Page 427 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Pretty soon he was going to have to lie down. His energy level was tanking fast, even with the food in his stomach.

Maybe the energy it took in digesting that was more than his body could handle and sleep would claim him again. It seemed like that was all he’d done for days. Sleep and dream of Addie kissing him until he wondered if it had even been real and not just a dream.

“I’d be surprised if the police don’t come by and ask you about Austin.”

Mona nodded. “I think Russ is making them wait.”

“He shouldn’t put it off forever. Not when you could help them find out who killed Austin, and maybe Celia too.” Jacob wondered if the cops had Celia’s phone. Surely that would show them who she was in a relationship with. People used their phones for everything these days, no matter their generation.

It was an electronic record of a person’s life, for good or ill.

“Don’t you have a friend that’s a cop?” she asked.

“I haven’t spoken to him in a few days.” Jacob winced. “I think he might’ve gone after the person who stabbed me.”

Then again, he had no idea where Hank was. Neither did anyone else. Their guess was as good as Jacob’s since Hank did what he pleased. He showed up when he wanted to. They hung out when it worked for Hank since his schedule was harder to plan around than Jacob’s photography sessions and the interviews he’d been doing at the retirement home.

It was just how things had gone over the last few years. Not bad, just what they’d fallen into.

Hank would come back around eventually. Jacob could only send so many texts before he had to face the fact his friend could tank his career singlehandedly, and there was nothing he could do to help Hank with that.

Down the hall something clattered, dropped on the floor in another room.

He was about to call out to Russ when Hank stepped into the hall.

“Hey,” Hank muttered.

Instinct had Jacob turn and lean the front of his right shoulder on the doorframe. Then he realized what didn’t seem right—Hank’s hair was mussed as though he’d run his hands through it. Scratches marred his face and forearms where his sleeves rolled up. Split skin on his knuckles.

He prowled down the hall at a slow pace. “Hey.”

Hey?

“Is everything all right?” Jacob heard Mona move behind him and lifted his hand back there. Hopefully she saw him wave for her to stay out of sight.

Behind his back she gave his hand a slight squeeze, and he heard a whisper of clothing, then nothing.

“Yeah, yeah.” Hank sniffed. “Where’s the girl?”

“Addie?” Surely he meant the FBI agent they both knew, and not the teenage girl Hank had no business talking to unless it was as a cop. Hank’s badge was nowhere in sight.

“Nah, the sister.” Hank wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Jacob had never seen him like this. “Mona went out. Needed some air, you know?”

His friend wasn’t here to check on Jacob and see how he was doing after the stabbing. Nor was he here for any other good reason. Where was Russ? Surely the old marshal had figured out someone was in the house.

Russ wasn’t the type to leave something like that to chance and risk the people he cared about being unprotected.

“Wanna tell me what this is?” He needed a way to contact Addie without Hank knowing. Could he tell Mona to do it, again behind his back? He wasn’t sure how to get that done but he’d have to figure it out fast if he was going to make it work. Hank moved toward him.

Kept coming.

Jacob braced. “Tell me what this is.”

Hank stopped right in front of him. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“I think I’m beginning to.”

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