Chapter Twenty-Eight
“How is it you’re still here?” Jo asked on her third night home.
“I’m the night shift,” Gill told her as he tucked her into the crook of his arm once they climbed into bed for the night. “You have to admit, I’m a decent pillow.”
“You’re hard as a rock.”
He kissed the top of her head. “You love it.”
“I do. But seriously, you have a job, a home.”
“Shauna has it covered.”
Jo wasn’t convinced. “I can’t keep you away forever.”
“Yes, you can.”
She looked up at him. “Gill.”
“My boss understands. Everything is okay.” He closed his eyes.
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”
Gill nodded without apology.
“Gill!”
“It’s okay.”
She hated being placated. “Gill!”
He opened his eyes and sighed. “Okay, here’s the truth. You ready for it?”
The tone of his voice suggested maybe she wasn’t. She said yes anyway.
“I told him the woman I’ve grown to care about more than life itself needed me. And that if I had to take a leave of absence to watch over you, I would.”
Gill’s words stole her breath.
“You know what he asked?”
She swallowed.
“He asked if he was going to be invited to the wedding.”
Jo felt dizzy. “What did you say?” she whispered.
“Only if he granted me time off.” Gill was slow to smile. “Then he told me of his fondness for wedding cake.”
If she’d been taking pain medication, she’d swear she was dreaming. “Wedding cake is just like any other cake.”
He didn’t agree. “No, it’s sweeter than birthday cake, because birthdays happen once a year, weddings happen only once.”
“Not always,” she found herself saying with worry.
Gill kissed her forehead once again. “For us. Only once.”
The conversation scared and thrilled her equally. “Gill—”
“Shh.” He pointed two fingers at her head. “Let all that cook in there for a while. It’s taking time marinating in mine.”
She snuggled back in his arms, the silly grin he’d put on her face threatening to stick. She licked her lips, thought of cake.
Sugar.
“Gill?”
“Yeah?” he asked in the dark.
“Is there any of Mrs. Miller’s pie left?”
“I want a prom picture,” Gill said as he straightened his tie.
“You’re kidding me.”
He poked his head into the bathroom, smiled at Jo through the mirror. “Does this look like my kidding face?”
Gill pinched his lips together. And when Jo laughed, it didn’t hurt like it had the week prior.
The doctor had given her the go-ahead for desk work. Which she’d already been cheating with. A few more weeks and her bones would be mended enough for her temporary disability to lift.
She couldn’t wait.
Now she just needed to convince Gill to go back to work.
“One picture.”
“I’m holding you to it.”
She pointed to the back of her dress. “Help me.”
Gill zipped her up, kissed the back of her neck before standing back. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress.”
“It doesn’t happen often.”
He slid a hand down her waist, lifted the edges of her dress until the length of her thigh was exposed. “Dresses have an advantage.”
She leaned back. “As much as I’d like to explore that idea . . .”
Gill dropped the dress. “I know. Three weeks.”
The doctors had warned her against moving too soon. From running to sex. The frustration building between them was thicker than a twenty-eight-ounce steak.
Jo had to close her mind to the thought.
“Three weeks.”
Gill kissed her neck and nibbled on the lobe of her ear. “We can make out. Like in high school.”
“I doubt you stopped with kissing.”
“I can.”
She closed her eyes when his teeth grazed her neck. “I can’t.”
The high school gym was glowing with white twinkling lights and silver balloons. The theme was “Reach for the Stars,” and the associated student body, along with a few parent volunteers, had done a brilliant job of taking the gym space and making it feel small and intimate. It might have been considered the senior prom, but that didn’t stop freshmen and sophomores from attending.
“Take a good look,” Jo told Gill. “The same decorations will come out for the reunion.”
“River Bend goes all out.”
“Hey, we’ll have a bar.”
“Big-timers.”
They were both laughing when Jo heard her name. “Coach Ward!”
Tina and Drew were walking toward them, hand in hand.
“You both look spectacular.” And they did. Tina wore a strapless black dress that hugged her waist and stopped just below her knee. Drew’s tux looked like he was born to it. They both were so grown up.
“I’m so glad you came,” Tina said, giving her a one-arm hug, careful of her arm still stuck in a sling.
“You wouldn’t be saying that if I hadn’t had the accident.”
“That’s not true.”
The town sheriff was a killjoy at a high school party.
“You clean up rather well, Drew.”
He tugged on his tie with a grin. Something about his action rang in her head.
“How about a picture?” Gill suggested.
Drew and Tina flanked her. Drew placed his arm around Jo’s shoulder, and Tina leaned in. The moment was frozen in time. One that Jo knew she would keep for years.
“Going to be a couple busy weeks. You both ready for graduation?”
“I am.” Tina had already committed to the University of New Mexico. Drew had been accepted to a few colleges but had yet to say where he was going.
“Drew? Any more thought on school versus military?” Karl wouldn’t like that she asked, but Jo couldn’t bring herself to care.
“I honestly don’t know.”
“You’ll figure it out,” Jo told him. “Either way, I’m proud of you.”
Drew looked deep in her eyes. “Thanks, Coach.”
Jo waved them off. “Now go on . . . I’m sure standing around talking to the sheriff isn’t your idea of how to spend your night.”
“No way,” Drew said, taking Tina’s arm. “We have an epic party out at Grayson’s farm.”
Jo knew she scowled.
“Kidding!” Drew laughed. “No one parties out there anymore.”
Jo warned him with a look. “I did.”
“Yeah, we know that,” Tina said before they walked off.
Gill slid into the space the kids had left behind. “They have your number.”
“I’m going to ignore that they said that.”
“Probably a good idea.”
She glanced over her shoulder, saw Drew pull Tina into his arms to dance.
“How about that prom picture?”
Drew kept half an eye on Coach Ward while dancing with Tina. “Do you think we should skip the senior prank this year?”
Tina followed his eyes. “It’s a tradition. TPing the coach’s house on reunion night never fails.”
“Yeah, she’ll probably feel left out if we don’t do it.”
The slow song switched to rap. They both danced until breathless. And when it wasn’t too obvious, Drew pulled Tina outside for air.
He kissed her as soon as they were alone.
Tina kissed him back, completely into it.
“How long do you wanna stay?” Drew asked when his body raged.
“An hour?”
An hour . . . he could do an hour. “And then?” They’d talked about taking the next step. He knew he was ready, was fairly certain she was, too.
“And then . . .” Tina’s coy smile answered his question.
“You sure?”
“I’m ready.”
His dick jumped and he kissed her again. “This is going to be the longest hour of my life.”
Jo’s first day back to work was Gill’s first night away from River Bend. She forced the issue.
Glynis celebrated her return with a candle in a donut.
The bruises had faded, the stitches removed. Jo put on her uniform and her belt. She’d removed some of the weight but kept her handcuffs, her gun, and her extra clip. Everything else was sitting on the dresser by her bed. Desk duty, she reminded herself.
She’d gone to the high school in the morning and watched as the remaining seniors that were going to state paced themselves. Drew and Tim rounded out her distance runners, and the relay team was there, too.
It felt good to pull the moist morning air into her battered lungs.
She stayed long enough to pitch a few pointers to Drew and Tim. They didn’t need her at this point, both of them hungry for a spot on the podium.
Oregon was a hard place when it came to track. Some of the best schools in the sport were there, and the competition for a state title was fierce.
Still, they had a chance.
She was proud either way.
With a half-eaten donut and a cup of coffee, Jo took her place behind her desk. It was surprisingly clean.
“Glynis? Where is all the mail?”
“Most of it was taken care of.”
“What?”
“Deputy Fitzpatrick stayed on top of things. I have the papers that need your signature.”
Jo wasn’t sure she liked being replaced. “Where are they?”
Glynis moved to the filing cabinet behind Jo’s desk. “In here.”
Jo peered into the cabinet, felt her heart skip. “Where are all my files?”
“Archived. Anything over seven years. I’ve been scanning and shredding.”
“You’ve done what?” Jo’s voice rose an octave.
“It’s okay. I scanned everything. I’ve let it slip the last couple of years. Deputy Emery told me I should make room.”
“Is that right?”
“Is something wrong?” Glynis asked.
Jo ran her hands over the files, opened the next drawer.
Gone . . . everything around the time of her father’s death was gone. “I want to see the scanned documents.”
“Of course.” Glynis scurried off, and Jo slammed the file drawer.
“Welcome back, Jo.”
Jo tried to keep her cool as she turned to see Karl in her doorway.
“Thank you.” She didn’t make eye contact.
“It’s been quiet without you here.”
A snarky comment about how quiet it would have been had she tumbled off the cliff sat on her lips.
She kept quiet.
“Listen, Jo. I’m sorry.”
She found his eyes.
“I was shitty before the accident. Said some things I didn’t mean.”
He sounded sincere. “You don’t want my job?”
“Not at your expense. I admit it’s been hard at times. I remember sitting in this office, talking with your dad about your crazy teenage years. To have you take his place wasn’t the easiest thing for me.”
“I thought we were past all that,” Jo said.
“I thought I was, too. Sometimes the past comes back to haunt us.” Karl shook his head as if removing thoughts. “Anyway. You might not believe me, but I’m glad you’re back.”
Not sure what to make of his words, she decided mutual ground was best. “You’re going to Drew’s state meet, right? I’ll make sure everything is covered here.”
“Fitzpatrick has done a lot already.”
Jo wanted to scream at the man. “Karl. I’m talking as a friend, not as your boss. Drew wants you there.”
“I don’t know. After the incident at the school I think my being there will just make it worse.”
“What incident?”
Karl shuffled his feet. “Nothing.”
“Sounds like something. Spill.”
“Someone on the football team said something. There was a fight.”
“What?” She hadn’t heard of any fight. “Drew?”
“No. Almost, but no. That little Tina is good for him. Gustavo threw the punch.”
Jo hadn’t seen Gustavo since the team’s trip to the hospital to visit her. “What on earth for?”
“Apparently there’s some shitty gossip going around town. I’ve pissed off all the dog lovers in town, and some think I strung up Cherie’s dog.”
To have her concerns vocalized by the man she herself had begun to blame was either brilliant on his end to drag her off his scent or stupid for putting himself on her radar.
“Jesus, Jo . . . not you, too.”
“No,” she denied too quickly. “Of course not.”
“Right. I need to go before I say something crappy and undo all the fence mending I’m trying to build.”
Jo stood a little too quickly, felt the pull in her side. “Karl, please. It’s been a stressful couple of months.”
“Yeah. You have no idea.” With his parting words, he turned and left.
Jo rested her head in her hands and silently cussed the universe.
Gill stood over the mangled mess of Jo’s car. It scared him every damn time he looked at the seat she’d been in.
“Agent Clausen.”
“Mac?”
“Right.” They shook hands. Gill had been in contact with the mechanic in charge of investigating Jo’s accident.
“You have something for me?”
“I do. I started with the brake recall. The ABS actuator damaged O-rings, which decreases the brake fluid pressure . . . causes a delay in the ability to brake in time.”
“I know how brakes work,” Gill told the man.
“Right. Anyway. You said Sheriff Ward reported a lack of brakes altogether. That hasn’t been reported on this recall. In fact, other than this accident, there hasn’t been anything other than a fender bender.”
“So were the O-rings damaged?”
Mac shook his head. “No.”
“So what caused the brake failure?”
Mac waved Gill over to a computer and pulled up a magnified image. “What am I looking at?”
“Brake line. Front right tire.”
As with any image magnified a zillion times better than what the naked eye could see, it looked frayed. Gill knew better than to think the entire tube was faulty.
“This is normal.” Mac pulled up another image. “This one is off the line in the back right tire. Smooth, perfect. The left lines were shot from the wreck.” He flipped back to the first image.
Gill looked closer. “What’s this?”
“That,” Mac paused, “is a hole.”
“From what?”
“Ten thousand dollar question. Looks too smooth to be organic.”
“Organic?”
“From a rock on the road, an animal biting it.”
“Big enough to cause the brakes to completely fail?”
“With enough time the leak would bleed the line and malfunction. But I didn’t like what I saw, so I looked again.” Mac pulled up another image. This tube was a dark gray, larger.
“Power steering line.”
“You’re good,” Mac praised him. “Either River Bend has vampire mice puncturing holes into lines or we have someone trying to kill your sheriff.”
Gill left the auto shop with the phone to his ear.
He called Luke first. “Don’t let Jo drive anywhere.”
“Why, what’s going on?”
“Her accident wasn’t an accident.”
“What? Does she know this?”
“Not yet,” Gill said, jumping into his car and heading straight to his office. “I’ll be back in town tonight. Confiscate her Jeep, take the battery out of the squad car. Just don’t let her drive.”
“I’m on it.”
“And don’t tell her anything.”
“But . . .”
“Trust me. Someone close to her did this, and the only people in town I trust right now are you, Wyatt, and your ladies.”
“Jo’s smart, she’s going to figure out something’s up.”
“I’ll tell her. Just wait for me to get there.”
Gill blew past his colleagues when he entered the office after being gone for two weeks.
“Shauna?” He poked his head into her office, motioned her to follow him.
“Hey, stranger.” She scrambled to catch up with him. “What’s up?”
Gill blew past his superior’s secretary. “Reyes in there?”
“He’s on the phone.”
That didn’t stop him. He knocked once and let himself in.
Reyes looked up from his phone call. “Right . . . okay. Listen, something just blew in. I’ll get back to you.” He hung up. “Clausen . . . Burton.”
“I have a new case.” For the next thirty minutes Gill explained the situation. From Jo’s nonaccident to the questionable death of her father ten years prior. One too many coincidences pointed to foul play and murder. The holes in the lines of the squad car were attempted murder of a sworn officer. And no one wearing the uniform was okay with that.
“You’re too close to be objective,” Reyes said once he agreed there was a case.
“I’m the only one close enough to investigate this. A new player in this town will scare off our suspect.”
“And you think this deputy is our guy?”
“He stands to gain if something happens to Jo.”
“Feels too neat,” Shauna said.
“I have to agree with Burton.”
“Still think you’re too close, Gill.”
“Send someone else if you need to, but I’m going in. I’ll tell Jo I’m taking a vacation. Shauna can come visit. Be a second set of eyes.”
“Our heroin case?” Reyes asked.
“I’m a day away from the warrants being signed,” Shauna told him.
“We need hard evidence.”
“I’m not new. I’ll get your evidence.”
Reyes stood. “I want a daily report.”
Gill offered a tight smile. “Done.”
“Go. Get out of here.”
Gill didn’t need to be told twice.