Page 59 of Shadow Justice

A text came from Roni. Don’t forget our date tonight.

Holly groaned. With everything going on, she had forgotten. Quickly, she texted back, Caught a bug. Can’t go out tonight.

Roni was slow responding. A bug called Reid???

At least if Roni thought she and Reid were together, Roni might not show up on her doorstep with soup and crackers.

Yes, Holly typed back. Don’t get your hopes up. We’re only talking.

Six smiley faces came back.

Holly rolled her eyes.

“What?” Reid asked.

“Your sister.” She laid the phone down. “She and I were supposed to go for dinner tonight, but crisis averted.”

Reid picked up his phone and dialed.

“Who are you calling?” Holly asked. “Not Roni, right? She’ll ask a dozen questions.”

“Not her,” he said. “Garrett.”

The name tightened something in her stomach before the call even connected.

Garrett answered, and Reid didn’t bother with a preamble. “The victims and Nell were jurors on one of my grandfather’s old cases. The judge, prosecutor, victim’s family, and jury are all potential symbolic targets now. I need someone on Linc.”

Holly’s breath caught. Of course he could be a potential target, sitting alone in his house right now.

“He won’t like it,” Reid went on, “and I’d do it myself, but I have to stay with Holly.”

Garrett’s answer was calm and immediate. “I’ll send CB.”

“Plain clothes if possible. Granddad will throw a fit if he thinks I’ve assigned him a guard.”

“Grizzly can handle him.”

“Tell CB Linc knows enough to be suspicious,” Reid said. “He doesn’t know details but my grandfather was a judge for forty years. He’s good at getting to the facts.”

“Grizzly can handle one suspicious old man with cross-examination skills.” Garrett’s voice sobered. “You need anything else?”

“No.”

Garrett didn’t push. “Keep me posted.”

Reid ended the call and set the phone down with more care than necessary. The muscles in his forearm were tight, his shoulders square, his attention already reaching in too many directions at once. Holly could see it now in a way she might not have two days ago. Reid worried by making plans. He loved by building perimeters. He cared by thinking six steps ahead and preparing for the seventh.

“If you really think Linc could be in danger,” she said, “you should be with him, not me. I can take care of myself.”

“I’d be an idiot to assume he isn’t, but I’m not leaving you.”

“He won’t like having someone watching him.”

“He’ll try to make CB miserable, but the big guy has earned his Grizzly call sign. Granddad’s going to meet his match.”

She nodded, but the worry didn’t ease. Age had taken some of Linc’s strength, but if danger came to his door, he might try to handle it.

“I’m glad you called Garrett.”