Page 35 of In Hiding

Turning the vehicle around, he drove back down the steep drive and turned left onto the bitumen road. Rain began to fall, dotting his windscreen as he navigated the winding road down toward town. He cranked up the heating to ward off the winter chill, but it wasn’t long before he pulled into the small parking lot at the rear of the station. He noticed Ray’s car had returned and wondered if the detective could help him dig a little into their new resident’s past.

He parked and entered the station through the back entrance to hear a familiar voice sharing a joke with Nancy in reception. He peered through the doorway and sighed, removing his standard issue police cap. McCafferty was like an unwanted mind reader, showing up when least expected. Despite all the old man’s meddling, he’d proved invaluable over the last few years. Maybe this time, Nev could turn the tables and use him to his advantage. He was tired of being used.

“Neville. I see you back there.”

“Be right with you.” He unzipped his jacket and hung it on a hook. Detective Ray Wells appeared in the back corridor, motioning for Nev to follow. “What is it?”

The exceptionally tall redheaded detective handed him a file. “The information you requested.”

He stared at the plain manila folder in surprise. “What exactly did I request?”

Ray chuckled. “Sorry? Did I say you requested it? I might have taken liberties.”

Accepting the file, Nev opened it to find Jake Langley’s mug shot front and center. Not quite two years old, the photo showed a much darker, meaner-looking Langley than the man who currently resided as Andersen House’s new handyman. He wore a five o’clock shadow better than most men, but those almost-black eyes and grim expression presented a nasty image.

“And?”

“Probably nothing new, really. I may have requested his Army service record, too.”

A step too far? Nev decided to reserve judgement. “Why is Damien McCafferty here?”

Ray laughed and threw his hands up in self-defense. “Leave me out of it. My father-in-law-to-be currently likes me and that’s the way I want to keep it.”

The mention of Ray’s fiancé brought a smile to Nev’s face and he took a deep breath. “How is Abi?”

A dreamy look crossed his detective’s face. “I can’t wait to marry that girl.”

The wedding was scheduled for September and Ray had asked him to be his best man. He needed to get onto that. Soon. “You’re a lucky son-of-a-gun.”

Leaving Ray, he ventured into the reception area where Damien chatted with Nancy. The man was a charmer, that was for sure. He had Nancy blushing and giggling like a schoolgirl. There was a spirit about McCafferty that Nev found inspiring. It had gotten him into trouble with his superiors on more than one occasion, but his instincts convinced him the former military leader was a man he could trust, even if he was nosy and disruptive.

“Nev!” Damien grinned at him. The goatee he wore had gone completely gray, or he’d finally stopped dyeing it. Neville didn’t know which.

“Afternoon, Damien. What brings you by?”

Pale blue-gray eyes glanced at the folder in Neville’s hands. “A certain new arrival.”

Langley.

“Come into my office, then.”

Alone, the two men faced each other. “What do you know about him, Nev?”

“Not enough. Are you going to fill me in, or do I actually have to read this?” He waved the folder.

“You read your report later but there’s one important detail that won’t be in there.”

Neville set the folder in his IN tray. “Which is?”

“The name of the man he shared a cell with in prison.”

The information Damien sometimes got his hands on baffled Nev. For a man who’d once served both the police and defense forces decades ago, he was far too connected. “Who is...?”

“Erik Christensen.”

“And?”

“I did a little more digging. Christensen has a sister who lives here in the Crossing. Her name is Katherine Margaret Sarah Christensen-Mitchell.”

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