Page 45

I checked the clock again.

Five-thirty.

No Zarek.

I basted the chicken. Adjusted the oven temp. Tried not to watch the window like a stalker ex-wife.

Six.

Still nothing.

I set the table for two. Then I felt stupid and put one plate back. Then I felt mean and put it out again.

Six-thirty.

I told myself he could be at the station. Paperwork. An extra call. Something.

By seven, the food was losing its shine and my nerves were fraying. I wrapped both plates in foil and set them in the oven to at least try and keep them warm.

I’d called him three times. Straight to voicemail each time.

On the fourth try, I hung up before it rang through and scrolled to Michael’s name instead.

He picked up on the first ring. “Rankin.”

“Hey. It’s Chloe.”

His voice softened instantly. “Hey, Chloe. Everything okay?”

“Depends,” I said. “Is Zarek with you?”

Silence. The bad kind.

“No,” he said slowly. “He left the station around nine-thirty this morning. Wanted to argue with Cap about interior. Lost, obviously.”

“Nine-thirty? This morning?” My hand tightened around the phone.

Michael cursed under his breath. “Yeah, Cap put him on the bench. Light duty only. He told him to go home and rest. I figured he’d… actually go home and rest.”

“He didn’t come home. Do you have any other idea where he might have gone?” I asked.

“You want me to swing by Cappy’s? Or the usual spots?”

I closed my eyes and pictured Zarek on a mat somewhere, trading blows with another stranger, ribs screaming, lungs burning, as if pain were something he could eventually exhaust into quiet.

My stomach turned.

“No,” I said softly. “If he’s there, Cappy’s watching him. I just… needed to know he didn’t disappear into a structure fire.”

“He won’t do anything that stupid,” Michael said. “He might sulk, fight, and clean his baseboards with a toothbrush, but he won’t be reckless with the job.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Okay.”

“You need anything?” he asked. “Want me to come by? Camp out on the porch with a hose and a taser?”

A laugh escaped me, shaky but real. “I think I’ve hit my Avery sibling quota for the day. I’ll be okay. Thanks, Michael.”

“Call if that changes,” he said. “And… for what it’s worth, him being this much of a mess over you? It’s not pretty. But it’s not nothing.”