Page 1 of Cooper’s Passion

1

“Chief wants to see you.”

Anita Diaz hung her jacket over the chair and turned to the woman who’d spoken. Like Anita, Eloise wore a uniform identifying her as a member of the Elko County Sheriff’s Department. She was ten years older than Anita and at least half a foot shorter. At five foot nine, Anita was tall for a woman and taller than some of the male officers she worked with. At the police academy, her male colleagues had seen her as competition, because her height and strength helped her outperform the male trainees in many physical disciplines. In hand-to-hand combat, she’d lifted plenty of men off their feet. They’d been embarrassed that a woman could best them. It had made her less than popular among her peers.

“Did he say what he wanted?” Anita asked tilting her head in the direction of the closed door to the sheriff’s office.

“Didn’t ask.” Eloise lowered her voice. “But he didn’t sound happy.”

“Well, better get it over with then.” Anita walked to the door and knocked briefly. When a sound akin to a bark came from inside the office, she opened the door and entered.

“You wanted to see me?”

He motioned behind her. “Close the door.”

She followed his command and looked at him. He was still handsome despite his age. At sixty-one, he could still turn a woman’s head. His tall, athletic frame, dark hair, and bronzed skin was unusual for a man his age, but he’d always looked after himself.

He rose from his chair, his jaw clenched tightly, his brown eyes piercing. “I’m disappointed in you.”

Anita sucked in a breath, her spine straightening as she steeled herself for the dressing-down that was to come. Yet, she didn’t say anything, knowing that he hated being interrupted when he was about to launch into a tirade.

“I’ve cut you a lot of slack, more than I should. Nobody else is taking the liberties you are.”

He pointed to the window that would have allowed him to look into the open-plan office outside were the blinds not drawn.

“But to misuse department resources to chase some cockamamie theory? That goes too far! Enough is enough. I warned you before not to go down that rabbit hole. There’s nothing to find there. There’s no case here.”

“But Janet Fillmore was abducted. I know it! She’s in danger.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Did I say you could speak?” He paused for a moment. “Didn’t think so.” He walked closer, his entire body looking tense. “Janet and Hank had marital issues. She left him. And why wouldn’t she? He’s a drunk and a lazy bastard. Without her business and hard work, Hank would have been out on the street a long time ago.”

Defiantly, Anita braced her hands at her hips. “I’m not saying he’s not. But I saw what I saw. She was taken.”

“Just because you saw her get into a van with a stranger, doesn’t mean she was abducted. It was probably the man she left Hank for. End of story.”

Anita filled her chest with air, ready to defend what she’d seen five weeks earlier when she’d left a local bar. But she didn’t get a chance.

“Not another word on that subject!”

“You can’t stop me from looking into these disappearances. It’s connected to Mom. I know it. She didn’t leave me. She was abducted. She would have never—”

He blanched. “Your mother left us! And she didn’t even have the guts to say good-bye.” His voice became louder with every word. “Don’t dig up the past. It’s been twenty-one years—”

“Dad, please,” she begged. “She didn’t leave us. She loved us.” Anita felt tears sting in her eyes.

José Diaz shook his head. “Stop making excuses for her. If I’d known that you would use sheriff’s department resources to chase a ghost, I would have never supported you to become a deputy.” He glared at her. “I can’t change that now, but I’m not going to show any more leniency. You’ll take two weeks of vacation, starting right now. And when you’re back on duty, you’ll follow orders. No more chasing wild theories.”

“You can’t do that! You can’t force me to take a vacation.”

“Would you rather be suspended without pay?”

Anita’s heart stopped. The threat was clear. “You wouldn’t—”

“Try me, and I’ll have your badge and gun,” he challenged, his voice a low grumble now.

Anita didn’t doubt that he meant it. After all, she was his daughter, and she’d inherited his doggedness, even though physically, she resembled her fair-skinned, blonde mother. José Diaz wouldn’t be swayed, not in the mood he was in right now. There was no talking sense into him. He’d made up his mind that Janet Fillmore had left her husband, just like Helen Diaz had left him. But somehow, Anita had to find proof to make him see the truth.

She thrust her chin up. “Fine. I’ll take a vacation.” Without waiting for his response, she turned on her heel and ripped the door open.