Free Cold Case Recruit by Jennifer Morey Page A

followed me. Who knows?”
    She seemed ready to let her ordeal go. Troubled that her attacker still ran free, but ready to move on with her life. It had been a year. In all that time she hadn’t been attacked again. If someone local had gone after her, maybe they’d noticed Carter still worked the case and backed off. If the man wasn’t local, he’d have been long gone since the time of the attack.
    “Did Carter talk to you about anything else? Any other leads? Issues? Suspects?” Brycen asked.
    “No. He didn’t have time. We were interrupted when a man came to the table and needed to talk to him. It seemed urgent. Duty called.” She breathed another laugh, this one less sad. “He had to leave.”
    “Was your friend’s brother involved in any suspicious activities?”
    “No. Her brother was pretty straight. That’s one of the things that bored me about him. He didn’t even drink. And I mean, not even one. I don’t like to go out and get hammered, but I enjoy an occasional glass of wine. My friend wasn’t a drinker, either. Her whole family was that way. Maybe that’s why it’s so hard for her to forgive me. She lives so simply. When I ended things so abruptly, and I admit, with not much finesse—I just told him not to call me anymore—I think that shocked her as much as it hurt him.” She sighed. “Anyway, nothing I can do about it now.” She looked from him to Drury and back again. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
    “I don’t think so. Thanks, Cora.” Brycen hadn’t expected this to lead to anything.
    “I hope you catch him.” She left their table and went back to work. As she did so, he thought he would have to do just that. A criminal had gotten away with attempted rape. He couldn’t allow that. Ever since leaving Alaska, he’d received immense satisfaction catching criminals. He had control over solving the cases. He’d had no control over what had driven him to leave.
    As he drifted off into that depressing thought, he spotted a woman watching him. And she wasn’t a fan.
    “Let’s go.” He stood up.
    “Hey, no,” Drury protested. “I’m hungry. What’s the matter?” She twisted around.
    Seeing Avery Jefferson get up and walk toward him, Brycen headed for the door.
    *
    What the hell? Drury got up from the table, her stomach growling, and went after Brycen. She stopped when she saw a woman in a figure-hugging, knee-length blue dress with blond hair up in a prim bun intercept him in the entry. She was tall and slender, with frail shoulders and arms, her oval face and dark eyes bearing the stamp of indignation.
    “What are you doing back here?” the woman asked.
    Drury stopped before the entry, uncomfortable with spying, but also needing to know more about Brycen’s past.
    “I’m not breaking any laws by being here, Avery.” Brycen pushed the lapels of his jacket aside as he put his hands on his hips, tall and imposing, but Drury didn’t think the woman recognized the pained tightness of his jaw or the flaring wariness in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not back permanently.”
    The woman took in his posture, misreading it, Drury was sure. Disdain radiated from her. “If Dad finds out you’re here, he’ll have a coronary.”
    “Don’t tell him, then.” He turned and resumed his trek toward the door. “I should have known nothing would have changed by now.”
    The woman trotted in her heels. “I can’t believe you had the gall to show your face here again.”
    “Good to see you, too.” Brycen opened the door.
    The woman planted her hand on his chest, stopping him from leaving. “Why are you here?”
    Drury stepped forward. Brycen didn’t see her, letting the door close again.
    “You have no idea what our family has been through,” the woman ranted. “You ruined our lives! Why don’t you just leave and never come back? We thought you’d gone for good, but then a few years ago Harry at the real estate office told Dad you still had that cabin.