Chapter Three

There was the morning after.

Then there was the Monday after.

Saturday morning had been easy.

Dean had made her breakfast in bed.

They’d had sex so many times, her body was still aching.

And that night, she’d slid out while he was on the phone with his mom.

Yes. She was a coward.

The morning after had been pretty damn awesome.

It was the Monday … this Monday that had her concerned.

And he was already in the building.

Her gut was a tangle as she fisted a hand in her hair and finished writing up a report.

Toot—his real name was Thomas—Jenkins had found out his wife was cheating on him.

Toot reacted in a way that was … well, maybe understandable.

He’d beaten the shit out of the man in question, after finding them in bed together.

But the man was also his son-in-law, a well-respected dentist, and after finding them in bed and beating the shit out of Dr. Jeffery Archer, he’d also tied the man’s hands together, hooked him to the back of his truck, and driven him down Main Street. Naked.

He’d gone slow, too. Either he was considerate, or wanted to make sure every soul in town had seen Jeffery’s pale, bare ass.

Her skin went tight.

Putting the pen down, she closed her hand into a fist and slowly lifted her head.

Dean was walking her way.

Not going to panic. Nope.

Not going to—

A faint smile curved his lips.

People eyed them, while across the room, the other detective smirked. “Watch it, Bell. He might find a way to talk you into just letting Toot go with a slap on ol’ naked Jeffery’s ass.”

“If anybody gets to slap Archer’s ass, I think it’d be you. Last I heard, you weren’t seeing a lot of naked action,” Dean said, pausing to look over at Jeb. “Not since Adam had himself a good time with your wife. It was on your cruiser, right?”

Jeb’s face went ugly, florid, and red.

A couple of strangled coughs echoed through the room and Dean focused on her once again.

She arched a brow at him as he settled in the narrow chair by her desk. “You hear a lot of things, counselor,” she said, rocking back in her seat.

“Yeah. I keep my ear to the ground.” He studied her face.

Weighing things, she suspected.

Although it was hard to make herself relax, she managed. Giving him a smile, she said, “How was your weekend?”

“Enchanting.” That slow smile tugged at his lips and he asked, “Yours?”

She had to give the man credit. With a lazy smile and a simple word, he turned her heart to putty and also managed to make her clench with want. Mouth dry, she had to swallow before she could say, “About the same.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

The look that must have been relief melted her that much more. She went to say something else, but in that moment, an odd hush fell over the bull pen. She looked up and her belly twisted as she realized the guys were turning to look at her, one by one.

“What…” The question died as she caught sight of Chief Sorenson. He stood there, his eyes on her.

She didn’t even understand why, but the look on his face had the strength draining out of her legs.

She sagged back, bracing her hips against the desk as he came striding toward her.

“Jensen, I need to speak with you. Let’s go to my office.”

“Sir?”

He reached out, touched her arm.

Dazed, she looked down at his hand and then lifted her eyes back to study his heavily lined face.

“Some kids were messing around, down at the river, at the park a few blocks outside of town,” he said, his voice level, pitched low so that only she could hear. “Come on, now. Come to my office.”

She shoved off the desk, started to move.

But she didn’t head to his office.

She started to run.

By the time any of them realized where she was going, she was already out the door.

Distantly, she heard the slap of shoes behind her. She put on a burst of speed, but still, he caught up with her.

Dark, strong hands caught her arms.

“Jensen!”

Sucking in desperate breaths of air, she glared at Dean. “Let me go!”

*   *   *

Her eyes were pure hell.

Reaching up, he cupped her cheek.

“Calm down,” he said softly. “And I will.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!”

“I’m not letting you run off in the middle of the street.” He shrugged. “Sue me.”

Her mouth fell open and then, abruptly, she slumped, her narrow shoulders shuddering as she took in one slow, steadying breath. “Okay,” she murmured. “Okay. I’m good. I can walk.”

He let her go but instead of moving back, he held out a hand. “I can walk with you.”

She eyed his hand.

He continued to wait. “You really want to do this alone?”

She smacked her palm against his and then, as one, they started to move. She was painfully aware of the eyes on them, of Chief Sorenson drawing closer.

Even more, she was aware of the glittering ribbon of the Ohio, just barely visible through the buildings.

They started to walk, her heart pounding in her throat.

The park was only a few blocks away, something she could have reached in two minutes, easy.

It seemed to take forever, though.

By the time they got there, Sorenson was at her side.

And she was clutching Dean’s hand like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning.

*   *   *

The kids were still there, gathered at the edge of the river, while a uniformed cop kept them at a safe distance.

Thorpe, she thought, her brain going dull. It was Ben Thorpe, his hair buzzed so short she could see his scalp, his hands hooked over his belt while his gaze roamed over everything seemingly at once.

When he looked at her, he gave her a brief nod before jerking his gaze away to stare at the chief.

“Did…”

She licked her lips.

“Is it my mom?” she whispered.

Sorenson closed his hand over her shoulder. “I really don’t know what was found,” he said, sighing. “I tried to tell you that.”

Feeling like an idiot, she nodded. She’d taken off, running out the door like a stupid fool.

It’s been fifteen years. What do you think they are going to find?

Leaves and branches crunched under her feet as she walked to the riverbank, uncertain what she expected to find.

Dean was there, each step of the way.

It was probably nothing. There had been a few Jane Does, a couple of cars that looked like Mom’s but weren’t. This would be another—

Her heart stuttered as she caught sight of the car.

Stuck on some debris, bobbing in the swollen waters of the river, it hung there, like a slight breeze would send it drifting on again, caught on the current.

It was muddy, so filthy that the red paint was practically obscured.

Red paint.

Her heart jumped up into her throat and she shoved the back of her fist against her mouth.

Her heart stuttered into her chest as she stared at it.

It was so fucking dirty. But the lines of that car, as familiar to her as the beat-up Camry she drove, slammed into her chest like a fist. Without thinking, she lunged.

Only Dean’s arms, coming around her in a bear hug, kept her from hurtling down the steep embankment.

“Let me go!”

“Easy,” he murmured, his mouth against her ear. “Come on, Jensen. Take it easy. Take it easy. Let’s get her out of there first. Okay?”