Malone filled them in on what they knew so far, and what was currently being done. Ten minutes later, she ran out of questions—and, from what he could hear, steam.

“I appreciate your time, Captain,” Nick said. “Perhaps now my wife will actually go to sleep and stay asleep.”

“I live to serve.”

“We’ll be back in the city tomorrow. I assume you’ll hear from my lovely bride.”

“I shall eagerly anticipate her return.”

Nick snorted with laughter before the phone went dead.

Malone grunted out a laugh as he hung up the phone. Classic Holland. Sick as a freaking dog and still on the job. He’d no sooner had that thought than Cruz and Gonzales appeared in the doorway. “What’re you guys doing here?”

Chapter Twenty-Six

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“COULDN’T SLEEP,” CRUZ SAID. “I can’t stop thinking about Josh, so I went by the hospital to see how he’s doing. No change.”

“I couldn’t sleep either,” Gonzo said. “I figured there might be something I could do to help.”

“Right now, we’re waiting on Archie to tell us where we might find Dustin Jacoby, who’s apparently smack in the middle of this whole thing—whatever this whole thing might be.”

“So we’re actually about to go after the deputy director of the FBI in relation to the murder of the director?”

“And possibly the kidnapping of the child the director raised as his own.”

“At least there’s never a dull moment on this job,” Cruz said, his expression incredulous.

“Shoulda gone into banking or insurance or something predictable and boring,” Gonzo said as he took a seat and put his feet on Sam’s desk.

Cruz took the other seat and put his feet up too.

While the cat was away...

“You really think you could be happy doing something else?” Cruz asked Gonzo.

“I’ve started to think maybe I could,” Gonzo said, keeping his eyes down as he spoke.

“Are you making conversation or telling me something, Sergeant?” Malone asked.

“Right now? Making conversation.”

Cruz stared at Gonzo. It was no secret the two men were close friends outside of work. “Are you seriously thinking about leaving?”

“I’m seriously thinking about all my options, up to and including a career change.”

“What does Trulo say about that?” Malone asked.

“I got the speech about time being the great healer of all things, the same thing he always says, along with how important it is not to make any big or hasty decisions while I’m grieving.”

“It’s good advice,” Cruz said. “After I got shot, he told me it would be a while before I could hear a car backfire and not think it was happening again.”