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So if she got in the way, or got too close to fitting the puzzle pieces together, she’d have to be discouraged.
And if whatever deterrent I decided upon didn’t distract her?
She’d have to be stopped.
Whatever that took.
FIVE
A GUY WHO NOT ONLYspent his Friday night with his grandmother but admitted doing it.
Nice.
Nicer yet?
He wanted to have an in-person meeting tomorrow.
All of which suggested he was single and available.
Hard as Bri tried to focus on the slip of paper Les’s daughter had left for her at the hotel earlier today, tingles of anticipation kept short-circuiting her concentration.
Which was dumb.
Hadn’t she made a rule that for the first year in this job, she’d put her social life on hold and concentrate on building her career at County? And after her last workplace interpersonal disaster, hadn’t she decided to walk a wide circle around professional colleagues going forward?
Yes, she had—and she ought to stick with that plan.
Even if a perceptive, smart, handsome, and apparently well-grounded ATF agent had caught her fancy.
But following rules kept you safe. Helped eliminate surprises. Gave you a modicum of control. Made you less apt to get into trouble. All of which had been critical during her firefighting careers.
And during her early childhood years.
Dark, suffocating memories squeezed the air from her windpipe until she forced them back into cold storage wherethey belonged and refocused on Marc’s offer. A much more pleasant subject.
Even if she wasn’t open to any sort of personal connection, maybe she could accept his invitation. After all, a coffee shop meeting to discuss business didn’t really violate her rule about—
“Still here, I see.” Sarge poked his head into her office.
She shifted mental gears yet again. “Just like you are.”
“Goes with the big bucks.” He flashed her a grin. “If you’re trying to impress me, don’t bother. Your work speaks for itself.”
“Thank you. For the record, I didn’t stay to brownnose. I’ve been mulling over the latest information on Les’s case.”
Sarge dropped into the chair at the adjacent desk, long since vacated by her unmarried office buddy who’d been eager to dive into his weekend. “I saw the autopsy and tox report. There were a few surprises.”
“What jumped out at you?” Rather than highlight her concerns, it would be smart to hear his thoughts first.
“The BAC. I didn’t socialize with Les except at an occasional department function, but I never saw any indication at those or in his job performance that he drank to excess.”
“I talked to his daughter again today. She confirmed that.”
Sarge leaned back in the chair and laced his fingers over his stomach, grooves etching his forehead. “I wonder if that could have changed, though. I know the sudden loss of his wife knocked him for a loop. The two of them had all kinds of plans for his retirement, including a trip to Ireland. The broken foot had to be a downer too.” He shrugged. “Without a job to worry about, or the need to keep a clear head, it’s possible he began overindulging on occasion.”
Hard to refute her boss’s rationale on the drinking score.
“His daughter had other concerns too.” Bri relayed the information the woman had shared about her father’s medicationaversion and allergy issues. “Do you have any insights about either of those?”
