Steve had arrived just after the Rogue’s Hollow officers Tess had called in were positioned at their places on the perimeter. Crime scenes and perimeters took time, and it was going on eleven thirty. Besides waiting for the search dog from Jackson County Search and Rescue, they were also waiting for Victor Camus, local hunting guide.

But Steve’s arrival was not without its own tension.

He’d pulled Tess aside when he got to the scene. “What do you mean Faith’s Place has been harboring a federal witness?”

“Steve, I’m sorry. Agent Bass wanted as few people in the loop as possible. I made a judgment call.”

“Tess, I don’t know that it was your call to make. Bronwyn and Nye could lose their county license over this.”

Tess hadn’t considered this. “Can we talk about this after the search?”

He nodded, clearly unhappy.

Now Tess left Livie in the kitchen and walked to where Steve was finishing up an interview with Takano. The agent’s pain level appeared more controlled since the medics had stabilized her shoulder to prepare her for transport.

Tess considered the totality of the situation and realized how much she missed Oliver, his counsel, his calming presence. She had let him know what was happening with a brief overview, but he opted to stay at the hospital.

“Rosita needs me here. Tami is really on the edge. Doctors are warming her up slowly, but it still could go either way.”

The twinge of irritation she felt was like the rub of a large, sharp pebble caught in her instep, and it kept jabbing her. He’d chosen to stay with someone else rather than come to her aid. Part of her knew she was being childish, even petty, but with everything swirling around, the knowledge of how much she’d come to depend on Oliver weighed on her.

“Do you really think you’re any good for him?”

It was his profession; she’d never be his priority. Caught by surprise at how much the reality of that truth hurt, she almost sucked in a breath. She looked up and saw Steve watching her.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Huh?” She realized she was frowning and chastised herself for letting this personal issue interfere with her game face. “What do you mean?”

“About this,” he said, waving a hand around the room. “If the situation were reversed, I’d probably have done the same thing, not told you about the witness. I’ll work on the sheriff, explain to him that I agree it was necessary.”

Tess sighed, relieved beyond belief that no one could read her thoughts. “Thanks.”

“But we still need to decide who’s handling what.”

Tess realized he was giving her first choice. “I agree. How about you handle the crime scene here at the house? I’ll oversee the search for the suspect. Would that work?”