“I think so. We’ll have to ask him what he thinks. I’ll see you outside in a few moments.” Laurel moved past him and walked into the computer room without another word.

Huck watched her go. It was impossible to dig into her head and see what she was really thinking. Being back at work was stressful enough; he didn’t need to be arguing with his partner on this case.

But he didn’t know how to fix things with Laurel. He’d known that sleeping with her during the Snowblood Peak case would be a mistake.

But it had been a hell of a night.

* * *

The interview room of the local police station was only minimally heated, making Laurel glad she’d worn a sweater. Huck hadn’t been able to reach Abigail, so he’d left a message, and hopefully she’d return the call soon. For now, Laurel needed answers.

Officer Frank Zello was around thirty years old with a wide chest, handlebar mustache, and intense brown eyes. He sat straight at attention in the interview room, his gaze on whomever asked him a question. His uniform was pressed, his fingernails trimmed, and his hair a dark buzz cut. “I spoke with Dr. Rox on three occasions, and each time, she was visibly upset.”

Laurel read the reports, appreciating the very neat signature at the bottom of each signed page. Aeneas flopped on her feet and started snoring. “You were detailed in each form.”

“Thank you.”

Huck kept his focus squarely on the cop. “After three reports, why didn’t you offer her protection?”

“I did,” Officer Zello said. “But budget constraints made it impossible, according to the sheriff. So I had uniforms drive by Dr. Rox’s condominium as often as possible, and I went by several times day and night when I wasn’t on duty. Never saw a thing out of place.”

“Did you look inside her condominium?” Laurel asked.

The officer bit his lip.

“Officer?” Huck said.

Officer Zello sighed. “Yeah, I did. The sheriff said she was being hysterical or trying to get attention, and maybe that was true, but I did go through her place with her just in case. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.” He scratched his ear. “She was convincing, at least to me. I couldn’t get the sheriff on board to dump her phone and find out who was harassing her.” He shifted uneasily in his chair. “I was the one who finally advised her to maybe get out of town. Look how that turned out.”

Huck lifted his chin. “Even if you had been able to dump her phone, all of the calls came from an untraceable burner. And getting out of town was her only good option if the sheriff wouldn’t put someone on her door.”

The officer shook his head. “Even so, she came to us for help and now she’s dead.”