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Josie heard Mettner speak, his voice too low to reach Luke. “Well, this is awkward.”
Noah said, “You can’t hire him. He’s got a criminal record.”
The Chief appeared in the doorway, one white bushy eyebrow kinked. He stepped up next to Luke and patted Blue on the head. “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, Fraley. He’s not a sworn officer or anything. He’s a consultant.”
Luke smiled down at Blue and then returned his gaze to Josie. She wished he would stop looking at her like she was the only person in the room. “Blue here helped on so many search and rescue operations after that Lucy Ross case here in Denton that I went and did the training with him. He’s certified in live finds and cadaver. Blue and I started working with a nonprofit organization that provides search and rescue dogs to law enforcement for a nominal cost that covers some basic expenses. I know you guys have a need here.”
Josie said, “You live here now?”
Luke had lived in Denton when they were together but had had to sell his house and move back home to Sullivan County to live with his sister, who ran their family farm. She knew he’d stayed there because he couldn’t handle living alone. Had something changed? A girlfriend, maybe? Hopefully?
“I figure it’s a good home base,” he said. “Close to a bunch of major cities and rural departments that might need our help.”
A phone rang. Mettner answered it. Josie heard him give a few “yeps” and “got its” before the receiver clanked back into place. “That was a guy named Landan Clarke,” he said. “He’s got a farm in Southwest Denton. His six-year-old son wandered off two hours ago. He’s pretty sure he’s still on the property, but the whole family’s a little shook up that they haven’t found him yet. It’s cold and raining.”
Josie turned away from the Chief and their new K-9 consultants. She grabbed her coat from the back of her chair. “Let’s go.”
The Chief said, “Not so fast there, Quinn. This sounds like the perfect way to break in our new consultant.”
Josie suppressed a groan. The last thing she wanted to do was be alone with Luke.
“Fraley,” said the Chief. “You take this one. Luke and Blue can ride with you.”
Josie chanced a glance back at her husband. No one else in the room would know it but she could tell by the way a tiny muscle in his jaw twitched that he wasn’t happy. Still, he managed a smile. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Sure.”
Once they were gone, the Chief retreated to his office. Josie sat at her desk, ignoring Mettner’s stare. It was a relief when the phone on her desk rang. “Quinn,” she barked.
A minute later, she let the receiver fall back into place, stood and put on her coat. “Let’s go,” she told Mettner.
“What is it?”
“A body.”
FOUR
Josie flipped the windshield wipers to high as they rounded the city park, heading to its northwest end where a tiny smattering of houses bordered one of its running trails. She was familiar with the street that dispatch had mentioned. Having lived in the city her entire life, she remembered the many times developers had proposed building apartment complexes in that area. They would have towered over the park, offering stunning views for residents but making the park area congested and less accessible. Each time a new developer showed up at a city council meeting with a scale model and a pile of blueprints, they were sent packing. Eventually, the land in question was divvied up and sold to individuals who built their own homes.
“You get anything on the address?” she asked Mettner. She needed to talk about something, anything, that would keep her mind off the fact that her current husband was now out looking for a lost child with her former fiancé.
From the passenger’s seat, his fingers flew across the screen of the Mobile Data Terminal. “The house belongs to Beau and Claudia Collins,” he said. “He’s forty-seven, she’s forty-two. No criminal records. Driver’s licenses in good standing. They bought the land twelve years ago and built on it. No prior calls to the address.”
Josie slowed, searching for the turn she knew was ahead. January in Denton meant that evening fell fast and early. It was pitch-black, and here in this remote area, the streetlights offered little illumination. The name Claudia lingered in her thoughts. Memories of the woman who had saved Harris just a month ago flashed across her mind. But that woman had said her name was Claudia White, not Collins. Still, something in the back of Josie’s brain clamored for her attention. She just wasn’t sure what it was yet. “Why do those names sound familiar?”
From Mettner’s direction came a heavy sigh. “Don’t ask how I know this, okay?”
Josie found the cross street and made a right, navigating the car up a steep hill. She was relieved that the rain hadn’t yet made the streets slick and slippery. “Now that’s just not fair, Mett. You can’t start out with a statement like that.”
“You’re not allowed to ask,” he insisted.
Josie shrugged. Ahead, at the top of the hill, she could just make out the flash of emergency beacons. “That’s fine. I’ll infer. That’s more fun.”
He groaned. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that. They’re on TV. They’re like this kind of famous couple who do relationship counseling.”
“Kind of famous?” Josie asked.
“Yeah, around here. They’re on WYEP. Their show is just local, but they’ve also got a book.”
Josie slowed again as she approached the last driveway along the street. A Denton police cruiser sat next to its entrance, lights blazing. “What’s the name of the book, Mett?”
