Page 72 of Home Town Knight

Owen held up his hands. “Only as it pertains to this murder investigation. Not on my behalf. I’m not doing opposition research on the man, especiallyyourkind of research.”

“You think he won’t be searching for dirt to use againstyou?”

Owen scowled. “I’m serious. This is one area where I won’t bend the rules. If you can find a tie between Hale and Tucker or Ellis, fine. Nothing else.”

“What about between Hale and Stillwater?”

“That too.” Owen nodded solemnly. “This case has a lot of moving parts. I need the whiteboard in my office. These are the moments I like to make a visual, so it’s not jumbled in my brain.”

“Then let’s do it here.” River clicked a few things on hiscomputer, and his screens whited out. He picked up a stylus. Owen and I threw out pieces of the puzzle, and River jotted them down on the screen.

Tucker and Ellis go hunting, turn off phones. On Jud Hale’s land?

Tucker finds cash.

Tucker leaves Alpine that night - killed.Single shooter. Eyewitness - Gen.

Stillwater coin found in Tucker’s hotel room. Taken by CSP Trooper Rossiter.

Two shootersgo after Gen at Last Refuge.

The three of us gathered around the screens, looking for connections between the various pieces. Sparks of inspiration for how it all fit. This was how I approached a story, too, when I was trying to see the bigger picture and decide where to go next.

I was coming up with nothing but more questions, and that drove me nuts.

“We’ve got the state crime lab working on our forensics,” Owen noted, “but the physical evidence has been a dead-end so far.”

“Did that bounty hunter show?” I asked. “Aiden’s friend who was supposed to track the shooters from Last Refuge to wherever they went afterward.”

“I checked in with Aiden before I came here. His friend arrived and is trying to follow their trail. But I have no idea if that’ll go anywhere. I can’t begin to understand this Stillwater connection either. What it means.”

“Leave Stillwater to me for now,” River said. “When I hear from Cerberus, I’ll let you know what I find out.”

I turned to Owen, who was staring at the notes on the screens. “What about Ellis? He’s still at the Alpine Hotel?”

“He is. I’ve had some officers from other local police departments helping with the stakeout. Ellis hasn’t budged, even though his friends went home yesterday.”

“He’s waiting for something.”

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