The First Death (Columbia River, #4)(52)

“Is she wrong to include the younger ages in her estimate?” asked Noelle.

“No. I’ve seen early dental eruptions happen in young kids.” She shrugged. “It happens. I’m never surprised when I see it, but I will acknowledge that it’s much less common. The reverse is true too.”

I can’t confirm to Rowan that this is her brother.

Disappointment rocked Evan.

Dr. Harper looked from one detective to the other and slightly tilted her head. “Victoria made my examination a priority. She called me in Portland and told me to come ASAP. She’s spent more time with that small skeleton than the other two. I don’t know what’s going on, but she’s put everything she has into it.”

“There is a chance that this is a friend’s younger brother who has been missing for over two decades,” Evan said quietly. “Now we still don’t know.”

The dentist nodded in sympathy. “That’s the worst. Not knowing. I guarantee Victoria has left no stone unturned in her examination of those bones. If something there could physically connect to that missing child, she would have found it.”

“Thank you for your report, Doctor.” Evan shook her hand, appreciating the sympathy in her gaze. The detectives left the office and headed back to where Dr. Peres was examining the skeletons.

“I’m sorry, Evan,” said Noelle.

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because I know how important this identification was to you.”

“They’re all important.”

“But this could be Rowan’s brother. You’re close to her.”

I am?

Evan frowned as they walked down the hallway.

I am.

It’d crept up on him. He’d sought her out, wanting to know her thoughts and see how she was coping. He was drawn to her. Yesterday he’d taken her hand in sympathy, feeling her waves of sorrow, wanting to offer her comfort and hope.

Then he hadn’t wanted to let go.

He’d wanted to find Malcolm for her today and end her years of wondering and questions. But he’d failed. And he felt that keenly in his gut. He acknowledged that he desired to give her what she wanted most in the world. Today would not be the day he did it.

Someday. Soon.

He knew the healing power of finding a lost loved one. His sister’s return to his life had restored pieces of his soul he hadn’t realized were missing. But he’d been lucky. His sister was alive. Malcolm wasn’t. When Evan found the boy, Rowan would grieve. But then she would heal.

He wanted to be there for both stages.

She feels it too.

The previous morning there’d been a look of awareness in her eyes that he hadn’t understood until this very second. A connection. An attraction. It wasn’t one-sided.

Not now. It’s inappropriate.

But why not be there to support her through a difficult time? If something grew between them during this hard experience, it could indicate a durability that was rare in relationships.

“You’re not denying it.”

Evan pulled out of his thoughts and glanced at Noelle. Her lips lifted on one side in a half smile, her eyes glittering with confidence.

“Everyone can see the subtle sparks that fly between you two.”

“Everyone?” he blurted. “There’s nothing . . . I mean . . . there wasn’t, well, I didn’t know . . . it’s new,” he finished lamely. “Doesn’t feel appropriate,” he muttered.

“I get that. You’re the investigator and it’s her family member. But she’s no frail woman falling for the alpha law enforcement detective. And you’re not reacting to some inner caveman wanting to save a damsel in distress. You’re both competent, independent adults. There’s nothing improper with how you feel.”

“It’s not professional.”

“Fuck that. You’re not taking advantage of her. People meet in unusual situations all the time. Paths cross for a reason. You’ve stumbled across something of quality. Don’t let it go just because of a professional-conduct tenet. It’s not a firm rule and it doesn’t apply here. You’re not some horndog cop looking to get laid.”

True.

“You’ve seen us interact once. You learned all this from watching us at a crime scene in the woods.”

Noelle lifted her chin and grinned. “Yep. And I’ve been watching you for days. I see your reactions when her name is mentioned. You’ve got it bad, and I think you’re just now realizing that.”

Noelle was right. “Maybe,” he said. “Shit.”

She elbowed him in the ribs. “It’s all good. Trust me.”

They stepped back into Dr. Peres’s lab. The doctor’s gaze immediately met Evan’s, and disappointment flashed across her face. “Dr. Harper couldn’t make an identification?”

“No,” said Evan. “The films she received are too old.”

“Damn. I was afraid of that.” She took a deep breath and moved to one of the tables holding an adult skeleton. “We’ll move on for now.”

Evan mentally shifted gears. Somewhere there were families of these two unidentified sets of remains waiting for news of their missing loved ones. He could do this. “What do you have, Doctor?”