Page 126 of Skeletons in the Closet

He was right, as much as I hated to admit it.

I rapped my knuckles on Quaid’s desk and stood, doing my best to look unaffected. “Thanks for the chat.”

Before I could head back to my lonely office as an underling who didn’t matter, Quaid called out, “Text Costa. Mend those bridges. He’s a good person to have on your side, Tallus.”

I glanced back at the blond detective, who earnestly studied me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. “I’m getting there.”

“I’m just saying, get there faster.”

I took the elevator to the first floor, pondering my situation and the events of the past few weeks. What I wouldn’t give to have a different job.

In the crypts again, I mulled over cases, reading and wondering about all the unsolved murders and people who had remained missing for decades. Miserable, I even declined a call from Memphis at half past four. I didn’t want to tell him I was back to business as usual. I didn’t want to pretend the bond I’d developed with Diem—both business and personal—meant nothing, and I wasn’t affected by its untimely end.

Because I was.

At five, bored and counting the minutes until I could go home, someone came through the door to my sanctuary. When I glanced up from the computer and found Doyle—without his sidekick partner—I flinched.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Detective?”

He sauntered to the counter and leaned with a knowing smirk. “I hear you were buttering up my husband today. Tsk, tsk.”

I huffed. “A man can’t have any secrets around here.”

“How hard did you flirt?”

“What? I didn’t flirt. Why would you say that?”

He chuckled. “Because it’s a good course of action when schmoozing for information. FYI, if you did, Quaid was likely oblivious. He never notices those things.”

“Well, I didn’t flirt.” I crossed my arms, affecting an affronted stance. “What did you need?”

“I can’t get ahold of Krause. I was going to update him on what we discovered. I figured I owed him.”

I dropped my arms, ears perked. “And?”

“And since he’s likely avoiding my calls, I thought maybe you could touch base and tell him to give me a shout.”

“But… What did Olivia say?”

Doyle arched a brow.

“Oh, come on. Please. Did she confirm Noah was in the car?”

Doyle, the prick, made me suffer. He stared and smirked andtsked some more. Then he put me out of my misery. “You two were on the right track.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell Krause to call me.” Doyle pushed away from the counter and headed for the door.

“Next time, Iwillflirt with your husband, and I can lay it on real nice and thick, so he sees it too.”

Chuckling, Aslan spun, pressing his back to the door. It was half open. “Noah was driving the car that hit Roan Guterson. Beth and Olivia were passengers. Shore had let them take his vehicle to run to the store and get snacks.Hecovered forthembecause he was the person who sold them the drugs to begin with. All three of them were high, and it was Shore’s secret partythey’d been at all night. It would have cost Shore everything if people found out. He would have lost his tenure.”

“No shit.”

Doyle made a zipper motion at his lips, chucking the key away. “It will all come out soon, but until then, mum’s the word.”

“Of course.”

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