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“I’d like you to stay on full time, Ivy. I think we all need you in our lives.” I couldn’t help but feel my chest tighten at that. I knew I was appreciated back home, and I loved working with Eagle Eye and the other teams, but I’d never felt the way I did here. A sense of family and belonging I hadn’t realized I’d needed.
“Then I’d like that very much.”
Cole kissed the furball and placed him gently on the floor then stood with a heavy breath. “I think I might go for a run.”
“May I suggest something else too?” He looked back. “Call your kids and ask them about their day. You’d be surprised how much they can center you.” His eyes lightened, and I could see he liked what I said. “They know something is up, no matter how much you think you shield them. A normal phone call could do a world of good.”
“That sounds like a good idea.” He nodded. “I’m glad we did this.”
“My door is always open.” With a lighter step, he left just as my phone lit up.
“Hey, Michelle, you have perfect timing.” I flopped down on the couch.
“Girl, you owe me one, because that Rivera guy is more into himself than any man I’ve ever dated.”
“I promise when I’m in town next we’ll have drinks. My treat.”
“Deal,” she huffed. “I’m just going to jump right in because I don’t have much time.”
“Okay.”
“It took about four rum and Cokes and a coincidental run-in with some of my sorority sisters to get him to start talking. And when he did, he wasn’t holding back. I’m glad you gave me the names of the players beforehand, because it was a lot easier to keep up.”
“Good!”
“Okay, so, apparently, Hill’s been trying desperately to figure out where Ty’s working. He knows it’s somewhere in North Dakota but also knows he’s at Camp Green sometimes. I know this personally because he strangely just happened to show up while I was there, and when he found out you and I were friends, he was relentless.”
“Wait,” I sat up, “Hill showed up?”
“Yeah, odd, hey? I’m telling you, Ivy, he’s watching that place. I figure the fact that Ty just dropped off the radar is screwing with him more than anything.”
“That would make sense. He can’t watch over Ty or me, so he’s keeping tabs on everyone else involved. I know he still hangs out at the bar that Philip’s wife owns. I’m sure it’s just to keep an eye on her and as a threat for her to keep her mouth shut.”
“Exactly,” she agreed. “To me, this is Hill unraveling.”
“What about Rivera?”
“This is where it got interesting. I think he’s nervous that Hill might snap. It seems Rivera testified on Hill’s behalf on a whole other death, someone named Jack Lever. Does that name ring a bell?”
“No,” I scribbled down his name, “it doesn’t.”
“Well, Rivera was trying to get Hill to go home, and Hill dropped that name to Rivera. He froze like a rat in a trap. Like, we’re talkin’ a stone cold, frozen in time reaction. Then Hill said something like, ‘Remember, man, you put your hand on that Bible, so if I go, you go.’ I took that as Rivera went to bat for him and lied.”
“Wow.” I circled the name a few times. “Anything else?”
“I don’t think it’s just Hill keeping an eye on the place, because I saw someone else who seemed way too interested in our conversation. He watched us the entire night but hardly drank more than one beer. But there’s more. You so owe me, girlfriend. Later, after I left, I stopped for gas, and that guy approached me.”
“You were followed?” I felt sick. “Oh, my God, Michelle are you okay?”
“I do Krav Maga three times a week. I could kick Hill’s ass if I wanted to.” She chuckled, but I was still worried about just what I might have involved her in. “Anyway, he turned out to be that Dustin guy you mentioned.”
“Oh,” I let out the air I was holding, “thank God. At least he’s more decent than the others.”
“He’s actually really sweet.” I heard her sip her drink. “He warned me that Rivera was trouble, and he told me it was in my best interest to stay away from him. And, ready for this?” I nodded like she could see me. “He said they, Hill and Rivera, were both under investigation and that things were getting ugly fast.”
“Wait,” I stood and paced a bit, “did he tell you why they were being investigated?”
“Of course.” She laughed. “Like I’d leave that unasked. Brown’s parents have decided to press charges.”
