Page 37 of Sin With Me

“Oh, yeah? Then why does Father John have my mother’s picture in his bedroom? My mother was from Pace. There’s no question about it.” She bulged her eyes out atme.

“Really? That’s a coincidence.”

“No. That’s not a coincidence. Why wouldn’t she have told me about this place before? I feel stupid that it took me so long to figure itout.”

I could find a very good reason someone would want to forget about this town, and his name was Cortez.

“So where did you move from?” I asked again. “Brook mentioned you’re from the East Coast.”

“Originally Montana. I moved to Long Island for work, and now I’m on a personal leave, four months into looking for Jack Pace. I’m not doing that great, by the way, because I haven’t found any trace of himyet.”

I could stand there and listen to her talk all evening. It was… captivating.

“Well, given how Father John has her picture, do you think your mother could have meant John fromPace?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m sure she saidJack.”

“What are you going to do when you findJack?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m assuming he’ll know my mother, so maybe he’ll give me the answers I’m lookingfor.”

“Well, let’s dig in, then.” I moved over to the first file cabinet and pulled it open. Disturbed dust swirled in the air, forcing a few coughs out of me. I didn’t notice when Kate stepped up behind me until I caught her alarmingly arousing scent.

“Wait. I know what I’m looking for; but what are you looking for? You mentioned older records?”

When I turned around and saw her standing in a ribbon of light, I lost my thoughts. She looked stunning. “I want to acquaint myself with the town’s history and organize these records.”

Did Kate just shiver? Her skin was peppered with goosebumps. She stepped sideways and pulled out another drawer. “I’ll start with this one, then.”

Dust floated around her and she looked more beautiful than ever. I reached inside the top drawer of the cabinet in front of me and skimmed my fingers over the files. “It doesn’t look like it’s organized by year.” I pulled my fingers across the second row. “And not by last name either.”

“Well, two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?” She smiled. “How about you let me know when you find the W’s? What letter are you lookingfor?”

“C’s. That sounds like a good plan, detective.”

“What?”

“I said, sounds like a plan, detective.”

“I heard what you said, but why would you saythat?”

“I don’t know, it’s just a figure of speech.” I leaned my head to the side, scanning her shocked face. “Kate, were you a detective on Long Island? Because your search for Jack Pace would make a lot of sensethen.”

She sidestepped nervously as if contemplating whether she should answerme.

“Yeah, I am. Or I was. I’m not sure if I want to go back. I know I’m not ready now and… it’s just that… there’s just a lot to think about before I make the decision.”

“And you chose to spend your time in a dark attic with a priest, searching through thousands of files.”

“Can’t think of a better place to be. You know, I’m glad you’re doingthis.”

“Youare?”

“Yes, I always tell everyone that this parish looks out for them. I mean, Father John is always telling the kids stories of good winning over evil and small people taking down armies. He never loses hope. That’s part of the reason I became a detective. We can’t ever losehope.”

“I never want to lose hope either. What else does he say?” Maybe I should have had a longer chat with him? Maybe he was my key to finding Cortez. Thankfully Kate was feeling quite talkative today.

“He mentioned the mafia, drugs, violence, and sex trafficking. Right here in Pace. Can you believethat?”

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