Fatal Intent - Jamie Jeffries Page 0,77
I’m not going back there for a good long while, if ever.”
“That’s good, babe, but can we talk about security for you here? Casa Grande’s not on the other side of the world, you know.”
“I know, and yes, let’s do talk about that. I don’t want you to worry about the boys’ safety with me here. Now you’d better get moving. You’re gonna be late for work, and besides, they won’t find me here anytime soon.”
Dylan had to admit that was true, even as he marveled at her good attitude about it. It seemed the chip on her shoulder about her work and independence had fallen off, or maybe it had been knocked off by all she’d experienced in the last week. It was good enough for now.
He did have misgivings about that article, but as long as she didn’t post it on her blog until they’d talked about security, he was okay with it. Besides, he was curious about what she meant by last follow-up. What remained to be said?
~~~
Alone in the house after Dylan and the boys left, Alex took the time to check the bedroom furniture and closet for potential room for her clothes. The walk-in closet was more than adequate, but Dylan’s clothes were spread out in the available drawers. Before she rearranged his things, she’d ask him about it. For the time being, it looked like she’d be living out of at least one of her suitcases until she had a chance to talk with him.
Showered and dressed, she presented herself on campus and began the process of transferring her credits and pre-registering for classes, which wouldn’t start for three weeks. That would give her a chance to find part-time work so she could pay her share of living expenses and for her personal expenses. Her prize money was woefully short by now, barely adequate until a payday after setting up a payment plan for tuition, and only if she found work this week.
She made it home around noon and made a sandwich, then called Dylan for the password to the Wi-Fi. She uploaded her resume to a few jobseeker sites and started combing help wanted ads. Unable to resist checking the state of affairs in Casa Grande, she logged into the newspaper site and read everything she could find on the Patriots’ raid and breakup. She found a small sidebar about Harvey Lloyd and the case she now thought of as her mother’s.
Lloyd had made plenty of noise after being informed there may be new evidence. The sidebar mentioned an interview with him, which would run in the next day’s paper. Alex made a note on her calendar. Nowhere did she see any mention of Dawn Redbird or the Patriots’ involvement in her attack, so she called Lt. Watson for an update.
“Are you going to bring charges against them?” she asked, when she’d greeted him.
“The DA says the evidence is too tenuous at present,” Watson said. Alex thought she detected frustration in his tone.
“But you have their tag!”
“Not conclusive,” he said. “Anyone could have put that there. Until we can identify the specific people who were involved and get a confession, we don’t have much to go on.”
Alex’s heart rate increased. “But Dawn could be attacked again! They know she knows who was involved. Can you at least offer her protection?”
“Not all the time. We can drive by her dorm, keep an eye on her now and then.”
Alex huffed out her frustration. “That’s not good enough, and you know it. What about paint transfer? Can you analyze the wreckage of her car and at least confirm her memory of what kind of vehicle forced her off the road? Compare it to registrations for the Patriots’ members?”
“Believe it or not, we actually know how to do our jobs, Alex. We’re working on it, and no, we haven’t dismissed the tag. We just need to tie it in better.” To Alex’s shock, he laughed.
“Are you sure you want to be an anchorwoman, Alex? We could use you in our investigations department.”
“Funny. Not. No, but I’d like to check back now and then. I still have to write a follow-up on Dawn, and I wanted to wrap this story up. And I’ll need to know when I can mention the tag.”
“Whoa, you can’t. I’m serious, Alex. More than this one case is riding on this. Mention that before we’ve closed all of them and I’ll charge you with obstruction of justice.”
A threat like that might have made