Page 61 of The Murder Club

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Dom drove through the narrow streets of Pike with a back seat overflowing with ingredients that promised a delicious dinner and a decadent dessert. They’d already stopped by the courthouse, where the sheriff’s office was located, only to be told that Zac was at the Warren Lumberyard.

“There’s Zac,” Bailey abruptly broke the silence as she pointed toward the uniformed man standing next to his vehicle as if he was on the point of leaving.

Dom pulled to a halt next to him and rolled down the window. “Anything new?”

“Nope.” Zac cast a disgusted look toward the lumberyard, which was draped with yellow police tape. “I’m spinning my wheels here, but I don’t know what else to do. I keep hoping I’ll find a clue I overlooked.”

Bailey suddenly leaned across him to hand Zac her cell phone. “I don’t know if this will help or not.”

Zac glanced at the screen, his body jerking as if he’d taken a blow. “Shit. These are from the stalker.” He lifted his head to reveal his troubled expression. “Gage wasn’t the one sending you the texts.”

“Nope,” Bailey agreed.

Zac glanced back down at the phone, scrolling through the messages. “Wait.” He turned the phone to flash it toward his cousin. “Is this picture from Lia and Kaden’s house?”

“It is, but it was taken before I arrived in town,” Dom answered.

Zac shifted his attention to him. “Why would he send this?”

Dom shrugged. “Another question to add to the list.”

Zac handed the phone back to Bailey, who settled back in the passenger seat, her expression weary.

“Who would have access to the house?”

Dom took command of the conversation as Bailey shook her head. It was obvious she was still trying to process the suspicion that Kevin Hartford might be involved in the murders. Or maybe she needed a moment to sort through the confusing mess of emotions that darkened her eyes.

He desperately wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her everything was going to be okay. But they both knew that was a lie. He couldn’t promise her anything but the fact that he was going to do his damnedest to protect her.

“There’s not many,” he told Zac, forcing himself to concentrate on the lawman, who was eyeing him with a worried expression. “The most obvious was the construction crew that built their house. We went through Lia’s files, but no one stood out except for Gage Warren, who delivered a load of bricks.”

Zac glanced toward the police tape surrounding the building. “A shame he’s no longer a suspect.”

“No, but he might have taken pictures of the house and shared them with his friends,” Dom suggested.

“I’ll check on his phone.” Zac grimaced. “Both of them.”

“We also looked through the vendors Lia hired for her wedding,” Dom continued.

“Good idea. Did you find something?”

“Yes. A Lisa Hartford.”

“Who’s that?” Zac dug into his shirt pocket to pull out a small notebook and pencil, jotting down the name.

“She’s a photographer in Grange. She has a business called Images by Lisa.”

Zac continued to write down the information. “And?”

“We suspect she’s married to Pauline Hartford’s grandson, Kevin Hartford.”

Zac jerked up his head. “The woman who fell into the empty pool?”

“Yes. We drove over there this morning, and Images by Lisa is currently closed due to a death in the family.”

Zac arched his brows, tucking the notebook back into his pocket. “Grange is out of my jurisdiction, but I’ll do some checking.” He shook his head. “This just keeps getting more complicated.”