Caitlin didn’t wait for a response. This was the tenth round, time for the knockout. “Here’s something more significant. Did you know that both Detective Shepherd and the last two men to see Angela Chapman alive, Kieran Michelson and David Amireau, were all members of the same college fraternity?”

Renton pursed her lips like someone with a rotten tooth who’d just smelled her own breath. “Forty years apart? Who would care?”

Caitlin crossed her arms. “I think Doris Chapman would care that members of the same fraternity recently arrested for running a massive drug operation had the opportunity to conspire with the initial investigator into her daughter’s disappearance.”

“There’s no proof of that.”

Like she’d done with so many before, Caitlin had Renton on the ropes. She took one more verbal swing.

“Just how long did the Bloomington Police Department allow members of Delta Omega Tau to manufacture and distribute narcotics under your command?”

Renton looked ready to burst. “Do you know how hard I’ve worked to get where I am, you self-serving bitch?”

“You kiss the FBI’s ass with that mouth, Abigail?”

“Stop it, Bergman.” Greenwood said. “Chief, we have what we need.”

Renton pointed Caitlin’s way. “Write that shit in a public forum, and you’ll spend the rest of your nights in Bloomington in the drunk tank.”

Caitlin’s heart raced, all adrenaline, but she wasn’t going to back down. “You think you scare me? You’re not half the asshole Connor Hartman was.”

“I didn’t rape you, Bergman, but I’ll fuck you over if you get in my way.”

Caitlin heard the words, but didn’t see Renton anymore, only Connor Hartman’s beautiful, but uncaring, blue eyes. She felt her fingers make a fist, her arm fly forward. Lucky for all involved, Greenwood’s last-minute dive kept her from connecting with Renton’s jaw. He took Caitlin’s punch in his ribs.

“That’s it, Bergman,” Renton yelled. “Assaulting an officer. You’re going in.”

Greenwood kept them apart. “Chief, the last thing you want is this reporter in your jail. Let’s go.”

Renton ground her teeth, opened the passenger side of the unmarked sedan. “This is my town, Bergman. My town.”

Greenwood shut the chief’s door, walked around to the driver’s side. “Calm down, Caitlin—take a bath. This will all work itself out.”

“Take a bath? Are you shitting me, Jerry?”

“No,” he said, then got in the car and drove away. The SUV followed.

“Caitie, are you okay?”

Caitlin had forgotten Mary was standing there. She took a short breath. “I’m fine.”

Mary put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t look fine.”

Caitlin turned fast, knocked the hand away, stuck her palm out, and pushed. Mary stumbled backward. Hitting the rock wall kept her from falling on her ass.

“Illegal search and seizure mean anything to you, Mary? You let them in my house.”