Page 20 of Raven's Curse
The door to the station creaked as Bodie and Eli walked in, rain beading on their jackets, fatigue lining their faces. They hadn’t stopped since she’d called them to the scene late last night, and she knew they’d keep going until they either dropped from exhaustion or caught the guy.
Not that she’d taken any down time. Other than the four hours’ sleep she’d gotten last night wrapped in Chase’s arms, she’d been running from one crime scene to the next, tracking down possible witnesses, wasting hours on the phone trying to cut through military red tape — get Rhett’s service file sent over. But even after twelve hours of digging and collecting, all she had to go on was a bunch of unanswered questions.
Bodie stopped next to her, nodding at Foster’s crew milling in the background before motioning to the board. “Someone’s been busy.”
She shrugged. “I think better when it’s all laid out.”
“Any luck with Rhett’s file?”
She shifted her gaze to Bodie for a moment. “Foster’s pulling some strings. I hope to have something by morning.” She raked her hand through her hair. “Any luck with those CCTV files Morgan’s team sent you?”
Bodie pointed at the grainy image she’d taped to the board. “Other than that one crappy photo? Nothing, yet. But I’m still waiting on traffic cam and ATM footage. I should have everything on my server by tomorrow. And Judge Palmer finally signed the paperwork to access medical, phone and financial records. I’ve contacted the Lodge — put them on notice. They’ll have everything on your desk by morning.”
Greer nodded, staring at the meager intel until everything swirled together, the resulting spin increasing the throbbing pain behind her eyes. God, she was tired. Not just physically. Baring her soul to Chase had drained her in a way she hadn’t expected. Left her vulnerable. Off-kilter. And she had a bad feeling she wouldn’t regain her equilibrium until the case was over.
Or she broke down and acted on all the heat still simmering between them.
He’d been distant. Quiet. But functioning. Which seemed about as much as she could ask for considering the circumstances. And he’d still shoved coffee and a bagel her way — proof he hadn’t fully disconnected. That his protective instincts hadn’t completely shut down.
If anything, he was edgier than ever — hyper-vigilant, really — constantly checking his six. Looking as if he’d tackle her to the ground if he got even a whiff of trouble. She’d nearly bumped into him a dozen times throughout the day because he’d been hovering. Tailing her in case he needed to react. Which she would have found endearing if the rest of him wasn’t a million miles away.
If he looked at her the way she knew she still stared at him.
She groaned inwardly. Now wasn’t the time to think about Chase and how badly she wanted to hold him. Sink into that safety net until all the darkness looming in the background faded.
Until she believed this was nothing more than a one-off.
She startled when Eli nudged her, a steaming mug in his hands. He held it out, smiling when she offered her thanks. She took a sip, coughed when the sheer strength of it stole her breath, before focusing on him. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for jumping into the fray. Hell of a first day.”
Eli glanced at the men leaning against the opposite wall, then back to her. “I just wish it hadn’t been because…” He let the words fade, but she knew what he meant.
He motioned to the bits of information she’d written across the board. “So, is this how you worked cases in the bureau?”
She sighed. “Everyone has their own method.”
“Call me crazy, Sheriff, but it looks as if you’re expecting more casualties.”
Greer tensed, Eli’s observation echoing through the space. The elephant in the room she hadn’t addressed yet. Not because her thoughts hadn’t strayed in that direction, but because she didn’t have anything to back up her suspicions other than a shiver down her spine and over a decade of hunting monsters through the shadows.
She glanced at Chase and his buddies, releasing a rough breath as she walked over to the board — stared at the large empty space off to one side. “As of right now, this is an isolated incident. While I’m keeping all avenues of this investigation open to various options, I don’t have any evidence this was more than someone targeting Rhett Oliver.”
Eli nodded. “But it’s crossed your mind.”
“It crosses my mind every time I investigate a murder. But I’m not going to dive down some rabbit hole before there’s a reason to start digging. We stick with the facts and follow the evidence. Leave my internal voices out of it. Though, the possibility raises a concern we need to discuss.”
Foster stepped forward, ever the leader. “We know where you’re heading with this. If someone was targeting all of us, why wait until now to start picking us off? We’ve been here for nearly a year.”
“True. Since nothing happened until Rhett started regaining consciousness, this is likely something he was involved in before he landed in that coma. But until we’re sure, I think erring on the side of caution would be prudent.” She hitched out a hip. “I’m not saying it’s time to circle the wagons. To ask any of you not to do your job. Just try not to isolate yourselves for the next few days while I’m waiting on ME reports and toxicology. That goes for Mac, Jordan and Saylor. Anyone you consider a teammate.”
Chase grunted, one of the few sounds he’d made all day. “You realize that includes you, right? And Bodie.”
Greer glanced at Bodie, then back to Chase. “In a perfect world, no officer would patrol alone.” She sighed as she leaned against the wall to her office, fatigue settling heavy on her shoulders. “We’re a small county with an even smaller budget. I’m already stretched thin. It’s the unfortunate reality we face. But… we’ll be vigilant. Double up when possible.”
Chase crossed his arms, stretching his jacket across his muscular form. “Then, it’s a good thing you’ve got four other trained personnel to help out. Five if we count Nyx, and she’d be hurt if we didn’t.”
“Chase…”
“We’re registered first responders.”
