Page 45 of Special Agent Raven

Raven nodded, but Noah spoke first. “Knowing that Dale is on foot might give us a better chance to catch him. I’ll get holdof the dispatch control center, send around his picture, and put a BOLO out on the son of a bitch. Then in case he slips past us, the other communities are notified he’s on the loose and dangerous.”

***

On the way back to the station, Cane revisited his and Raven’s earlier conversation, understanding the feisty lady’s message about her not allowing anyone to touch her that wasn’t welcome. In her own way, she was letting him know that he’d been stupid in his handling of their situation. Honest as the day is long, she expected the same from him, and he’d basically ghosted their night together, pretending nothing had happened.

Though at first, he’d truthfully been unsure if they’d actually been together, the instant he’d seen her face to face, he’d known in his heart what had happened. He’d read the sweet gentleness in her eyes… a woman well loved who expected some sign of acknowledgement from her lover. And idiot that he was, he’d ignored it, playing silly games to protect his own weakness.

For cryin’ out loud, how stupid could a man be? He felt lower than scum, and knew he’d have to explain his backstory for her to understand why he’d acted like a horse’s ass. And from what he could understand of their immediate mission, he wasn’t going to get that opportunity anytime soon.

Chapter Thirty-five

Driving from the woods to the station on her own, thankful that Cane agreed to bring the van for her, Raven went back over the last hour. As images filtered through her memory, her body began to shake, and her boot on the gas peddle began to beat on it like she was listening to rock music and really feeling it.

Suffering as she had at the hands of the maniac had been severely traumatic, she knew it and didn’t try to fight against the panic. She’d never been that close to a psychopath before. Or seen the dead eyes of a man who not only wanted to hurt and then kill her… but felt joy at the prospect. Goosebumps were still flooding her body, and fear she’d never known before wouldn’t release the tight bands around her insides. Feelings of sickness overcame her to where she frantically swung the jeep to the side of the road and emptied her stomach in the bushes.

In her job, she’d been close to mentally deranged people but never in a situation so physically frightening… and never alone.Those horrifying moments signaled the truth… that she’d hate to be in the same place again. Life was just too short. Without any warning, a decision came to her, one she knew she was going to follow. Enough of her time had been sacrificed in service to the wasted, inhuman portions of society. She’d put in her years of dealing with those misfits.

Knowing she’d be handing in her resignation as soon as she returned to work, she felt a weight lift and shook herself with the knowledge that she should have followed her instincts years ago. She’d always known Winona would be thrilled to have her move back to town. And as for employment, she hadn’t kidded her nana that she could have a successful podcast highlighting and assisting in a mental health program. But she’d also known that for it to be a success, Winona couldn’t do it alone.

Having a decent 401K after saving a good portion of her wages for years, the prospect of building a business that would take time didn’t scare her. Just the opposite.

She’d also seen how the ladies in town rushed to Winona to obtain some of her homemade products. They’d been tested by her community and were wanted by folks who weren’t fooled easily. Maybe they could start up their own line for some of Winona’s more popular creations too. Suddenly, visions filled her head. And all the prospects she’d known were there but had been pushed away for years became possible.

Just as she pulled into the parking lot, a sneaky inner voice laughed at her, whispering ah-ha. You wanting to stay home wouldn’t have something to do with Cane taking on Palmer’s job of Deputy Chief in Carlton Place, would it? The one that she knew Noah intended to offer him. She’d overheard them talking earlier and felt sure Noah was greasing the wheel.

Taking huge cleansing breaths and forcing those thoughts away, she approached the office to find Noah and Cane scopingout a map of the community. Henry had arrived along with another younger man Raven had never met.

Noah stepped forward, his finger pointing at the smiling fellow. “Raven, Colin is my deputy. The one I told you about who couldn’t get into work because of the road being washed out.” He moved to her and said, “This here is Raven. She’s with the FBI and has been helping us during the flood.”

Raven smiled and shook hands, liking Colin’s deferential way of handling the introduction. She didn’t sense any disrespect for the fact that she was a woman or Native, something she’d experienced around the law enforcement community before.

Some men in town had a problem with her being in charge, something she often felt when being near Henry. In fact, he proved her right again with an asinine comment on her close call. “Raven, honey, shouldn’t you take a back seat after what you’ve just been through. We won’t need you now that we have more help.” He stepped close only to have her move away. Too blinded by his own arrogance to get the message, he didn’t take the hint. Just the opposite. “Can’t imagine why – after what Noah said you went through in the flood – it hasn’t put you in a psych ward at the hospital. You must be shaking in your boots, poor baby.”

Hostility in her eyes but sugar in her voice, she said, “I’m okay, Henry. But thank you for caring.” She turned to Noah and pointed at the map, “I suspect you’re starting up a search for Dale. Where do you want me?”

“I’d like you to hang with me so we can cover both sides of the street here in town. Henry and Cane will hit the places on the outskirts, and Colin will man the phones, calling those we can’t reach. He’s offered to set up a post online too. Best we get the word out to everyone we can to be on the lookout.”

Hours later, after an exhausting search, they were no further ahead. It’s like the man disappeared into thin air. They hit oneveryone they knew in the vicinity, while Colin called as many of the outlying places they had listed on the voter register. He also sent out numerous text messages. No one had anything to report. Dale hadn’t shown up anywhere.

They also had some of the better trackers from Search and Rescue spend the next few days combing the areas in the woods but again… all to no avail. Other than seeing some garbage they took as being Dale’s, they didn’t find any sight of the murdering creep himself.

During this time, Raven kept a mental and physical distance between her and Cane. Not that she wasn’t pleasant, she was… treating him no different than the others. But she knew he got the message loud and clear. What they’d had together was now changed. The previous small gestures and smiles and intimacies were a thing of the past.

Soon, many of the town’s people were able to return to their properties. Some unfortunates found they had nothing left, while others figured they could dig themselves out given time. And after a bit of rebuilding, they would be fine. During these days, Val began working for Elvira and seemed happy with her life, coming home every few hours to be with Bonnie yet being a huge help at the store.

Cane and Noah spent long hours together going over many of the open cases and choosing various options for his hiring process. Meanwhile, Raven held her council about her plans to quit and return. She still had time left on her vacation and intended to spend as much time as possible with her nana.

She saw how occupied Winona had become with her houseful and didn’t want to overwhelm her at the moment with her plans. After all, she’d have to give her three weeks notice before she could return. Deciding to hold off on her surprise, she pitched in and helped as best she could… both at home and at the station.

And because of the depressing situation in town, there was always something happening that kept them all busy. Folks had taken their calamity badly, and some of the younger ones didn’t believe in looking after each other… so stealing and fighting and being downright aggressive began to occur more often than in the past.

Another week flew by before they released Palmer’s body, and Raven had a chance to discuss his funeral plans with Winona… only to find out that he didn’t want any kind of a ceremony. His wishes were to have Raven and Winona take his ashes to his favorite fishing spot and sprinkle them there.

While they were together at the river, which had pretty much shrunk back to its normal banks, they seized their moment to talk about their friend. Winona, who had spent the morning with the lawyers shared the terms of his will. “Raven honey, Palmer left everything to you. He loved you like the sister he never had and wanted to look out for you.” She passed over a letter and waited for Raven to read it.

His words were simple but heartfelt.

My heart’s sister,