“With what?” I left out the obvious reminder about how he didn’t work here and probably never should have.
That got his attention. He frowned at me. “The Tanner case. What else would I be talking about?”
Marni hadn’t detailed what Cam did to save her ass fifteen years ago after she called him, but it was clear Cam leaving the force had been a good call. It wasn’t as if he ever suffered for his poor judgment or lack of results. In recent years, Xavier repeatedly talked about how Cam had been made to pay the price for the FBI’s lack of success. Xavier pushed for Cam to get the security job he held after the police. Now he was executor of Xavier’s estate and would get a check for that, too. How incredibly convenient and lucrative.
Voices grew louder as two officers ushered those teen boys into a private room and out of the center of the office.
Cam folded his hands over his stomach. “You should know there’s been some talk about Jeremy.”
“About time. I couldn’t get anyone to worry about him since he went missing.” The wholeboys will be boysbackslapping crap made me grit my teeth. I grumbled but kept my cool when I really wanted to berate and threaten. My attorney’s warning about how getting on the wrong side of law enforcement would mean even less support for finding Jeremy had stopped me. I didn’t have power and influence and that had never been clearer than right now.
Cam stretched his legs out in front of him. “There’s been some suggestion that Jeremy might haveneededto run.”
I had no idea where this was going but it was likely to piss me off. I could feel the rage building. “I know the theory about him being angry with me and—”
“About him getting revenge. Taking his anger at you out on the business.”
I shifted until I faced him. Blocked out all the noise and scurrying in the main room around us. “Wait... What?”
Cam shrugged. “You said he was downstairs, in the office, when the fire started.”
Now I remember how much I hated dealing with this guy. He’d questioned me about the Tanners and that text for help from Patrick all those years ago. In retrospect, as Xavier’s trusted friend it’s likely he’d known about my personal life. About me and Xavier. Maybe that explained the way he always glared at me, judging and finding me lacking.
“No, Jeremy wassupposedto be down there.”
Cam frowned. “We’re saying the same thing.”
“We’re not.” I jumped up because the dark energy pumping through me made it impossible to sit still. “You’re saying someone in this building thinks Jeremy, a kid who has never been in trouble, who grew up here, and who they all know from stopping in the café, decided out of spite and after only an hour or so of thinking about it to burn down the café and accidentally hurt Daniela?”
“It’s a theory.”
“It’s bullshit.” That anger I kept pushing back roared to life. I debated taming it versus letting it fly. “I wonder, is it your bullshit?”
Cam slowly sat up. “Now, I know we’ve never gotten along—”
“Why is that?”
“I didn’t trust you.” He glanced around but whatever he saw convinced him he didn’t need to lower his voice. He kept right on talking at his usual grumbly, look-at-me level. “You screwed around with my best friend and—”
“Shut up.” I cut him off before he could say whatever annoying thing he had planned next. “Yes, I said shut up. You and everyone else in this town.” Of course people were watching every move I made these days. Not exactly shocking. “You have no idea what happened twenty years ago with Xavier.”
“Maybe I do.”
This asshole. “How about we focus on this decade. My son is missing. We talked earlier that night. He wasn’t looking for vengeance or to punish me. He didn’t burn down my café because he wouldn’t do that.”
“He just inherited a fortune.”
“I’m not sure what you think that proves, but in reality it means he didn’t need to rush off. He has plenty of money for attorneys or will very soon.”
“Did you ever think it’s possible I’m not the enemy?” Cam asked.
“No.”
Cam shook his head as he stood up. “I’m the one insisting to my former colleagues that you would never set fire to the business you spent your entire adult life building. I’m reminding them that they know Jeremy and they know you. I’m pushing them to search for Jeremy because he could be in danger.”
My biggest cheerleader... Since when? “Why?”
“Because I promised Xavier I’d watch over both of you.”
