“You won’t go missing this time?”
Connor paused.“I’ll stay in touch.”
Cheryl held his gaze.“See that you do.”
Selena took her keys from her pocket and walked out with Connor.Morning had warmed into hard sunlight.The lot outside the sheriff’s department shimmered at the edges.A truck passed on the road, slowed as if the driver might learn something by staring, then moved on.
Connor headed toward his SUV.Selena moved toward her car.
A phone rang.
Not the radio.Connor’s personal phone.
Selena stopped.
Connor looked at the screen and went still.
That was enough.Something had happened.
“Who is it?”she asked.
He did not answer.Instead, he turned slightly away and accepted the call.
“Chase.”
Selena watched his shoulders.
No greeting followed.No irritation.Just silence.
Then Connor said, “Where?”
Another pause.
His head lowered.
“Is she hurt?”
Selena’s hand tightened around her keys.
Connor listened for several seconds.His mouth set into a hard line.
“No,” he said.“You don’t touch her.I’m coming.”
He ended the call.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Selena crossed the space between them.“Who was that?”
“No one you need to worry about.”
The answer came in that voice again.The one she knew when Connor was holding back.
“Try again, Connor.”
He opened his SUV door.“Selena, I need to handle something.”
She stepped closer, blocking the door with one hand.“If this is about Marlene, I need to know as the Federal agent on site, Connor.No more going against procedure.”
