today. So am I, for that matter.”
“Do you need me to stay?”
“Always.” He gave her a weary smile. “But no. We’ll manage. The Dyer kid’s mother needs you more than I do right now.”
“You have my number if—”
Pete waved her off. “We’ll be fine. Any word on Yancy?”
“Not since last night. They were prepping him for surgery. Have you heard anything?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t suppose he’ll make it to the poker game tonight.” Sylvia managed a somber smile. “Pity. I always earn my week’s lunch allowance from him on Saturday nights.”
Pete rubbed his tired eyes. “I think the weekly poker game might be cancelled just this once. Half the gang will be on duty. Or, if we nail this guy, catching up on sleep.” He hoped they wouldn’t be dealing with a third night of shootings.
Sylvia fixed him with a stern gaze. “Have you talked to Zoe?”
The question carried a truckload of innuendo, but Pete wasn’t about to delve into the subject of their relationship.
Not now.
“Last night. She’s the one who told me the kid didn’t pull through.” Pete didn’t mention how many times he’d looked at his phone during the long night, nearly placing a call just to check on her. Make sure she was okay. Just to hear her voice…
He may not have spoken his thoughts, but somehow he suspected Sylvia read them. “Uh-huh. When are you two knuckleheads gonna quit this dance of yours and get together?”
“We are together.”
Sylvia raised a very doubtful eyebrow.
“We’re seeing each other.” Sort of. “Hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I didn’t take that job in Hawaii.”
“Yeah, well. Being here isn’t all there is to a relationship.”
Pete traced the rim of his mug with one finger. “It’s a good start. Even though I turned down that gig last month, Chuck keeps calling with other private security job openings. I can’t seem to get it through to him that I like my life here.”
The bells on the front door jangled, and Sylvia climbed to her feet with a groan. “I’ll see who that is. Then I’m heading home. Provided I can fight off the growing media encampment in the parking lot.”
“Tell them I’ll give them a statement at noon.”
“A statement? Telling them what exactly?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Sylvia snorted. “Right. Keep me posted.”
“About the case or about my job situation?”
She shot a dirty look at him. “You aren’t going anywhere unless you take Zoe with you.”
“There’s a thought.”
Sylvia shambled into the hall. Over her shoulder, she called, “It’s that detective from county.”
“I’ll meet him in the conference room in two minutes.” Two minutes should be enough to sneak a quick call to Zoe. To make sure she hadn’t responded to any last minute runs. Damn it, he had to catch this guy. Otherwise he was going to be sorely tempted to assign her an armed escort every time she climbed into an ambulance.
Baronick’s voice boomed from outside Pete’s office door. “Tell him I don’t have two minutes to wait.”
“Stuff it, bub,” Sylvia said.
She’d never warmed up to Baronick. Pete doubted she ever would.
The detective appeared in the doorway. From the dark circles shadowing his eyes, he hadn’t slept in the last forty-eight hours either. “I wanted to touch base with you before I head back to Brunswick.”
Pete motioned to the chair Sylvia had occupied, but Baronick shook his head. “If I sit, I’ll fall asleep.”
“Should make for an interesting drive. You plan on standing the whole way?”
“No, but I’ll open the windows and crank up the air conditioning.” Baronick scrolled though the notes in his phone. “The state fire marshal arrived at the Loomis place a little bit ago, but we all know we’re dealing with arson.”
“I’ll talk to him later.”
“They’re still searching for spent casings, but the place is mud soup over there. The crime scene techs did manage to salvage one set of tracks
“Do you need me to stay?”
“Always.” He gave her a weary smile. “But no. We’ll manage. The Dyer kid’s mother needs you more than I do right now.”
“You have my number if—”
Pete waved her off. “We’ll be fine. Any word on Yancy?”
“Not since last night. They were prepping him for surgery. Have you heard anything?”
“Nothing.”
“I don’t suppose he’ll make it to the poker game tonight.” Sylvia managed a somber smile. “Pity. I always earn my week’s lunch allowance from him on Saturday nights.”
Pete rubbed his tired eyes. “I think the weekly poker game might be cancelled just this once. Half the gang will be on duty. Or, if we nail this guy, catching up on sleep.” He hoped they wouldn’t be dealing with a third night of shootings.
Sylvia fixed him with a stern gaze. “Have you talked to Zoe?”
The question carried a truckload of innuendo, but Pete wasn’t about to delve into the subject of their relationship.
Not now.
“Last night. She’s the one who told me the kid didn’t pull through.” Pete didn’t mention how many times he’d looked at his phone during the long night, nearly placing a call just to check on her. Make sure she was okay. Just to hear her voice…
He may not have spoken his thoughts, but somehow he suspected Sylvia read them. “Uh-huh. When are you two knuckleheads gonna quit this dance of yours and get together?”
“We are together.”
Sylvia raised a very doubtful eyebrow.
“We’re seeing each other.” Sort of. “Hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I didn’t take that job in Hawaii.”
“Yeah, well. Being here isn’t all there is to a relationship.”
Pete traced the rim of his mug with one finger. “It’s a good start. Even though I turned down that gig last month, Chuck keeps calling with other private security job openings. I can’t seem to get it through to him that I like my life here.”
The bells on the front door jangled, and Sylvia climbed to her feet with a groan. “I’ll see who that is. Then I’m heading home. Provided I can fight off the growing media encampment in the parking lot.”
“Tell them I’ll give them a statement at noon.”
“A statement? Telling them what exactly?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Sylvia snorted. “Right. Keep me posted.”
“About the case or about my job situation?”
She shot a dirty look at him. “You aren’t going anywhere unless you take Zoe with you.”
“There’s a thought.”
Sylvia shambled into the hall. Over her shoulder, she called, “It’s that detective from county.”
“I’ll meet him in the conference room in two minutes.” Two minutes should be enough to sneak a quick call to Zoe. To make sure she hadn’t responded to any last minute runs. Damn it, he had to catch this guy. Otherwise he was going to be sorely tempted to assign her an armed escort every time she climbed into an ambulance.
Baronick’s voice boomed from outside Pete’s office door. “Tell him I don’t have two minutes to wait.”
“Stuff it, bub,” Sylvia said.
She’d never warmed up to Baronick. Pete doubted she ever would.
The detective appeared in the doorway. From the dark circles shadowing his eyes, he hadn’t slept in the last forty-eight hours either. “I wanted to touch base with you before I head back to Brunswick.”
Pete motioned to the chair Sylvia had occupied, but Baronick shook his head. “If I sit, I’ll fall asleep.”
“Should make for an interesting drive. You plan on standing the whole way?”
“No, but I’ll open the windows and crank up the air conditioning.” Baronick scrolled though the notes in his phone. “The state fire marshal arrived at the Loomis place a little bit ago, but we all know we’re dealing with arson.”
“I’ll talk to him later.”
“They’re still searching for spent casings, but the place is mud soup over there. The crime scene techs did manage to salvage one set of tracks
Similar Books
