need it after I go home…if the house doesn’t sell before I leave,” she added. Jena ignored the flash of anger that crossed his face. “I’m going to get a shower. Will you let the detective in if I’m not down in time?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be too forward.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, she escaped upstairs, silently berating herself for the onslaught of emotions he caused in her normally sensible self.
Chapter Six
Chase stared at the wall, deep in thought. Jena was still planning to move back to Ohio. He couldn’t imagine his life without Andrea in it on a daily basis. Yes, he survived without Jena, but this little girl had him wrapped around her finger. This was his brother’s daughter and he had vowed to take care of her always. His emotions teetered from hopelessness to anger. He couldn’t lose Andrea. He didn’t want to lose either of them. The depressing thought was interrupted by the back door swinging open.
“I thought it was your day off?” he asked solemnly.
“Hello to you, too.” Mrs. R. hung her purse on the back of a chair and made her way to the sink, turning the water on to wash her hands. “Some detective called and wanted to ask questions.”
He smiled slightly at her snippy tone. “He called Jen too.”
“Did he now? Where’s she at?” she asked while joining him at the table.
“Shower.” The knock on the door drew his attention away from the conversation. “Aren’t you going to get that?” Chase asked.
“My day off,” she replied evenly as she turned in her chair to dig something out of her purse.
“Great. Don’t move. I’ll get it.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
He opened the door to find a suit on the other side presenting a badge. He was older than he expected. “Come on in, Detective. I’m Chase Reiss, Jasmine’s brother-in-law.”
The detective held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Reiss, I’m Detective John Burrows. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Call me Chase, and thanks. Have a seat. Jena will be down in a minute, and Mrs. Reynolds is already here.”
“Good, good,” the detective followed.
“Detective, this is Ellen Reynolds. She’s Jasmine’s housekeeper.”
“Ma’am,” the detective nodded in her direction.
“Ellen,” she corrected. “Ma’am will get you kicked in the shin.”
“Don’t want that, now.” He chuckled.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Chase offered.
“No, I’m fine.” Detective Burrows sat down and opened a spiral notebook.
Jena entered the kitchen looking like a frightened child. Chase wanted to jump up and protect her from whatever was coming. Knowing she would never allow it, he remained seated.
She approached the table and held her hand out in greeting. “Detective, I’m Jena Shea, Jasmine’s sister.”
The detective stood and gave his condolences. “I just have a few questions. This shouldn’t take long.”
Jena sat to Chase’s left. Watching out of the corner of his eye he could see the slump in her posture. If this got out of hand, he would throw the detective out. She had been through enough.
“As you all know, Mrs. Reiss’ yacht was found adrift by the Coast Guard. The boat was undamaged and there was no sign of a physical struggle.”
Jena sighed and Chase absently reached for her hand. She quickly pulled away and placed her hands in her lap.
The detective continued. “We have two eye witnesses that have stated they saw your sister leave the marina with a man. Would you know who this might be?”
Chase rested his arm on the back of her chair careful not to touch her. He wanted to send a clear message to the detective Jena was not alone in this.
“No. I have no idea. I hadn’t talked to my sister the week of her death.”
“Did she mention a boyfriend? Any name?” he pushed.
“She told me she was dating someone. I think his first name was Trevor. Maybe it was Trent. I don’t know.”
Jena’s distress was obvious. The confidence was missing in
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be too forward.”
Ignoring the sarcasm, she escaped upstairs, silently berating herself for the onslaught of emotions he caused in her normally sensible self.
Chapter Six
Chase stared at the wall, deep in thought. Jena was still planning to move back to Ohio. He couldn’t imagine his life without Andrea in it on a daily basis. Yes, he survived without Jena, but this little girl had him wrapped around her finger. This was his brother’s daughter and he had vowed to take care of her always. His emotions teetered from hopelessness to anger. He couldn’t lose Andrea. He didn’t want to lose either of them. The depressing thought was interrupted by the back door swinging open.
“I thought it was your day off?” he asked solemnly.
“Hello to you, too.” Mrs. R. hung her purse on the back of a chair and made her way to the sink, turning the water on to wash her hands. “Some detective called and wanted to ask questions.”
He smiled slightly at her snippy tone. “He called Jen too.”
“Did he now? Where’s she at?” she asked while joining him at the table.
“Shower.” The knock on the door drew his attention away from the conversation. “Aren’t you going to get that?” Chase asked.
“My day off,” she replied evenly as she turned in her chair to dig something out of her purse.
“Great. Don’t move. I’ll get it.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
He opened the door to find a suit on the other side presenting a badge. He was older than he expected. “Come on in, Detective. I’m Chase Reiss, Jasmine’s brother-in-law.”
The detective held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Reiss, I’m Detective John Burrows. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Call me Chase, and thanks. Have a seat. Jena will be down in a minute, and Mrs. Reynolds is already here.”
“Good, good,” the detective followed.
“Detective, this is Ellen Reynolds. She’s Jasmine’s housekeeper.”
“Ma’am,” the detective nodded in her direction.
“Ellen,” she corrected. “Ma’am will get you kicked in the shin.”
“Don’t want that, now.” He chuckled.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Chase offered.
“No, I’m fine.” Detective Burrows sat down and opened a spiral notebook.
Jena entered the kitchen looking like a frightened child. Chase wanted to jump up and protect her from whatever was coming. Knowing she would never allow it, he remained seated.
She approached the table and held her hand out in greeting. “Detective, I’m Jena Shea, Jasmine’s sister.”
The detective stood and gave his condolences. “I just have a few questions. This shouldn’t take long.”
Jena sat to Chase’s left. Watching out of the corner of his eye he could see the slump in her posture. If this got out of hand, he would throw the detective out. She had been through enough.
“As you all know, Mrs. Reiss’ yacht was found adrift by the Coast Guard. The boat was undamaged and there was no sign of a physical struggle.”
Jena sighed and Chase absently reached for her hand. She quickly pulled away and placed her hands in her lap.
The detective continued. “We have two eye witnesses that have stated they saw your sister leave the marina with a man. Would you know who this might be?”
Chase rested his arm on the back of her chair careful not to touch her. He wanted to send a clear message to the detective Jena was not alone in this.
“No. I have no idea. I hadn’t talked to my sister the week of her death.”
“Did she mention a boyfriend? Any name?” he pushed.
“She told me she was dating someone. I think his first name was Trevor. Maybe it was Trent. I don’t know.”
Jena’s distress was obvious. The confidence was missing in
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