Page 11 of Vanishing Point (Bent County Protectors #1)

Maybe Thomas shouldn’t have come into the department today. Even after adjusting his hours for the late morning, he wanted to snap just about everyone’s head off.

The prints weren’t ready. There was no information from the Texas police precinct. No one had any answers, and no one seemed that keen on getting them.

Which he knew was not a fair characterization. Police work was slow, methodical, and rushing things didn’t help solve any cases.

But damn, he wanted to rush. He didn’t like this hanging over their heads for a lot of reasons, but doing slow, methodical waiting while Vi and Magnolia were back at his house, even with Franny, really grated.

Her ex-husband sending those pictures was an escalation. Likely there’d be a few more before he escalated far enough to actually threaten Vi’s physical well-being, but there was a lot of psychological well-being to threaten in the meantime.

Rosalie swanned into his office, clearly not having gone through the front desk.

He might have scowled at her, but she dropped a folder on his desk in front of him.

“All the emails, and a transcription of all the voicemails she gave me access to. I can email you the file too, but I thought this might be…safer.”

Thomas nodded and immediately flipped the folder open. While his email was on the county police server, with lots of security, he didn’t know about Rosalie’s. “Do you think there are ones she didn’t show you?”

Rosalie paused. He wasn’t sure if she was deciding on her answer, or on whether to tell him her answer, but in the end, she shrugged.

“I don’t know why she’d let me see some, and not others.

Maybe if she didn’t have Mags I’d think she was hiding the worst of it from me, but she’s going to protect Magnolia at all costs. ”

Luckily, that lined up with what he thought, but he wanted to hear it from someone who’d been around Vi this past year. “Good.”

“I’m glad she’s staying with you, because the ranch is too big to protect. But it’s hardly a long-term solution to have her and Mags at your place.”

He looked up, into Rosalie’s worried blue eyes. “Why not?”

“We don’t know how long this is going to take. That ex-husband has been pretty careful, and this still isn’t an actual threat. This could be an ongoing issue. She’s been here over a year. Who knows how long it continues. Are you just going to have them permanently move in with you?”

He looked at her evenly and tried not to let it show how much he wanted exactly that. Just not with Vi’s ex-husband’s threats hanging over their head. “Again,” he said, very calmly, “why not?”

She grinned at him. “Just testing you, Hart. She’s been through hell. She doesn’t need some stupid guy with good intentions stomping on her heart because he’s careless. I guess you’re not.”

“I’ve never been careless, Rosalie.”

“Good.” She got to her feet. “I’m doing my own investigation, obviously, but keep me in the loop.”

“I guess it would be a waste of breath to tell you to leave it to the police department?”

“It would indeed.”

He sighed. “All right. I’ll keep you in the loop, if you do the same.”

She nodded, then exited the way she’d come. Not a few minutes later, Laurel entered the office, a woman behind her. Mid- to late thirties, dressed professionally in a blazer and a skirt and sensible heels. Not a cop. Maybe a lawyer?

Hell, he did not want to deal with any lawyers today.

“Thomas, this is Postal Inspector Dianne Kay.”

Thomas stood, held out his hand and shook hers. After he did, she held out a badge. “I’m out of the Fort Worth, Texas, office. I need to ask you a few questions about an envelope you received in the mail yesterday.”

Texas. Envelope.

Suddenly, he was a little more interested in dealing with a postal inspector. “Have a seat,” he said, taking his behind the desk. Laurel took a chair toward the side. “You work quick to be up here already.”

“We try, but we’ve been following this for a while now.

We’re investigating a series of fraudulent uses of the mail.

All stemming from the police department in Plano, Texas.

I was in Denver yesterday when we got word that another set of envelopes had been flagged by postal employees here in Bent County. ”

“I did receive an envelope yesterday with a return address of the Plano Police Department.”

Inspector Kay nodded. “As far as our investigation is concerned, no one who works at the Plano Police Department is behind these letters. We’re trying to find out who is.”

“What were in the other letters?”

She smiled at him. “I think you know I can’t tell you that.”

Irritation simmered, because she could tell him that, if she wanted. She didn’t have to play things like that perfectly by the book. But if he put up a stink about it, he knew what people would say. That he was too close to the case, and he’d start putting himself in danger of getting taken off it.

He trusted Laurel and Copeland, but that didn’t mean he’d be able to handle not being involved.

“Did you keep the envelope and its contents?” she asked.

“They were somewhat threatening in nature, so we’re doing some analysis. Once I have the answers, you can take a look at whatever you need to.”

“I’m sorry. You can finish your tests, I suppose. But it’ll be a little bit more than taking a look. Those objects are now evidence in a federal investigation. I’ll have to take them.”

She said it apologetically, and not like some of the federal agents he dealt with—with a kind of smug superiority. Still, it grated. The last thing he wanted to do was hand it over to someone who had to deal with federal red tape.

“It was addressed to me. The return address had no name. No identifying information. Just the return address of the Plano Police Department.”

“I’m going to need the envelope.” When Thomas opened his mouth to protest, she kept talking. “I don’t need to take it just yet, as I’m planning to stay in Bent a few days, but I do need to see the address now so I can verify.”

“Will a photograph work?”

She nodded. He motioned her to come around to his side of the desk, and he brought up the pictures he’d taken of the envelope.

“Cute. Those your kids?” she asked, pointing at all the picture frames on the desk.

“Oh, no. They’re Detective Delaney-Carson’s,” he said, nodding at Laurel. “We share a desk.”

He should put a picture of Vi and Magnolia up too. But for now, he focused on the computer screen. “Here’s the return address. The address here, with my name as the addressee.”

She had a notebook and was taking notes.

“And the contents?” she asked.

“Pictures.”

“Of?”

He didn’t want to tell her, but that was silly. Maybe their investigations would line up and this could be over all that much sooner. “A friend of mine. We’re working under the theory that they came from her ex-husband.”

“I’m going to need the names of both,” she said. “Spell them out for me. Any other information you have about either one of them. I’d also like you to email me these,” she said, pointing at the computer screen.

With a sick, heavy feeling in his gut, Thomas told her Vi’s name, and Eric’s. When it came to Eric, Thomas gave her the information Vi had given him yesterday. When it came to Vi…

“Can I get an address?”

He couldn’t exactly tell this federal agent the person was living with him. Was his girlfriend . She wouldn’t understand. “It’s a ranch out by Sunrise. A ways away. I can give you her phone number.”

“That’ll work.”

He rattled off the number.

The woman pulled a card out of her bag, then scribbled something on the back. “You can email me the photos of the envelope at the email on the front. And there’s my cell on the back if you need it.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

“I’ll be back probably around midday tomorrow to collect the evidence. Hopefully I’ll have a few more questions for you once I’ve talked to the names you gave me.” She stuffed everything back in her bag. “I don’t suppose you know a good place to get dinner around here?”

There was something about the way she said it, smiled with her head cocked so that was just enough warning to tread lightly. That and Laurel’s eyebrow raise aimed at him.

Lucky for him, Copeland walked by in the nick of time.

“Hey, Copeland. You know any places the postal inspector could get a decent meal in Fairmont?”

Copeland smiled at Dianne. “Sure. I live out that way. I can give you a few suggestions.”

“Detective Beckett is part of our department too,” Thomas explained. “Inspector Kay here came up from Texas by way of Denver to investigate some mail fraud with that envelope we got yesterday. Copeland used to be a detective in Denver.”

Inspector Kay offered Copeland a bland kind of smile. “Not quite a promotion coming out this way, is it?”

Copeland didn’t take any offense to that. He grinned. “Well, I’d love to tell you all about it. There’s a pretty decent Italian place. If you’re looking for some company, I’m about to clock out. Be happy to take you.”

“Oh.” She looked back at Thomas, then straightened her shoulders. “Well, thanks, but I think I’ll just do some takeout. It’s been a long day.” She turned back to Thomas, aimed that megawatt smile at him. “I’ll be back tomorrow, Detective Hart.”

“Sure. I’ll be here.”

Then the inspector left, leaving the three of them in the detective’s office.

“Did you just strike out?” Laurel demanded of Copeland, clearly delighted at the prospect.

“I wasn’t batting,” Copeland grumbled.

“Like hell you weren’t,” Laurel said with a laugh. “You asked her out. She said no. Then gave Hart some big eyes.”

“Yeah, Hart’s a real popular guy these days.”

“He finally grew into that baby face,” Laurel said, pinching his cheek before Thomas could sidestep her. “You know when he started at the county, he only weighed one-fifty.”

“It was more than that,” Thomas said, glaring at Laurel. “Maybe we could focus on our case instead of everyone’s romantic life?”