And There He Kept Her (Ben Packard #1)(81)

“That’s a true statement. Sheriff’s deputy is a county job.”

“I thought you worked at a desk and dealt with potholes and road salt.”

“Yeah, well…it’s more than that.”

“No kidding. Any chance of seeing you again soon?” Michael asked.

“Yes. Couple of weeks maybe?”

“Cool. And hey, I’m not mad, just so you know. I’m just shocked that I had sex with a cop. I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Packard’s other phone was ringing now. Mac calling back.

“Well…okay. I’m glad you’re not mad. I gotta take this other call.”

“One last thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Bring the uniform when you come next time. You looked hot as hell all geared up like that on TV. Damn.”

“Deal.”

He hung up on Michael and answered Mac’s call. “Did you find out what happened to Emmett’s wife?”

“No, something else has come up.”

“Now what?”

“Cora Shaker keeps calling for you. She wants you to get out there immediately.”

“No. Tell her I don’t have time for her and Gary’s nonsense right now. Not today.”

“This isn’t about Gary. She said her husband’s missing and there’s blood all over her front door.”

“How long’s he been missing?” Packard asked.

“She said he was home last night when she went to bed.”

Packard turned off the coffeepot and the kitchen lights. “Come on, Mac. There’s a difference between him being missing and her just not knowing where he is.”

“I know. But what about the blood?”

“How much blood? Is she sure it’s blood?”

“She said it’s all over the front door, like someone covered in blood was trying to push their way in,” Mac said.

“So send someone to talk to her and check it out. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one on duty today.”

“I did. I sent Shepard. She keeps calling back and insisting on you.” Mac dropped his voice. “She keeps saying, ‘I don’t want the stupid one. Send Packard.’”

“Typical. Last time I was out there she threatened me with the Lord’s vengeance.”

“Are you going? Can I tell her you’re on your way? She keeps calling every two minutes.”

“Yeah, goddamn. I’ll go. It’s gonna take me half an hour to get there.”

***

The sun was up, drawing out green things hidden below the soil. The endless brown and white monotony of winter was over. Packard was getting too familiar with the roads and the turns out this way. He’d read somewhere that five percent of people cause fifty percent of health-care expenses. Cora and Gary were the law-enforcement equivalent of that.

He got his phone out and called Thielen’s number. When she answered, he could tell she was driving, too. “Where are you?” he asked.

“On my way to see Kate at Lutheran Social Services. What did you get from Sam’s sister last night?”

“Not much.” He told her about Shannon’s role in her brother’s drug operation and about the prescription for eighty-milligram oxys waiting to be picked up right before Jenny and Jesse disappeared. “She also said everyone in town thinks I’m a sad homo and that I’ve blown my chance to nail all the single ladies, and one day I’ll probably marry Gary Bushwright.”

Thielen made a sound like she was choking on something. “Jesus, Packard. You almost made me drive in the ditch. Why are you… What did you say to that?”

“What do you think I said? I said Gary Bushwright is not my type.”

“So…is this your big coming-out?” Thielen asked.

Packard adjusted the visor to get the sun out of his eyes. He’d never imagined a scenario where he was out at work because he never imagined himself taking the initiative to be so. If Shannon and Karen were telling the truth, the hard part had been done for him. All he had to do was confirm or deny. It was definitely easier to finally admit these things to Thielen than it was to keep dancing around them like they’d done for the last year and a half. He also knew he would conveniently forget this truth as soon as it became uncomfortable to put it into practice again. “I don’t know if I was ever in if the whole town knows. I just wanted privacy.”

“That was your first mistake,” Thielen said. “Moving to a small town and expecting privacy. I, for one, don’t think you’re sad.”

“You said the other night I should get a dog and be happier.”

“I didn’t mean because you’re sad. I meant you could be happier. We can all be happier.”

Packard came to a stop sign, looked left, turned right. “I get it. I’ve been unhappy for a while. I just haven’t figured out what to do about it.”

“Want to know what I think?”

“Sure.”

“No one is happy not being themselves. If you can quit worrying about what other people think and live your life, the rest will work itself out.”

He remembered Shannon asking him if he was a cop or a shrink and how he’d told her exactly what he thought she needed to do to fix her life. It was easy pointing out the error of other people’s ways. Harder to see your own. “You’re right. There’s a whole history of things you don’t know about, but we’ll talk about it over beers some time. Back to the matter at hand. I feel like we’re closing in on something. At that same time, it could all blow apart in the wind. It’s vague. We need something more.”