Chapter 2 #2
“Doesn’t surprise me Victor has friends in high places. All the more reason to throw everything you’ve got at this—wrap it up fast and make your department look good in the press.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “What are you suggesting?”
“That we work together. My team and I will back you all the way—no stepping on toes, no stealing credit if it’s due.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “Why would you do that?”
“Because, as Victor said, finding this crown is urgent.” She intensified her gaze, looking him straight in the eye. “Letting it disappear forever wouldn’t end well for either of us.”
“You have a point,” he said, but with a hesitant tone. “I doubt my sheriff will authorize bringing civilians in on the investigation.”
“No problem. We’ve been in situations like this in the past. The solution—law enforcement swore one or two of us in for the duration of the investigation.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “ Ryder won’t likely agree to such a thing.”
“But you do think it’s worth pursuing?”
“Maybe.” His eyes narrowed. “We can’t forget the challenges we had working together in the past.”
The unpleasant memories of the horrific crime came back, and her stomach cramped. “That investigation involved the murder of three children, and our emotions were on high alert. This is a simple case of theft, and we should be able to work together.”
He arched an eyebrow. “And what about this thing between us? This interest in each other?”
She didn’t expect him to bring that up or be so straightforward about it, but it was probably a good thing to get it out in the open early on so they wouldn’t waste time on it and could focus on the investigation. “We figured out how to work through it before. We can do it again.”
He let out a long breath. “I’m not sure I want to put myself through such a struggle again.”
“Look.” She crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ve been hired to investigate this theft. Agree or not, but I’ll do my best to find the crown. I’ll try not to overreach my authority or challenge you, but I’m doing this. With or without your sheriff’s blessing. With or without you.”
He let silence hang in the air. “I need to think about it.”
Okay, good. She had him on the fence—the best she could hope for at this point.
He was a man of strong conviction. A trait she admired.
But in this case, she had to put aside all emotions and keep pressing ahead.
“Since I’m already here, how about we do a quick walk-through together? You can mull everything over as we go.”
“I…” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “We’ll do it your way for now, but I take lead on the walk-through and you don’t touch anything.”
With all her years running things, she felt certain she knew better than he did how to handle a crime scene and had a strong urge to defend her abilities.
But she also knew when to play nice and work together.
Tonight, teamwork was what really mattered and what her teammates were counting on her to do. “I can live with that. For now.”
The grandfather clock chimed nine, the ring echoing from the ceiling. In the distance, the ferry’s whistle blew in long blasts of a foggy, mournful rumble.
Abby flashed a look at her watch to confirm the time. “Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I just missed the last boat of the day. I’m stuck here overnight.”
“No worries. You can ride back with us.”
“Oh right.” She resisted, clapping her hand to her forehead. “You obviously weren’t on the ferry with me, so you would have a boat.”
“We have a search and rescue/interdiction boat. One of the reasons I was late—I had to track down a deputy cleared to pilot it.”
The county where she’d served as sheriff was located inland and never needed a boat, but Burke’s county bordered the ocean. “Thank you for the ride. I appreciate it.”
He studied her. “Quick question about teaming up. If we bring you in, will your whole team try to crash the investigation too?”
She ignored his insinuation. She wasn’t crashing anything. Just doing her job. “I took the first call, so I’ll lead this investigation and talk to the others about their roles. But since we’re hours from the office, I’ll probably suggest one other teammate stay here for the duration.”
“Here on the island? There’s no place to stay here.”
“I have a good friend in Cold Harbor. She’s a Blackwell Tactical team member, and I hope to stay with her on their compound.”
“Blackwell Tactical?” He ran a hand over his face. “Don’t tell me that team wants to get involved too.”
“Okay, I won’t tell you.” She laughed, but his expression left no doubt he wasn’t amused. “They’ve got serious skills, so if they can help with the investigation, why wouldn’t we bring them in?”
“After our discussion, isn’t it obvious?” He crossed his arms, his muscular forearms straining the fabric of his suit jacket. “Just more civilians butting in when this is a law enforcement matter.”
She raised a brow. “Are you familiar with the team?”
“Everyone in law enforcement around here knows Gage Blackwell and his crew. The guy’s built a solid reputation, and their record for high-end training and protection is hard to beat.”
“Sounds like you might not mind working with them, then.” She would cross her fingers if she believed such a thing actually helped.
“I might respect the team from what I’ve heard, but I’ve got the same concerns about them as I do about you and your team.” He sized her up with a steady look. “But let’s table this for now and get to checking those doors.”
She nodded, but this wasn’t over. Somehow, she needed to chip away at his resolve and open his mind so she could fulfill her promise to her team.
Partnering with him would be a good thing.
She’d have access to official reports and information.
But if he decided against working together, she would investigate this theft with or without his help.
Her friends and her livelihood were counting on her to succeed.