What She Found (Tracy Crosswhite #9)(82)

“It doesn’t matter, Del.”

“It does to me. Is this related to Lisa Childress?”

“Weber told me to back off my Lisa Childress investigation—”

“Why?”

“She wanted me to focus on cold cases that had DNA evidence and the best chance of resolution and paint the department in the best possible light.”

“What the hell does she call this?”

“Watch the news. The husband didn’t do us any favors. And Weber’s got her eye on the city council. She’s trying to combat the defund-the-police movement with numbers.”

“She can’t suspend you for getting a positive result,” Del said.

“Watch the news,” she said again. “It’s not so positive at the moment. Larry Childress went public and ripped the police department, saying their rush to blame him led to the loss of his wife and Anita’s mother. Weber does not see this as positive. She wanted me to fall on the department sword, and I’m not going to do it.”

“Seems like the husband already thrust the sword into our collective guts.” Del sighed. “Weber’s making an example of you.”

“A part of me deserves it, Del,” Tracy said.

Del didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he said, “You got time for a meeting tonight?”

“What type of meeting?”

“Me, you, and Faz.”

“I don’t know, Del. I want to spend time with Dan and Daniella.”

“She’ll be there, Del,” Dan said into the phone. “Count on it.”

Del disconnected the call before Tracy had time to argue.

Tracy sighed and looked across the firepit at Dan, who was unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile. “What are you smiling about?”

“He wants you to fight the suspension.”

“Maybe you should go to the meeting,” Tracy said. “You seem to have all of this worked out already.”

“No,” Dan said. “But I know you. You’ll hem and haw for a bit, but in the end, you’ll go because you hate to lose—at anything.”

“That’s not true.”

Dan’s smile broadened.

“It’s not true,” Tracy reiterated.

“You’re doing it now.”

“Doing what?”

“Trying to win this argument.”

Tracy shook her head. “I’m going to go change. It would do us both a world of good if when I came back, you had poured me a glass of one of those red wines you’re trying out.” Tracy went inside and marched upstairs. She spent time with Daniella, then asked Therese if she could feed her.

“Not a problem, Mrs. O.”

After Therese and Daniella left the bedroom, Tracy sat on the ottoman at the foot of the bed and took off her boots. She set them on the floor and looked to Rex and Sherlock, both attentive, staring at her.

“You two waiting for an answer also?” The dogs’ eyebrows danced, and Tracy reached out and hugged them both. “You’re loyal; aren’t you?”

“Rex, Sherlock. Dinner,” Dan yelled from downstairs. The two dogs nearly trampled each other getting out of the room. “But loyalty is no match for dog food and gravy,” she said.

She went into the bathroom and washed her face, rubbing a gentle soap on her skin that was supposed to prevent wrinkles—fat chance—then washed it away with lukewarm water and patted her face with a soft towel. She wondered how Melissa Childs and Anita were doing with the crowd outside Beverly Siegler’s home. She wondered if either knew about Larry Childress’s statement to the press. She wondered if Childs wished she had remained in Escondido, living in her safe and protected environment. It made Tracy think of Childs’s decision to return to Seattle, then to run the gauntlet of reporters. She wasn’t doing it for herself. She was doing it for the daughter and the mother who loved her and who had grieved, thinking she was dead.

It was a selfless act.

Tracy thought of Dan’s statement and chuckled at the irony. He was right. She wouldn’t just walk away, not without a fight. She owed it to the victims not to just give up. She hadn’t quit when Captain Johnny Nolasco made her life difficult, and she wouldn’t now. Dan was wrong about one thing though. Her motivation wasn’t driven by winning or losing. It was driven by doing the right thing.

It was about the fight.

Though winning was always better than losing.

And she intended to win.





C H A P T E R 3 2

Tracy stepped into Fazzio’s restaurant and Antonio, talking to a table of customers, excused himself and immediately came over. Faz had told Tracy that Antonio, at his mother’s suggestion, came out from the kitchen each night to thank each guest for choosing to dine at Fazzio’s, and to ensure their meal was up to the standards he set for himself. Antonio told the ma?tre d’ he’d take care of Tracy.

“Pops is in the back with Del, Tracy. Can I get you anything?”

“What are they drinking?” Tracy asked.

“Red wine,” Antonio said.

“Then just a glass,” Tracy said. She had quickly eaten some leftover Thai food, but the smells coming from Antonio’s kitchen made her mouth water.

“I’ll take you,” he said.