Page 14 of One Last Chance

Seriously?What was Chief Eve Stone doing in her hallway, especially this early in the morning?

She opened the door. “Eve?”

Her mentor grinned at her, her auburn hair pulled back into a messy bun, still wearing her clothes from last night. “I was on my way home, and then I remembered.” She held up a tiny box. “Happy birthday.”

Oh.But it was a nice gesture, so Flynn found a smile. “Right. Thanks. Come in.”

Eve walked inside. “I can’t stay long. Rem has an afternoon on the lake planned, and I need a few winks before then, but”——” she set the box on the counter—“you did really well last night. I’m proud of you. Oh, and your security system here needs updating. I walked right in after a jogger left the building.”

“I know. I’ve complained a few times. Want some coffee?”

“Sure.” Eve opened the box. “Burke said that you called it—the woman was O’Conner’s sister.”

“I wasn’t sure.” Flynn walked to the kitchen, and her hand went to the two jagged half-heart pendants on a chain around her neck. Habit. “But something about the way she looked at me on the beach, part panic, part anger, part fear—just reminded me . . . you know.” She filled the coffeepot with water.

“Of Kennedy?”

“Yeah. She wore that same look sometimes.” She poured the water into the maker.

Eve had taken out an oversized cupcake and now set it on the counter. “It’s not your fault, Flynn. She left—her choice.”

“I know. But . . .” She had added coffee to the filter and set the pot to perk. Now she turned and looked at the cupcake. “This looks good.”

“Red velvet. Your favorite.”

“Kennedy’s favorite. But I like it too.”

Eve cocked her head. “Okay.” She glanced at the television. “Rome?”

“It’s a biking video.”

“You could go outside, you know. It’s a gorgeous day. Rem says it’s going to be upper seventies. Ride a real bike; take to the trails around Minneapolis.”

“That is a real bike.”

Eve arched an eyebrow.

“Listen”——” Flynn opened her silverware drawer—“if I were outside, I’d have to pay attention. Watch out for other riders.”

“Stay on the trail.”

“There is that.” She handed Eve a fork.

“Such a sacrifice.” Eve took the fork, then slid onto a high-top chair.

Flynn picked up her remote and exited the app. The TV reverted to live, and she turned it to mute. Closed captioning filled the screen.

Eve glanced up at the show. “That’s that new reality show with Oaken Fox—the one where he joins the rescue team.”

She set down the remote, her gaze on the screen. The country-music star stood in a hospital somewhere, covered in snow, saying something heated into the camera. She scanned the words, but only caught a few of them. Something about searching for a lost woman.

Probably staged.

She returned to the counter.

“I saw your mom in church last week,” Eve said as she peeled the paper from the cupcake.

Oy. The perils of having parents that went to the same church as the Stone family, along with Eve’s family, the Mulligans, in Minnetonka.

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