Ch. 4: Strangers
"Was the mother able to answer any questions?"
They were sitting in Cady's office passing notes and files back and forth when Vic asked the question. Cady looked up.
"She confirmed the address we found was the current one. She said Natalie had been living in Nashville for about six months. Moved there and roomed with a friend."
"This friend have a name?"
"She doesn't know the woman. She did say she would try and find out."
"Did she know why Natalie would be in Wyoming?"
"No."
Vic tapped the pen in her hand against the notepad in her lap.
"So…we've got the body found in one part of the county and the car in another. But, we don't know where they got separated. Zach is out canvassing the area where the car was found. Asking neighbors if they saw anything unusual. The homeowner said that he did not notice anyone. At some point, someone drove that car in there and left it. We've got an estimated time of death. It would be nice to have a timeline for the car. Ferg is going over the car looking for prints, hair, or anything else that we can use to find out who might've been in it besides the owner. I…"
She paused and looked down.
"…noticed the driver's seat in the car was let all the way back. Since we know that Natalie Olson was only five four, she didn't do it. Seems like we are probably looking for a man, but…the caller who tipped you off was a woman. So…I guess we can't really make any assumptions."
"She could be someone on the peripheral."
"Could be."
Cady leaned forward a bit.
"The mother is flying in. She should be here tomorrow afternoon."
"Good, we can get a better interview."
Cady watched her over the desk.
"What are you thinking?"
Vic sighed.
"That we need more to go on. We need to know if this is someone she was traveling with or someone she encountered locally."
"Your thoughts?"
Vic let her mind reel through what little they did know in the case.
"It's hard to say. The fact that the body was hidden in a remote area and where we found the car makes me think we're dealing with someone familiar with the area."
Cady made a face.
"That's not very comforting."
"No, it's not. I'll tell you one thing. That car is a piece of shit and we need to have a mechanic look at it once Ferg is done. Hell, maybe she just broke down and happened on the wrong person."
"That sounds like a movie."
Vic huffed out a breath.
"Yeah, I think I saw that one. You need me to come in tomorrow and work on this?"
Vic was scheduled to be off. That took a backseat when they were confronted with a case like this one.
"Um…I would like you to be there when I talk to the mother. She's not supposed to be here until around…two. So…why don't you take the morning and then come in. Ferg is working this weekend. I'll have him dig through some things."
Investigations were nowhere near as exciting as television and movies made them look. What they never showed was how much paperwork and staring at computer screens were required. Not to mention phone calls.
"Sounds good. If you find out anything before then, call me."
"Will do. Do you have any plans this weekend?"
Cady segued from the professional into the personal without missing a beat.
"Maybe. Depends on this case."
Cady frowned at the idea.
"I was supposed to have plans."
Vic knew what that meant.
Cady and Zach were trying to keep their involvement outside the office and as private as possible. That wasn't as easy as one might think. Both she and Walt had warned Cady that it wouldn't be. Cady was a grown woman, though, and entitled to some happiness. They all were in Vic's mind. She liked Zach. He fit in well with everyone in the office and didn't mind doing just about anything he was asked as far as work. His mind was quick and he was good at figuring things out.
Walt had reservations that were more deeply routed in the fact that Zach worked for Cady. And, she was newly elected. Vic didn't take as hard a line on the work thing. It could be done. They were proof of that. Of course, she and Walt hadn't actually been involved for very long before he retired. God knows they dealt with feelings for longer than that. She knew a lot of Walt's feelings stemmed from the fact that Cady was his daughter.
"That's one thing you can count on where this job is concerned. Plans are never really concrete until they're over."
Cady smiled.
"I've noticed."
Vic collected her notes and stood up. Leaving Cady's office, she went to her own desk and sat down. Taking her cell phone from where it rested near her desk phone, she tapped the screen and tapped Walt's name.
He answered on the second ring.
"Hey."
Walt always looked at the caller ID and always knew when it was her. He answered accordingly.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Brushing the horse?"
"Going riding?"
"Thought about it."
"I'm surprised you actually have your phone on you."
"Almost left it inside."
That was his only reply to her comment. Vic moved on.
"So…you know how we were talking about dinner?"
"Yeah."
"How is tonight for you?"
He was quiet for a few seconds.
"Are you working tomorrow?"
"The victim's mother is flying in tomorrow afternoon."
That was all she really needed to say. Plans made after that would be tenuous depending on how things went with the mother. Having dinner tonight was the safer option.
"Okay."
"Don't sound so excited. This was your idea."
"I know. You coming here first or do you want me to meet you in town?"
Vic suspected Walt wasn't thrilled her weekend might be taken up by this case. She knew that he wouldn't come out and say that. He didn't normally give her a hard time about working, but he was human and occasionally her schedule did get to him whether he would admit that or not.
"I'll come there. I want to shower and change. The good news is that I don't have to go in until the afternoon, so we have the morning."
He was quiet again.
"Walt."
Vic prompted him after a minute.
"I told Henry I would help him again in the morning."
So much for that idea.
"With what?"
"The roof was worse than we thought. Gonna take more work."
Vic sighed. She tried not to.
"Can you start later?"
"He has meetings at the casino."
"Okay."
"Vic…"
He started and stopped.
"Don't worry about it. Dinner tonight is good for you?"
"Yes."
"Okay. I'll see you later."
Vic ended the call and set her phone down with a thump.
xxx
Walt slid the phone back into is pocket and continued to brush the horse with quick, practiced strokes. Vic seemed irritated with him after their conversation. With the weekend about to get started, that was the last thing he wanted. He hadn't thought much about it when he told Henry he could be at the Red Pony early the next morning to help him finish the job they started. It was possible that Vic was more annoyed with work than him. That wouldn't be all that unusual.
It wasn't that they didn't have disagreements. Everyone did and they were no exception. There were disagreements and arguments the same way there always had been. The difference now was that they were personal arguments and not professional ones. That could make them trickier to navigate. But, Vic had learned lessons from her failed marriage and the eruptive fights that plagued it. While they did argue, they rarely actually fought. Considering who they were, Walt considered that a hell of an accomplishment.
He never had been much for fighting. Not when he was married to Martha, not now with Vic. The two women, while both strong and opinionated, were very different. Martha didn't have a temper like Vic's. With Vic, he had the benefit of experience. He knew her well and had witnessed the downfall of her marriage. He knew what she liked and what set her off. It was knowledge he put to good use.
Walt tossed the brush aside and started to saddle the horse.
He would talk to her later and get a better read on her. There were some things you couldn't get over the phone. You couldn't see a person's body language or facial expressions. If he could have part of the conversation back, he would be less distracted. His hesitance and split attention seemed to have given her the wrong idea.
Walt placed his foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up onto the horse's back. He settled into the saddle and gave the horse a nudge. The horse started forward and Walt gave the reins a tug to change their direction.
Horseback riding was one of the things he didn't get to do as much when he was Sheriff. It was one of the best ways he knew to clear his mind and gain some perspective. There was something about it that just felt natural and like he was getting back to his most basic self. He did that a lot these days and found it was what he needed.
He didn't really care about finding treasure. What he did appreciate was a good puzzle and the feeling that being out in nature doing whatever he wanted gave him. It was something he hadn't truly experienced in a long time. So, at different increments of time, he went out with his horse and a bag packed with clothes and supplies.
Now that winter was here, that was over for the time being. He found other ways to occupy his time by working on the cabin and taking care of his horse. The short trip with Henry had been the first time he'd been away since the first big snowfall.
Vic never seemed to mind. She accepted the comings and goings as well as she accepted the fact that now he was there all the time. When he left, she was always happy to see him. Now that he was at the cabin almost all the time, they had settled into a comfortably domestic routine that felt dangerously good.
This was the first relationship he'd shared with a woman that seemed to carry no expectations other than monogamy. Not that he had a ton of experience. They were in a relationship. There was no mistaking that. She stayed at his cabin whether he was there or not and it felt as natural as if she had always been there. He liked the level of comfort that she clearly held for what they shared.
Once they started, they simply never stopped. There didn't seem to be any transition period. In spite of all the worry that clearly haunted Vic, she took him at his word when he told her that all he wanted was to be with her.
Walt reined the horse in and looked across his property. In the distance, the mountains reached up into the clouds. He could see the snow that would be heavier at the higher elevations than it was here. Walt felt a sense of pride in his home. The cabin itself wasn't fancy. It was a modest home. But, he built it with his own two hands and some help from Henry. That created a satisfaction in him that he knew was rare in this day and age. The land was the true prize. He worked hard to be able to afford this place and he never saw himself leaving it. Especially not after risking his career and reputation to defend it. With demand of properties like this one rising so that it could be developed, it was something that was no longer affordable except for the very wealthy.
Walt started the horse forward again and took a meandering path that led him around behind the cabin and back towards the old barn where Walt kept his tack. He was in no hurry and wouldn't risk the horse injuring itself in the snow that would likely be on the ground until Spring at this point.
Once he was back where he started, he dismounted and slowly unsaddled the horse. He put the tack away and offered the horse food and water. Walt checked the time and headed inside. In the cabin, he checked the answering machine. It was yet another thing that Vic teased him about
"Who has an answering machine anymore?"
The red light was blinking and he pressed the play button. Walt was met with only silence before it ended and clicked off. Walt erased the non-existent message and checked the phone. The only missed call was one with an out of area number.
Walt looked at the number with a frown and wondered why he was getting hang up calls. He couldn't remember having such an issue in the past. Walt set the phone back in the cradle and the phone calls from the night before crept through his mind.
It was disconcerting on some level, but not threatening. It was easy to dismiss it as some type of prank. For the time being, that was how he filed it away.
xxx
"How was the rest of your day?"
Walt used his fork and knife to cut a bite sized piece from his steak and gave Vic a glance as he posed the question.
"More of the same."
"Any progress on your case?"
Vic ran her fingers over the water glass near her plate, leaving watery trails through the condensation. When she lifted her gaze from the glass, she found him watching her while he chewed.
"I don't want to talk about work. How was your ride?"
She saw the hesitation in him when she changed the topic. Just because he retired didn't mean his interest in hearing about work deserted him. If anything, it seemed to amplify it. She got it. Walt was a smart man with a busy brain. He and his brain needed something to occupy them. Most of the time, she didn't mind talking about what she was working on and listening to his theories. Tonight just wasn't that night. She wanted to disconnect from all of that if possible.
She managed to get out of work on time and had a chance to take a shower and change her clothes before they drove to Sheridan to eat. Walt assured her the restaurant wasn't what anyone would consider fancy which allowed her to wear nice jeans and a sweater. As cold as it was, comfort mattered more than anything else.
Walt was right. The restaurant was nice in a casual steakhouse kind of way. No one would mistake it for being fancy, though. The lights were low, the space was warm, and the food was good. She couldn't ask much more than that. Durant, and the surrounding towns and cities, didn't have anywhere near the culinary choices that Philadelphia offered. Yet another adaptation on her part. So, the opportunity to try anything that was new was something she wouldn't pass up most of the time. Being Friday, this was no exception.
"Quiet."
Vic breathed out a low laugh.
"It's the dead of winter. Shocking."
"We didn't go far. Not in this snow."
Vic nodded and sipped from her glass.
"Don't blame you there. What's up with the Red Pony?"
"Henry thought it was just a section of roof on the back part of the building. Once we got started, he realized some of the wood is rotted and needs to be replaced."
"He should hire a roofer. It would get done faster."
Walt gave her a skeptical look.
"Not this time of year. Roofers are busy."
She shrugged.
"So…tarp it and wait. Just seems like he has better things to do. Or, more important things to do."
"His plate is full."
Vic nodded slightly at the acknowledgement.
"I'm sure it is."
Walt shifted in his seat.
"I think…taking care of the bar the way he always has keeps him…grounded."
Walt sounded like he wasn't sure that was the word he wanted to use. She understood what he meant. Over the past months, there was no shortage of change to go around. Walt retiring as well as their relationship shifting. Cady being elected Sheriff and dating Zach. Henry taking over casino operations. Hell, even Ferg and Meg were back together. Losing oneself in all the upheaval was not a hard thing to do.
"That's why you take your trips, isn't it?"
The expression on his face made it clear that was not what he was expecting her to say.
"My trips?"
He echoed part of her question. Vic nodded and started to turn her glass a little, leaving wet imprints on the tablecloth.
"Yeah. I know you don't really care about treasure hunting. I mean…you might like the mystery part of it, but you don't care about actual treasure. Would you even change anything if you found it?"
He considered her question before answering.
"I don't think I would."
She knew the answer before she asked the question. Walt was not a man of material mindset.
"Vic, I don't want you to think…"
She flapped her hand at him, cutting him off.
"I don't. I know you need the time and the space."
They hadn't ever really talked about this before. Walt normally just told her when he was going, she answered with an acknowledgement, and he went. Then, he came home and things went right back to the way they were. She never questioned his motives.
His eyes held hers across the small table.
"So do you."
A small smile quirked up on her lips. He wasn't wrong. She was starting to think that was why this was working for them. It was hard to explain. There was commitment with no expectations. There was today without worrying about tomorrow. They didn't talk about the future as a concept. That didn't mean they didn't have one. They just didn't burden themselves with worrying about it. A new appreciation for the day they were living in was enough. This worked for them most of the time.
Most of the time.
It didn't mean they didn't argue. They'd always had disagreements. That would never change. They were very different people and their outlook on life wasn't always the same. That was true in both the professional and personal areas of their lives. But, they were alike in ways that mattered more than surface differences. The bond that existed between them ran deep. Vic wasn't sure she could explain it even if she wanted to. Truthfully, it scared her if she dwelled on it too long.
At this point in their lives, they both needed a certain amount of freedom.
"Yeah. I do miss you, though…when you're gone."
His face remained neutral, but something in his eyes shifted. He pushed his plate out of the way and leaned forward a little.
"Are you mad about me helping Henry in the morning?"
His voice was a low rumble that made her think of the beginnings of thunder. She appreciated the directness of the question. It wasn't always that easy with Walt.
"Mad? No. Disappointed? Yes. I think I have a solution."
"What's that?"
They both knew exactly where this was headed.
"We have tonight and early in the morning to make up for it."
"You do have to work tomorrow. Don't you need some sleep?"
Vic shrugged.
"I can sleep after you leave."
Their waiter appeared and slid the bill onto the table. Walt pulled out his wallet and offered the man payment without taking his eyes off Vic. While he was paying, Vic stood up without a word and pulled on her coat. She pulled up the zipper as Walt also stood and grabbed his own coat.
Vic looped her arm through his and pulled him towards the door. Walt set his hat on his head as he gave her a look.
"Anxious?"
"You have no idea."
xxx
Walt's chest heaved as he attempted to catch his breath. Beside him, Vic lay on her side with her eyes on him and a smile on her face.
"You alright?"
Walt's chest and stomach vibrated with laugh.
"Yep."
She moved and he felt her palm slid over his bare stomach. Her hands were warm and clammy with sweat. Not that he minded. They were both sweaty. Vic pressed her mouth to his arm and placed a kiss there.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
He sounded slightly less breathless the second time. The rate of his breathing and the beating of his heart were starting to slow. He turned his head to find her watching him with her mouth still touching his arm. In the darkness of the bedroom, her eyes looked darker than normal. The change in hue made them no less intense.
That was the best word he could come up with to describe her. The trait leaked into all aspects of her life from work to this exact type of moment. On some level, he'd gotten used to it when he worked with her. He found out after he kissed her that second time in his cabin that what he knew only scratched the surface. There were even times he worried that he might not be able to keep up with her. It was the only time they addressed the age difference between them.
That was something that never bothered Vic the way that it did him. She dismissed it as something that society created and that love couldn't be contained within a set of rules. It was so much like her to push through what was conventionally accepted with a roll of her eyes and a smile that bordered on dangerous.
In that moment, he was feeling every inch of his age. Physically, at least.
There was something in the way that she looked at him, though, that sparked a familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. That was how she pushed him so far beyond his previously self imposed limits. Sex with Martha had always been good. He never had any complaints about that part of their marriage. As far as he thought, it was exactly as it should be.
The time that he was with Lizzie Ambrose had been rushed and full of lust. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman and a man could only take so much in the face of such a woman. After it was over, there was a level of guilt that tainted it. Looking back, he knew the guilt was misplaced. They hadn't done anything wrong. It was his perception that warped the experience. At the end of the day, there were no real feelings between them and she left his life just as suddenly as she entered it when he knocked on her door to investigate a murder.
He and Donna hadn't gotten that far. Their night was interrupted by a busted in door and gunshots. After that, as much as they tried, they never returned to that exact moment. The short burst of electricity that lit up between them fizzled into unsatisfied monotony and the realization that his feelings for her were manufactured and not organic the way they needed to be.
It wasn't until he kissed Vic that he truly understood what that meant. Sure, she kissed him in the hospital. And, he felt it more than any kiss he shared with Donna. But, he'd been out of his head and confused when that happened. It was the second kiss, the one that he initiated, that sent a buzz through him that he hadn't expected. Had the radio in his Bronco not popped to life, he would have kissed her again without much thought. In that moment, his world narrowed to her and the way that she made him feel.
There was nothing manufactured, nothing fake. The feelings manifested themselves into being and sent an electricity through him that would not be extinguished no matter how many times they did this. Every time was not like the first time because Vic was not a creature of habit. She liked to blur edges and push boundaries. She looked directly into his face and dared him to keep up with her.
It was exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time.
"What?"
Vic's voice startled him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
Vic lifted her head and propped it in her hand.
"You're thinking about something. What?"
It was one of the things she was so good at in moments like this one, reaching into him and pulling out whatever truth she wanted to hear. Walt stared at her and grasped for words.
After a moment, they found him.
"I love you."
She smiled at him softly.
"I know."
He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. Vic's hand landed on the side of his head and her fingers pressed into his scalp. She started to move and within a few seconds, she was hovering over him and they were still kissing.
She pulled back and looked down into his face.
"I love you, too, Walt."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. Walt struggled to reconcile the softness of her voice and the gentleness in her touch with the intensity that he saw in her face. She kissed him again and Walt could feel the edginess in it. Once again, it lit up something inside of him.
Walt pushed up and over so that her back was on the mattress and he was holding her there. A challenge sparked to life in her eyes and her smile widened.
"What makes you think you get to be in control?"
The question sounded oddly normal all things considered. Walt shrugged as he held her there, his hands on her wrists. Slowly, he leaned in a kissed her deeply. He felt a slight push up as she resisted his hold. Truthfully, she was no match for his physical strength and they both knew it. Not in this position. He was bigger and weighed more. It wasn't truly about control, though.
Breaking the kiss, he placed his mouth right by her ear and spoke.
"If you want control, you have to take it."
xxx
Vic's eyes popped open. Her first thought was that Walt was getting ready to leave. She rolled her head to the side to find his spot empty as she expected. Vic sat up and looked around. The sun was streaming through the windows. It was later than she thought. Walt should be gone by now. She lay there and listened, trying to figure out what woke her up.
After a minute, it came again. Vic sat up when she recognized knocking on the door. She frowned and looked at the time.
"What the…"
She pushed off the blankets and got up with more than a little reluctance. Hurriedly, she dressed in pajama pants and a sweatshirt as she walked into the living room. Vic pushed her hair from her face as she looked out the window. There was a silver car parked beside her work truck, but she couldn't see who was on the porch. The car shone in the sun and she saw the emblem on the front that told her it was a Mercedes.
Another knock came along with a voice, a feminine voice.
"Hello?"
Vic unlocked and opened the door. The sun hit her eyes and she narrowed them to fight the sudden infusion of light. A woman stood there with her hand raised as though she were about to knock again. When the door swung open, she dropped her hand and took a small step back. The cold air hit Vic immediately and she crossed her arms over her chest.
The woman in front of her was older than she was, closer to Walt's age. For a Saturday morning, the woman looked ridiculously pulled together with her pressed dress pants and starched collar that was just visible underneath the coat she wore. Her hair dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun with not a strand out of place. She offered Vic an unsure smile.
"Hello."
Vic studied the woman with an ease that came from years of practice.
"Can I help you?"
The woman glanced around giving the impression that she was looking for someone, or something.
"I…was looking for Walt Longmire."
For some reason, that didn't surprise Vic.
"He's not here right now."
"Oh…"
The woman faltered. Maybe it hadn't crossed her mind that he wouldn't be here. That was possible if she knew he was retired. Vic didn't recognize the woman, not that she knew everyone that Walt did.
The woman shook her head and smiled again, putting her focus back on Vic.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself."
Neither one of them had.
She extended her hand towards Vic. It was perfectly manicured with the nails painted a pink so light that it was hardly noticeable. One thing Vic was sure of based on the car, the clothes, and the general bearing of this woman was that she wanted to present herself a specific way. Professionally. Very well put together.
"I'm Lily Bader."
Vic shook her hand and released it quickly.
"Vic."
That was all she offered. Lily Bader hesitated again at Vic's undisguised reticence.
"I'm…an old friend of Walt's. Could you…"
She dug into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a business card.
"…let him know that I came by. My…cell number is there."
Vic took the card and nodded slowly without actually looking at it. She was standing with the door open and the cold wrapping around her. All she really wanted to do was go and stand in front of the fire and drink her coffee.
"Sure."
Another smile was flashed in her direction. It wasn't an entirely honest smile. It was the kind of polite smile one used when dealing with people either professionally or that they didn't know.
"Thank you. Sorry if I disturbed you."
Based on Vic's appearance, that should have been obvious. She looked like someone who rolled out of bed, which was accurate.
Lily retreated to her car and Vic watched until she got in and started to pull out. Vic closed the door and looked at the card in her hand. If it was a business card, there was no business on it. Just the name with the number printed beneath it in a slightly fancy font. Vic tossed it on the desk and went into the kitchen to make coffee.
Her mind started to wander.
Who was Lily Bader? Walt hadn't mentioned that he was expecting anyone. Maybe he didn't know she was coming. Who showed up on a Saturday morning fairly early and unannounced. Vic finished off her coffee and set the empty mug in the sink. She went into the living room and fished her laptop from the bag she carried it in.
Sitting the computer on the coffee table, Vic took a seat and flipped it open. She powered it on and waited for the home screen to come up. Once she was online, she pulled up a search engine and typed in the name.
The results screen popped up and Vic leaned in so that she could see. Her eyes moved slowly down the screen. Some of the results were obviously for a different person. About halfway down the screen she saw the name Lily Bader with a small picture beside it. Vic peered at the picture to find it was the woman who asked for Walt. Clicking the link took her to a university page.
"UCLA."
She was a good ways from Los Angeles.
The page she was on was a faculty page for Dr. Lily Bader. Outside of a small personal blurb and syllabus, there wasn't much to look at that made any sense to her.
A college professor.
Vic backed out of the page and looked at the rest of the results. There were a few more that seemed to be related, mostly articles either written by or mentioning this woman. Whoever she was, she seemed to have a strong profile in academia. At least, as far as Vic could tell. With nothing else to really see, Vic closed the laptop and stuffed it back into the bag she would later take to work.
She leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes.
She could have used some more sleep. But, she was up now. Her stomach growled and she opened her eyes. She pushed up from the couch and walked into the kitchen in search of breakfast. Vic looked through the contents of the cabinets and the fridge, taking in her options. She opted for a bowl of oatmeal.
Once she was done making it, Vic took a seat at the table and ate while she scrolled her phone. Outside of the death they were investigating, there wasn't much in the way of real news. That was the way it was here most of the time. Cady, like Walt, didn't comment on ongoing investigations. So, there wasn't much information about the case outside of the bare details.
The phone in her hand buzzed and Vic saw Cady's cell number on the screen. She answered the call knowing that her morning off might be about to end.
"What's up?"
"Oh good, you're up. Thought you might still be asleep."
"I wish I was. What's going on?"
"I hate to do this to you, but…"
"You need me to come in."
It wasn't a question.
"Yeah, we've had a development in the case."
"What?"
Vic was already up and going to the bedroom to get dressed.
"We may have a witness."
Vic pushed her pants off and sat down on the bed to pull on her jeans with the phone cradled between her ear and shoulder.
"To what exactly?"
"Where the car might have come from."
Vic stood up and buttoned her pants.
"That's interesting. Who is it?"
"A man who thinks he saw the car sitting on the road."
"Well, if he's right…it will give us a place to start instead of spinning our wheels. He at the office now?"
"No, he called this morning after reading about it in the paper."
"People still read papers?"
"Apparently. He's on his way in. Thought you might want to get in on it."
"Yeah, I'll be on my way in a few minutes."
"Sorry to ruin your morning."
"What morning? Walt is helping Henry, so it's just me here."
"Oh. Well, then I'm not sorry."
Vic smiled slightly as she buttoned up her duty shirt and tucked it in to her jeans.
"I'll be there as quick as I can."
"Okay."
The call ended and Vic shoved her phone into her back pocket. She quickly brushed her teeth and pulled her hair back. Once she clipped her holster, badge, and cuffs onto her belt, she pulled on her jacket. Vic grabbed her laptop bag and hefted it onto her shoulder. Pulling her keys from her jacket pocket, she left the cabin and locked the door behind her.
With an actual focus now, the events of the morning faded into the back of her mind. Vic started her truck and turned the heat all the way up. She grimaced at the cold in her truck and willed the space to heat up faster than she knew it would.
This was possibly the break they had been waiting for. An actual witness who might give them a place to start other than trying to force pieces together that didn't seem to fit. She hoped this would be the piece that helped them solve this case or at least point them in the right direction.