They’d each managed a couple of slices when Gavin came back downstairs. “Governor’s read in. He’ll stay out of it, of course, unless he can’t. It’s the city’s mess to clean up.”

Adam blinked. Even knowing who this man was, and his reputation, he was still a little jarred by the fact that he could simply put in a call to the governor and get put through immediately. He sat down across from them, grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite as Quinn paced.

“What about the mayor?” Adam asked.

Quinn shook his head. “Too close. Can’t be sure he didn’t know.”

He heard Mandy make a small sound. When he looked at her she just shook her head. “He came to Dad’s funeral. I started to say he seemed sincere, but...”

“It’s part of his job to seem sincere,” Adam said sourly.

“Exactly.”

“I’ll need you both on a conference call as soon as Liam or Ty finds what we need.”

He blinked. “Me?”

“To the chief.”

Adam’s eyes widened; Quinn didn’t have to explain what chief. “Why? Me, I mean?”

Quinn held his gaze evenly. “I think you still underestimate your standing with the department.”

“Hear, hear,” Mandy said.

He looked at her, saw the warmth and support in her eyes. And dared to believe that she felt what he was feeling. Had felt—and suppressed—for years.

“I would imagine the chief is not going to be happy to find out the death of one of his top officers was murder with full intent,” Quinn said flatly.

“And paid for by someone on the council of the city he serves? No, I don’t think he’ll take that well.”

“Have I mentioned I’m starting to hate that place?” Mandy said, her voice a combination of anger and loathing that Adam thought would blister if it was aimed at you. Hell, he knew it would blister, because it had been aimed at him and he’d felt the fierceness of it all the way to the bone.

But no more. She didn’t hate him anymore. That alone was worth everything they’d gone through since that harsh anniversary. To him anyway. He wasn’t sure she’d rate it the same.

They sat in silence while the searching went on above them. Quinn finally sat down. “We’ll find it,” he said. He nodded upward. “Best way to guarantee it is to pit Liam and Ty against each other. They go the extra mile anyway, but head-to-head in an online search? It’s...” He shook his head as if he had no words for it.

“Productive,” Gavin said.

“It is that,” Quinn agreed with a half smile, all that seemed warranted under the solemn circumstances.