Page 20 of The Graveyard Girls (Detective Ellie Reeves #11)

NINETEEN

Atlanta

Special Agent Derrick Fox had been on leave since December while he recovered from a back injury sustained working the last case.

But he was bored out of his mind and antsy to return to field duty.

He didn’t care if the doctor was on the fence about signing off on his request. Doctor be damned.

Nothing was going to keep him tied to a desk or from doing his job.

“Listen, man, don’t push it,” his partner, Bennett, said over the phone. “Take a vacay. Go fishing. Get laid.”

Derrick gritted his teeth. Sipping a martini on a hot beach sounded tempting considering the winter weather, but the mountains were calling his name.

Because of Ellie…

Dammit, Fox. She’s with McClain now and you have to accept it.

“A body was found in Brambletown,” Derrick told Bennett. “I saw the press conference.”

Bennett sighed. “That’s not your problem. Besides, I know that detective got under your skin, but there’s other women out there. What about Lindsey, the mother of your godchildren?”

Derrick ran his fingers through his hair.

“I told you she was my friend’s wife. Every time I look at her, I see him.

” And that he took his life and I could have saved him if I’d stayed closer in touch.

He sure as hell didn’t want to fail the guy’s family.

Besides, Lindsey wanted her husband back and he would only be a temporary filler.

“His death wasn’t your fault.”

Damn, Bennett knew him too well.

“Your buddy was in a bad place,” Bennett said. “When someone reaches the point where they’re suicidal, when they’ve made up their minds, you can’t save them. It’s a tragedy, but you have to accept it and move on.”

“Which is what I’m trying to do with work.

” Derrick opened his laptop. “The history of Brambletown has always been on my radar because of that fire and the government’s resistance to take responsibility and clean up the toxins.

A lot of people died because of it. And now someone built a memorial for them.

” He sighed. “Some people are protesting it. It’s triggering all kinds of emotions.

Which could create a hostile environment, especially with skeletal remains being discovered on the premises.

A new investigation in the area might stir up the fact that they never pinpointed who was responsible for that coal fire.

” He hesitated, then continued down that line of thought.

“And if the person who abducted or killed the Higgins girl is still around, it could be dangerous.”

“Is that why you want to get involved? To protect that pretty detective?”

Derrick went stone cold still. He hadn’t thought about it like that.

“Ellie doesn’t need or want my protection,” Derrick said grimly.

“But the case is intriguing.” He swallowed hard as he looked down at his computer where he’d been searching for cases of missing teens.

There were too many of them across the states, some runaways, some abductions.

“Besides, if the victim is from out of state, it becomes a federal case. And the mayor did assign me to head up the task force to investigate crimes on or related to the AT.”

Ellie’s face flashed in his mind, but he banished it and forced himself to turn back to the missing persons reports. At least five across the U.S. running from South Georgia to North Carolina to Tennessee.

Once he finished digging into them, he’d head to the mountains.

His interest had nothing to do with Ellie. Absolutely nothing at all.