Page 64 of Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage 2)

Closing her eyes, she thought back to her Saturday mornings kayaking with Carissa. She’d used that time to refresh herself. To get away from the darkness. Why did she torture herself with it?

God, I need answers.

To a crime that happened long ago.

She considered these thoughts as she stared out the window and Nathan and Jenny jabbered on, sharing cop stories. Nathan really knew how to make friends, and always had. She admired that about him, and it was one of the big differences between them. Erin was more subdued.

“Erin.”

“Hmm?” Erin suddenly realized the vehicle had stopped and one of the sliding doors was open. Nathan waited on her. She took his hand and stepped onto the curb.

He leaned into the open passenger-side window to talk to Jenny. “Thanks again for dropping us off.”

As soon as they were out of earshot, Erin leaned in. “Holly texted me that she’s okay.”

He stepped away to look at her, relief in his expression. “What else did she say?”

“Nothing. She just wanted to let me know she was okay. I didn’t give the police her name. Did you?”

“Yes.” He gently grabbed her shoulders. “They’re a good group, Erin. We can trust them as a whole. Of course, Dad left Boston PD three years ago and moved to Gifford. No matter the police force, the issues arise if there’s even one untrustworthy person, someone working both sides. So, in that way, we still need to be careful what we say and whom we trust until we have found the person behind his shooting and the deaths in Holly’s family.”

“Did you tell them why you were here?”

He grimaced. “I answered their questions fully about what happened, only adding that Holly was a friend of Dad’s and we met her to look at her brother’s grave. Ian worked out of another district, so this crew didn’t know him.”

“I told them she was your informant and didn’t give her name.”

“And it’s all true. She did inform me. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

As they walked toward the airport entrance, Erin said, “Considering the bloodshed, your father’s situation, I hope the truth about who is behind all this comes out soon.” The unfortunate truth was that it could still take years.

They entered the airport, and Erin turned to face him. “Was all the joking around in the kitchen an act?”

Nathan scraped a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I was walking a fine line. I tried to keep it light and friendly. Another detective asked me questions about the shooting—an officer-involved shooting, so that’s being investigated.” He shrugged, worry lines creasing his forehead. “My actions are being looked into. I’m not in my own jurisdiction, so I was a little worried at first. But I think the other officers sensed that, and they were just trying to help me relax. What else could I do?”

“You’re right. I didn’t mean to question your behavior.” She sighed and looked at the ticket counters and kiosks where they could print off their boarding passes. But they were changing their flight, so they would need to head to the ticket counter. “Come on. Let’s get our tickets.”

“Good idea. I don’t want to push my luck and have a run-in with Dad’s boss on top of everything else. Let’s get out of here.”

They started toward the cordoned-off line for the ticket counter. Coming to Boston had been comparable to walking across enemy lines, and even heading home tonight might no longer be safe for them.

“I’m not sure that you shouldn’t have made it a point to find his boss and talk it through with him,” she said.

Nathan looked at her. “Dad doesn’t trust him because he took him off the case. He shut him down.”

She blew out a breath. “All these secrets and innuendos. Wouldn’t it be best to just lay it all on the table?”

Why don’t I listen to my own advice? Erin shut down the voice in her head and focused on Nathan’s response instead.

And she didn’t like the way he stared at her now. Never in her life had she been put in this awkward position of not knowing where to turn and who to trust. Except Nathan. She knew she could trust him.

A big barrel of a man with thick brown hair, silver at his temples, lumbered directly toward them. His eyes drilled into them.

Beside her, Nathan stiffened.

The man approached and thrust out his hand. “Nathan Campbell? I’m Chief Jed Hadlow, Gifford PD. You’re a hard man to track down.”

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