Page 26 of The Sinner's Son
Cayden took a deep breath and coughed. “I’m fine. Just exhausted. I don’t think I’ve slept more than an hour at a time since Dane disappeared.”
Royce couldn’t just take the kid’s word for it. He searched the symptoms for chlorine poisoning on his phone and asked Cay a series of questions until he felt better about his condition. The fresh air had already helped move the noxious fumes from the house. “Okay. We can skip a trip to the hospital. Let’s eat some breakfast and strategize on how we’re going to find Dane.”
Cayden blinked a few times, and his gaze sharpened like knives. “You still believe me?”
“I do.”
“And you’re going to help me find him?”
“Yes I am,” Royce said.
“Okay.” Cayden slumped back against the couch. “Do I smell biscuits?”
It was such a teenage boy thing to ask, and it would’ve made Royce smile under better circumstances. “I wasn’t sure what you and your mom liked to eat, so I ordered a variety of breakfast sandwiches and sides. Then I added a few orders of sausage gravy and biscuits. I also bought oatmeal and yogurt parfaits in case your mom needs to eat things that are easier on her stomach.” Royce pushed the drink carrier toward him too. “I have Cokes, coffee, and an OJ to drink.” When he looked back up, Cayden was staring at him like he’d suddenly grown a second head. “What?”
“Are you for real, sir?”
“I am,” Royce replied. “And you don’t have to address me formally right now. We’re not at school, and I’m not here as your instructor. You’re a family friend who needs my help.”
“That doesn’t feel right. I might slip up once school starts.”
“Suit yourself,” Royce conceded. “But let’s eat some breakfast and get started.”
Cayden reached for the bag and sorted through the sandwiches to find the cartons of biscuits and gravy at the bottom. “I think my mom will really appreciate this. I’m going to see if she’s awake and—”
Royce stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “You need to eat first if you’re going to be any help to her. I’ll need you at your best too.”
Cayden took a deep breath as he set the container aside. He picked out a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel and stuck a straw through one of the Cokes. He took a sip of the drink first and sighed before he tore into the sandwich like the starved kid he was.
“I have hash browns in here too.” Royce pulled one out of the bag and extended it to Cayden, who snatched it up and tore a chunk out of it. “I got apple slices too.” Cayden’s lips curled into a snarl as he chewed. “Or not.” Royce helped himself to a sausage-and-cheese biscuit but chewed at a more leisurely pace. “Here’s my plan,” he said after a few minutes. “I need to meet with your mom this morning to talk about everything that’s going on. Afterward, I’m going to swing by the hardware store to pick up the parts for your dishwasher. And then I’m going to the precinct to light a fire under someone’s ass until they take Dane’s disappearance seriously.”
“And what if they don’t?”
The question came from the hallway. Royce turned to find Nina Sutton standing there. She was so slight she hadn’t made a single shuffling sound as she’d approached them. Dark, lankhair framed a gaunt face, but her icy blue eyes assessed him with razor-sharp focus. Nina wore pink-and-white striped pajamas, a plush pink robe, and matching fuzzy slippers. The loungewear looked brand-new, and he imagined her sons picking the ensemble out for her because it looked comfortable.
“Mom!” Cayden said, leaping to his feet. “You should be in bed.”
“That’s all I do. I needed a change of scenery.” Nina looked at Royce and smiled weakly. “You’ll do.”
Royce snorted, set his food aside, and stood up. He crossed the room and offered his hand, which she took. Her bones were as delicate as fine china, and he was careful not to grip her hand too hard. “I’m Sergeant Royce Locke.”
“Jason’s married uncle?” Nina asked with a sigh.
“Mom,” Cayden moaned. “You’re in no condition to flirt.”
“Ha! I’m still breathing and on the sunny side of the grave. Just let me bat my eyelashes at the pretty man.”
Cayden flinched at her casual way of addressing her terminal illness, but he didn’t say anything.
“Yes, ma’am,” Royce said. “I’m Jason’s married uncle and Cayden’s instructor at the Explorer Academy.”
“Don’t forget handsome,” Nina said.
Royce chuckled. “I think that’s a matter of opinion.”
She put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “Are you seriously arguing with a dying woman right now?”
Her brutal honesty took him by surprise, even though he’d already witnessed it. Royce’s next breath lodged in his throat, and his words got stuck in an emotional traffic jam. Maybe it was for the best. His knee-jerk reaction was to offer platitudes that wouldn’t save her life or bring Dane back. They wouldn’t provide comfort as she fought a ruthless enemy that would ultimately win. Nina needed honesty, respect, and action. Royce cleared his throat. “No, ma’am.”