Page 2 of Cornered

Right. She turned into a grocery store lot, parked, and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Sobs ripped from her while James’s soothing voice came through the speakers. Finally, she got herself together and pulled in a deep breath.

“You still there?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She swallowed. “Okay. I’m going to work and trying to brace myself. It will be horrible. Everyone loved Brenda.”

“Call me if you need me, Squirt. I’m here for you.”

“I know. Thanks, James.” She hung up and aimed her Subaru toward the office, dreading the coming hours, because while her heart pounded out a rhythm of grief, her mind whirled with questions. What had Brenda been doing on Youngstown Road? She, like everyone else in the city, hated it and avoided that route whenever possible. Parents forbade their teens to drive it—and the new drivers had often lost enough friends to obey. Sowhathad compelled Brenda to be on it? And at that time of morning? Or rather night? She couldn’t imagine.

She pulled into the parking lot of her office and parked.

And sat there.

Please, God, get me—us—through this day.

DETECTIVE TATE COOPER STOODat the edge of the scene of the car accident, the flashing lights of police cars casting an eerie blue glow on the area around him. The air was thick withtension as his fellow officers worked to make sure they didn’t miss anything that might help them understand exactly what happened. The tow truck had finally arrived and pulled the mangled vehicle up onto the bed. Tate was ready to head home and get some sleep. Except sleep was going to have to wait.

He glanced at his watch. In just a few short hours, he was supposed to meet Detective Cole Garrison at the station and begin his first day as a newly appointed detective. He should have scheduled some downtime between his last day as a patrol officer and his first day as a detective, but he’d been eager to get started. Who could have known he’d draw the night shift and have to work an accident with a fatality for his last day?

Tate walked up the slanted embankment and looked at the road. It hadn’t rained in a few days, so the asphalt was dry. The curve was sharp, but Brenda had been a native to Lake City, knew the dangers of the curve, so it hadn’t caught her by surprise. And yet she’d gone around it at a high rate of speed. One of her tires was blown and could have contributed to the accident, but—

“What are you thinking?”

He glanced at Jeff Goode, his partner of six years. “I’m thinking there aren’t any skid marks.”

“Suicide?”

“Maybe.” No matter how many times he worked an accident scene, he always had the same sick feeling in his gut. “But I guess this case will stay with you while I move on. Keep me updated. I want to know why.”

“Of course.” Jeff planted his hands on his hips. “You ready for your big day?”

Tate gave a soft huff that was half sigh, half chuckle. “If I can make it through the shift without having to take a nap, then I’ll call it a success.”

“Yeah, you didn’t plan that very well.”

“No kidding.”

“Hey, Cooper!”

Tate looked up to see one of the officers waving him over. Bobby Knight. He walked to the edge of the drop-off and looked down the path of destruction the runaway vehicle had left behind. “Yeah?”

“Come down here. Wanna show you something.”

Tate turned and raised a brow at Jeff. “You want this one?”

“No thanks. I’m not into rock climbing.”

Tate snorted. “This is a bit different. Just hold the rope and walk down.”

“Pass. He asked for you.”

Tate shook his head, grabbed the rope tied to the back of a fire truck, and belayed his way down. He landed on flat ground next to where the car had been stopped by a copse of trees. “What is it?”

Bobby pointed to one of the larger trees involved in bringing Brenda’s car to a hard halt. Next to it were shards of glass and a hubcap. “That hubcap didn’t come off her car.”

Tate looked closer. “Could it have been here before she drove off the mountain?”

“Naw. Look at it.”

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