“Hey, K.J.,” Magda said. “How are you today? I stopped by County on my way in.”
“I’m going to swing by on lunch. Just need to shake the new guy.” K.J. rolled her eyes and shrugged. Magda knew about her particular issues with this new guy. And her friend agreed.
Something just felt off about him.
And they all knew he had been sent there to spy. Or for some other nefarious purpose they just couldn’t figure out. They had been expecting something out of Wichita Falls. Magda had even mentioned it. And told her to watch herself out there. There were coyotes in their house right now.
But Trace claimed to have come from Austin.
And the door was wide open for more.
Just why did it have to be K.J. that had gotten stuck with him?
“Elliot is waiting for you now. Go on in. Then…meet up at Mamaw’s Place after work? Grab Ashlie and Lila? I really need a break from here tonight.” There was a look in her friend’s light brown eyes that had K.J. looking at her more closely.
Her friend was hurting.
“You good?” Sometimes Magdasawthings as Chief Marshall’s assistant that could give someone nightmares. K.J. had listened to her friend vent countless times—but there was so much Magdacouldn’ttalk about, too.
They had been in the academy together.
They had been friends from that first week.
Lila and Ashlie had joined their little band of woman warriors later. They were all transplants to Finley Creek. They stuck together. And had become each others’ family. Lila had only been a part of their group for about a year, but they all justfit.
K.J. didn’t like it when something was wrong with the people she cared about. Not one bit. “What’s going on?”
“Just…sometimes…the nightmares become too much.” Magda stood, and opened the chief’s door herself. “Go on in. I’ll bring some drinks in, in a moment. I have a call to make first.”
“Thanks, Mags. I’m going to go see Brett in a bit. Then…finish my shift. We’ll do Mamaw’s tonight, then we can head back to my place. We’ll hang out. Talk.” Try to forget the nightmares.
See if life got a little better somehow.
An hour later, she still didn’t know what to think. What to say.
She’d said yes to the chief, of course. It wasn’t going to be a temporary position either.
And…she’d finally get her detective’s shield. She’d been approved months ago, it just hadn’t happened yet.
Something K.J. had been working toward for a long time.
Detective K.J. Miller, Major Crimes: Homicide Division.
She liked the sound of that. And she liked the head of the division, too. He was a fair boss and worked hard. It was definitely a step up for her now.
Every bit of excitement and pride drained out of her when the alarm sounded. When she learned—Heather Coleson and a woman named Powell Barratt had been abducted. In Hughes Heights. And a bodyguard had been shot.
He wasn’t expected to recover.
Trial by fire. All of Major Crimes had been called in.
It was time to go.
11
This wasn’t goingto begood.That fool son of his had involved his idiot friends in things he ought not to have. There would be repercussions. Anything for his son to make a dollar or two. At times he thought his son had believed they were in an odd sort of competition between them.
Because his father was so successful the son had to try to make his own way. He understood that. His own father had told him repeatedly that he was worth nothing. That all he would ever have would be what he couldtakefor himself. And to get out there and make his way. No one was going to give it to him.
