Page 81 of The Woman Left Behind

You win, he shot off before he switched gears and set them on their way.

“Shit works out in really fucking messed-up ways,” Rus remarked.

Harry glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“I came to town because a young woman was brutally murdered. I stayed in town because, regardless of that, it’s a great place to live. And, not incidentally in the slightest, I fell in love with this beautiful woman you all kept hidden up in your forest on the side of a mountain. Something I should thank you all for, since it meant when I found her, I could claim her.”

Harry chuckled.

Rus went on, “You met Lillian because her parents were murdered. And now you’re smiling at some text on your phone, and I’ve never seen you smile at your phone. So like I said, shit works out in fucked-up ways.”

“Not sure it does everywhere, but that seems to be the case in MP.”

“Absolutely.”

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Rus pulled out his own phone, probably to text Cin.

And Harry drove them back to Misted Pines.

TWENTY

Petty-ass Shit

Harry

When they got back to the station, Rus headed in Karen’s direction. She was one of Harry’s deputies, and when Harry wasn’t partnering up with Rus, Rus partnered up with Karen.

They were going out to find Roy Farrell to ask a few questions.

Harry headed to his office to get whatever admin shit that was undoubtedly waiting for him out of the way so he could go with Rus later to meet the medical examiner.

On his way, Polly came out of her office and waylaid him.

“Got word from Idaho,” she said. “As you asked, I sent Wade to go get Sonny and Avery. He left about an hour ago.”

Harry took a breath into his nose and nodded.

“Also sent all we had on the Dietrich robbery to them. It was embarrassing, what little I sent, but I sent it,” she continued.

Embarrassment for an administration that wasn’t of their making was going to be the least of their concerns as they cleaned up Dern’s mess.

“Thanks, Polly,” he replied.

She moved into her office.

Harry went to his, sat behind his desk, and as he powered up his computer, he pulled out his phone and called Lillian.

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Hey,” he returned. “Where are you?”

“At Jenna’s greenhouse.”

“Is Ronetta with you?”

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