Free Buried (Detective Ellie MacIntosh) by Kate Watterson

about what he knew.
    Not a lot. Two officers dead. No real witnesses. No idea of motive either.
    No suspects.
    Maybe, like MacIntosh he should take some time for himself and call Lindsey back.
    *   *   *
    When his phone beeped, Jason was taking a shower, always a mixed bag. The feel of the warm water helped the soreness in muscles that were healing in ways that tightened them with scar tissue. He also had two broken ribs from when he’d gone down after the second bullet pierced his chest, so the relief was appreciated. But doing something simple, like washing his hair, caused some interesting twinges.
    So he gritted his teeth, rinsed out the shampoo, and reached for a towel.
    The scars weren’t pretty either, he thought as he dried off, staring in the mirror. In theory women supposedly found them sexy. In truth, they were rubbery patches of red skin that marred his chest, and though he’d been assured they would whiten and fade, at the moment he still looked like a victim in a horror film.
    Worth it, though, at the end of the day. They’d gotten the bastard, even if Jason had taken a few bullets in the process, and hey, he was still alive and the other guy was dead.
    Speaking of which … MacIntosh had texted him. Surprising, actually. She’d come to the hospital a couple of times, but otherwise his partner hadn’t called before last night when she had visited with Grasso. He wasn’t bitter about it because it wasn’t like they were longtime friends or anything, but it would have been nice to have her visit.
    This whole shooting had given him a somewhat adjusted view of his life.
    It wasn’t like he was a stranger to having bouts of loneliness, but he wasn’t a slave to it either. He slipped on some boxers and a pair of jeans and ran a comb through his wet hair. Bare-chested, he wandered into the living room and contemplated her message.
    You were riding along with Officer Crawford just for fun? Want to do something else with your free time?
    What did that mean? The answer was hell yes, he was bored to tears, but he really didn’t have any idea what she was asking.
    He texted back. Like?
    It won’t be exciting, but can you help me investigate old unsolved missing-person cases in Oneida County?
    What?
    He stared at the display on his phone. He could, but why would he? That wasn’t a lot better than watching reruns of Gilligan .
    Except he really couldn’t imagine Ellie asking anything of him and that alone made him read it a second time.
    Well … interesting . Not what she wanted him to do; that would be tedious probably, but that she asked him for a favor. Twice now in as many days.
    He hesitated, his phone in his hand, and then swiftly pushed a few keys. Fuck yes .
    There was no question he liked messing with her. It was no secret she did not appreciate his colorful approach to the English language.
    Very funny . Once I have a better idea of what we are looking for, I’ll let you know. Thanks .
    Last he knew, he thought, setting aside the phone on the counter and opening the refrigerator to peer in, she didn’t work for a county sheriff’s department any longer.
    Cross-jurisdiction? Seemed unlikely, and asking for his help even more so, especially since he was still on leave.
    He found he had two withered carrots and a quart of milk that had a date that made even his eyebrows elevate.
    That was okay, he had the pizza place on speed dial and things were looking up.

 
    Chapter 8
     
    The diner did not go quiet as she walked in.
    A good sign.
    In fact it looked just the same, with the dishes stacked on shelves above the wash sink and the waitresses bustling behind the counter as usual. She picked a table and sat down, placing her pocketbook on the scratched surface.
    “The usual?” Amy sauntered up and smiled, reaching over to turn her cup upright in the saucer.
    It was almost difficult to nod because she was shaking. It was one thing, she was discovering, to commit murder, and another to get away