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At that, Cameron and Rachel both started laughing, and because they did, Lili laughed too, while Ghost just kept licking up the crumbs at Cameron’s feet.
Once the cookies were gone, they began saying their goodbyes. While Rusty was getting a goodbye hug from Lili, Cameron pulled Rachel aside to remind her. “Remember, there’s a reason she’s stayed under wraps for now. Say nothing. People’s lives are at risk until we’ve finished what she came to do.”
“Understood,” Rachel said. “Be safe, both of you, and be careful. You and I are all that’s left of our immediate family. I have no wish to become an orphan.”
“Love you, Sis. Give Louis my best,” he said, and then they were gone.
Rachel watched as they walked back to the Jeep. They were holding hands. She’d watched him leave her house countless times, but always alone. Whatever was going on, she needed them both to be okay.
***
“So, you survived ‘the visit.’ How do you feel now?” Cameron asked, as they started back down the mountain.
“Like I already belong. Thank you, darling. Loving you is the best job I’ll ever have, and your family is going to be the fringe benefits I’ve been missing.”
“I love that, and I love you,” Cameron said.
“Love you more. But I hate sneaking around, which makes that all the more reason to close this case.”
“Speaking of closing cases, did they find any of the stolen property from your friend’s home?”
“I don’t know, but I hope they find out who did it soon. If thieves find a prime location to start stealing, Mr. Duroy’s home will just be their starting point. I’ll give Woodley a call and see if he’s had any leads.”
“And I’m going to call Jay Howard and talk to him about bringing Chief Warren into this.”
As soon as they got back to the house, Rusty went inside, leaving Cameron to pull the trailer into the barn.
She hung up her coat, smiled as she brushed a cookie crumb off her sweater, and then settled down in front of her laptop and pulled up the file on Emily Payne before she made the call.
It rang several times, and she thought the call was going to go to voicemail, but then he answered. “This is Howard.”
“It’s me,” Rusty said. “I want to run something by you.”
“Talk to me,” Howard said, and she explained what she thought, and what she wanted to do regarding the unidentified cop and involving the Jubilee police chief.
“We have no problem with Sonny Warren. I don’t see a conflict of interest here, unless he winds up being related to someone who fits into the picture.”
“I agree,” Rusty said.
“Okay then, go for it,” Howard said. “See what you can dig up. And FYI…we have extradition papers for Melinda Lehigh. Normally this has to go through all kinds of channels, but we got special dispensation due to the gravity of the situation and the ongoing case. Canadian authorities have her residence staked out.”
“Oh. Wow. So you’ve already located her?”
“We know where she’s living. Where she’s been working. And where her parents live. The Canadian authorities are watching all three locations, and whichever place she shows up at first is where she’ll be picked up. They’ll turn her over to us and we’ll bring her back. After that, it’s all about trying to crack her.”
“I’d love to be a fly on the wall during that interrogation,” Rusty said. “Happy hunting, and keep me updated. I’ll let you know if we learn anything from Sonny Warren.”
The call disconnected, and Rusty laid the phone aside and began making notes of what she wanted to discuss with the chief. She heard Cameron’s footsteps on the back porch and then heard them coming into the kitchen. Moments later, he called out, “Hey, honey! Do you want something to drink?”
“A Coke on ice?”
“Coming up!” he said.
Rusty kept writing, and in a couple of minutes, Cameron set a glass of Coke down next to where she was sitting, then leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
She looked up, smiling. “Thank you for the kiss and the Coke.”
“I couldn’t resist. You’re so damn cute when you get serious,” he said.
