taking his kid out for a drive. Going to work. Millie managed to make it—doing the family thing, the spouse thing. Her life’s role wasn’t the same as Bridget’s, but she’d found a work-life balance. Not perfect. Just hers.
But no matter how much she secretly longed for what she’d never had, Bridget had come to terms with the fact her life would never be that fairytale.
Even if she walked away from everything she’d built, the life she had now would continue to follow her to the ends of the earth.
Bringing danger along with it.
She slumped onto the couch and tugged the backpack onto her lap. She didn’t pull out the scrapbook, just held the bag. Looking at what was inside would be indulging her feelings. No way.
Nothing good ever came from letting her emotions distract her.
Not when there was so much at stake.
Four
“Is everyone ready to begin?”
Aiden took his paper plate loaded with a sub sandwich, chips, and a cookie, and hustled to an open chair in the middle of the briefing room.
The chief looked up from the tablet on his lectern. “Good.”
Conroy Barnes had been the chief of police in Last Chance County since the previous chief passed away from pancreatic cancer. Aiden had respected Ridgeman as a boss, but now that his lieutenant was the chief, it seemed like the whole department had been closing cases left and right. They’d also had more injuries recorded. And more breaches of the office by gunmen and mercenaries—even a wanted fugitive—over the past few months.
The only officer killed in the line of duty in the last five years occurred during the case where Conroy met his now-wife.
“There’s been an uptick in vandalism on the west side of town. Mostly barns tagged with graffiti, but also a couple of fences destroyed. Randall lost two cows on Tuesday. So we’ll be spending more time on that side of town for the next couple of weeks.”
Aiden pulled out his notebook and wrote that down.
“There has also been a rise in the number of overdoses recently.” Conroy gave a few more details, and Aiden wrote those down as well. “And we are currently on the lookout for a blue truck with no rear license plate, driven by a woman. Her description, along with other relevant details, has been sent to your inbox.”
Aiden glanced at Officer Frees, who lifted his chin. So that was the woman from the bowling alley. The one Frees had followed outside.
The officer beside Aiden elbowed him in the ribs.
He glanced over at Officer Jessica Ridgeman, the previous chief’s granddaughter. Her hair was blonde again, and that wasn’t the only thing that’d changed about her life. “How’s Ted?”
“Both jobs are going great,” she whispered back. “I swear he’s able to work them at the same time, and since they’re remote and no one has a non-compete, he’s going to keep doing it.” She grinned. “He makes more money, and he wants to build a house.”
“Wow.”
Ted had previously worked for the department as their tech specialist, but due to withholding important information from the police—things he’d been involved with in the past—Conroy had been pressured by the Mayor to fire him. Even after the two of them had received kudos for their work uncovering the fire chief’s criminal activity.
“Plus, the government keeps calling and offering him classified projects.” Jessica shook her head with a roll of her eyes. “Not to mention everyone who’s clambering to write a book about his father. Ellie might do it, but he’s not sure he wants to tell the whole story outside of grand jury hearings.”
Aiden knew Ted had met regularly with the FBI. There was even an agent in town. Eric Cullings had ties to Last Chance and knew Ted personally. Aiden hoped the guy had vouched for him. “Will there be charges?”
She shook her head. “Doesn’t look like it. And I think Ted’s more bothered about the fact that Basuto still won’t talk to him. Even Conroy has to make it look like he’s giving him the cold shoulder.”
“Something you want to share with the class, Officer Ridgeman?” Conroy’s eyebrows lifted. “Perhaps some tidbit you learned studying for the detective’s exam.”
“I’m working on that.”
“Sure you are,” Officer Frees muttered. “We definitely need more girl detectives in this department.”
Jess crushed her paper cup and threw it at him. Frees caught it before it bounced off his forehead.
“Speaking of—” Conroy ignored the interplay. “—I’m currently interviewing candidates for two detective spots and a dispatcher to replace Bill who,