Page 91 of Storm Warning

“We’ll walk through it later.” When this mission was over, he’d take Riley to the garden and let her explore as long as she wanted.

“I’ll hold you to that promise.” She pulled out her phone and turned to Andre. “Stella and I are friends. Want me to call?”

That surprised him. He didn’t know she kept in contact with Stella. “Sure.”

After a glance around to be sure no one else was in their vicinity, Riley made the call, placing it on speaker.

After two rings, Stella said, “Detective Armstrong.” In the background, phones rang, and people yelled and cursed.

“It’s Riley. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were on shift.”

“It’s fine. Hold on a sec.” In seconds, the noise was gone. “I’m in an empty office. We can talk without the raucous sound effects in the background. Are you all right, Riley?”

“Sort of. I need a favor.”

“Name it, and then I want more information.”

“First, you need to know you’re on speaker with Andre Marsh.”

“Hello, Andre. How’s it going, my friend?”

“Good.”

“But with qualifications, right?”

He chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

“All right. You first, Riley. What do you need?”

“You still keep in contact with your friends from the Marshal service, right?”

“Yes, I do. So does Deke.”

“We need you to find out who is working on a fugitive investigation involving Jared Brown.”

Stella groaned. “I saw something about that this morning. Do you think he’s coming to Otter Creek?”

“He might come for us,” Andre said. “Specifically, me and the rest of Echo unit. We’re the ones who caught him and built the case against him. He should still be in prison. This man is extremely dangerous, Stella.”

“So I gathered. It’s all right for me to alert Deke as well?”

“Of course. Talk to your husband, Nate, about it, but you should be careful who you tap for information. You don’t want Jared Brown to notice you or think you’re a threat.”

“Thanks for the warning, Andre, but you know Nate and the rest of Durango. Anyone who threatens them or their families won’t survive the battle.”

“They have to be there to respond. Brown is excellent at catching his victims off guard. Just be careful, all right? I don’t want you hurt in helping me.”

“Understood.”

“How are you feeling, Stella?” Riley asked.

“Like I’m about to explode, thank you very much. This baby is growing so fast that I’ve run out of room.” She gave a huff of laughter. “And Nate and I can’t wait to meet him.”

“We won’t keep you,” Andre said. “Let us know when you have names for us.”

“Do you want me to mention Fortress’ interest in the investigation?”

“That’s your call, but the way Nate feels about you is the same way I feel about Riley. If Brown or anyone else comes after her, he’s dead.”