The pizza arrives. They eat and discuss more theories about where Teddy might be. Then Clay heads up to Rochester in his truck. Judd wants to drive separately so he can spend more time with Mei, which Clay interprets as spend the night. Deb is the most upset she’s been since Teddy disappeared. Part of that is from more time having passed. The longer Teddy is gone, the more likely he got himself into some real trouble. And gaining access to Teddy’s cell phone isn’t helping Deb’s mental state. The man has an addictive personality. Sometimes that means substituting one drug with another. Or one activity with another. It’s all about chasing the same high, whether that high comes from alcohol or gambling or whatever.
Judd kisses Mei goodbye at her car and makes a plan to meet at her place. Zoey is about to get in her squad car when Judd calls out to her.
She stops, one leg in the car, the door open. “Yeah?”
Judd walks over and says, “Why are you keeping Mike and Andy out of this?”
“I’m not,” says Zoey. “Finding Teddy is their number one job at the moment.”
“Yeah, but how come you’re working primarily with Clay and me and not them?”
Zoey swings her other leg into the car, shuts the door, rolls down the window, and says, “I don’t trust Mike and Andy.”
“What does that mean?” says Judd. “You think they’re involved in Teddy going missing?”
“Not necessarily,” says Zoey. “But they’re up to something. Their communication with me is dodgy. They come and go at odd hours and in strange ways. For example, why did Wahlquist choose to drive home on such an obscure route the night he found you and Clay walking home after the bridge incident?”
“Yeah,” says Judd. “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
“I saw him earlier that night at Knut’s,” says Zoey. “Then he left to go on patrol but he made some lame excuse about being down in a river valley and out of service.”
“It can happen,” says Judd.
“I know. But Sue tried radio contact for over an hour. Those out-of-contact spots are small. Just at the lowest elevations. What was Wahlquist doing in one for over an hour?”
“Wahlquist and Kimmich are good cops,” says Judd.
“They can be,” says Zoey. “But they’re not always good cops. I’ve seen that firsthand. And my guess is you have, too.”
Judd doesn’t respond directly. He’s never held his friends Mike Wahlquist and Andy Kimmich to the standards he sets for himself. Maybe that’s part of being Teddy Hawkins’s twin brother. Always expecting less from others. Making excuses for them. Bailing them out of whatever trouble they might get into because, hey, they did not fall short of expectations. At least Judd’s expectations. Maybe the only person he’s ever had highexpectations for is Clay. And Clay met Judd’s expectations and then some. Not exactly in the way Judd would have preferred, but Clay is one capable human being.
He can’t help but wonder if all that animosity toward Clay stemmed from a fear of losing the boy. Losing him like he lost Pam. Maybe Judd kept his son at arm’s length so Clay couldn’t hurt him the way Pam did. The idea is just hitting him now in the moment, and it’s making his stomach churn. He’s got to put that to bed. Accept Clay for who he is. Because Clay is pretty damn amazing. His violin playing. Going to Dorset-Cornwall. Working for his country using pro soccer as a cover. And Clay’s raising one hell of a boy. Gave Judd his most treasured gift.
And it was Clay who noticed Zoey’s skilled police work. Maybe, if Judd is honest with himself, he saw it, too. But he didn’t want to, and Clay opened Judd’s eyes. Because Zoey Jensen is a hell of a cop. Her investigation of Teddy’s disappearance is top rate. Hell, she’s even sniffed out Clay’s secret agent work while he played professional soccer in Europe. Or she’s damn close to doing so.
Judd doesn’t much like himself at the moment. But he swallows it all down and says, “So what do you think Wahlquist and Kimmich are up to?”
“Not sure,” says Zoey. “Clay said Wahlquist is going to run for mayor. Maybe it has something to do with that. Or it might just be that they’re trying to find Teddy on their own to show me up. I hope that’s what they’re doing. I know they feel slighted that one of them wasn’t promoted to chief. They’re not outright hostile toward me. But there’s an undercurrent of tension at the station. Ask Sue. She’s noticed it, too.
“The most important thing right now,” adds Zoey, “is that whatever they’re up to, I don’t want it distracting from the work you and Clay and I are doing.”
“All right,” says Judd. “Fair enough. I’ll talk to them. See if I can sniff out anything. And hopefully you’re right. They’re just trying to be the heroes so they can embarrass their boss.” Judd looks down, as if he has to muster up the courage to say what he’s about to say. “But don’t worry about them. You’re a good cop, Zoey. Riverwood is lucky to have you.”
Zoey feels Judd’s compliment in her throat and behind her eyes. And it takes all her strength to keep that feeling from spreading. “Of course you’d say that,” she says. “You trained me.” Zoey manages a hint of a smile, then rolls up her window and drives away.
CHAPTER 30
“Is it okay if I stay over one more night?”
Clay tests his new cell phone with a call to Braedon. He told his son he’d pick him up at 8:00PMbut Braedon has other ideas.
“Yesterday you said you didn’t want to stay with a couple of old ladies,” says Clay. “Now you don’t want to leave?”
“It’s just… I’m making the coolest lures for when me and Grandpa go fishing up north. Carol has books on how to make everything, and Sue gave me a ride to the house to get clean clothes and my computer so I can watch YouTube videos on lure making. I even made you some woolly buggers.”
“Thank you, Brae. Woolly buggers are a go-to fly. I appreciate that.”
“They’re not hard. Just marabou, chenille, and hen hackle.Oh, and a bead head and lead wire that isn’t really made of lead because lead’s toxic.”
