Seattle, Washington, October 5
Evening shadows spread across Seattle as Kenzie and Derek walked into the restaurant for dinner with Lucas. Not long ago, she would have rejected the invitation to dinner, seeing it only as a distraction from the case at hand. But Derek would never let her get away with that. Derek, Sydney and even Claire, who had all woven themselves into the fabric of her life, a stark contrast to the isolation she once clung to. Now, even though Kenzie’s mind tumbled with facts gleaned from today’s interviews, she looked forward to a relaxing dinner with Lucas and Derek.
The restaurant’s warm glow drew her in as Derek held the door for her. Tonight she’d enjoy the company of good friends and tomorrow she’d be ready to tackle the next step in the investigation. Whatever that was.
“Hey, Kenz.” Lucas met them at the door. “Hi Derek,” he said cautiously.
Kenzie clapped a hand on Derek’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Derek here has realized he’s an idiot. Haven’t you?”
Derek gave her a dark look. “How could I forget? You keep reminding me.”
Lucas laughed, but it sounded a little forced. Kenzie hoped things would not be weird between these two now.
“Sydney’s not with you?” Lucas asked.
Kenzie grinned. “She’s nerding out in the crime lab. We might see her again in a week.”
“Our table is over here,” Lucas said. “I ordered you a wheat beer, Kenz. I wasn’t sure what you drank, Derek.”
“He likes whiskey,” Kenzie said absentmindedly as she followed her brother through the dark room. It was a classic sports bar, with dozens of beers on tap and games on several televisions.
Kenzie frowned. “I figured you’d pick some seafood gastronomy. This place looks more like…Dad.” Kenzie stared up at the tall man next to their table, imposing even in his off-duty attire.
“Hello, Mackenzie.”
Kenzie blinked at her father. I must be more tired than I thought. “Captain, why are you in Seattle?”
She’d thought of her father as “the captain” for as long as she could remember. He wasn’t her captain, but his work was his life and the captain seemed a better title for him than Dad.
She felt Derek’s hand on her back, pushing her toward her father’s outstretched hand. She leaned back against Derek and his fingers pressed harder, moving her toward the captain. Feeling disconnected from her body, she watched her small hand disappear inside his calloused one.
“Lucas and I are attending the same conference.” He cut a curious blue gaze toward his youngest son. “Didn’t he tell you?”
“He did not.” Kenzie glared at her brother, silently conveying that they would never find his body. You are so dead.
Lucas reached for his beer and took a large swallow, averting his gaze.
A gentle cough reminded her of Derek’s presence. “Captain Shaun Harper, this is Ranger Derek Reese.”
“Pleasure to meet you, sir. If I’d known this was a family get together, I would have begged off and let you guys catch up,” Derek gave her father an affable grin.
“Nonsense, sit down, Derek.” The captain returned to his seat, straightening the silverware on the table. His icy blue eyes scanned the room with the attention of a seasoned officer before returning to her.
Derek pulled out a chair across from Lucas and gestured for her to sit. She lifted a brow at the sudden appearance of his formal manners. His gesture sent a warmth through her chest that chased away the constriction that had started the moment she saw her father.
Derek took the seat to her right and she might have imagined it, but she thought he adjusted the chair to be closer to hers. His silent show of support brought unresolved questions to the surface. Was it the action of her friend or someone who wanted to be more? He had joined her team, but only for this one case. Ugh. Everything between them felt tenuous and uncertain.
Kenzie met Derek’s gaze. His encouraging smile bolstered her more than she’d expected. Derek turned to her father and smoothly asked something about the conference, giving her a moment to collect her thoughts. She squeezed her eyes shut. Focus, Harper.
She grabbed her beer and took a big swallow, studying the captain over the rim. Her father’s once fiery red hair had more gray than she remembered. When had she been home last? And what had she told Derek about her father?
That he was a police captain back in her hometown of Cleveland. That her family was full of cops. And that she was the black sheep who’d gone to federal law enforcement.
Oh, and that he was utterly disappointed in her.
A server set menus in front of them and Kenzie stared at it, wishing she could dissolve into the floor. Murdering Lucas would be too good for him after this betrayal—slow torture was more in order. Lucas understood how complicated her relationship was with their father. How could he spring him on her like this?
“Kenz?”
Beer sloshed over her hand as she jumped. “Shit,” she muttered. She eyed Lucas. “What?”
Lucas frowned and for the second time in as many days, Kenzie saw shades of their father in her younger brother. But a frown on Lucas’ normally jovial face just felt wrong. “I asked what’s new with the case?”
Derek handed her a napkin. She met his gaze and heard his silent message. Everything okay?
No, everything was decidedly not okay. In just a few minutes, under her father’s scrutinizing gaze, she’d reverted from decorated FBI agent to a little girl.
“Thanks.” She accepted the napkin, cleaned off her hand and her glass and straightened her shoulders.“We still have more questions than answers with this one,” she said. “There’s a new designer drug called Icarus X that’s killing young people.”
The captain shook his head. “We’re no stranger to drugs in Cleveland. Seeing young people get pulled into that life is a damn shame.”
“Exactly, which is why both DEA and FBI are working so hard to stop the influx of drugs to Seattle.”
The captain frowned. “Its hard enough to work with one federal agency. That’ll be tricky to manage.”
Kenzie bristled at the insinuation. She was a federal agent. Did that make her part of the problem in her father’s eyes? The captain still carried the same tough, unyielding nature she’d grown up with, making conservations feel like navigating a minefield.
Derek interjected, “Agents Rafferty and Donovan seem very competent. Though both have strong personalities.”
“Gosh, who does that sound like?” Lucas asked, grinning at Kenzie.
Kenzie kicked him under the table. His eyes watered, which made her feel better.
The server delivered baskets of burgers and fries and brought Kenzie a second beer. Her first seemed to have disappeared. As they ate she filled them in on the case in broad strokes, keeping confidential any crucial pieces of information.
“Any identification yet on the woman Bodie found?” Lucas asked around a bite of burger.
“No, hopefully the preliminary exam will come back soon.”
“What about the missing DEA agent we were searching for?”
Kenzie shook her head. “No sign of her. Though we visited her apartment and I’ve started digging into her more.”
“Turns out she had a younger brother,” Derek said.
“Had?” the captain asked with obvious interest.
“According to the neighbor we spoke with, Tori’s brother Sam is dead.”
Lucas’ brown eyes widened. “How?”
“I have no idea. Every time I try to access Tori or Sam’s files, I get rejected. So I’m totally in the dark right now.”
“I’m going to stay and help with the search for Tori as long as I can,” Lucas said.
The ice around Kenzie’s heart toward her brother melted a little, and a hint of guilt over her murderous thoughts this evening crept in. From what the neighbors had shared, Tori and Sam had been close. Sam’s death must have devastated Tori. Kenzie couldn’t imagine losing Lucas. “That’s great, Lucas, thank you.”
“I’m heading back tomorrow,” the captain said, “but perhaps I can help as well. Tell me what you can about the case. I always find it useful to talk it out. Or write it out.”
Derek grinned. “Does Kenzie get her love of whiteboards from you, sir?”
She cut him a look and couldn’t help but smile. The captain dipped his head in acknowledgment.
Kenzie tapped a fingernail against the side of her glass. “I keep thinking about Tori’s apartment. It was almost threadbare, yet we found expensive electronics and no sign the landlord is pressing for eviction. He doesn’t seem like a saint, so how is the apartment being paid for?”
“A bank automatic payment she set up before disappearing into the woods?” Derek asked.
Kenzie nodded. “I haven’t had a free second yet to dig into Tori’s financials—assuming I can get them.”
“Are you following the money on the drugs?” The captain asked, taking a sip of his red beer.
Kenzie lifted a brow. Did he think this was her first day on the job? “Of course. One kid mentioned seeing people pay with their smart watches. Another mentioned cryptocurrency. So far, this organization seems to cover their tracks exceptionally well.”
The captain scratched his chin, then reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. “I met a young woman this week at the police convention. She spoke on a panel with other computer gurus. Her name is Riley Sato.”
Kenzie accepted the little purple card her father extended. “Thanks, but I’m sure the FBI resources can figure it out.”
The captain frowned. “The feds have taught you bad habits already. Don’t think they’re the only ones capable of solving crimes. It takes creativity to get the bad guys, Mackenzie Ciara. I understand Ms. Sato has quite a colorful history with cybercrimes. Apparently, she was a hacker. Maybe she can figure out what your FBI resources can’t.”
“Mackenzie Ciara?” Derek asked with a grin.
“Mackenzie Ciara Harper. The Irish spelling, of course.”
Was her father smiling?
He continued, “Ciara means little dark one. Our only brunette in a family of red-headed Irishmen.”
Just one more reason I’m different.
“Except for Mom,” Lucas said.
“Yes,” the captain said and settled his gaze on Kenzie. “You look more like your mother every time I see you. Which isn’t very often.”
Wow, so close. There was almost a compliment in there, but then came the backhanded dig.
“Tell me about young Kenzie,” Derek said quickly, as if reading her thoughts.
Kenzie stiffened. What would her father say?
“All our children were a handful when they were young. Mackenzie was no different. But she really came into her own in high school.”
“I bet you were a track star,” Derek said to her. “You can really run.”
Lucas chuckled. “Especially if you dangle a pastry in front of her.”
Kenzie threw a balled up napkin at her brother.
“Children, please,” her father said in a voice she hadn’t heard since childhood. He turned to Derek. “Actually, Mackenzie excelled at softball. She was the relief pitcher, and a hell of a shortstop. Girls couldn’t run fast enough to beat her to base.”
Derek grinned. “I can imagine she didn’t like to lose.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, and he quickly hid his smile behind his whiskey. Softball had been one of the few places she could succeed in the captain’s eyes. Her father rarely tore himself away from work long enough to see a regular season game, but he was right there in the stands, shouting support for her through every game of their playoffs.
Lucas laughed. “Mom says we’re all a bunch of sore losers.”
The captain glanced at Derek. “And what about your family, Derek? I understand your sister was invaluable in the Cold Woods case.”
Derek’s grin faltered, but he recovered quickly. “Sydney is a smart cookie. I’m pretty proud of her.”
“As you should be,” the captain said.
An awkward silence descended on the table, and Kenzie tried not to squirm. She wished a black hole would open up at her feet right about now.
Derek leaned forward. “Sir, you must be so proud of what your daughter has accomplished in such a short time in the FBI. Heck, she caught a serial killer in Glacier we didn’t even know we had.”
The captain sat up straight. “Of course I’m proud.”
Kenzie blinked. “You are?”
Her father looked at her like she had mush for brains. “You brought a murderer to justice and some peace to the victims’ families. Your mother and I are very proud.”
“Oh. Thanks.” Eloquent, Kenzie. Here she was, a capable FBI agent who’d faced down killers, yet she found herself at a loss for words over a simple acknowledgment from the captain—from her father.
The captain folded his napkin and laid it over his empty plate. “We’ve been following the news of the trial.”
“I think most of the country is,” Kenzie said, still dazed by her father’s words. He’s proud of me? She studied her beer, wondering if she was hearing things.
The captain continued, “And to think, no one even knew there were dead girls in the park.”
“Imagine what other secrets are out there in our public lands?” Lucas murmured, then turned a curious gaze on Derek. “The parks are so vast, I can’t even imagine patrolling them.”
“We have rangers on backcountry patrol. They spend days at a time in wilder parts of the parks. But you’re right, no one could cover the millions of acres of wilderness,” Derek said.
The captain sipped his beer and shifted his intense gaze to Kenzie. A fleeting shadow of—was that regret? Or disappointment?—flitted across his hard features, then disappeared. He held her gaze as he said, “We used to take our children camping often.”
Used to. Not past tense because the Harper children were grown. Past tense because Kenzie’s brothers had recklessly endangered her life on one such trip, creating a crippling fear that kept her out of the woods for over twenty years. She glanced at Derek. A soft smile played on his lips as if he, too, was remembering her transformation over the past several months. He was responsible for her recovery. Her heart stuttered. Could she lead this team into the wilderness if he wasn’t by her side?
Kenzie ruminated on that for the rest of the meal, her already cranky mood continuing to spiral downward. Soon the server was clearing away empty plates. Kenzie snatched the bill from them and slid it in front of Lucas. She batted her eyelashes at him. “I think you said this one was on you, right?”
Lucas smirked, but he pulled his wallet out and laid a credit card on the bill without comment. Apparently, he felt the price of the forced interaction between her and the captain was well worth it. Brothers were the worst.
They gathered their jackets and pushed away from the table.
“Good to meet you, Derek,” the captain said, shaking his hand in farewell.
“You and your wife should come out for a visit to Glacier. Maybe over Christmas?” Derek suggested.
Kenzie cut her gaze to Derek. Did his invitation mean he wanted to spend Christmas with her? Her pulse picked up as she waited for the captain’s answer.
“Thank you for the offer, but the holidays are a tough time to be away. We’re often short staffed at the station.”
There was the workaholic who’d raised her.
They said goodbye at the restaurant door. Kenzie and Derek strode through the cool night air, the bustle of city life loud around them.
Kenzie shoved her hands in her pockets against the chill. “I’m going to kill Lucas for that stunt.”
“He meant well.”
“Oh, so you’re defending him now?”
Derek scowled. “Let’s get dessert.”
“What?”
He pointed to where a few food trucks lined the narrow street.
“Why?”
“Because you’ve had a rough night and deserve dessert.”
“Well, I can’t fault that logic.”
He bought her a powdered sugar dusted beignet and a cake donut for himself. They sat on a bench overlooking a small park.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Your dad seemed nice.”
She laughed darkly. “You must have been at a different table. Didn’t you catch the digs about the FBI?”
He leaned in to bump her shoulder gently with his. “I caught that part where your father said he was proud of you.”
“Yeah, that was…unexpected,” she said softly.
“I told you.” Smugness was new on him. She kind of liked it.
He had told her, in a tent under the stars in Glacier. She hadn’t believed him then, and she struggled to believe it now.
“What about the dig about me not coming home enough?” she asked.
“They miss you. How can you hold that against them?”
Kenzie didn’t answer, but concentrated on her snack, the sticky white power caking her fingers.
“You’re lucky to have a family that is so close,” he whispered.
She twisted her lips and rolled her eyes at him. “So close it’s suffocating.”
He looked away. “Parents who are still around. Siblings and nieces and nephews. It must be nice.”
“Would you like to borrow them for a while? You spend a week with them and see how nice it is.”
Beside her, Derek stiffened.
Kenzie sucked in a sharp breath, realizing what she’d said. “Shit, I didn’t mean that. I just…they drive me nuts.”
He stared into the dark park for a long time before looking over at her again. “I’d give anything to have my family around to drive me nuts.”
“Sydney seems to really push your buttons,” Kenzie pointed out.
He laughed. “She does. She’s been practicing for years.” He sobered. “It scares me to death she’s going to get hurt or killed as part of this team of yours.”
She flicked him a dirty look. “That’s not fair. Sydney is brilliant and can take care of herself.”
Derek’s jaw muscle throbbed double-time. “Are you kidding me? She nearly got herself—and you—killed trying to run down a lead on the Cold Woods case.”
Kenzie’s skin prickled with the memory of the icy water. She rubbed her arm for warmth, her fingers leaving a trail of fine white dust on her jacket.
Derek sighed. “Sydney is brilliant. And tough. But she’s also young and headstrong. She would do anything to impress you, and that terrifies me.”
Kenzie couldn’t help but wonder if his concern was only for Sydney’s safety or something more was on his mind. She wasn’t up for that discussion tonight, though. She took another bite of her donut and let the sweetness slide over her tongue.
Kenzie flicked the powder off her jacket. “Sydney just needs field experience. I guarantee she’ll pick it up quickly, and develop her own gut judgment about when to play it safe and when to take a risk.”
Derek stood and tossed his wrapper in a trashcan. His back to her, he said, “You make it sound so easy. She’s all I have left, Kenzie. Losing her is a risk I’m not willing to take.”
Before she could respond, he walked away.
Kenzie jumped up from the bench and threw her own trash away and hurried after him.
“That’s why we need you on this team. So we can all look out for each other,” she whispered to the night.