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“Correct. My request to hire him got approved in two snaps. A few of the council members moved their ink pens faster than I thought they were physically capable of doing.” His upper lip curled at the memory. “For a few days there, I wondered if he was still on the Feds’ payroll, and this job was just another one of his covert ops.”
“But?” Shep had always wondered that about the guy, too.
“I’m 100% convinced that he fell in love with my sister and took a lowly deputy job on the rez to be with her for as long as the Lord allows.” Adriel tapped a finger on top of the council’s latest authorization paperwork. “And now I’m gaining a fellow Comanche on the force with the same kind of commitment — not just to the woman you love, but to all of our people. Even the ones who will undoubtedly go out of their way to keep you in a job with their misdemeanors and occasional felony.”
Shep chuckled, knowing he was probably picturing the Paddocks. “Speaking of Levi Paddock, word on the street has it that his niece, Alina, is dating Jace Countryman. I’ve been debating paying his shop a visit to pick his brain about all the shiny new sports cars zipping around town. My current theory about the case gives me more reason than ever. Even if Alina’shands are clean, she’ll have access to people and information that you and I don’t have.”
“That’s bold, but I like it.” Adriel gave a low whistle. “Especially since she’s driving one of those shiny sports cars you mentioned.”
“Exactly.” That threw a bit of a curve ball into Shep’s theory, but he’d figure out how she fit into the picture. Eventually.
“Do it.” Adriel nodded. “It’s certainly not her fault she was born a Paddock.”
Shep was glad he was on board with the idea. “And despite your years of hinting, I’m still gonna need to talk to Gil Remington. No offense, but he deserves to hear about my career decision from me.”
“No offense taken.” Adriel held out a hand. “Welcome aboard, Police Sergeant Whitaker.”
Shep stared at his hand. “Did you say?—?”
“You heard right, sergeant.” Warmth glinted in the sheriff’s eyes. “Wrangling up a promotion for you was the only way I could come close to offering you the kind of paycheck you’re accustomed to. I had to bridge the last bit with an annual bonus for the new K-9 unit you’ll be heading up for us.” He rarely smiled, and it looked like he was trying hard not to do it now. “If I added everything up right, you’re coming into this job with a slight pay raise.”
Shep swallowed a lump in his throat as he clasped the sheriff’s hand. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he rasped.
“You can start by helping me close this case.” Adriel stood. “Tall orders, I know.”
Shep rose and faced his new boss. “As soon as I have an official start date, you’ll be the first to know.”
A warning light flickered in Adriel’s gaze. “Until then, you’ll remain in the status of a volunteer search and rescue worker.That means no packing heat around the rez before you pin on our badge. I’m sorry, but my hands are tied on that.”
“Understood.” Shep’s gut told him that flying bullets weren’t going to solve this particular case, anyway. Nothing but cold, calm calculation and maybe a little Divine intervention from the Big Guy Upstairs. He left his coffee sitting on the table since it had grown cold.
Reaching the door of Aiyanna’s office, he paused as another idea struck him. “Quick question.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Has Marco picked up on any more chatter about drag races?”
“Twice.” Adriel took one last sip of his own cooling beverage, then set it down. “It was the same as before. Nobody showed up.”
“Then they’re not chatting about drag races. It’s gotta be code for something else.”
Adriel scratched his chin. “You might be onto something there.”
Since Shep was fresh out of guesses, he twisted the door handle, intending to leave the sheriff to puzzle over that one. Before he walked away, he made one last request.
“If I call from the auto body shop, don’t say anything. Just listen as hard as you can. I may be in trouble.” When the sheriff didn’t answer, Shep glanced over his shoulder to confirm he’d heard.
Adriel threw his hands into the air, but he didn’t try to stop him.
CHAPTER 9: BROKEN STREET LIGHT
Though it was getting late, Shep slowed his truck as he approached The Triple J Auto Body Shop. Seeing if Jace would talk about the case was a long shot, but long shots were all he had at the moment.
He pulled his truck into the parking lot, eyeing the CLOSED sign in the front window of the dimly lit office. The three adjacent auto bays were dark.
Shep debated turning back onto the highway and continuing his drive home. However, it struck him as odd that all three auto bays were unlit. He’d driven past the auto body shop after dark many times in the past, and not once could he remember all the lights being off. Investigators like himself noticed stuff like that. He’d always assumed Jace and his brothers left the lights on for security reasons. A lot of business owners did that.
Not tonight, though, which struck him as odd. There were three brothers living in the apartment above the shop —Jace, Jalen, and Jasper. The fact that they shared the same first letter of their names was how they’d come up with the name of their shop. All three were in their late twenties to mid-thirties. All three were single.
Yeah, he totally wasn’t buying the fact that three single guys were in bed before midnight on a Friday night. He drove through the parking lot, pulled back onto the highway since there were no cars coming from either direction, and circled back to the other end of the parking lot. No motion detector lights popped on. There was no movement from inside the office windows. Nothing.
Jace’s tricked out truck was parked on one side of the building. Shep could see the outline of the spotlights, extended side-view mirrors, and extra wide tires. One of Jasper’s monster trucks was parked on the other side of the shop. The front two tires were hiked up on a massive log, probably for show. Jasper competed around the region in monster truck tournaments. Or used to. Shep thought he remembered hearing something about him switching to bull riding recently.
