Hammer raised an eyebrow.
Martinelli cocked his head. “Interesting. Well, welcome back, I guess. You still in the military?”
Oof, the man knew too much, maybe, but, “Nope.”
“You knew Elway, then. Good man.”
“I did.” He met Martinelli’s eyes, even as something cold settled in his chest. Elway Blackwood had been more than a good man—he’d been a lifeline. The steady presence who’d shown a traumatized ten-year-old what real strength looked like. Who’d taught him that power could be used to protect instead of terrorize.
“How’s Sierra handling it?” The words slipped out before Hammer could stop them.
“Sierra? About like you’d expect. That woman’s tough as nails, but losing her grandfather hit her hard. They were close, especially after her parents died when she was young.” Martinelli studied Hammer’s face. “You know the family?”
“We went to school together.”
It was true, as far as it went. They’d also spent years as inseparable best friends, another two as teenage sweethearts, and one night as lovers before everything fell apart. But Detective Martinelli didn’t need those details.
“She’s been having some trouble lately,” Martinelli continued. “Cattle rustling, equipment vandalism. Nothing too serious yet, but it’s got her on edge.”
“Any idea who’s behind it?”
“Could be anyone. Hard times make people desperate, and there’s been a lot of hard times around here lately. We’re keeping an eye on things, but with the city expanding, the police force is thinning, and with only four detectives…” He shrugged. “We do what we can.”
“Sounds like you need some help. Maybe in the area of private investigation?” Saxon said.
Martinelli raised an eyebrow.
Saxon grinned.
A radio crackled from Martinelli’s belt. He unclipped it, listening to a burst of static and code numbers that meant nothing to Hammer but brought the detective to his feet. Dolly brought out his coffee.
“Got to run. Another call.” He pulled a business card from his wallet. “Nice meeting you…”
“Rowan. Wallace.”
Detective Martinelli raised an eyebrow. “Wallace.”
“Mm-hmm.” Hammer made no other comment.
“Okay. If you’re planning to stick around, give me a call. We could use someone with your background.”
“My background?”
“Military experience, leadership skills.”
He headed for the door, leaving Hammer staring at the business card. Detective Michael Martinelli, South Eagle Police Station.
“Interesting,” Saxon said. “Sounds like your girlfriend could use some help.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.” Hammer slipped the card into his shirt pocket. “That was a long time ago.”
“Uh-huh.” Saxon’s grin was all teeth. “Went to school together?”
Before Hammer could respond, Dolly appeared with fresh coffee and a plate of green chile cheeseburgers they hadn’t ordered. The smell of grilled beef and roasted chiles filled the air.
“On the house,” she said, refilling their mugs. “Consider it a welcome-home present.”
“Dolly, you don’t have to?—”
