looked at Gabriel to see if he had anything to add.
“I’m sure Ed will be available if we have any further questions for him,” Gabriel said.
“You know where to find me. I’m either here or at home with Millie most of the time,” Ed assured them as he got up from the table.
“How do burgers sound for lunch?” Gabriel asked when Ed had left the building.
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” She got up from the table and reached for her coat slung across the back of her chair.
“I thought we’d grab some lunch and then head into the station. I figured you’d want to look at all the files of the other two murders.”
“Definitely,” she replied.
It took them only minutes to get into Gabriel’s car and he headed for Benny’s Burgers, a no-nonsense joint just off the main drag that didn’t cater to the tourist trade.
“I seriously doubt that the two housekeepers had anything to do with whatever is going on,” she said once they were on their way.
“I agree.” The warmth of the heater seemed to intensify the fresh floral scent of her that he found so appealing. He tightened his hands around the steering wheel.
“Tell me more about Ed Rollings and his brothers.”
“They were all born and raised here. Ed and his wife have no children but he has two brothers who also live in the area. Glen is two years younger than Ed. He’s single and works as a clerk in one of the souvenir shops. And as you now know, his older brother, Kevin, owned Diamond Cove but lost it in bankruptcy.”
He pulled into Benny’s Burgers’ parking lot, pleased to see that the lunch crowd was already gone and only three cars were in the lot.
Within five minutes they had their burgers and were seated across from each other in a booth near the back of the place. At least in here the odors of fried onions and beef were heavy enough to overwhelm Jordon’s evocative scent.
“I’m assuming you’ve interviewed Kevin Rollings,” she said and then popped a French fry into her mouth.
“Several times, but not in relationship to Sandy’s murder. He’s on my list to speak with later this afternoon. He’s another one who has been on my short list of suspects.”
“You mentioned that Billy Bond was on your list, as well. Anyone else I need to know about?”
He shook his head. “My list is depressingly short and everyone on it has had some sort of an alibi for the first two murders. You can get a better idea of what we’ve done to investigate those murders when you read the files.”
“I’m looking forward to that,” she replied.
For the next few minutes they were silent and focused on their meals. The cheeseburger and onion rings were tasteless to Gabriel as thoughts of the three murdered people weighed heavily in his head.
Jordon’s appetite didn’t appear to suffer at all. She ate her burger and fries, and then, with an assenting nod from him, she pulled his plate closer to her and picked at the onion rings he’d left on his plate.
“This has got to be somebody who wants to hurt Ted and Joan personally,” she said.
“I was hesitant to make that call until now.” He leaned back against the red leather of the booth. “I’ve investigated their background thoroughly and so far haven’t found anything or anybody that would send up a real red flag.”
“What did they do back in Oklahoma City?”
“Ted sold home and vehicle insurance and Joan was a third-grade teacher. According to all their friends and relatives, they’re solid people who didn’t have enemies. Their coworkers also spoke highly of them. Kevin Rollings might want to destroy the business just for spite and I can’t figure out if Billy Bond is hiding something or not.”
“He definitely has a bit of a creep factor going on.” She shoved his now-empty plate away.
“Unfortunately, I can’t arrest Billy for being a creep and I can’t arrest Kevin Rollings on just my suspicion alone. Why did you get a divorce?” The question was out of his mouth before he realized he intended to ask it.
Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and then she smiled. “I was madly in love and got married in an effort to play grown-up and be a traditional kind of woman. It took me two years to realize I wasn’t a marriage kind of woman after all.” She took a quick sip of her soda, her gaze curious. “What about you? Are you a marriage kind of man?”
“Definitely,” he replied firmly.
“Then why aren’t you already married? You’re a hot-looking guy with a respectable job. Why hasn’t some honey already snapped you up?”
“I’m cautious,” he admitted. “I want to make sure that when I finally marry it’s a one-shot, forever kind of deal. My parents just celebrated their fortieth anniversary together and I want that kind of a lasting relationship for myself.”
“Footloose and fancy-free—that’s the life for me,” she replied.
The threat of his intense physical attraction to her eased in his mind. She was somebody he would never be interested in pursuing no matter how alluring he found her.
This brief conversation was enough to let him know that he and FBI Special Agent Jordon James wanted very different things in life. He wasn’t sure why, but this fact gave him a bit of peace of mind.
For the first time since she’d arrived he relaxed. “I’m glad you’re here, Jordon.”
“Thanks, Chief Walters. Does that mean lunch is on you?”
He smiled at her. “Yes, lunch is on me, and please call me Gabriel.”
The sexy smile she flashed him in return instantly surged an unwanted tension back in his belly.
* * *
JORDON STRETCHED WITH her arms overhead and got up from the table. She’d been seated in the small conference room alone for the last couple of hours reading all the information that had been gathered on the murders at the bed-and-breakfast.
She definitely admired how Gabriel and his team had conducted such thorough investigations following each of the crimes. She’d also been aware of the respect shown to Gabriel among everyone in the station.
Nobody had joked or been overly familiar with him, indicating to her that he ran a tight ship and kept himself somewhat distant from his staff. Despite that fact, she’d sensed that he was not only respected, but also well liked.
She paced the length of the table, and her brain whirled with all the information she’d gained in the past three hours of intense study. Still, as thorough as the investigations had been, it was all information that yielded no answer as to who was responsible for the three homicides.
Several times throughout the past couple of hours of being cooped up in the conference room, a female officer named Jane Albright had occasionally popped her head in
