Chapter 13
Charlie
“So, what are you thinking?” Ryder asks.
We’ve been combing through the case file, looking for clues as to what we’re missing and searching for a motive for why someone wants the mistress, a congressional aide who worked for the congressman named Hazel Myers, dead.
Ryder, Sadie Rodgers—my lieutenant in charge of the investigations division—and I have spent the morning reviewing every detail, trying to come up with angles, only to end up empty-handed.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Continue to interview friends and family and see if they can fill in the blanks. Then let’s go back to the witnesses at the accident and ask different questions.”
Sadie shifts in the chair. “It’s a place to start.”
Ryder nods. “We focused on the details of the accident the first time around, but now we need to look for possible connections.”
“I’ll talk to Claire to see if she’s come up with anything unusual in the background checks,” Sadie says, naming our cyber investigator.
“Good idea. First order of business is to establish if the accident is related or coincidental.” I pick up a pen from my desk, fiddling with it as I roll through the intel, the eyewitness accounts, and the seemingly random collection of people involved in the pileup.
“On the surface, it seems unconnected. But I don’t know… something is bothering me.”
“Yeah, me too,” Ryder says.
“I’m not sure what to think.” Sadie’s brown hair is tied back in a low bun, her dark eyes narrowed.
At thirty-one, she’s my best investigator, and when the old guy left, I promoted her.
She still finding her way in a sea of bruised egos, but she’s tough enough to deal with the dickheads who want to challenge her authority.
Ryder and I have worked hard to clear the department of tough guys and self-perceived alphas, but this is still small-town America and it’s an uphill battle pushing them into the twenty-first century.
If they don’t like it, they can quit. But other than grumbling, they are starting to adjust.
“It seems like a sloppy way to kill someone, don’t you think?” Sadie continues to question, once again going through material we’ve already discussed. “You want to get rid of someone, you don’t cause a pileup. It’s filled with risks, uncertainty, and a high probability of failure.”
That’s the part that doesn’t make sense. “Maybe it’s still an accident, a consequence of another event gone wrong?”
Sadie stares at the wall behind me in concentration. “Plausible.”
“Top priority is searching for a connection. If we find one, great. If not, we’ll figure out what’s next.”
“It’s as good a plan as any,” Ryder says.
We spend a few more minutes wrapping up before they leave my office, closing the door behind them. I turn my attention to my email and find a meeting request in my inbox from Jessica.
I ignore the way my chest thumps at her name on my screen.
She’s requesting time on my calendar tomorrow morning. The subject reads “Policy Discussions” and provides no other information.
I swirl the mouse over the pad, contemplating.
We haven’t spoken since the texts we exchanged before the party, nor have I seen her this morning.
I intend to keep it that way by staying in my office and catching up on the stacks of paperwork piling up.
Eventually, I’ll forget about her.
Eventually, I’ll get used to her with Cole Montgomery. He’s a good guy who will be the kind of man she deserves.
I might not have experience with infatuation, but I’m confident I can move past it. I’ll be polite and professional and accommodating.
I make my decision.
I add Ryder to the meeting request and accept.
It’s his sister; he can be her point person.
Jessica
I stare at the meeting request I sent to Charlie this morning.
I scheduled meetings with all the department heads as an introduction, to collect their policies for review, and to discuss any relevant legal issues specific to their departments.
He’s added Ryder to the meeting.
He’s not the only one. Some of the departments have added their deputies and some haven’t, but I anticipated Charlie keeping things private.
Instead, he’s putting further distance between us.
It…upsets me.
The pit in my stomach that took root at the party has sprouted again.
I’m so dumb. Somewhere along the way, I’d gotten it in my mind that we were going somewhere. Even though I don’t do relationships, those tendrils had woven their way into my veins anyway.
All this time, I’ve thought I had a black heart, but it turns out it’s soft and mushy where he’s concerned. So it’s probably better he wants nothing to do with me.
I’m saved from the embarrassment of turning into a girl over him.
“How was your day?” a female voice asks from my doorway.
I look up to find Sophie there, her expression wide, her brown eyes dancing. As always, she’s dressed to the nines in a silky caramel-colored blouse, creamy dress pants, and nude heels. The city runs deep in her.
I plaster on a fake smile. “It was great. Everyone’s been welcoming and accommodating. The list of things that need to be addressed is already a long one.”
She leans against the doorframe and crosses her arms over her chest. “Yeah, with the growth and new projects, I’m glad I was able to talk Griffin into why we need our own attorney on staff.”
“I’ll be busy, but that’s okay, I love a challenge.”
She laughs. “That’s why I knew you’d be perfect for the job.”
“I saw you sent over the contracts for the river rezoning project. I’ve talked to Griffin. I’ll set up a time to discuss as soon as I’ve had a chance to review.”
“Great.” She tilts her head toward the hallway. “I’m on my way to grab Ryder. You want to head out with me?”
My heart starts a rapid pounding in my chest because I know full well my brother’s office is right next to Charlie’s. Before Saturday, I would have been all over the suggestion, but now, I’m nervous and unsure.
I make vague hand gesticulations over the surface of my city-issued, intuitional desk. “I have things to finish before I can take off.”
“Sounds good.” She straightens from the doorway. “I’m so excited we get to see each other all the time!”
Sophie is an only child with absent parents who roam around the globe like nomads searching for their next spiritual quest. Hailey and I have adopted her as one of our own, and I’m thankful she’ll be my sister-in-law. Not only does she make my brother happy, but she’s also cool as shit.
“Me too.” I give her a little wave. “Have a great night.”
“You too.” She takes her leave, and I’m once again alone.
I clear my head and return to compiling my list of things to do.
Another forty minutes pass before I’ve dumped everything out of my head, organized my schedule, and set my priorities for the following day.
I switch off my computer and gather my things, shutting off the light before making my way into the hall. My heels click on the beige-tiled floor as I walk the mostly empty corridors.
I hit the cross-section of hallways, craning my neck at the sound of a footfall.
I let out a gasp, freezing in my spot.
It’s Charlie, looking every inch the stern authority figure in his uniform.
When he’s standing in front of me, he stops.
We stare at each other.
My mouth is dry. My throat frozen.
Mentally, I grasp for the words I would have said to him at this time last week, and I find my mind is an utter blank.
He seems to be suffering from the same fate.
We hang in suspended silence.
He searches my face, while I search his.
The air between us feels thick and heavy, full of things unspoken.
I lick my parched lips, and that breaks the trance.
His expression shutters before he shoves his hands into the pockets of his uniform pants. “Hey.”
“Hey.” I manage to squeak out.
He clears his throat. “Did you have a good first day?”
“I did. Busy.” My voice is polite, formal-sounding.
“Good.” He glances toward the door, then back at me. “How was the rest of the party?”
“Fine.” I sound like I’m worried he’s going to try to sell me something. Which is the exact opposite of how I feel.
I would very much like him to sell me something.
If anything, his eyes grow even more distant. “Great. Well, have a good night.”
“You too,” I mutter.
Then he turns and walks off.
I stare after him.
A swell of loss washes over me. He wants nothing to do with me.
And I have only myself to blame.
Charlie
Ryder and I are already in my office when Jessica strolls into the department at eight fifty-nine the following morning.
Through the glass, I watch Jeanene point in the direction of my office.
I watch Jessica walk past the men and women who work for me.
Watch as they all pause to study her as she marches across the floor in her black dress and stiletto heels.
I grip my pen and work to compartmentalize my lust.
She made herself clear yesterday. She’s been a roller coaster since the second she sat down next to me, so her quick reversal is the expected outcome. I’m not even surprised.
She’s pure chaos. It was always going to be the way.
Lucky for me, I’m good at detachment.
After I adjust, I’ll slip right into it, like I always do.
The door to my office is open, and she stops at the threshold, as if there’s an invisible force field preventing entry. Her lightning-blue eyes drift to the chair next to Ryder.
I gesture her in.
“Good morning, Sheriff.” She offers a weak smile as she slides into the empty seat. “Ryder.”
“How’s city hall treating you so far?” He narrows his watchful gray eyes on her, before looking to me.
“It’s been fine.” She opens the cover of her tablet and settles into the seat, crossing her legs.
He frowns at her.
I grit my teeth and try not to think about what her thighs looked like when her skirt was bunched up while she straddled me.
I shake off the thoughts.
Ryder and Jessica are both looking at me with the expectation I should be speaking. I shift my attention to the woman who now occupies a ridiculous percentage of my thoughts and hold out my hands. “This is your show. What can we do for you?”
She presses the screen and extracts an electronic pen. “Since introductions aren’t necessary, I’m starting with a legal review of the policies and procedures for each department, as well as discussing any potential liabilities flagged for immediate concern.”
All business, I nod. “I have no problem with that, but since our department is also part of the larger county, I’ve modeled most city policies after those.
Any requested modifications may have larger impacts that will need to be addressed at a commissioner level.
I want to avoid disparities as much as possible.
I can’t have a bunch of deputies running around trying to figure out what procedure they’re supposed to be following. ”
She flexes her fingers on the pen. “That’s fair.”
“Good.” I turn to address Ryder, who has a glint in his eyes and a set of his jaw I don’t understand. “Please work with her and get what she needs. Johnson is on desk duty right now. Maybe he can assist in collecting the documents she requires.”
Suspicion is etched across his features, like he can’t believe what he’s seeing.
She scribbles something on her device then looks at me, her expression fixed in a distant, professional mask. “I appreciate the cooperation.”
“You’re welcome,” I say.
She looks at me.
I look at her.
When the silence grows awkward, I glance pointedly at the door. “Is there anything else we can do for you?”
“No. Thanks for your time.” She stands before turning to her brother. “I’ll send you a checklist of what I’m looking for.”
He laces his fingers over his stomach. “Sure thing, Jess.”
She gives me a stiff nod then leaves.
I blow out a sigh of relief.
That wasn’t so bad. I see now she’s apathetic, so I have nothing to worry about. It will get easier from here.
I address Ryder. “Since the county attorneys are responsible for our current policies, I’m not worried about legal risk, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a hassle.”
“Hopefully.” Ryder’s voice is slow, thoughtful.
I point to the doorway. “If there’s nothing else, I have things to do.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and my sister?” Always straight to this point with this one. While it’s one of the things I like best about him, it’s fucking annoying directed at me.
At least I can tell him the truth. “There’s nothing going on with us.”
“Do you think I’m an idiot?”
No, but I wish he were. “I was accommodating, professional, and polite. What’s the problem?”
“That’s exactly the problem.” His tone is sharp, tinged with insult.
“So you don’t want me to be professional?”
He huffs out a sigh. “On Sophie’s first day, you shot the shit with her and talked about the game we’d played the Saturday before.”
“Well, yes, because Sophie is a friend I’ve known for a long time, versus your sister, whom I don’t know at all. You’re comparing apples and oranges.”
“What about that blonde from state?”
“What about her?”
“You didn’t know her, and you had her so charmed she was salivating all over you.”
I can barely recall who he’s talking about or what I did that charmed her, but that’s not really the point. I meet his gaze. “I assume you’re not interested in me making your sister salivate, so I fail to understand how this relates.”
He sits forward, putting his elbows on his knees. “Why are you so squirrely around her? Why is she acting like that? I swear to god, I’ve never been in a more awkward meeting.”
“I can’t speak for her behavior, but it was a five-minute conversation where I agreed to give her anything she requests. Do you want me to be contrary for sport?”
“Why can’t you say her name?”
Shit. Is that true? “That’s ridiculous.”
Eagle-eyed, he stares at me. Silent. Expectant.
I can only think of one reasonable explanation that might appease him. “Maybe because everyone is speculating, I’ve been extra careful about how I talk to her.”
“Maybe.” He leans back and scrubs his hand over his jaw.
“Can we move on?” I motion to the files scattered across my desk. “I have things to do, and so do you.”
He sighs, then stands. “All right, I’ll leave you to it.”
I hate that this is putting a strain on my relationship with Ryder, but my hands are tied. I promised, and while things might have ended weird and awkward, I won’t break my word.
Good thing we’re over. Since everything with Jessica is difficult.