Page 9 of Break Away
“No shit? You must have really liked that APbiology class we had together. What do you do? Count the number offish eggs in the creek, or how many flies land on a lily pad in anhour?”
“Ha. My project is studying the impact ofclimate change on the pika in the higher elevations of the SierraNevada range.”
The grin he flashed gave her a jolt she feltall the way to her toes.
“You sounded all kinds of professional.” Hepaused as if in deep thought. “I’m trying to recall what I knowabout pika and all I’ve got is they’re a small mammal. They like arat?”
“No. They’re related to rabbits and are crazycute. They’re not good temperature regulators and live exclusivelyin talus slopes where they burrow under the rocks to keepcool.”
“Okay. What’s a talus slope?”
Zoey pointed to a spot across the valley.“You see the broken rock piled at the base of the granite face?That’s talus.”
“So there are pika living in there?”
“Possibly. They like a little higherelevation than that, but it’s possible.”
They hiked down a long slope, Zoey answeringLevi’s questions, more than a little surprised at how easy it wasto talk to him. The trail took them to the road that went in frontof their homes. She snapped on Lucy’s leash. A car went by toofast, headlights blazing in the dusk, and Zoey made an instinctivemovement away from the road, jerking Lucy after her.
“Hey, it’s okay.”
“You can’t assume someone sees you,especially when it’s getting dark like this.” She couldn’t controlher sharp tone.
“You were hit at this time of day.” His moveto stand between her and the street didn’t go unnoticed.
“Yes.” They rounded the bend in the road, andshe was relieved to see the glow in the window of her cottage.
Trying for a return to normal after heroverreaction, she asked, “What do you do, Levi Gallagher? Do youhave a job here in Hangman’s Loss?”
He cast her a sidelong look. “I start my newjob tomorrow.”
“Which is?”
“Hangman’s Loss PD. I’m a cop.”
He walked a few steps before turning back tosee she’d stopped in her tracks. “Cop? You’re a cop?”
“Yeah. That surprise you?”
“Yes, it surprises me. You’re all charmingand affable, not cop-like at all.”
“Are we going for stereotypes? I’m supposedto be surly and have a shaved head? Sport a flabby gut from toomany donuts?”
“There are commonalities among policeofficers that aren’t necessarily stereotypes. Like profiling, orclosing ranks to protect their own, even if they’ve done somethingwrong.”
“You’re making overgeneralizations. The presshasn’t necessarily been even-handed when dealing with policeissues.”
“There’s a reason for the bad press andmistrust. Too many police abuse their authority and have gottenaway with it.”
“Interesting, because the cops I know believein justice and fair play.” The snap of temper was there, barelybeneath the surface.
“I hope so.”
“Believe it.” They turned up the driveway totheir homes, stopping where it forked. The little globe lightsshe’d strung across her front porch shone warmly in the gatheringdarkness. Lucy parked her butt and did her leaning thing againstZoey, a hundred pounds of weight that had her bracing herself. Levifaced her, hands on hips.
“I’ve been assigned your case.”
“What?” The easygoing bro was gone, and inhis place was this new Levi, all cop and all business.
