Page 10 of Wandering Souls

Neville shook his head and squinted at him. “Was she so beautiful you forgot how to do your job?”

“Actually...”

The bakery employee appeared and set their orders on the small round table between them. She batted her eyelashes at Neville before vanishing. As the town’s most eligible bachelor, Neville Wilson garnered a lot of attention from the women but he rarely returned it. He was a catch by anyone’s standards, yet Neville seemed entirely uninterested.

“Maybe you should investigate?” Nev jested, sipping his coffee.

Ray felt his mouth lift into a grin. “Wouldn’t know where to start.” They laughed.

“Nancy will be on your back for days, you realize?”

Unfortunately, he did. “Well, I guess if anyone can find out the gossip, she can.”

Their banter died down as they enjoyed their coffees. “Have you seen Quinn this morning?” Neville asked, the worry in his voice loud and clear.

“Nope.” Ray lifted a leg and crossed an ankle over a knee, his curiosity about the young constable hard to contain. She was wild, that one. “You?”

Neville grumbled under his breath. “She’s going to be the death of me. Apparently, she’s taken up skydiving.” He shook his head. “On top of the rock climbing, mountain biking and skinny dipping. HQ failed to warn me about these extreme pursuits.”

Ray wasn’t concerned. “She does her job.”

Unconvinced, Neville frowned. “She needs to settle down.”

Ray took a long sip of his coffee, his mind on the stranger who’d won Bruce’s heart rather than the wildcat under Neville’s command. “She needs guidance.” They knew practically nothing about Charlotte Quinn since her arrival and while she liked to push the limits when it came to adventure, she’d yet to put a foot out of line professionally. “You’re just the man, Nev.”

The sarcastic laugh that answered him told Ray he thought otherwise. “Did you wrap up the Woods Estate case?”

“Made the arrests, completed the report, filed the paperwork.”

“Good.” Neville pushed up from the metal chair. “Now put on your detective cap and go find your mystery woman. Maybe start out at Hollywood’s estate. I heard he had a new arrival take up residence in theSanctuary.”

Ray thought back to the woman’s limp. Had she sustained it while serving her country? “You sound wary, Boss.”

Neville threw his head back and sculled the last of his coffee. “Every time a soldier comes to town, it coincides with some sort of disaster. We don’t need any more of those. See you back at the station.”

Watching the tall, lean figure of Neville stride away, Ray wanted to argue the former soldiers had also saved the town on more than one occasion. They’d been a blessing, not a hindrance, and part of the reason he’d relocated to the Crossing. Because of them, he’d found a place to call home.

Bruce rested his head on Ray’s knee, his blue eyes looking at him expectantly. “What?”

The dog’s eyebrows twitched, one up, one down. He huffed, as if Ray was supposed to know what that meant.

“Fine. I’ll try and find her but first, I’m taking you to the vet for a checkup.”

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