The City PI and the Country Cop

by xxxxxxxxxxxx

  “Again, I’d say he’s not pushing you, as much as he may want to. He knows this is your decision and only yours.”

  “Another reason to love him.”

  Carolyn smiled, kissing his cheek. “As if you needed another one.”

  “True. Thank you. For listening. For talking to me. For…everything.”

  “You’re welcome. Now off with you. Go home and get some sleep. You have to talk to Chief Davis tomorrow and you need to have a working brain.”

  Hoyt snorted. “I’m not talking to him until I find out if I do have a new job. After all, without that I’m back to square one.”

  * * * *

  “You have a call on line one,” Teague’s secretary told him over the intercom late Monday afternoon.

  “Did they give you their name?” he asked. Sometimes potential clients were reluctant to reveal who they were until they were talking personally to him or one of his investigators.

  “Yes. It’s a Mr. Newman. He didn’t say why he was calling but Pam said he asked for you.”

  “Thanks.” Teague picked up the receiver on his desk phone, his pulse racing. “Hoyt?”

  There was a soft chuckle. “I take it you know more than one Mr. Newman.”

  “Actually, no. How are you? Okay, stupid question since you only left yesterday.”

  “I’m fine, but I have a question.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you still looking for someone to take the job that you and Jake were talking about?”

  “Yes. I’ve only just started going over the information from potential applicants.”

  “Anyone who looks interesting?”

  “There are a couple with the right qualifications,” Teague replied.

  “Would you…?” Hoyt hesitated. “May I submit my resume for consideration?”

  Teague swallowed hard. “Are you serious?”

  “As death. I’m going to need a job when I move out there and I think I’m reasonably qualified to be a private investigator. It’s that or try to join the police department, but I’m not sure I can pass the physical. Of course I could flip burgers or sell shoes but I don’t have the training for either of those jobs. Besides which…” Hoyt paused then chuckled. “I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

  “Just a bit,” Teague agreed, taking a deep breath. “You’re really thinking about moving here?”

  “If it’s all right with you. I sort of figured it would solve this problem we seem to be having. You know—the commuting one?”

  “Good Lord. Of course it’s okay with me.” Teague couldn’t keep the elation he was feeling from spilling out and he pumped his fist. What am I? A teenager? But damn, right now I feel fifteen, not forty-five.

  There was a long pause before Hoyt said, “I’ll send the resume. Not that it’s long. I’ve only had one job. But I’ve got a couple of references if that helps.”

  “How soon can you get out here? We need you like yesterday. And more to the point, I need you. Here. In person.”

  “I have to give the chief my official notice. And pack up my house. And find an apartment. And…You’re serious?”

  “Yes!” Teague drummed his fingers on the desk. “Okay. I’m coming out for Thanksgiving, which is a week from this Thursday. We can rent a truck while I’m there, for whatever you’re bringing back with you. Do you think the chief will be okay with you’re taking off that soon? Never mind. If you resign today that will pretty much give him your two weeks’ notice or whatever. And now I’m rattling.”

  Hoyt laughed. “It’s catching.”

  “It’s excitement. I can’t believe you’re willing to do this.”

  “Teague,” Hoyt said softly, “I love you. I know you can’t move. You’d have to give up your agency and it’s too important to you. Me? Yeah, I’m giving up my job but I’ll have one that’s just as good, or better.”

  “You’re also giving up your home and the town where you’ve lived your whole life. Are you sure you’re ready to do that?”

  Teague could imagine Hoyt’s smile when his lover replied, “As I told Carolyn, after all these years maybe it’s time I broadened my horizons. No wait, that’s what she told me.”

  “You talked to her about this?” Teague felt a brief flare of what he knew was unwarranted jealousy.

  “Yeah. She pulled it out of me when we went to dinner last night. And before you go all green-eyed on me, you know she’s just a friend. Strangely enough, given how short a time I’ve known her, probably one of the few friends I have here. I suppose,” Hoyt said, sounding pensive, “that’s another reason it won’t be as hard to leave as it could be. I have lots of acquaintances, but damned few real friends.”

  “You have one here.”

  “You? I know.”

  “No,” Teague replied. “I think, I hope, I’m more than just a friend now. I meant Keir. You’ll make more, too, once you start working here. We’re sort of family. At least those of us who have been with the agency for any length of time. Like you are with the chief and probably some of the guys you work with.”

  “Yeah, I’ll miss the chief but—” Hoyt laughed, “—I told him he’d be welcome to come visit once I find a place.”

  “So he’ll…Wait a minute. He already knows?”

  “Yeah. I spent an hour with him this morning talking about it. I owed him that much. I just haven’t officially resigned yet. I had to talk to you first. I mean if the whole idea of my moving out there was more than you anticipated. It means—”

  “I know exactly what it means,” Teague said firmly. “If you were afraid I might have second thoughts, forget it. I want you here. Never doubt that. Personally and professionally.”

  “Then I guess I’d better tender my resignation, get boxes, and start figuring out what I can live without, as far as my furniture and what have you goes.”

  “Yep. The sooner the better. But before you hang up, I’ve never quite said it but I do love you. Not halfway, but the full-blown thing.”

  “Love you, too. Maybe the quote is true, because it’s only been a little more than twenty-four hours since we’ve been together, but I miss you and then some.”

  “What quote?” Teague asked, trying to think of one.

  “One my mother used, though I’m sure it wasn’t hers originally. Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it.”

  “That it does,” Teague said fervently. “Okay, you go talk to the chief and I’ll let Jake know we have a new employee starting in two weeks.”

  * * * *

  Teague spent the following week and a half vacillating between excitement and fear. The anticipation of seeing Hoyt at Thanksgiving, and then Hoyt’s returning to the city with him was the reason Teague was psyched up. The fear that Hoyt might change his mind between his call and when Teague arrived in Faircrest was frightening.

  Finally it was the day before Thanksgiving. Teague had called Hoyt the previous evening to confirm when he’d be arriving at the county airport. They had talked for a while, Hoyt telling Teague he had finally managed to narrow things down to the point they’d only need a small truck for the move.

  “And I bought a turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, potatoes for mashing and…Damn, I forgot the pie.”

  “You’re going all out,” Teague said, smiling to himself.

  “Yeah, well it is Thanksgiving and I’ve got a lot to be thankful for, starting with you. So I figured why not celebrate the way we’re supposed to.”

  “I like that idea. If I was there I’d give you a hug and kiss to show how much.”

  “Hold that thought and do it when you arrive tomorrow,” Hoyt replied, chuckling.

  “Oh I will, I will.”

  Now, with his bags packed and at his feet, Teague was waiting for Keir, who had volunteered to drive him to the airport, even though it was what Keir had termed “Too damned early for any sane man to be up and moving.” When Teague had pointed out his flight was due to leave at nine-thirty, Keir had replied, “See, what did I tell you?
Way too early.”

  Teague smiled, remembering the conversation, as Keir pulled up in front of the building and jumped out of the car, dashing to the lobby door. Keir obviously intended to help by carrying one of Teague’s two pieces of luggage. Not wanting to disappoint him, Teague handed the younger man his laptop case, although he did say, “I’m really capable of lugging these to the car on my own.”

  They were halfway to the car—Keir talking animatedly about Hoyt’s moving to town as they did—when two shots rang out. One grazed Teague’s arm. The other one…

  * * * *

  Chapter 19

  Hoyt glanced at the caller ID, wondering why Teague was calling when he’d be arriving in just over an hour.

  “Hoyt,” Teague said the second Hoyt answered, “Keir’s been shot.”

  “Fuck! What the hell? How? Why? When?”

  “Two hours ago. He just got out of surgery. He’ll live, but it was touch-and-go for a while there.”

  Hoyt heard the pain and anger in Teague’s voice and wished he was there to help him deal with everything. “Are you at the hospital? Are you alright?”

  There was a long pause as Teague breathed deeply. “I’m okay. I was winged but it’s minor.”

  “How minor?” Hoyt asked, not certain he believed Teague.

  “A flesh wound, I swear. Not even as bad as the one I got when Irwin shot me.”

  Blowing out a long breath, Hoyt asked, “Did they catch the shooter?”

  “No, but I caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared. Damn it, Hoyt!”

  “You know who it is?”

  “Yes. Who, but not why, although I can hazard a guess. I know he hates me. I know he blames me for what happened to Chris. But why now, after all this time?”

  “Chris’s brother?” Hoyt said, remembering what Teague had told him about the man after the trial. How he had been ready to testify that Teague had an ulterior motive for being a witness against Bradley Irwin.

  “Yes,” Teague replied succinctly. Then he went quiet and Hoyt could hear someone talking to him in the background. He returned, saying, “The police need to talk to me again.”

  “I’m catching the next flight out. Do you want me to go to the agency when I get there, or to your place?”

  “The…the agency I guess. I have to talk to everyone there. Let them know and…”

  “Okay. Look, I know it’s bad. Worse than bad, and maybe now it not the time, but…” Hoyt paused, then said, “I love you and we’ll get through this together.”

  “Love you, too,” Teague replied, and hung up.

  * * * *

  Hoyt got lucky. There was a flight leaving an hour after he’d gotten Teague’s call, and there was available seating on it and on the connecting flight out of Denver. He threw some clothes into a bag, grabbed his keys and wallet, and was out the door five minutes after making the reservation. As he drove to the airport he thought about all Teague had been through since…Since he and Chris were kids. How much more can Teague take before he finally breaks? But he won’t. I won’t let that happen. He won’t let it happen. He’s the strongest man I’ve ever known. No wonder I love him.

  Five hours later, after taking a cab from the airport, Hoyt was standing outside the T Donovan Agency’s front entrance. He sighed when he saw the darkened waiting room through the front door and realized that everyone had undoubtedly left. When Teague said to meet him here, neither of us thought about how long it would take me to get here.

  Taking out his phone, he called to let Teague know he had arrived.

  “And you’re standing out front,” Teague replied. “I’ll come down to let you in.”

  “You’re still…? Sorry, dumb question considering.”

  “Most of us are. We’re…working out what to do next and…I’ll tell you in a minute.”

  Teague opened the front door seconds later to let Hoyt in. Hoyt took one look at Teague’s anguished expression then wrapped him in a tight embrace. “How are you holding up?” Hoyt asked. “And more to the point, how is Keir doing?”

  “According to the latest report from Mel, he’s in intensive care and holding his own.” Pulling out of Hoyt’s embrace, Teague slipped his arm around Hoyt’s waist as they walked through the waiting room and down the hall to Teague’s office. “Everyone’s in here, so it’s a bit crowded, but…”

  “I can deal. You didn’t answer the rest of my question.”

  Teague paused before opening his office door. “I’m doing okay. Keir’s like a son to me so I’m torn between worrying about him and being fucking pissed off at Paul Frye for hitting him instead of me.”

  Hoyt almost laughed at the way Teague put that. Probably would have if the situation hadn’t been so dire. “Have they caught him yet?”

  “No. He was long gone by the time the police arrived.” Opening the door, Teague ushered Hoyt into his office, saying to the assembled group sitting and standing there, “Some of you haven’t met Hoyt yet. He’s going to be joining the team.”

  “Soon, I hope,” Jake said, coming forward to greet Hoyt. “Now we need you twice as bad as before.”

  Hoyt nodded, then shook hands with the rest of the people as Teague introduced them.

  “Okay, back to what we were talking about before Hoyt got here,” Teague said, leaning against the desk. “As you know, Paul Frye seems to be in the wind at this point.”

  “You’ve talked to his brothers?” Hoyt asked.

  “About an hour ago. Neither of them has heard from him. They’re in shock about all this and promised to let me know if he tries to contact them.”

  Hoyt frowned, rapping a knuckle against his lips. “Does anyone mind if I ask a couple of questions, just to clarify things in my mind?”

  “Not if it will help us,” Max, one of Teague’s investigators, replied, getting nods from the others.

  “Good. First question. Where was Keir shot?”

  “In front of my building. I told you that already,” Teague replied.

  “No, I mean where was he hit?”

  “Oh. In the chest. It missed his heart and spine, hit a lung, well you don’t need all the details. Hell—” Teague shook his head, “—I don’t have them myself. Needless to say, a few inches one way or the other and he’d be dead or paralyzed.”

  Hoyt nodded. “Next question. Did he step in front of you?”

  Teague cocked his head, obviously trying to picture what had happened. “No. We were side by side.”

  “So you were both viable targets. Who was hit first?”

  “Me,” Teague replied. “There were two shots. The first on winged me. The second one hit Keir dead on.”

  “So…Okay. Paul Frye grew up in a small town. Do you know if he and his brothers hunted? That’s something that’s big in Faircrest and a lot of other small towns in the area.”

  “Yeah, they did. They went out every deer season, as soon as they were old enough to use a gun.”

  “So we can presume that Paul knows what he’s doing when it comes to shooting something. That being the case, Teague, why aren’t you the one lying in the hospital right now? Why Keir?”

  “Shit,” Jake spat out, looking at Hoyt. “We never thought about that. He’s right, Teague. Even an amateur would have been able to hit you a second time, if his first shot didn’t do the job.”

  Teague blew out a long breath. “So what you’re saying, Hoyt, is that Keir was the intended target?”

  Hoyt nodded. “It could have been the circumstances. Frye might have intended to shoot you, but then decided that killing Keir in front of you would hurt you worse. That you’d blame yourself for what happened. Or, Frye could have been waiting for the right moment, when you were with someone else, intending to lay a huge guilt trip on you for being the reason the other person was killed.”

  “We have to find him before he tries again,” Max said adamantly. “Next time it could be one of us. Or he might go straight for you Teague.”

  “The police have a BOLO out on
Paul,” Teague replied.

  “You think that will stop him?” Hoyt asked. “He’ll just lay low until he gets another chance. We have to set him up somehow.”

  A couple of the other investigators shot looks at Hoyt, as if to say, “Who put you in charge?”

  Apparently Teague saw them because he stated firmly, “Hoyt, in case some of you don’t know, is a cop. A detective. He’s well versed in what it takes to find and stop a killer.”

  “Was a cop,” Hoyt murmured. “Until today.”

  “Is, was, it still comes down to the fact that you know what you’re doing.” Teague turned to the others. “He has a point and you all know it. We have to draw Frye out.”

  “So who’s going to be the bait?” Jake asked.

  “Me,” Hoyt answered before anyone else could.

  “No,” Teague said sharply.

  Quietly, Hoyt replied, “I have a vested interest in catching Frye. I want you alive at the end of this.” He glanced at the others. “I know all of you do, too, but mine is more personal, in case you weren’t aware of that.”

  Max snorted. “Trust me, Hoyt, most of us know the two of you are a couple. Hell, Teague spent the last week or so looking like a teenager who finally scored the date he wanted for the prom.”

  “I didn’t!” Teague protested, rolling his eyes.

  “Yeah, you did,” Pam told him with a wide grin.

  Hoyt chuckled before saying, “Back to catching Frye. Teague, does the agency have access to tactical vests?”

  “Access to? We own several.”

  “Good. I’d rather neither of us get dead while we do this.”

  “Get dead?” Jake chuckled. “Is that a small town term?”

  Hoyt flipped him off and continued. “When Teague comes and goes from here, or from his condo, that’s where he’s most vulnerable. So the only person who’s going to be with him at those times is me. Always. The rest of you steer clear. Okay?”

  “Won’t is look like a setup if it’s just you and him all the time?” Max asked.

  “I hope not. We’ll make it clear there’s something more between us than just the boss and a new employee.”

  Jake raised a hand to stop Hoyt. “You’ll need one of us around, but not overtly. If this works Frye will be concentrating on the two of you. Your backup, probably me or Max, will be watching for him. From what Teague said, Frye was on the street when he shot Keir, not up on top of a building.”