16. Sinclair

I sipped a cup of coffee as I sat at the RV's table and scrolled through the news on my tablet. The movie, Book of Secrets , was just what we'd needed last night. It had been filled with action and entertaining enough to briefly take our minds off of Matt's blackmail issues and Charlie's death.

The title was also weirdly appropriate. We were, in a sense, dealing with our own book of secrets. The book being Charlie's life. But last night, Anita had given us a new page to read. We now knew that Charlie's boyfriend was named Tony.

It was more than we'd had before. We'd be asking Molly for confirmation when we saw her, something that would hopefully happen today. I also planned to mention it to Matt to see if the name rang any bells. I believed Anita, but confirmation from Molly or Matt would be icing on the cake.

Thinking about cake made me glance back toward the bedroom. Jayne was still sleeping and probably would be for a little bit longer. Didn't matter to me; she could sleep as long as she wanted. I'd fed the cats, cleaned their litter box, and added a bag of our trash to one of Matt's bins.

I texted Matt, figuring he'd be up by now. How are you doing?

Truth was, I was worried about him. About this whole blackmail business. Who would do this to him? He was a good guy. He didn't deserve this. I decided right then and there to ask him again about anyone who might have it out for him.

Maybe a disgruntled employee? That's what I kept thinking about. But how would an employee get hold of that photo?

After spending so much time on Facebook last night, the social media site was fresh on my mind. Still on my tablet, I surfed to the site and looked up Matt's sister, Julie. We were already Facebook friends, but to be honest, I so rarely used the site, I hadn't kept up with her or anyone on there.

Just like I'd done when I was looking into Charlie, I went straight to Julie's photos and scrolled through them. I went way back. I was trying to see if she had ever posted the photo of Matt and Jess. I couldn't find it. I also noticed that when her kids were young, Julie rarely posted photos of them unless she'd blurred out their faces, or she only posted shots of them where their faces weren't visible.

I applauded her caution. The world was full of crazies.

And just like that, my thoughts were on Jack Jr. Were we crazy to think that we could return to the road with him? Was that reckless? Would that put him in danger? The thought unsettled me, and not because he was the heir to the winter throne. The idea that I could be knowingly putting my son in a potentially bad situation didn't sit well.

Maybe I was overreacting, my thoughts and emotions on edge from Matt's circumstances and Charlie's passing.

I sighed out a breath and sipped my coffee. Being a parent meant thinking about a lot more than just myself. I was used to thinking about Jayne, sure, but the reality was, Jayne could take care of herself.

Jack Jr. would be helpless for years. He would need me and Jayne to be his protectors. I was ready. At least, I hoped I was.

I couldn't imagine anything happening to him. It would destroy me. He hadn't even been born and I knew that without question.

Sugar hopped up onto the seat across from me. "Pets?"

I smiled. It was like she'd known I needed a distraction. "Sure. Let me get more coffee and we'll sit on the couch."

I refilled my cup. She was on the couch, waiting, when I turned around. My phone vibrated. Matt had answered me. I sat down as I read his response.

I'm all right. I guess.

It was hard to suss out mood or intention from a text, but he didn't sound all right. You sure? I texted back.

Isla texted me last night to say she hoped she hadn't interrupted our dinner and to ask if we could meet. She wants to talk. She also asked if we could go to Charlie's funeral together whenever that is.

I frowned at the screen as I typed my response . Did she know Charlie?

Yes. Charlie looked after Isla's dog, Wentworth.

I kept frowning. Who named a dog Wentworth? It was a dog, not a butler. I decided to change the subject. Have you thought of anyone else that might have had access to your house? Or any disgruntled employee, past or present?

A few seconds went by before he answered. No, no one. Sorry. Have you made any headway concerning Charlie?

I think we have. Do you ever remember her calling her boyfriend Tony? Sugar pawed at me. "In a second, baby."

She might have, but I can't remember. Sorry I can't be of more help.

That's all right. I know you're busy. I know you have a lot on your mind.

That's for sure. I still can't believe she's gone. It just doesn't seem real. I wish I had asked her out when I had the chance. It's probably dumb, but I keep thinking how maybe that would have changed things. You know, like that butterfly effect thing? How one small thing can change a person's future? Maybe … Maybe she'd still be alive.

I didn't know what to say. If he was blaming himself, that wasn't good. Charlie's death was not his fault. I doubted that the two of them going out would have made a difference. But telling him that seemed like discounting his feelings.

I thought quickly for a response. I know you cared about her, and I'm sure she knew that too. You can't blame yourself. Life is full of what ifs. We have to focus on the present.

Another long pause went by. I know. I hope you guys or the police can get to the bottom of this. If she was murdered, she deserves justice.

I could not agree more.

I better get to work. Talk to you later.

And just like that, the conversation ended.

I heard a yawn and turned to see Jayne standing in the kitchen. I loved how she looked when she first woke up. "Hey. How did you sleep?"

"Other than the three times I got up to pee, great." Her smile was lopsided and a little sleepy. "In other news, I'm still craving chocolate. And pancakes."

We hadn't grocery-shopped in a while. From her craving the other night, I already knew we were out of chocolate chips, but I could find a breakfast place that had what she was after. "If you give me a few minutes, I'll find the nearest restaurant that makes them."

"I want to shower anyway, so you have time." Her smile widened as she headed back to the bedroom. "Thanks."

"You got it." I might not be able to lift Matt's mood, but I could definitely look after my wife. I wondered if she'd mind if I invited him. Might do him some good. He might turn us down because of work, but it was worth asking.

"Jayne?"

A second later, she leaned through the bedroom door. "Yeah?"

"Would you mind if I invited Matt?"

"No, go right ahead. Something up?"

"Just that I was texting with him this morning and he seems down."

She nodded. "I'd probably be down, too, if I was being blackmailed and my cat sitter had just mysteriously died. Ask him. Tell him it was my idea. He might have a harder time saying no to me."

I laughed. "Okay."

Forty-five minutes later, we were in Matt's car with him behind the wheel, headed to a breakfast place he promised Jayne would like. We arrived at Slim Goodies Diner shortly.

"Hey," Jayne said, looking through the window at the sign. "Did you name your cat after this place?"

Matt gave a little chuckle. "No, but I might have a soft spot for this place because of the name."

We went in and got a table pretty quickly. Jayne found the chocolate chip pancakes on the menu right away and, with a satisfied nod, put her menu down. When she ordered, she got the pancakes with a side of fruit salad. Probably her attempt at healthy eating. I could only shake my head.

I went with the Tex-Mex Slammer. Matt ordered the Havana omelet. He and I had coffee. Jayne opted for a Dr Pepper, since they had it. I was a little surprised she didn't have a milkshake, since they had those, too.

We seemed to be purposefully talking around Charlie and the blackmail, but I was fine with that. The blackmail wasn't something to be discussed in public, and talking about Charlie would just make us all sad.

I sipped my coffee, which was good and strong. I asked Matt, "When do you travel again?"

"I'm trying not to, but sometimes things just come up. Like me having to go to Chicago. Unless the next trip is a real emergency, I'm sending someone else. I'm in the process of designing a new system for medium-size companies, so what I'd really like to do is not go anywhere until that's done."

"I can see that."

Jayne's phone rang. She dug it out of her purse. "Hello? Hi, Nita … No, I hadn't heard … Okay, thanks, that would be great. I'll let my husband know."

She put the phone down. "That was Anita from the diner. Charlie's funeral is tomorrow. She's going to text me the address of the funeral home and the time."

Matt took a breath. "So the police must have released her body."

I nodded. "They must have." I had to think releasing the body so soon meant the police had found nothing of interest. Otherwise, wouldn't they have held on to it longer?

"It'll be good to have closure," Matt said. "Not as good as bringing her killer to justice, but it's something."

We all went silent.

With perfect timing, our food arrived, giving us something else to focus on. We told Matt about our plans for the day—talking to Molly if possible and ordering pralines for Birdie, along with a little more sightseeing in the Quarter.

Jayne didn't actually talk that much. She was mostly occupied with the three enormous pancakes filling her plate. They'd been topped with whipped cream and a heavy sprinkling of mini chocolate chips.

I pointed my fork at her while talking to Matt. "You see that? That's what happiness looks like."

He snorted softly. "I think Slim gets that same look when I break out the treats." He got a curious look on his face. "Do you think I should be the one to talk to Molly? I know you guys met Charlie, but I knew her better. Would that help?"

I looked at Jayne, whose expression was a little unclear. I let her answer.

Her fork stayed midair. "I think that we should take the first crack at her. If she's unhelpful or doesn't want to talk, that would be the time to bring you in. It's great of you to offer. We might need your help. But I hate to pull you away from your work if it's something we can do."

"All right," he said. "Just let me know." He glanced around, but I doubted anyone else was paying attention to us. "I, uh, got the money just about worked out."

Jayne swallowed the bite she'd just taken. "I really hope it doesn't come to that."

"Neither do I, but time is ticking, and it's better to be prepared," he said.

"Speaking of being prepared, have you said anything to Julie?" I asked.

His brow furrowed. "No. Do you think I should?"

"Not yet. But you might want to if things … deteriorate."

His sigh was heavy with gloom.

"Which they probably won't," I quickly added.

"I appreciate your optimism, but it's not looking good, is it?" He poked at his food listlessly.

"We aren't giving up," Jayne said. "Even if you do have to make that payment, we're still going to do everything possible to track the money and see who it ends up with. Then Sin and I will make things right. And I don't just mean getting your money back."

That brought Matt's head up. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Without a hint of humor, she said, "We have ways."

Matt glanced at me, brows raised, as if to check whether or not she was joking. I gave a subtle shake of my head to indicate she wasn't.

"All right," he said. "Then let's just enjoy our breakfast and get on with the day. I'm going to do my best to stop worrying about the future until it gives me something to worry about."