She had been working missing-persons cases for the last eight years with the Riverside PD and loved the job. She was an optimist—missing persons could be found, or at least closure could be had. Being asked by the governor to lead this task force was a gift, one she was going to enjoy.
John Graham, the deputy chief of police for the Riverside Police Department, and the man whose ring sparkled on her left hand, had arrived and was in earnest conversation with Theo. She’d be juggling wedding plans with her task-force work, but she’d handled more difficult complications in the past. John had encouraged her to take this on. Everything needed for success was here. Now they just had to deliver on the promise, find some people.
“Sharon, when’s the wedding?” Evie asked, coming over to join her.
“We’ve decided on the twenty-seventh of April.”
“A spring wedding. Nice.”
“John wants three weeks away for a honeymoon, and I’m considering that idea. I’d rather have two and spend a week of that getting settled into his home. Travel isn’t my thing, and for every day away, the piles on both our desks just grow that much higher.”
Evie laughed. “A minor negotiation between the romantic and a pragmatic.”
“Governor Bliss asked me to pass on his thanks again for your willingness to serve on the team. I don’t need to tell you how personal our success is for him.”
“I know. I’m going to like the work.”
“So am I. The idea of solving what has happened to a mother and two daughters has me itching to get those files open,” Sharon admitted with a smile. “Ann said to get in touch with her if you need anything. She’s now officially on the FBI payroll as a retired homicide cop consultant, so we can draw her in on whatever investigative work we want while the task force gets established.”
“Good. For starters, I plan to ask if she wants to walk around a college campus with me.”
“She’ll be useful to all of us. Your dogs will be okay with your extended absence?”
Evie turned and saw the two German shepherds watching her guests from a perch on the stairwell landing. “Recently retired military guys on this block take care of them while I’m traveling—basically wear them out with an army version of daily PT. I’m the mom who babies them when I’m home. My dogs get the best of all worlds when I travel.” She’d given them a bath the day before, and for tonight they looked like gentlemen. “I’m clearing out perishables since I don’t know when I’ll be home next. You want oranges, bagels to take to the hotel for the morning?”
“Sure.”
“How about a piece or two of pie?”
Sharon looked over to see what John had chosen. “He’s favoring the cherry if there’s extra of it. He’ll view it as fruit and have it for breakfast.” They laughed, and Evie went to box it up.
An hour to wrap up here, Sharon thought, mentally listing immediate tasks, let Evie and David get on the road, make calls to find workspaces, and then a quick text to the governor—keep him in the loop as requested. John glanced over, shared a smile with her. He was her biggest supporter in this new endeavor. God, you really favored me with a good man, she mentioned to Him in gratitude.
Balancing work and a personal life when you were a cop took unusual wisdom, and Sharon knew Evie was in the process of sorting it all out for her own life. A young, gifted detective, destined to be Ann’s replacement on sensitive matters for the governor. One of the reasons Evie was on the task force was so Sharon could help get her ready for that role; she was going to enjoy that mentoring role. Teaming Evie with David had been the first step toward that end. David was a great guy. He’d been in a solid relationship for a while, and the dynamics of juggling the job and dating would be another point of common ground and possibly helpful discussions.
Theo was single, but older than the others here. He dated interesting women but had no plans to settle down to married life in the immediate future. A solid cop with a calm demeanor, he’d spent his career focusing on cold cases, and she was fortunate to have him. She thought he would become the natural linchpin of their group, and others would key off him when their cases were stuck. She knew she would.
Taylor, married with two sons in college, didn’t fit any particular law-enforcement pattern, had loved patrol, worked undercover, served in administration, become a detective. Everywhere he went, the departments improved—better morale, quicker response times, fewer citizen complaints, falling crime stats. Sharon had realized after meeting him a few times that he was praying for people around him—simply part of how he operated, doing it with such consistency that he left peace and justice in his wake.