“Sure.” Toren gave him a quick rundown of the same things he told Luke and me just minutes earlier.
“Can I have those coordinates?” Ozzie asked when Toren finished.
With a quick nod, Toren pushed away from the post and went inside.
“I should arrest you two for obstruction,” Ozzie growled once the door closed.
“We didn’t obstruct anything.” I raised my hands, giving him a look of wide-eyed innocence. “And don’t pretend we haven’t been useful.”
“What you’ve been is a pain in my backside.”
“Yes, but one that got you an identity on your victim and a lead on why she was killed,” I pointed out.
His glower returned. “Go home, Mina.”
“Can’t. You parked me in.”
His jaw worked. If he’d been a cartoon character, I swear smoke would have billowed from his ears.
Holding eye contact momentarily, he slowly turned away, then gave Toren his full attention as the man stepped outside.
“Here you go.” Extending one long arm, he handed Ozzie a piece of paper tucked between two fingers.
“Thank you.” After a quick glance at it, Ozzie slipped the note into his pocket. “Do you have anything else you’d like to add?”
“Just be careful when you go out there. Whether it’s the man you’re looking for or not, the guy didn’t sound like he was willing to play.”
With a singular nod, Ozzie stepped toward his patrol truck. “Noted. Thank you, Mr. McCrae.” Giving Luke and me a hard look, he climbed into his vehicle.
I glanced at Luke, and we shared a look of trepidation. It might be a bit before we were out of the doghouse this time.
The engine in Ozzie’s truck roared to life. When I looked back, his dark expression was still in place as he backed up and turned around. A moment later, he disappeared down the drive between the pines.
Toren’s footfalls on the wooden porch steps drew my attention. He stopped several feet away, regarding us silently. A decision warred in his dark eyes. Eventually, he reached into his pocket and withdrew another slip of paper.
My heart thundered in my ears as I accepted it. I took a quick peek and saw coordinates written in a messy, male scrawl.
“Don’t make me regret giving you that.” Toren stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked past us at the trees. “I’m sure your friend is a good cop, but I’ve had enough experience with them to know sometimes they have blinders on and can’t see past the ends of their noses.” His gaze connected with mine, then Luke’s. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have things to do.”
“Of course.” I held up my hands and backed toward my car. “Thank you, Toren. Coffee’s on the house the next time you’re in town.”
The big, burly man nodded once and watched us as we got in the car and pulled away.
“He’s an interesting fellow,” Luke remarked.
I glanced in the rearview mirror. Toren still stood in the same place, arms crossed as I drove down the drive. “Yeah. Definitely.” But he was also helpful. Now I needed a map.
