Chapter Four
Franny sat at the bottom of her outside stairs and watched as the police officers did their work.
She tried to focus on that—pretend like she was observing for research—rather than deal with the actual thing that had happened.
The officer who wore long sleeves even in this heat drew her attention at times.
She wasn’t sure why. He held himself…differently than everyone else.
Sometimes she could distract herself wondering what it was. Just discomfort in this heat? Was he a secret criminal hiding behind a badge? Did he carry some horrible inner pain—watching his partner die?
But she could only distract herself with that for a few minutes at a time before the reality poked at her brain.
Albennie had been kidnapped.
Franny didn’t know the woman that well. They were friendly though.
Albennie had quickly learned Franny’s preferred coffee order.
They smiled and chatted in the mornings when Franny hung out at the bakery, but no one at the bakery encouraged…
getting to know one another on any kind of deeper level.
There was an odd…distance, that was unlike the stoic Wyoming rancher personality she was used to.
Not natural quietness or loner characteristics.
There was something far more careful about it.
There was something under the surface in Hope Town and Franny had a feeling she’d stumbled into the deep end—but no one wanted to tell her what that deep end was.
Frustrating, and Franny liked the frustration over the fear, so she nursed it.
She surveyed the scene. Cops everywhere. Worried people everywhere. But no answers. She’d written down that license plate, described the kidnapper, and still it had been hours with no answers.
And then some guys in suits had showed up. Franny didn’t think it was her impressive imagination that the guys screamed federal agents. They flashed badges to the cops and looked very, very, very serious.
When the deputy in long sleeves pointed to her, one of the agents made their way over to where she sat.
His questions were not really all that different than any of the police officers she had talked to. She had to go through the whole thing again. Why she’d been awake. Why she’d looked out the window. Why she’d thought to write down the license plate number.
Why, why, why.
She was about to tell the agent about the driver seeing her, but he was hailed over to another part of the parking lot and excused himself.
Franny sighed and went back to observing the scene. She should probably eat or drink something, maybe get a hat or move into the shade, but she couldn’t bring herself to move.
A little while later when Copeland approached, Franny tried not to grimace. She didn’t want to have to answer the same questions she’d already answered again, even to someone she knew.
Though she had started to piece together that the federal agents had different questions for the people who really knew Albennie than the local officers had.
She’d filed that away to consider later.
Sitting here had allowed her to eavesdrop on quite a few questioning conversations, and she was getting a picture of two very different investigations.
“Franny.”
She smiled at Copeland, then wondered why she was trying to be polite when what she really wanted to do was cry.
“We might or the Feds might have more questions for you later, but I’ve made sure everyone has your contact information. I haven’t called Audra, but—”
Franny pushed to her feet. “I’m not going back to the ranch, Copeland.”
He frowned. “Yeah, I had a feeling you’d say that. Look, a kidnapping happened right below where you live.”
“It did. Are you telling anyone else in Hope Town to leave?”
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. And before he could try a different angle, Mr. Simmons approached.
“Detective Beckett.” He nodded at both of them. “Ms. Perkins. As the landlord, I just wanted to make sure that you’ve got everything you need.”
Copeland snorted at the word landlord, though Franny wasn’t sure why.
“I’m fine, Mr. Simmons.”
He nodded. “Good. Listen, it’s important for a lot of the residents of Hope Town that this…stays below the radar. Obviously we’ve got a police presence, and people who know Albennie are worried, myself included, but we want to keep things…safe and calm. I’m hoping you’ll stay.”
“Come on, Simmons. What are you playing at?” Copeland demanded.
“Not playing,” he said, not even sparing Copeland a glance.
“I’ve talked with the sheriff,” Mr. Simmons said.
The sun reflected off his sunglasses, and he looked very…
official even though he wasn’t in a uniform and didn’t carry any badge.
“Hope Town will have an officer posted twenty-four-seven until the kidnapper is found. I know you’re a newer tenant, and this is the kind of thing that’s going to scare people off, but I’d like to extend a personal invitation for you to stay, knowing there will be extra security and precautions for Hope Town residents. ”
“Thank you,” she said. Then smiled at Copeland. “I plan on staying.”
Copeland rolled his eyes and shook his head, but he didn’t offer up any compelling argument not to stay. Maybe she was a little scared, but it seemed like the safest place to be was Hope Town if there was going to be a police presence and extra security.
The deputy who’d first arrived came up to Mr. Simmons.
“Simmons. Fed wants to show you something.” The deputy glanced her way, but his gaze didn’t linger.
Mr. Simmons nodded. “You let me know if you need anything, Ms. Perkins.”
Franny nodded, turned to Copeland. “Can I head upstairs now, Detective?” She only kind of said detective in a way that sounded dismissive—something she’d picked up from Rosalie.
Copeland scowled. “Yeah, but don’t blame me if Audra and Rosalie break down your door and demand you come home. I’ll come with you, Simmons,” he said turning to the man. “I want to hear anything the Feds have to say to you.”
Mr. Simmons didn’t bristle at that, but the deputy did.
“You can’t let her just go,” the deputy said, looking at them all like they were crazy.
Mr. Simmons eyed him. “I’ve already arranged with the sheriff to ramp up Hope Town security and—”
“I don’t think you guys understand. She didn’t just witness the kidnapping.” The man’s gaze was dark and fierce. “The kidnapper saw her.”
Slowly Copeland and Mr. Simmons’s eyes turned to her, both with an arrested kind of concern in their expressions.
Apparently that hadn’t made the rounds yet. Or maybe she hadn’t expressly told anyone but this deputy.
“Well, hell, Franny,” Copeland muttered. “That changes everything.”
“SHERIFF WANTS TO see you,” Gard said, grabbing Royal before he headed out of the station.
Royal raised an eyebrow but didn’t mount an argument. It had been a long day out in the heat dealing with the Hope Town kidnapping and Royal was ready to go home, have a beer and maybe sit in an ice bath for the rest of the night just to get the heat of the day off him.
But the sheriff wanted to see him. “Bad see me or good see me?”
“Remains to be seen,” Gard said. “But you did good today. No reason it should be bad.”
Royal couldn’t think of a place where he’d screwed up, and Gard’s reassurance helped, but being summoned into the sheriff’s office long past the sheriff’s usual office hours didn’t feel promising regardless.
Royal moved through the building, headed for the sheriff’s office. In one of the waiting rooms, he spotted the kidnapping witness along with Rosalie Kirk and another redhead—he was pretty sure that was Beckett’s fiancée—all sitting together talking earnestly.
He still couldn’t believe she hadn’t been telling everyone who questioned her about the fact that the kidnapper saw her. What was wrong with her anyway?
None of his business.
She looked up at him as he passed. She had a set of eyes on her—big and green, dominating a pretty, fairy-ish face.
Franny Perkins. He didn’t think that face quite suited the name.
Then again, nothing about the woman quite added up in a sensible way, and Royal had spent most of his life making sure he sized everyone around him up with sense and reason and reality over emotion.
But now was not the time to ruminate on the oddity of the witness. He knocked on the sheriff’s door since Miranda, the sheriff’s administrative assistant, was gone for the day. At the brisk order to come in, Royal stepped inside.
But it wasn’t just Sheriff Buckley waiting for him. It was the Simmons guy. And Copeland Beckett.
Royal didn’t know what to make of any of them, or why he was here. But he didn’t let that show. He nodded at his boss. “Sheriff,” he greeted him. “Corporal Fairhurst said you wanted to see me.”
“Deputy Campbell. You got good marks from everyone today. Handled this unique situation just as we would have wanted you to. One of those Feds said he was surprised you were a rookie. You did good.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Since you’ve got some experience now with Hope Town, and you were the responding officer, I’m recommending you to a special assignment.
Mr. Simmons here has requested extra police presence in Hope Town while the search for the missing person is going on.
I’m happy to oblige, but Mr. Simmons has a… unique request.”
Simmons turned to him. No one had filled him in on just what this guy’s deal was, but Royal’d be damned if he wasn’t some kind of Fed.
“I’d like a deputy living in Hope Town for the time being,” Simmons said.
“My preference would be a female officer, but the sheriff has suggested you instead.” Simmons looked him up and down.
Clearly not liking the idea, but he didn’t voice that.
“You’ll be provided an apartment above one of the empty storefronts.
You’ll have off time, of course, but we want someone right there, just in case something happens. ”
“You expecting something else to happen?”
Simmons didn’t say anything for a few ticking seconds. “What we have here is a delicate situation. While the FBI work to bring Ms. Ward home, it’s my job to keep Hope Town safe. We’re asking for Bent County’s help. And the sheriff has nominated you.”
Royal looked from Simmons to the sheriff. He didn’t know why this should fall on him, the rookie, but it sounded a hell of a lot more interesting than what he’d been doing. Besides, he’d taken an oath to keep things safe in Bent County. That’s what he’d put on this badge to do.
“All right.”
“Good. I’ll get an apartment ready. Sheriff gave me your contact info. I’ll text you an address in the morning with a time to meet me.” Simmons turned to the sheriff. “Sheriff, I appreciate your cooperation. I’ll be in touch.” And with that, he strode out of the office.
Once Simmons was gone, the door closed behind him, Royal glanced at the sheriff. “What aren’t you telling the Feds?”
Sheriff shook his head. “It’s more what the Feds aren’t telling us,” he said on a sigh, nodding toward Beckett.
“There’s something more to this, and Simmons is in the thick of it,” Beckett said with some disgust. “I’d like to bring Franny back to the ranch, keep an eye on her myself, but…
Simmons has his reasons for wanting her to stay put, and I don’t think they’re wrong.
” Beckett looked beyond frustrated. “I just wish I knew what they were.”
“We’ve stumbled into a federal case,” the sheriff said grimly.
“They want our help, but they don’t want us to know what it is we’re helping with.
We’ll help, because this is our county. But I’d also like to know what they’re up to and just what I’m helping with and why.
Normally I would have gone along with Mr. Simmons’s request for a female deputy, but you’ve got personal experience with federal agents. ”
Yeah, on the other side of things. The being investigated side of things, but Royal didn’t say it out loud, even if everyone in this room probably knew. Maybe his record had been expunged, but that didn’t make his past a full-on secret.
“My guess is you could sniff them out a mile away.”
Yeah, the gang he’d grown up in had taught identifying Feds and cops at a glance before they’d worried about any kid being able to read. And since the sheriff was giving him that kind of credit, he figured it was worth an ask. “Simmons?”
“Former FBI, so you’re not far off,” Beckett confirmed. “And still neck-deep in FBI things from the looks of it since he had them on speed dial when this went down.”
“I want your expertise,” Sheriff Buckley said to Royal. “I want your eyes, Campbell. Normally I wouldn’t give this to a rookie. These are very special circumstances. So if you don’t think you can handle it, tell me now.”
Royal didn’t hesitate. The need to prove himself was too ingrained, even if bringing up his past made him uncomfortable. “I can handle it.”
“Good. You’ll still work a twelve-hour shift, focusing on Hope Town exclusively instead of the whole zone.
Another deputy will handle the night shift, but you’re to be on call, as well.
And regardless of whether you’re on duty or not, I want you watching and paying attention.
Particularly to any federal agents who come around, whether they announce themselves or not. ”
“Yes, sir.”
“Added to that, Detective Beckett has requested you keep a special eye on Ms. Perkins. The Feds didn’t seem too concerned about the kidnapper coming back—another thing that makes me think there’s more to this than meets the eye, but we want to ensure that no one comes sniffing around our eyewitness.
And I don’t just mean someone connected to the kidnapping.
I want to know if the Feds are talking to her, and what they’re asking. ”
Royal wasn’t quite sure how he’d accomplish that, but he was hardly going to say he couldn’t handle this. Not when it was a real assignment, and right out the gate. No, he couldn’t screw this up. “All right.”
“I’ll expect a debrief in my email from you every night. And if you handle this well, deputy, it’ll go a long way in making your rookie year a lot smoother.”
“I’ll handle it, Sheriff.”
“Good. Go home and pack up what you need. Your Hope Town assignment starts first thing in the morning.”