Page 66 of Forgotten Path
Steffi’s eyes widened. “You’re working off the books for Fred Glazier? Does your grandmother know about this?”
As if Steffi’d summoned her by invoking her name, Gran came into the rec room from the kitchen, coughing into her elbow. “Hello, Stefanie. Hello, Brianna. Nice of you girls to come help out.” Then she turned to Craig. “Do I know about what?”
Steffi smirked. “Oh, Craig was just telling us all about his new job.”
Gran frowned. “What new job would that be?”
Craig opened his mouth as he searched for a response that would satisfy her. But he was saved from trying to construct one when Bodhi King and the medical examiner from the diner walked in from the parking lot.
“Hi,” Bodhi said to the room in general. “How can we help?”
Gran chuckled. “Well, I’ll be. I didn’t think you’d come.”
The forensic expert smiled at her. “I know. But here I am. And Dr. Owens wants to help, too.”
The woman doctor stepped forward and offered her hand to Gran. “Mirabelle Owens. I’m the medical examiner in Panama City.”
Gran shook it. “I know. My friend Iris works in your office.”
“Oh, Iris is a gem,” Mirabelle cooed.
Gran cackled. “I don’t know about that.”
“She is,” the doctor insisted. “I adore her.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to tell her that. Anyway, why don’t you two come with me? I’ll put you on my team.”
“That would be perfect,” Bodhi told her. “And while we’re working, perhaps Dr. Owens and I could ask you some questions.”
“I already told you I don’t know who could’ve offered Doc that big donation,” Gran fretted.
Brianna dropped a can of beans to the floor with a loud clatter. Everyone jumped at the sound, and she crouched red-faced to grab the can, murmuring an apology.
“I know. This is about something else. A community health issue.”
“A community health issue,” Gran mused. “Well, let’s go. We can walk and talk.”
Craig watched them leave. Then he gave Brianna a closer look. Her hands shook, and a bead of sweat rolled down her neck.
“You okay?” Steffi whispered to her.
“Is it hot in here?”
Steffi was about to answer when she reconsidered and swung her head around to glare at Craig. “Do you mind?”
“You know what? I have a call to make. So you two go right ahead and whisper like a pair of gossiping twelve-year-old girls. But if you’re smart, you’ll keep bagging while you do it. Miss Clara doesn’t like slackers.”
He strode out into the parking lot without a backward glance. Then he raced around the corner out of view of the people under the distribution tent and pulled out the card Fred had given him.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
The click on the phone let Fred know his secretary had managed to successfully transfer Craig Lowell’s call from the office line to Fred’s cell phone. It was never a given that she’d pull off any remotely technical task, so he nodded approvingly at the sound.
Then her voice came on the line. “Fred? Are you there?”
“Yep.”
“I have your nephew. Craig?”
