The Silence (Columbia River #2)(33)

“We’ve got a description. We’ll see if it matches up with any other possible leads. Maybe he’s on camera somewhere else. We can check in the direction he went.”

He didn’t sound very confident.

“Why park behind a 7-Eleven? That’s a good way to get towed.”

“I don’t know how a tow truck could get into that tight space,” Zander said quietly. “It’d be nearly impossible, so not too bad of a choice if he knew there was no working camera.” He lifted both hands. “It could happen. The guy shot into a crowd of cops. He’s a risk taker.”

Ava couldn’t argue with that.

Just as she was about to get into Zander’s vehicle, she checked her phone. It’d vibrated three times while they talked with the 7-Eleven clerk, but she’d ignored it.

The three texts from Mason made her gasp.

Call me

Call me

Ray’s in surgery. Took a bad turn. Headed there.

“What happened?” Zander asked sharply.

She’d frozen with her hand on the door handle, staring at her phone. “It’s Ray. Something happened and they took him to surgery.” Her heartbeat pounded in her ears.

“Do we need to head that way?”

Indecision flittered around her head. What do I do?

“I don’t know.” She fired off a text to Mason asking what happened.

For the second time that day she was pulled in two different directions. Stricken, she looked at Zander, unable to make a decision. Work or family?

He read her face. “Get in. I’ll run you back to the office, and you can drive from there. I’ll handle our assignment for now.”

Relief flooded her. “Are you sure?”

“I can tell you wouldn’t be an effective investigator at the moment.”

“That’s true. My focus is completely shattered.”

They both climbed in the vehicle, and Ava gripped her phone, willing Mason to text her back.

Her phone was agonizingly silent.

Hold on, Ray.

This will destroy Mason.

“This isn’t happening today,” she whispered. “I can’t have two people taken away in one day.” With a sharp pang in her heart, she suddenly felt David’s death very keenly; she’d lost the what-could-be. While he lived, there had always been a chance that she’d lower her walls and they’d get to know each other in a deeper way. Now she could lower them all she wanted and it no longer mattered.

“I’ll never know,” she mumbled, staring straight ahead.

“You’re right,” Zander said. “You’ll never know what might have happened with David in your life.”

Zander is too perceptive.

“But do you know what?”

“What?” she asked flatly.

“You’ve got two half siblings with nice families waiting to get to know you. The potential for something great between all of you still exists.” He turned and caught her gaze. “Don’t turn your back on it.”

She hated it when he was right.

What do I have to lose?





14

Mason called back as Ava was getting into her car at the FBI office to drive to the hospital. Her heart jumped at his name on her screen.

“What happened?” she asked.

“Ray’s all right. There were some really bad moments for a while, but he’s breathing normally now.”

Ava exhaled and leaned back in her seat, drained. “How’s Jill?”

“A wreck. Just like the rest of us. But relieved.”

“Do you need me up there?” she asked.

“No, I’m going to leave in a few minutes now that he’s out of danger again.” Mason sounded as if he hadn’t slept in two days.

The shooting was barely twenty-four hours ago.

“Ava . . .”

She waited.

“We lost another one. A deputy,” he whispered.

Her eyes smarted. “That’s five deaths now.”

“I know. Could’ve been six.”

Silence stretched between them.

Ray will be fine. He’s going to make it.

Ava kept the thoughts to herself. Mason was never comforted by the usual words of encouragement. They were empty to him, meaningless. She felt the same.

“There’s a service tomorrow,” he finally said.

“We’ll be there, of course.” The police funeral they’d attended last fall suddenly felt as if it had occurred yesterday.

Mason didn’t reply. His supervisor had been murdered in October, and Ava knew he was suffering through unpleasant memories. She wished she were standing beside him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice flat.

He wants a distraction. “Zander and I were assigned to follow up on some interviews in Oregon City.” She wished she had nonshooting news to share. She still hadn’t told him about David’s death on the coast—there’d been no time.

“Mason, I hate to bring this up now, but you should know.” With hesitant words she shared what she knew about David’s shooting.

“Ava . . . I’m so sorry.” Concern flooded his tone. “Are you going over there?”

“No. I’m needed here. The sheriff seems to have it under control.”