“Forty-five minutes.”
“We’ll be there,” he told the detective. “Thanks.”
The call disconnected, so he relayed the news to the team.
“Charlie, why don’t you take this one,” Brantley suggested.
Reese watched the exchange, curious as to why Brantley was passing it off.
“If Mrs. Wright was abused, she’ll probably feel safer speaking to a woman.”
“I can do that,” she said with a nod.
Considering how well their interviews had gone thus far, Reese didn’t figure it would give them much to go on. However, she was a key component in this, so setting eyes on Nancy Wright might be enough.
*
The conversation shifted from the case to casual chitchat while they attempted to enjoy their lunch.
Brantley didn’t contribute all that much. He wished he could say it was because he was so hung up on the case. Unfortunately, that wasn’t it. No, his distraction was with Reese and the fact the man seemed to be focused on his cell phone more than usual.
And fine, maybe that was some paranoia shit since they were actively working a case, and most likely Reese was messaging with JJ or Luca. Still, Brantley’s brain was conjuring up other ideas. Like Reese was texting Madison Adorite since the man hadn’t bothered to cop to the fact he’d done so in recent months. At least once, Brantley knew.
He hadn’t intentionally gone snooping in Reese’s phone to find that out. In his defense, it had been an accident. When the message had come through, Reese’s phone had been sitting on the breakfast bar, and Brantley’d been sitting there. He’d only seen the alert portion of the message, so he didn’t actually know what they’d discussed, but he figured that was inconsequential. The fact of the matter was, Reese was texting with his ex.
Now as they sat there and Reese continued to look at his phone, Brantley knew he should’ve let it go but found he couldn’t, so he inquired as to whether it was JJ with more details. Reese’s answer was a curt head shake, but he didn’t elaborate, didn’t tell him who it was.
Despite the evidence, Brantley knew it was stupid to worry about something going on between Reese and that woman. He knew deep down that Reese wasn’t doing something he shouldn’t. Hell, when did the man have time? They were always together.
Brantley’s phone rang, dragging him from his thoughts.
“Hey, boss, we found Hawkins’s car,” Baz said when Brantley answered.
Brantley glanced at the faces around the table, made a quick decision based on the information he had and perhaps a bit of that lingering paranoia. After instructing Baz to send him the details and meet him there, he disconnected the call.
“Charlie, I still want you to talk to Mrs. Wright. Take Trey with you,” he commanded, not surprised by the looks he received since he was mixing up the teams. “If you’re right and there’s a possibility she was abused by her husband and hid it for so long, I don’t think I’m the person she needs to be interviewed by.”
“Good call.” Trey held up his truck keys. “Who’s takin’ my ride?”
“Reese will,” he decided. “Reese, you and Evan can head back to HQ, see what JJ needs. Slade, you and I will go meet Baz. They found Hawkins’s car.”
Brantley saw the curious look Reese gave him. As of now, they’d remained a team throughout all the cases they’d worked. And though he preferred it that way, he also knew it wouldn’t always be the way things were. Especially not when they were getting the new members of the team ramped up. This would allow them both to see the others in action, which would help him decide how to proceed.
It certainly wasn’t because Brantley was pissed about Reese’s secrecy.
Or so he told himself.
“After,” he told the team, “we’ll meet back at HQ.”
While the team began to disperse, Brantley motioned for Slade to give him a minute and asked Reese to stay behind. When they were alone, he signaled the waitress for the bill.
While he waited for her to return with his credit card, Brantley turned to Reese.
“You cool?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
And that right there, the bitterness in his tone, told Brantley that Reese wasn’t as cool as he wanted him to believe.
“I just want to see Slade in action,” Brantley said in defense of his decision.
Reese looked him in the eye, held his gaze. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
The waitress returned, passed over his card and the receipt. Brantley was scribbling his name when Reese got up and headed for the door, Tesha in tow. He gritted his teeth at the fact Reese would just walk out without so much as a goodbye.
He managed to catch up just outside. “Hey.”
Reese stopped, turned. “What?”
Brantley, not caring who might see them, stepped right up to Reese. “Yes, I do have to explain myself.”
To his shock, Reese didn’t step back, didn’t shift away. He remained right where he was, nearly toe to toe with him.
“It’s important the new team members see us all in action.”
Reese nodded, but Brantley could tell he wasn’t in agreement.
Knowing his explanation wasn’t going to penetrate Reese’s thick skull, he told Reese he’d meet them back at HQ. He’d made the decision and he was not going to change it now. Not for himself and not for Reese.
Brantley forced a smile, tried to lighten the mood. “And when I get there, I’m gonna be in the mood for a break.”
“We’ll see,” Reese retorted, his tone flat.
“Reese.” Christ Almighty, did he really need to explain this now?
Before he even had the chance, Reese stepped back, calling for Tesha to follow. “We’ll see you at HQ later.”
Brantley watched as Reese headed to Trey’s truck, got himself and the dog inside. Not once did Reese look back at him, and Brantley felt that same insecurity he’d felt before shift through him.
He had to remind himself that this was his call, not Reese’s. He was the one who’d decided to split the teams, so he had no right to worry about Reese’s reaction. And as he walked to his own truck, he did his best not to think about the information he’d dug up on the woman Reese had, at one time, wanted to marry.
Brantley clicked the button to unlock the truck, schooled his expression, and got behind the wheel. Slade slid into the passenger seat, silent for a moment.
He had a sort of tunnel vision as he started the truck, put it in gear, headed for the exit out of the parking lot.
“Where’s the car?”
Brantley glanced over at Slade. “What?”
“Hawkins’s car?”
Right. Car.
Pushing his personal life out of his thoughts, Brantley steered the truck onto the main road heading to the toll road that would take them to Austin.
“They found it at a convenience store just a few blocks from his office.”
“He what? Just left it there? Took a walk?”
“At this point, we have no idea, but it’s worth a look.”
Brantley was grateful when Slade left it at that, the two of them riding in silence for the thirty-minute trip. Every single minute of that Brantley spent thinking about Reese, about the things he didn’t know about that man.