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Roseline felt her cheeks flush slightly. “Oh, him? I don’t want to date someone from the force, you know that.”
“Ask him out for a drink!” Hayden continued. “Get to know him outside of the office. You never know where it could lead.”
Roseline smiled, amused by her friend’s relentless optimism. In the background, she could see Hayden’s husband, Boone, chasing their new puppy around. Their happy little family was always a stark reminder of how solitary Roseline’s own life was in comparison.
“We’ll see,” Roseline said. “I appreciate you looking out for me, Hayden. I don’t know what I’d do without our little chats.”
“Anytime, hon,” Hayden said warmly. “You know I’m always here if you need to talk. And don’t lose hope. Your Prince Charming is out there somewhere. I have a good vibe with that new guy… Didn’t his best friend, the one who arrived with him, start dating Noelle? If your dear Noelle approves of her man, it must mean something for his best friend. Anyway, I won’t bug you… for now, at least.”
They chatted for a few more minutes about Hayden’s current cases and made plans to catch up again soon. As Roseline ended the call, she felt bolstered by the support of her longtime friend. Even from afar, Hayden always knew how to lift her spirits.
Roseline leaned back in her chair, Hayden’s words echoing in her mind. The new detective from up north...
Callan. Callan Hemlock.
She hadn’t interacted with him much since his arrival a few months ago, but she’d heard good things about him around the office. Professional, courteous, competent—a stark contrast to many of the cops she worked with day to day. And yes, if she was being fully honest with herself, he certainly was nice to look at. Those dark blue eyes and muscular frame were hard to ignore.
Roseline shook her head, amused at the direction of her thoughts. It wasn’t like her to daydream about some guy she barely knew. But Hayden had a point—it wouldn’t hurt to get to know him better outside of work. Too bad he was a cop.
From what Roseline had seen, Hemlock seemed to share her work ethic and integrity. He and his friend Brandon Turner had transferred down together, some kind of mentorship program spearheaded by the new Commander Beckner. An effort to bring in fresh blood and revitalize the department after years of corruption scandals.
So far, the two newcomers seemed to be thriving. Both had risen quickly through the ranks, earning respect rather than resentment from the other officers. Roseline wondered sometimes if they ever faced the same hostility she did as outsiders trying to prove themselves. If they did, they didn’t show it. Both exuded confidence and level-headed professionalism at all times.
Roseline smiled to herself, imagining how Hayden would tease her right now for “swooning over the cute new guy”. Maybe she was. But after the morning she’d had, a little daydreaming didn’t hurt.
With renewed energy, Roseline turned her focus back to the case files on her computer screen. But that morning peace was short-lived when she heard running footsteps rushing toward her unit. Before she could blink, her door burst open, with Commander Becker, phone in hand, and urgency emanating from every pore of his tall body.
Roseline blinked in surprise as Commander Beckner strode into her office, his phone held out urgently.
“Fontenot, I need you on this right now,” he said without preamble.
Despite his calm demeanor, tension radiated from his broad frame. Roseline sat up straighter, immediately alert.
“Of course, sir. What do we have?”
Beckner’s jaw tightened. “I just received a video stream on my phone. It appears to be...” He hesitated, seeming to choose his words carefully. “Let’s just say it looks to be some kind of crime in progress.”
Roseline’s eyes widened, but she simply nodded and took the offered phone. With practiced efficiency, she connected it to her computer station to pull up the video on the larger monitors.
“Do we have any details on where this is coming from?” she asked as she worked.
Beckner shook his head, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her work. “No specifics yet. The link came through anonymously. Could be a prank, could be real.”
Roseline’s stomach twisted uneasily, but she maintained her professional focus. Finally, the video feed popped up on her screen. Her breath caught in her throat.
It was real. Very real.
A man sat tied to a chair in a dark room. Roseline could just make out the glint of a pipe running along the wall behind him. Some kind of basement or warehouse. The man’s face was battered and bloody, one eye swollen shut. His lips moved soundlessly, chest heaving with panicked breaths.
Roseline quickly scanned the video, looking for any identifying details. But the small basement room revealed little. No windows, one door at the top of a set of stairs barely visible in the shadows.
“My God,” Beckner muttered. Roseline realized her own hands were clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms.
“We need to find where this is streaming from, now,” she said.
“I know. Can you trace the origin?”
Roseline was already typing rapidly, running traces on the video feed. “I’m working on it. But without more details...” She trailed off, shaking her head. “This was set up to be untraceable.”
