Page 30 of Echoes of Sin
“No, I don’t believe in regrets,” Brook murmured before imparting one more piece of advice, not that she was an expert in family affairs. “I do believe in closure, though. Whatever you decide to do, Sylvie, make sure you find closure.”
Brook motioned to Otto that she would be in her room. Bit was now talking about some computer role-playing game that he’d created and how he’d gotten a few online friends of his to join. He was explaining prompts and such things as she walked over to where Otto had set down the box that had been delivered to her this morning. She used a pen that she’d tossed onto the bed and reamed it down the middle before pulling the two edges apart.
“Let me get this straight, Sloane.” Otto had finally rejoined her, but she quickly closed the two sides of the box. Graham had sent something else besides clothes, and she’d wait to open the gift in private. “Your firm is a consultant to the FBI on a possible string of murders, and you allow one of your employees to play online games?”
“First off, I don’t view Bit, Sylvie, or Theo as my employees,” Brook corrected the sheriff as she tossed the pen on the bed. “I view them as my colleagues. They add the same value as I do to the cases that we take on, and they deserve the same respect. Second, we all take moments to ourselves to clear our thoughts. Sylvie drinks as much tea throughout the day as I do coffee, and she spends a lot of time in the kitchen brewing different blends. Theo works out at the office whenever he can, and Arden likes to look up recipes when he’s sitting at his desk. We all have our different ways when mulling over information on cases. Bit? He can multitask better than any of us. The roles we’ve chosen to take on as our careers aren’t the type with timecards. Neither is yours, for that matter.”
“Maybe I am a hard ass,” Otto muttered more to himself than her before his radio came to life once more. This time, for a potential missing person. He met her stare with interest. As far as they were aware, the unsub took his time between abducting and killing his victims. Years, in fact. His dispatcher gave the details on a private channel. “I’m across the street. Heading there now.”
“Did I hear that name right?” Brook asked for clarification. Otto was already shaking his head, but she wouldn’t be sitting on the sidelines for this one. She fastened the button of her blazer before sidestepping him to alert the team. “Ned Proehl never showed up for work yesterday or today. Until proven otherwise, we treat his disappearance as potentially being connected to Luna Breen’s murder.”
Chapter Twelve
Bobby “Bit” Nowacki
October 2023
Saturday — 7:14pm
Eventhoughitwasstill relatively early in the evening, the bar buzzed with energy and anticipation of a fun night ahead. The only thing louder than the country music spilling from the jukebox was the laughter of the patrons and the clicking of glasses. Warm hues from the dim lighting flickered shadows on the wood paneling, but what really stood out above all else was the aroma of delicious pub food. Nothing was better than a greasy cheeseburger with bacon and a side of steak fries.
“You’re a walking heart attack, Bit.”
“Nah,” Bit replied to Sylvie as they strolled up to the bar. “My genetics won’t allow it. My family tends to go from…”
Bit winced before allowing his words to trail off. He hadn’t meant to remind Sylvie that her father could be dying, and he’d gone the extra mile to reassure her that such a supposition could be wrong. Brook hadn’t technically said anything of the sort.
“Bit, you and I both know that Brook wouldn’t have urged me to fly back to D.C. and all but abandon this investigation otherwise.” Sylvie took a seat on the last empty stool, although neither one of them intended on staying and eating at the bar. He couldn’t leave the programs that he currently had running, and Sylvie wanted to comb through more files before turning in for the night. She had an early flight to catch. “I’m okay with it.”
Bit highly doubted that Sylvie was okay with her father dying in prison.
Considering that the bar was packed with locals and hikers from out of town, Bit barely managed to squeeze in next to Sylvie. At least she had claimed the last stool on the end near the corner. This way, his right shoulder was against the wall.
“Big T just walked in with Erika.” Bit monitored their progress, and someone at one of the tables had reached out to grab the park ranger. She stopped and chatted a bit, leaving Theo to continue toward the stairs. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so tired. You’d think hiking an hour or two would be a breeze. See? This is why I would never give up my greasy way of life.”
Bit was glad that he could still garner a laugh from her, which just so happened to cause several heads to turn. Her blonde hair was still contained in a bun, but a few of the strands had come loose to frame her face. He wouldn’t deny falling in love with her upon first sight, but he was reconsidering the strong attachment he felt toward her.
It was obvious that Sylvie didn’t think of him in that manner, and he couldn’t really blame her. He certainly wasn’t book cover material. It was the reason that he went the extra mile to make her laugh. Still, he couldn’t deny that she had a point about their friendship.
Sylvie Deering was his best friend.
And once she’d gotten him to see that, he wasn’t so sure he wanted their status to change. Hence his hesitation on accepting Zoey’s coffee invitation. He’d also never met the woman. She was merely an online friend who had wanted to participate in his new role-playing game that he’d created a couple of months ago. Her humor matched his, though. And he couldn’t deny having a strong desire to meet her in person.
“Trust me, Bit. Lifting weights and jogging is nothing like hiking in these mountains. Different muscle groups. Honestly, it’s also a different mindset. I didn’t want to say anything this morning, but it took me ten minutes to lean down and tie my shoes.”
“Think a cheeseburger will make Big T feel better? He enjoys one from time to time, you know.”
“I think that Theo won’t even be awake by the time we make it up those stairs. Besides, we got him a bowl of chili,” Sylvie said before bumping shoulders with him. Bit realized why when she lowered her voice. The twang of the singer blaring from the jukebox made it hard to hear what she had to say, but he put it together when her blue gaze traveled across the bar. “Does that man look familiar to you?”
Bit took a moment to distinguish which male subject that Sylvie had been referring to, because there were quite a few men sitting on stools or standing nearby attempting to get Wyn’s attention. The bartender had turned his back on them all as he’d entered the kitchen, hopefully for their dinner. Bit was famished, and he’d been monitoring Ned Proehl’s credit card all day long, hoping that the man was foolish enough to use it.
Unfortunately, the longer that Proehl went without being spotted by anyone, there was a good chance that he might have taken off into the mountains. Was Proehl their unsub? He was in the age range, and he had been arrested before for domestic assault.
The only thing that Bit could tell Sylvie was that the man staring at the muted television above the bar wasn’t Ned Proehl. Granted, the stranger did look familiar, but Bit couldn’t place him. Sylvie was the one with a steel trap that was as close to an eidetic memory as possible.
“Sorry,” Bit replied with a shrug. “I see what you’re saying, but I don’t think he is part of our case. Hey, could he be the clerk at the gas station? Didn’t that guy have a mole on his face, too?”
“No, that was a birthmark.”