Page 140 of Forever Dark
Then he looked away.
The moment broke as quickly as it had come.
“How long you staying in town?”he asked.
Selena knew the answer before he asked it.That did not make saying it any easier.
“Well,” she said, “now Pruitt’s confessed, I need to go back to Washington and debrief my boss in the morning.”
Connor turned back toward her.
The smile was still there, but something under it had gone quieter.Almost mournful.Not enough that anyone else might have named it.Enough that she did.
“That’s a shame,” he said.
Selena held his gaze.“Yeah.It is.”
The front door of the station opened again before either of them could say more.
Arnold came out carrying a six-pack by the plastic rings, looking pleased with himself in a way that suggested he believed he had solved morale single-handedly.
“So,” he said, coming toward them, “I checked.Everyone’s off duty now, right?”
Connor slid off the hood first.“What’ve you got there?”
“Medicine.”Arnold held up the beers.“Thought after today maybe we’d earned some.”
Selena climbed down more carefully.Her legs were stiffer than she wanted to admit.
Arnold handed Connor one, then offered another to her.“Have one on me.”
She took it.The can was cold enough to sting her fingers.
“Thanks,” she said.
They stood in a loose triangle in front of the sheriff’s department, three tired people under the county stars with the case finally closed and none of them yet quite knowing what to do with the abrupt absence of motion.
Arnold popped his tab and took a drink.“So, about the FBI.”
Selena looked over.“What about it?You still want to join?”
He swallowed.“Actually, I saw a war documentary yesterday and… I’ve been thinking maybe I’d prefer military police.”
Connor closed his eyes briefly.“Why?”
Arnold considered.“I don’t know.I always liked their white hats.”
Connor turned to him.“Helmets, Arnold.They wear helmets.”
“Yeah.”Arnold shrugged.“Still.Would be cool.”
That got a real laugh out of Selena, small but unforced.After the day they had all had, it felt almost foreign in her throat.
Arnold brightened at the sound.“I don’t see what’s funny.”
“You’d last three days,” Connor said.
“That’s mean,” Selena said.
