But why?
She set the frame aside and took out the book, leafing through it until she reached the page she sought. She heaved a huge sigh of relief when she saw the article she’d cut out of the newspaper years ago and had placed in the book for safekeeping.
Charlotte came to her side and peered down at the yellowed newspaper clipping. “Oh, honey,” she whispered, putting an arm around Elle’s shoulders and giving her a squeeze. “Why would someone want to steal the news story on your family’s death?”
Elle had to swallow back the tears that choked her before she could say, “I doubt they did. No one knows I keep this here. I just wanted to make sure it was still here. And with that photograph being out of place…I just wanted to double-check.”
Charlotte gave her another squeeze. “Well, then, it’s probably nothing. I’m guessing someone was in your office while you were out and saw that picture of your mom and dad and how happy they were that day and just had to get a closer look.”
Elle smiled. Thank God for Charlotte. She didn’t know what she’d do without her aunt. “I’m just being paranoid.” She placed the book back on the shelf and set her parents’ wedding picture where it belonged, her fingertips lingering for a moment on the edge of the frame. “It’s hard to believe next week is the anniversary.”
“Why don’t we go away next weekend?” Charlotte suggested. “It’d be good for you to get away for a little while. Maybe we can head up to Chicago, do a little shopping. I can ask Tony to run the bar while I’m out of town.”
“Maybe,” Elle hedged. “I’ll let you know.”
Charlotte gave her a look that clearly conveyed she knew Elle would decline the offer, but she didn’t push. “Okay. Now, let’s get outta here. I think we could use some time by the pool, don’t you?”
The thought of lounging by her aunt’s backyard pool sounded divine. “Add in a couple of mimosas and I’m in.”
*
Gabe’s leg was hurting like a motherfucker. He’d been pacing for who knew how long, waiting to hear back from Tom about their chat with Jeb Monroe. He was torn between calling Joe and demanding he drive Gabe to the department in spite of their father’s very clear instructions to keep the hell out of it, and the desire to call Elle back to see if she might be up for dinner again.
Unfortunately, he had a pretty good idea what the response would be in either case. But he couldn’t continue to sit on his ass. It was driving him up a fucking wall. Finally, frustrated to the point of fury, he returned to his office and powered up his laptop.
He went back through the information Kyle had passed along and the different blog and social media posts he’d already read more times than he could count, trying to come up with anything incriminating he might’ve missed on a previous pass. But he came up with a big fat fucking nothing.
Then he turned his attention to the photos, trying to put names and faces together. In addition to Monroe’s children, Jeb’s brothers were also a concern. David Monroe, Jeb’s younger brother, wasn’t quite as vocal a critic of the government and law enforcement as his brother was, but was more active in other groups that were already on various watch lists.
Then there was Jeb’s youngest brother, James Monroe. He already knew that bastard well from their various encounters over the years, long before Jeb Monroe’s bullshit vendetta against the Dawsons kicked up. He’d been out to James’s house for too many domestic calls to count. Fortunately, James wasn’t the brightest of the Monroe brothers and, aside from being an abusive asshole, usually just followed his other brothers’ orders, from what Gabe could tell.
Yet at the moment, there was nothing Gabe could pin on any of them.
Gabe pulled his hand down his face to keep from putting his fist through his screen. “God damn it!”
His phone rang, and he snatched it up immediately. “What do you have?”
He heard his brother sigh and knew the answer was just going to piss him off before Tom even said, “Jack shit. Jeb did his usual song-and-dance number. We even brought in his son Jeremy and daughter, Sandra.”
“Jeremy’s the one who’s been following Elle,” Gabe told him. “She pointed him out from the photos Kyle gave us from the FBI surveillance.”
“Yeah, well, he’s just as good at being evasive as his father,” Tom said.
“Of course he is,” Gabe scoffed. “He’s brainwashed those kids for years.”
“I don’t know,” Tom drawled. “Sandra might not be buying into everything her dad has to say. I got the impression she was more afraid than loyal.”