Page 59 of Silent Prey

Hank shuddered. “I can’t imagine what kind of a sick mind would do something like that."

“Neither can we,” Finn said.

Hank stepped into the room and took off his hat, running his fingers along the brim. “You sure you two are alright?” he asked, giving them a worried look. “I don’t like seeing two of my finest deputies in such a state.”

“We’re a bit banged up,” Finn said, “but we’ll pull through. Just need a little rest.” He smiled reassuringly.

Hank grunted. “Well, you can take the next week off, if you’d like. God knows you’ve earned it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sheila said. She couldn’t even imagine what she’d do with that much free time. Get a hobby, maybe.

"Well, I’ll leave you alone," Hank said, setting his hat back on his head. "I just dropped by to let you know that I'm throwing a small barbecue get-together at my place tomorrow." He looked directly at Sheila and Finn. "I want both of you there. Feel free to bring a date.”

“Thank you, sir,” Finn said, sounding a bit uncomfortable. Hank studied them both, something like mischief gleaming in his eyes, and then turned and left.

“Do you think he knows?” Finn asked as the door closed behind Dawson.

“Oh, he knows,” Sheila said. She sighed, realizing the cat was out of the bag now. “The question is whether it’s a problem. Department regulations forbid office romances.”

Finn gave a nonchalant shrug. “I've always been one for bending rules,” he said, winking at her.

Sheila couldn't help but chuckle at his audacity. “You do realize we could both lose our jobs, right?”

“They can't fire what they can't replace,” he said, his face lighting up with confidence. He clasped her hand in his and squeezed reassuringly. “Besides, I think Dawson likes us together.”

"Maybe so," she said, smiling back at him. "But let's take things slow for now, okay? No need to rush, especially not when we’re both exhausted.”

He nodded, though Sheila thought she detected a touch of disappointment in his eyes. “Are you saying we shouldn’t go to the barbecue in the same vehicle?”

“Probably not.”

He rose, wincing as he put weight on his injured leg. “So, what does the rest of the day look like for you?”

“Other than sleeping?” She paused to think. “Not a lot. Why?”

He shrugged. “Just thought we could get drinks this evening.” He caught her frown and added, “The non-alcoholic kind, of course. I know a place that serves the best milkshakes in town."

Sheila couldn't help but smile. Even after everything they had been through, Finn still found a way to make her laugh. "You're buying, then," she said, playfully jabbing him in the ribs.

Finn feigned a wince, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Deal. Six o’clock?”

She was about to say yes, but then she remembered something she needed to do. Something she’d been putting off for far too long.

“Make it seven,” she said. “I need to take care of something first.”

He raised an eyebrow, but he didn't ask, and Sheila didn't explain. She could explain later when there was no risk that he might try to dissuade her.

“Seven, it is,” he said with a smile. With that, he sauntered out of the hospital room.

Alone with the machines and the silent TV, Sheila lay her head against the pillow, unable to process the flood of emotions her body was experiencing, a heady cocktail of fear and excitement. Were she and Finn suddenly dating? Or had they just had an impulsive moment after an exhausting, terrifying ordeal?

She didn’t know. What she did know, however, was that she had another date before she saw Finn again, one she couldn’t afford to miss.

A date at Blackridge Penitentiary with a man named Rayland Bax.

EPILOGUE

A shiver of unease ran through Sheila’s body as she drove into Blackridge Penitentiary, a hulking fortress of gray walls and guard towers that seemed to cast an ever-lingering shadow. She wondered if they would let her in, or if someone would realize she’d forged her name on the visitor’s list and deny her the chance to speak with the FBI informant.

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