CYN:P.S. I’m cooking you dinner tonight
HUNT:Can’t wait
HUNT:I’m looking forward to dessert
CYN:??Me too!??
CYN:Also you left 1 chocolate cookie in the bag.
CYN:1! Who does that!
Hunt busted up laughing. It hit him all at once that he hadn’t smiled or laughed this much in a long time. God, she was good for him.
HUNT:Sorry. I’ll bring more home tonight.
CYN:And I will reward you
Oh, the images and thoughts that text brought to mind.
HUNT:Stop! I have to work and doing it without a hard-on would be better.
CYN:Sorry not sorry
CYN:Go be a cop then come home and be with me
HUNT:Best thing I’ve ever heard
CYN: UR sweet
He liked making her happy. It made him feel good to know that she was probably sitting on his couch, watching TV and smiling because of him. He worried about her dizziness. He’d keep an eye on her. If it got worse, he’d take her back to the doctor. They’d cleared her to go home, but if something was still wrong... He didn’t want to even think it could be something serious.
Folder in hand, he got out of the car and headed into the big open bay door to find Jerry. “Hello.”
Jerry slid out from under an old Nissan truck. “Officer Wilde.” Jerry stood and wiped his hands on a rag. “What can I do for you?”
“Did you happen to rehire Rad in the last day or so?”
“No. I don’t want someone like him working for me. I don’t condone hitting anyone, especially women.”
“Are you aware that Angela and Lana are missing?”
Jerry pressed his lips into a sad half frown. “The whole town knows, and I feel terrible about it. I should have known something like this could happen. My daughter tried to leave her abusive ex. He got very angry and hurt her. I sometimes feel it’s my fault for not protecting her.”
“It’s not your fault,” Hunt assured him. “The terrible truth is that if an abuser wants to get at his victim, he’ll find a way. And you have to believe that Rad is responsible for whatever happened between him and Angela as well. Your firing him wasn’t what caused it, and if he hurt Angela or the baby, then that’s on him.” Hunt held up the folder in his hand. “And that’s kind of why I’m here. I’ve been investigating another case.”
“The one about the car you found here.”
“Yes. Rad was questioned at the station night before last. After he left, an officer followed him here. The officer thought he was coming into work. But I think he came here to take another car. The white Corolla out front.”
Jerry frowned. “Damnit. I forgot to ask him for the shop keys back. He probably walked right in, grabbed the keys from the office, took the car and returned it without my knowing anything.”
“Do you have any surveillance cameras inside here?”
“No. But I’m thinking I might need to change the locks and add some security. I’ve been broken into before. But it was minor stuff. Someone looking to make a quick buck off the tools and car parts. I have insurance. But I heard that burglaries are on the rise because of the poor economy. Desperate people do stupid things.”
“I see it all the time. Do you mind taking a few minutes to look through your records for cars you’ve serviced to see if any more of the vehicles were here at the garage and match vehicles seen at a crime?”
“Sure. Whatever I can do to help.”