Page 37 of Rescued Faith

Oh brother. Penny spun and headed toward the van.

She wasn’t too surprised when footsteps sounded behind her.

“No need to depend on Thomas for a ride. I can take you anywhere you want to go.” Bryce caught up to her.

His brown eyes turned cold when he glanced behind them at Officer Thomas. But when he turned them back on her, she felt warmth spiral through her. What was it about that dark-chocolate stare that made her so weak?

Focus, Penny! The case.

She approached the vehicle. The young guy in a jumpsuit held a tablet. She gave him her ID and explained the situation.

“We already had a positive identification made. This is Juana Silvio.”

“Can I take a quick look, just to be sure?”

“It’s not a pretty sight. Sure you don’t want to wait until we can clean her?—”

“I’ll be fast. I just need to know.”

“Fine.”

Penny followed him as he stepped into the van and unzipped the black bag on the cot.

It wasn’t Emma.

Penny’s chest squeezed. To witness the violence, the loss of such a vibrant young life, only firmed her resolve to get to the bottom of what was happening. She thanked the man and turned. Bryce was right there at the back of the van to help her down.

“It’s not her,” she told him.

If he heard the catch in her voice, he didn’t show it. He simply nodded. “So we keep looking.”

And he would. Bryce Crawford had a tenacity that wouldn’t quit.

They headed back to the others. “You sure I can’t take you anywhere? I can come up with an explanation. If it has to do with the case, Frees will let me off duty.”

He was right about having options, but riding in a confined place with Bryce would only cause more distraction, and she had a case to solve.

“I’ve got to find Emma. Tony’s CI might have a lead.”

“So? If it’s about the case, I should go.”

She almost laughed at the scowl on his face. He might look ferocious when upset, but she knew the big heart that beat inside him. “We don’t want you scaring the CI away.” She stopped and rested a hand on his arm. For some dumb reason, she wantedto soothe the worry creasing his eyebrows. “I’ll talk to you later, ’kay?”

“Fine.”

They approached the others. “It’s not her. Let’s go see what your CI has to say, Tony.”

As they walked away, she could’ve sworn she heard a growl from Bryce, which was rather humorous. Tony wasn’t a threat. She’d learned her lesson the first time. No more dating in Last Chance. She needed to keep her relationships to a minimum and scoot out as soon as this case was done.

Tony, thankfully, was already dressed in street clothes. White athletic shoes without a scuff or scratch. Jeans with a designer label—even his pristine T-shirt looked expertly tailored and expensive without a wrinkle to be seen. They pulled up to a 24-hour truck stop/café and slid into a booth. Penny took the bench that faced the door. Rather than taking the spot across from her, Anthony slid in next to her.

A lanky teen boy with greasy hair, torn jeans, and a dark hoodie, despite the summer-like temperatures, slid in across from them. “You’re paying, right?”

Tony nodded. The server brought glasses of water and took their order. Once she left, the kid frowned at Penny. “Who’s she?”

“None of your business. What do you have for me?” Tony tapped the menu on the table.

“Not much. But I’m leaving.”

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