Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13)(34)

“Not much.” The voice sounded like Talia’s. “A couple public intox arrests down at the riverfront.”

“Anything else?”

“Not yet. I’m headed to the bluffs to see if they need a hand at the fireworks launch.”

“All right. Do me a favor. Swing by the middle school on your way there and check the athletic field. Crowley busted some kids there earlier shooting off Roman candles, and we need to make sure they’re not back.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s it.”

“Okay, later.”

Nolan hung up.

“All hands on deck tonight, huh?”

“That’s what happens in a small department.” He looked at her. “What’s that smile?”

“You’re good at giving orders. You auditioning for the chief’s job?”

“No.”

The firm response surprised her.

“Talia’s a junior detective,” he said. “She’s my trainee.”

“I see.” Still, Nolan seemed to take the lead on a lot of things. “Hank is pretty hands-off. Or is that just my imagination?”

“He didn’t used to be, but he’s getting up there in years. And he’s had some health issues lately.”

“Why doesn’t he retire?”

“Kaylin Baird is his grandniece.”

“Oh.”

“He intends to solve her case or drop dead trying.” Nolan glanced at her. “His words, not mine.”

Sara felt a pang of sympathy. She imagined how awful it would be to investigate a family member’s case. The stress had to be intense, and Hank’s age already put him at risk for heart problems.

She suspected Nolan was well aware of these issues, as well as the vacuum that would surely be created when Hank eventually did leave, for whatever reason.

“Do you like working in the place where you grew up?” she asked.

“That was always the plan.”

“What was?”

“Go through the academy. Get experience in a big department. Make detective. Then come back here and build something.”

“Build what?” she asked, intrigued.

“A career, a life.”

“And you started this plan when you were, what? Twenty-three?”

He looked at her. “Twenty-two. Why?”

“You set your goals young.”

“So?”

“So, that’s good.” She shook her head. “My career path’s been a lot more zigzag, I guess you’d say. I trained in forensics. Then I took a teaching job. Then I did humanitarian work, and now I’m working with law enforcement again. I’m kind of all over the map.”

“Nothing wrong with exploring,” he said. “There’s a saying, ‘Not all those who wander are lost.’?”

She smiled.

“What?”

“That’s Tolkien,” she said. “I wouldn’t have guessed you for a fan.”

“Some cops can read, you know.”

“If you say so.”

He shot her a glare, and she realized she liked teasing him.

They neared the Morningstar Motor Lodge. The VACANCY sign still flickered, even though the parking lot looked crowded. Nolan drove through downtown and turned into the police station, which was busier than when they’d left. He slid into a space beside Sara’s Explorer.

“I’m going to check out that wall tomorrow,” she told him. “Sangria.”

He turned to face her. The air between them felt charged suddenly. “You’re staying overnight?”

“No reason to leave and come back.” Plus, she had some things left to do tonight. But she kept that to herself.

“Are you going alone?” he asked.

“Sure. Why not?”

Nolan gave her a long look. “Let me know your plan.”

Sara stared into his deep brown eyes, overcome with an odd sensation of being pulled into him again. The silence stretched out, and her pulse started to thrum. She couldn’t be around him and not get distracted. His deep voice. His hands. His eyes when he looked at her intently, as he was doing now.

The phone buzzed from the cupholder. He checked the screen.

“It’s Crowley. Sorry, I need to—”

“Take it.” She pushed open the door and hopped out. “I’ll be in touch.”

? ? ?

Talia got a call as she neared the police station and was surprised to see the department phone number on the caller ID.

“Vazquez,” she said.

“Hey, it’s Joanne. You’ve got a visitor.”

“Who?” Talia swung into the staff parking lot and found an empty space.

“You know that detective who called yesterday?”

Talia stared through the windshield, completely at a loss.

“The one from Austin?” Joanne prompted. “Detective Harper?”

“Crap, Harper. I meant to call him back. Are you saying he’s here?”

“Standing right across the lobby.” Joanne’s voice lowered. “I tried to get him to wait in the break room, but he wouldn’t budge.”

Talia checked her watch. “Well, what does he want? It’s a holiday, for crying out loud.”