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Nancy shook her head. “I’d rather be alone.”
Bree nodded and stood. “As soon as we know what happened to your daughter, we’ll let you know. I promise.”
Nancy stood when Rafe did. The woman glanced at both of them. “When can I get my daughter’s body…her remains?” she amended. “I’ll want to bury her next to my parents.”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that,” Bree said. “This is an ongoing investigation, so sometimes it can take a while, weeks orlonger, for the remains to be released. But I will let you know,” she added, and they made their way to the door.
They said their goodbyes and the moment they were outside, Rafe heard the woman break into the sobs she’d been holding back.
Part of him wanted to go back in and try to comfort her. But he doubted he could offer anything that would help with this.
As they got into the cruiser, Bree took out her phone. “I’m texting Detective Malley to have him send out an officer later to check on her.”
Good. Again, that might not actually help Nancy, but it would relieve their minds to know there was someone looking out for the woman.
Bree put her phone away, groaned, and pressed her forehead to the steering wheel. Her immediate wince let him know that she’d hurt her stitches. He took out some pain meds he’d brought with him, but she shook her head.
“I’ve already taken more than I should, and my head won’t stop pounding,” she admitted. Despite that, she started the cruiser and drove away.
“Lack of sleep, fatigue, and information overload,” he muttered. He had a possible fix for that. One she wasn’t going to like, but Rafe threw it out there anyway.
“We’ve been out doing interviews and notifications all afternoon,” he started. “And it’s going on six pm. Not late, but late considering the day you’ve already put in.”
Frowning, she glanced at him.
“Added to that,” he went on, “I had only one change of clothes in my go-bag, and I used it this morning at your place. You, on the other hand, probably have a fresh go-bag in the trunk of the cruiser. So, how about we go to my house? It’s on this side of Canyon Ridge so it won’t take us as long to get there.We can regroup, go through all our notes and reports, eat, and then you can spend the night.”
Her frown deepened.
“Not for sex,” Rafe made sure to add. “Well, sex is optional,” he amended to keep things light.
Then, he had to go with something that wasn’t anywhere in the realm of light. “Buckner knows where you live. You don’t have enough to charge him and get him off the streets, but if he blew up one crime scene to either obstruct justice or try to kill you, he could try it again.”
“He has thatreally goodPI on retainer,” she reminded him, her voice tinged with sarcasm. “If he can find my address, he can find yours.”
“True.” Rafe hadn’t forgotten about that. “But I have the security in place to alert us if he comes onto the grounds.”
She didn’t nix the idea right away. But a few seconds later, she shook her head. “I have to check in with my deputies. I should at least show up at my office after being gone all this time.”
“You’ve been texting and calling them hourly with reports,” he reminded her. “And there’s nothing new you can tell them. I have the computer equipment to maybe find that something new we need to make charges stick on Buckner.”
Again, she wasn’t quick to dispute that or decline his offer. But like before, the headshake came. “I don’t want any illegal shortcuts.”
He tried not to be offended. “I don’t do illegal stuff. I’m just as much true blue as you are, but instead of a badge, I work for Ruby.”
Okay, so he was offended, and Bree picked up on that. “Sorry,” she muttered, and she groaned. “I’m snapping because I’m in pain and tired.”
“Which is even more reason to stay at my place. We can get an early start and be in the station for the changeover between the night and day shift. That way, maybe we’ll have something you can brief both groups on in person.”
Like the other two times, she considered it. And she didn’t shake her head. “A compromise. We’ll get to your place so you can get some clothes, and then we can decide what to do from there. I think I know the way. It’s out on old Henderson Road, right?”
“It is,” he verified. “It’s a few miles just past the bridge.”
She took the turn onto the Interstate. “Since we’ve only eaten junk and snack food most of the day, I’m hoping you have something edible in your fridge.”
“I do,” he assured her. “I’m out of range for deliveries from town, so I try to stay prepared.”
“For unexpected guests,” she muttered.
