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Something rang out in Espinoza’s car, a soft musical tone. He frowned as he accelerated through a green light. That was not his ringtone. It wasn’t his phone ringing.

It sounded like it was coming from his passenger seat. Espo wondered for the moment whether he should stop the car and find it.

He could do it when he got to Desiree’s apartment. He didn’t want to keep her waiting. She’d sent a rather racy detailed message of what she wanted to do to him. The ringing had stopped anyway, silence filling up the car.

Too silent.

For a second the dull hollowness in his chest had a chance to step out into the fore. Desiree was beautiful, but she wasn’t really someone he could talk to. Not like Lacey. Smart, funny Lacey, who was so easy to make blush. Smart, funny Lacey, who would run if she knew the past he kept buried.

The phone started ringing again, cutting through his thoughts. He frowned. Whoever dropped their phone in his car must be desperate to get it back. Espo sighed and pulled over to the side of the road. What was the bet this was some girl’s phone she’d deliberately “dropped” in his car to make sure he called her again? It wasn’t the first time one of them had done something like that.

You’re such a cynic, Espo.

He got out of his car and walked around to the passenger’s side. It had begun to ring again when he grasped the slim phone that had fallen down the side of the seat.

It was Julianna’s phone. There was the small chip along the back where she dropped it that time at a crime scene, almost hitting the corpse on the head. She must have dropped it again tonight when he was taking her home.

He turned the screen over and was surprised to see the caller was “Dad”.

The chief.

Espinoza hit answer.

“Don’t you dare go after them yourself,” the familiar voice roared from the speaker.

“Chief?” Espo asked.

There was a pause. “Espinoza?”

“Julianna dropped her phone in my car.”

The chief swore. “Espinoza, you’ve got to stop her. I called her back on her home phone, but she didn’t answer.” The desperation in his voice tugged at Espo. He’d never heard the chief sound like this.

Espinoza’s blood turned to ice as he listened to what Julianna was about to do. Throwing herself in between the Tyrells and the Veronesis! He knew something had been off with her for the last few months. He should have listened to his gut. He should have gone with her to her apartment for dinner from Ming’s. Now she was acting crazy. Practically suicidal.

He had promised to look out for Capi when they had first been partnered, but he didn’t count on how much he’d grow to like her. She’d practically become like a little sister to him. It wasn’t about his duty anymore. If anything happened to her…

“I’m on my way.” Espo sprinted to the driver’s seat and slammed his foot on the accelerator before his door was even closed. “I won’t let anything happen to her, I swear.”