Grady parking under the street light would highlight us for anyone else coming or going, but at least his massive truck should partly obscure us. His driver’s-side door faced away from the door into the building. And the truck was taller than any of us.
Mark called his last name—just loud enough to be heard, but not loud enough to draw attention from anyone inside.
Grady stopped and turned back. The light shining down on his face emphasized his brow line and cast shadows over his eyes, making it almost impossible for me to gauge his expression.
“Cavanaugh,” he said.
He tossed a glance in my direction, but other than that, he didn’t acknowledge me. If I hadn’t been sleep deprived, I might have been thinking clearly enough to realize it would have been better had I stayed in the car. Instead, I did the second-best thing and hung back.
“I won’t hold you up long,” Mark said. “But I need you to grab a file for me. My copy somehow disappeared.”
Grady leaned against his fender. “I thought you were off until all this gets cleared up.”
A warm little bubble that felt an awful lot like softening bloomed in my chest. Grady’s tone implied he was sure it would all get sorted and Mark would be back to work.
Now came the moment of truth. Mark would have to ask him directly for the file. If Grady were involved in the corruption scheme, he’d know we were too close to be allowed to continue. I tried to watch him without making it obvious I was watching him.
Mark shoved his gloveless hands in his pockets, and I tamped down on a cringe.
Don’t go all Oliver Twist asking for seconds now, I silently coached him. He needs to see you as an equal.
“I am, but Chief McTavish asked me to look into something for him. I think the file he gave me could have something to do with his disappearance and what happened to Troy. If I can get that file back and examine it, I’m hoping I can figure out what.”
Grady Scherwin crossed his beefy arms over his chest. “You wouldn’t be asking me for help if you could get the file some other way. That makes me think the detective doesn’t want you to have it.”
“We didn’t ask him.” Mark shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “But you’re right. He probably wouldn’t have given me the file if I had.”
Headlights streamed across us, and I barely stopped myself from instinctively turning my face away like I had something to hide. Sheila climbed out of the newly arrived car. The way she ducked her own head told me she’d seen me, but was trying to pretend like she hadn’t so she didn’t have to come over and say hello.
Grady’s gaze shifted slightly in her direction. “My shift’s about to start.”
I had to do something before he not only walked away, but also went straight to Detective Dillion and told him what we were up to.
I moved in close to Mark, my body angled slightly away from Grady. “Come on,” I said in a whisper I was sure was loud enough for Grady to still catch. “I told you he wouldn’t care about trying to get Chief McTavish back.”
The look he gave me was the facial equivalent of flipping me the middle finger. “I’m the only one around here who seems to think the chief’s still alive. I’ve been going door-to-door on my own time, trying to find leads.”
That warm little bubble in my chest tried to expand. It showed a lot of loyalty if he were telling the truth. It also showed me the button to push.
I replied with a yeah, right look. “If that was true, you’d help us.”
Grady very deliberately turned his focus from me to Mark, as if by ignoring me he could make me disappear. “I’ll help, but I want something in return.”
Such a caring altruist, I felt like saying. Instead, I bit the inside of my cheek to keep quiet.
“Like what?” There was enough wariness to Mark’s voice to let Grady know it wasn’t a lock. Mark wasn’t desperate enough to give him anything. There’d still be limits.
“I’m going to be doing you a favor,” Grady said. “I want a favor.”
Mark’s arms straightened by his sides, like his elbows locked on him. “What kind of a favor?”
“Not from you.” He swung his gaze in my direction. “From her. Sometime when I need it.”
That growing warm bubble popped, leaving a dark gap in its place. He wanted to know he had me in his debt, whether as payback or ego. Jerk.
But it didn’t matter. We needed that file. “As long as it’s within legal and moral boundaries, I’ll owe you one.”
The words tasted bitter and gritty coming out.
Mark explained to Grady what he was looking for.
Grady hooked a thumb in the direction of our car. “I’ll bring the file to you.”
Another car pulled in as we parted ways. Mark and I kept our pace easy and slow like we weren’t worried about being seen.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “I know that couldn’t have been easy.”
Promising hadn’t been as bad as fulfilling would be when the urgency had passed and I had to deal with Grady Scherwin holding it over my head that I owed him.
Mark and I climbed back into the car, and I started it to keep us warm. Snow drifted down in heavy flakes, looking like diamonds in the halos of light cast around the street lamps.
Sitting here with Mark would be almost romantic if it weren’t for why we were here. It was the kind of night where the snow would continue to get heavier, and the best place to be was somewhere safe and warm with hot chocolate, watching it fall.
Ten minutes passed with two more people arriving. Finally, the door of the station opened and two men came out. The rollover belly gave Grady away, but I couldn’t identify the other man.
If he’d betrayed us to Detective Dillion…
They moved under a street light, and Henry’s profile came into view. He raised a hand in goodbye and parted from Grady.
