Page 10 of Deep Tide

“Talking to Leyla. What’s it look like?”

“You can’t be here.”

He tipped his head to the side. “Get real, Nicole.”

“You can’t. This is exactly the reason Brady didn’t call you.”

Right now the police chief was rushing back from San Antonio, where his daughter had just given birth to his first grandchild. He’d specifically sent Nicole and Emmet to this crime scene, and he’d specifically not sent Owen.

But Owen didn’t like people telling him what to do, especially Nicole. As the department’s newest detective, she ranked dead last in the detective pecking order.

“You shouldn’t talk to her, Owen. You shouldn’t even be here.”

He peeled off his sunglasses. “Are you serious right now? She’s my sister.”

“Yeah. Your sister. Who’s now a witness in a homicide case. Whose business is now a crime scene.”

Owen gave her an icy stare with those Breda blue eyes. Leyla and Joel had them, too. Owen’s looked tired and bloodshot because he’d been out late drinking after the wedding. But he wasn’t just tired. Owen was worried sick—she could see it in his face.

“Owen, come on. Leyla’s got enough to deal with today without you making this even more complicated. Do the right thing here.”

He gave Nicole a long, hard look.

“Fine.” He slid his shades back on. “I’ll see you at the station.”

He turned and looked at his sister, who was watching them closely. Some unspoken communication passed between them. Then Owen glanced at Nicole and stalked back to his truck.

As he pulled out, Nicole returned to Leyla. She looked pale and tense, and beads of sweat had popped up along her brow. But Nicole didn’t bother offering her water again.

“What’s next?” Leyla asked. “I’d like to understand the timeline here.”

Nicole nodded. “When the CSIs give me the go-ahead, I can take you to retrieve those items from the crime scene.”

She blanched at the words crime scene.

Nicole cleared her throat. “From the café,” she amended. “Then you’ll be done here, and I’ll take you to the police station, where we’ll go over all your information. I’m sorry to make you do it again, but we’d like to get it on video.”

She gave a tight nod, and Nicole felt a wave of sympathy for her. She’d been through all this twice already, going into minute detail about how she’d discovered her young employee’s brutalized body in the alley beside her shop and called 911. Then she’d had to send home her employees as they arrived for work and turn customers away, all while fielding a barrage of questions from police. She was in for a marathon day, and it was just getting started.

Leyla looked at the alley again as another vulture landed on the fence. There were four now, watching the action. One of the ME’s guys unzipped a body bag, and what little color was left in Leyla’s face drained away.

Nicole stepped closer. “Leyla... I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

Her gaze snapped to Nicole. She pushed off the car and squared her shoulders. “I’m fine. Let’s get this done.”

CHAPTER

THREE

Nicole returned from a hot and hectic afternoon and spotted Emmet in Chief Brady’s office, probably debriefing him on the evidence they had been gathering all day. With Owen sidelined, Emmet would no doubt be taking the lead role.

She stopped in the doorway. “Congratulations on the baby, Chief.”

He smiled and ran a hand over his white buzz cut. “Thank you.”

“How’s Lindsey doing?”

“Tired. They had a long night.” He waved her in. “Come in. Close the door.”

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