No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(79)

*

They were in the truck, driving home the next morning, when Dawson tried to reach Big Red at Safety First. He tried once at eight and once at nine, but it wasn’t until they were nearly to Silver Springs that he finally got through.

Knowing what hung in the balance, Sadie wanted to listen to the conversation. She was praying he’d get good news—in her opinion, he deserved a little—but they’d just pulled over to get gas and Jayden needed to use the restroom.

By the time she took her son into the mini-mart, bought him an apple after they were finished in the restroom and returned, Dawson was off the phone.

“What happened?” she asked.

He removed the gas nozzle from his tank and screwed on the cap. “It was a guy by the name of Oscar Hunt.”

“Who built the shelter for Alex? That’s who saw the vagrant you picked up and mentioned it to Gage Pond at The Blue Suede Shoe?”

Dawson opened the passenger door to lift Jayden into his safety seat. “Yep.”

“Did you talk to him?”

“No, he’s out on a job.”

“He doesn’t have a cell phone?”

“He’s somewhere in the Nevada desert, doesn’t have service. They won’t give me his personal information, anyway. But Big Red said he’d give Hunt my number as soon as they have contact with him.”

“Did you ask if Oscar has ever mentioned the incident?”

“I did. Big Red had no idea what I was talking about, though. Said he doesn’t recall.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“No,” Dawson agreed, but she could tell he was nervous that the lead wouldn’t go anywhere. He had only this Oscar’s sighting of a vagrant fitting the right description and the hope that the forensics specialist he hired would be able to find something of evidentiary value, when all he’d had to start with was a crime scene that’d already been scoured by police. The odds were not in his favor.

“We have only a couple of days to get ready for Robin Strauss,” he said, obviously trying to distract himself.

“From the state?”

He nodded.

“We’ll be ready,” she promised. At least she could help him with that.

*

Sly was at the gym on Tuesday morning when his phone started to buzz. Pete was trying to reach him. They both had the day off, were going to the range later. They often went target shooting—if not at the range, where they had to put in a certain number of hours to remain on the force, then out in the mountains, where they shot things up for fun. Although they probably spent equal time developing their skills, Sly took great pride in the fact that he was the better marksman.

Because he was lifting, he let the call transfer to voice mail so he could finish his curls. He would’ve waited to call Pete back until he was on his way home, so he wouldn’t be interrupted and could finish quicker, but Pete seemed determined to reach him. When the phone rang again, Sly slouched onto the weight bench where he’d left his phone and answered.

“What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Pete replied.

Sly straightened his right leg to admire the definition in his quads. He looked good. The Stanozolol he’d been taking was making a big difference. “Charlie’s Fitness, why?”

“I just stopped by your place.”

“But we weren’t supposed to get together until after lunch...”

“I know. I have something to tell you. I hope you’re sitting down.”

This sounded ominous. Sly dropped his foot back to the mats that covered the floor. “Is there a problem?”

“There might be. When I went in to the station this morning to finish a report I was supposed to turn in yesterday, I overheard a snatch of conversation I don’t think you’re gonna like.”

Sly wasn’t too worried. He grabbed his towel, which he always left on the bench with his phone while he lifted, and wiped the sweat from his face. “I’m sure you were getting an earful. Chief Thomas is still pissed at me for what happened at Lolita’s on Sunday, but don’t worry about it. I’m having dinner at his place tonight so that we can discuss my ‘recent behavior,’ as he put it. I’ll just tell him about all the shit Sadie’s been putting me through, how she’s been playing me hot and then cold, sleeping around when I think we’re getting back together and trying to turn my own kid against me, and he’ll understand. What man wouldn’t? Thomas might curse and yell, but he’s always got our backs. That’s what’s important on the force, right? Solidarity. He says it himself all the time—we’re stronger if we stand together.”

“Thomas will come around,” Pete agreed. “He always does. But...this is something else.”

Sly tossed the towel aside. “The complaint Sadie filed against me? I already know about that. Thomas called me first thing.” He laughed without humor. “She’s got her nerve, man, thinking anyone at that station would take her side over mine.”

“No, it’s not that, either, buddy. If you’ll just listen...”

Sly felt his first trickle of unease. What else could there be? “Fine. I’m all ears,” he said. “Shoot.”

“There’s a guy, a Damian Steele, coming from LA. Sounded like he was some kind of forensics specialist, so—”