Page 53 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

“I’m not going to lie and say this case isn’t personal or say I don’t have feelings for her.”

“And I’m not going to lie and say my feelings for you aren’t the reason you have this case in the first place. What I will say is that you need to be smart. I’m giving you Hernandez so he can take the lead.”

Fuck no. This was my case. “Dad—”

“Think about it, Cole.” He held up a hand to cut me off. “Do you want a relationship with this woman?”

I closed my mouth.

“Then this has to be done by the book. I’m not saying you’d fuck up the investigation, but put yourself in an attorney’s shoes. Let’s say you actually find the killer. How is it going to look to a defense attorney when the widow’s boyfriend’s name is all over the police report? Don’t give the killer any more chances than he’s already had.”

I sighed and leaned back in the chair. Dad was right. If we actually found the killer, I wanted the fucker to hang, and in order for that to happen, the investigation itself couldn’t be called into question.

“Okay. But can I still participate?”

“Participate,” Dad nodded, “but stay behind the curtain. Do the grunt work. Spend your time staring at video footage, but let Matt run any and all questioning. Let him be the face of the investigation.”

“Got it.”

“And don’t worry. Even if you’re not the lead, this case could be big for your career.”

“That’s not why I’m doing this.”

“I know.” He held up his hands. “I’m just saying. It could be the case that guarantees you get my job when I retire.”

I shook my head. “That’s not—we don’t have time to talk about that today.”

“You’re right. Let’s talk about that later.” His eyes glanced at the clock on the wall behind my back. “Quarter ’til. Out you go.”

I pushed up from the chair. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Say hello to Poppy for me.”

“Will do.” Dad had been a hell of a cop in his da

y—smart enough to know where I was running off to this afternoon without needing to be told.

But even good cops had blind spots, and my career was his. No matter how many times I told him, he just couldn’t see why I’d never want his job.

Someday, I’d have to make him see. And hope like hell he wasn’t disappointed in his son.

“Hey, Molly. Is Poppy in the back?”

“Yeah.” Molly waved me closer to the register as she leaned across the counter. “Listen, she’s had a rough morning. I know you guys were planning on the fair this afternoon, but she might not be up to it.”

A rough morning? My heart rate jumped up a notch. “What happened?”

“I’ll let her tell you.” She nodded toward the kitchen door. “She’s in the office, just head on back.”

I didn’t waste any time pushing through the swinging door and walking straight to the office, where I found Poppy with her head in her hands at the desk.

“Hey.”

Her red and puffy eyes shot up to mine. “Hey.”

Was her chin quivering? She was going to break my fucking heart. I’d never seen her cry, not even after her husband had been killed. Talk about a punch to the gut.

“What happened?” I walked to the desk, pushing aside a stack of papers so I could sit on the edge. I flattened my palms on my thighs, pressing them down, fighting the urge to pull Poppy into my arms.