“No.”
“Hmmm. You know what, I’ll check the security footage at that rental place. It couldn’t hurt, right?”
“Nope.”
“If we see the kid driving the truck off the lot the night of the murder, we have to wonder why he lied.”
“Exactly.”
Since there was a lull in the conversation, I clicked on the email from the ME that had Kyle’s autopsy results. According to the ME, the immediate cause ofdeath was pneumonia due to hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, as a result of cardiorespiratory arrest from anaphylaxis. That was a mouthful, for sure.
“What are you looking at?” Steve asked, apparently in no mood to go back to his lab.
“The autopsy report for Kyle Segrott.”
“The anaphylactic shock case?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It says blood drawn in the ER showed a significantly elevated tryptase level.”
“I don’t know what a normal level is.”
“Me neither.” I scanned the email. “Uh, says here normal is 3.8 to 11.4 ng/ml, and Kyle’s level was—” I bugged my eyes. “His levels were 87.0 ng/ml.”
“What the heck?” Steve blinked at me.
I sat back, feeling uneasy. “Doesn’t that seem like an awfully high level for something that was supposedly accidental?”
“I’ll say.” Steve grimaced. “That’s way too high. What’s the ME’s conclusion?”
I scanned the report further and caught my breath. “Manner of death…homicide?”
“Are you serious?” Steve yelped.
I felt guilt as I remembered all the times Pervis had insisted his brother’s death couldn’t have been an accident. “I thought for sure it was accidental,” I muttered.
Steve gave a low whistle. “You’ve gottwohomicides on your plate?”
Scowling, I growled, “What in the hell is going on around here?” I met his gaze. “I’m serious, what in the world is happening?”
“Maybe Liam James is missing because he killed them, and now he’s making a run for it?” Steve lifted his brows. “I mean, it’s possible.”
“But what possible motive would Liam James have to kill either KyleorLincoln?”
Steve held up his hands. “Figuring that out is your job, Sheriff. Not mine.”
I rubbed my jaw, feeling bewildered. “I really thought Kyle’s death was an accident.”
Steve stood, grimacing. “You know what I find worrisome, Sheriff?”
“What’s that?”
“Kyle is dead, apparently by homicide, and Liam James is missing.”
I frowned. “Yes, I’m well aware of both of those things.”
“Is it just me, or does it seem like all of your competition for sheriff is falling like flies? Seems pretty convenient.”
I stiffened. “Surely you’re not suggesting I had anything to do with that?”
