Page 121 of Long Past Deadly

“We won’t know until a directed search begins. It’s going to a task force now, and I’ve opted out.”

“Why?”

“I’m not impartial anymore, and it’ll take me away from Quaid. I need to put this away. But I’m here to help if you need it.”

“Thanks. I have to talk to my commander. Can we keep this between us?”

“On this end, yes. But do what you need to.” She texted him the picture as they left the balcony.

“Got it. Dump the picture off your phone, Alanna.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Ryker know?”

“No.”

Hunt nodded, then went silent.

Back in the conference room, Quaid was gone.

Alanna sat next to Cait. “Where’s Quaid?”

“He had a business call. He’ll be back.” Her eyes were on Hunt. He’d stopped to talk to Harrison. They went into his office.

“What happened? He’s pissed.”

Alanna studied Harrison’s closed door. “I can’t say. But stick close. He might need someone to lean on later.”

“Copy that.”

Quaid came to the Operations glass door, his phone still at his ear. He signaled her. She left Mac and Cait and went to him. She needed to hand off her phone to Kerry to be wiped, and then…go to a safe, quiet space for a long while. That was Quaid. That was home.

&&&&&&&&&&

Alanna woke and couldn’t hear the ocean.

She turned her head on her pillow so her right ear was toward the window. There it was, and Quaid was lightly snoring, a sound she expected to hate, but was a reassurance of sorts. She’d have to reschedule her ENT appointment in the morning.

She rose, tugged a white San Diego Zoo sweatshirt over her head, and slipped into a pair of cream-colored yoga pants. On the quietest steps, she left the room and went down the back stairs to the kitchen. She was breaking the bed etiquette rules, and she knew it. The light on over the stove was more than sufficient to find her way to a glass and the chocolate milk in the fridge. She stood staring at the contents of the shelf before sweet won out over nutrition.

To her credit, she heard the house monitor’s footsteps – miracle – and didn’t gasp. “Conners. Do you lurk around in the dark all the time?”

“No, I was in the office and heard you. Everything all right?”

“Yes. Restless, work on my mind, and wanted chocolate milk.”

He smiled slightly like he knew, but she never met a man who understood a woman’s cravings. Oh, they could observe and respond, if they paid attention, but truthfully appreciating the first swallow – a woman’s thing.

“If you need anything, I’m in the office.”

“Only you, tonight?”

“No, Tane is outside doing a sweep.” He left her alone.

Why didn’t this house have a guard dog, a moat, a bridge troll? All random, irrelevant questions at two a.m.

She levered herself onto a stool at the counter with a soft, gray blanket from the kitchen table chair, her drink refilled, and a package of graham crackers pilfered from the pantry.