Chapter 8
Danielle Connor was the queen of all things “The Lab” this morning, apparently.
All should revere her. The moron lab tech who was currently on a massive we-are-watching-every-move-you-make probation was asking her questions on everything.
Things the doofus should know. She was usually a tolerant person, but Michael had come in and decided it was his job to mansplain to her how she needed to arrange her workspace to be more efficient. Because of her particular issues.
She was about ready to grab one of her crutches and shove it up his ass. Show him exactly how her issues would work with him in her bubble.
Dani knew he was doing things to irritate her on purpose. He thought it had been Dani who had reported him to the head of the lab for his latest round of screwing with their evidence—it hadn’t been. This time.
It had been Dr. Richison. The assistant director of the forensics lab.
And that seriously hot, seriously distinguished man of science was very, very angry right now.
No one messed with evidence. They just didn’t do it.
Dani was actually surprised Michael hadn’t already been sent back to where he came from. Someone had mentioned Michael being the nephew of the man currently acting as liaison in Washington for the bureau right now. Nepotism. It really was the only real answer for Michael.
She was about ready to scream—and she’d only been at work an hour—when Miranda buzzed in. Dani rolled her chair to the large monitor, and answered the video call.
Dani really needed to just breathe for a moment.
Miranda’s face popped up on the screen.
Miranda was in a small room, the traditional 1970s faux wood panel behind her. And the light behind her…wow. That fixture was probably older than Miranda and Dani—and probably Knight—combined.
“Hey, Dani. Good morning…” Miranda didn’t sound as chipper as she normally did. It stood out. Miranda was their happiest person. The rest of them were kind of dull and gloomy at times—the job did impact them all in different ways—but Miranda was their resident…sunshine.
Sunshine. As Knight liked to call her.
Dani had her theories as to why.
That boy was definitely attracted to the sun’s flame.
He was just terrified he was going to get burned or something.
Dani suspected it was just a matter of time.
“Is it? I am about ready to kick a man’s ass, Randi.
To kick and kick and not stop. Or call Cam to take care of it for me.
” Her bestie, and one of the main reasons she’d transferred to PAVAD in the first place, worked in REY—Runaway Dani couldn’t wait to hold her when they returned to St. Louis.
Kyra had surprised everyone by going into labor last week, much earlier than anticipated, while visiting her family in Texas.
Cam had nothing on what Evan was going to have to say when he got back from his latest case. There would probably be rabid Evan-beast events. Evan was fiercely protective over his wife, after all. And those scars…Evan’s father was responsible for them. The things Michael had said…
No. Dani really hoped that asshole got his ass handed to him very, very soon.
“It’s going to be one of those days, I think.”
No. Fearless Leader Girl was definitely not her usual bubbly self. “You good? You seem a little rough today.”
Miranda was silent for a long moment. “I just…Bentley was really struggling with me leaving yesterday. Again. I spoke with him a few minutes ago, and he’s…still not happy right now.”
“I’m sorry.” There really weren’t any other words to say. “It’ll get better, eventually. And he knows he has people who love him now. No matter what.”
Including her. Dani would do whatever she could to help him get through right now. What that kid had endured—no kid should ever have had to go through those hells. But he had Miranda now. And he had Max and Jac and Dani and his family in Wyoming—they would be there for him as long as it took.
“Anyway…back to business. Where are the rest of our fearless crew? Anyone back yet?”
“Tag and Lyndon are stuck in the desert somewhere this morning. And things are heating up…literally. Lyndon said she burned her hand on the hood of the car an hour ago. Tag is apparently hovering over her now. You know how he can be.” Well, no.
Taggart Walker did not hover. He was almost as reserved with their newest teammate Lyndon Moncrief as Knight was with Miranda.
Interesting. She would have to observe later.
To profile…she had learned from the best, after all.
“Jac is flying back in tonight after giving her testimony. She said she expects it’ll wrap up quickly, at least. There is another consult waiting on you all in the conference room—whoever gets back first gets it. ”
“And Ian? Where is the Wonderful Ian Ward?”
“He is…around. I saw him in the hallway earlier.” When he had just watched her out of those ridiculously intense blue eyes of his.
Something about that man—grrr. It was like every nerve she had went on red alert just thinking about him.
Danger signals, for sure. “He might already be on that consult. I’ll confirm in a bit, if you need me to. ”
She was really going to have to figure out why he made her feel so raw someday. She was just…a little afraid of the answer really.
“I’ll text him if I need him. Why are you ready to annihilate the lab tech from hell again today?”
“We don’t have that kind of time, we just don’t.
The list of grievances is just too long.
I’m just going to let Cam and Evan have that honor when those boys get back home where they belong.
So…what can I do for you today, for real?
You still got the hot and dangerous Dr. Knight following behind you?
” Dani couldn’t see him specifically, but there was a suspicious Knight-sized shadow near the left of the screen.
That was often where she’d find him lurking over Miranda.
Those two and the avoidance thing they had going on was so darned cute. When they finally figured it out—well, it was bound to be fun to watch. Never had she seen a pair of peoples so perfect for each other as those two. It was shocking that they hadn’t already seen it themselves.
Then again, maybe they had. And were just fighting it? They could both be incredibly hard-headed at times…
“Knight is lurking over me now, protecting me from rabid dust monster bunnies. I was exposed yesterday. My allergies—totally haywire after five minutes in the sheriff’s post. This room is much better, just small—we’re in Buckbert, not Helery Springs now, but thankfully it is spotless.
The main office over in Helery Springs is…
nowhere near spotless. I am afraid of what would happen if we had to leave Knight there for too long.
And there is an air filter running in the corner of this place.
Deputy Lindhour runs a very tight, very small, little ship here in Buckbert.
We need you to go over everything you can find regarding a previous case in Burkbert.
It’s about thirty miles north of Helery Springs, Helery County.
A coach was killed on the same ball field, almost eleven years ago. ”
“Gotcha. I’ll see what I can find.”
“Knew we could count on you.”
Of course they could. Dani was good at what she did. No matter what Moron Michael had to say. “What are you doing today?”
“Parents of the victim.”
Miranda’s tone was grim. Dani got it—the families, those were the worst part.
They just hurt the most. And always would.