Page 97 of Hesi-Dating
"She called me. She thinks…hell, she's going to die. I can't believe your officer is complicit in this."
"She called you on your personal cell phone? Are you and she…what's going on?"
"We've been seeing each other for about a year. That's why I asked you to have your people be in charge of investigation into Nosh's death."
"What do you need from me?"
"I need local backup. I need people that are in vicinity of the pullover on the 5-north toward Encinitas. People you trust. I need it done without alerting your guy on the pullover."
"You better call in your people. If I make the call, it'll be public."
"Already called my people and they're coming in from the north. I want to make sure this is done right. I don't want your department claiming mine did something wrong in terms of jurisdiction. This needs to be us working together."
"Give me a sec." Muffled sounds on the other end.
I'd already flipped on my emergency lights as I zoomed through traffic. Four sheriff cars were coming from the north and east. I hoped we made it in time. Driving kept me occupied, keeping me from focusing on the likely outcome of Mitchell getting to Joley.
"All right, I've got several vehicles headed your way. I'm sorry, Seth. I swear we'll do all we can. Do you want me on scene?"
"Your call. If you trust your people, then they can report back to you. God help us all if she's dead." I disconnected.
ChapterForty-Two
JOLEY
A lot of yelling and jerking and flashing lights. Something trickled down the side of my face.
I'm going to get shot again.
Can't breathe. Can't think.
My vision prickled with dots of light. I gasped for air.
"Don't you dare pass out on me." Mitchell shook me.
"Do you have parents?" My pulse pounded in my throat. I tasted blood in my mouth. Maybe I bit my lip. Maybe whatever was on my face trickled into my mouth.
Mitchell stopped. "What?"
I didn't repeat the question. Just watched him.
"Yeah. I got parents."
"Nosh didn't."
"I know."
"I didn't either." He could never fully understand Nosh.
"What the fuck do parents matter?" He slammed me against the car so hard, I worried I'd broken a molar. "Give me the code."
A strange calm took over as my tongue catalogued my teeth. All seemed to be intact. "I can't spell. I can tell you things I knew about Nosh to help, but I can't work out nine letters of a word in my head. I'd need to look at it on paper or my phone or something."
"Stupid bitch." His hand swung hard. A duck avoided my face taking the hit, but the force of the strike to the side of my head twirled me into my car. My wrist took the brunt of the impact when I fell.
Sirens.Please be coming for me.
Cars pulled in from all directions, surrounding us. Tires screeched on the highway where passersby weaved around the commotion.
