Free A Time to Live and a Thyme for Murder! (Outer Banks Baker Mystery Series Book 3) by Phoebe T. Eggli

did see Derek and they tried to get his picture with Tanner’s phone, but didn’t know if they got the image or not. “It certainly looked like a drug deal going down, but we weren’t close enough to see for sure and we couldn’t hear the conversation.” Melissa, sitting beside Logan at the small table, groaned. Agent Garland sent the local cop back to the waiting area to find Tanner and his phone. Minutes later the interview became more crowded as Tanner arrived with his visibly annoyed father in tow. The phone was confiscated, much to the young man’s dismay as he just got his phone back from his father. Agent Garland flipped through the images on the camera roll – mostly shots of the dirty floor and people’s legs. However, there were two pictures that aroused his interest. One was still mostly legs but a small plastic bag was seen exchanging hands – just couldn’t see the faces that belonged to the legs. The other image was a head shot of Derek as he turned to walk away after the exchange.
     
    Agent Garland sent the boys off with the uniformed cop for blood tests for alcohol and drugs. Jason joined Melissa and Tanner’s father in the room to discuss the situation with the agent. “Listen,” Agent Garland addressed the group, “if their tests come back negative for alcohol and drugs, they can go home. We won’t pursue charges for being at an illegal party. But…Tanner’s phone is now going into police custody as evidence. This isn’t enough to indict young Mr. McCallie for anything, and it’s not enough to clear anyone else. As far as we are concerned, both Tanner and Logan put themselves in a very precarious position by attending that party. If it’s true they only went to search for Derek to help out a friend, that’s one thing. But there’s nothing to prove they weren’t just there for the party or to find drugs for themselves. We are going to keep an eye on them even more so now – just so you are aware.”
     
    A short time later, both Logan and Tanner were returned to the interview room to await the results of their tests. Melissa crinkled her nose at the foul odor emanating from the teens. Tanner’s father was beside himself at the trouble his son had gotten into. If he held to his threats, Tanner would be grounded until the end of time and find himself enrolled in a military institute come fall. Logan sensed Aunt Mel was holding back on what she really wanted to say to him. At this point, he knew he deserved whatever she had to dish out. He hadn’t even considered what his dad was going to say when Melissa had to make that phone call.
     
    A couple hours later, the boys were cleared to go home with no charges against them. Aunt Mel sternly led her nephew out the door without saying a word all the way back to Jason’s house. However, Jason made it clear that as soon as he got off work later that night, they would all sit down for a nice, long chat to discuss this conundrum they were now all in.
     
     

     
     
     

 

Chapter 13
     
    It was s somber group sitting around the kitchen table the next morning at Jason’s house. Most had not slept at all. After the detective arrived home from work around 4 a.m., everyone was still up discussing the events of the evening. Logan was in hot water with his aunt for several reasons, but mainly for putting himself in such a dangerous situation. She had not called his father yet and was dreading that little chat. Krissy spent the hours a nervous wreck as she waited for her dad to get back home.
     
    A weary Jason filled everyone in on what transpired at the police department after their departure. Melissa could tell something had him very upset and it was more than Logan getting busted at an illegal party. He kept looking over at his daughter with concern, but was reluctant to spill whatever news he was withholding. The raid last night rounded up several kids with drugs on them, as well as some intoxicated minors. The DEA had hoped to uncover