Page 164 of The Woman Left Behind

This was a problem.

Nothing was giving with anything.

Abernathy was smoke. Cheryl Ballard was too. As was Farrell. Nothing from the Dietrichs.

Rus had reported the alleged fraud to the insurance company, and they were investigating as well, so there had to be more pressure on that couple, if they could get word to them that was happening.

But they’d been through bank records. Any cell phones registered to any of their suspects had either run out of battery (likely after they were dumped or left behind) or been turned off. No credit card use, though, both Abernathy and Ballard had withdrawn large amounts of cash from their bank accounts before disappearing. In fact, Abernathy had drained his.

No sightings.

No contact with anyone.

No fucking anything.

This was what Harry expected out of this investigation.

This was what he feared he’d be giving Lillian.

What was fucking with him was, it wasn’t just his operation that was on this. The FBI had a vastly wider reach.

And still nothing.

“You want me to keep at this?” Sean asked, holding up the files.

“Is there a next step?” Harry quizzed.

“Yes. Talk to Farrell,” Sean gave the right answer, it just wasn’t an answer they could do anything about.

Harry sighed.

Then he changed the subject. “The NTN video exams are coming up.”

“I applied.”

Harry smiled.

“So did Karen,” Sean told him.

Good, Harry thought.

“Wade isn’t feeling it,” Sean went on, telling Harry something he already knew since, in the intervening time, he’d had the same discussion with Karen and Wade that he had with Sean.

Wade liked the beat, the streets, the cruiser and working one on one with people. There were cops who preferred to make a difference that way, and Wade was one of them.

He’d already been promoted to sergeant.

It was time to think about lieutenant.

“Seems I got until February to find some money for you and Karen,” Harry said. And for a promotion for Wade, he thought.

Oral boards happened in the first six weeks of the new year.

“My woman is thrilled,” Sean said. “She says we’ll save enough from not having to dry clean my uniforms, we can take a cruise.”

Harry wore a uniform and required his deputies to do so. He also required them to be cleaned and carefully pressed.

Rus wore army green or khaki cargo pants and a long-sleeved polo or fleece with a Fret County Sheriff badge stitched on the chest.

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