Burning Proof by Janice Cantore

back in the car. Bandit immediately curled up in a ball on the driver’s seat.
    Woody met her at the door with a hug, and Abby’s jittery nerves relaxed. He made her feel safe, gave her back her balance. At least while she was with him, she could put Clayton Joiner on the back burner.
    “I just noticed how great you look. Getting regular sleep must agree with you,” she told him.
    “Never thought I’d like a normal schedule, but so far so good.”
    They found a table inside. Abby loved the cozy family feel of the place and the smell of comfort food cooking. After they ordered and she sipped on her Diet Coke, she asked Woody to update her on the cold case squad. In the back of her mind, this was also asking him about Luke Murphy.
    “We’ve finished all the paperwork and testing. But the government is stalled. Politics.” He made a face. “Agent Orson did toss a case our way, though. Hopefully Luke will find out more about it tomorrow. The victim was sixteen at the time. It’s ten years cold now. Sounds like a case you’d find interesting.”
    “I find all cold cases interesting. They hit close to home. I hope you worrying about me didn’t cut your first day short.”
    “Nah, not much to do right now until Luke gets all the details on this case.”
    Their food arrived, and Abby looked at Woody.
    “Did you see that Rollins is officially in the race?”
    Woody gave a dismissive wave. “I saw it. Let that go, Abby. That’s one thing Ethan and I agree on. You need to let that go.”
    Stung, Abby sat back. “I have. The case is closed. I’m just making an observation.”
    His expression softened. “Don’t get your hackles up. I just hate to see you beat your head against a wall.”
    “I honestly believe I have let it go. But doesn’t it bother you that Rollins will most likely be a senator?”
    “He’s slimy, like all politicians, but there’s no proof of anything else, is there?”
    Grudgingly Abby had to say no, there wasn’t.
    “What are you going to do with all your time off?”
    “Relax, I hope.” She shivered as the question brought her back to the here and now, and turmoil resettled on her heart like an anvil. “I’m driving home, leaving tomorrow or the next day. I might even help Ethan with what he’s working on. Maybe being far away for a bit will help me clear my head.”
    “I hope you’re not brooding over Joiner. You did what you had to do.”
    Abby gave a half shrug, took a bite of her burger. Woody let her think a bit. She knew he would.
    “I know I did my job, but those are hollow words when I think about poor Clayton. That could have been me. I told you how close I came to shooting Kent.”
    “Look, kid, that was a tough deal, no two ways about it. But he forced your hand. Suppose you’d let him shoot the suspect, kill him. Then he’d be sitting in jail and you’d be questioning your judgment the other way.”
    “I know you’re right. I know you are. But   —”
    “No but s. Concentrate on what you know is right; then everything else will fall into place.”

CHAPTER
- 18-
    TUESDAY MORNING found Luke with a large cup of coffee and an open Bible on his lap before the sun came up. Asa’s notes and Abby Hart invaded his thoughts and fractured his prayer time. He’d made copies of the notes but had trouble following the man’s reasoning. The problem of Lucy Harper nagged at him. The fact that Asa seemed to have found this link almost fifteen years ago and then sat on it irritated Luke. Asa was supposed to be one of the good guys.
    As for Abby Hart, it also bothered him that Woody wanted to keep the information from her. Luke didn’t believe in secrets, at least not about something like this. True, she had a lot on her plate right now, not the least of which was a fatal shooting. But there was something else that got Luke up and out of bed so early, driving him to the Word for wisdom and guidance.
    Abby was off work and leaving to spend time away with Ethan Carver.
    Of all