Why had she ever let him come this close? And now that she had, what choices remained? Sooner or later this was going to hurt.
He drew her close, wrapping her in his arms.
“Just hang with me, DeeJay. That’s all you have to do. Just hang in. We’ll solve this case and then see.”
He made it sound so easy, but deep in her heart she knew that nothing ever was.
We’ll see? That was a hell of a risky proposition.
Chapter 13
They set out a short while later, stopping in a few places to check them out as if they were just looking for things to write about. People welcomed them a little more warmly now that everyone had heard something about them, and Melinda at the bakery sent them on their way with a bag of fresh rolls to try.
“This travel-writer gig could have some advantages,” Cade remarked after they stepped out onto the street. DeeJay laughed while they walked to the sheriff’s offices.
The sidewalks were clear but wet from the melting snow that created berms between them and the street. Every few feet, shop owners had carved an opening in the snow so people could cross the berm as needed. Between the snow and the cars that needed to park away from it so that people could get out the passenger side, she figured the street had narrowed to about half its usual width.
The day felt warm after the past few, though. She didn’t know if it was actually warmer or if she was just getting used to it, but before they reached the sheriff she unzipped her jacket. Certainly she felt no need for the ski mask today.
They stepped into a quiet hive of activity at the sheriff’s. Deputies were on the phone. The dispatcher, an elderly woman who croaked like a frog and defied all possible laws by puffing on a cigarette, spoke to patrol cars. Whatever had been happening earlier to delay Gage had settled down.
The dispatcher eyed them. “He’s in the back waiting for you.” Then she went back to annoying some deputy about his bowling game the night before. On the radio.
Apparently, things operated differently here. At least when they were quiet.
Cade led the way back to a narrow hall, which was framed by closed doors with plates on them, everything from individual names to designations like Interrogation and Janitorial.
DeeJay figured this building must run behind many of the storefronts that framed the street facing the square. It was certainly much bigger than it looked from the outside.
One door was open, however, and there sat Gage behind a loaded desk. Between heaps of paper and the computer, the man was almost invisible. He had a phone glued to his ear and waved them to seats while he listened and talked.
At another gesture from Gage, Cade closed the door behind them.
“Okay, got it. Thanks.” Gage hung up the phone. He leaned back, grimacing faintly. “I’ve got some news for you. Who talks first?”
Cade looked at DeeJay. After what she’d said to him such a short time ago, she realized he was going to let her decide the agenda. She almost blushed with embarrassment. On the other hand, he was reminding her that he trusted her judgment.
She looked at Gage. “You’ve probably got more than we have, information-wise, so you start.”
“Okay.” Gage nodded. “Sweet’s job application, first of all. He worked for a crisis line in Boston, got a stellar recommendation from his last boss. He didn’t just visit Houston—he lived there for over a year also working for a crisis line. The interesting thing is that he didn’t mention being anywhere else. A big gap in his résumé. But the point is, he lied about only having visited Houston. I have a deputy working on finding out if he lived in those other cities the FBI told you about.”