9. Ozzie
CHAPTER 9
Ozzie
I really needed to find Warren Hammond.
My thoughts in a blender, I mulled over what Claire said.
Why did a city dweller like Hammond need a mountain getaway? I understood how some people liked to take a wilderness retreat here and there for the solitude, but to buy a cabin in the Alaskan bush seemed a little extreme. Especially when it was someone who dressed like they worked in downtown New York.
Claire exited the coffeeshop and moved past the front windows, turning my thoughts in an entirely different direction. She was another city slicker, but unlike the Hammonds, there was a heartiness to her clothing that said she understood the harsh climate in which she lived. Her stylish sweater and jeans belonged on the pages of a fashion magazine, but the high-quality winter boots on her feet said she could easily add some snow gear to her getup and be right at home in the backcountry.
“Why didn’t you tell me your witness was hot?”
I turned a glare on Ellis. “What bearing does that have on my case?”
“None. But you know I’m always on the lookout for the next ex-Mrs. Quartermaine.”
Rolling my eyes, I walked toward the door, leaving him to trail after me. Ellis had been married a grand total of once, and after a bitter divorce, vowed to never do it again.
That didn’t mean he didn’t still love women, though. “Leave Claire alone,” I growled. “She’s not your type.”
“A hot blonde isn’t my type?”
I let go of the door, and it swung back, nearly hitting him in the face. Smothering a smirk, I kept walking. “Nice. She’s nice.” She and I hadn’t spoken for more than a few minutes, but the way she carried herself and the way she treated the few others I’d watched her interact with told me a lot about her character. Claire Holmes was kind. And classy. Even if she was nosy.
“The women I date are nice.”
“They’re nice to get what they want. Claire is nice just because she’s nice. And she’s not the type of woman you can use and throw away.”
“I don’t ‘use and throw away’ women. We mutually agree to a short-term, pleasurable relationship. Maybe she likes to keep things casual. You don’t know.”
I let out a quiet grunt. He was right there, but my people reading skills rarely let me down, and Claire didn’t seem like the type to parade a string of men through her bedroom. “I can guess.”
“You’re a cop. You’re not supposed to guess.”
That made me chuckle. “Only on cases, El.” I glanced over as he caught up.
“If you want her for yourself, just say so.”
I stopped, my jaw working as a slow burn of anger simmered in my belly. “Let’s get something clear. Claire Holmes is a witness in my homicide case. She’s off-limits, so even if I found her attractive, it wouldn’t matter. But I’m also not going to engage in a battle of who saw her first. If you want to ask her out, be my guest. Keep in mind, though, if you break her heart, I might break your nose.” And maybe a few fingers. Just the thought of Ellis dating Claire made me sick to my stomach. Not because I thought he’d treat her poorly—my brother was a serial dater, not a jerk—but because, despite my words, something about Claire appealed to me. And I didn’t want Ellis to be the one who got to know her better.
The smirk on Ellis’s face at the start of my spiel quickly faded. A more serious and contemplative expression took over. “You’ve changed, Oz.”
“Yeah, well, seeing the worst humanity can do to another person will have that effect. I’m not the innocent kid you left when you joined the Coast Guard. I’ve grown up and learned that casual relationships often have disastrous consequences.”
Ellis let out a snort, some of the lightheartedness returning to his expression. “More than ever now I want to find you a woman.”
“I’m good.”
A set of deep blue eyes flashed through my mind.
Firmly, I pushed thoughts of Claire away. I meant what I said. She was a witness.
Even if she wasn’t, I didn’t have time to date. Not while I was still trying to prove myself in my new department.
Ellis hummed. “Sure you are.”
I aimed a glare at him, silently telling him to drop it.
He held up his hands. “Fine. I’ll let you become a miserly old man. Where are we going?”
A grimace crossed my face at the thought of my destination. “To see a man about a plane.” Getting to Warren Hammond’s cabin had become priority number one. I needed to talk to Chief Riggs.
“You’re going to find that cabin, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
“Fine, but I’m coming with you.”
Once more, I stopped walking to face him. “You can’t.”
A skeptical look pulled his eyebrows together. “Why the hell not?”
“It’s police business.”
“It’s also Alaska, Oz. Your department isn’t going to send anyone with you. They don’t have the manpower. Hoonah might be able to spare an officer to accompany you, but I doubt it. You can’t go walking into the wilderness after a potential killer by yourself. Especially since you don’t know the area. That in itself is dangerous. This isn’t the Appalachians. The bears here don’t run up trees and hide, and moose will trample you just because you had the gall to breathe near them. And let’s not forget about the weather. It can turn on a dime. You need someone to watch your back.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And you’re the one to do that?”
“Of course I am. I’m your brother.”
“Which is why I hesitate to bring you. I don’t want you to get hurt. Hammond could be armed.”
Ellis turned a dark look on me. “That’s supposed to make me back down? You’re only strengthening my case.”
We reached my truck, and I pushed the button to unlock it. “What about work?” I rounded the hood and opened the driver’s door, getting in.
He hopped into the passenger seat. “I can take a couple days. It’s not like I have much on my plate right now, anyway. All my duties are winding down since I only have a couple of months left.”
I blew out a breath as I started the engine. It would be nice to have someone who understood the Alaskan wilderness. “I’ll float it past the chief. But I can’t promise anything.”
Backing out of my parking space and onto the main road, I smirked and glanced at him from the corner of my eye as a thought occurred. “You know, if you go with me, that means you’ll have to put off your meeting with Claire.”
Ellis barked a laugh. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Oz.”
With a chuckle, I shook my head. My smile turned teasing. “I don’t know about that. I’m kinda wishing we were still thousands of miles apart.”
His fist connected with my bicep.
“Ow.” I rubbed the spot, exaggerating a pout.
“Asshole.” Ellis laughed.
“Me?” My brows winged upward. “You’re the one who punched me.”
“You deserved it.”
Probably. “Be careful, big brother. I’ll put you between myself and that moose.