Meant to Be Immortal (Argeneau #32) - Lynsay Sands Page 0,71

accidents, black eyes from walking into open cupboard doors, stuff like that? Or does she wear long-sleeved shirts on even the hottest summer day? Flinch at sudden movements? That kind of thing?”

The captain didn’t respond, but swallowed heavily, concern now wreathing his face.

“Yeah,” CJ said grimly. “So, you’re protecting a guy who’s not only abusing the kids in this town, but probably your daughter too.” She shook her head with disgust and turned to glance toward the broken windows as another rock crashed to the floor, sending the glass skittering across it. Sighing, she muttered, “Let’s hope it doesn’t have the townspeople voting to close the police station and contract the policing out to the OPP like most of the other small towns have done.”

Ignoring his alarmed gasp, she stood abruptly and moved around the counter to approach the door.

“What are you doing?” Mac asked with dismay, hurrying to catch up to her as she unlocked the shattered door. Most of the glass in it was gone now and she’d have walked through it, but a bar across the middle meant she would have had to limbo out and she didn’t have the energy for that just now.

“You aren’t going out there?” Mac asked with alarm as she finished unlocking the door.

“Well, we can’t sit cowering in here until one bold asshole decides to toss a Molotov cocktail in,” she pointed out dryly. “Someone has to talk to these people.”

“Let Dupree do it, then,” Mac growled, catching her arm to stop her. “He’s the police captain.”

“Seeing him would just piss them off. I’m an out-of-towner, so less likely to raise their ire,” CJ pointed out, shaking off his hold. She took another step, but when he stuck to her side like glue, she paused to turn a scowl on him and spotted Decker and Bricker behind her as well. “You should stay here with your bodyguards.”

CJ didn’t wait to see if he’d listen, but opened the shattered door and walked calmly outside and nearly into an oncoming rock. She saw it shooting toward her face, instinctively took a step back into someone’s hard chest, and raised her hands to try to catch or deflect the missile, but a large, male hand was already there, snatching it out of midair before it reached her or her hands.

The sharp thwack as it hit flesh made her glad she wasn’t the one who had caught it. It also made her worry about Mac, but she couldn’t take the time to check on him just then. She had angry townspeople to deal with.

“I know you’re all upset, and I don’t blame you. That’s the reason I’m here,” she said quickly, but was relieved to see that no more rocks were flying toward the building. “My name is CJ Cummings. I’m an investigator with SIU, the Special Investigations Unit, and I’m here to investigate the incident involving Keith Kaye and Officer Jefferson.”

“What about what that bastard did last night to Mark Loop and Mike MacDonald?” someone shouted angrily.

“Well, I just heard about that from Captain Dupree a few minutes ago,” she admitted, deliberately making it sound as if he’d told her willingly. The man had been difficult and obstructive, but Jefferson was his son-in-law. He’d naturally been trying to protect his daughter’s husband. She didn’t think he’d do that anymore and didn’t see any reason to ruin the man.

“Since that incident also involves Officer Jefferson,” she continued, “it falls under my purview and I will be investigating that as well. But obviously I could use some help here,” she said, letting her gaze run over the people in the crowd. “I plan to be at the diner on the corner tomorrow from noon until 2:45. Tell your friends and neighbors that I’ll be there and that anyone who was a witness to either incident, and can help with my investigation, should come down and talk to me. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you all went home. No one will be charged or reported for this incident, but you have to go home now. Let me take care of this.”

For a moment, no one moved or spoke, but then the people on the fringes of the crowd began to back away and turned to head off into the night to walk home, or at least to wherever their vehicles were parked. A moment later, the rest of the crowd turned almost as one and followed, and CJ let her breath out slowly. She hadn’t