by Laura Scott
“Unit seven, copy that. I’m en route to your location. What civilian?”
“Jeremy McNally.”
There was a pause before she heard Garth let out a heavy sigh. “I’m on it.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”
When she found the roofless barn, she pulled off the highway and took the old rutted dirt road toward the broken down structure.
From here, they’d need to go in on foot.
She was out of her squad and walking toward the remaining four walls of the barn when she heard Jeremy call out her name.
“Trina!”
Annoyed, she spun around to face him. “Stay where you are. This is a police matter.”
“Don’t go alone.” Jeremy didn’t listen to her command, closing the distance between them.
“You’re not a cop or equipped to handle a potential meth lab. And Garth will be here any minute.” She scowled. “Why are you here anyway? Aren’t there wedding plans to worry about?”
“If there are, Garth would be involved. He’s the groom, not me.” Jeremy jutted his chin toward the sagging barn. “Can’t believe a storm hasn’t brought that thing all the way down.”
She belatedly remembered the barn was just one of the teenage hangouts Jeremy and Steve had used ten years ago.
“Go home.” Her voice was weary. “I can’t be responsible for a civilian’s safety.”
“I don’t like you going in alone,” Jeremy repeated stubbornly. “That guy last night assaulted you, who’s to say the same thing won’t happen again?”
Garth pulled up then, putting an end to their face-off. Garth clapped Jeremy on the shoulder as he walked by. “I’ve got this. Go back to the B and B.”
Jeremy reluctantly stepped back toward his car. Trina pulled out Eden’s map and showed it to Garth. “Here, the trailer is estimated to be about fifty yards from the southwest corner of the barn.”
“Let’s go.” Garth looked eager to get to work.
Mosquitos and flies buzzed as they made their way through the dense brush in the general direction Tim Eden had claimed the meth trailer was located. As much as they tried to be quiet, Trina knew they were pretty much broadcasting their approach to anyone who might be inside.
When the brush thinned, indicating they were coming upon a clearing, she put a hand on Garth’s arm to stop him.
“Maybe we should split up,” she whispered. “In case they run.”
“Not happening,” he whispered back. “Ready?”
She took a breath and nodded. They moved fast now, bursting into the clearing with a rush.
It was completely empty.
Trina came to an abrupt stop, sweeping her gaze over the area. She could see a rectangle imprint on the land where the trailer had covered the grass causing it to turn brown, but the trailer itself was gone.
A wave of frustrated despair washed over her.
They were too late once again.
3
Instead of going back to the B&B, Jeremy rested his hip against his car, doing his best to ignore the heat from the merciless August sun. As he waited, beads of sweat dotted his brow and rolled down his temples.
Listening intently, he tried to gauge when Trina and Garth reached the trailer. When he’d first noticed Trina leaving the Sheriff’s Department’s parking lot, he hadn’t known her destination. But since she’d been on her own, and dressed in her uniform, he’d decided to follow so she’d have backup.
Now that Garth was here, she was no longer alone, but that knowledge wasn’t enough to make him leave. For some odd reason, maybe because he felt instrumental in getting Skinny arrested, he wanted to know more about what Trina and Garth were dealing with.
Drugs weren’t much different from alcohol. He hated the idea of people, especially young kids becoming addicted to either substance. As a trauma surgeon, he’d saved many kids lives, but the ones he’d lost haunted him. Especially once he’d been hit head-on himself. His personal issues aside—there was nothing he could do to go back and change the moment the drunk driver had come straight at him—the country’s future depended on their ability to control the growing drug epidemic.
The hot silence seemed to stretch forever. Where were they? Had they found the location of the meth lab?
It was a good fifteen minutes later when Trina and Garth finally emerged from the woods. He straightened from his position against the car, but he could tell by the dejected expressions on their faces that they hadn’t found what they were looking for.
“Nothing, huh?”
“No, and they’ve been gone for a while, likely sometime during the night.” Garth let out a weary sigh.
“How do you know when they moved?” He was curious as to what tipped them off.
“Because we found dried out coffee grounds lying on the ground in one corner of the clearing,” Trina responded. Her cheeks were pink from the warmth of the sun. He remembered from the summers they spent together that her fair skin was prone to sunburn. “If we’d just missed them, the coffee grounds would still be damp, but they’re drier than bone. I can’t believe they slipped past us again.”
Jeremy glanced around the area. “Could be they haven’t gone far. We can still search.”
“We know for sure the trailer was brought back through the brush to this dirt road.” Garth gestured to the ground. “The rest of the grass and brush surrounding where the trailer had been parked was undisturbed. No indication they left via another avenue.”
Trina walked along the edge of the dirt road, looking, he guessed, for tire marks. But when she’d completed her loop, she shook her head. “Nothing here either. The ground has been dry, but there isn’t even a hint of something heavy going off the dirt road in another direction. I’m sure they took the highway off to who knows where.”
“We can drive around, see if we can catch sight of the trailer,” Jeremy said. “I’m sure it’s slow and bulky, making it difficult to move quickly. Even with a head start, we still might be able to find them.”
Trina and Garth exchanged a glance, and he realized they’d already planned to do exactly that. Well fine, he could search too. Another pair of eyes couldn’t hurt.
“Go home,” Trina repeated as she brushed past him. The scent of lilacs stirred his memories. “I already told you this is a police matter.”
The edge to her tone made him wonder if she was upset with him for some reason. Because he’d followed her today? Or because of something else? They’d been friendly during those summer vacations, he’d never crossed the line no matter how tempting, so he couldn’t imagine he’d done something back then that caused her to hold a grudge.
Her dismissive tone set his teeth on edge. Yeah, okay, maybe he had hoped to have lunch with her, maybe talk about old times. Get caught up on what Steve was doing these days. Again, he winced at the flash of guilt. No reason he hadn’t kept in touch with his old friend over the years. Sure, getting into medical school had been important, but he should have made time for his friends.
Trina slid into her squad and drove away without looking back.
“She’s right, you know.” Garth came up to stand beside him. “This is a police matter.”
“Yeah, I get it. But I’m not sure why that means I can’t keep an eye out for a trailer that looks suspicious. Isn’t that what all cops want? For the general public to step up, to call in any hint of suspicious activity? To assist in getting criminals off the street?”
Garth didn’t respond right away. “Of course,” he finally agreed. “You should keep an eye out for anything unusual, but it would be best if you left the actual investigating to those of us who carry a badge. It’s really for your safety, and frankly, ours. Having you show up in the wrong place at the wrong time could put us at risk.”
Put that way, it was impossible to argue. “Understood.” Jeremy tamped down a flash of annoyance as he headed toward his vehicle.
“Jeremy?”
He stopped and glanced back over hi
s shoulder. “What?”
“Is there something between you and Trina I should know about?”
He tried not to react to his soon-to-be brother-in-law’s keen perception. “I knew her brother over a few summers years ago, that’s all. Trina tagged along as Steve and I hung out together, but it wasn’t like she and I went out or anything. It’s not a big deal.”
“Oh, I see.” Garth’s expression turned serious as he nodded. “That makes sense, then, why you’re so anxious to help. Okay, see you later.”
“Sure.” Jeremy wasn’t sure what Garth meant by his comment about why he was anxious to help but decided to quiz him later. Right now, he planned to drive up and down the highways, looking for a possible drug trailer.
His efforts proved fruitless. He even crossed paths with Trina seated behind the wheel of her squad, but she either didn’t see him or acted as if she hadn’t noticed him.
Knowing his sisters were knee-deep in wedding plans, he decided to head into town rather than returning to the B&B. The wedding rehearsal was scheduled for later that afternoon, with a casual dinner afterward, so he knew he needed to return in time for that. When he pulled into Daisy’s Diner, he couldn’t help but grin when he saw that Trina was there, too, getting out of her squad. She was still dressed in her uniform, and he couldn’t help wondering what she’d look like in casual clothes. Like tiny shorts and T-shirt, her usual outfit when they were younger.
“Trina, wait up!” He threw the gearshift into park and quickly slid from behind the wheel. She hesitated in front of the diner doorway. “Will you please have lunch with me?”
His offer seemed to catch her by surprise, and for a moment, she glanced around as if seeking someone’s help to bail out. It hurt that she didn’t want to spend time with him, but before he could rescind his offer, she nodded.
“Sure, why not?”
“Thanks.” He hurried over to open the door to Daisy’s Diner for her, grateful for the cool blast of air-conditioning as they headed inside. A quick glance around the packed diner proved it hadn’t changed much over the years. Other than maybe being more crowded than he remembered.
“I can’t believe how packed it is.” Trina frowned. “We might have to wait for a table.”
“We could try Bombay instead,” he suggested. Bombay Pub and Grill didn’t offer homemade food the way Daisy’s did, but they had decent burgers. “I don’t mind where we eat.”
Again, Trina hesitated before giving a jerky nod. “I guess Bombay works, too.”
“Great.” He held the door for her as they walked back outside. Bombay was located on the opposite end of Main Street, and he was surprised at the number of tourists crowding the sidewalks. “I don’t remember summers being this busy ten years ago.”
Trina slanted him a sideways look. “Things change.”
“True, but I remember the days being longer, quieter, with—I don’t know, a more cozy feeling to them.” He knew he wasn’t making a lot of sense as he tried to put his feelings into words.
“Youth has a way of skewing reality,” she responded. “But as a Sheriff’s Deputy, I can tell you that the rate of tourism has doubled in the past five years. It’s good for those who live off the tourism industry, but not as great for those of us who are charged with keeping the peace.”
“Five years?” He was surprised. “That’s how long you’ve been a cop?”
“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate, and he found himself wondering if he’d have returned to McNally Bay sooner if he’d known she was here. “Good for you.”
“Good for Clark County, you mean.” Trina’s tart response made him smile. “They’re lucky to have me.”
That made him grin. This was the Trina he remembered, quick with a comeback for the older brother who tormented her. “They sure are.”
Before he could say anything more, they’d reached Bombay. He held the door for her and followed her inside. The air-conditioning was on here, too, and the coolness was a welcome relief from the humid heat.
“Trina! How are you?” An older guy sitting at the bar waved a hand as they approached the hostess stand.
“Good, George, and you?” Her tone was warm, but for some odd reason, he didn’t get the impression that she was thrilled to see him.
“Can’t complain.” He lifted a beer in her direction. “Can I buy you a glass?”
“No thank you, I’m working.” Trina turned her attention to the woman manning the hostess station. “Two for lunch, please.”
“Sure, right this way, Deputy.”
Jeremy glanced back at George, who watched their progress as the hostess showed them to a booth. Once they were seated, Trina buried her nose in her menu.
“How do you know George?” He already knew he was ordering the infamous Bombay Burger. “Is he one of the locals?”
Trina didn’t answer right away, still scrutinizing the menu. Finally, she set the laminated paper aside and met his gaze. “George Amos is a local, yes, but he was also a good friend of my uncle Ricky.”
He tried to think back ten years ago. “Oh yeah, I remember now. You and Steve used to come here in the summers to visit your uncle Ricky.”
“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate as their server approached.
“George would like to buy you a round of drinks,” she began. “What can I get you?”
“Iced tea for me,” Trina said. “And let George know we can’t accept his generous offer.”
“I’ll have iced tea as well.” Jeremy glanced back at George again, noting the older man was still watching them intently.
Their server looked disappointed but left to get their tea. Trina met his gaze across the table. “Don’t feel as if you have to refrain from having something stronger to drink because of me. We can’t allow the locals to buy us food or drinks, it would be viewed as a bribe.”
“I don’t drink.” The blunt words were cold and flat, sounding different than what he’d intended. His gaze flickered briefly to his scarred hands before he looked away. It wasn’t as if he ever drank excessively before, a social glass of wine now and again, but since that fateful night, he hadn’t ingested a single drop.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Trina asked, her tone gentle.
“No.” He was saved from answering when the server brought their iced tea and took their order.
The last thing he wanted to do was to discuss his sob story. It was all he could do to keep the nightmares at bay as it was, going through the events again would only make things worse.
Jeremy McNally didn’t drink. To say she was surprised was an understatement, and she couldn’t help wondering what had happened. The way he’d glanced momentarily at his hands clued her in that there was something more to his statement than he was letting on.
Not that it was any of her business one way or the other. Jeremy was only in McNally Bay for a couple of days. After the wedding, their paths were not likely to cross again anytime soon.
The thought was a bit depressing, but she shook it off.
“So how is Uncle Ricky?” Jeremy asked in an obvious attempt to change the subject.
“He passed a few years ago.” Trina didn’t want to explain that her uncle Ricky had died of alcoholism. Addiction ran in the family it seemed. And her uncle’s death was one of the reasons she didn’t like coming to the Bombay. His old buddy George still held up his end of the bar, drinking beer even though it was barely noon.
It was her turn to change the subject. “What about your family? I mean, I’ve interacted often with Jemma and Jazz over the past few months, and more recently Jesse, too. But you have an older brother, Jake, right? Haven’t seen much of him.”
“Jake has been living in Ireland the past five months, but he’s supposed to show up this weekend for Jemma and Garth’s wedding.” Jeremy shrugged as if he wasn’t convinced. “He was here back in June, too, for Jazz’s wedding, but he didn’t stay long. Frankly, the longest Jake has spent anywhere is this recent stint in Ireland. He’s been quite the g
lobe-trotter over the years, and I know Jemma and Jazz wish he’d find a way to settle down in one place.”
She nodded. “Well, it’s possible Ireland is his new place. Doesn’t have to be here, does it?”
“No, of course not, but he isn’t an Irish citizen,” Jeremy pointed out. “I think he can only stay for two years on a work visa, and I’m not even sure he actually has one. He’s only supposed to stay in the country ninety days without one. I’m not sure how he’s working things out, he pretty much avoided the question when I asked.”
“That’s interesting.” Normally she liked to solve puzzles, but frankly, she didn’t really care that much about Jake. The eldest McNally was a neutral topic of discussion, nothing more.
When there was a lull in the conversation, she braced herself for the inevitable. The main reason she’d agreed to have lunch with Jeremy was because she’d known it was only a matter of time before he asked about Steve.
Logically, she knew it was better to face those questions now in a semiprivate area than at the wedding. One she still wished she could avoid. When she’d briefly mentioned to Garth about not attending his and Jemma’s ceremony, her colleague had looked upset, so she’d quickly assured him she’d be there.
Despite her tangled emotions over Jeremy.
Maybe once the subject of her brother was out in the open Jeremy would leave her alone. She was already dreading the idea of seeing him dressed up. He still had the power to take her breath away, and that was while wearing casual jeans and a T-shirt.
The image of Jeremy dressed in a suit or a tux was far too easy to conjure in her mind.
“How is Steve doing?” Jeremy asked. “I feel bad that I haven’t kept in touch with him over the years.”
Trina took a sip of her iced tea, then forced herself to meet Jeremy’s gaze. “Why didn’t you? Keep in touch, I mean.”
His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I don’t have a good excuse,” he admitted. “We had a lot of fun over our summers together, but when I returned to college in the fall, my focus was centered on getting good enough grades to get into medical school. I ended up interviewing all over the country, as far west as San Francisco and as far south as Miami, not to mention a myriad of places in between.” He looked away as if sensing his excuses were just that—excuses.