Secrets in a Still Life by Kari Ganske (mobi ebook reader .txt) 📕

I did. I zoomed in on the picture where we thought we saw blood. As soon as he saw it, he called his crime scene guys and asked them to meet him by the reservoir.

"Wait at the top of the path in the parking lot. I'll meet you there," he said before disconnecting. Then turned his attention back to me. "I'm going to need copies of those photos. Do you happen to have them date and time stamped?"

"Of course."

"I'll also need everything you took that day at the reservoir."

"Every picture? There are over a hundred. Some of them aren't very good." I hated showing people my raw images. Even those I submitted as a photojournalist still had a bit of color correction and contrast adjustments.

"Every picture, Ms. Lightwood," he repeated. Uh-oh, we were back to Ms. Lightwood.

"If you wait a moment, I can put them all on a thumb drive for you now."

"That would be great. Bring your computer out here so I can be a witness to the chain of evidence."

I swallowed. "Chain of evidence" sounded terrible. I had been trying to help myself, but now I was in even more trouble. I took my time walking to my bedroom to gather my laptop and the extra thumb drive. I wanted a moment to collect and bottle my emotions.

"What were you thinking?" Linc's low growl behind me made me jump and squeal. He grabbed my elbow and spun me around to face him.

"Cheese and crackers, you scared me. I should get you a bell," I said, willing my heartbeat to slow.

"Answer me. Why would you go looking for evidence?" he asked. His eyes were darker than I'd ever seen them. Like the sky before a storm.

"We were just trying to help. Like I said, I didn't want to feel like an idiot if it turned out to be nothing," I repeated.

"Not a great idea, Alex. You seem to keep forgetting this is a small town. And there are very few secrets in small towns. Word is going to get out that you're poking into this," he explained.

"So?" What was the big deal?

"So, there is still a murderer out there." His voice had gotten louder, and we heard conversation stop in the other room. He took a deep breath and backed away from me a step before continuing. "If they feel like you're getting too close, they could come after you next."

The color drained from my face. I hadn't thought of that. Still, I hated being treated like a child.

"It was the middle of the day. I had Colleen with me. We weren't in danger."

"Great." He threw up his hands. "A pixie-sized photographer with a bum ankle and a preschool teacher with hair you can see from space. Quite the menacing duo."

I narrowed my eyes at him and poked a finger into his chest. "I have survived just fine on my own for the last decade in places much more dangerous than Piney Ridge. And I don't need your guilt trip. I already feel bad enough for not leaving that locket where we found it." I grabbed my laptop off the bed and elbowed past him.

"Dammit, Alex," I heard him say behind me. I didn't stop moving.

Detective Spaulding asked Colleen questions while Nana K sipped on a lemonade, looking amused. I set up the laptop on the kitchen counter and began transferring the images from my camera to the thumb drive. As they loaded, I scrolled through the folder with the reservoir pictures to take out any that were completely out of focus. I had a little bit of dignity left.

"Tampering with evidence aside," Detective Spaulding said, leaning over my shoulder as I worked, "these photos are really great. I love the ones by the water."

"It's really hard to mess up something as beautiful as the reservoir," I said, diminishing his compliment. "I just shoot what I see."

"You have a very good eye. I would have never thought to get down on eye level with the rocks."

"I guess laziness pays off sometimes," I joked. When the last picture transferred, I removed the thumb drive and handed it to him. "If you need explanations of where any were taken or whatever, just ask."

He looked from me to Colleen and back again. "Tampering with evidence is serious. How do we know you didn't plant this necklace?" He held up a hand before we could protest. "I might be crazy, but I believe your story. For now," he added ominously. He checked his watch. "I've got to go meet the crime scene crew."

He walked to the couch to address Nana K. "Ms. Klafke-Klafken-Klafski—" he tried.

She laughed and interrupted, "It's pronounced Klahf-ken-ev-ski. Everyone calls me Nana K. You, my darling, can call me whatever you want, just don't call me late for cocktails."

"Okay, Ms. K," he said, smiling. "It was really great to meet you. Try to keep your granddaughter out of trouble."

"Usually it's the other way around," I murmured.

Detective Spaulding made his farewells to Colleen and Linc—a warning to stay away from evidence for Colleen and a stiff handshake for Linc.

"Detective Spaulding?" I asked as we walked to the door. "We thought maybe Missy was killed by the water and then dragged into the brush. We looked around but couldn't really see any drag marks or anything."

He rubbed a hand over his face. "I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but I think you need to know. It'll be in the papers soon enough anyway. She was dragged. We noticed mud on her heels and disturbed brush the night we discovered her. By finding this necklace, you might have helped us pinpoint the actual murder spot." He opened the door to leave, then turned and added. "You shouldn't be looking into