lose ’em?” asked Wendy.
Shea glanced in the rearview mirror. “No sign of them.”
Before she could congratulate herself, a sheriff’s cruiser pulled onto the street behind them and turned on its flashing lights. “Damn, just can’t win today.”
She considered running from the cop, but they wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was one thing to outrun a single patrol car, quite another to outrun a police radio. She pulled over to the curb as the black SUV whizzed by too quickly for her to read the license plate.
The cruiser parked behind her, blue lights flashing. “Wendy, where’s your registration?”
“My what?” Her sister seemed jittery. Her face was flush and sweaty. She let loose with a fit of coughing.
“Your vehicle registration. You know, the little paper they give you when you pay for your tags every year or two.”
Wendy searched through the glove box, tearing through the papers like a Tasmanian devil. Shea glanced in the mirror to see Willie walking up to the car. She rolled down the window, not sure whether to be worried or relieved.
“Willie, how is it everywhere I go, you show up? You fire all your other deputies?”
“You tell me how every time there’s trouble, you’re in the middle of it. Where you two going?”
“To meet Wendy’s husband for breakfast.”
“Breakfast with Hunter Wittmann? The man you accused of killing the Ortega woman and kidnapping his own daughter? Am I missing something?”
She felt like she was back in the interrogation room. “Turns out it wasn’t him.”
“You sound convinced. Why the change of heart?”
“ ’Cause we talked to him on the phone. He thought we had Annie.”
“You tell this to Detectives Edelman and Rios?”
“Yeah, we told them. Geez, what’s with the third degree? I thought we were friends.”
“I hate to break it to you, but right now you’re our main suspect.”
“How could I kidnap my own niece if I was still there when you guys arrived? Don’t they teach you guys anything at deputy school?”
“Listen, I’m not in charge of this investigation. Edelman and Rios are. I’m sure they’re following up on every lead. You heard from the kidnappers?”
“No.”
He kept her gaze a minute longer than she was comfortable with. “You hear anything, you let us know.”
“Yeah, yeah. We free to go?”
“Not so fast. You mind explaining that little stunt you pulled back there?”
“Did you not see the black SUV chasing us?”
“Now why would someone be chasing you?”
“How the hell should I know? Why’d someone break into Iron Goddess and shoot one of my guys? Why’d someone kidnap Wendy’s kid? This world’s gone fuckin’ crazy. For all I know, Buzzkill’s framing me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would the sheriff want to frame you?”
“Maybe he resents me making something of myself.”
“That’s absurd. Now show me your license, insurance, and registration.”
“Fine.” She handed him her license and the insurance card for her motorcycle. “This is Wendy’s car. She’s looking for the registration.”
Willie leaned down to look through the window at Wendy, who had papers strewn all over her half of the car. She sniffled and coughed as she gazed absently at a wrinkled receipt. Between the bruises on her face and her feverish complexion, she looked messed up. “You all right there, Wendy?”
“Her daughter’s been kidnapped, Willie. Of course, she’s not all right.”
He examined Shea’s license and insurance card, then handed them back to her. “You found that registration yet?”
Wendy dug under her seat, pulling out empty paper cups and candy wrappers. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.”
“No registration.” He walked around to the back of the car, bent down, then returned to the window. “Plate’s current. I’ll let it slide. As for the reckless driving, I didn’t see any SUV. But I’ll let you go with a warning.”
“Well, don’t do me any favors. I’d
Shea glanced in the rearview mirror. “No sign of them.”
Before she could congratulate herself, a sheriff’s cruiser pulled onto the street behind them and turned on its flashing lights. “Damn, just can’t win today.”
She considered running from the cop, but they wouldn’t have stood a chance. It was one thing to outrun a single patrol car, quite another to outrun a police radio. She pulled over to the curb as the black SUV whizzed by too quickly for her to read the license plate.
The cruiser parked behind her, blue lights flashing. “Wendy, where’s your registration?”
“My what?” Her sister seemed jittery. Her face was flush and sweaty. She let loose with a fit of coughing.
“Your vehicle registration. You know, the little paper they give you when you pay for your tags every year or two.”
Wendy searched through the glove box, tearing through the papers like a Tasmanian devil. Shea glanced in the mirror to see Willie walking up to the car. She rolled down the window, not sure whether to be worried or relieved.
“Willie, how is it everywhere I go, you show up? You fire all your other deputies?”
“You tell me how every time there’s trouble, you’re in the middle of it. Where you two going?”
“To meet Wendy’s husband for breakfast.”
“Breakfast with Hunter Wittmann? The man you accused of killing the Ortega woman and kidnapping his own daughter? Am I missing something?”
She felt like she was back in the interrogation room. “Turns out it wasn’t him.”
“You sound convinced. Why the change of heart?”
“ ’Cause we talked to him on the phone. He thought we had Annie.”
“You tell this to Detectives Edelman and Rios?”
“Yeah, we told them. Geez, what’s with the third degree? I thought we were friends.”
“I hate to break it to you, but right now you’re our main suspect.”
“How could I kidnap my own niece if I was still there when you guys arrived? Don’t they teach you guys anything at deputy school?”
“Listen, I’m not in charge of this investigation. Edelman and Rios are. I’m sure they’re following up on every lead. You heard from the kidnappers?”
“No.”
He kept her gaze a minute longer than she was comfortable with. “You hear anything, you let us know.”
“Yeah, yeah. We free to go?”
“Not so fast. You mind explaining that little stunt you pulled back there?”
“Did you not see the black SUV chasing us?”
“Now why would someone be chasing you?”
“How the hell should I know? Why’d someone break into Iron Goddess and shoot one of my guys? Why’d someone kidnap Wendy’s kid? This world’s gone fuckin’ crazy. For all I know, Buzzkill’s framing me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would the sheriff want to frame you?”
“Maybe he resents me making something of myself.”
“That’s absurd. Now show me your license, insurance, and registration.”
“Fine.” She handed him her license and the insurance card for her motorcycle. “This is Wendy’s car. She’s looking for the registration.”
Willie leaned down to look through the window at Wendy, who had papers strewn all over her half of the car. She sniffled and coughed as she gazed absently at a wrinkled receipt. Between the bruises on her face and her feverish complexion, she looked messed up. “You all right there, Wendy?”
“Her daughter’s been kidnapped, Willie. Of course, she’s not all right.”
He examined Shea’s license and insurance card, then handed them back to her. “You found that registration yet?”
Wendy dug under her seat, pulling out empty paper cups and candy wrappers. “I’m sure it’s here somewhere.”
“No registration.” He walked around to the back of the car, bent down, then returned to the window. “Plate’s current. I’ll let it slide. As for the reckless driving, I didn’t see any SUV. But I’ll let you go with a warning.”
“Well, don’t do me any favors. I’d
Similar Books
