Page 187 of Rangers Unexpected Return

“Tonight?”

“Right now.”

“What do I tell them?”

“Tell them Captain Robert Mills may have an undisclosed personal connection to seven homicide victims and the original death linked to the case. Tell them he attempted to interfere with an active investigation in another jurisdiction and revoked access to case files immediately after evidence connected his family to the murders.”

Carson nodded.

“I’ll make the call from Sheriff Tate’s office.”

“Not the tavern.”

“Agreed.”

“And call the medical examiner directly. I want independent copies of every autopsy report sent to Sheriff Tate.”

“Robert will find out.”

“He already knows we’re onto him.”

Carson walked toward the vehicles.

Mace watched him leave.

“You just declared war on your captain.”

“He started it.”

A flicker of pride moved through his expression.

I refused to think about how much I liked seeing it.

We followed Wolf toward the dining hall.

The building had survived the fire, though smoke drifted through the broken windows. Will had cleared a long wooden table and covered it with clean plastic. Emily’s letter rested beneath a portable evidence light. The old photograph lay beside it.

Rylie sat at the far end with Trigger.

Max remained between their chairs.

Sheriff Tate had arrived from the house and stood beside Will with his arms crossed.

“I heard about Robert locking you out,” he said.

“News travels quickly.”

“Carson has a loud voice.”

“He does.”

Sheriff Tate looked at the letter. “What happens now?”

“We preserve everything locally. Nothing goes to Dallas until Internal Affairs takes control of the case.”

“Can you do that?”

“I’m not sending evidence to a department controlled by one of our primary suspects.”