AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I watch Johnson walk away before my eyes move back to Rue. She looks down at a photo album in her lap and shakes her head as Hask moves to stand beside me.
“Tell me why I shouldn’t haul your ass down to the station.”
“Because, believe it or not, I have better things to do than sit around with you for hours.”
“Oh yeah, like what?”
“Like Rue,” I say with a smirk. “I’d much rather be doing her, which is where our morning was headed until we found that on the doorstep.”
“You’re a piece of shit, Ward.”
“And you’re acting like a jealous boyfriend. She’s not yours. She’s mine, and you’d do well to remember that.”
“That a threat, Ward?” Hask tuts.
“No. I don’t make threats. I make promises. And I promise you this: if you hurt her to get to me, I’ll make you pay in ways you can’t imagine.”
“Detective Hask,” a voice calls, making us both turn. Two men walk through the door with an air of superiority and a neutral expression on their faces.
I don’t need to see their badges to know they’re feds. Hask mutters something under his breath before walking over to them.
“Agent Jones, Agent Davis.” He shakes their hands as I return my gaze to Rue. This time, she’s looking at me. While Hask is distracted, I walk over and take the seat beside her.
“You hanging in there, baby?”
“I guess. Though I’m so ready for the day to be over.”
Even though we haven’t been up for long, I can see she’s telling the truth. The dark circles under her eyes and the wariness in her gaze make me want to pull her into my arms and take her away from it all.
“I wish there was something more I could do to help.” I take her hand in mine and squeeze it. “Any luck with the photos?”
She shakes her head. “I can’t believe how many missing people there are, just in the city alone. Though wherever my vision happened, I got the feeling it was somewhere more remote.”
“Like a farm, maybe?”
“I didn’t smell anything that would scream farm, and I couldn’t see anything to give me any kind of hint. It’s weird because it was too dark to really see the victim’s face, and yet I knew exactly what he looked like.” She turns to look at me, her brow furrowed in confusion. “A sketch artist is coming by to try and draw what I remember. I just have so little to give them. I feel useless.”
“Hey, you are not useless. You are doing the best you can under the circumstances. Not a single one of us could do any better.”
“Miss Anderson?”
We both look up and find the feds in front of us, a pissed-off-looking Hask hovering just behind them.
“Hello again,” Rue greets them with a sigh.
“We hear you’ve had an eventful morning. I’m sorry to have to make you run through it all again, but?—”
“You’re going to anyway. I get it, Agent Jones. I might not like it, but I get it.”
“Mr. Ward, I’m Agent Davis. I’m going to need you to step away so I can take your statement as well.”
I look back at Rue, not wanting to leave her alone.
“I’ll be okay, Valen. I promise.” She offers me a brittle smile.
With little choice, I stand up and move away.
“Don’t worry, Ward, I’ll keep her company.” Hask smirks as he moves to take my seat.
