Page 18 of Lost Cause
Sam picked up a plastic rifle keychain from the island. “I’ll walk you to your cabin.”
“You don’t have to.”
“It’s bad enough I don’t have room for you here, but I won’t shove you out the door to find your cabin.” She quickly crossed to the door.
“Just roll with it,” Griff said. “It’s the easiest thing to do when she’s all fired up about something.”
“I heard that,” she called back at them, a hint of amusement in her voice.
“See you tomorrow,” Abby said to Griff, then hurried to catch up with Sam, who was already standing by her car door.
The moment Abby unlocked the door, Sam whipped it open to grab Abby’s tote bag and computer case, then turned toward the traditional, one-bedroom log cabins built to house trainees.
“This is it. Number three.” Sam pushed the door open and released a pleasant orange smell. “I did a quick cleanup before you got here. Gage pays for a cleaning crew, but still, you never know. Some of our trainees aren’t exactly neat freaks.”
“You really don’t have to worry about me,” Abby said. “If you saw the inn where my team lives, you wouldn’t be apologizing.”
“Hmm.” Sam set Abby’s bags inside the door and flipped on a light switch. “If only someone invited me to visit the inn, I might know what you mean.”
“I’m sorry, I really am. We’ve just been so slammed. We haven’t had any friends over.”
She waved her hand. “I’m just messing with you. With our crazy busy life, it’s likely I would have to say no.”
Abby looked around. She expected a stark, no-frills place. After all, it was basically an Airbnb for buzz cuts and way too much testosterone with the occasional female thrown in the mix, but it was even more bare bones than expected. Thick logs made up the walls, and the floors were rough-hewn wood. The back wall held a tiny kitchenette and a small pine dining table with four chairs. The living area consisted of a dark brown sofa and matching chair, a coffee table, and an end table with a lamp.
“Sorry it’s not fancier,” Sam said.
“It’s perfect. I really appreciate you letting me crash here. Tell Gage thanks, too, okay?”
She nodded. “I stocked the fridge and cabinet with snacks and drinks. Nothing for a full meal, but I figured you wouldn’t be hanging around much during the day. Please swing by for breakfast in the morning.”
“Breakfast sounds good. Depends on my schedule.”
“We usually eat around seven,” Sam said. “Come if you can. No big deal if you can’t. Call your team, but text me with the decision on forensics. No matter the time.”
Abby gave her friend a quick hug. “Seriously, it’s so good to see you. We’ll catch up properly once I get a grip on everything.”
“No worries. I totally get it.”
Sam left, and the moment the lock latched, Abby got out her laptop and made a video call from the dining table to the team’s conference room. She sat in the rigid chair and tapped her foot as she waited for someone to answer.
The screen suddenly came alive. Gabe Irving’s image shifted as if he were positioning the laptop so the camera caught his full face. Soon, his wide jaw covered with a dark, close-cut beard, and his narrowed eyes came into focus. “Yo, Abby. We all wondered if you’d check in.”
“Is everybody with you?”
“Nope.” He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head, muscular arms bulging under his shirt sleeves. “I wouldn’t be here either, but I have a ton of paperwork Nolan’s been nagging me to get done. I’m pulling an all-nighter to get him off my back.” Gabe could be classified as a bad boy who leaned toward the wrong side of the line most of the time. He detested sitting still for something as boring as paperwork.
She disliked it too. Especially after her stint as a sheriff, where the county created more paperwork than she’d ever dreamed possible. But Nolan, who founded the business, liked things tied up nice and neat. They were all partners in the business, but he basically ran things, and they tried to cooperate.
Gabe yawned. “Everyone else’s crashed in their rooms.”
Really?She’d texted to say she’d be late and had an exciting update. “Well, I’m disappointed,” she said, trying not to whine. “I promised I’d give an update about the investigation. Any chance you can call a team meeting?”
“Maybe.” He arched a dark eyebrow. “Give me the CliffsNotes version of your day before I take my life into my hands and wake them up.”
She didn’t like going through him as the gatekeeper, but she valued his usual devil’s advocate perspective, and he would tell her whether the team needed to know about the theft of the crown right now. She gave him a quick rundown on the crown and locket.
“Wow!” He snapped his chair forward. “Yeah. Yeah. They’ll want to hear about this tonight.”
