ABBY CLIMBED INTO HER CAR, head spinning. Rollins had turned her attempt to blindside him with her interview on its ear. If she had known this meeting would take place, she would have been more prepared. And the job offer —wow. It was as if she were in an episode of The X-Files. Her phone began to ring and she saw that it was Detective Wright.

“Hello, Fred, what’s up?”

“Some information I need to share with you and Murphy. Can we meet somewhere? Maybe for coffee or lunch?”

“Right now?” Abby was not up to seeing Luke or Wright at the moment.

“It’s important.”

“Then why not the Seal Beach PD?” At least that would be business.

“I have sensitive stuff to show you. I’d rather we were at a coffee shop or restaurant. I’m in Seal Beach; is there a place here you prefer?”

Abby sighed, feeling a hundred years old. “How about River’s End?”

“Great. I’ll call Murphy and meet you there.”

“I’m just leaving the station, so I won’t be long.” Abby disconnected and tried to generate some interest or enthusiasm.

“I’m hoping this puts the story to rest.”

Not hardly, Abby thought as Rollins’s voice rang in her ears. Sanders told a story that was too plausible to be dismissed so easily. How do you put the genie back in the bottle? How do you find the truth in a maze of lies, liars, and dead men?

When she arrived at River’s End, Luke was just getting out of his truck. He waited for her.

“Are you okay? You don’t look happy,” he said.

She’d gotten over the irritation she felt because he read her so easily. “I just had a one-on-one meeting with Governor Rollins.”

“What?”

“Yep.” She pointed to Wright, waiting by the entrance. “I’ll explain to both of you.”

When they reached the detective, he gestured across the flood control channel to Serenity Park. “That’s where the Triple Seven used to be,” he said to Abby. “Funny you picked this place.”

Abby cocked her head. “This is my favorite restaurant. I like to look across the way and imagine my folks and their business before the park.”

“It’s a great park,” Luke said. “I take my daughter there often. What do you think of the plaque?” he asked Abby.

“I’ve never been to the park.”

“What?” Luke stared at her as they were shown to a table.

“I like to imagine, but I’ve never been able to go there and see the reality.”

Once they were seated, Abby changed the subject and told them about the meeting with the governor.

“I wish I’d known that he was going to give me the opportunity,” she said as she finished. “I would have been better prepared.”

“I’m sure he surprised you for just that reason,” Luke observed.

“This makes what I have to show you all the more important,” Wright said, holding up a manila envelope. He fanned his palm with the envelope. “I got some interesting information from a friend of Luke’s —” he gave Luke a look —“who wishes to remain nameless until we get some hard evidence.” He pulled a photo out of the envelope and handed it to Luke. “Does this guy look familiar?”

“That’s him —that’s the second man from the flood control. He was wearing the hoodie.” His face was bright with excitement.

“Wait, catch me up. You’ve identified Luke’s attackers?” Abby asked Detective Wright.

“With Luke’s friend’s help. The dead man was Gordon West. And now this guy.”

“How’d you find him? Who is he?” Luke asked.

“I know him,” Wright said. “He’s an ex-OC deputy. Alonzo Ruiz. He was fired about ten years ago for beating a homeless man to death. It was the first homicide case I handled and one I’ll never forget.”

“But how’d you find him?” Luke asked again, handing the photo to Abby.

“Your friend was able to send me a list of known associates for West. I picked Ruiz out right away. The kind of intimidation you experienced was right up his alley. He was acquitted at trial but still lost his job because of his overall bad record.”

“Has he been causing problems since then?”

“No, we thought he moved out of state. But there’s more. When I retrieved his files to review, I found something interesting. Gavin Kent was listed on Ruiz’s deputy application as a reference.”

“Oh, you’re kidding me. What a connection.” Abby smiled.

“Have you contacted Kent about this?” Luke asked.

Wright shook his head. “I’m hoping to find a more recent connection. Ruiz graduated from the academy fifteen years ago.”

Sandy appeared to take their orders. Luke asked for coffee. Abby did the same, and Wright ordered iced tea.

“So Kent could say he lost contact.” Abby rubbed her temples after Sandy left. “I don’t believe in coincidences. Maybe Sanders was a liar and a cheat, but I’ll bet a paycheck that there was a grain of truth in what he said. I asked Rollins if I could talk to Kent.”

“That was a good question,” Luke said. “What did he say?”

“That it would be an insult to the man.”

“Hmmm,” Wright said. “Then I’d better dig to find a more recent connection. And we’re looking for Ruiz. Every deputy in OC knows him.”

“Thanks, Fred. I really owe you. I’m not on this case; you don’t need to keep me in the loop.”

“Hey, if my parents had been in the ground for twenty-seven years and their killers out free, I’d be working just as hard as you to get to the truth.”