Grant shook his head and turned toward Avery.
She was already halfway out of the car by the time Grant opened his door. He hurriedly got out and joined her at the front of the vehicle.
“What’s your plan?” he asked as they strode toward the entrance.
“I need to find my counterpart, Melissa Bradley, and the sheriff, and get caught up on the case.”
Grant opened the door and held it for her.
Avery charged in, ready to go to work despite having been out cold for three days.
She walked up to the front desk and asked, “Is the sheriff in?”
“He’s right where you left him. You can catch him before he breaks for lunch.”
“And Agent Melissa Bradley?”
The deputy behind the counter frowned. “Again, still here, like they were just a minute ago.”
A door opened in a hallway behind the desk, and a tall woman with auburn hair, wearing black trousers and a black polo shirt similar to Avery’s, emerged. She turned to say something to the man following her out.
When she turned and spotted Avery, she frowned. “Did you forget something, Agent Hart?”
Avery frowned. “No,” she replied. “I just?—”
“Actually,” the woman said, “I’m glad you came back. Sheriff Taylor and I are on the way for a bite to eat. I meant to ask if you want us to pick up something for you and bring it back here for when you’re done at the Medical Examiner’s office?”
Grant frowned and almost said something, but Avery shot him a quick glance and spoke first.
“No, thank you,” she said. “I’ll grab something later.”
“Okay, then. Hopefully, the M.E. has something helpful for us.” The woman passed Avery in the hallway and kept going.
The man behind her nodded at Avery. “Thanks for taking the lead on this. We need a break in this case before he strikes again.”
Avery nodded without responding, a frown creasing her forehead.
The man paused as he came abreast of Grant. “Are you with Agent Hart?”
Grant nodded, taking his cue from Avery and not offering anything more than brief answers to direct questions. Something was off.
“This is Grant Hayes,” Avery said, “He’s a talented profiler I’ve worked with in the past. He’s agreed to help us with the case.”
The man held out his hand. “Excellent. I’m Sheriff Taylor. We could use all the help we can get. Agents Bradley and Hart have been hard at work since they arrived three days ago. We’re so shorthanded around here, we’re glad for the help. Anything to find the man terrorizing our small town.”
“Glad to help,” Grant said. What the fuck is going on?
The auburn-haired woman reached out a hand. “Agent Melissa Bradley. Nice to meet you. Agent Hart didn’t tell us she’d contacted a profiler.”
Because she hadn’t. She’d been unconscious in a hospital. Grant maintained a poker face.
Without missing a beat, Avery said, “I wasn’t sure I could get him.”
Scrambling to match her story, Grant added, “I had a break in my schedule and came as soon as I could. Nice to meet you.”
“Is he going to the Medical Examiner’s office with you?” Agent Bradley asked Avery.
Avery nodded. “We were just leaving.”
