“Hi.” Emily stood on tiptoe and kissed Mallory lightly on the lips. “What are you doing here? Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry. I know it’s early. My clock is all turned around.”

“You’ve been out on a call?”

“Yes. And then some things—came up.”

Emily linked her arm through Mallory’s. “Come back to the kitchen. I was just about to make coffee. Are you hungry?”

“No,” Mallory said, although her stomach rumbled in contradiction.

“We’ll see about that. Take off your coat and tell me what’s going on.”

Mallory hesitated in the doorway to the cheery kitchen. Emily looked beautiful in the bright morning sun, her hair glowing, her skin fresh, her expression vibrant. She looked happy, and Mallory suddenly felt out of place and guilty for bringing discord into the tranquility.

“You’ve got something on your mind,” Emily said.

“I don’t know how to say this,” Mallory said abruptly.

Emily finished filling the coffeemaker with water, set the kettle down, and turned to study Mallory. “Come to tell me things have changed?”

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“I can’t say I’m surprised after the last time you were here. Change was in the air.” Emily smiled faintly. “I’m disappointed, of course. But I’m not going to lose your friendship, am I?”

“Of course not. I—”

“You needn’t tell me how fond you are of me. I know.” Emily rested her hands on Mallory’s shoulders and kissed her again, not a sisterly kiss, but one with no expectations. A gentle, tender, caring kiss. “You’ve met someone. Someone who’s shaking you up. I think that’s a good thing.”

“There are some problems.”

“Of course there are. No one ever comes to a relationship without a past. Can you tell me about it?”

Mallory sighed. “I’ll try. You’re sure it’s all right?”

“Very sure.”

They sat at the table, and when the coffee was done, Emily poured two cups. Mallory told Emily about her relationship with Jac and the photograph in Jac’s locker. She left out Fleming’s visit and Jac’s family issues. She wouldn’t violate Jac’s privacy.

Emily’s brows drew down. “You’re sure the photo was taken here in town?”

“It had to be. It’s the only place we—” Mallory felt her face growing warm. Could she really be blushing at the mention of sex? Unbelievable. “We didn’t…we weren’t…last night was the first time we were together. The photograph was taken before that.”

“Where is she now?”

Mallory’s stomach tightened. “Something came up with her family. She had to leave.”

Emily didn’t look like she believed that was the whole story, but she didn’t question. “Well, if the photo was taken at the bar, there are limited options as to who was responsible. After all, who around here would care about you and Jac being together?”

“Motive,” Mallory murmured. “That’s it, isn’t it?” Really, who would care? No one she worked with. She had no exes, no one with a grudge or a score to settle. Not unless… The queasy feeling in her stomach sharpened into an agonizing blade to her heart. “Maybe a friend of Phil or Danny? Someone who blames me for their deaths?”

“Oh, honey, I can’t believe anyone who worked on the line, or loved anyone who did, would do something like this. What happened last year wasn’t your fault, and the only one who blames you is you.”

Mallory heard the words, and for the first time, started to believe them. “Why else would someone try to make it look like we were intimate?”

“Maybe the message wasn’t for you. Maybe this is about Jac.”

“I suppose there are a lot more possibilities there,” Mallory said. An old girlfriend? A jealous husband? A political rival of her father? God, anything was possible. “But it still leaves the how.”

“Well, that probably could be anyone. The bar is always crowded, and no one is really paying much attention to what’s going on outside their own circles. I wouldn’t think a stranger would go unnoticed, though.” Emily traced a pattern on the cotton tablecloth with her fingertip. “But I can’t imagine why a local would do this.”

Mallory thought back to that night, of the guys from the station who were there. Then she pictured the room, and the locals, and her jaw tightened. “I think I might have an idea about that. I’ll need to ask a few questions.”

“You want me to go with you?”

“No.” Mallory leaned over and kissed Emily. “Thank you. Can I take you to dinner sometime real soon?”

Emily smiled. “No. But you can come here for a good meal. Bring Jac too.”

The pain raced higher in Mallory’s chest. Would she even have a chance to see Jac again?

*

The next morning at dawn, Mallory roared into the field camp set up in a clearing beyond the end of the access road. Campfires smoldered in rock-ringed pits in front of a cluster of tents. She pulled her Jeep in beside the work trucks, jumped out, and pushed through the brush into camp. She smelled coffee but didn’t see anyone around. She dumped her gear by the central fire pit and debated announcing her arrival loud enough to wake everyone else up. She recognized Sully’s tent, but she didn’t want to face him yet. He wasn’t responsible for what she suspected, but he’d take responsibility anyhow. Not knowing what to do with herself, she found the coffeepot sitting on one of the boulders facing the fire and felt the side. Still hot. She dug her camp cup out of her gear bag and poured herself a cup of coffee so dark and so strong her eyes watered. The sound of a zipper sliding down on a tent flap brought her twisting around.

Sarah emerged in a sweatshirt and sweatpants, yawning and brushing hair from her eyes. “Hey. I didn’t expect you until later.”

“Had some things to take care of. Where’s Hooker?” Mallory said abruptly.

Sarah frowned, the sleep leaving her eyes and her face tensing. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“Long story. Where is he?”

“You sound like you want to chew him a new one,” Sarah said, reaching back into her tent and coming out with her own tin cup. She joined Mallory by the fire and poured coffee. “I don’t know where he is. He told Sully early yesterday he had an emergency and needed the day off. He’s not back yet as far as I know. What’s going on, Mallory?”

Fury hazed Mallory’s vision. “The cowardly bastard is running away.”

“Excuse me?”

“He’s not coming back. He’s a stalker. Or a goddamn spy.”

“Spy? For who?”

“I’m not sure exactly, but I think he’s been watching me and Jac.” Mallory ground her back teeth. “The bastard had Chantal taking pictures of us.”

“Us who?”

“Me and Jac. I think he left one in Jac’s locker.”

“Chantal told you that?” Sarah sounded incredulous.

“Yep. She couldn’t believe I was upset.” Mallory snorted, half-angry and half-disbelieving. “Hooker told her the pictures were for a work party—a joke. All in fun.”

“What kind of pictures?”

“Fortunately nothing too revealing, since we didn’t do anything then.” Mallory looked away.

“Wait a minute. Intimate photos of the two of you?”

Mallory flushed. “We were only dancing that night we all went out to Tommy’s. The shot made it look like more.”

Sarah grasped Mallory’s arm. “My God, Mallory—that’s awful. Why?”

“I’m not sure. To harass us maybe—maybe it’s just an anti-gay thing.” That would make sense if it hadn’t been for Fleming. Why send photos to Fleming if blackmail wasn’t the object, and it didn’t seem to be. Mallory kicked a rock into the fire pit. “He’s been a little bit belligerent since he arrived, but I thought it was just the typical macho reaction to a woman in charge. Now I’m not so sure. I think maybe he was here to watch Jac.”

“You said nothing had been going on between you and Jac when the photograph was taken. Is there more now?” Sarah asked gently. “Between the two of you?”

“I thought so.”

“Where’s Jac?” Sarah frowned. “I thought she was coming up with you.”

“She’s not. I’m not sure she’ll be back at all.”

Sarah’s breath burst out. “Oh, I’m really sorry, Mallory. What a mess.”

“I don’t care about the photos, but Jac does.” Mallory sat down on the boulder. “It’s a lot more complicated than a little bit of work harassment.”

“After all that nastiness with the tabloid photos, I imagine Jac is really gun-shy,” Sarah said. “Will you be able to prove Hooker was behind it?”

Mallory laughed bitterly. “I doubt it. Chantal doesn’t have the camera card. It’s just a he said/she said thing with her claiming he asked her to take some racy candids. If he denies it, there’s not much to do.”

“Wait a minute,” Sarah said. “If you think Hooker was a plant, how the hell did they get him into our station?”

“I pulled his personnel files last night. He was a last-minute applicant when another guy got injured. He was qualified, Sully passed him on to me as a probable accept, and I agreed when I reviewed the applicants.” Mallory shook her head. She should have caught that something was out of whack. “He looked really good on paper. Now that I think of it, maybe too good.”

“You couldn’t have known.” Sarah sat on the boulder next to Mallory and wrapped her arm around her. “So what are you going to do now, Ice?”

Mallory stood and tossed the dregs of her coffee into the smoldering ashes. “I’m going to finish up boot camp and see if Hooker comes back and proves me wrong.”

“And what about Jac?”

Mallory looked away, afraid if she saw the sympathy in Sarah’s eyes she’d embarrass herself. She’d walk through fire for Jac if Jac were hurt, but Jac had left by choice. If they hadn’t slept together, she might have gone after her all the same, but they’d blurred their boundaries now. That one night changed everything. Especially for her. “I’m kind of hoping she comes back too.”