Brent, I mused, a disbelieving laugh leaving me. Berkley was married to BrentJean, one of the greatest American-born hockey players of all-time. My brothers and I had all grown upColorado fans, and thanks to the expansion, there were teams in Vegas and Seattle now, but because Owen had spent so much time there, we’d also come to be fans of the other pro Detroit teams outside of football.
“Explains how you know Owen then,” I said.
She hummed in agreement. “The professional athlete world is a small one. Anyway, do you know where your girlfriend was taken?”
“Sutton,” I provided. “And as far as I know, she’s been taken to the Dusk Valley Sheriff’s Department.”
“Okay, here’s what I need you to do. Get to the department. Itisyours, after all. Make sure Sutton is there, then pass along my number so she can make her phone call. Keep her calm, assure her we’ll get this figured out, and encourage her not to speak to anyone about specifics of her case except me. Got it?”
“Got it,” I said, experiencing a strange sense of surreality. It was odd being on this side of things. Normally I was working against defense attorneys, not seeking their counsel. “Wait, she can’t even talk tome?”
“Unfortunately, no. From the sounds of it, your team kind of went rogue on this one, but you’re still the one in charge of that department. Because ofthatand the fact that Sutton is your girlfriend, it’s best if you stay completely out of it and remain as impartial as possible.”
She had a point, and I absolutely should remain out of the official investigation, but I’d be damned if I was going to sit on my hands and wait for whatever was coming.
Once I disconnected with Berkley, I faced my family, each of them staring at me expectantly.
“The earliest she can get here is Monday,” I explained. “But I need to go to the department, pass her info onto Sutton, and figure out what the fuck is going on.”
“I’m coming with you,” Trey said, getting up from the table at the same time as me.
I merely nodded, and after saying our goodbyes, we took off for town.
Bertie offered me a sympathetic grin as Trey and I stalked into the lobby fifteen minutes later. “I’m so sorry, boss,” she said. “I had no idea.”
“It’s not your fault, Bertie,” I assured her.
No, this was all on that fucker Johns.
When I appeared in the bullpen, all chatter and noise died so abruptly it made my ears ring.
“Sheriff,” several of my staff murmured, tipping their heads down in postures I could only describe as shame.
“Where’s Johns?” I asked.
“Interview one,” one of them supplied, and I headed down the hall. After directing Trey into the viewing room, I didn’t bother to announce myself before bursting into the interview room.
Three people were inside, two of them women, and while my attentionshouldhave gone to the one in fucking handcuffs, I couldn’t look away from the one across from her. Addie was barely recognizable beneath the swelling and deep bruising on her face.
The tension was thick enough to be cut with a knife. I’d been in strained interviews with suspects before, but there was something deeply, deeply wrong here.
And I didn’t only mean because Sutton was restrained for something I knew she was incapable of doing.
“You can’t be here,” Johns said, rising and stepping toward me, as though his puny ass was going to forcemeout of the room.
Okay, he wasn’tpuny, but at six five, I towered over and outweighed him.
“This is my department, Johns. I can go wherever I damn well please.”
“You’re romantically involved with the accused,” he pointed out. “You know as well as I do that you’re not allowed anywhere near this.”
I stepped closer until we were toe to toe, until I was looking down my nose at him. Dropping my voice, I said, “And you know as well as I do that Sutton had nothing to do with this.”
“So I’m lying?” Addie asked from behind him. She gestured to her face, crying, “Sutton did this to me, Lane! Why are you protecting her?”
Ignoring her theatrics, I glanced at Sutton, but her attention remained on the table in front of her.
Why wouldn’t she look at me?
