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Deke stared at the bag, illuhly decorated officer I hatever facts you can dig up before I talk to her”

Never ask a question without knowing the answer first They’d learned the lesson in the cradle froend in the Nashville Police Departan kids heard recaps of hoone into law enforcement Their other brother, Rick, worked hoia, was a forensic technician

Of all the Morgan children, Deke looked the most like their father Old-timers said he was a carbon copy Rick, the next in line, was a slighter version of Deke Alex shared their dark coloring, but his features were ia, adopted when she was days old, was the outlier when it came to looks She favored her birth h when it caan

Deke and Rick loved homicide and, no doubt, would do the work until the city forced theold retirement watch Alex didn’t see himself in TBI in the next decade He made no secret about his political ambitions

“Okay I’ll keep digging” Alex checked his watch “I’ve got to go Georgia is singing tonight”

Georgia sang on her off nights in Rudy’s Her ift froan brother could have identified a musical key or note, even if presented with a lineup “I texted her and told her I was here She understands”

“Right” Theya cop

Deke’s lips lifted into a rusty grin “You sure you want to go to Rudy’s?” A retired cop owned the bar, which had becoe

“I told Georgia I’d be there”

“You’re going to get hassled”

A se of his lips “They can try”

Deke laughed “I reht you that stupid striped shirt You were in the fourth grade?”

“Fifth”

“You got all kinds of teasing over that shirt And instead of trashing it, you wore it every day for two months”

“Beca for a fight, but when one found hiht weeks, the shirt had been torn, mended, and bloodied more times than anyone could remember When it vanished from the wash, his mother had denied responsibility, but they all knew she’d finally thrown it out Alex could handle the trouble, but their mom could not

“Georgia also tells me you have a date”

Alex could have asked how his sister knew about the date but didn’t bother She had radar, a fact he’d accepted long ago “Yep”

“I thought she was joking”

“No”

“So who’s the lucky girl?”

“Leah Carson”

“The veterinarian who takes care of Rick’s dog?”

Their brother Rick had been a canine officer who’d been allowed to adopt Tracker after the dog had been retired “Yes”

“How’d you meet?”

“Rick is boarding his dog at the vet’s kennel I told hione”

“What’s special about Leah?”

“She’s Deidre’s new best friend”

Deke nodded “You set this up”

“I did”

“How’d you get Rick to board Tracker?”

“Told his He liked the idea of his canine working again”