Page 107 of Finding Noah

I emptied my lungs and nodded. “It is, but there's reason to believe the case is connected to another one my department handled.”

Well, it wasn't entirely a lie, was it?

His dark blond brows furrowed. “Wouldn't this be more of a job for a, uh … a detective?”

“I'm actually in the process of becoming one,” I explained easily, then added, “This assignment is a requirement to advance.”

“Hmm,” he uttered, nodding slowly before rising to his feet with a sigh. “Well, I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you, Officer.”

I took that as my cue to leave and stood. “Honestly, so am I, but I'm grateful for you humoring me.”

“Of course,” he said, reaching out to shake my hand.

I accepted the gesture. “Thank you for your time.”

He nodded, releasing my hand to grab a business card from the desk. “If there's anything else I can help you with,” he said, passing it across the desk, “my number is on there.”

I smiled in lieu of a thanks, tucking the card away in my jeans pocket. “And if you happen to find more information or something comes to mind”—I retrieved my own business card from my pocket, the only one I had with me—“don't hesitate to give me a call.”

Shawn read the card, then looked up. “This says Detective Noah Mason.”

“Yeah,” I said with an embarrassed chuckle. “My fiancée made them up for me. To boost my confidence or something.”

He offered a knowing smile and nodded, laying the card on his desk. “Well, good luck to you, Detective … on all accounts.”

“Thank you,” I said, heading toward the door before glancing over my shoulder at him. “To leave, I just—”

“Head back the way we came, yep,” he finished with a kind smile. “Stay dry out there. It's really coming down.”

I gave him a final nod, then left through the door, walked past the winding staircase, and turned left to head down the long, carpeted hallway, both relieved to be leaving and disappointed to be doing it empty-handed.

I had known it was likely a dead end, coming here. The man had been buried twenty years ago, for crying out loud. But, shit, I'd been so hopeful to get something out of this. An address maybe or an indication of where to go next, but I had nothing else. Nothing to go off, nowhere to go.

Except home.

Is this it? I wondered as I passed the closed doors and approached the one still standing open at the end of the hall, leading to the outside world. Did I really come all this way to find nothing but a headstone?

“Careful out there, Officer.”

Abraham's voice cut through the sadness in my mind, and I turned to find him standing in a darkened alcove I hadn't seen earlier, hidden in the shadows with his black suit, like he'd been waiting for my return.

Looming, lurking … very much like the bogeyman of my nightmares.

“What was that?” I asked, stopping before I could exit the building.

He stepped into the light, holding his folded hands over his waist. Poised and professional and every bit as menacing as a movie-made mob boss.

“Roads are slippery out there,” he said, casting his gaze toward the door. “Drive safely, all right?”

I swallowed and offered a slight nod at the unnerving sentiment. “I will. Thanks. Have a good one.”

He reached an arm out to push the screen door open for me. I bowed my head and quickly made my exit, passing the threshold with the urgency of someone with a gun pointed to his head.

As I walked over the floorboards and down the wooden steps, I heard the door shut noisily behind me. I half expected Abraham to follow, to stalk after me through the rain to my car, despite not hearing any footsteps but my own. When I reached the door, I dared to glance over my shoulder, finding nothing but a wave of silly embarrassment.

“Oh my God, stop it,” I muttered, unlocking the car door and hurriedly climbing inside, grateful for the dry seat.

I started the engine and pulled out of the lot just as a pickup truck pulled in, in a hurry, barely missing my front bumper.