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“I’m assuming you’ve read my report?” I said quietly.

“Oh, yes. But I want you to walk me through it.”

I didn’t tell him how the evening had started with Craig, since that wasn’t pertinent to the issue at hand. Every detail of the bar confrontation was exactly what was in my statement. It never varied. I told him about Flanigan’s behavior and how things had escalated to where I’d landed the punch.

“I know I shouldn’t have laid a hand on him, but what he was about to say made me snap,” I finished.

Davis walked back around to sit in his chair. “Flanigan is a hothead. And from what I’ve heard, and from what you’ve said and written, he was drunk. I understand your irritation with him. There were plenty of witnesses last night, and I’m sure I’ll be talking to a few of them.” He took a breath and paused. “He fucked up, but you fucked up worse. The difference is that you threw a punch and broke his nose.” Despite his professional demeanor, I could sense he was holding back a smile, or even a snicker.

I looked down at the floor. “I know, sir.”

“He’s out today… on sick leave for a couple of days, actually. Probably because of embarrassment. I expect a formal complaint from him, and then we’ll take any disciplinary action after reviewing it.”

“What about the pageant, sir? Where does that leave me and my undercover assignment?” I asked, afraid of losing that opportunity.

“Oh… you’re still going undercover. It’ll get you out of here and away from the squad room’s curious glances. Your reputation is excellent, Jonesy, and this pageant assignment is necessary. Plus, you’re the only detective in this precinct with makeup expertise. But there will be discipline coming down the line.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t care if it came down to me being suspended or having to participate in anger management seminars. I just wanted to do the pageant assignment.

“Thank you, Cap’n,” I replied, sitting straighter in my chair.

“When do you meet with the special events team?”

“Tomorrow. I plan to bring in my partner, Sean. I’m gonna need him in surveillance and in my ear throughout the week. He’ll work closely with the other special event officers at the Palace Hotel, with easy access in and out if necessary.”

“Alright. We should be set then.”

I left his office feeling a little better about where things stood. Luckily, I’d skimmed over the bump in the road, and now I could concentrate on the job at hand.

My next course of action was to determine exactly what I was in for and how to pull it off.

24

CRAIG

After a good night’s sleep, I felt the weight I’d been carrying for some time lift, and I might have gotten through to Jonesy. I’d only ever mentioned his behavior as a side comment before, sometimes after sex, but having the heart-to-heart might give him something to think about.

I wanted to get to Lake Tahoe early in the day to settle in and give Sheriff Landon a heads-up that I was in town. If I were lucky, maybe we could even meet up. I had texted Jonesy just before I left to let him know I was hitting the road. Our exchanges were brief, but we capped them with “I love you,” letting me know he wasn’t upset with me.

The drive was easier than when Jonesy and I went up last weekend, probably since it was the middle of the week. I arrived at the Quality Inn late morning, and I knew it was early for check-in. They told me to come back after three o’clock. That gave me the chance to grab some lunch and call Chet.

As I sat in a booth at the Driftwood Café, I called Jonesy to let him know I’d made it safely. My call went to voicemail, so I left a message saying I’d arrived and would check in with him later. My next call was to the sheriff, and he answered quickly.

A familiar, gruff voice came on the line. “Sheriff Landon.”

“Hi, Chet. This is Craig Bannon from San Francisco. Detective Jones and I met with you last weekend. I just wanted to let you know I’m in Lake Tahoe.” Chet didn’t reply, so I continued. “Any further development in the abduction of the two contestants?”

He paused for a long moment before answering flatly. “There’s nothing new.”

I found his response dismissive. “So, the missing woman is still out there somewhere?”

“As far as we know. We’ve hit a dead end.”

His answers were short, and his tone came across as though I were wasting his time. Maybe he just didn’t want to deal with me, or perhaps he was simply tired of not getting anywhere with what happened.

“Let me propose this. I can come in with a fresh pair of eyes and see if I can spot anything the forensics team missed. I won’t impede the investigation, but what if I could get a look at the rooms the contestants stayed in? Unless… the rooms have already been released?”

“Not yet, they haven’t cleared the room at the hotel yet.”