Chapter 21
TWENTY-ONE
Clara greeted them inside the police station. “Mrs. Feldman, Officer Logan will take your statement, and I’ll take yours, Brianne.”
“You can come with me,” Officer Logan said politely and led Regina to his desk.
“Can I get you a cup of coffee or some water?” Clara asked.
“I could use some water.” Bri twisted her hands together.
“I’ll take a coffee.” Linc touched Bri’s upper back, hoping to calm her nerves.
Clara motioned for Linc to follow her as well. “We’ll use this interview room for privacy.” She opened the door to a room off the main squad room and motioned Bri in. “I’ll grab the water. Since it’s police station coffee, you can come with me and fix it how you want it,” she said to Linc.
Once they were in the small break room, he poured a coffee and added creamer. “Thanks for not calling it an interrogation room.”
“I’ll assure her that she’s not in any trouble.” Clara grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. “I take it everything went well with Kendra last night?”
Based on her grin and the innuendo in her voice, she knew, or at least suspected, he’d spent the night. However, she must not have talked to Kendra this morning and didn’t know about their conversation ending their brief relationship, if you could call it that. He didn’t ask or answer her question as he stirred the coffee.
“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about Grandma Ruby. You’re going to change her mind, and she’ll be asking you to set her up with some retired Special Forces soldier. When do you go back to finish out your deployment?”
“I’m going to call my chief and work that out while you’re interviewing my sister. Can I trust you to stick to the case?” He didn’t need Bri getting the lowdown on him and Kendra because Bri would probably give him hell.
“Of course.” Clara’s playful smile disappeared, and she studied him through the narrowed eyes of a skilled detective. “You can wait in the lobby after you make your call.”
He gave a curt nod, then headed outside.
“I got your message,” Chief Lundgren answered. “Glad to hear Bri’s back safe, and they caught the people behind the operation.”
Amen to that. “She and her grandmother are giving their statements to the police now. The detective working the case said neither should be in danger going forward. Her grandmother wants to go home to Atlanta tomorrow, except she’s still recovering and not up to making the drive herself. Bri asked me to drive her down. I thought I could fly out of Atlanta back to Poland.”
“It’ll make it an easier trip for you. Call HQ and have them make arrangements. We’re not doing more ordnance training until you’re back. Our newbie or a trainee might get a nickname like three-finger G.I. Joe if I let Dominguez and Grant fill in for you.”
“Our newbie have a nickname yet?”
“No. We wanted you to have a say.”
The chief wanting him back and verbalizing what Linc brought to the team was what he needed to hear. Getting back to work might give him something to think about other than Kendra and wondering if he’d made a huge mistake this morning.