Page 39 of Shadow of Doubt
“You will.” Sandy dropped the pillow and leaned over to squeeze Brooklyn’s arm, her face contorting in pain with the movement.
“And maybe I can help.” Eryn got up. “My laptop’s in the dining room. I can do some research on wildlife trafficking. Maybe figure out how to locate Tarver through that.”
“Thank you, Eryn.” Brooklyn smiled at her. “And for being here when I know you’d rather be home.”
“No worries. A break from three kids can be a good thing.” She grinned and went to sit at the rustic table that matched the pine-paneled walls.
Micha got up, too, and rested his hand on his sidearm. “I’m going to do a perimeter check.”
Brooklyn didn’t like his serious expression at all. “You think there’s a problem?”
He shook his head. “I have the security app on my phone and would know if there’d been a fence breach. But my military days come back to me in situations like this. Gotta be extra careful when things are quiet. That’s when things go south.”
Could he be right? Was Kane outside the fence ready to penetrate their defenses?
Brooklyn’s mood darkened even more. “I sure hope there’s nothing wrong.”
“Me too. Lock the door after me.” He stepped outside, letting a cool wind drift inside.
Brooklyn crossed the room to turn the deadbolt and look out the glassy window to the dark night. She’d loved being in this remote cabin by the lake. The quiet. The peace. But now her stomach tightened. Still, stress wasn’t good for lupus, and she had to remain lighthearted for Sandy.
Brooklyn had never been good at hiding her feelings. No matter how hard she tried they came to the surface and lived in her expression.
Well, starting now she had to learn how to conceal them. She took a deep breath, prayed she could pull it off, and swallowed every emotion that threatened to send her into a panic.
Colin stood with Dev and Sheriff Day, watching as the fire crew wet down the house’s smoldering areas. Plumes of smoke rose up, and the sizzling sound snapped through the air. The crew stood down on arrival, watching the remaining hot spots until Abby arrived, but then the chief insisted on wetting down the hot spots. He said that ultimately it was his crew’s responsibility to ensure the fire was out, and he didn’t want a rekindle that could spread to the surrounding area. But, at the same time, he agreed to do his best to keep further damage to a minimum for the arson investigation.
This gave Abby plenty of time to sign an agreement with the Veritas Center and to question Colin and his teammates. The thirty-something woman whose serious expression spoke to the stress of the job seemed capable and knowledgeable. She was petite with near-black hair that hung straight to her shoulders, a cute nose, and big eyes, and she wore khaki tactical pants and a county logo shirt. If not for the way she carried herself, he could see the men in her department trying to walk all over her.
The two deputies on scene clearly respected her. That said a lot for her in Colin’s book, and he treated her with respect too.
Too bad she didn’t reciprocate. She wasn’t rude. Not at all, but her dislike or distrust of feds, and by extension former feds, was as clear as the night sky above. Nothing new for Colin, and no point in causing any issues. Not when Dev had a connection to her. So he’d stopped trying to communicate and took a back seat to his little brother.
“So tell me about Clackamas.” She leaned against the Veritas van.
Dev narrowed his gaze. “If you’re looking for dirt on the agency, I’m not one of those guys who kisses and tells.”
“Nah, I actually want to hear about your experience. Especially your time with the marine unit. Figure there are times when we can learn from larger agencies, and I know we can step up our water patrols.”
Colin liked her even more for the open-mindedness Dev said she possessed.
Dev launched into describing his time patrolling the rivers in Clackamas County. Abby pinned her rapt attention on him and seemed to drink in every word, but still, Colin saw her pull her gaze away to survey the scene too.
Colin should be glad his brother connected with the sheriff. Problem was, he wasn’t used to playing second fiddle to his brother. Totally an ego thing. A thing he needed to get over if he wanted to find Tarver. And he did want to find the guy. Badly. Find him and help ensure a conviction for murdering this victim and put him behind bars for the rest of his life.
“Hey, watch it,” Sierra said to the firefighter from where she was collecting evidence outside the house. “You’re trampling all over evidence. Can’t you see my marker?”
“Trying to do my job, lady, just like you,” the tall firefighter dressed in full turnout gear snapped.
“Lady? Lady?” Sierra’s voice rose an octave, and she clamped her hands on her hips. “I?—”
“We appreciate any help you can give in avoiding these marked areas.” Kelsey took Sierra’s arm and tugged her to the side before she could finish her sentence.
“Grrr.” Sierra glared at the firefighter’s back. “Why do these macho guys think they need to call me lady? If I was a guy, theywouldn’t say a word about my gender, and they’d give me more respect.”
Kelsey released Sierra’s arm. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.”
“You know he did and?—”
