Page 63 of Deep Tide

“Hi, Nicole. What’s up?”

“We’ve had some new developments.”

He stopped running.

“We need to meet,” she went on.

“When?”

“The sooner, the better.”

CHAPTER

TEN

Nicole pulled up to Sean Moran’s condominium in an unmarked police unit, and he slid into the passenger seat. His hair was wet, and he wore a leather jacket again, despite the balmy weather.

“You might try getting some of those Hawaiian shirts,” she suggested as she pulled away.

“Hawaiian?”

“You know, loose-fitting cotton? Guys wear them untucked? You can carry concealed without having a heatstroke.”

He darted a look at her and rested his arm on the door. “Where are we going?”

“You been to Josie’s yet?”

“No.”

“It’s the juice place over on Third.”

She hung a right onto Second and cut through an alley to avoid the Friday-evening traffic on Main Street. She pulled into the drive-through and looked at the menu board.

“What would you like?” she asked.

“I’m good.”

“Oh, come on. My treat.”

He ordered a lemonade, and she got a mango smoothie, which was going to have to count as her nutrition for the day. It had been one of those hectic afternoons, and she’d skipped lunch.

They pulled up to the window and waited in silence.

“Thanks for meeting me,” she said finally.

“How’s the investigation coming?”

“Okay. How’s yours? Anything new?”

The attendant reached out to give them their order, and Sean ignored the question. He wasn’t going to talk in front of other people. Nicole handed him his drink and then pulled into an empty parking space facing the dancing-pineapple mural on the side of the building. She rolled up the window and took a long, cold slurp. Then another. She settled the cup into the holder and turned to face him.

“I have some stuff for you.” She reached into the back and grabbed a manila file folder off the floor.

“What’s this?” he asked as she handed it to him.

“Autopsy reports from the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.”

He opened the folder and skimmed the top page.

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