Deadly Row, A - By Casey Mayes Page 0,12
and tried to focus on their shapes and sizes instead. Once I forced myself to look at them as geometric objects and not photographs that would give me nightmares, things started going much faster. Sorting things was like a puzzle, and that was one thing I loved, and happened to be very good at as well.
We’d just finished doing a preliminary sort when the door opened and two police officers came in, each carrying a sheet of foam insulation board.
“Hey, Chief,” one of the cops said.
My husband brightened. “Sanders, how are you?”
They shook hands, and Zach introduced us. “Savannah, you remember Steve Sanders. He was my number one go-to guy around here before I left.”
“Deserted is more like it,” Sanders said with a grin. He was tall and lanky, with a shock of thick black hair and a clean-shaven face. I knew that he’d been in the running to take over for my husband as chief when he left, but if Steve minded them promoting Davis over him, he didn’t show it.
Zach smiled gently. “Hey, they forced me out, remember?”
“I know, I’m just kidding.” He looked around at the mess on the floor. “This place looks like a bomb just went off. Do you need a hand?”
“Thanks, but I’ve already got an assistant,” he said, pointing at me.
“Three could be better than two,” Steve said.
“Let me sort this out, and then I’ll let you know.”
“I’d do anything for you, Chief, and you know it.” He glanced at his watch. “I’m getting ready to get off, but I’d be happy to hang around.”
“You could put in for overtime, if you don’t mind helping,” Zach said.
“Excellent. It will be just like old times. What’s the first order of business?”
“Find Davis and remind him that I need that copier as soon as possible. We’ve got some work to do.”
After he was gone, I looked at Zach. “Does this mean I’m fired already? Wow, that’s quick.”
“Of course not,” he said. “Steve can help me make copies and hang this stuff up, but then you’re back on the payroll. In the meantime, why don’t you get us checked in and settled at the hotel? You know how much I hate unpacking.”
“Are you sure you’re not just trying to get rid of me?”
He wrapped me up in his arms. “Savannah, I’d never do that, even if I could.”
“Which you can’t,” I answered with a grin and a quick peck. “I know you’re just trying to protect me, and I appreciate it, but I’m tougher than you think.”
“Trust me, I know how tough you are.”
“Okay, as long as that’s settled, I’ll take off.” As I started for the door, I paused and said, “But don’t think you’re getting rid of me for good.”
“Come back when you’re finished. You can help me lay things out. There are times when I can use that organizing point of view you’ve got.”
“See you soon.”
I bumped into Steve in the hallway, and found him deep in conversation with someone on his cell phone. It was pretty clear that he wasn’t happy with whoever was on the other end, but when he spotted me, the frown changed into a smile.
“Hang on one second,” he said as he buried his phone into his chest. “My landlord’s trying to go up on my rent,” he explained to me, “and I’m trying to convince him how handy it is having a cop live there.”
“Are you having any luck?”
“Not yet, but I think I’m wearing him down. If you don’t mind my saying so, that husband of yours is the best cop I’ve ever seen.”
“He used to be,” I said evenly.
“I know he’s retired, but I can’t imagine it ever gets out of your blood, you know?”
“I’m doing my best, though, to help see that it does.”
Steve grinned at me. “You keep fighting your battle, and maybe one of us will win.”
“Good luck with yours,” I said.
He smiled, and then returned to his phone call. “It’s not going to happen,” he said as he shot me with his finger.
As I made my way out of the station to our car, I wondered if what he’d said was true. Was Zach always going to be a cop, until it ended up killing him? With his pension and my income from the puzzles, we were comfortable, but it was the excitement that Zach missed, and I knew it. The only problem was that the more he worked, the greater chance there was that he’d put himself in danger. I’d