Cam got to Lulu’s first. The little coffee shop was bustling with customers, and the line to order was at least eight deep. Rosie Sweet, an employee at the shop and Blaine’s girlfriend, was busy restocking the bakery section, sliding muffins and scones and chocolate-filled croissants onto the display trays.

Cam didn’t think she was hungry—her stomach was still tied in knots over her heated exchange with Alex—but everything looked and smelled so good.

She waited her turn, a little impatiently, and kept glancing toward the door each time the bells attached to the handle jingled. A lot of new customers streamed in, but Nate wasn’t one of them. She sighed and glanced at her phone. She’d gotten there right at eight, despite how hard Alex had tried to prevent her from leaving. So where the hell was he?

Finally, it was her turn to order. The young guy stationed behind the counter was someone she knew well.

“How’s it going, Bram?”

The dark-haired kid smiled. “Good, Detective Perez. Really good.”

“I’ve told you a million times, call me Cam.”

He shook his head, still grinning. “Can’t do that. I was taught to respect my elders.”

Cam nearly rolled her eyes. “An elder? I’m like ten years older than you.”

“Still.”

Bram was a success story, a troubled kid who had made a series of poor decisions that had put him squarely in the crosshairs of the AFPD. He’d been caught breaking into cars and garages, stealing items that he could later resell online. Cam had honed in on the operation, worried it might be part of a larger group. When she discovered it was just Bram, and that his motivation had simply been to put food on the table for him and his disabled mom, she’d quickly turned her attention to helping him find services as opposed to throwing the book at him. His story had hit a little too close to home for her.

She’d contacted Melina Pryor, one of the social workers in Aspen Falls, and together, they’d worked with the district attorney’s office to arrange a plea deal that involved a whole lot of community service and counseling as opposed to serving time in a juvenile facility.

Melina had approached Louanne, the owner of Lulu’s, to see about finding Bram a job so he could bring in some much-needed cash. True to Louanne’s nature, she’d obliged immediately. Bram had been working at the coffee shop for a few months, and it seemed as though things were going well. Cam was thrilled; he needed some good news in his life. And she liked that he was a visible reminder of a success story, a kid whose path was altered by compassion and the belief that he could do good things—the right thing—if he was just given the chance.

She ordered her coffee, a white mocha concoction, and he called it out to the barista, a girl Cam hadn’t seen before.

She stepped to the side, glancing once again toward the door when the bell clanged. This time, Nate walked through. He headed toward her just as the barista called out her name.

“You ordering anything?” she asked him.

He shook his head.

“Let’s sit,” she suggested. She wanted something sturdy underneath her as she unloaded what she had to tell him.

Cam looked around the cozy shop for a free table. There was a two-top tucked near the back, next to the window. She headed toward it, almost tripping on Jarrett Pryor’s workbag.

“Sorry,” he said with a grin.

The table he was sitting at was covered in papers, leaving barely enough room for his laptop and cup of coffee. As a reporter with the local newspaper, it was obvious he was working on a story, and Cam wondered if it was tied to the pollution case from just a month earlier.

“You here alone?” Nate asked Jarrett.

Cam knew what his real question was: Is Jess coming?

Jessica Claret was a former AFPD officer, one of the finest they’d had. She’d quit the force just a couple of weeks earlier.

“Yep” was all Jarrett replied.

Nate’s mouth twitched, and Cam could tell he wanted to rib him a little. Nate and Jarrett had an unlikely friendship, and it had entered into new, slightly uneasy territory with Jess leaving the department. Cam had no doubt they’d work their way through it, but for now, she didn’t want to get caught up in any of it.

She had more pressing things to deal with.

“Let’s grab the table before someone else does,” she said, nudging Nate.

As soon as they were seated, Nate didn’t waste any time. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Cam sipped her coffee, more to collect her thoughts than because she was thirsty.

He drummed his fingers on the table. “I don’t have all day.”

“Will you just chill a second?” she snapped.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re stalling. Trying to think of exactly how you’re going to say whatever it is you need to say.”

She sometimes forgot that he was just as good of a detective as she was.

“Fine.” She sighed. She knew she needed to be careful to not reveal too much. She trusted Nate, but Alex’s words over the last few days were on constant repeat in her mind. The last thing she wanted to do was put anyone in danger.

“First things first,” she said. “This is strictly off the record.”

His response was automatic. “Done.”

She sipped her coffee again, trying to figure out just how to start. “So let’s talk in hypotheticals,” she said. She liked that approach. It gave her the opportunity to discuss some of the details, but she wouldn’t be breaking her word to Alex.

Nate frowned. “I don’t like hypotheticals.”

She glared at him. “Well, that’s what I have to offer right now.”

He was silent for a moment, his expression doing a great job of communicating his displeasure. “Fine,” he finally said.

Cam gripped the cup between both hands, steeling herself to begin. “So let’s say someone you know is on the run.”

Nate waited.

“And that someone happens to be law enforcement,” she continued, her voice low.

Something flashed in his eyes but he stayed quiet.

“Multiple groups may be after this person,” she said. “People who very well could want this person dead. For various reasons.”

Nate’s jaw tightened.

“You think this person is telling the truth, but there’s no way to interview potential witnesses without raising suspicion. Because, at this point, there really is no indication that you know or have any connection to this person.” She drew in a breath. “What do you think the best route would be to get more information?”

Nate stared at her, his eyes hard. “You know Alex Castillo? What the hell are you involved in, Cam? Better question: what is he involved in?”

She swallowed. “I said we were dealing in hypotheticals.”

“Oh, cut the bullshit,” he said.

She glanced around, worried that someone had noticed his elevated voice. But the people at nearby tables were busy drinking their coffees and chatting, paying the two of them no mind. Jarrett, the one she was most concerned about eavesdropping, had his head bent toward his laptop, tapping furiously at his keyboard.

“That’s all I can tell you.”

Nate drummed his fingers on the table, and Cam could tell he was clearly frustrated. Part of her felt bad. She wasn’t used to keeping things from Nate. They worked in tandem, usually on different cases, but they collaborated often, and they were always willing to help each other out whenever asked.

Nate was willing now.

He just wanted information.

And she wasn’t giving it to him.

Just when she thought he wasn’t going to offer anything, he spoke. “Is there anyone you can approach that wouldn’t arouse suspicion?” he asked. “Anyone at all?”

Cam almost laughed with relief. He was on board. Well, as much as he could be.

“I don’t know,” she admitted.

“Who are the principals involved?” Nate asked. “Besides the department. And remind me why contacting them is off-limits.”

“There’s some question as to who we can trust,” she said carefully.

“Okay. Who else are we looking at?”

“Two gangs.”

He blinked. “Two?”

She nodded. “This individual was undercover with one. A rival moved in on the territory. Was on the scene.”

“Of the double homicide?” Nate asked. She stilled and he said, “It was in the BOLO, remember?”

Cam was careful here. She didn’t want to volunteer too much information, especially when she wasn’t sure exactly what Nate knew. Maybe he’d done more digging. Maybe he’d heard other information that hadn’t been made available in that notice.

So she just nodded.

Nate ran a hand over his jaw, thinking. “You think someone in the unit was compromised?”

She hesitated, then nodded again.

“Someone at the top?” He expelled a breath when she gave him confirmation. “Well, shit.”

“There is one person who might be able to help,” Cam said slowly.

Nate raised his eyebrows. “Who?”

“A kid who was on the scene. Has gang ties, but isn’t fully immersed. Yet.”

“And you think he’d be willing to help? Why?”

Because he already did.

But she didn’t voice this out loud. She shrugged instead.

“Cam.” Nate’s voice was laced with warning. “Be straight with me here. I want to help.”

“It’s all hypothetical, remember?”

“Right.” Nate rolled his eyes. “Fine. So, hypothetically, what’s keeping you from contacting this kid?”

“I don’t know if I can trust him. And I’m not sure I can find him,” she admitted. “I don’t have a lot of info to go on. His street name is pretty much all I have.”

Nate thought for a minute. “So you can’t exactly show up asking around for him without raising suspicion.”

She nodded.

“Any physical description at all?”

“Just that he’s young. Thirteen, I think. And he wears a certain hat all the time.”

“That’s not a lot to go on.”

“I know.”

“But if that’s all you’ve got, then that’s all you’ve got,” he said. “Tell me, what do you see are the consequences if you don’t follow up on this? If you don’t go poking around?”

Her answer was immediate. “People die.”

Not just people. Alex. Alex will die.

He arched a brow. “But people might die if you do get involved, though, right?”

She sagged in her chair. This was exactly the problem. Damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.

“So you have a tough choice. Hypothetically,” he added.

He was stating the obvious.

“What would you do?” she asked. “If it was you?”

Nate answered immediately. “I’d go.”

“Just like that?”

“For me, there’d be no choice. Especially if it was someone I cared about.” His eyes drilled into her. “I’m assuming you care about this person?”

Cam’s throat constricted so tight it was suddenly difficult to speak.

“Yes. I care about him very much.”