Page 72 of Inside Silence

“You know what you can do for me? Get going on the extra funding for the department, so I can plug some holes and start building a cohesive unit. In addition to the two deputies, I need a properly trained detective, preferably with plenty of experience, because I need to focus on getting this department running like a well-oiled machine. Can you do that?”

He nods, a serious expression on his face.

“I’ll call in some favors; consider it done.”

“Good, because I’ve got Brenda and Hugo already actively recruiting,” I confess, which makes my dad chuckle.

“You never did have patience,” he points out.

“I didn’t get that from a stranger,” I return.

A brief silence falls over the room before Dad speaks again, in a different tone this time.

“Are we okay?”

I don’t like the vulnerability I hear in his voice, but I’m not ready to just brush my feelings aside.

“Give me time. I’m sure we’ll get there.”

He seems to mull that over before he asks, “Will you be there Friday?”

“That’s the plan.”

He nods and turns his back, reaching for the door.

“Love you, Toots.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Nate

* * *

“Fancy meeting you here.”

I drop the pineapple I’d been testing for ripeness and turn to find Savvy behind me holding a basket with a couple of bananas and a few containers of plain Greek yogurt.

“Dinner?” I ask, pointing at her haul.

“Don’t judge. I need a few quick and easy things to grab for lunch and dinner that aren’t fast food or swimming with preservatives.” She sighs, patting her stomach. “My body is revolting.”

“There should be good food at the cookout tonight,” I point out.

That’s why I stopped at the grocery store after dropping Tate at school. I needed ingredients for the Bombay salad I offered to make, and I was out of the dates I need for my brownies.

“About that…” She grimaces. “I don’t think I’ll be able to make it. I’ve got a full day with meetings scheduled well into the afternoon. I’m just swamped.”

I’m disappointed, but not really surprised. The last time I saw her was when I brought her lunch on Tuesday. We’ve texted once or twice, mostly me checking in on her, and her letting me know she’d be working late or was out of the office.

Well, if she’s not going to come tonight, I may as well capitalize on this chance meeting in the produce department.

Walking up to her, I bend down to drop a kiss on her lips. She acts embarrassed when one of the baristas from Strange Brew walks by and gives her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“Oh great. It’s gonna be all over town now,” she mutters.

A little offended, I take a step back. “And that’s a problem? Because if there are bounds I’m overstepping, I’d like to know.”

“What? No, I don’t mean it that way,” she hurries to clarify, grabbing my arm to pull me to a quiet corner. “It’s just…there are already rumblings in town I’m falling down on the job. There’s a lot of pressure to get both murders solved, one of my own deputies is in jail, my department is falling apart, and the mayor is not happy he had to wait for thirty minutes for one of my deputies to show up at the scene of a fender bender that took out the rear bumper of his Mercedes GLS,” she rattles. “So now he’s on my case.”