Page 28 of Cold Light of Day

Where were the words coming from? Because Grier felt hope slipping through his fingers.

“Did you learn anything definitive from the dive?” The change in subject startled him. He had to push aside images of Ross’s life hanging in the balance and think about earlier today. So much had happened in just one day. Not his typical experience living in Alaska so far.

“I took pictures, but very little evidence could be gathered underwater. We preserved any trace evidence that might be found on the body. We did all we could to keep the recovery efforts local and timely—thanks to you—but Tex learned the regional ME out of Haines planned to send the body to Anchorage. Sorry, Chief.”

She nodded. “Thanks for your help, Grier.”

He rubbed his mouth, considering how much more he should say about what they found. But he would let the ME deliver that particular news about the body.

At least Grier had something he could share. “By the way, Tex took his boat out and used a sonar device yesterday after I told him about Sarah.”

She twisted to look at him, her eyes wide. He loved surprising her.

“I...wow. Thanks. And?”

“No boat besides the shipwreck in that area. Sarah was lying.”

His nerves on edge, he pressed his palm against his Glock 9mm that he’d rested on his lap. Grier wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so involved and so quickly, but at the same time, he was glad to be privy to some of what was going on. Maybe it was the gray skies and constant rain. Call it a sixth sense, but something in the air had shifted—and not in a good way.

Did she sense it too? “Would you say this is more excitement than you’ve seen around here?”

She stared out the window and seemed to consider his words. “Two years ago, my father was the Shadow Gap police chief, and I worked under him. He was helping a family whose cabin had collapsed in a mudslide, and his arm was crushed. He never regained use of it. I know that seems like nothing, but it shook the whole community up. We know each other and care about each other. Then I became police chief. All that to say that I’ve worked in law enforcement here for a while, but even before that, I had a feel for what was going on because Dad was chief. To answer your question, sure, we have the usual crimes, but nothing like what happened here today, or yesterday when we found the body.”

She had to feel like the forces of the universe had lined up against her.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t understand why this is happening.” Then Chief Long turned to look at him, her blue-and-amber eyes sparking. “And I don’t know why I’m telling you any of it.”

Because to someone like Chief Long, Grier was probably transient. He’d come to town a few months ago, and for all she knew, he would leave in a few more. But he understood exactly why she shared—they’d connected months ago—when he’d brought her father home from the bar.

He’d come across the man fumbling to get into his vehicle late at night, well after the bar had closed, and Grier insisted on giving him a ride. Although the man had talked a lot during the ride, by the time they arrived at his house, he had passed out. Grier hadn’t had any personal encounters with the local police chief, so he didn’t know how she would react when he knocked on the door. Together they were able to get her hefty father into the house and into bed. Grier got the man settled for the night and covered him, tucked him in.

When he looked up, the chief stared at him, her striking eyes filled with unshed tears.

“Thank you,” she barely croaked out.

But it was in that moment that she reached into his chest and touched his heart. He had no idea if she knew the effect she had on him, or if she realized that she had never let go of his heart. Or maybe it was Grier who wasn’t letting go. He couldn’t even explain what happened, the strangeness of it all. How did he begin to define the connection they shared?

All he knew was that, bottom line, one simple act of kindness had landed him here—hooked on Chief Autumn Long and up in her police business.

“I had hoped to keep the news about the body we found quiet and low-key, but it’s going to get around. And the shooter out there too. All of it’s going to draw attention. Really, media attention should be the least of my worries.”

“No town wants that kind of news. It’s bad for business and tourism.” And made people question the authorities in charge. “That’s why I hate to tell you this, but a reporter out of Juneau was at the marina when we arrived back with the body. Someone must have tipped them off.”

Grier had delayed getting off the boat to avoid the reporter’s questions while the ME’s transport service offloaded the body.

Flashing lights reflected in the mirror. “Finally.”

She started to get out, but Grier caught her wrist, half expectingher to throw a defensive move at him, but she simply hesitated. “What?”

“There must be others in town who can help with the search while you wait for the troopers. You have more than your fair share of people who know how to hunt, track, and look down the barrel of a gun. You get these woods crawling with them, and you’ll flush this guy out.” Grier was overstepping, but he wasn’t wrong.

“I can’t risk a civilian getting hurt. Tanya is putting out a shelter-in-place order. This isn’t the first and won’t be the last time a criminal has tried to flee into the woods. I have to do this by the book.” Her gaze flicked to his hand on her wrist, and he quickly opened it up. “Go home, Grier. I need to set up a command center for this manhunt.”

She got out and jogged to the back of her vehicle to meet with her two officers. More from Skagway and Haines were hopefully on the way, along with Alaska State Troopers.

Instead of getting into his vehicle, he hiked the rest of the way to Hank’s cabin. Had the chief also briefly considered Hank could have shot Ross in the back? If not intentionally, his rifle could have accidentally discharged. But, clearly, she trusted the man. He was a little off. His perception, his truth, was probably different from the actual truth, but that was often the case with witnesses. But it was like that for most people, some more than others. Hank was in the more-than-others group. His biggest problem was that he claimed to have spotted Bigfoot on several occasions, and nobody believed him. His credibility on all things had tanked.

But Hank was a good guy. A solid man. Grier liked him. Trusted him.

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