A/N: This is a shorter chapter. More of a filler. So, no Samcedes or Gina/Ricky interaction.

Six

"Ashlyn Carswell is not at school today," Jay said when Cedes and Hunter walked into the station. She had to speak up, as men who were working on fixing the gaping hole in the front of the building were using loud power tools.

"What can you tell me about the Caswell family?" she asked her deputies before taking a file Abrams handed her.

"They're originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, so not natives of California," he said. "In fact they are new to the area, they have only been living here about ten months. The husband is from a generationally wealthy family. So, he's old money. The wife, on the other hand is your typical trophy wife, she was a waitress at a high end restaurant where they met and later married."

"Do they only have one child?" Cedes asked, looking over the contents of what little intel they had on the family.

Jay added, "As far as we know, but these rich people always have skeletons in their closets. So, another child could be possible."

"That is so true." Cedes wondered how much she should pressure Debbie Caswell. If she knew more than she was letting on, now was certainly the time to tell everything if she wanted her daughter safely returned home.

Hunter leaned on the desk beside her. "Either Deborah Caswell is genuinely distraught, or she is one of the best actresses I have ever seen."

Cedes scanned the deputies surrounding her. "I think it could be both. She could be distraught and still hiding something from us, so I think it's time to hit the streets."

"I know you don't mean—?" he asked, surprised she'd willingly go there.

She nodded. "Unfortunately." If anyone had dirt on the Caswell family, it would be the Lit Chicks, her mother's book club, a.k.a. not a real book club but an excuse for a group of friends to get together to drink and gossip. "They're expecting me, anyway. I promised to talk to them about a career in law enforcement today."

"On your first day of work?"

"Don't start." The things her mother could talk her into. "They're about to get a crash course. In the meantime, you guys keep digging and looking for Ashlyn."

McCarthy raised her hand. Unnecessary, but effective. "What about an Amber Alert?" She gauged the reaction of her colleagues. "Is it too soon?"

"Good idea. An Amber Alert is never too soon." If anything, they were usually too late. "Why don't you get that going?"

He brightened. "You got it, boss."

"Abrams," she said, getting the young deputy's attention. "I don't suppose you have any connections from the Utah law enforcement?"

Abrams was from Denver, Colorado, but he went to school at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and had lived in nearby Salt Lake City for a couple years, so he could have friends on the force there. She could get all the official reports on the Caswells there were and still know very little about the dynamics of the family. She wanted the tea. The calls that weren't reported because of their wealth and position in the community.

Was there any history of domestic violence? Alcoholism? Drug addiction?

He tossed her a knowing grin. "I will spend today working on it."

"Thanks, Abrams," she said, hurrying out the door.

"Do you need backup?" Hunter called out to her as she was just about to leave.

She was about to tell hell to the no, then changed her mind and turned back to him. Interrogating a group of women was one thing. Asking questions to a group of women while a man they'd repeatedly referred to as cougar bait was another.

"If you have nothing else to do, you can be my backup, Hunt."

Hunter didn't have to be told twice. He jumped up and followed her a little too enthusiastically. He'd always had a thing for her mom which was hella weird.

"Just be sure to keep your hands to yourself," she warned him.

He chuckled. "It's not my hands you need to worry about. I am not interested in women who are old enough to be my grandmother."

Excellent point.

"So," Hunter said on the way over, "you're going to talk to the nosiest people in town about careers in law enforcement."

"I know," Cedes said, wondering if she should tell them about the accident and just question them. "Just don't let April corner you. That woman has never met a younger man that she didn't try to seduce." April Rhodes was a firecracker with the damage potential of an atomic bomb, only less stable especially when drinking.

"I think April likes me."

"They all like you. That's why you're here. You're my eye candy distraction. They'll be so engrossed with you, they'll answer all my questions without too many complaints."

"Have you even met your mother…she sees me as her son right?"

"You are right about her, but not the other lonely hearts there."

"I feel like you want to use me for my body." When she raised a brow at him, he added, "Not complaining."

They pulled into the crowded driveway of Roz Washington, one of Cedes' mother's oldest friends. It was apparently her week to host the book club. Besides Roz's SUV, several cars lined the street in front of the house, including Minnie Jones's Hybrid Toyota RAV4. All sensible vehicles for fairly sensible women.

April Rhodes, on the other hand, drove a shiny red Dodge Hellcat. God help everybody in town who had to share the road with her. The woman was barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel. It took up most of the driveway. Probably because she couldn't park to save her life.

Minnie ran out to meet them before they could get out of her SUV. "You're very late," she said, a smile on her face and a glass of wine in her hand.

As Cedes stepped out, her mother's eaglelike vision locked on to the bandages on her hands.

"What in the hell happened to you?" she fairly screeched, almost spilling her glass of red wine. Thankfully, the woman had catlike reflexes when it came to alcoholic beverages. She took one of Cedes' hands into her own to inspect it.

"Believe me when I tell you that you really don't want to know."

"You know that I really do."

"A car crashed through the front of the station, showering me with glass before it almost ran over me."

Her mother's pretty mouth pinched up at the corners. "Fine, don't tell me what happened. I am sure someone in town knows or your father." She saw Hunter and smiled.

He walked around and gave her a hug as the other women streamed out of the house to greet them, even though it was still cold outside. And you could tell by their mannerisms that they clearly had wine with their breakfast.

Cedes got a hug from each of the women present. And all but one had a glass of wine in her hand. April didn't have a glass. She had an entire bottle, and she sloshed the liquid on Hunter's uniform when she did everything but wrap her legs around him and dry hump him during their hug.

Oh yeah, this was going to be great.

Cedes let Hunter answer the ladies' questions while she followed Mrs. June Dalloway, the donut baker, to the kitchen to grab a few. She wasn't sure how well donuts went with wine, but at least the women would have something in their stomachs other than fermented grapes.

"Oh, sweetheart," the woman said when she noticed Cedes behind her. "We're so delighted you're back. Your mother is the happiest she has been in years."

"Nice to hear," she said, trying to think of how to word her inquiry.

The seventy something year old woman didn't miss a step as she went about her business.

"Is Lillian going to be okay?" Cedes asked.

When they'd walked into the house, they'd found an elderly woman asleep on the couch, a half-drunk glass of wine dangerously close to tipping over in her hand. Cedes remembered her. She'd worked for her doctor for years.

"Oh, she'll be fine," June said with a dismissive wave. "She's drinking grape juice. She always passes out either way. No need to waste the good stuff on her."

Cedes laughed softly. "I wanted to thank you for the donuts you sent to the station."

"No thanks necessary," she said. "I love making them. I always wanted to open my own bakery and call it Dalloway Donuts. It's a nice play on the letter D, don't you think?"

"I do. And you certainly have the talent." She gestured toward the warm donuts June was loading onto a tray along with melted chocolate, caramel, and strawberry sauce to dip them in. Cedes' mouth watered just thinking about it. "Why didn't you?"

"Well, you know John," she said as if that explained it.

She didn't know John, not really, but she wasn't going to tell June that. "Can I ask you a question?"

June stopped what she was doing and turned to her. "Of course, sweetheart."

Cedes cleared her throat, suddenly uncomfortable, then just came out with it. "Do you dabble in root work?"

The woman's expression didn't waver. In fact, if Cedes didn't know better, she'd have sworn June purposely froze her face to hide what was going on behind it.

After a moment, she blinked and went back to her donuts with a soft laugh. "You kids. Always joking around. I may not be black but I know what voodoo is."

Okay. "Then how come every time you send a basket of donuts to the station, all hell breaks loose? Or so I'm told."

"I have no idea what you mean. I just made too many donuts for our book club and decided to share."

If there was one thing Cedes had learned first as a police officer and then a detective, it was when to keep her mouth shut. And that's what she did. She leveled a patient smile on the poor woman and waited.

It didn't take long.

"You can't tell John," she said in a hushed voice that startled Cedes.

"June, are you safe? Will he hurt you?"

She snorted. "Johnny? Oh, good heavens, no. I just . . . well, I promised . . . I mean, he doesn't know . . ."

"That you practice witchcraft?"

She shook her head. "No. He knows I am not a witch. I am what Christians call a prophet and New Age people call a psychic. He thinks I stopped telling people about my gift years ago after this thing with a python and a tuna casserole. It's a long story. Anyway, he doesn't know I still try to warn people of my visions."

Cedes pretended to believe that June was in her right mind.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" June asked.

"I wouldn't do that."

June rested a grateful hand on her arm. "Do the others know?"

"You mean everyone at the station? Let's just say your donuts have become the things of legend."

"Oh, well, that's good. I guess." She picked up the tray and walked into the living room.

"It's about time," April said to her, eyeing the donuts. "We're starving."

"Cedes is onto us, guys."

"Already? How, she just got here."

June put the tray on the coffee table. "No, I mean, she knows."

But Cedes' interest fixed to her mom's best friend, Roz Washington. Because when June alluded to the fact that she knew what was going on, all expressions morphed into one of mass confusion. All except Roz's. Roz went white, and as a gorgeous black woman that was almost impossible.

Minnie looked from Cedes to June and back again. "What exactly does my daughter know?"

"That I use my gift of sight for good."

The entire room gasped. Well, almost the entire room. Hunter sat in a beige recliner, clearly amused. But Roz had a different take as well.

Cedes knew better than to look directly at her, and she studied the woman from the corner of her eye. When June had announced that Cedes knew, Roz went white. But when June commented about using her powers for good, everyone except Roz gasped. Roz did just the opposite. She let out a breath, clearly relieved. What did she think June had been talking about?

Hunter cleared his throat, and asked, "So, how are the donuts used in your gift?"

He was covering. He'd noticed Roz's behavior as well and let his gaze flit to Cedes for the briefest of moments to confirm the fact that she'd noticed it, too.

As expected, the ladies laughed at his query. Even Roz, whose laughter was loud and obviously fake because it stemmed more from nerves than amusement.

"The donuts have nothing to do with my gift; I have had premonitions since I was a little girl."

He nodded. "So, that's how you know when things in Lima Springs are about to go to hell?"

"What exactly did you see for today?" Cedes asked, not convinced of June's abilities in the least. But what could it hurt to ask?

"What I saw happened two days ago, actually. I knew something bad was going to happen, and I just wanted our finest sheriff department to enjoy a donut or two before it all went crazy."

Minnie chimed in then. "I promise you, ladies, any of our secrets are safe with my daughter."

Awww. That was sweet.

She reached over and grabbed a donut, before adding, "She doesn't believe a word of what June is saying."

Several sets of eyes landed on Cedes in horror.

Oh, well. She needed a segue, anyway. "Actually, I need to know what you ladies have heard about the Caswell family."

"He is so cute; it's a shame that he's married," April said, and Cedes could only assume she was talking about Mr. Caswell.

The fastest way to get the lowdown on anyone was to pass the info along to the Lit Chicks and see what came up. It had been a time-honored tradition since Cedes was a kid. "Any tea to spill? I know they're new, but—"

"There's always tea," Minnie said. "But Debbie genuinely seems to be in love with her husband."

The others agreed with a nod.

"I think she had a rough life growing up," Marcia added.

Cedes nodded. "I only know that she was a waitress when she met Dennis Caswell in Utah."

"Yes, she was." Marcia seemed to know more about the family than the rest. "But before that, well, let's just say she left home when she was sixteen and only has a GED."

"Do you know why?" Cedes' question took Marcia aback, but she needed everything she could get, so she explained, "Their daughter may be missing."

Every face showed genuine surprise, but Marcia seemed to catch on the quickest. "And you think Dennis and Debbie had something to do with it?"

"Honestly, no, but I can't afford to form any opinions just yet. I'm trying to stay open to all possibilities."

When Marcia's expression hardened, Minnie added, "As any good law enforcement officer would." Her tone was sharp, and Marcia reined in her offended posture immediately.

"I don't know why she was on her own at such a young age," she said, brushing crumbs off her slacks. "I just know that Debbie's parents were not nice people."

"Tell her what they've been up to lately," April encouraged, elated with the juicy gossip to which she'd been privy.

"They?" Hunter asked.

April scooted to the edge of her seat. "Debbie's awful parents."

"Actually, that's been going on for a while now," Marcia corrected. "Ever since Deborah married into money, they've been trying to get their hands on it."

Cedes tamped down the adrenaline that had spiked within her, and asked calmly, "How?"

"I'm not sure. I don't know the details. We've only had coffee at the Lima Bean a few times. Debbie is really nice, and she adores her daughter. You have to know that."

"I could tell, Marcia."

"All she told me was that her parents were always calling up with one sob story after another, needing money for this or that."

"Did she give them any?"

"Never," Marcia said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "And why should she? They were terrible people. Not that Dennis would allow her to."

"Have they contacted her lately?"

Marcia's squinted in thought. "The last time we talked was right after New Year's, but she didn't mention them. I know they tried to get some serious money out of them last summer right after their big move here."

"How serious?"

"Hundreds of thousands of dollars. Her father had some new scheme that was going to make them all rich. A sure thing."

"Like there is such a thing," Minnie said, her face lined with concern.

"Exactly. Dennis refused, of course, but from what I understand, Debbie's father was furious."

Furious enough to abduct his granddaughter and demand a ransom? It wouldn't be the first time such a scenario came to town.

"Thank you, ladies, for your help," Cedes said, rising to leave.

"But wait!" Minnie jumped up. "You were going to talk to us about careers in law enforcement."

Cedes grinned at them. Every face shone with eagerness. Every face but Roz's. She seemed relieved that Cedes was almost out of her hair. Which was odd enough to tickle Cedes' Spidey senses.

"I have a feeling you guys know more about careers and law enforcement in general than I do."

"Well, we were really hoping you could tell us how to get away with murder," April said.

June jumped up, waking Lillian, the ancient woman sleeping on the sofa, in the process. "You know," June said. "For research purposes only."

"Hi, Lillian," Cedes said, waving. The woman blinked at her, then settled back onto the sofa with a sleepy smile on her face. "Ah, well, getting away with murder. That's tricky. In a word, you can't." A unified wave of disappointment crashed into her. "Sorry."

"Can't you just look the other way if the person who is unalived needs to be unalived?" April asked.

Minnie shushed the woman. "She can't do that, April. It would be unethical." She'd added air quotes around the word unethical, and Cedes realized she'd slipped into an alternate universe. One where elderly women, and some not so elderly, plotted murder and her mother used air quotes.

"Well, Minnie, the man needs to die. If we don't do it, who will?"

"Just who are we talking about?" Cedes asked.

"No one," Minnie said. "We're just thinking out loud."

"Are we killing him or not?" Lillian chimed in at last.

Hunter snorted, enjoying every second of the conversation.

"Apparently not," April said as though thoroughly inconvenienced.

"Who's the hottie with a badge?" Lillian asked, pointing to Hunt.

"You remember Hunter, he's a former student of yours." Minnie said to Lillian, raising her voice.

"He should be hunted, but who is he?"

April, now annoyed, scowled at the poor woman. "How are you not already six foot under?"

"Wow, we really need to go," Cedes said before she had to arrest all of them. "But I do have one more question."

Roz tensed. That time, Minnie noticed.

She cast a worried expression on her best friend. "Roz, are you okay?"

Roz snapped to attention. "Yes. Absolutely. I'm sorry. What's your question?" As she spoke, her hands curled into fists, clearly apprehensive about what Cedes would ask next.

"Right. Okay, do you guys know who the Dangerous Damsels are?"

After a tense moment in which the ladies exchanged furtive glances, they burst out laughing. Again, Roz's laughter was a tad more forced than her book club homies', but she did seem relieved.

"The Dangerous Damsels," April said, doubling over. "What's next? Are you going to ask us if June was really abducted by aliens in eighty-three?"

And the laughter began anew.

That was their cue. Cedes and Hunter left them in a state of hysterics after Cedes made them promise to call her if they remembered anything about the Caswells or if they heard anything about Ashlyn.

Minnie followed them out.

Cedes stopped and addressed them both. "Could this really be a ransom situation?"

"Wouldn't be the first," Hunter said, his posture tense.

Minnie closed her eyes.

Hunter rushed to apologize. "I'm sorry, Minnie. I didn't mean—"

"Don't be silly." She gave the giant next to her a hug. "I just feel so bad. A missing persons case on your first day. What rotten luck. I'm sorry, baby girl."

"It's not your fault, Mom." She thought about that and corrected, "Wait, actually it is. What the hell?"

Minnie had the decency to look ashamed, and Hunter gave her shoulders another squeeze.

April yelled from inside the house, "Minnie, for the love of margaritas, we have to discuss this dang book!"

Cedes laughed. "What book did you guys read this week?"

"Oh, I have no idea. I don't read them half the time. We just drink wine and let April go on and on about it. I swear that woman should have been on the stage. It's entertaining. I'll see what else, if anything, I can get out of Marcia about the Caswell family. Please keep me updated."

"Thanks, Mom."

Cedes and Hunter sat in the SUV for a few minutes, trying to digest everything they'd just learned. Especially the parts the women didn't want them to learn.

"Wow," Hunter said, as stunned speechless as his new boss. "Not only are the Dangerous Damsels real, but they know exactly who they are."

Cedes nodded in disbelief. "It's like my whole world has been turned upside down."

"Hey, do you think it's them?"

"The Lit Chicks?" Cedes frowned in doubt. "Surely not. They aren't old enough, and my mother isn't even from here originally. She was a background singer and dancer when my dad met her. She even spent time in Vegas as a showgirl when she wasn't touring or in the recording studio."

"Oh, I am very aware of your mom's former occupations." His face softened in memory. "I've seen the pictures of her with the feathers to prove it.

"That's too disturbing to even think about," she was only partially telling the truth. Her mother was a hottie with a body. Nothing was wrong with that. "Maybe being a Damsel is an inherited position. You know, it gets passed down from one generation to the next."

"Could be."

"Either way, it'll have to wait to find out."

"Let me guess," he said. "You want me to find out everything I can about Ashlyn Caswell's parents."

"Wow, you're such a good guesser." She leaned over to start the SUV when Danielle Sonato, her assistant/dispatcher came through the radio.

"Boss lady," she whispered.

Cedes pressed the button on the radio at her shoulder. "Go ahead."

"You really need to get back here ASAP."

"On the way. ETA nine minutes. What's going on?"

"There are federal marshals here. Two of them. They're pretty much taking over your office right now as we speak."

"Hell to the no," Cedes said, throwing the vehicle into reverse. "Put your seatbelt on Hunt. It's time to see just how fast this SUV can go."

She'd never battled a U.S. Marshal before, but there was a first time for everything.