40
Entering the gym with Rory, Boone spotted Myles heading their way, obviously about to leave the building. After returning the greeting of the gym’s owner, Jim, he looked at Rory.
“Go on in and get started. I need to talk to Myles about something.”
Rory’s expression related his confusion at Boone’s announcement. While not reacting to Myles with the same veracity as Zandra, neither he nor Rory cared much for the man, considering his treatment of Rory. Boone had tried to understand Myles’s viewpoint at first, but several conversations with Myles to plead Rory’s case had had zero effect, and Boone’s patience had run out. Sure, it was normal for cops to be suspicious of ex-cons, to expect them to fall back into old patterns and re-offend, but Rory wasn’t a career criminal. He’d made a mistake, an understandable one according to most people. Boone thought his role as a fellow RCMP officer would help persuade Myles that Rory was as honourable as Boone and Ethan insisted he was, but nothing could sway Myles’s opinion.
Trying not to react to the harsh look Myles flung at Rory when they passed one another, Boone lifted his chin to the man when he drew closer to him.
“Myles, I was wondering if I could have a word with you.”
“It’s not about Rory, is it?” Myles asked impatiently.
“No, it isn’t. Actually, I want your opinion on something.”
Myles’s stiff posture instantly softened. “Sure, what’s it about?”
Boone cocked his head to the doors. “Do you mind talking outside? It’s a private matter.”
He’d piqued Myles’s interest, evidenced by the raise of the man’s brow, and he led him outside and then a short distance from the front doors. Rory would undoubtedly question what he needed to discuss with the corporal, but he figured he’d lie and say he had yet another go at trying to change Myles’s opinion, or that he’d warned Myles to back off. Considering how upsetting the situation was to Zandra, he figured that might be the best lie to use and then cursed himself for lying to his brother. Apparently Ethan wasn’t the only one acting out of character because of Zoë.
Assured they wouldn’t be overheard, he spread his feet apart in order to minimize his height, allowing him to be eye-level with Myles. It was his usual way of conversing with others, well, at least when he wanted them to feel comfortable. When interrogating suspects, he’d always employed his towering height as an intimidation tactic. It worked well.
“You’ve met Zoë Pennell, right? Ethan’s new cook?”
“Oh, she’s a little more than just his cook,” Myles returned with a wry smile. At Boone’s stony expression, Myles’s smile faltered. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything offensive by that, really. They seem really happy together.”
“I need you to agree to keep what I’m about to tell you to yourself.”
After receiving Myles’s promise he’d guard the secret, Boone related what he’d found out about Zoë, watching Myles’s expression morph into one of disbelief, then one of grave concern. Figuring Myles, being a cop, would see the same dangers he did, he felt justified by Myles’s reaction, one Ethan should have had as well.
“Your expression tells me you think this is as big an issue as I do.”
“Damn right,” Myles concurred, nodding his head. “Let me guess, Ethan doesn’t.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“You think she’s a con artist.”
“I do.”
“Certainly sounds about right,” Myles agreed and then sighed deeply. “What do you want to do about it? She hasn’t done anything wrong yet. And, honestly, I don’t want to butt heads with Ethan over this. I’m guessing you don’t either, considering you’re talking to me about it, and not him.”
“I tried talking to him. He thinks she’s running from something.”
“And didn’t go to the police?”
“Exactly. With no criminal record, well, at least under the identities I know she’s used, she doesn’t appear to be running from the cops. And, really, if she was, I hardly think she’d target an ex-cop, especially not one who’s friends with cops.”
“Unless she’s running from something she doesn’t think the police can help her with.”
“Like what?” Boone challenged.
Myles shrugged. “Lots of things. You said she lived in Toronto until recently. You and I both know policing is way different in huge cities like that. They’re understaffed and overworked. Issues don’t get addressed as well, victims fall through cracks, and there aren’t enough officers to address problems that we can here in a small town. It’s possible she dealt with an abusive ex, maybe one who broke a restraining order, or was threatening her some other way, and felt she wasn’t getting any help from the police. It happens.”
Sure it did, but Boone knew that wasn’t what was going on with Zoë. He cocked his head. “Does she strike you as an abused woman?”
“That was an insensitive comment,” Myles remarked, with a deeply furrowed brow. “What does an abused woman look like, Boone?”
“Please,” he scoffed. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. No offense, but considering you work in witness protection, you should know people process things in all different ways. Victims hardly wear signs proclaiming them as such.”
“I don’t need a lecture in sensitivity,” he snapped. “For your information, most of the cases I work concern criminals flipping on bigger criminals and requiring protection for doing so. It’s called witness protection, not victim protection.” He sighed. “Look, back to the actual issue here, I’m sure Zoë is setting Ethan up for something. You yourself said she sounds like a con artist.”
“Or a victim.”
Remembering why he normally avoided Myles, not having the patience to deal with the man’s irritating habit of arguing every point he made, he shook his head. “Are you going to help me keep an eye on her? And an ear to the ground here in town? I’m leaving in a few days again and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I really don’t want to leave without something in place, some way of looking out for Ethan.”
Myles nodded. “I’ll definitely keep an eye on her, as much as I can that is, without raising suspicion.”
Relieved Myles agreed with him, Boone nodded. “Great. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
He certainly did. Having to return to work on Monday, he was relieved Myles was on board where Zoë was concerned. Thinking he might take tonight’s festivities at The Goose as an opportunity to possibly talk some sense into Ethan, he ended his conversation with Myles and then headed back into the gym. A workout would help expel some of the nervous energy that had been weighing him down ever since he’d uncovered Zoë’s synthetic identities. She was up to something, he could feel it in his bones, and he’d be damned if he’d allow her to hurt his best friend.