In Safe Hands (Search and Rescue #4)(99)

“You okay?” she asked, wanting to hug him. When he was wearing that stoic expression, though, he almost felt like a stranger.

When he looked at her, his cop-mask fell away, revealing the worry beneath. “How am I going to tell Rob his kid’s a killer?”

Rushing forward, Daisy wrapped her arms around him, trying to give him that feeling of loving security she always felt when Chris was holding her. “I’m sorry you have to do this.”

He hugged her back, a little harder than usual. The items on his duty belt pressed against her belly, a physical reminder of his job, of that huge part of him that would always be a cop. Daisy was aware it would be hard to let him leave for work every day, knowing he could be injured or even killed. She loved Chris, though, and that meant loving the deputy, too.

She tipped her head back so she could meet his gaze. “Can you stay tonight?”

“I’m not going anywhere.” His arms tightened around her. “Tyler’s targeted you. I don’t want you to be alone until they pick him up tomorrow.”

“Good,” she said, not wanting to let go of him. “I like having you around.”

His smile was a ghost of his usual grin. “Love you, Dais.”

“I know.”

That made him laugh.

*

Once Rory, Lou, and Ellie had left, Tyler hurried across the street and wiggled under the porch, just like he’d watched his dad do the other night. The cover to the crawl space was in place, but the screws were missing, so Tyler just moved it over and slid into the hole feetfirst.

The crawl space was about four feet high. Crouching, Tyler shuffled forward, shining his flashlight—set to the dimmest setting—on the boards above him, checking for the hatch that would allow him into the house. The stove thing hadn’t worked, so he was going to try again. This time, he’d do better. He’d get rid of the threat to his dad.

“You okay?” Daisy’s voice made him freeze and flick off his flashlight. Tyler figured he was right beneath her, since her words were only slightly muffled.

“How am I going to tell Rob his kid’s a killer?”

Tyler stopped breathing for a second. They knew! Chris and Daisy knew, and they were going to tell, and Tyler and his dad would both go to prison. He hesitated as his mind raced. Tyler’s plan wouldn’t work now that Chris was there. Soundlessly, he retraced his path to the opening under the porch.

As much as he wanted to take care of things himself, Tyler knew he had to tell his dad what he’d heard. His dad would know what to do.





Chapter 21


Chris paced the kitchen as Daisy unenthusiastically checked out the options for dinner. Nothing looked appetizing, and she knew they were both too stressed and anxious to eat. Giving up on her search for food, she leaned back against the counter just as Chris’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, and his face went grim. “Rob,” he answered, sounding robotic. It felt like her heart stopped for a second before her heartbeat took off at a gallop.

“Now? Right. Okay.” Chris’s impassive expression had acquired a few cracks, and he didn’t look happy. “I’m already at Daisy’s, so just knock when you get here.”

Chris’s free hand tightened into a fist. When Daisy glanced at his balled fingers, he must have noticed, since he stretched them flat again. Monotone and even, his voice didn’t reveal his anger.

“See you.” He ended the call and returned his phone to his belt with restrained violence. Once he glanced at her, though, his face softened. “Guess I’ll be having that talk with Rob sooner than later.”

“What’s up?”

He grimaced. “Rob decided I was right about doing a search. He got a warrant for the house across the street this afternoon, but the gas leak put it on the back burner.”

She snorted at his unintentional—at least she hoped it was unintentional—pun.

His quick grin didn’t clarify whether he’d meant the play on words or not, and he soon sobered. “He’s coming over so we can search the house.”

“Tonight?” She glanced at the black window. “In the dark?”

“Rob said we’ll do the interior tonight and then come back tomorrow to search the yard.”

Her stomach was churning as every instinct she had screamed a warning. “Why is he willing to search the house his son lit on fire—and where Tyler might have killed someone?”

“He said we won’t be going into the room that burned. Safety reasons.” The last two words were heavy with sarcasm. “I can’t believe Rob knows how bad Tyler’s gotten. Covering up an arson, especially when it’s an unoccupied shed, is a much different thing than hiding a murder. Rob lives by a strict moral code. There’s no way his conscience would allow him to do that.”

She made a noncommittal sound. It seemed that she was the only one who believed the sheriff was capable of covering up his son’s murderous tendencies. “Will you talk to the sheriff about Tyler tonight instead of tomorrow morning, then?”

His cheerful expression flattened as he sighed. “I’m going to have to. There’s no way I can pretend that nothing’s wrong the entire time we’re searching.”

“Do you think he’ll fire you?” Daisy asked, hating that Chris could be punished for doing the right thing.