Sylvia Jensen, in jeans and an untucked, dirt-smudged, white T-shirt, waved from several yards away and started toward him. Chase waited for her, knowing better than to tread on the land that had been sectioned off by twine to organize the search. There wasn’t much his feet could disturb after construction crews had already worked over the land, knocking down trees and leveling the minor hills and valleys, but he still respected the rules of forensics.

Sylvia, large hoop earrings swinging and sunglasses hooked in the collar of her shirt, stepped over a puddle to join him. As always, he was struck by the absolute beauty of her light hazel eyes against the backdrop of dark chocolate skin.

“Anything?” he asked.

“Nothing concrete, but we have discovered something a bit strange. It appears that someone has been digging around.”

“Digging around?”

“At the back of the site, where the land butts up against the wooded area there,” she said, gesturing at the ragged line of unkempt trees that marked the edge of the property. Chase remembered cutting through that wooded area many a time to meet up with friends at the hollowed-out house they’d called the Bat Cave.

“We’ve found several areas where the soil’s no longer compact,” she said. “Someone’s been digging holes, then filling them back in. Recently.”

“How recently?”

“They broke ground on the project last month, so it could be since then. Can’t tell specifically because of all the rain.”

“Could it be related to the construction? Utilities? Cables?”

“Already checked with the foreman. The positioning is off.”

“So you think someone’s been looking for something?”

“Thought it could be the baseball bat,” she said. “Maybe whoever buried it found out the land was being developed and went to work trying to find it.”

“Or maybe our culprit is looking for something else he buried here in addition to the bat, such as the masks that were worn during the attack.”

“Possible. He also might have already found what he was looking for.”

“Are you saying that you think this is a waste of time?”

“Not at all. I’m just giving you the heads up that we might spend weeks out here and not find anything.”

“Let’s hope that’s not the case,” he said. Kylie had a lot invested, financially and emotionally, and he didn’t want to see her robbed of another dream. “Did you find anything among the evidence you collected near Kylie’s Jeep?”

“Nope. Sorry,” she said. “Should get a report on the prints tomorrow morning. I planned to have it today, but we’ve been swamped.”

“I’ll be surprised if you get anything. Kylie said the guy was wearing gloves.”

“He might have handled the bat before he put them on.”

Chase was doubtful, but he’d known other thugs to be as stupid. “That’d be a lucky break, but I’m not holding my breath.”

Sylvia tugged at an earring, an unconscious gesture that Chase recognized as a signal that she was about to switch gears on him. “Shame about the story in the paper today,” she said.

Chase gave her a sharp look. He’d overslept this morning after a restless night and hadn’t had a chance to open the newspaper before he’d rushed out the door to meet Sylvia here. “What story?”

“About Quinn McKay’s shirt being found with the bat.”

“Ah, hell,” he breathed. “That’s not supposed to be public knowledge.”

“Uh-oh.” She frowned. “You can rest assured that no one in my office leaked that information. They know I’d rip them bald.”

Chase smiled at the very Sylvia-like expression. “Yeah, I know.” He wondered what he should do, if anything. Kylie had to be tied up in knots over this, but seeing him would just tie her up even more.

“Just curious here,” Sylvia said, “but where you do stand on Quinn McKay? To an outsider like me, he and Kylie seem pretty close. When you see them together in public, they’re more like good friends than siblings.”

“They are now, but that wasn’t the case back then.”

“Ah. I wasn’t living here yet. I knew the attack was big news, though. People still talked about it when I got here, what, five years ago.”

Chase nodded. “It was huge.”

“So Kylie and Quinn weren’t best buddies back then, huh? Was it your typical brother-sister animosity or more than that?”

Chase met her striking eyes. She wasn’t just curious. She had a specific point to make. Not that he minded. She had a sharp mind that he’d taken advantage of plenty over the years. “You’re going somewhere with this,” he said.

She shrugged. “Well, I have to admit I’m a wee bit curious about why you haven’t arrested him.”

“We don’t have enough evidence.”

“You’ve got means, motive, opportunity and his shirt buried with the weapon. I assume you also have a theory.”

Chase stretched his neck from side to side, wincing as guitar-string-tight tendons protested. Jesus, he hated being put on the spot, especially when the other person meant well—and was right.

“So let’s hear it,” Sylvia prodded. “Let’s hear this theory you’re keeping to yourself.”

He took a breath then blew it out. Okay, it wouldn’t hurt to run it by an objective professional. “Quinn ended his sister’s career because he was jealous of the attention she got. He dumped the bat and shirt here, then he was so guilt-ridden, he turned himself around. When she picked this place for the tennis center, he started the sabotage to slow down construction hoping he could find the bat and shirt before anyone else did.”

Sylvia nodded, forehead lined with concentration. “So why haven’t you arrested him?”

“We’re waiting on the results on the shirt. If that’s not Kylie’s blood—”

“Mind if I share an opinion?”

“I’d appreciate it, actually.”

“If your gut is telling you her brother took out her knee, make the arrest. By the time the grand jury takes a look at the case, you’ll have the results on the shirt. Simple.”

“I wish it were that simple.”

“Let me put it to you this way, Chase. Go look at the pictures of what was done to her and ask yourself if you’re willing to risk that happening again. If her brother did it, he’s probably desperate to avoid getting caught. For all you know, he’s the one who took the bat to her windshield. He knew where to find her alone and when. He had proximity, and he, as well as anyone, knows best what’s going to freak her out the most. Didn’t you say the video surveillance of that parking lot was blank? He knew how to deal with that, too.”

Chase’s gut felt like he’d swallowed rocks. He hadn’t even considered Quinn for the windshield. What the hell was wrong with him? What Sylvia said made perfect sense. But Quinn had looked more shaken than Kylie had. Not that that was a good comparison, considering Kylie’s game face. “I just can’t imagine he’d—”

“He might,” Sylvia cut in. “That’s all I’m saying. If he’s the guy, he’s already proven once that he can take a whack at her with a weapon. A bum knee could end up being the least of her problems.”