Rosewater exchanged a glance with Jake. “That’s correct.”
“I gave my statement to the paramedics on the scene,” Ty said. “Jake was there. He can tell you.”
“I did,” Jake muttered.
Rosewater’s expression remained neutral. “Regardless, we’re here to follow up with inquiries into a potentially suspicious death. This is just routine.”
“Sergeant.” Ty leveled her with his most jaded and over-it stare. “I have been a licensed paramedic for four years. Don’t insult me. Mrs. Sanford’s death was in no way suspicious, and if this is routine, the Suffolk police force are either spectacularly incompetent or ridiculously overfunded. As I’ve said, I gave my statement on the scene. If you’re looking for anything more than that, it’ll have to wait until I call my lawyer.”
Rosewater might as well have been made of stone for all the reaction that got him. Jake tried to give Ty a commiserating look over her shoulder.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on—not with Alan Chiu on the town council, and not with the way things ran in Suffolk. Ty didn’t realize people still got run out of town. Part of him wanted to find it funny. Hell, part of himdid. This was Connecticut in the twenty-first century, not the old west.
“Mrs. Sanford’s body has been sent to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy.”
Was he supposed to be scared? “Where they’ll confirm she died of natural causes, specifically a heart attack,” Ty said levelly. “Sergeant, I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but I can guess who has a bug up their ass that I haven’t skedaddled like a kicked dog. If Alan Chiu wants to round up a posse, let him. It’s not going to change the truth.”
It was only going to make Ty’s last couple weeks in Suffolk miserable. But hey, once he left, Chiu could declare victory over the godless heathen and go back to his self-important life.
That finally got a reaction out of Rosewater—the hint of a twitch around her mouth. Ty had worked in emergency services long enough to recognize the signs of local politics at play.
Jake cleared his throat. “You weren’t on duty as a paramedic,” he said, gaze fixed carefully above Ty’s right shoulder. “So no investigation into your professional conduct can be made.”
Ty knew that.
“However, the paramedics called to the scene will also be questioned as to why the response to the call took so long.”
“Were they supposed to break the laws of physics?”Someonewas playing some kind of stupid game here.
“There will be a town hall meeting on the topic next weekend,” Rosewater continued. She was looking over Ty’s shoulder too. Were they trying to weird him out or something? Or—
From behind him came a fluttering sound. Jake and Sergeant Rosewater ducked. Ty didn’t understand why until a sudden breeze wafted through his hair as a shadow passed overhead.
Something struck the deck between him and Sergeant Rosewater, and Rosewater stumbled back a step.
Ty only avoided the blood spatter out of sheer luck.
He stared at the headless rabbit. He’d done some poking around online after Ollie mentioned the habits of the birds in his childhood.This particular bird was a hawk, he thought, and not an owl. Apparently some birds of prey preferred brain matter and would discard the rest of the animal.
He raised his gaze to meet Rosewater’s. “I think that bird wants you to get off my lawn.”
Jake was biting down on a smile, but Rosewater only sighed and handed him a folded piece of paper. “Details of the inquiry,” she told him. “Your presence is requested.”
You are cordially invited to jump into the frying pan, Ty thought grimly. “I’ll call my attorney.” He turned away to go back into the house. “I trust you can find your own way off my property.”
He was pretty sure he heard Jake’s muffled laughter as he reached for the door.
What a day. First Theo’s medical emergency, then Ollie giving Ty a heart attack with that kiss, and finally the fuck-you-ever-after of cops on his doorstep. Ty wanted a beer and a mind-wipe.
No. Ty wanted another kiss.Several dozenmore kisses, to start with, and progressively less clothing with each one. Although a quiet Friday night in, watching network TV squashed on his couch with Ollie and Theo would make a pretty good consolation prize. Too bad Theo wasn’t talking to him. And Ollie had to put him first, of course. Ty had a shitty day, but he was a grown man. Theo had a major medical and emotional trauma and was only eight. Not to mention Ollie probably needed to be with his kid right now.
But maybe after Theo fell asleep they could have that conversation. Ty still didn’t have any idea where it mightgo, but sometimes he didn’t know what he wanted until he said the words out loud.
He toed his shoes off by the door and slunk through the house to the kitchen, where he poured himself a glass of smoothie from the fridge. He’d eaten too much questionable junk from hospital vending machines today, and he felt gross. He didn’t hear Theo and Ollie, so they were probably having a quiet father-son talk with the door closed somewhere. Maybe Ollie could figure out how to get Theo to forgive Ty, and then they could indulge in Ty’s pathetic watching-TV-as-a-family fantasy.
He finished his drink, put the glass in the dishwasher, and then tiptoed toward the bedrooms.
Ollie’s bedroom door was open, the lights out, bed made with military precision. Ty crept toward Theo’s room, straining his ears for the sound of voices.
