Brook accepted his embrace.
Before too long, he was pulling out of the parking, his red taillights growing fainter until they vanished completely at the bend in the road. She pulled out her key fob, pressed the button, and was soon settled in behind the steering wheel. Starting the engine, she sat a while longer to let the cold air blowing through the vents warm as she made herself comfortable for the long drive ahead. Once she had her jacket off, her phone connected to the Bluetooth system, and the vents positioned so that the warm air hit her fingers on the steering wheel, she shifted the gear into drive.
Once she had pulled her SUV alongside Chief Conway’s pickup truck, he rolled down his window. He’d aged significantlysince she’d last been in his presence. His red hair had lightened, and his face had weathered.
“It’s been a minute or two,” Chief Conway replied with a sad smile. “I’d ask how you’re doing, but I’d likely get the same answer as you always give.”
“It’s good to see you, Chief.” Brook was genuine with her words. He’d never treated her anything but kind, even during the interrogation after Sally’s death. “Thank you for doing this today.”
“Wasn’t much help, though.” Chief Conway shrugged, the gesture dismissive but not unkind. “Jacob was nowhere to be found.”
“I didn't really expect him to be,” Brook admitted, her gaze drifting momentarily toward her rearview mirror. She could only hope that Sally was at peace now. “Jacob was here, though. He made his point by coming here, and that's all he wanted to do. I doubt that he’ll be back.”
Chief Conway appeared to want to comment on her statement, but she didn’t want to go into too much depth about her speculation. At least, she assumed that was how he would view her opinion.
“How is Nicole?”
Conway's expression softened slightly at the mention of his daughter. His side eye told Brook that he understood her intentions, but that he would also follow along with her.
“She's teaching kindergarten now. Has two kids of her own." His pride was evident despite his attempt at casualness. “She’s made a beautiful life for herself.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Chief,” Brook said softly, wishing nothing but the best for him. His tenure as chief of police hadn’t been easy. She hoped that there would come a day when she could call and convey that his efforts hadn’t been wasted. “I should be on my way. Again, I appreciate you keeping an eye outfor me while in town. Should you ever need anything, you have my number.”
“The same goes for you, Brook.”
She rolled up her window as she observed him pull away. Shifting the gear into reverse, she pressed the gas pedal until she was parallel with the cemetery. She sat motionless for a moment, hands resting on the steering wheel, while she stared at a specific tombstone.
“Rest, Sally.” Brook’s throat constricted to the point of pain, and her eyes burned with unshed tears. “I’ve got it from here.”
It took a good ten minutes before she could pull onto the main road. She waited until she reached the highway before tapping the control on her steering wheel to activate the Bluetooth connection.
“Call Bit,” she instructed, her voice steady now.
The system chimed, and barely two rings later, Bit's voice filled the vehicle.
“Hey, Boss,” Bit said, his anxiety barely concealed beneath his greeting.
“I'm driving back,” Brook confirmed, changing lanes to pass a slow-moving truck. “License plate on a vehicle belonging to one of the maintenance people. Ready?”
“Go.”
“Illinois, Delta-Charlie-Victor…” Brook repeated the rest of the plate from memory. There was a brief pause on the line, and when she didn’t give an instruction, she assumed he understood what was needed. “I’ll see you soon.”
The vehicle in question had a security system with a sentry mode, which meant the car had a comprehensive suite of cameras and sensors that monitored the surroundings while parked. If Jacob had used that access road and the vehicle had been parked in the same spot at the time, she would have confirmation of his presence.
“Boss? Just so you know, Theo wanted me to remind you that your 'I told you so' privileges have been revoked for at least a month.”
Brook allowed herself a small smile at the relayed message.
“Tell Theo and Sylvie to stop worrying. See you all soon.”
Brook settled into the rhythm of the highway after ending the call. She flexed her fingers on the steering wheel, enjoying the warm air blowing from the vents. The heated leather seat was an added bonus.
Jacob was alive.
The fact no longer existed merely in her certainty but had manifested itself with evidence. Jacob had survived Alaska, had healed enough to walk unaided save for what appeared to be a minor injury. And he wanted her to know it.
His message had been received loud and clear.
