“Nope. They’re locked up tighter than a constipated asshole,” Sinclair said. “Though I did get the feeling they were holding something back.”
“Count on it. But that’s our job - to figure out what it is.” Tanner still had a couple hours of paperwork to do at the precinct, but at least they could stop and grab some food on the way.
“Burgers sound good for dinner?” Tanner asked.
“Always,” Sinclair said.
Tanner had worked with him on a few cases, and the man was easy going for the most part. But it was an old unsolved case that had originally brought them together.
When Sinclair first approached Tanner with his sister’s case, Tanner wasn’t sure there was anything he could do about a fifteen-year-old cold case. Stephanie Sinclair had gone missing one day while walking home from school, and her body had been found over four years later, completely mutilated. But the medical examiner had ruled the cause of death to be a brain hemorrhage. No one could make much sense of it, and there were still no leads.
Much like in this case.
Tanner rolled his shoulders thinking about the mindless conversations he’d just had with the club members. Arlo J was definitely into something that either no one knew about, or no one dared to talk about. Tanner was betting on the latter.
As soon as he figured out what it was, he’d find the killer.
Chapter 5
The next morning, April’s nerves were getting the better of her as she ordered an Uber and put in the address to the entrance of her favorite trail. By the time she got into the car, she told herself it was too late to change her mind. When she arrived and was greeted by a smiling Tanner, who was already stretching his hamstrings, any reservations she’d felt on the way instantly dissipated.
“Good morning,” Tanner said. “Glad your ‘maybe’ turned into a ‘yes’.”
April smiled at the man who looked just as delicious today as he had twenty-four hours ago. But April wasn’t here because of his toned abs, or his tight ass, or the way his smile turned just a little crooked when it reached his eyes.
She was here for Violet. And it was time to get some answers.
“So, what do you do?” Tanner asked, as they started their run. “For work, I mean,” he continued, easily keeping pace with her. “I don’t think I ever asked you that.”
“I’m a nanny and a homeschool teacher for a very sweet and special little girl.” There was no hiding the affection in her voice. Violet was the best and brightest light in her life.
“That sounds awesome. What’s her name?” Tanner asked.
“Violet. She’s six and I absolutely adore her. “Do you have kids?”
“No, but I do have a niece who just turned five. Maybe we can get them together for a playdate one day.”
One day.April’s heart skipped a beat at those words. She wanted that life for her niece more than anything. With any luck, this man wouldn’t just be setting up playdates with Violet. He’d be saving her from an evil stepfather. The urge to just blurt out that Violet was his daughter was suddenly so strong that it took everything she had to instead ask, “do you spend a lot of time with your niece?”
Tanner’s smile grew. “As much as I can. She’s awesome, but I’m just the fun Uncle Tanner. I honestly don’t really know if I want to have kids of my own. In my line of work, and with the crazy hours I keep, I’m worried I wouldn’t make a very good dad.”
April’s heart sank at his admission, but she quickly brushed it off. He hadn’t said he didn’t want kids, he just worried about being a good father. She could understand that. “It sounds like you love your niece very much,” she said, wanting to keep things light and positive.
“I love her more than anything in the world,” he admitted easily with that crooked smile of his that made his eyes shimmer in the morning sunlight. What April would give to have this man talk about Violet that way. And maybe one day, he would.
They ran in silence for a few minutes before April asked, “I heard about that biker guy that got murdered. Is that your big case?”
Tanner sighed. “Yeah, it’s unfortunate, but I think all of Dallas knows about it.”
“Why is it unfortunate?” She asked.
Tanner shrugged. “Sometimes the media can make it harder for us to do our jobs.”
April sensed he wanted to say more but was holding back, so she followed it up with another question. “Do you like your job?”
“I do. I get to find murderers and bring them to justice for the victims. It’s my small way of righting just a few of the wrongs in our world.” He shrugged again, like his words were so embedded in his identity that they’d become as much a part of him as his toned arms and rock-hard abs.
“That’s very noble of you.”
