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“I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking you ought to run to the bank and cash it to make sure it’ll go through, right?”
I laughed. “I can’t say you don’t know me very well,” I replied.
“Always thinkin’,” he said.
There was a lull in the conversation, so I brought up the topic of my heading back to Lake Tahoe. “Hey…I’m thinking it might be advantageous for me to go back and talk to Chet. Check for any new leads. I’m thinking of going up on Wednesday and coming back on Friday morning. I know the Miss California pageant starts this weekend.”
He hesitated before answering. “Okay…but it has to be off the record. It’s only to find out if they have any additional information that might help my investigation into Gretchen’s death. If you can find out anything more about the missing woman, that might help too.” He paused. “I can’t imagine why you’d need two days up there, though. Unless you want to test your luck in the casino again?”
He had me there, so I deflected. “I don’t plan on it. For one, I’m not staying at Bally’s because of the expense. And second, I donated the money I won to the LGBTQ+ Center last night.”
“Did you donate the entire eight hundred dollars?
“Yup. I felt it was better to help the organization than to just buy something meaningless with it.”
It was his turn to laugh. “I find it funny that the money you rolled in, and I came on, would be used for a gay fundraiser donation.”
“Oh my God, I didn’t think of that. But it wasn’t the actual bills. I used the QR code to donate from my bank account.” The thought still made me giggle.
Someone called across the squad room. “I gotta run, Howler. Duty calls,”
It surprised me he’d use my nickname over the phone at the precinct. “Alright. I’ll chat with you later, babe. I love you.”
“Okay. Bye,” he finished before hanging up.
I knew he was busy, but really? It stung again, the guarded phone call and quick goodbye without replying in kind. I took a breath as I hung up. Remember last night?
Again, I brushed my disappointment aside.
Now I needed to figure out where to stay in Lake Tahoe on Wednesday night, and how I would approach Brooke Chandler.
17
JONESY
“Who the hell is Howler?” Sean asked as he sat at his desk across from me.
“W-what?” I said too quickly. “You’re listening in on my phone calls now?”
He shrugged. “No. I’ve just never heard you call anyone by that name before. Is it an informant?”
I thought for a few seconds before answering. “In a way, yes,” I replied, diverting my eyes and thinking about Craig heading back to Lake Tahoe. He’d inform me of anything he found out, so it wasn’t a lie. I simply bent the truth—but then figured better of it.
Keeping my voice low, I leaned toward him, looking left, then right. “I was talking to Craig.”
With a pinched brow, he asked, “You call Craig, Howler?”
“Keep it down, will ya? Yes…it’s a nickname.”
Sean chuckled. “Oh, God. I’d love to know how that came about?”
“Of course you would, but I’m not gonna tell you.”
“Hmmm…I bet it has to do with sex.”
It always astonished me how he could read between the lines, especially when it came to me. I shot him a look that said, ‘This conversation is over.’
“Ha…I knew it, just from your expression and lack of confirmation,” he snorted.
