Chapter 38
Monday evening
JP stretched out his legs as he sat, his half-eaten plate of food cooling. “We’re missing something.”
Sabre sat across from him, her files pushed aside, though not far enough to escape her line of sight. “We’re missing a lot of somethings.”
“Two cases,” JP said. “One current, one buried, and somehow, they’re circling the same drain.”
Sabre shook her head. “Or we’re forcing them to.”
JP tilted his head. “You don’t believe that.”
She sighed, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know what I believe. Bay shows up out of nowhere, insists I represented her, then someone starts sending me reminders about a case I handled years ago.” She paused. “That’s not coincidence. I just don’t know what it is yet.”
“Hannah Caldwell.”
The name carried weight. “You said the records didn’t line up.”
“They don’t,” JP said. “But they don’t rule anything out either. Birth records conflict. Dates are off just enough to make you question everything. If someone wanted to bury a kid’s identity, this is exactly how they’d do it.”
Sabre stared down at the table. “Then why would they come to me now?”
“Because the girl is in trouble and whoever’s behind it wants you involved.”
JP reached for his fork again but didn’t eat. “I’m going to check the 7-11 that Hayes frequented.”
She frowned. “That was almost ten years ago. You really think someone who worked there is still around?”
“People stick,” he said. “Managers, owners, regulars. Someone might remember something. Or maybe a paper trail. Receipts, old logs, security layouts. Sometimes you don’t find people, you find habits.”
Sabre thought for a moment, then nodded. “You’re chasing a ghost.”
“Yeah,” JP said. “But I’m running out of real people to chase.”
Sabre almost smiled.
The sound of a phone ringing cut through the room. Sabre glanced at the screen and softened. “It’s my mom.”
“I’ll let you take it.”
Sabre answered. “Hi, Mom. You’re on speaker with JP.”
Beverly’s voice came through bright and fast, the way it always did when she had news. “Sabre! Are you sitting down?”
Sabre exchanged a quick look with JP. “Yes. What’s going on?”
“We’ve set the wedding date.”
Sabre blinked. “You what?”
“Our wedding,” Beverly repeated, laughing. “This summer!”
Sabre met her eyes, trying to process. “To Harley?”
“Of course, to Harley,” Beverly said. “Who else would it be?”
JP grinned from across the table, clearly enjoying this.
Sabre shook her head, a smile finally breaking through. “Wow. Okay. That’s fast.”
“It’s not fast,” Beverly said. “You’ve known for months we were engaged. And listen, this is the fun part, we’re doing it on a cruise. To Alaska.”
Sabre sat up straighter. “A cruise?”
“Yes! Harley’s taking everyone. All of us. His three kids, their spouses, the grandkids, Ron and Lana, and your family.”
Sabre let out a quiet laugh. “That’s a lot of people.”
“And Gene,” Beverly continued. “We want Gene there. And the kids, Dené, Conner, Morgan. Everyone.”
Sabre glanced at JP again.
“And here’s the best part,” Beverly went on, her excitement returning full force. “Harley has a friend who’s the captain of the ship. He’s going to marry us, right there at sea.”
JP raised his eyebrows, impressed.
Sabre let out a breath, half laugh, half disbelief. “You’re getting married by the captain on an Alaskan cruise.”
“Yes!” Beverly said. “Isn’t it perfect?”
Sabre looked down at the files she couldn’t escape, at the weight of everything they were handling, “It is perfect, Mom.”
“You’ll come, right?” Beverly asked.
Sabre hesitated, just for a second, thinking about her cases, Bay, the threats, and the past clawing its way forward. Then she remembered her promise to herself. She wasn’t going to miss any more family stuff because of work. “Absolutely, we’ll come.”
“Good,” Beverly said, satisfied. “Because this is happening, whether you’re ready or not.”
After a few more details and promises to talk again soon, Sabre hung up and set the phone on the table.
“An Alaskan cruise,” JP said.
“With my entire family, and Harley’s.”
JP crossed his arms. “That won’t be complicated at all.”
She gave him a look. “Don’t.”
He grinned. “I didn’t say anything.”
Sabre shifted gears. “We’ve got too much going on for this.”
JP’s expression sobered. “Yeah. We do, but we’re going anyway.”
“You’ve already decided that?”
“Yep.”
“Why?”
JP shrugged. “Because if someone’s pulling strings to get you involved, they’re not going to stop just because you stay home.”
Sabre held his gaze.
“And if things are about to come together,” JP said, “they won’t care where you are when they do. Besides, technically, you’re not even on this case, remember?”