“Was she able to tell you anything?”

“She hasn’t regained consciousness. Rosita promised to tell the deputy if Tami wakes up and is able to talk.”

He gave Tess one of his looks, a penetrating one that made her feel as if he could see right down into her soul. There was more there than worry—Tess also saw irritation.

“What’s the matter?”

He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Why do you always put yourself in jeopardy?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The fire, now this search . . . you always put yourself at the tip of the spear.”

Rocked back a bit, she said, “I’m doing my job.”

He gave her an impatient look. “You can delegate; you’re in charge.”

Tess stared at him, wondering if this was the same man she’d been falling in love with over the past couple of months.

“I don’t want to have this discussion right now.”

“Of course not.” He ran a hand over his face and seemed to try to change gears. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to distract you. You’re obviously upset. What’s got you so wound up?”

She took a deep breath, knowing that they would have to have a serious conversation soon if Oliver expected her to ever do her job from the sidelines.

“Besides Tami’s shooting? It’s this incident here. Two vicious shootings in Rogue’s Hollow in a twenty-four-hour period? I don’t believe in coincidences.”

“But what does Tami have to do with Faith’s Place?”

“It’s Beck—he’s desperate,” Livie Harp said.

Everyone turned their attention to Harp. Tess noted that she’d calmed down quite a bit from her level of agitation before, when Tess was readying to leave on the search. Now she wasn’t pacing and was looking at the paperwork with Steve.

“How can you be so certain?” Tess asked while, internally, she feared Harp was right. “I’d really like to hear a clarification on your relationship with Beck,” Tess said.

“No relationship. I just know the type.”

“But it’s so personal with you.”

Harp looked around the room and folded her arms, leaned back against the wall. “I said it before, I’ll say it again: He’s got money and he thinks he’s above the law. I’d bet my eyeteeth that whoever came here to get Chevy also shot the woman you’re concerned about.”

“I don’t believe in coincidences either,” Steve said, “but how would shooting Tami and tossing her off a bridge help Beck? I have to say I don’t think the incidents are related.”

“I believe there’s a connection—we just haven’t found it yet,” Tess said, brain burning with the realization that she was responsible for Tami as well. She stepped to where she could look at the paperwork Steve was studying.