King and Maxwell (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 6)

Sean nodded in understanding. “He’ll have lost his dad. Twice.”

CHAPTER

18

“HOW IS TYLER DOING?” ASKED MICHELLE.

She and Sean were sitting across from Kathy Burnett at the Panera.

“Not that good. He’s really moody and doesn’t want to talk.”

“But you said he did talk to you?” noted Sean.

Kathy fiddled with the paper cover from the straw for her soda.

“A little.”

“Face-to-face?” asked Michelle. “Meaning not over your phones?”

“No, he drove over to my house earlier today. We talked in my backyard.”

“What did he tell you?” asked Michelle.

“Is Tyler in some sort of trouble?” Kathy blurted out.

“No,” said Sean. “Does he think he is?”

“I know he’s worried.”

“Just tell us what he said and maybe we can make some sense out of it,” advised Michelle.

“And you’re really wanting to help him, right?”

“He came to us, Kathy,” replied Michelle quite truthfully. “He hired us to look into this for him. Since he’s our client, our only interest is what’s best for him.”

Sean nodded in agreement and then they both eyed the teenage girl.

“He told me there’s something weird with his dad’s death.”

“Weird how?”

“The Army is saying that he’s dead, but Tyler thinks there’s more to it.”

“Based on what?” asked Michelle, though she knew the answer.

“He wouldn’t say. But he did tell me that the Army is jerking him around. Changing the story on how his dad died. They were supposed to go up to Dover to see his dad’s coffin come in. But then they said there was a delay.”

“Did they tell him for how long?” asked Sean.

“If they did he didn’t tell me. He was really upset about that.”

“Did he mention any emails he might have gotten from anyone?” asked Sean quietly.

Kathy shot him a glance. “Emails? From who?”

“I don’t know. I’m just asking. Trying to feel out the situation.”

She looked suspiciously at both of them. “If Tyler hired you, why aren’t you asking him these questions?”