Tested by Fire

“Business or pleasure?” Neil Avery’s voice was full of curiosity, and John sighed.

“Business of sorts,” he admitted. “Did Bradel give you this number?”

“Only after being offered a bribe of two dozen homemade chocolate chip cookies,” Neil said. “He drives a hard bargain.”

There was a click and some static, then a third voice joined in.

“Neil? Is that John? Oh, you found him!”

“Hello, Diane.”

“Hello, yourself. I’ve been worried sick about you, taking off like that without telling anyone.”

“You sound like a mother hen. I told my boss I was leaving. I didn’t realize I had to check in with the rest of the crew.”

“Well, you do,” Diane Avery sniffed.

“John isn’t on vacation,” Neil said. “It sounds like business as usual.”

“Is she pretty?” Diane responded teasingly.

“Actually, yes.” John couldn’t resist.

Silence reigned for a moment, then both Neil and Diane started talking at once. John winced and held the phone away from his ear.

“Tell us everything,” Diane demanded.

“Not a chance.”

“Just one thing,” Diane begged.

“You’d like her,” John said slowly, knowing that Diane wasn’t going to let him off the hook easily.

There was a sudden gasp of understanding. “She’s a believer, isn’t she.”

“Let’s say you seem to have some common ground,” John said. “Now, don’t you have some cookies to bake, you traitor?”

“Yes, I do,” she said cheerfully, then added, in a stage whisper, “Find out more, Neil!” A click sounded as she hung up.

“Your wife never gives up.”

“She should have been the investigator,” Neil agreed. “When are you coming back?”

“I’m not sure,” John said. “I didn’t give Bradel a specific date. I have some time off and I’ll come back when everything here is taken care of.”

“Diane’s almost due, you know,” Neil reminded him. “She wants your face pressed against the glass in the maternity ward, cooing with the rest of the Avery fan club.”

“I’ll be back by then.” John heard the sound of a car door slam, signaling Chief’s and Anne’s return. “I’ll call you soon.”

“John?” Neil caught him just as he was about to put the receiver down.

“What?”

“Is she a believer?”

“Goodbye, Neil.”

Later that night during her run, Finn took advantage of the quiet streets and let Colin off his leash. He trotted happily along beside her.

“What’s with you lately?” She couldn’t explain the dog’s sudden obedience. It was as if he’d grown up overnight. “Did someone slip something into your food?”

As she ran, Finn replayed the evening with John. She was surprised that he had accepted her offer to join her for supper. You read too many books when you were a kid, she scolded herself. All those stories about Sir Lancelot and knights and heroes. When she was thirteen and Seamus had been injured in the explosion, she’d been reading about the Middle Ages. Secretly, she had thought of John Gabriel as “the white knight” because of his heroism.

“He’s more like the black knight,” she murmured out loud. He had built a fortress around himself. It was easy to discern that cynicism was his sword, bitterness his shield. Maybe the accident had caused him to put up the barriers she saw.

“I can’t figure him out, Colin.”

Colin growled.

The sound was so unexpected that she stumbled to a stop.

“Hey,” a voice drawled from the bushes. “It’s that lady cop.”

“She ain’t on duty now, though.”

There were some snickers and muttered comments. Finn decided to keep going and ignore them—until the two young men stepped out of the shadows and blocked her path. One held a cigarette loosely in his hand. She recognized him immediately. Ricky Calhoun. His dad owned the largest construction company in Miranda Station. Ricky was a few years younger than she, but he worked for his dad only when he needed extra cash, which wasn’t often. He drove his dad’s car and generally hung around town doing nothing. He seemed to be making a career out of being the only son of a wealthy businessman.

“Hello, Ricky,” Finn said evenly.

His companion thumped him on the back and laughed. “She knows your name, Ricky! Have you ridden in the back of the squad car or something?”

Ricky grinned and flicked the cigarette into the street, the end still glowing like a single red eye. “I’m a good boy, Marty.”

“Excuse me.” Finn tried to move past them, but Ricky stepped in front of her again.

Colin suddenly slipped alongside them like a shadow and planted himself next to Finn. She reached down, feeling comforted by his presence. “Stay, Colin,” she said, hoping the dog would actually listen to her.

Ricky glanced down at the shepherd, whose lips had curled back to expose a set of intimidating teeth. He took a wary step away from her.

“See you later, Officer.”

Finn nodded briefly and started to run again, aware of the fact they were watching her. Marty apparently found something else amusing, because his laughter echoed down the street behind her.

“You must be a good judge of character, Colin,” she said. “And by the way, thanks for your support.”

Colin dashed into a row of bushes and emerged half a block away. When she whistled, he ignored her.

“At least your timing is good.” She shook her head.