Her gaze landed on Garvin’s body, the pool of blood that had already begun to congeal. She crouched again, eyes narrowing as she took in the angle of his limbs, the way his head rested against the leg of theoverturned coffee table. He’d been hit with something heavy, but there was no sign of a weapon.
The door was forced, so the killer had broken in, and it must have been sometime before the last snowfall earlier that morning.
She took out her phone and snapped photos. Kevin, one of the deputies, would do this later for the police photos, but Jo knew that every broken item, every smudge on the floor, every piece of disturbed furniture—they all mattered. She’d need them later.
The sirens stopped abruptly as the first responders arrived, a flurry of voices and boots heading toward the porch. Jo rose, stepping back as the crew began spilling into the house. But her eyes never left the room. The details were still sharp in her mind, each one locked away.
She took a deep breath, the icy air burning her lungs. Garvin deserved answers. And she’d make sure he got them.
The White Rockpolice Tahoe and the old Crown Victoria pulled up, tires crunching on the snow. Sam, Wyatt, Kevin, and Lucy piled out, urgency etched on their faces.
Lucy bounded up the steps, her nose twitching, already working the scene. Jo crouched, scratching the German Shepherd behind the ears for a quick second, grounding herself.
“What’s the situation?” Chief Sam Mason asked, stepping into the doorway.
“Busted lock. Struggle inside,” Jo said, her voice clipped, professional, though the sight of Garvin still twisted her gut.
Inside, the team moved fast. Wyatt snapped photos, his face grim. Kevin, already gloved up, began collecting evidence, his hands moving with the precision of a surgeon.
“Anything missing?” Wyatt called from the living room, camera still in hand.
Jo’s eyes swept the room. Everything looked as cluttered as usual, and everything was in its place—except for one thing.
“Wait.” Her voice sharpened as she stepped toward the shelf by the window. “Garvin had a bronze sculpture here. Of an elk. His great-uncle made it. He thought it was valuable.”
Wyatt joined her, eyes narrowing as he studied the empty shelf. “Valuable enough to kill over?”
Jo’s gut tightened. “Maybe.”
Sam, standing near the door, gave a quick nod toWyatt and Kevin. “Check the other rooms. See if anything else is out of place.”
They moved through the house in sync. Jo stood still for a moment, taking in the scene, her mind ticking. Garvin didn’t have much. A couple of antiques, some knickknacks, but nothing anyone would risk breaking in for.
Wyatt reappeared from the hallway, shaking his head. “Nothing. Bedrooms, bathroom—all untouched.”
Kevin followed, glancing around. “Doesn’t feel like a burglary. Just the one thing missing? That doesn’t track.”
“What else would the motive be?” Sam asked.
“Maybe someone didn’t like him.” Kevin nodded toward Garvin’s battered face. “I mean, sure looks that way.”
“Or something he was about to do,” Jo said, suspicion creeping into her voice. “Garvin was about to sell me the cottage I’ve been renting. Remember?”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and when he was dragging his feet, you started bribing him with pie and casseroles.” His tone was light, and for the first time that morning, Jo smiled.
She glanced at the table, where she’d stashed the latest casserole, now sitting cold and untouched. She’d started looking forward to those meals. “It worked.Last time I was here, he said he was almost ready to sell.”
Kevin, sifting through broken glass, didn’t look up. “Wasn’t someone else interested in buying it?”
Jo nodded. “Yeah, but Garvin told me he didn’t trust them. He wanted the property to go to the right person, said he thought that person was me.”
Wyatt chimed in, “Did you get anything in writing?”
Jo shook her head. “No, nothing official yet.”
Wyatt sighed, wiping a hand across his jaw. “That means the other buyer could still be in play. If it’s just your word, they’ll have a chance.”
“His heirs will be in charge of it now anyway,” Sam said, looking down at Garvin. He shook his head.