Page 146 of The Woman Left Behind

“I stopped to give you a shoulder to cry on, not the other way around,” he quipped.

That got him another smile, then she said, “Just know, Harry, I see you. George sees you. Shane and Sherise see you. And in case you’re not getting it, I’ll make it official and welcome you to the family.”

That meant so much to Harry, he released her hands so he could hug her.

She relaxed into his embrace and hugged him back.

When they stepped away, he asked, “You walk here?”

“Yes. Needed a constitutional.”

“You want a ride home?”

Her gaze warmed, or he should say it warmed more. “No, darlin’. I want to pop into Kimmy’s and see what Halloween stuff she’s put out.”

Harry nodded, bent and kissed her cheek.

When he straightened, she lifted a hand to lightly pat his.

“Stay warm,” he bid. “And see you later.”

“That you will, Harry. That you definitely will.”

He smiled at her again.

And then Harry left Ronetta in a park that memorialized a strong, honest, honorable woman who made a difference in her life.

Which seemed fitting.

THIRTY-SIX

Where This Is Going

Harry

Harry was in his office, dealing with email, thinking one thing he knew for certain about his future. When he retired, he wasn’t going to have a fucking email.

He sensed someone coming, looked up and saw Sean knock on the frame of his door.

Harry did not like the expression on his deputy’s face.

“Hey, Sean,” he greeted.

Sean knew that was the invitation it was, and he entered Harry’s office.

He sat across from Harry and said, “As you asked, ran down the gun found in Clifford Ballard’s hand.”

Harry was stunned. “You found it?”

“Yep.”

“How did you find it?” Harry asked, shocked he had, since there was no record of what happened to it in the case file, and no record of it in their evidence locker.

“Those morons gave it to Ballard’s mother.”

Harry had no idea what to think of that, it was so wrong in so many ways.

First, through ballistics testing, it was proved to be the instrument of Ballard’s death, which turned out to be a homicide, and considering there was definitely a cover-up, not “losing” it or finding some other way to sully the path to using it as evidence was so fucking stupid, Harry didn’t know how to process it.

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