I covered her hand with mine and squeezed once.
He stepped closer. “There was no September thirtieth, was there? You sent us on a wild goose chase for evidence. But we got it. We got it, Miss Belrose. Because we got the date right this time. July the tenth.”
And closer.
I pulled her flush against me, pressing us deeper into the bales. My chest rattled with the force of my own heartbeat.
Harlow stopped right in front of us.
I fought to keep still. Fought to keep breathing.
Then came a voice.
“Careful where you wander, sir. We don’t take kindly to suits poking around where they’re not wanted.”
That was Hank’s voice.
Harlow didn’t move. His gaze stayed locked on the haybales. “Standard perimeter sweep.”
“That won’t be happening.” This time, it was Elia.
“It’s all part of the same property,” Harlow argued. “We’re just being thorough.”
“No, you’re overstepping,” Elia said. “And unless you’ve got something signed and sealed that says you can walk that way”—he nodded toward the pasture—“you’re not crossing a damn inch.”
“As far as the warrant’s concerned, I don’t need supervision to conduct this search.”
Another person joined in. “The problem is, detective, you don’t have authorization at all.” It was Dom. He walked closer to Harlow and held up a folded paper. “I’m a fast reader. That warrant? It listed The Sundown. Specifically, the house. Not The Lazy Moose. Not the stables. Not the pasture. Not even the fucking mailbox on the county line.”
A long beat passed.
For once, Harlow had nothing to say.
Then, Dom kept going, “So, unless you want your entire case tossed for unlawful search and seizure, I suggest you finish your little tour where it legally ends.”
Silence ensued.
Finally, Harlow said, “Fine. The house.”
Hank muttered, “Detective got his badge bent.”
Harlow stepped back, his eyes on Dom. “You’re lucky this time, Mr. Powell. But luck doesn’t happen twice.”
“Lucky for me, it isn’t luck. I just do my job right.”
The stable door slammed shut.
We didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
Not until we heard car doors slam, engines roar to life, and the sound of them leaving.
I let out the breath I’d been holding, my chest burning.
Maya sagged against me, her forehead pressing into my chest. Her whole body shook.
“That was too close,” she quavered.
