Dead Run

“With all due respect, I think questioning Sergeant Murphy is pointless, sir.” Travis stood and stared down at the major, coming awfully close to being insubordinate. “He’s a good judge of character. They know each other well.”

Lucas tried not to flinch. That made everything sound so...trashy.

Draper was clearly thinking the same thing. He stood and slipped his phone into his pocket, pinning Lucas with a hard glare. “Sergeant, I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you to keep your mouth shut around this girl. In fact, I’m pretty sure we don’t need to talk about having contact with her at all.”

Lucas stiffened. Surely the major wasn’t about to tell him to cut ties. He couldn’t. What if CID was right and her brother was involved in something out-of-bounds? “Sir, Kristin James was attacked yesterday. Kyle Coleman might be the reason, and someone needs to watch out for her.”

Travis interrupted, probably trying to defuse the tension flaring in the room. “Sir, Murphy is no fool. He also has Kristin James’s trust.”

Well, that was debatable.

Travis fired a pained look at Lucas, like he knew he might be about to cross a line. “Let him listen in.”

Had his friend volunteered him to spy on Kristin? Surely not.

Draper eyed Travis, ignoring Lucas. “He can stay close for now, but he’d better be careful. I need to talk to the commander about all of this.” He shot Lucas a loaded look and stalked out, clearly expecting Travis to follow.

Travis hesitated. “I’m sorry, man. It was the fastest way I could think of to keep him from ordering you away from her. Somebody’s got to have Kristin’s back, and her brother’s not here to do it.” He was gone before Lucas could respond.

Lucas dug his knuckles into his desk. He ought to be grateful Travis had buffered the conversation, but the whole day grated. Too many people in his business, bossing him around.

And Kristin lying to him.

His phone vibrated, and frustration drove him to jerk it from the desk. “Murphy.” He shot venom into the greeting, hoping whoever was calling would state their business quickly. If the lunch break wasn’t over, he’d change into his PTs and run a ten-miler with a fifty-pound ruck. Still wouldn’t blow enough steam.

“Lucas?” Kristin’s voice bled through the phone, weighted with something he couldn’t measure.

He dropped into his chair and blew out a deep breath laced with exasperation. This was the definition of thin ice. “Everything okay?”

“I’m fine, but...” She exhaled loudly. “My car’s missing.”

SIX (#u9ec7ce48-9153-568e-8c0e-c1aafa5bea16)

Oh, how Kristin hated having to call Lucas, but she’d had no choice. She needed someone to run interference with the police, but not in a million years would she tell Casey there had been more mischief at her house. The woman would move into the spare bedroom, and the last thing Kristin needed was an overprotective best friend disrupting her solitude.

She leaned against the window by the front door and watched as Lucas chatted with a police officer on the sidewalk. Rarely did she see him in uniform, occasionally catching glimpses as he went back and forth to work. The close view, his shoulders strong and his stance speaking authority, was more than the fragile distance she held between them could handle.