place where you know you’ll always be an outsider. ”

“And then you married Patrick and got an instant family with deep ties to the island,” she said.

I grimaced, remembering the scandal. “I didn’t have a lot of friends when the announcement was made that Patrick and I would be married, even though I’d grown up on the island. But once we got engaged, I had even less friends and a whole lot more enemies.”

“Oh, I remember,” Dottie said, chuckling.

“Patrick’s grandmother and I were contemporaries of sorts, but in all honesty I never cared for her much.

She was a bit high in the hoof for a woman who’d been the daughter of a cotton farmer.

Maybe that’s why she was so hoity toity.

But once she married Andrew DuBose you’d have thought she was the Queen of Sheba.

She was a formidable woman, and she wouldn’t have approved of anyone for Patrick unless she’d picked the woman herself. ”

I chuckled, remembering that Patrick had told me she’d tried to do just that.

“I had to give credit to Patrick though,” she continued. “He took one look at you and it didn’t matter a twig what his family said. They even threatened to cut him off you know.”

“Yes, I know,” I said softly. “He didn’t care. He’d made his own way in the world and he was proud of that. He didn’t need his family’s money.” I couldn’t keep the pride from my voice.

“There you go,” Dottie said. “Patrick was good people. And once the two of you said your vows, the family came around and they accepted you.”