Page 31 of Long Road Home

She huffed a laugh and pulled up at a stop light, then glanced over. “Wait. You’re serious?”

“Someone’s got to pick up the slack. I figure the sheriff won’t complain when I tell him I decided it’s you, and that out of the kindness of that churchgoing heart, you’ll do it pro bono.”

Kenna put the car in Park and engaged the handbrake. “Get out.”

Kobrinsky busted up laughing. “This is gonna be good. Most interesting thing that’s happened all year.”

“The year has barely started.”

“You know what I mean.”

Kenna hit the dash screen and dialed Jax’s number. Which she’d been intending on doing before Kobrinsky threw a wrench in everything. She would take him to Marion’s and leave him there. He could call a cab to get home. Or walk for all she cared.

“I was hoping you’d call.” His warm voice came through the speakers, and it sounded like he was walking. Most likely out of church given the time in California.

“I just have a quick question,” she said.

“Uh-oh.” He could read her tone that easily?

“Precisely how much would the FBI or Wisconsin State Patrol care if a sheriff’s deputy was mysteriously left on the side of the road to freeze to death?”

Kobrinsky shifted in his seat and grunted. “Is that your boyfriend?”

Jax said, “Whatever trouble there is, I’ll make it disappear.”

As if they really would since that was illegal. But Kobrinsky didn’t know they wouldn’t purposely conspire like that. What he now knew was that she had protection.

And Jax knew what was going on.

“Deputy Jerry Kobrinsky, meet FBI Special Agent Oliver Jaxon.” The name sounded strange to her ears even with her being the one who said it. She only thought of him as Jax. Calling him “Oliver” would be so weird.

“Am I supposed to say, ‘Nice to meet you’?” Kobrinsky scoffed. “Take the next right. Marion’s house is over there.”

Jax was the one who asked, “Why are you going back there?”

Kenna grinned to herself. “I guess he thinks his colleagues missed something.”

“I have to interrogate the woman in a couple of days when I’m back at work,” Kobrinsky said. “I need something to get her talking.”

“I’m not sure it matters.” Kenna felt her smile widen. “She’ll probably just want to talk to me again.”

Jax chuckled through the phone line. “Let me know if you want me to do anything on my end. That could help.”

She didn’t want him to put his career in jeopardy. Or his life in danger. She’d seen him nearly dead just a few weeks ago.

Not again, thanks.

“Anything new on our mutual friend?” she asked.

“Nothing but quiet,” he replied. “Unless you have something.”

Kenna didn’t like the sound of quiet. When it was just her, it was soothing—until it got boring. With a case, it was never good. “When I do, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Have a good one.”

“You, too.”

The phone line went dead.

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