giving him one of her cool, superior looks. Thirteen years old, and she knew she was smarter than anyone else in the room. He didn’t remember what he’d done to earn her disdain. Probably said something asinine.
He reminded himself that Jo was a federal agent andScott Thorne, sitting across from her, was a state trooper. He chose his words carefully. “Do we know if Bowie was ever in town at the same time as Melanie Kendall or Kyle Rigby?”
Jo didn’t respond. Neither did anyone else at the table. They didn’t have to. Sean knew what was on their minds. The bomb that had killed Melanie Kendall had exploded while Jo and Elijah had tried to talk her out of her car. It hadn’t been on a timer, and it had gone off after Kyle Rigby was already dead. It was a simple device constructed of a cell phone, copper wire, black powder and gunpowder, set off by the electric charge caused when a call came into the cell phone, completing the circuit and igniting the explosives.
Who’d made the call?
Who’d bought the materials and assembled the bomb and placed it in the car?
Who’d wanted Melanie Kendall dead?
Whoever had dialed the number of the cell phone and triggered the bomb had known that Melanie Kendall was in that car. How?
Was it someone local, or was there a local accomplice? Sean looked at his brother. “Maybe you should go after Hannah.”
Elijah shook his head. “Not me. I didn’t haul her butt out of the bar that night. You did. I’d have let her bloody those bastards. Even if Wes Harper had arrested her, there isn’t a jury in Vermont that would have convicted her.”
“She was about to get beat up and trampled.”
His brother shrugged. “Just would have made her madder.”
Sean had participated in enough negotiations to know when he’d lost. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
Jo’s eyes fastened on Elijah, then Sean, in that kick-ass Secret Service manner of hers. “You two are on a short leash.”
Sean grinned at Elijah. “She hasn’t changed since she was twelve, has she?”
“Four,” Elijah said.
She didn’t so much as crack a smile. “You two can do your Cameron brothers thing,” she said, “but I’m still a member of the task force working this investigation.”
“So your life’s not on hold up here in the sticks?”
Sean had kept his tone light, but Jo didn’t answer for a half beat. “My life is not on hold.”
He saw he’d hit a raw nerve and regretted opening his mouth.
Elijah saved him. “I can follow you and cover you when Hannah checks out of the grocery with her bananas. She’ll never know I’m there.”
Given his brother’s fifteen years’ experience as a soldier, Sean had no reason to doubt him. “Hannah’s scary but not that scary.”
Jo still didn’t smile.
Sean headed out of the café into the center hall and found Devin Shay untangling ski poles in the mudroom. He was agitated, spots of color high on his thin cheeks. “I need a ride up to the lodge,” Devin said. “Hannah’s crazy.”
“What’s going on, Devin?”
“She’s hiking to your dad’s cabin. Alone. I can’t—I’m going with her.”
“Hang on. Hannah can take care of herself, and I can go up to the lodge and check on her. Are you working there today?”
“No.”
“Have you given A.J. notice?” Sean asked him.
Devin shoved the ski poles against the wall. Two clattered to the floor. “I don’t even know why we have so many stupid ski poles. Hannah already took two with her. She’s snowshoeing.”
“Devin—”
“Not yet. No. I will.”
“Get a ride up to the lodge and do it today. Be responsible and up-front. Unless you’ve changed your mind—”
“I haven’t.”
Sean went still a moment, eyeing the teenager. “You haven’t told Hannah yet, either, have you?”
Devin looked away and shook his head. “Have you said anything to A.J.?”
“It’s not my place to tell him or your sister. Devin, you’re almost nineteen. You can make your own
He reminded himself that Jo was a federal agent andScott Thorne, sitting across from her, was a state trooper. He chose his words carefully. “Do we know if Bowie was ever in town at the same time as Melanie Kendall or Kyle Rigby?”
Jo didn’t respond. Neither did anyone else at the table. They didn’t have to. Sean knew what was on their minds. The bomb that had killed Melanie Kendall had exploded while Jo and Elijah had tried to talk her out of her car. It hadn’t been on a timer, and it had gone off after Kyle Rigby was already dead. It was a simple device constructed of a cell phone, copper wire, black powder and gunpowder, set off by the electric charge caused when a call came into the cell phone, completing the circuit and igniting the explosives.
Who’d made the call?
Who’d bought the materials and assembled the bomb and placed it in the car?
Who’d wanted Melanie Kendall dead?
Whoever had dialed the number of the cell phone and triggered the bomb had known that Melanie Kendall was in that car. How?
Was it someone local, or was there a local accomplice? Sean looked at his brother. “Maybe you should go after Hannah.”
Elijah shook his head. “Not me. I didn’t haul her butt out of the bar that night. You did. I’d have let her bloody those bastards. Even if Wes Harper had arrested her, there isn’t a jury in Vermont that would have convicted her.”
“She was about to get beat up and trampled.”
His brother shrugged. “Just would have made her madder.”
Sean had participated in enough negotiations to know when he’d lost. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”
Jo’s eyes fastened on Elijah, then Sean, in that kick-ass Secret Service manner of hers. “You two are on a short leash.”
Sean grinned at Elijah. “She hasn’t changed since she was twelve, has she?”
“Four,” Elijah said.
She didn’t so much as crack a smile. “You two can do your Cameron brothers thing,” she said, “but I’m still a member of the task force working this investigation.”
“So your life’s not on hold up here in the sticks?”
Sean had kept his tone light, but Jo didn’t answer for a half beat. “My life is not on hold.”
He saw he’d hit a raw nerve and regretted opening his mouth.
Elijah saved him. “I can follow you and cover you when Hannah checks out of the grocery with her bananas. She’ll never know I’m there.”
Given his brother’s fifteen years’ experience as a soldier, Sean had no reason to doubt him. “Hannah’s scary but not that scary.”
Jo still didn’t smile.
Sean headed out of the café into the center hall and found Devin Shay untangling ski poles in the mudroom. He was agitated, spots of color high on his thin cheeks. “I need a ride up to the lodge,” Devin said. “Hannah’s crazy.”
“What’s going on, Devin?”
“She’s hiking to your dad’s cabin. Alone. I can’t—I’m going with her.”
“Hang on. Hannah can take care of herself, and I can go up to the lodge and check on her. Are you working there today?”
“No.”
“Have you given A.J. notice?” Sean asked him.
Devin shoved the ski poles against the wall. Two clattered to the floor. “I don’t even know why we have so many stupid ski poles. Hannah already took two with her. She’s snowshoeing.”
“Devin—”
“Not yet. No. I will.”
“Get a ride up to the lodge and do it today. Be responsible and up-front. Unless you’ve changed your mind—”
“I haven’t.”
Sean went still a moment, eyeing the teenager. “You haven’t told Hannah yet, either, have you?”
Devin looked away and shook his head. “Have you said anything to A.J.?”
“It’s not my place to tell him or your sister. Devin, you’re almost nineteen. You can make your own
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