He sat there, tapping the phone against his chin, considering his choices. They boiled down to two. Do as Dash advised, kiss the agencies’ asses, and, until things were smoothed over, don’t fly? Or, forever grieve another death he possibly could have prevented?
His career was in jeopardy. But so was his soul.
“Screw it,” he muttered and motioned for Brynn to start the car. “To Walmart.”
While on the way, he pulled a business card from the inside breast pocket of his jacket and began to tap in the number printed on it. Brynn asked, “Are you calling Dash back?”
“No.” Rye hadn’t intended to keep the card that had been pressed into his palm during a strong handshake, much less use the contact fewer than twenty-four hours later. “I’m calling Jake Morton.”
7:38 a.m.
Walmart’s parking lot was filled to capacity with diehard Black Friday shoppers undaunted by the weather. It took Brynn a while to find a parking space. Then she called Wes and asked how his day was going.
He described the bedlam inside the store. “Three shoplifters. Two fistfights. One overturned display. And five more hours till my shift’s over.”
She told him where his car would be when he got off work. “Fifth row in on the west side. Second car. Thank you for letting us use it.”
“You said it could be a few days before you got it back to me. Mission accomplished?”
“Dad, you’re truly better off not knowing.”
“In other words, no. Are you safe? Just tell me that much.”
She thought about Goliad, handguns, a chase through a hotel, a narrow escape.
“I’m safe.”
“Mallett still with you?”
“Yes.”
He snorted. “Then you’re not safe.”
“On the bright side, I could be on the lam with the Hendrix boy.”
“By comparison, that hoodlum is looking a lot better.” He sighed. “Leave the car key in the ignition. It’d be a lucky break for me if somebody stole the clunker.”
“Bye, Dad. Thanks again.”
“Brynn? Call me. If you ever get a hankering to.”
“If you’ll stay out of trouble.”
He laughed. “Fair terms.”
He had taken a baby step toward reconciliation. To protect herself from heartbreak and disappointment, she wouldn’t plunge headlong into reestablishing a relationship with him. She would approach with caution. But it was a start that made her smile as she disconnected the call and placed his key ring beneath the driver’s floor mat.
Rye asked, “Has he nabbed any shoplifters today?”
“Three so far. By the way, he thinks I would be better off with the wild Hendrix boy.”
“He’s right.”
“He’s concerned for my safety.”
“He should be. I about had a heart attack when you took off running down the hallway of that hotel. You should have given me warning.”
“What would you have done?”