Ch. 2: Rumors
"Garrett Perry?"
Walt repeated the name back to her with a hint of disbelief.
"Yes."
Vic tugged the blanket up over her as she settled into bed beside him. He reached up and ran a hand over his hair, shaking his head.
"Wow."
There was no real inflection to be heard in his voice. The news was surprising at first delivery. But, after his own dealings with the man, the idea of him having an encounter that proved violent didn't really shock him all that much. The man was intrusive and aggressive, the kind who didn't take no for an answer and overestimated his ability to handle himself. His interest in Vic, in spite of the fact that she was married, sparked something inside of Walt that wasn't easily suppressed.
Vic was biting her bottom lip and watching him.
"What?"
There was obviously something on her mind. She released her bottom lip and shifted on the bed.
"I'm not at all surprised."
He could hear that she was reluctant to give that thought a voice. In a professional capacity, she probably wouldn't have. But, in the sanctuary of her own home, she was a little more willing to express her true thoughts.
He didn't disagree with her.
"Yep."
"That's not to say he deserved it. But…"
He knew that she was thinking about their last encounter with Perry at the Red Pony. The former deputy had been drinking too much and was angry about his firing by Cady. He blamed the two of them, primarily Vic. He was unwilling to see that his problems were those of his own creation. His brazen come-ons to Vic and the fact that he continued to pursue her even when she told him she wasn't interested in him didn't exactly indicate the kind of character that Cady wanted in her staff.
He was entirely lucky Vic hadn't punched him.
Walt wouldn't have put it past her.
"I know."
So far, he hadn't gone very deep into his own thoughts on the matter. He knew Vic had something to say once she finished up with Anna's bath and told Julian to get his. But, she waited until both kids were in bed and they were in their room with the door closed before she broached the subject. Then, she recounted Cady's edited version of events. It was something Cady shouldn't be telling them. He knew she trusted them to keep it to themselves.
"Does she have any suspects?"
She gave him a look that told him he should know better. And, he did.
"It just happened. Short of finding someone actually standing over him, no."
There was a heathy dose of sarcasm in her voice.
He nodded slightly as Vic continued.
"He probably screwed with the wrong person. Or…the wrong person's wife."
It was a fair enough assessment.
Cady's reality was stark. She would spend the next days, maybe weeks, investigating the murder of a man that she fired. Against his will, he thought about Branch Connally. He recognized that these two cases ran loosely parallel to each other. Of course, he hadn't actually fired Branch. He suspended him for legitimate reasons, a move he probably should have taken sooner. Still, it was hard to deny that there were similarities. Maybe this case would prove less tangled and more straight-forward.
Vic was right. His first assumption, were he still Sheriff, would be that this was the work of someone that Perry pushed wrong. Maybe a man who was angry in the same way that Walt had been when Vic told him how strongly Perry propositioned her. The urge to beat the man up was there. He expressed that to Vic. He even admittedly intimidated the man. It wasn't hard to imagine another man who might have a sharper temper and high level of jealousy.
"Yeah."
Vic eyed him.
"You don't have much to say."
He shrugged.
"You've said it all."
The comment earned him another look from her that he let pass without a word.
"You're probably right. The way he was acting…this was bound to happen."
She let out a breath and shook her head.
"Jesus."
Walt lay back, his head landing on his pillow.
"I remember when this kind of thing never happened around here."
Vic gave him a skeptical look.
"Walt, murder is as old as anything. Since there have been people, there have been murders. And…the oldest motives haven't changed. Greed. Jealousy. Revenge."
"I know. But, it didn't happen here. Not like it does now. I know that he was, like you said, pressing all the wrong buttons. But…it's still…"
"I know. That doesn't mean he deserved it."
She repeated her earlier statement.
She lay down beside him and rolled onto her side.
"I think it shook Cady up."
Her voice took on a different tone, and he recognized it. They had both lived that moment before. The moment you realize someone you worked with was found dead under questionable conditions. Again, he thought of Branch and that dark time surrounding his death. He didn't like thinking about it. She didn't either. They didn't talk about it very much now. There was rarely a reason to bring that back up when they were so far removed from it. It snuck in from time to time, though.
"Understandable."
Walt could feel that same feeling of dread building up in his gut. The sour taste in the back of his throat as bile pushed up. He blinked and refused to allow the feelings to overtake him. He released a pent-up breath and shook his head.
"I'll call her tomorrow."
Vic nodded. She moved her hand to his stomach and her fingers started to trace slow, light patterns.
"You should."
She moved closer to him. Walt placed his hand over hers, entwining their fingers. Her skin was warm and smooth in contrast to the roughness of his own hands. She was warm. And, she was relaxing as she settled into him.
Her breathing slowed and started to even out as they lay there. Walt tilted his head slightly so that he could look at her more clearly. She had fallen asleep.
xxx
Vic pushed the murder out of her mind. It was easy enough as the page turned on the days between. It was also easier in the bright morning light. Truth be told, it wasn't her problem. That sounded harsh, but it was the truth. She didn't work for Cady right then and she wasn't involved in the investigation in any way.
"I'm hungry."
That was Julian's declaration as he trudged in dressed for school, rubbing his eyes with an obvious sleepiness. Vic finished up starting the coffee and turned to him.
"What you do want to eat?"
Predictably, he shrugged. He was usually sluggish on school mornings. She mused how this was so different than on weekends when he shot out of the bed like a rocket full of energy. She smiled at him.
"Cereal? Toast?"
He pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.
"Cereal."
Vic pulled out the cereal and poured some into a bowl. Adding milk, she dropped a spoon in and set the bowl in front of Julian.
"Here."
He set about eating, crunching away while Vic poured coffee and stirred in milk and cream. Walt emerged, holding Anna. He slipped her into the high chair as Vic cut up pieces of fruit for her breakfast.
"Are you going into the office today?"
Vic shook her head as she set a colorful plate in front of Anna and wiped her hands on her jeans.
"No. You need something?"
Walt shook his head as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and leaned on the counter, his eyes scanning the kitchen.
"Nope. Just curious."
Vic looked at him questioningly over the rim of her cup.
"I'll take Julian to school."
Walt gave her a look.
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and set her empty cup down.
"Yes. Might as well do it now while I can."
He didn't respond to the comment. She didn't really expect him to. To his credit, he had given her space when she seemed to need it in regards to this situation as it still brewed in her mind. She was thankful he wasn't asking her a lot of questions. She didn't really have answers to give him.
He nodded in acceptance of her offer. Vic set her cup in the sink and walked into the bedroom to finish getting dressed. She could hear Julian still eating and Walt say something to him that she really couldn't hear. After brushing her teeth, she pulled her hair back and walked back into the kitchen. By then, Julian was up and Walt was rinsing out the empty cereal bowl as Julian pulled on his shoes.
Vic watched him tug on his sneakers and smiled at the concentration on his young face.
"You gonna be around all day."
He nodded.
"Yes."
Julian was on his feet now. Vic took him into the living room and pulled his jacket down, slipping it on and zipping it. She heard, and felt, Walt behind her. Vic tugged on her own jacket and straightened up to find him watching her.
Julian grabbed his backpack and lifted his hand in a wave before he pushed through the door and was outside, his feet scrambling over the porch. Walt shook his head.
"Good to see him doing better."
Vic smiled.
"Yes."
Walt stepped up to her.
"See you later."
"Later."
She pushed up and kissed him before she followed Julian out the door.
The first part of the drive was quiet as usual. It wasn't until they got into town that traffic picked up with the normal morning commuters. School busses were out on the road. Vic pulled into the drop off line, which was moving steadily. As she pulled up towards the front of the school, her phone lit up and rang. Vic picked it up and hit the speaker button.
"Hello."
"Hey. Are you working?"
It was Cady.
"No, dropping off Julian. Need something?"
"Can you come by the office?"
There was something in Cady's voice. She sounded…slightly off to Vic.
"Sure."
Vic drug the word out slightly.
"I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Okay."
Cady ended the call and Vic tossed her phone into the passenger seat as she pulled up in front of the school. Julian opened the door, offered her a smile, and was out. Vic gave him a brief look as he walked towards the open door of the elementary school.
Pulling out, she started towards the Sheriff department, her curiosity piqued. She imagined Cady was busy this morning with a murder on her hands. The entire office would be. She navigated the main strip through town and parked on the street out front.
Vic took the stairs inside and found the office buzzing as she expected. Ruby greeted her and motioned.
"Cady is waiting for you."
Vic nodded and walked on through. Cady was at her desk surrounded by papers. She glanced up.
"Hey. Good morning."
"Morning."
Vic looked around.
"So…what's so important you pulled me in here while you're in the middle of an investigation."
Cady's expression was serious, even a little grave. She stood up, walked around her desk, and closed the door. Vic watched her, something edging in on her. A feeling that she didn't particularly like.
"Cady, what's going on?"
Her tone changed. Cady returned to her desk and sat down as Vic lowered herself into a guest chair.
"We've been questioning Garrett Perry's family and friends. One of them…mentioned that he had a run-in with you and dad a couple of weeks ago at the Red Pony. Is there a reason you didn't tell me about that?"
Vic's brow furrowed.
"Um…it doesn't have anything to do with your case as far I can tell."
"As far as you can tell? That's…not your call, Vic."
Vic eyed her.
"What exactly are you getting at?"
"You might have mentioned you saw my victim during the time frame that he was killed."
"Cady, that was like…two weeks ago."
"Yes, and according to our autopsy report, he's been dead for approximately two weeks. We can't narrow down the exact day. But, it's close enough. So, it was around the same time that you saw him at the bar."
"He's been dead that long and no one noticed?"
"Apparently."
Vic made a face.
"Damn."
"That's not the issue here. I need you to tell me what happened."
Vic gave her a long look before she responded.
"Is…this an official inquiry?"
Cady shook her head.
"No. I just want you to tell me what happened."
Vic shifted around in her seat.
"We saw him at the Red Pony. Unfortunately, he was drunk and looking for trouble."
"How so?"
"He came over and accused me of causing him to lose his job. Someone he was with got him and took him off. But, we saw him again in the parking lot and same thing. He was drunk, belligerent. Again, his friend got him and we left."
"That's it?"
"What are you looking for?"
"Nothing. I just want to be sure. He was…he'd been in a fight. A pretty bad one."
"Before he was killed?"
Cady nodded.
"Yes, the bruises appear to be a day or so older than the fatal wounds."
"You think someone came back to finish the job?"
"Maybe. That's what I'm trying to figure out. If he was in your face...dad…"
Her voice trailed off.
"Walt didn't touch him, Cady. Neither of us did. He didn't look like he'd been in a fight when we saw him. He was looking for one, though. There's no telling who he might have run into and pissed off."
Cady nodded slowly.
"I know. I just…needed to ask you."
"I understand."
And, she did. She had done the job enough to know that loose ends were not a good thing when it came to a murder investigation.
"Do you have any leads?"
Cady tilted her head.
"You know I can't really talk about that with you. It's an ongoing investigation."
Vic didn't point out how that hadn't necessarily stopped her in the past. This case was one of a more delicate nature. The look on her face and her body language told Vic it wasn't going well. Cady tried, but wasn't always the best at guarding her thoughts and feelings. Especially not when it came to those who knew her well.
"Right."
She sat for a minute longer.
"Is there anything else?"
"No, that's it. If I have more questions, I'll let you know."
"Sure."
Vic stood up.
"Okay."
There was something edgy in Cady. Something that honestly made her a little nervous. It wasn't like Cady to keep her cards so close to her chest. Not between the two of them. She considered questioning that. But, she opted to let it go.
For now.
xxx
"Cady asked me about our run-in with Garrett Perry at the Red Pony a couple of weeks ago."
They were on the porch after dinner with both kids playing in the yard under the fading sunlight. She hadn't said anything about it to this point and it caught him off guard. Walt turned his head.
"Really?"
Vic's head bobbed as she watched Julian run in circles.
"Yep. I guess one of his friends brought it up."
In his mind, he could see where this made sense. Cady was working her way through those who knew Perry best, those who might have been the last to be in contact with him. She would be asking them if anything that could be relevant stuck out in their minds. He could understand how their interaction would come up if they were to question someone who was with Perry that night.
If he were investigating, he would certainly want to have a conversation about it.
"What did you tell her?"
Vic shrugged dismissively.
"I told her what happened. Pretty much nothing. It's not like there was a fight."
She was right. The two of them left directly after Perry confronted them the second time. Other than words, nothing else notable occurred. The man was drunk and clearly unhappy with the recent turn of events that resulted in his losing his job. Even though it was his own fault, he knew that Perry saw Vic as a convenient place to lay the blame.
There was just something unsettling about being questioned in the course of a murder investigation. Even if it was in an offhand manner, Walt didn't care for it at all. Vic didn't seem bothered by it which kept him from reacting too strongly. She would know if there was a problem. She would have gotten that from Cady.
"She satisfied with that?"
"Seemed to be. She wouldn't tell me very much. Gave me the I can't comment on an ongoing investigation line."
She smiled a bit when she said it. He wondered how many times either of them said that in the past. He wouldn't even hazard a guess at that number.
Walt shook his head wordlessly.
It was all such a mess. Obviously, the primary issue was the loss of human life here. His personal opinion of the man wasn't relevant in the big picture. The young former deputy had some issues, but that didn't mean he deserved to meet a violent end. What others might not consider, though, were the ripples that spread out from such a crime. Garrett Perry was a person with a family, with friends. This would affect all of them. Possibly for years to come.
It was something he saw first-hand back when he was Sheriff. A glimpse behind the scenes so to speak. He had seen what murder did to families. It was brutal and could be never ending. Hell, who was he kidding? It was a purgatory that he lived personally and wondered if he would ever actually escape.
Someone Perry's age could still have living parents. He could have siblings who were close to him. He wasn't well informed on the man's personal life. But, no man was truly an island. He knew that in spite of his own attempts to create such an existence for himself.
"What?"
Vic elbowed him in the arm. Walt snapped out of his fog and rubbed his hands together. The temperature was dropping. It would be cold tonight. Vic was still looking at him. She was tenacious that way.
"You're quiet. Why?"
"Thinking."
"No kidding."
The words dripped with an almost palpable sarcasm.
Before he was able to answer, Julian paused in his play and looked at them. The moment between them was broken through and he received a reprieve he knew would not last.
"Getting dark."
Vic looked around. The sun was mostly set around them and darkness was taking over the landscape.
"Yes, it is."
As though she momentarily forgot about him and their conversation, she stood and walked down the steps. Walt rose slowly and watched as she lifted Anna up into her arms and motioned for Julian.
"Let's go in and get you ready for bed."
Julian made a face that was all too predictable.
"Bed."
The word came out mildly whiny at no surprise to him. Walt hadn't met a child yet who wanted to go to bed without some level of resistance. Vic let the tone wash on by her as she pressed on his back slightly.
"Yep. Bed."
Julian followed her in grudgingly. Walt was the last one through the door, closing and locking it behind him. Vic disappeared into the bathroom with Anna. Julian climbed up on the couch with a book, apparently biding his time since the word bed was mentioned.
Walt took the time to add a log to the fire and stoke it to life. The flames closed in around the log and the already partially charred remains underneath it shifted and popped. The heat started to build and Walt stood back up. He stood there momentarily taking in the heat. It felt good. Soon, it would warm up the cabin, spreading into all the spaces.
He turned around just as Vic breezed back in empty handed, her eyes landing on him.
"Can you get him in the tub, then bed?"
Walt nodded.
"Sure."
He offered Julian a slight smiled and motioned for him.
"C'mon."
Julian let out a sigh and slid from the couch, leaving his book face down on the cushion. In the bathroom Walt could smell the fresh, unmistakable scent of baby shampoo on the warm, humid air left over from Anna's bath. He inhaled, his chest expanding with the breath.
He turned on the water while Julian undressed and then climbed into the bathtub. Leaving the door cracked, Walt went into Julian's small bedroom and gathered up clean pajamas for him. It was preferable to the boy to change in the bathroom where the air was still warmer than in his cooler bedroom. He paused in Anna's doorway to see Vic standing over the crib looking down at Anna. Their daughter was already lying down.
"She must be tired."
He kept his voice low, but Vic startled anyway. She glanced over her shoulder at him.
"Yep. All that playing."
He smiled as she turned off the light and stepped out into the hall.
"I'm going to get a shower."
She brushed by him. Walt went back into the bathroom where Julian had used the soap to make bubbles and suds in the water. He looked up as Walt lay his pajamas down and retrieved a clean towel.
"Rinse."
He did as Walt asked. He almost always did. There wasn't much to complain about when it came to Julian's behavior. He was a young boy. There was that. But, he possessed a maturity that most of his peers did not due to his previous experiences. He was prone to be an observer and keep to himself. He wasn't a troublemaker. When there were issues with him, it was almost always related to external sources.
Walt left Julian to drying himself off and dressing. They were trying to foster some level of independence in Julian. He was at an age where he was more capable. Julian still leaned heavily on Vic, and Walt to a slightly lesser degree. Walt did a quick check on Anna. She was sleeping peacefully. When he returned, Julian was dressed and brushing his teeth. By the way his pajamas were sticking to him, he could have done a better job of drying off. But, that wasn't something Walt wanted to pursue.
Once Julian was done, Walt picked him up easily off his feet and deposited him onto his bed with a bounce that brought a smile to Julian's face. The boy slipped under his blankets as Walt pulled them up and waited a moment for Julian to settle down.
"See you in the morning."
Julian nodded his head on the pillow.
"Night, daddy."
Something pulled at Walt. He thought once Cady was grown and out of the house that these days were long gone. To have the chance to do this again, and be more present this time, was a gift. There was no other word for it. He turned off the light and Julian's nightlight dimly lit up the space. He pulled the door slightly, leaving it ajar.
Vic was out of the shower when he stepped into their bedroom. She was sitting on the bed with her eyes on her phone. She glanced up when he came in, but didn't say anything. Walt went into the bathroom and took his own quick shower. Not entirely different from the kid's bathroom that smelled of baby shampoo, this room smelled of Vic and her shampoo and soap.
It never ceased to amaze him how strong the response to the smell of someone you loved could be. Whether it was your child or your partner, it stirred a response deep inside. Different, of course, but there all the same. When he came out of the bedroom, Vic had set her phone aside and was stretched out in the bed. Walt sat down beside her and lay back himself, relishing in the reprieve of sliding into your own bed.
A few minutes of quiet passed before she spoke.
"So…"
Walt turned his head to look at her. She made strong eye contact with him in a move that indicated she had something to say.
"What were you thinking about earlier?"
Leave it to Vic to get right to the point. In truth, it was one of his favorite aspects of her personality.
"I don't envy Cady having to deal with the death of a man who worked for her."
The change in her demeanor was almost immediate. She knew he was thinking about Branch.
"I know. I don't either. But…it wasn't that."
Walt studied her.
"How do you know?"
She gave him a look that he knew well.
"Because I'm not stupid."
He huffed out an amused breath.
"I know that."
"Then…tell me. What's going on in that head of yours?"
"I don't like being on this side of an investigation."
Her eyes held his momentarily. She accepted that answer. He could see that.
"Who does? Not the first time. Probably won't be the last. Besides…"
She reached over and pushed at him.
"…I'm the one she asked about this. Not you."
He smiled a little.
"Not yet."
She looked at him, considering him in a way he would never be fully comfortable with no matter how long they were together. He thought she might pursue it farther. But, she let it go and gave her head a shake as though she were clearing her thoughts.
"I need to go in to the office tomorrow."
Walt released the tension that was built up in his shoulders as the topic shifted to the more mundane.
"Okay."
She was done. That was that.
xxx
"Have you decided to leave me yet?"
Zeke grinned at her when he said it and Vic rolled her eyes.
"If you keep that up, I'll pack my shit right now and go."
Zeke's large frame vibrated with a laugh.
"Well, we wouldn't want that. How are things on the home front?"
He poured himself a cup of coffee that seemed too thick and sharp smelling to be any good and sat down, angling himself to face her.
"Same as the last time you asked me."
She eyed him as he drank the coffee in his cup and made a face.
"How do you drink that stuff? It's like turpentine or…something equally gross."
He shrugged and purposely took another sip.
"Good enough for me. If you really cared, you would bring me some of that coffee you show up with that smells like you stopped by Starbucks."
Vic shook her head and dropped her eyes back to her laptop.
"You've never been in a Starbucks."
"I have. Once. Realized it wasn't worth paying that kind of money and standing in line with all the squares just to get a simple coffee. Too much mocha latte flavors and fancy stuff for me."
She smiled, mostly to herself.
"You could just brew your own. That's what I do."
He gave her a predictable look across the exceptionally small office space.
"Your husband brews it."
Vic raised her head.
"That is not entirely true. Some mornings, I make it. So…there."
He gave her an easy smile.
"So there? That's your big comeback?"
Vic rolled her eyes again.
"You're in an awfully good mood. You must have hit up a bar on the way home yesterday and picked up some woman."
"Hey."
He tried to sound indignant and failed. What he didn't do was deny that she was right. So, she assumed that she was. Vic leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms up over her head, tilting her neck from side to side in an attempt to loosen the muscles that pulled and felt tight.
"Can I ask you something, Vic?"
He sounded serious.
"Sure."
"What's changed for you?"
Vic considered his question. It wasn't the first time she'd been asked some variation of this question. But, the way he phrased it was interesting. Thought provoking. She considered telling him that she didn't know. It wasn't a complete lie. But, Zeke had a way of rooting out the truth. It was one of the things that made him a good PI.
"Sometimes…"
She started slowly, having no real intention of giving him the entire answer. She wasn't even sure about that herself. She could give him some answer, though. Maybe enough to satisfy his natural curiosity.
"…I miss making a real difference."
She hesitated and Zeke didn't say anything.
"I know that sometimes we…"
She waved between them.
"…do make a difference. But…I never see the end results."
He gave her answer some thought before responding.
"That's true of being a cop, too. I know you make arrests and feel like you've gotten someone off the street. But, then there's trials and courts. You never know if and when the person will wind up back on the street."
He was so much smarter than he looked. He used that to his advantage often.
"That's true."
"But?"
She shrugged.
"We could debate this all day and never really come to a conclusion."
"Yes, we could. I know one thing."
"What's that?"
He considered the coffee on his desk. Such serious moments with Zeke were a rare thing. He tended to be less somber on a normal day.
"I'll miss you."
He made the comment and stood up as though her exit from his business was a foregone conclusion. She started to remind him that she hadn't made a final decision yet. She wondered if that were really true. Maybe her heart really had and was waiting for her mind to work out the rest and make peace with the choice.
Her train of thought was cut off abruptly by the ringing of her phone. She glanced. It was Cady.
"Hey."
"Hey, you working today?"
"I am."
"At home or in Sheridan."
"Sheridan. Do you need something?"
That edginess was back.
"Garrett Perry's family is unhappy with the way I'm conducting this investigation. Since there's perceived bad blood, they're not sure that we're being as thorough as we should be."
Vic frowned.
It wasn't a total surprise. Families of murder victims were always complicated. Communication could be difficult to navigate. There were so many emotions running rampant. Sadness. Shock. Anger. Regret. It wasn't unusual for those who might not have been on the best terms with the deceased to lash out and direct their anger at those who were conveniently there. She'd seen it a lot during her own time working those cases both in Philadelphia and Durant.
"I'm sorry."
She wasn't sure what it had to do with her. Cady sounded matter of fact, not like she was simply venting out her feelings and frustrations. She heard Cady let out a ragged sigh and felt a pang of sympathy at the work she must be putting in only to have it not appreciated by those she was hoping to help.
Trying to figure out the how and the who was one thing. It was normally the why that was baffling and the most difficult to digest. There were countless reasons to take a human life from an outside, unbiased perspective. Not right, of course, but it was the way that people justified the act in their minds. How many of those were valid and how many were unthinkable differed from person to person. While society had a set of rules for just that purpose, Vic knew it was more complicated when you dove beneath the surface.
Few things were as simple as they seemed.
That was almost always true of murder.
"They put in a request with the state police to look into the case."
That caught her more off guard.
"Are you serious?"
Cady's tone was grim.
"Yes. A guy from DCI showed up here a while ago asking for information on the case."
Cady paused.
"They're taking over my investigation."
She sounded almost defeated. Not to mention tired. It seemed like it was usually Feds who swept in and took over. But, if there were adequate grounds for a complaint, Vic knew the state would also attempt to save face. Considering that Cady fired the man not too long before he turned up murdered, it wasn't exactly a shock to hear there were suspicions of bias. Someone who didn't know Cady might assume her primary goal was to protect her office.
"That sucks. But…maybe they'll get it solved. They have more resources."
She knew it was little in the way of consolation. If she were in Cady's shoes, she wouldn't be happy about this turn of events. No one liked for it to be implied that they weren't doing their job correctly. Even if that wasn't how DCI viewed it, that would be how it felt to Cady. How it felt to the entire office.
"Maybe. I just wanted to give you a heads up. You and dad."
"About this?"
"Yes, he was asking about you. Both of you. I made some notes in the files that I talked to you about seeing him at the Red Pony."
Something in Vic's gut dropped slightly. She hadn't paid it much mind when Cady asked her a few questions. It was unsettling, but also routine in such circumstances. The idea of going through questioning with someone from an outside agency didn't appeal to her at all. She didn't exactly have a reputation for playing well with others when it came to such matters.
"What's his name? Or…her name."
"Agent…Grayson Whitlock."
"Sounds serious."
"He is. I'll let you get back to work. I just wanted to warn you."
"Thanks."
The call ended and Vic turned her attention to her computer. She typed in the name Cady had just given her. She couldn't access any state database, of course. But, she could find articles about him, some slivers of information.
There were plenty of news articles. Vic's eyes roved down the screen. He was active. That was for sure. She leaned in as she sorted through the articles, scanning the ones that caught her eyes. Within half an hour, she knew a few things about Grayson Whitlock. One of those was that he went after corrupt police officers hard. She counted a half dozen different articles centered around how he busted some corrupt cops or even entire departments. That would make him incredibly unpopular with local cops. She knew firsthand how much turning on one of your own could sour relations.
She also knew that state and federal level agencies were slightly different. They frequently considered themselves above the local guys. To be fair, they did have more resources at their disposal. More money. In her opinion, that didn't necessarily make them better investigators, though. Many of them were more well educated, boasting advanced degrees in a broad range of criminology. Education and money only got you so far. You still had to have a brain for investigation. Evidence could be misleading as odd as that sounded. You needed to be able to make leaps that the average person might not see.
She gave a long look at a picture of the man Cady told her about. The picture was in black and white and not the best quality. But, she could still read the sharpness in his eyes. He looked formidable enough. If she didn't know better, she might just peg him for FBI or a US Marshal.
Zeke walked through and drew her attention away from the screen of her laptop. She blinked and closed the tab she'd been using, redirecting her focus back on her work.
"I'm out for the rest of the day."
Vic nodded up at him.
"I'll lock up when I leave."
He tossed a smile her way, which she returned, and left the office. The door slowly closed behind him.