Dude, you’ve changed.
Shep
I heard him curse the other day.
Shaking my head, I switched the group chat toDo Not Disturband headed into the station.
Fletcher looked up from behind the desk, a confused look on his face. “Morning, Sheriff.”
“Morning,” I said with a nod.
“Hey,” he went on before I could make it to the bullpen, “do you have a minute for me to talk something out with you?”
I turned, curiosity piquing. It wasn’t unusual for younger officersto pick my brain on things. Generally, it was something that didn’t have legs, like thinking they’d solved a decades-old cold case or something. But that wasn’t Fletcher. He was levelheaded, did his job, was thorough, and didn’t make trouble.
“Shoot,” I offered.
Fletcher rounded the desk and didn’t speak until he’d reached me. “I’m worried about Ellie.”
Everything in me stiffened, cement pouring into my muscles in an instant. “What do you mean?”
It took everything in me to keep my expression neutral. My fingers itched to reach for my phone and text her to make sure everything was okay. The need for that touchpoint was almost too much for me to take.
“I saw the report about the photos,” Fletcher went on.
The cement in my muscles hardened as my back molars pressed together. Deputies had access to our case files, so Fletcher hadn’t done anything wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel like he was stepping on my toes.Jealousy, I realized.
“I was in the hardware store the other day, and Jimmy Banks was giving her a hard time. He doesn’t seem like the type who would pick up a long-range camera to shoot photos or use some techy software to send threats, but I thought you should know.”
A little of my tension eased. Fletcher was being a good deputy, doing his job.
“I appreciate the heads-up. I’ll have Gabriel pay him a visit.”
Fletcher’s expression shifted slightly. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but I’d had a lifetime of reading the subtlest changes in mood or awareness because it was the best method of protection. I understood the shift. Curiosity about why I wasn’t taking the helm on the case and guessing why.
In a community as small as Sparrow Falls, you were bound to know the people whose cases you covered, but my relationship with Ellie wasmore, and I had to let Gabriel take the lead. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t be involved.
“Let me know if you need any help,” Fletcher said. “I’m happy to take an extra shift at Ellie’s.”
That had a little of the tension returning to my muscles. “I’ll let you know.”
Holt Hartley and his team were supposed to be heading down here tomorrow to get the security at Ellie’s installed. Then we wouldn’t need anyone sitting outside her house.
Fletcher nodded and moved to return to his station. He was a good kid, eager, wanted to help. I needed to stop being such a grumpy bastard just because he’d looked in Ellie’s direction.
Crossing the bullpen, I took note of Will’s empty desk. Good. I hoped he’d learned his lesson with his temporary demotion.
Beth looked up from her perch, and her mouth quirked. “Morning?”
It sounded like a question, but I couldn’t figure out why. “What?”
Frank let out a guffaw. “She’s admiring your disco hair.”
Gabriel crossed from the break room, coffee in hand. “It’s really something. Looks like one of those My Little Ponies my niece loves.”
“This could be the new fashion,” Laney called from a filing drawer in the corner.
“I hate you all,” I muttered.