Chapter 18

The phone rang again. Same number. Hez plopped into his office chair and picked up the receiver. "Hi, Don. What can I do for you?"

"We're working on it."

"Great, but when will I see the indictment?"

"I know what a prelim does," Hale snapped. "You've got the complaint. That tells you all you need to know."

"Look, Hez, read the complaint again. I've got confidential witnesses saying there's a smuggling operation and that there was supposed to be a delivery coming in by boat at 1:00 a.m. on the night of September third. Your guy showed up at 1:00 a.m. on the night of September third in a boat, and he was acting exactly like a cartel smuggler—no lights, he ran when the Coast Guard showed up, and he threw something overboard. Sounds like Sinaloa, don't you think? That's enough to show probable cause. Forcing us all to go through a prelim will just tick off me and the judge."

"You're gonna regret this," Hale growled. He hung up without waiting for Hez's response.

Hez stared at the phone, wondering if Hale was right.

***

She rubbed her aching neck and stared out the window toward the lights of the football field. Her first date with Hez had been to a football game, and he'd kissed her that night with the taste of butter and popcorn still on his lips. She touched her lips and smiled. For the first time a seed of hope unfurled and pushed its way to the surface. Was there any chance of a reconciliation?

"Knock knock," a male voice announced.

She turned and saw Erik Andersen standing in the doorway. "Professor Andersen, what can I do for you?"

"That's good. I mean, whatever Abernathy was involved with, it was clearly dangerous. I wouldn't want you getting in the way of danger too. Jess would never survive something happening to you."

Savannah tensed. Was he warning her off? "Luckily, she'll never have to face that."

She rose and began stuffing papers into her briefcase. "Well, I don't know anything about the videos. You could ask Hez directly."

Another veiled threat? She shuddered and locked the door once his footsteps faded down the hall.

***

Ed gave him a blank stare. "Excuse me?"

"Hernando. Who do you think he's working for? He was pretty tight-lipped about that when we interviewed him at the jail."

Ed shrugged muscular shoulders. "He was pretty tight-lipped about everything." He paused for a moment. "Maybe one of the big drug cartels?"

Ed stared at him in confusion.

Ed nodded. "I'll make five copies and pre-mark them with exhibit stickers."

"Yes, Dad." Ed grinned. "I'll make the copies and then head over to the library."

Two minutes later, Hez walked out the law school door and into the gathering night. The air wasn't quite cool, but it no longer held the day's heat as tightly as summer evenings did. The leaves hadn't started to change colors yet, but that would come soon. He smelled woodsmoke—probably from one of the firepits so popular at the fraternity and sorority houses. A few students strolled in the twilight. A faint babble of conversation and laughter came from a party somewhere. A few early stars twinkled in the deep blue sky overhead.

Maybe it was time to move on—and to let Savannah move on. She'd made it very clear that's what she wanted. She had shown no interest in getting back together despite seeing the "new Hez" at close range for over a month. And he vividly remembered the contented smile on her face when Beckett was massaging her. How many moments like that had the two of them shared when he wasn't around to interrupt?