Shadow's Deadline (Shadow Island FBI Mystery Series Book 3) by Mary Stone

Author:Mary Stone [Stone, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-10T16:00:00+00:00

15

Now that the adrenaline rush of breaching the lion’s den had faded, Rebecca was not only tired but in a foul mood. Pushing open the door to the sheriff’s department, she expected to receive a hint of joy seeing Viviane’s smiling face, but there was none to be had.

For the first time since she’d started working here, the receptionist desk was unoccupied.

Rebecca’s frown deepened into a scowl. She didn’t want any nasty surprises today. She unlocked the half door and went into the bullpen.

Empty.

She dragged herself over to the coffee station and flipped over a paper cup. Picking up the pot, she groaned as she realized it was too light. Empty. Not even a sip.

“Sheriff West, that you?” Hoyt called from the locker room.

“It’s me. And I would like to report a crime.” She slid the pot back onto the burner. “Someone drank the last cup of coffee and didn’t make more. And it’s not even ten yet.”

Hoyt’s laugh preceded him up the hallway, and Rebecca debated if this would qualify as a justified homicide.

She leaned on the little table that made up most of their kitchenette and dropped her head. Sleep had been impossible after she’d woken up before the crack of dawn, and she still had another eight hours on the clock, at least. There was no way she would get through this day without an excess of caffeine.

“Don’t worry, Boss. I got your back.”

Hoyt, an angel in his navy-blue shirt and uniform pants, held out an extra-large cup with one of those little thermal sleeves. She snatched the coffee and took a greedy sip. Finding it the perfect temperature, she drank down a few swallows. “Aah! That’s just what I needed. What’s up with the coffeepot, and where’s Viviane?”

“She got a little upset this morning, so she started cleaning to calm down. There’s vinegar in the reservoir.” He jutted his chin toward the nonworking coffee maker.

“Where is she now?”

He took the last cup from the carrier. “Not sure. She ran out to get these before you got here and came back madder than ever. She handed them to me, then stormed out again. Said it was ‘official business,’ so I’m not gonna question it.” Hoyt took a sip of his coffee. “I’m not the boss, after all.”

Touched by the thought that Viviane had made sure she had coffee, Rebecca ignored the “boss” part. She would call her friend in a minute.

“Are you covering the phones? And did we get that warrant yet?”

“Phones have been quiet, thank goodness, and you’re not going to believe this. The bank manager, who’d insisted on the warrant, called me to say he’d received it and had everything ready for me before they even opened. Was happy to do it, just didn’t want to get in any trouble.”

“What did we get?”

Hoyt sat down on the corner of Locke’s desk. “A tiny view of the park’s parking lot over the shoulder of a person using the ATM. It’s black and white and out of focus, but I could see part of a front quarter panel on a car.

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