Page 44 of Hold a Candle

“Well, keep me updated,” Pauley replied.

“Ye bet.”

“Oh...and Mica...don’t go out there alone. If ye decide to go, call me and I’ll go with ye.”

“Don’t tell me how to investigate, lass,” Mica growled. “Ye just take care of yer son and I’ll take care of business.”

He rang off before Pauley could reply and she stared at her phone with a worried frown

“Anything new?” Jamie asked. He’d been watching Pauley as she and Mica talked. They had the easy camaraderie of friendship.

Pauley hesitated as she glanced over at Luca, but Luca caught her hesitation.

“Ye are doing it again, Mum,” Luca snapped.

“Doing what?”

“Trying to shut me out like I’m five years old and need to be protected from the big bad world. I’m too far into this for ye to hold back now, and I’m not a kid. What did Mica say?”

Pauley’s eyes narrowed at her son, but Jamie knew Luca was right. “Easy, laddie,” he murmured to Luca.

“All right, Luca, I can respect that, and ye are right. Ye are in over yer head, but it’s too late to worry about that now.”

Luca flushed but didn’t sass back.

They all listened intently while Pauley told them what Mica had reported to her.

Luca was silent for a moment, then sighed. “So, do ye think my handler killed this guy?”

“Let’s just say I hope not,” Pauley replied. “But ye need to be careful, Luca. His motives for recruiting ye are not legitimate. He has no desire to help ye even though he told ye that. Ye can take my word for it.”

“Why doesn’t he just come up here and get the information?”

“Very good question, isn’t it?” she taunted, causing him to flush again.

“I think I can help with the hatchery,” Angus threw in, his fingers flying over the buttons on his cell. Within a few minutes, he looked up. “Florence Hoppner,” he announced.

Pauley’s eyebrows shot sky high. “Detective Inspector Florence Hoppner bought it? That doesn’t sound right.”

“My cousin, four times removed on my mum’s side, used to own the hatchery,” Angus added.

“Four times removed?” Darro hooted. “How do ye even know who they are?”

Angus grinned. “Networking.”

Darro shook his head. “And here I thought ye only networked the best cooks in the county.”

Angus shot him a testy glance. “That too. But me and my dad used ta buy baby trout and other fish ta stock the ponds with on the farm from Able Hardin. He said that when they were first considering selling it, a Florence Hoppner came out to talk with him and brought along a real estate friend. The friend who wanted to handle the property asked to buy it straight out and offered him a deal that was higher than market value. He knew, because he had it appraised. Naturally, he jumped on it.”

“And who was the friend?” Jamie asked.

Angus shrugged. “He doesna remember names, but the company name on the contract was Skelpinorse Properties. They paid cash. So, no other details to go by except what’s on the contract of sale.”

Pauley sent a quick text to Mica explaining what Angus had just told her.

Mica shot a text back and asked if Angus was interested in becoming a constable. He could be fast-tracked to inspector pretty quick if he was game. He was going to talk to Quinn about Florence. Too much coincidence there for his liking.

Pauley chuckled.

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