Detective Kylie Cassidy stood on the county courthouse’s worn limestone steps and faced Aiden, who had a hand on her arm. “No, I’ve told you before. I can’t help you.”
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the wide plaza, glinting off the polished brass fixtures at the building’s grand entrance. A gentle breeze rustled the old oak trees lining the sidewalk, carrying with it the faint sounds of traffic from the bustling downtown street beyond.
Aiden’s fingers tightened around her arm, his eyes flashing. “Come on, KC.”
“Let go of me.” She tried to pull away without causing a scene.
A deep voice cut through the tension. “Is there a problem?”
KC pivoted. It took a moment to place him—the special agent she’d met at a crime scene months ago. What was his name again?
Aiden’s grip held strong as he glared at the newcomer a few steps above them. “None of your business. Why don’t you keep walking?”
The agent’s eyes narrowed, recognition crossing his face. “Detective, is everything all right?”
KC took a deep breath and shook off Aiden’s hand. “No problem here. Thanks for your concern, agent.” She turned back to Aiden. “Go. We’ll talk another time.”
Splotches mottled Aiden’s face. He lurched toward the agent, spitting out a string of curses. “This doesn’t concern you, Fed.”
“Aiden!” she snapped. “I said go. Now.”
For a tense moment, Aiden loomed there like he might argue further. Then, with a final glare, he stomped off.
KC pasted on an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that. Aiden’s…Well, he’s a family friend. We went to the same school, grew up together. He can be a jerk sometimes.”
He smiled. “No need to explain, Detective, uh, Casey, is it?”
“Cassidy. Agent?”
“Nathan Tanner. But you can call me Nate or Tanner.”
“Okay, Tanner. My friends call me KC. That’s probably why you thought my name was Casey. I hope you found the girl.”
She’d responded to an auto accident early in the year only to find the driver killed execution style. Then Tanner and a younger agent showed up, working on an abduction case. She had gotten them a lead. In the end, the sheriff said to close the case when the perp was killed in a shoot-out. Details were murky.
Tanner squinted, then relaxed. “Oh, yes, she’s doing well. Thanks for your help.”
“Just doing my job. Are you, uh, here on a case?”
He stepped down two more of the courthouse stairs to stand level with her. “Yeah, testifying on a case. You? This is a bit far from your stomping ground, isn’t it?”
“I dropped off some paperwork at the sheriff’s office.” She gestured toward the building down the street. Thinking of the transfer request sent her heart racing. If the transfer didn’t go through, she’d be out of a job come New Year. “Then the ASA Sullivan wanted to discuss a case, so…” She shrugged.
“Well, I’d better be going before they send out a search party,” he quipped and started back up the stairs. “Good to see you!”
She chuckled. “Same here. I should be going too. You never know. They might find a body in Pine Grove while I’m gone.” As if it would happen, it’s more than likely a petty theft.
An hour later, she drove toward the Pine Grove substation. The Christmas spirit enlivened the town. Retailers blasted Christmas music. A giant Christmas tree with hundreds of ornaments shimmered in the town square. In front of it, a Santa and elf picture station beckoned the kids.
She parked, went inside, and headed to her office and the stack of case files awaiting her. Shoplifting, vandalism, a domestic dispute—the everyday of small-town crime. She reached for the top file. Her gaze drifted to the window overlooking the parking lot. Her hand hovered in midair.
A dark SUV with tinted windows caught her attention. A Tahoe, if she wasn’t mistaken. She’d never seen it before, which was unusual in a town where she knew most vehicles by sight. The car idled before pulling away, its movement almost too casual.
She frowned, a slight chill running down her spine. In Pine Grove, unfamiliar faces were rare, and anonymous vehicles even rarer. An out-of-town visitor, maybe? It was the holiday season, after all.
