Page 51 of Vengeance of Childhood Proportions

Chapter Thirty

Mal

That interview was a fuckingwaste of my time, and it pissed me off even more because it interrupted my conversation with my little owl.

Gary Hagley was a weasel and a worm, and I wanted nothing more than the right to punch him in his fucking face. The manknewsomething. It was clear as day when he saw my whiteboard and the pictures on the windows. He’d started shaking and I was honestly impressed at the man’s bladder control.

He looked scared. Worse than scared, he looked like he owed the piper a giant debt.

As soon as he saw the photos, he demanded to see his lawyer. In my experience, innocent men did not lawyer up prior to being questioned. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough to hold him and his lawyer demanded a formal interview for another day.

I had to watch that smarmy bastard walk out of my conference room, knowing he had the answers to what was going on in Atelihai Valley.

“What now?” Mira asked me as soon as we were alone. Carr was walking the worm out, though that was likely to keep me out of jail rather than out of the kindness of his own heart. It was times like this that I hated my badge.

“Now, we go see the former sheriff.”

Mira looked me up and down. “Want me to drive?”

It was a testament to how tired I was that I actually considered it. “No,” I said, “but you can pay for coffee.”

“Shit, you really are tired if you want to stop for coffee on the way.”

She hadnoidea. I’d sent her home the past two nights because she had to relieve her babysitter, but I had no such obligations. As much as I wanted to see my little owl, I couldn’t put aside my responsibilities of finding a serial murderer to get my dick wet.

Internally, I cringed. The crude words left a bad taste in my mouth. Master David was convinced I was falling for my little owl. I wasn’t so sure. Care for her, sure. Possibility of something more in the future, sure. But could I really be falling for a woman whose face I’ve never seen?

Or maybe it was proof that I was falling for her and not her looks?

As much as I loved that owl mask, I wanted to see what lay beneath. Maybe she had a scar or a mark from whatever had happened to her. I didn’t see any blemishes to her skin, but not all wounds were visible. Obviously, she had some mental trauma as well.

Her name, her face, hell, even her eye color… She’d reveal them to me in time. I’d prove I was trustworthy and worth her secrets.

Halfway to the hospice center on Douglas Island, Mira said, “I apologize for the other day. You’re a great agent, Mal, and I really admire you. You have this natural magnetism that I’m jealous as hell of. I feel like if I don’t do somethingamazingor find a way to stand out, I’ll never make my goal as Section Chief. I’m sorry I let my ambition get the better of me. It won’t happen again.”

I nodded once. “I appreciate you saying that. Having goals isn’t a bad thing, but maybe take the time limit off of your shoulders. I find people do better work when they don’t feel like they have a guillotine hanging over their head.”

“I understand. Again, I’m sorry.”

I had to hand it to her; it took a lot of guts to admit you’re wrong about something you’re passionate about. “This is my last advice on the subject and then I demand silence for the remainder of the drive: find out who you’re fighting for, Mira.Whydo you want to become Section Chief so badly? Is it the bump in pay, the extra hours and responsibilities…? Or do you want to seek a position of power so you can help others? Figure out your cause and then you’ll have what makes you stand out amongst the masses.”

I saw her nod along with my words out of the corner of my eye. “I get what you’re saying. And I definitely want to help people, but I mean, the bump in pay wouldn’t be the worst thing either?—”

“Shhh…” I prompted, interrupting her. “Silence.”

Thankfully, she listened, because my right temple was throbbing something fierce. It did not get better, even with hydrating and eating a protein bar.

It was this case. It didn’t feel right. The only connection to the victims was fifteen years ago. And who killed over a fucking hockey tournament? And not even forgoodhockey, but a high school team?

My brother, Tony, had played hockey in high school. I hadn’t. Despite my bulk, I was more of a runner than a skater. Didn’t stop my high school’s coach from trying to recruit me, but that was a lot of years ago. I certainly couldn’t imagine anything from my high school years that would cause someone to come after me fifteen years later. I mean, it washigh school. It wasn’t meant to be fun. Kids were mean, life sucked. Hell, I’ve never even beento any of my reunions because I just didn’t care that much about anyone I went to high school with. What did I care if they saw who I had become now? It would be an even bigger popularity contest than prom had been, and I just did not have the patience for that.

Fifteen years ago, I was already on my way to Quantico, but my brother, Tony, would have been in school.

Pulling my phone off the clip on my belt, I drove one-handed while pulling up my brother’s contact info with the other. It rang three times before he picked up.

“Hey, Shawn, what’s up?”

Wow, two Shawns in one day. I think that was some sort of record. “Hey, little brother. I’ve got my partner, Mira, with me in the car. Hold on, I’m going to put you on speaker.” I hit the Speaker button before holding my arm between us, my elbow on the center console. “I’ve got a case in Atelihai Valley and it made me think of that old wife’s tale you told me once when you were a teen. Do you remember? I think it’s the only time I even heard of Atelihai Valley before a few weeks ago.”

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