Page 16 of Lost Cause
“Thanks for the ride.” She took out her business card and handed it to him. “I’ll be up all night working on background for this investigation. If you have any questions or comments or just want to discuss something, give me a call.”
He glanced at the card, then dropped it into his jacket pocket. “I don’t think I’ll be needing to call you, but I’ll let you know by morning where I stand on working together.”
His professional tone when she had so many emotions flowing through her, irked her, but she forced out a smile. “And the forensics?”
“It’s up to my sheriff. I’m leaning toward going with one of the people you suggested instead of the state. But it depends on who’s available first. It’d be ideal to get someone on scene first thing in the morning.”
He didn’t want much, did he?
“I’ll give both of them a call to see who’s available, but if you want someone first thing, you’ll need to let me know your decision as soon as possible.”
“Sheriff Ryder’s on duty, and I’m headed back to the office to talk to him now.”
“Then I look forward to your call.” Thinking she’d done everything she could to plead her case and move this investigation forward, she strolled away as if everything was okay with her. She could feel his eyes tracking her as she negotiated the slippery dock and climbed the stairs to the walkway leading to the parking lot. The wind, fishy-smelling from nearby fishing boats, battered her body until she reached the nearly deserted and poorly lit parking lot. Once in her vehicle, she made quick work of exiting onto the beach road.
After her drive that took a little longer than usual—thanks to the fog and winding country roads—she pulled into Blackwell Tactical’s fenced driveway. A high-powered and motion-activated security light clicked on and cut through the fog, illuminating a heavy-duty metal gate.
She’d been to the compound countless times to visit Sam and her family, but every time the military base-like compound on a remote stretch of Cold Harbor backcountry made her hesitate. But Gage was a private man with high-end gear and a serious arsenal—just the type of equipment and weapons thieves wouldlove to get their hands on, and he had to keep the weapons out of the wrong hands.
She pushed the call button, alerting whoever was on duty of her arrival, and smiled at the camera.
“Ab-by-yeee!” Sam’s excited voice came over the squawk box. “You’re so late. I wasn’t sure you were going to make it.”
“Sorry. The mystery theft was more involved than I imagined. I’ll tell you all about it once I see you.”
“Okay, now you’ve got me curious, so get down here and spill already.”
The gate buzzed, then swung open, revealing a long driveway opening into a clearing ringed by tall pines. Gage’s log house sat beneath a towering maple, its shadow stretching across the building. The grounds were neat and practical and looked like an ordinary homestead. Most people couldn’t imagine that a training facility existed on the property.
Abby knew better. Knew the blacktop drive to her right led to another clearing beyond the thick woods.
She turned onto the blacktop and caught sight of the familiar staff cabins—each one designed by the original five team members. Sam’s cabin was a traditional log home with a porch and a modern addition she and her husband, Griff, had built after their second child arrived. Other original team members moved on, buying houses off-site for their growing families. But Sam and Griff lived here for free, helping them save money to start a business.
She’d no more than parked in front of Sam’s cabin when the door flew open. Sam darted out, her shoulder-length blond hair flying behind her.
Abby felt a rush of love for her friend as she climbed out.
Sam, nearly a foot taller than Abby, enveloped her in a strong hug. “I’ve missed you, my friend. I don’t know why we don’t get together more often.”
Abby squeezed hard, then pushed free. “Because I’ve been working day and night trying to get our business off the ground.”
“Sounds like it’s going well.” Sam curled her hand in the crook of Abby’s arm. “Let’s get inside, and you can tell me what this mystery is all about.”
Abby was instantly at home in the casual space Sam had painted a cool gray. She added warm orange accents with pillows, throws, and the easy chair Griff currently sprawled on. They’d installed bookshelves around the room, but brightly colored toys for babies and preschool children overpowered most of the available space.
Griff looked up from his computer tablet, eyes a stunning sapphire blue locking on Abby, and assessing her. “Day! Long time no see. How’s life?”
“Life. What’s that?” She laughed. “The business is taking so much time I don’t have much of a life outside of it.”
“Sounds like the way we live.” He ran a hand over dishwater-blond hair cut spiky short. “Always taking on as many side jobs as we can to build our savings account while working full-time and raising two little kids.”
“You can see how much we need a bigger house.” Sam dropped onto the couch and patted the seat next to her. “Enough small talk. Park it here and start dishing. What’s the deal with the mystery?”
Sitting, Abby described the theft of the pricey crown, she made sure to call an artifact. “It’s worth up to sixteen million dollars, so we have a sense of urgency to find it before it’s fenced and we never see it again.”
“Wow!” Sam shook her head. “You weren’t kidding that this guy downplayed the mystery. I’ll bet you’re glad you took the call and caught the investigation.”
Did her friend’s tone hold jealousy? Maybe she missed official police work. Might bode well for Sam wanting to handleforensics for them. “Yes and no. I have to partner with Detective Burke Ulrich.”
