Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

I t felt surreal to see Bailey the next morning and be able to greet her with a kiss. She'd blushed, and Nate had enjoyed every moment of it before the morning was moving forward at full speed. Bailey got the boys dressed and fed while Nate took care of Minnie and washed the dishes. Then, they checked on and fed the goats and ducks on their way to the store. People started showing up to help at eight. Nate had opened the front gate so they could come and go as needed.

He was worried that Bailey might feel overwhelmed. She hadn't seen a lot of the people coming in to help since Joe's funeral, and there were many she'd never met. She quickly proved that she was on top of things and a skilled delegator.

Rachel was there, as well as Jenny. Both women promised to help Bailey keep an eye on Seth and Jordan.

Originally, Nate planned to take at least Jordan and maybe Seth to help him drop the watch off at the jewelry store. He was getting ready to talk to Bailey about it when Detective Paris came in. He looked around at the bustling store and nodded his approval before zeroing in on Nate.

"Walker." They shook hands. "Logan located Adam Tinsley. He moved some years ago to this side of Austin. He was reluctant to speak over the phone, so I'm heading that way now to question him. I thought you might want to come along."

Nate tried to keep the surprise from his face. He wanted the opportunity to hear what Tinsley had to say, and Austin was just over an hour away. He would've refused to leave Bailey except that she and her sons were surrounded by some of the people he trusted the most.

Paris must have anticipated his worry because he nodded toward Jenny. "I've asked Durant to stay until we get back regardless of whether anyone else gets called out."

"That sounds great. Do you mind if we drop the watch off at the jewelry store for cleaning on the way out of town?"

"Not a problem. See you out front in five."

Nate found Bailey at the back of the store, took her aside, and told her where he and Paris were going. "At the very least, Jenny will be here with you. Most likely, you'll be surrounded by officers all day. You and the boys will be safe. But don't hesitate to call if you need me. Okay?"

She nodded. "I really hope you guys get some information we can use."

"So do I. Stay safe." He gave her hand a squeeze when he really wanted to kiss her goodbye. "I'll text you when we're on our way back."

"Be careful?"

"Always."

He knew Bailey, Seth, and Jordan were going to be okay. If their suspect had any sense of self-preservation, he'd steer clear of the property today.

Driving into Austin was a good reminder of why Nate preferred to live in a smaller town like Destiny. Sure, there were upsides to living in a big city: more places to shop, a wider range of medical care, and more job opportunities.

But it also meant more traffic and pollution, not to mention the sheer number of people. Policing in a city like this would be a whole different ballgame.

Paris had put Tinsley's address into GPS and followed directions until they arrived at a single-story home in a newer, wealthy neighborhood. While Tinsley's house wasn't huge, it certainly fit right in with those around it. A large circular drive was surrounded by a perfectly manicured lawn and flower beds that left a serious impression. Nate imagined they must look amazing in the spring when the flowers were blooming.

They drove partway around the circular drive and parked in front of the sidewalk that led to the front door.

The men got out and approached the home. The front door was easily ten feet high and solid wood with metal work along the edges and across the top.

Paris rang the doorbell and looked right into the camera situated above it. "Detective John Paris here to speak with Mr. Adam Tinsley." He lifted his badge.

A few minutes later, they could hear someone unlocking the door before opening it wide.

A heavy-set man in a wheelchair greeted them with an extended hand. "Adam. Good to meet you." His gaze swung to Nate.

"You as well." Paris introduced Nate, and they followed Tinsley inside.

The interior of the house was as nice as it looked on the outside, if not more so. The open floor plan and large windows made it one of the brightest homes Nate had ever been in. It was clear that Tinsley spared no expense when he had it built.

Even if he technically downgraded from the large home and property in Destiny, he didn't skimp on quality.

"You have a lovely home," Nate told him as they followed him into a large living room with vaulted ceilings.

"Thank you. Can I offer either of you some water or coffee?"

Paris held up a hand. "No, but thank you."

"No thanks." Nate took a seat on the leather sectional. By the cleanliness of everything, Nate was willing to bet Tinsley didn't own a pet.

The other man wheeled up next to the recliner and studied his guests. From their background information, Nate knew the man was in his late sixties. The plethora of wrinkles on his weathered face, signs of exhaustion, and white hair made him look much older than his years. Nate supposed going through what he had would definitely age a man.

Tinsley folded his hands and rested them on his lap. "You mentioned that you had questions for me regarding the property I sold in Destiny a few years ago. You'll forgive me if I ask directly whether it has anything to do with my daughter."

"I'm afraid it doesn't. I was very sorry to hear that she's missing." Paris leaned forward from his spot on the couch. "The people who purchased your property have been having some trouble lately. Much of the harassment seems to center around trying to get them to sell the place. Did you have any similar trouble before you moved?"

Tinsley looked thoughtful as he mulled over the question. "There was always the occasional realtor who came with a supposed offer from a buyer—maybe a couple of times a year. I wasn't interested, so I never asked to hear more. Now, once I decided to sell, they all came out of the woodwork. Most of them were investors who wanted to snatch up the land and turn it into plots or build apartment buildings. I just knew my parents would roll over in their graves if I knowingly allowed that to happen."

"Which is why you eventually sold it to the couple."

Tinsley's eyes lit up. "It was my hope that they'd enjoy living there, raise a family, and maybe even pass it on to their kids one day." His expression sobered. "I'd hoped to do that myself, but my daughter never cared to live there anyway. She hated Destiny and dreamed of moving to a big city someday. Then, when she disappeared, I didn't have anyone to pass it along to. I wanted to have some control over who I sold it to while I could."

It made sense. Then, no matter what Joe and Bailey might have chosen to do with the property, at least Tinsley felt like he did his best to keep the land the way his parents might have wanted. Nate could certainly admire the effort.

He leaned forward. "Did you ever have problems with people trespassing on the property?"

"Once caught a man out there trying to hunt on the back acres. He was arrested for trespassing and illegal hunting. Other than that, there was the occasional camping site I found after the fact where they'd obviously set up a campfire. Twice, I had to break up a bunch of teenagers throwing a party, but it wasn't a big deal." Tinsley frowned, the lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth deepening. "If there was a group of teens causing trouble, my Sophia was usually involved. I never understood why she was so unhappy with her life, but there was nothing her mother or I could do to make her content."

Nate could only imagine the heartbreak of seeing your child drift away and being unable to stop it. "I'm sorry, sir, for all you've gone through. To not know where she is or what happened to her must be incredibly difficult."

Tinsley gripped the arms of his wheelchair and straightened his spine. "My daughter didn't run away. Not like it states in her report. She was murdered, and I'm certain it was that no good boyfriend of hers who did it."