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I t would have been wonderful to lounge in bed with Kai all day, but that wasn’t something that Lulu was going to get to do. They both had jobs, and people depending on them to do it.

After a quick shower, Lulu changed into her uniform and headed directly to the station. She hadn’t heard from Deputy Steve yet, but depending on how long the searches took, she should be hearing something very soon.

She’d stopped at the coffeemaker to pour herself a cup before retreating to her office to once again to look over the investigation file one more time - just in case there was something she’d missed - when Steve walked into the station.

“You did it,” he crowed.

The station was empty except for the receptionist as everyone was out on patrol. Jill, however, wasn’t all that interested in police work. She was, as usual, playing a game on her phone and didn’t even look up when Steve walked in.

The deputy was smiling, which wasn’t all that unusual. Except this time, he was grinning like he’d won the lottery.

“I did what?”

“You cracked the case,” Steve said, following her to her tiny office at the back of the station. “The forensic team found what they think is the murder weapon. I have photos. They’ve taken it back to the lab to test for Dana’s blood. The DA told me to tell you to pick up Allie Baker and arrest her for murder.”

“So quick? They don’t want to wait for the forensics to come back?”

Steve handed her his phone so she could page through the photos he’d taken. It appeared to be a metal pipe with blood and hair stuck to it, wrapped in a bright two-toned blue checked cloth.

“He’s afraid she’ll try to run. She doesn’t have many ties to the community other than Jay Bradford and her job.”

Allie’s ties to Bradford seemed pretty strong to Lulu, but she wasn’t going to argue with the district attorney. If he thought he had enough to prosecute, then she’d do it. In the end, it wasn’t her call.

“Where did they find it?”

“Allie’s bedroom closet, hidden at the back behind some dirty laundry and boxes of shoes. I guess she didn’t think that anyone would look there.”

“I don’t want to arrest her in a classroom in front of a bunch of kids,” Lulu said, more to herself than Steve. “I’ll call the DA and see if the end of the day is good enough.”

“You did great, Lulu,” Steve said. “You wrapped up this case in good time. The town is going to be thrilled.”

“The town is going to be shocked,” she replied. “They were waiting for me to fall flat on my face. Then they could all say that I’d just been a nepotism hire, and that they always knew I couldn’t do the job.”

“Well, fuck ‘em all, right? You showed them, didn’t you?”

“I guess I did.”

Then why didn’t she feel vindicated? Shouldn’t there have been some sort of rush of accomplishment? An achievement unlocked? Why didn’t she feel something more? It was almost…a letdown. Was this how her father felt after a case was solved? The rush of the chase simply leaked away like a hole in a birthday balloon?

After Steve left her office, she called the DA to discuss the timing of the arrest. He agreed that traumatizing a bunch of elementary students wasn’t a great idea, and that she should time the arrest for after school. As long as no one tipped off Allie, it should go smoothly.

They also discussed that Harper didn’t have the resources for a long-term prisoner, should the judge not offer bail. Or if they did, that Allie Baker couldn’t pay it. The DA assured Lulu that they had an agreement with the county lockup to house any prisoners for Harper that exceeded twenty-four hours.

Before hanging up the call, the DA congratulated her on a job well done.

“Your dad would be proud of you,” he said.

After she hung up the phone, she sat at her desk for a long time letting the feelings wash over her. She’d solved a murder, and that was good. She’d proved to the town - and herself - that she could do this job. She should be jumping for joy.

Maybe I’m just not the jumping for joy type? Maybe I’m the all-business kind of person.

It was then that it hit her that she might not be feeling the “completion” love because it wasn’t really done. She still had to arrest Allie Baker, and then the DA would either broker a plea deal or have a trial. If she was found guilty, then there would be sentencing. There was still a great deal that needed to happen. Her part of this wasn’t over.

Later today, she was going to arrest Allie Baker for the murder of Dana Cartwright.

Kai wouldn’t have been doing his job if he hadn’t covered the arrest of Allie Baker. He’d been tipped off by a teacher at the school who called him and said that the sheriff and two deputies had just picked up Allie, put her in handcuffs, and were taking her to the sheriff’s station.

For a brief moment, he was a little hurt that Lulu hadn’t told him herself, but then he realized that she, of course, couldn’t. She was the damn sheriff, after all. She’d probably wanted to keep the arrest as quiet as possible so there wouldn’t be a bunch of onlookers.

Instead, he headed for the sheriff’s station where the local television news already had a truck and a reporter with a microphone waiting for Lulu to show up. A small crowd had gathered as well, but a deputy was keeping them behind a barricade that had been set up.

Three official vehicles pulled up and parked in front of the station. The television reporter smirked at Kai before rushing up to the lead car where Lulu was climbing out of the driver’s side, sticking the microphone in her face.

“Tony and I will give a joint statement in a moment,” Lulu said to the reporter, dismissing the smiling woman rather efficiently.

The reporter wasn’t put off, however, and they rounded the vehicle to where Tony Witscoff, the district attorney was exiting the car. She tried to ask him a few questions, but he shook his head, too.

A deputy climbed out of each of the second and third vehicles, before striding up to the back door of the middle car and opening it. Allie Baker, cuffed and angry, emerged from the backseat, her gaze taking in the crowd that had gathered to see her “perp walk” into the station.

Another car pulled in behind the three, and Jay Bradford rushed out, urgently speaking with Lulu who was trying to calm him down. Everyone disappeared into the station, the door closing behind them. Kai didn’t move from his spot since he’d heard Lulu say that a statement would be made in a few minutes. Some of the crowd, however, began to drift away now that there wasn’t anything exciting to see.

“Looks like your girlfriend pulled it off,” the reporter said, a smug smile on her heavily made-up face. “To be honest, I didn’t think she had it in her. Or was this just pure luck? You have to wonder if her father’s entire law enforcement career was just actually luck. Being in the right place with the right people like Logan Wright and Tanner Marks.”

Kai had researched the men that had brought in Wade Bryson and later his son Jake. There hadn’t been one man in that group that was just hanging on. They’d all played their parts. Every one of them. But they didn’t need him to contradict what she’d said. Their legacies were secure.

“It wasn’t luck,” he said. “Lulu’s damn good at her job.”

“Can I quote you on that?”

“You can, but I doubt you will.”

The reporter turned on her high heel and whirled away, but she didn’t go far as the door of the sheriff’s station opened up again. Lulu and Tony Witscoff walked out onto the sidewalk, ready to make their statement. Immediately, the reporter had a microphone in their face, while Kai turned on the recorder in his phone.

He might not be able to do a “live” on television, but he could at least get an article online within the hour.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see another familiar vehicle pull up as close as possible. Ray Ramsey and Ellen Dunphy - both from the town council - had apparently driven over to see the spectacle firsthand.

Tony Witscoff cleared his throat, and everyone’s attention turned to him.

“We have prepared a few remarks, and we will take some questions, although we cannot comment on certain aspects of the investigation as it continues to unfold. First up, Sheriff Reilly.”

There was applause from the people gathered behind the barricade along with a few “whoops” and a “Hell yeah” from one particular bystander. Lulu might have had her detractors when she became the sheriff, but she’d obviously had some fans, too.

Lulu had a piece of paper she’d made notes on.

“This afternoon, Allison Baker was arrested for the murder of Dana Cartwright. This was after a search of her home, vehicle, and workplace that turned up items of interest in this case. At this time, Ms. Baker and her attorney have declined to give any additional statements to law enforcement. She will be held here at the Harper City jail until she is arraigned in county court tomorrow. Tony?”

Tony Witscoff, the DA, stepped forward.

“When arraigned, the judge will make a determination of whether bail is appropriate, and if it is, what amount. If no bail, Ms. Baker will be held at the county lockup until trial. Any questions?”

The only reporters there were Kai and the woman from the local television station, so this wasn’t exactly Meet the Press. The reporter was eager to ask more, so Kai let her go first.

“Is it true you found the murder weapon in Allie Baker’s apartment?”

Small towns didn’t have many secrets apparently.

“I cannot comment on an ongoing investigation,” Witscoff replied. “Any more questions?”

“Is it true that Allie Baker threatened Dana’s life the night before the murder?”

“We do have corroborated evidence that is the case,” Witscoff confirmed.

“I want to ask Sheriff Reilly a question,” the reporter said, pointing her microphone directly under Lulu’s nose.

“What will your father think of your success, and did he help you at all with this investigation? Or any of his friends? Did you use any of his law enforcement resources gathered over the years? After all, everyone in this area knows your reputation as a…let’s say…troubled youth. And now suddenly, you’re the model sheriff. That’s quite a transformation, Lulu. Do you have any comment about that?”

What a bitch. Is that the only way you can get viewers? Provocative questions?

Kai wasn’t a big fan of using the b-word, but sometimes it just fit a situation so perfectly. No other word would do. To Lulu’s credit, her expression remained bland as if she was asked impolite questions every day of her life. If the woman had been trying to bait Lulu into making some sort of scene, she was going to be disappointed.

“I don’t think that’s a subject for this moment,” Witscoff said hurriedly, waving away the question with his hand. “If you want to interview Sheriff Reilly about her career, you can always put in a request.”

“I’ll do that,” the reporter said, her eyes narrowed nastily and her lips a flat line.

She was trying to stare down Lulu but was getting nowhere. Lulu wasn’t giving the reporter any reaction at all.

“Do you have any questions?” Witscoff asked, turning away from the woman and toward Kai.

“Just one. Does this arrest mean that all other suspects have been cleared?”

Kai thought that Lulu might chime in, but she remained silent, not meeting his eyes. She probably didn’t want anyone to think she favored him since they were seeing each other.

“As far as we’re concerned, we have the right person in custody. Thank you. We’ll let you know if we have any more statements,” Witscoff replied.

The two of them turned to go back into the sheriff’s station, but Ray Ramsey and Ellen Dunphy ran up to them before they could get back inside.

The now-ignored television reporter had stomped back to the news van. Kai had only heard a few choice words from the woman as she chewed out the cameraman for something that probably wasn’t his fault. She wasn’t a happy camper about not getting to rile up Lulu.

And you have a nice day.

“You did it,” Ramsey crowed. “We knew you could do it.”

“That’s what I told, Ray. Didn’t I, Ray? I told him you could do it. You’ve closed this investigation incredibly fast. Fantastic,” Dunphy said, nodding her head over and over. “Looks like we have ourselves a first-class sheriff here in Harper. Again.”

“First class,” Ramsey echoed. “The Reilly family must have law enforcement in their blood. Listen, Lulu. There’s probably going to be a lot of press creeping around here once the word gets out that Seth Reilly’s daughter solved a murder case. You might want to take a few days off. Maybe go on a little vacation. Lay low for the weekend.”

“Good idea,” Witscoff agreed. “The national news might pick this up, or at least statewide. I know you don’t like publicity, so it might be good to get away. Take a long weekend. You deserve it.”

“Yes, you deserve it,” Dunphy repeated. “Right, Ray?”

“Absolutely. A reward for a job well done.”

“I’ll think about that,” Lulu said. “I just feel like I haven’t been on the job very long to be taking a few days off.”

“You solved a murder,” Witscoff protested. “That’s huge. A few days away from the prying eyes of the press will be good.”

“Maybe I will. We’ll see.”

“What happens now?” Dunphy asked. “What can we expect?”

“I can answer those questions, Lulu,” Witscoff said. “I know you have a prisoner to process.”

Did Witscoff want some of that sweet praise for himself? Lulu didn’t seem perturbed at all by the older man’s dismissal. She simply nodded and took a step towards the door before hesitating.

“Can we talk for a minute?” she asked Kai.

“Sure.”

They stepped away from the chattering threesome who were talking trial strategy and possible bail numbers.

“I wanted to call you…”

“I know,” Kai said. “I understand why you couldn’t. I get it, Lulu. I do.”

“You’re not mad?”

“I’m as far from mad as I can be.”

“I guess it’s kind of over,” she said, looking over her shoulder where Witscoff was talking to the town council members. “Things should probably go back to normal. Whatever that is.”

“It probably will,” he agreed. “And you’ll figure out what normal is.”

“I will.”

“How about we get together tonight and celebrate? Chase and Henry, too,” he suggested. “Dinner is on me.”

For the first time this afternoon, Lulu smiled. In seconds, she’d gone from serious sheriff to playful girlfriend.

Now that the killer was officially behind bars, perhaps they could take some time and figure out what they were to each other.

Figure out if they were truly falling in love.