Page 22 of Heat of Justice

Reed eyed her fiercely a moment longer, then her shoulders dropped, and she let out a heavy sigh.

“Shooting the messenger, more like. I’m sorry, Detective, I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay. No problem.”

“You’re very kind. What happens next?”

This part, Cody suspected, was bound to be tricky for the woman to accept.

“You know, sometimes, people disappear who do not want to be found. Maybe—”

“Have you checked her bank account?” Reed interrupted.

Cody did well not to roll her eyes. It helped that she could hear a hint of despair in the lawyer’s voice.

“Yes, I did,” she confirmed.

“And has she used her card?” Reed insisted. “For cash, or to make any payments for a hotel room? Or a one-way train ticket out of here?”

“No,” Cody answered. “No activity on the card.”

“Detective Miller, I hope you’ll believe me when I say this: I wish with all my heart to be wrong about Cassie. I hope she’s alive, on her way to somewhere safe where she can make a fresh start. If that’s the case, I don’t care if she didn’t tell me. This kind of ego isn’t what I’m about.”

“Yes. I understand.”

“I really do hope so. But, you know…”

“You had that vision.” Cody nodded.

“Yes.” Reed blew air out and stared at her empty glass of wine as if trying to make it full again with just the power of her mind. “What happens next?” she asked. “Will you continue to look for her? Is there something I can do? You wanted to ask me questions. Ask away; I’ll do anything I can to help.”

Cody focused on this rather than admitting that she might have to pass the case to the Missing Persons department pretty soon. With luck, they might get a lead. If not, and no matter how much it would pain her, the woman’s disappearance might end up as an unresolved cold case.

“Mainly, I wanted to run this stuff past you again,” she let her know. “And ask you about yourself too.”

Reed frowned. “Am I still a suspect?”

“Not at this point, no.”

“But you looked at me.”

“Yes, of course.” Cody calmly held her gaze. “It’s my job to look at everyone involved, if only to eliminate them from my list of potential suspects.”

As per normal routine, she had run a complete background check on the woman. A graduate of Harvard Law School, Reed had gone back to her native Texas soon after finishing top of her class. She passed the bar exam equally successfully and opened her own private practice in Houston. She specialized in criminal defense, and her record indicated that she was extremely good at it. Even so, less than a year and a half earlier, she had relocated to Lewiston and switched to family law. Something there, Cody thought. It seemed like an abrupt move. Reed answered with a shrug when she asked about it.

“When my dad passed away, I had no reason to remain in Houston,” she explained. “I was also after a change of scenery. I think it’s good to shake things up every ten years or so. It keeps you fresh.”

“Right. So, tell me about the visions.”

“Oh, jeez.” Reed briefly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out. “If we’re going to talk about this, I need another drink,” she declared.

“Fair enough.”

“Can I get you anything? How about some food?”

Cody decided they might as well. It was late. As per usual, she had kept herself too busy during the day to remember to fuel up properly. Technically, she was off duty now too.

“I’ll have a beer and a cheeseburger,” she nodded.

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