leaned back against the bookshelf and let the girls talk.
“Texas, hill, the letter B, peaches and Biff,” Josie said. “Those are all we’ve gotten so far.”
Jocelyn lowered her hand and moved forward. “Wait a minute. He only gives clues when someone goes to see him and those are what he’s revealed?”
“Sam went to see him and Matthew told him Texas was his clue. Ethan went and he gave him the word hill. Ridge got the letter B. Annabel got peaches. Chris got Biff. We’ve tried to piece it all together. She’s somewhere in Texas, on a hill in a city that starts with a B. Biff was the name of our mother’s childhood golden retriever. The best we can tell is Dad buried her on our maternal grandparents’ property in Bearson, Texas. It’s an old house on a hill, really remote. There’s a peach tree in the backyard and that’s where Mom’s golden retriever was buried.”
Josie’s frustration came out in her tone and the way she folded her arms and had to stop talking, lest she begin to shout. His sister had plenty of fight in her.
“We’ve all been over that property a hundred times. We can’t find any sign of a grave,” he said.
“Why don’t you go see Matthew?” Jocelyn asked the sensitive question. “Keep going until he gives you the clue.”
Easier said than done. Trevor watched his sister struggle with that, hoped she wouldn’t blame herself.
“I’ve already tried. He won’t give Trevor a clue, either. He lies and leads us on to get visitors.”
“But if there’s the slightest chance...”
Josie began to get upset, the reason Trevor never pushed her. Maybe she’d go again in her own due time. Nothing would bring their mother back, so waiting made no difference.
“You don’t know our father,” Josie said.
“He’s dying,” Trevor said. “I think some part of him needs to reconnect with his kids before the cancer kills him, but he has a warped way of going about it.”
Josie said nothing, just lowered her head as the idea of facing her father settled over her. She rubbed her hands together, slow and something to do to ease her tension. She still needed time to recover.
Trevor pushed off the shelf and went to his sister, standing beside where she sat. “He has no empathy for what he put us through.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Josie.”
“What if he did give you a clue, though?” Jocelyn asked, steepling her fingers over the desk, oblivious to Josie’s discomfort, or the degree of it. She zeroed in on the investigation, hunting answers. She didn’t understand what the separation had done, in addition to their father’s crimes.
“You could find out where your mother is buried,” Jocelyn said. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t do anything to do so.”
“Jocelyn,” Trevor warned gently.
She glanced up at him, seeing his face and realizing she’d pushed a boundary. Lowering her hands, she rested them over her forearms.
“I don’t ever want to see him again,” Josie said in a defensive tone. “And what good are those clues anyway? They mean nothing. When I went to see him, he dangled that clue over my head without ever telling me what it was. I don’t think he ever intends for us to find our mother. I don’t even think she’s on that property.” A shudder racked Josie’s shoulders. “Just seeing him made me nauseous.” She looked up at Trevor. “To think he could actually kill Mom.” She shook her head and lowered it again. “He’s evil.”
Trevor gave her shoulder a squeeze and then removed his hand. “We’ll catch his copycat killer. Having her running free isn’t helping any of us put the past behind us.”
Jocelyn’s eyes softened as she saw the exchange and listened. Trevor knew she had great sympathy for Josie and him. As a detective, she had no illusion over the kind of man who’d killed Saralee, but she backed off in questioning when necessary. He appreciated her for that. She was a good detective, insightful and smart. And beautiful. He couldn’t stop from acknowledging that. The longer he worked with her, the more difficulty he had keeping on track with this investigation. No wonder he’d lost his willpower and had to have her. He took in her breasts and the trim curve of her hips and thighs in her pants. Hair draped over her shoulder, hazel eyes sparkling with responding warmth.
He turned and saw Josie watching them. No longer upset, she appeared to have taken this distraction with hearty welcome.
“You two have been working together awhile now, haven’t you?” Josie asked.
“Awhile, yes.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but pleasure came out in his voice. He did like working with Jocelyn. He was just afraid he liked working with her for the wrong reason.
Realizing he’d turned to Jocelyn as he answered, he saw a renewed surge of sultry yearning come over her eyes. Another night with her in bed tempted and enticed, even though it went against his moral code. She did that to him. Wrecked him.
“Are you...” Josie waved her finger back and forth between them, not having to finish with, sleeping together.
Trevor stuffed his hands into his pockets and moved a step back from Josie and the desk, where Jocelyn sat, hoping his sister would drop it.
Blinking and lowering her head, Jocelyn tapped her fingers on the desk, doing a poor job of acting as though nothing revealing had just transpired.
“Are you two sleeping together?” Josie asked outright.
Sleeping together implied an ongoing activity. Trevor glanced at Jocelyn and she met the awkward, telling look.
Josie’s mouth dropped open. “You are!” She gaped from Jocelyn and back to Trevor. “How long has this been going on? You work together. I heard you don’t mix business with pleasure.”
“Let’s stick to the point here,” Trevor said. He did not want to talk about his work ethics.
“What point?” Josie asked. “I’m not going to see Matthew. I’m not ready for that.”
No one knew what that felt like more than Trevor, as many times as he’d gone to see him. He needed a shower after each visit to wash away the filth. “I told you that’s okay, Josie. When you are ready, I’ll go with you. You don’t have to go alone.”
Josie visibly softened. Matthew Colton had caused all of Trevor’s brothers and sisters too much pain. “I’m being irrational, I know. I’m sorry. Of course I should go see him for the clue. I just...”
“You’ve been through a lot,” Trevor said. “We all have.”
“I’m sorry,” Jocelyn said. “I shouldn’t have grilled you. I know what it’s like to lose family members to murder.”
Josie turned to her with new interest. “You do?”
Trevor wanted to fast forward through this conversation. Two women connecting—no, Jocelyn connecting with his little sister. That disconcerted him.
“My dad and brother
