63
Colcord wheeled himself over behind the counter, watching as Nova Euclid pushed through the front screen door of the Ore House, arm in arm with Officer Wiley. Since the Shrouder investigation had come to a close, those two had been openly going out.… Was it still calleddating?Friends with benefits?Colcord had no idea what kids were calling it these days.
It was late Sunday morning, and the place was, as usual, full. He watched as his barista, Melody, fixed them their usual. They looked happy—Euclid all rosy-cheeked and giddy compared to her usual reserved demeanor; Wiley, with his arm possessively cupped around her shoulder. The Ore House being the nearest eatery to the courthouse, a handful of officers, clerks, and even Judge Greenberg himself were seated around several of the low tables. The murmur of conversation filtered through the air to waft with the sweet smell of warm pecan buns.
“Busy day?”
Colcord started as the familiar voice interrupted his people-watching. He pivoted to regard Cash standing before him, a round box under her arm. Her other arm was still in a sling, but she looked good. More color to her face, a healthy dash of freckles across her cheeks. Her auburn hair was down today and fell about her face prettily. Not a lick of makeup, as usual. But she looked… different, somehow.
“Looks like that sunburn finally turned into a tan,” said Colcord.
“It takes us Irish awhile to brown up,” she said.
“And what’s this? Are you actually wearing a dress?”
Indeed she was, a comfortable-looking yellow sundress that flowed down to her knees, paired with sandals.
“Let’s not make a big deal out of it,” Cash said, sitting down on a stool next to him and placing the box on the bar.
“Nah, you look… good. Not that you usuallydon’tlook good. It’s different—nice,” Colcord stammered.
“You, on the other hand, don’t look so good without your hat.”
“It’s too messed up to wear in public. I gotta do something about it.”
With a grin, Cash pushed the box over.
Colcord opened it, looked inside, and smiled broadly.
“I had it all fixed up—cleaned, re-blocked, relined.”
Colcord took it out. The battered, bloody old thing had been hanging in his office that very morning.How had she… when did she…?
“I had help from a certain ornery receptionist,” said Cash. “She’s efficient—when she wants to be. And the hatter in town’s a big fan of yours too.”
Colcord fitted it to his head. “Thank you, Cash,” he said, quite moved.
“And on another note,” she went on, “that reporter called to let me know about a noon broadcast today. Can we turn the volume up on the TV? Channel eight.”
“Sure thing.”
Colcord snagged her a cinnamon roll from the warming case and placed it on one of the china plates he had inherited from his grandmother. Cash dug in earnestly.
“You got Bustelo by chance?” she said through a mouthful of cinnamon and frosting.
“Sure do.” Customers never ordered the stuff, but he kept a jar special for Cash. He fixed her up a cup, placing it steaming in front of her.
Robin Twen popped on-screen at twelve p.m. sharp, flaunting their familiar spiky hairstyle and a pastel-purple bow tie.
“Breaking news today,” they said. “In an update to our previous reporting on the Shrouder investigation, KBFR Investigative Beat has uncovered additional information surrounding CBI Agent Frankie Cash and her termination from the Criminal Investigations Division in Portland, Maine.”
Colcord exchanged a glance with Cash, who had her mouth set in a firm line. He wondered what this was all about.
Twen continued, “I recently spoke with Cash’s former CID partner, Monty Rex, who had this to say about what occurred at Portland CID.” The image changed, and Twen was now seated next to a man in a living room, holding a microphone up to his face. He was close-shaven, with a strong jaw and a distinctive cleaved chin. He looked a little bit like a grizzled Superman, Colcord thought.
“How was Agent Cash’s performance during her time at the Portland CID?”
“Cash was a terrific police officer.” Rex’s face morphed into a mask of anger. “There was an ongoing campaign of discrimination and harassment against Cash from the moment she joined the squad. The worst of the harassment was spearheaded by Ruby Barsconi, an officer in the street crimes unit. Barsconi was having an affair with Portland Chief of Police Luke Mezey.”
