Sam turned back to the board, narrowing his eyes at the chaos. “Hard to say. The snow covered any footprints. But this seems more like a beating than a robbery.”
They all stared at the photos for a few beats.
Kevin broke the silence. “I went back after John left. Dusted for prints.”
“And?” Sam asked without looking away from the board.
“Only found two sets.”
“Garvin’s, for sure,” Sam said, turning to face the team.
Jo shifted, her stomach tightening. “And mine.”
Wyatt cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the desk. “So all we’ve got is the hair tie unless we find some DNA somewhere else in the house?”
Kevin tapped a pen against his notepad. “Lab’s running DNA on the hairs. We’ll have something in a few days.”
Sam’s eyes flicked to Jo. There was something in his look—concern, maybe, or suspicion. “We need to dig deeper into Garvin’s life. His finances,his relationships. There’s a motive here, buried under the surface.”
Jo bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about the last few times she’d talked with Garvin. She hadn’t seen any trouble on the horizon, but maybe she had missed something.
“Anyone else think Marnie’s visit was strange?” Sam asked, his voice tight.
Jo straightened. “Yeah, especially since Garvin mentioned her as one of the buyers for the cottage.”
Sam frowned. “Right. You said that before.”
The room went quiet, the implications hanging in the air.
Wyatt broke the silence. “You don’t think Marnie killed him?”
Sam shook his head. “Wouldn’t be her style.”
Kevin snorted. “Can’t see her getting her hands dirty.”
Sam’s jaw tightened. “Still puts her on the list.”
Wyatt leaned forward. “She seemed eager to know what happened. Like she was fishing for information.”
“Or making sure we didn’t have any,” Kevin added, suspicion edging his voice.
Sam’s eyes stayed on the board. “I’ll handle Marnie. We need to be careful. She’s too connected in this town.”
Jo’s fingers drummed against her arm. “What about Garvin’s kids? Any luck finding them?”
Kevin flipped through his notepad. “Got their contact info. Both out of state—one in California, the other in Florida. I have calls in to them.”
Sam nodded. “Good. What else?”
Wyatt cleared his throat. “I’m still digging into Garvin’s financials. So far, nothing suspicious.”
Jo pushed off from the desk, pacing. “We need to check with his neighbors too. See if anyone noticed anything unusual.”
“Agreed.” Sam made a note. “Here’s the plan—DNA results are pending. I’ll handle Marnie. Kevin, you’re on the kids and neighbors. Wyatt, keep at the financials. Jo, you get with Reese and see if you can figure out what that bronze statue was worth.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Jo sat down next to Reese at the reception desk, an old green metal relic from the station’s earlier days as a post office. Major stretched lazily on the corner of the desk, eyeing them with casual disinterest. Lucy, always alert, sat by Jo’s feet, her tail occasionally thumping against the floor.