couldn’t return to the only house he’d ever thought of as a home.
Not until he saved the others.
He dug around Bella’s backpack and tore a page from the back of a book. He wrote with a broken pencil, folded the paper, and waited until Olive had been in the house for ten minutes before he risked exposure.
He left his hiding spot and ran across the street. He didn’t hesitate, but ran up the porch steps. He heard water running in the kitchen. He wanted to go inside. To see Olive. Instead he slipped the paper through the mail slot and, as quietly as possible, left.
CHAPTER 4
By the time the investigative unit arrived at the hardware store to take over for Donnelly’s team, it was after three in the afternoon and no one had eaten since five a.m. Brad Donnelly brought pizza back to DEA headquarters for everyone, excited that they had a lead on Jaime—as thin as it was. He was working with the AUSA to write up the paperwork on George Sanchez’s deal and set up interrogations of the five men they’d arrested. The only hiccup so far was that the prisoners weren’t talking—they’d all lawyered up. But Brad didn’t seem too frustrated. He had the computer, the ledger, and George Sanchez.
All in all, a damn good day, he’d said more than once.
The good day ended for Lucy when she and Ryan sat down with a mountain of paperwork. They had to write up not only reports for the sweep and the raid, but then separate reports for their boss, Supervisory Special Agent Juan Casilla.
“This is going to take half the night,” Ryan grumbled. “At least we didn’t have to discharge our weapons—that would be another mountain of paperwork, plus a debriefing, plus a psych eval.”
“Sounds fun,” Lucy said. She dreaded the potential of a psychological evaluation. She’d been through so many of them she thought they might make her crazy.
They worked in silence for a few minutes; then Sean returned her call from earlier. “Hi,” she answered.
“You rang?”
“When I was on my break.”
“Whoops. I was talking to Patrick.”
“How’s my brother?”
“Working a case for Duke at my old alma mater.”
“Which one?”
“The one where I actually got my degree.”
“He’s at MIT?”
“He needed my technical expertise.”
“You love it when he asks for help.”
“I do,” Sean admitted, the grin in his voice. “And I’m going to savor the call from Duke when he gets my bill.”
“You’re billing him?”
“I warned everyone at RCK; I’m no longer working for free.”
“He probably won’t even notice. Isn’t Nora’s baby due any day?”
“The littlest Rogan is technically due in two weeks, but Nora’s on full bed rest. It’s driving both her and Duke insane, I’m sure. She’s almost as much of a workaholic as you.”
“Speaking of being a workaholic, I’m stuck at DEA headquarters doing paperwork.”
“How late?”
“Six, seven? Tex-Mex is fine.” Sean had sampled many of the local restaurants and already had his favorites.
“Rib House it is, then.”
She laughed. “Can I bring Ryan? He’s here working with me, and Nate’s been blabbing about how he’s been over to the house several times. Ryan’s jealous.”
Ryan shot her a dirty look, but then nodded, eyes wide. She laughed.
“The more the merrier. I’ll get plenty.”
“You always get too much.”
“Leftovers taste even better. Work fast. I love you.”
“Love you, too.” She smiled as she hung up.
“Tex-Mex?”
She shook her head. “Sean discovered this place called The Rib House. He’s addicted.”
Ryan practically licked his lips. “Best BBQ in Texas.”
“Do you have the boys this weekend? You can bring them.”
“No.” His face clouded, and he focused on their paperwork. Ryan was going through a nasty divorce and had two young sons. His wife had moved ninety minutes north to Austin, making it difficult for him to visit the boys during the week. He had custody every other
Not until he saved the others.
He dug around Bella’s backpack and tore a page from the back of a book. He wrote with a broken pencil, folded the paper, and waited until Olive had been in the house for ten minutes before he risked exposure.
He left his hiding spot and ran across the street. He didn’t hesitate, but ran up the porch steps. He heard water running in the kitchen. He wanted to go inside. To see Olive. Instead he slipped the paper through the mail slot and, as quietly as possible, left.
CHAPTER 4
By the time the investigative unit arrived at the hardware store to take over for Donnelly’s team, it was after three in the afternoon and no one had eaten since five a.m. Brad Donnelly brought pizza back to DEA headquarters for everyone, excited that they had a lead on Jaime—as thin as it was. He was working with the AUSA to write up the paperwork on George Sanchez’s deal and set up interrogations of the five men they’d arrested. The only hiccup so far was that the prisoners weren’t talking—they’d all lawyered up. But Brad didn’t seem too frustrated. He had the computer, the ledger, and George Sanchez.
All in all, a damn good day, he’d said more than once.
The good day ended for Lucy when she and Ryan sat down with a mountain of paperwork. They had to write up not only reports for the sweep and the raid, but then separate reports for their boss, Supervisory Special Agent Juan Casilla.
“This is going to take half the night,” Ryan grumbled. “At least we didn’t have to discharge our weapons—that would be another mountain of paperwork, plus a debriefing, plus a psych eval.”
“Sounds fun,” Lucy said. She dreaded the potential of a psychological evaluation. She’d been through so many of them she thought they might make her crazy.
They worked in silence for a few minutes; then Sean returned her call from earlier. “Hi,” she answered.
“You rang?”
“When I was on my break.”
“Whoops. I was talking to Patrick.”
“How’s my brother?”
“Working a case for Duke at my old alma mater.”
“Which one?”
“The one where I actually got my degree.”
“He’s at MIT?”
“He needed my technical expertise.”
“You love it when he asks for help.”
“I do,” Sean admitted, the grin in his voice. “And I’m going to savor the call from Duke when he gets my bill.”
“You’re billing him?”
“I warned everyone at RCK; I’m no longer working for free.”
“He probably won’t even notice. Isn’t Nora’s baby due any day?”
“The littlest Rogan is technically due in two weeks, but Nora’s on full bed rest. It’s driving both her and Duke insane, I’m sure. She’s almost as much of a workaholic as you.”
“Speaking of being a workaholic, I’m stuck at DEA headquarters doing paperwork.”
“How late?”
“Six, seven? Tex-Mex is fine.” Sean had sampled many of the local restaurants and already had his favorites.
“Rib House it is, then.”
She laughed. “Can I bring Ryan? He’s here working with me, and Nate’s been blabbing about how he’s been over to the house several times. Ryan’s jealous.”
Ryan shot her a dirty look, but then nodded, eyes wide. She laughed.
“The more the merrier. I’ll get plenty.”
“You always get too much.”
“Leftovers taste even better. Work fast. I love you.”
“Love you, too.” She smiled as she hung up.
“Tex-Mex?”
She shook her head. “Sean discovered this place called The Rib House. He’s addicted.”
Ryan practically licked his lips. “Best BBQ in Texas.”
“Do you have the boys this weekend? You can bring them.”
“No.” His face clouded, and he focused on their paperwork. Ryan was going through a nasty divorce and had two young sons. His wife had moved ninety minutes north to Austin, making it difficult for him to visit the boys during the week. He had custody every other
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