Page 86 of It Runs in the Family

But I couldn’t ignore the fact that the guy outside the Stop-n-Go had also insinuated he was with law enforcement. What if Boone was lying? He’d stalked me to Granny’s, and now he was here outside my apartment at seven in the morning.

I had to admit he’d reacted to the break-in just like a cop would, but I couldn’t just take his word for it.

I lifted my chin, my arms still wrapped around my chest. “Show me your badge.”

His eyes widened slightly. “What?”

I gestured a hand toward him. “If you’re a cop, then show me your ID.”

“I’m undercover, Iris. I’m not carrying my badge with me.”

“How convenient.”

“I was at T-Birds looking for information about my brother. I can’t exactly do that in my uniform.”

“You’re not at T-Birds now.”

His voice softened. “Look, I understand why you wouldn’t trust me, and if you don’t feel comfortable with me coming in, I’ll wait outside for you to take a shower and change.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why would you wait outside the door? Why not just meet me somewhere later?”

“Because if the people who did this didn’t get what they came for, there’s a good chance they’ll be back to ask you where it is.”

Why would someone think I had anything of worth? Did the bad guys think I had whatever Selena has stolen from Tommy T?

“Fine,” I said in a huff, then pushed past him and into the apartment. As soon as I crossed the threshold, I stopped dead in my tracks. The place looked like a tornado had ripped through it. The kitchen cabinets were open, dishes and glasses were in pieces on the floor. The drawers had been pulled out and dumped. The cushions on the sofa had been slashed, and stuffing was in heaps on the floor. The TV was on the floor, the screen cracked.

“Oh, God.”

My heart lodged in my throat. Boone had insinuated it was a mess, but I hadn’t been prepared for this.

I didn’t have much, but it was all I had. And someone had broken it anyway.

“We can call the police and file a report,” he said softly behind me, “but I’m sure whoever tossed your place wore gloves. I doubt they left prints.”

“You’re a cop,” I said in an accusatory tone, keeping my gaze on the mess. “Can’t you take the report?”

“I don’t have jurisdiction here.”

“What’s the point of filing a report?” I asked in defeat. “You’re right. They probably didn’t leave prints.”

I could sense him shifting his weight behind me. “You should still file a report, Iris. They might not be able to catch who did this, but at least you’ll be able to make a claim on your renter’s insurance.”

“I don’t have renter’s insurance.” Everything I owned was secondhand, whether given to me or purchased at a thrift store or on Facebook Marketplace. It had never seemed worth insuring.

“You can still make a report,” he said from behind me. “But it will probably take a couple of hours before someone shows up. It’s not an emergency, so you’ll be low priority.”

Especially today, given Garrett got called in for the dead woman on Frontline Road.

Then it hit me. I looked back at him. “If you’re really a cop, then you can get the details about what’s happening on Frontline Road.”

His brow furrowed. “What’s happening on Frontline Road?”

“My cousin got called in early. He wouldn’t tell me why, but my other cousin Tim said someone found a dead woman on the shoulder of the road.” My stomach twisted as I said the words.

A knowing look filled his eyes. “You’re worried it might be Selena.”

I nodded. “Can you find out?”