Page 242 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

Chapter Forty-Four

Nate pulled into his reserved space at the station and swore when he spotted Thomas’s navy-blue Lexus parked two spaces down. The last thing he had time for right now was the mayor’s shit. After his meeting out at the house with Jeremy for the window installation and his date with Callie to find their furry friend, he was running a solid ninety minutes behind, but after last night’s insanity and the general week from hell, he hadn’t had the heart to leave Callie in the Carter Island Animal Clinic parking lot with their new dog. Swearing again, he got out, grabbing the box of Little Girl Lost files and headed inside, catching sight of the note from Kay taped to her desk.

Went out for the mail. Should be back in just a few.

“Awesome,” he muttered, starting down the hall, not bothering with his usual cup of coffee. He wanted to get Thomas’s latest bitch session over with more than he needed a caffeine jolt. He stopped in his office doorway, staring at Thomas studying the Little Girl Lost case board tucked in the corner of the room. “Mayor.”

Thomas turned, glancing at his watch. “Nathan, Leah and I heard about the trouble you had out at your place. You and Callie are okay?”

Nate knocked the chip off his shoulder, seeing the genuine concern in Thomas’s eyes. “We’re fine. Jeremy’s putting in a window as we speak and Callie’s spoiling our new dog.”

Thomas raised his brow. “A dog?”

“Winston. Our buddy who’s going to help keep an eye on things when I have to go out on calls at night.”

Thomas crossed his arms. “It’s a shame things have gotten to a point where that’s necessary.”

And here’s where the gloves came off. Sighing, Nate set the box on the couch cushion. “I’ve wanted a dog for a while, but I could do without the rest.”

“Looks like the mandatory curfew didn’t do anything to solve our problems.”

Nate settled his ass against the edge of the desk. “My window was bashed in right around eight thirty, so no, it didn’t do much to help us out.”

Thomas opened his mouth to respond as the front door opened.

“Nate, are you here?” Kay called down the hall.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He took a seat in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head, leaning back against the comfy leather.

Kay bustled down to his office with her coat still on, acknowledging Thomas with a nod, then gave her attention to Nate. “How are you this morning? How’s Callie?”

“We’re doing all right. Thanks for giving us a hand last night.”

“Of course,” she said, waving away his gratitude. “You two have been on my mind for hours—could hardly sleep.” She tsked as she shook her head. “Poor Callie was still shaking when we left her with Gwen and Liam.”

The image of Callie staring at him with huge, terrified eyes as she trembled and held his grandfather’s gun flashed through his mind. “Last night was tough, but she’s grinning from ear to ear this morning. We’re officially the proud parents of sixty furry pounds of golden Lab mix. Callie assures me that buried somewhere beneath Winston’s deep depressive state there’s an intelligent, dignified animal.”

Kay beamed. “Nate, that’s wonderful. I have a recipe for homemade treats I’ll have to bake up. And he’s always welcome to keep me company here at the office while Callie’s at work.”

Nate smiled. “Thanks, Kay.”

“It would be my pleasure. You know how much I miss my BoBo.” She shook her head and walked to Nate’s desk. “Back to business.” She set a pink slip on his blotter. “A call came in for you just before I left for the post office. Neil Durst. Said he’s the owner of On The Rocks in Boston.”

Nate sat up, snatching up the paper. “I’ve been waiting for this.”

“He wanted me to let you know that he has time to answer your questions about Samantha Fletcher today but only today. Tomorrow he and his wife are going back out to sea.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve got stuff to do.” Kay headed back down the hall.

Nate reached for the phone, eager to have a conversation with Samantha’s old boss, but stopped, giving Thomas his attention again. “Are you heading over to Town Hall? Can I stop by your office in a few minutes?”

“I’m going to the diner for a meeting with the Elks Club.”

“Let me know what time works for you and I’ll see you then.”

“Now works for me. I thought it might be nice to have something to tell Steve and Buzz about their vehicles since I’ll be running into them.”