Page 117 of Callahan

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Adam

Angus explained that for my first week, he wanted me to ride with Brian. The following week, I’d ride with Sergeant Hendrix during the evening shift, and the week after that, I’d be back with Brian because that was the week he was scheduled to be on-call overnight. Then I’d be with Sergeant Hendrix again in the evenings and during his overnight on-call shifts.

“Don’t worry. We don’t get called out that often,” Brian assured me when we pulled the patrol car into the parking lot at our first stop—the range. I needed to qualify with my weapon in order to carry it on duty.

“This shouldn’t take long,” I said smugly then opened my door.

“Why’s that?” Brian asked over the hood of the car. “Because you’re that good or that bad?”

“You’ll see.”

~~~~

Brian pulled my paper target and let out a low whistle.

“Damn, I want you on point on all my high-risk calls.”

I cracked a grin.

He looked at the paper again as if to confirm what I already knew—I was a deadeye.

“Once you’re off probation, you should think about joining the Regional SWAT Team and become a sniper.”

If Lainey was going to be dating, I wasn’t sure I was even going to make it in Haven Springs three months, let alone a year.

Still, I replied, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

~~~~

Next, we stopped at Suds For Your Duds, the laundromat at the far end of Main Street, to get a copy of their security camera footage from yesterday evening. Then we went across the street a few doors up and got the video from Campbell’s Hardware.

Brian reviewed it from the passenger seat as I drove and tsked, “And you’re sure it was seven o’clock?”

“I mean, probably notexactlyseven, but close. That’s what time Teresa and Hugh were supposed to bring Conor back, and I remember they were right on time. Why?”

“Because I recognize every vehicle from six to eight p.m. and none of them I would consider a prime suspect. Doesn’t mean they didn’t do it, but they wouldn’t be first on my list of people to question.”

“Who would be first on your list”

“That’s the problem,” he lamented wryly. “I can’t think of a single person who would have it out for Lainey.”

“Maybe the DPS lab will be able to get something from one of the pages.”

“Let’s hope. I guess in the meantime, we talk to the people who were in town last evening.”

The rest of our day was spent driving around and talking to community members while we tried to casually slip in a few of the people Brian had identified in the video. I also sized up every male we talked with, trying to check for any bruises I might haveleft. Although admittedly, mine had faded, so whoever I had landed blows on, theirs probably had, too.

Compared to when I was on patrol in the Middle East, it was a slow day. The town wasn’t exactly a hotbed for crime, so we also found time to stop and pick up my keys from Sylvia.

Once again, she and Brian barely managed to act civilly toward each other, and that reminded me, I forgot to get the scoop from Lainey last night when we’d been alone—before everything went to shit.

As I pulled away from the real estate office, I asked, “You wanna tell me what that’s all about?”

“Nope,” he said, popping the “P” and looking out the passenger door window, signaling there would be no further discussion on the matter.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, telling me I had a text. Then it buzzed again only a few minutes later. I pulled my cell out and waved it at Brian, asking, “Am I allowed to look at this while I’m driving?”

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