Page 84 of Her Wild Coast Promise

Because Stoll attacked me, we can charge him with assault of an officer, but he’d only get six months and likely less if he played it right. I know he’s good for more—a lot more if my instincts are correct. We have more on Walsh, but it’s thin.

Brian shakes his head. “We need Walsh’s DNA or he’s going to walk.”

“Shit,” I say.

“Let’s pause for now, get some food. We’ll start fresh in two hours. Agent Snow might have some results for us by then.”

Hunter and I agree.

Brian hurries off. I lean my back against the counter, thinking. There’s a thought scratching to the surface. Something I’m missing, or a memory. I close my eyes and try to grasp it.

Hunter slides a cup of coffee my way. “You hanging in there?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” I raise the cup to my lips. “You heading home?”

“Evan’s. Petra’s there with the kids. You’re welcome to join us.”

I think of Cora at home. “No, thanks.”

He gives me a careful glance, like he wants to say more, but claps me on the shoulder.

I grunt in pain.

“Shit, sorry. Want Cooper to look at it?”

I wave him off. “No need. If it still feels like this tomorrow, I’ll drop by urgent care.”

“Liar,” he says, scowling.

I try to laugh this off. “See you in a few hours.”

He nods, then heads for the exit.

When I return to the station with my takeout dinner, Bonnie is packing up to leave.

“I was just about to page you, Deputy. Your meeting?”

My stomach growls. “What meeting?”

Bonnie steps off her stool and slides on her coat. “With Heidi Jenkins from OCS. I let her wait in your office.”

I raise an eyebrow. “My office, huh?”

She gives me a stern glance. “She saved my niece. Be nice to her.”

“I’m always nice,” I protest. Maybe my tired brain is too foggy to remember the story about Bonnie’s niece, or maybe this is a surprise share from the normally very private secretary I’d be lost without. Before I can say anything, Bonnie breezes past me with, “See you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Bonnie.” I shake my head to refocus on the meeting I scheduled with Heidi weeks ago to tie up loose ends regarding her knowledge of Terrilynn Silva. I need to convince her to help me locate Zach Hayes, but in light of what’s happened today, now I have a different idea.

Inside the bullpen, I greet Deputy Pennbrook working at her cubby and Lucas typing furiously on the reports I tasked him with before dropping my dinner on my desk and walking to the chief’s office. Inside the bare room, Heidi sits at the lone chair facing the desk.

She stands as I enter, and we shake hands.

When she settles back into the chair, I have no choice but to choose the one across from her. In just two weeks, will I be taking over this post, or will Peyton Reece?

“Thanks for coming in,” I say to Heidi.

“I brought this for you,” Heidi says, and removes something from her purse. It’s a small notebook in a plastic zip top bag. She slides it across the desk. “I think it belonged to Terrilynn.”

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