Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
“I hear about cold cases being solved these days,” she fished.
His hold on her tightened. “I’m not going to encourage you to hope, I’m also not going to tell you there is no hope. What I’m going to say is that sixteen years puts law enforcement at a significant disadvantage, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”
She studied him a beat before she said, “Thank you for being honest.”
“Always.”
“Can I be needy for a second?” she requested.
He moved his hand so their fingers were laced together and chided, “You’re not being needy, honey. This is as serious as shit can get. Just tell me what you need, and I’ll do what I can to give it to you.”
He watched her fight to control her emotion, before she said, “Okay, then, can you pack heavy and bring a ton of dog food? I don’t…” She popped her head to the side like she got a sudden pain in her neck before she finished, “It’s soothing, having you around.”
“And you want to be home.”
“I want to be in our home.”
He knew what she meant.
“You didn’t move into their room,” he whispered.
“I haven’t touched their room,” she whispered back.
Goddamn it.
Honed her talents with denial.
Knowing this, Harry mentally pledged to keep an eye on her. She was like a prey animal, adept at hiding vulnerability.
“I’m here as long as you need me.”
“Thanks, Harry.” She was still whispering.
He got up and moved to her, savoring again while he watched her tilt her head back as he bent low to touch his mouth to hers.
“I gotta get going,” he said, wishing he didn’t, but important shit had to get done, and with the most important of it, they’d already lost sixteen years. They couldn’t lose another day.
“Do you want me to make you another coffee in a travel mug?” Lillian offered.
“No, Polly will have an Aromacobana for me.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll check in during the day.”
“You don’t have—”
“It’ll be to look in on you, but mostly it’ll be for me.”
She studied him for another few beats then said, “Stuff happens to you that really sucks, at the same time stuff happens that’s really awesome. It’s confusing, but whatever. Thanks for being so awesome, Harry.”
“I don’t think you’re getting this,” he told her.
“What?” she asked.
He didn’t answer.
He said, “But you will.”
He gave her another kiss, then went to put on his boots. He grabbed his duffle. Returned for one last kiss and a “See you later.”
He waited for her eyes to warm at his words, and only then did he walk out the door.
He didn’t saunter to the station. In fact, it took effort to stop himself from jogging.
Polly met him at reception.
She handed him his coffee.
He handed her his duffle and requested, “Can you drop that in my office?”
“Sure thing, Harry. How is she?”
“Demolished, but getting on with it.”
“That’s Sonny and Avery,” Polly mumbled and bustled away.
Harry went direct to Rus’s desk, their eyes locked the short journey.
“Wanna take a field trip?” he asked his detective.
“Where we goin’?” Rus returned.
“I’m feeling a convo with Leland Dern.”
Slowly, Rus smiled.
NINETEEN
Messed-up Ways
Harry
It was a haul to Dern’s remote, tiny A-frame in the pines two counties away.
So when they parked outside of it, the first thing Harry did was pull out his phone and text Lillian.
Hanging in there?
“I think he likes you,” Rus noted.
Harry looked to Rus, then he followed the direction of Rus’s attention and saw, on the small front deck of the A-frame, Dern was now standing there, the barrel of a shotgun resting on his shoulder, in his other hand, the lead attached to the collar of a rottweiler.
Rus didn’t like to carry a gun, but he’d been doing this for a while, so he didn’t leave the station without one, at least one in his vehicle.
This meant when he got out of their cruiser, he swung his gun belt on.
Harry unsnapped the strap on his weapon before he got out, and he kept his hand resting on the butt as he waited for Rus to join him, and he kept it there as they started up the walk.
The dog barked and strained the leash.
Dern shouted, “You’re trespassing!”
Both the men stopped five feet from the foot of the steps to the deck.
“Can have a chat here or can take you to the station. We don’t have Uber in MP yet. Jerry’s still running his taxi service, though, gotta say, it’d probably be a helluva fare to get back,” Harry said.
“You got no cause to take me to the station,” Dern retorted.
“How sure are you about that?” Harry asked.
His dog was strong and raring to take a bite out of Harry and Rus. So much so, he pulled Dern a good foot toward the edge of the deck before Dern again gained control over him.
“Not feeling you have control over that animal and are clearly using him as a threat. It would haunt me to my dying day if I had to shoot your dog, but I will, you don’t put him inside,” Harry warned. “And leave your shotgun in there when you do.”