“Eight-seventeen.”
“From where?”
He hesitated.
“Sheriff's office.”
Colter closed his eyes.
“Inside.”
Mara nodded.
“Yes.”
The building suddenly felt silent.
Not quiet.
Watched.
Mara looked at the ceiling camera.
“Turn off every camera.”
Colter stared.
“Why?”
“Because if we're compromised, I don't want the person watching us to know what we've found.”
Colter nodded.
“Do it.”
Evan began shutting down the camera feeds.
One by one, the monitors went black.
The last one remained.
It showed the booking room.
Mara looked at it.
A figure walked past the doorway.
She froze.
“Wait.”
Evan stopped.
“What?”
“Go back.”
He rewound the feed.
The figure passed again.
Gray jacket.
Black gloves.
Mara's eyes narrowed.
“That's him.”
Benton stepped closer.
“The man from the garage?”
“No.”
Mara pointed.
“Look at his walk.”
Evan frowned.
“What about it?”
“Left shoulder drops slightly.”
Colter stared.
“Who walks like that?”
Mara looked at him.
“You tell me.”
Colter thought.
Then his face changed.
“Deputy Nolan.”
Evan looked confused.
“Sergeant Nolan?”
Colter nodded.
“He injured his shoulder years ago.”
“Where is he?”
Nobody knew.
They called his phone.
No answer.
They checked his cruiser.
Gone.
Mara looked at the clock.
9:46 p.m.
“Find him.”
Colter picked up his radio.
“Every unit, locate Sergeant Nolan. Do not approach alone. Repeat, do not approach alone.”
The response came quickly.
Then another.
“Unit seven reports Nolan's cruiser heading west.”
Colter looked at Mara.
“Where's west?”
“County road.”
“Which one?”
A pause.
“Eighteen.”
Mara's expression hardened.
The same road where she had been stopped.
“Go.”
They moved fast.
Two patrol cars left the station.
A third followed.
Mara rode with Colter.
Evan drove.
Nobody spoke for several minutes.
Then Colter said quietly, “Why didn't you stop me?”
Mara looked at him.
“When?”
“In the booking room.”
“You mean before you shoved me?”
“Yes.”
“Because I wanted to see what you would do.”
Colter looked down.
“I thought you were some arrogant federal bureaucrat.”
“I know.”
“I was angry.”
“I know.”
“I shouldn't have touched you.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
“I am sorry.”
Mara held his gaze.
“I believe you.”
That surprised him.
“But that doesn't erase it.”