Vickie had once been clean over a year, and he’d thought they were out of the woods until they were not. “Two years of sobriety is an accomplishment.”

“I worry about her all the time.”

“She seems pretty tough to me.”

“You know how the drip of stress can take a toll. We see it on the job all the time.”

“Does Avery have plans for the future?”

“She said she wants to be a cop.”

“With her record that’s not likely to happen. But there’s plenty of good she can do without wearing a badge.”

The front door opened and closed. “Jordan, I’m home.”

Jordan stood a little taller. “In here with Ranger Spencer.”

Avery came around the corner, her hands filled with paper grocery bags. “Look at you two, sharing a cup of java like you are best friends.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Jordan said easily.

Her teasing was welcome. He wanted them on the same side. “Coffee cures a lot of ills.”

“Good thing I brought more home from the café,” Avery said.

“Please tell me it’s not decaf,” Jordan said.

“No, still feeding you the real stuff. But you’re going to need to get off of it,” Avery said. “It’s a stimulant.”

Jordan sipped from her cup. “One day, I’ll give it up.”

“Right.” Avery set her bags on the island and began to unload.

He noted an assortment of vegetables and vegan meat substitutes. Only possible in Austin. He wondered if Avery considered meat on Jordan’s no-consume list. “We were just talking about you.”

Jordan set her cup down carefully.

“Why?” Avery asked. “Is there a problem?”

“The murder cases we’ve been working,” Jordan said. “You bear a striking resemblance to the murdered women.”

“I know,” Avery said.

“They also had drug problems,” Jordan said. “All went into rehab, and all had a relapse shortly before they died.”

“I have not relapsed in over two years,” Avery said.

Avery’s tone was firm, but her word choices held no fillers, extra facts, or long-winded explanations that hinted at deception. “I didn’t say you had.”

“But you wondered,” Avery said. “You know what? I’ll take a drug test right now.”

“It’s not necessary,” Jordan said.

“Yes it is,” Avery said. “The test strips are still in the bathroom. I’ll pee on one right now.”

“I can’t see the strip,” Jordan said.

“Spencer can,” Avery countered. “Be right back, kids.”

Footsteps moved at a clipped, irritated pace that reminded Spencer of Jordan. “She’s convincing.”

“She takes a lot of pride in her sobriety. I’m sorry the question came up.”

“To ignore it would be worse. You said yourself you’ve worried about her, so now you’ll know. Might help you sleep better at night.”

“How do you know I don’t sleep?” she asked.

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Because few cops do.”