Chapter 75 NO LONGER DETECTIVE CARTER
I stared at him like he had lost his mind.
It took several seconds of looking at him like he was completely crazy before I realized he wasn’t joking at all.
“What?” I asked, still trying to process what he had just said.
“You heard me right,” Troy replied calmly. “But before I go into detail, can you at least look into the accident? I’ll mail you a file about it, and I want you to go through it. After that, we can meet and talk.”
I just couldn’t process any of the things he was saying. But, just like always, this smelled like trouble.
“Does Jaxon know about this?” I asked.
But even before Troy slowly shook his head in response, I already knew the answer.
“He doesn’t,” Troy admitted, his eyes completely serious. “He must never know about it.”
I frowned, my confusion only deepening.
“I don’t get it. Why would you want me to look into his mother without his knowledge?” I pressed.
Troy let out a frustrated sigh.
“Nancy, can you please just go through the file first? After that, we can meet up and talk. Okay?”
I stared at him for a moment, searching his face for any hint that this was some kind of joke.
But there was none.
Finally, I let out a sigh of defeat.
“Fine. I’ll go through the file. Can we go now?”
He nodded before starting the engine. We pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the airport.
For the rest of the ride, my mind refused to settle.
Thoughts raced through my head, colliding into one another until it felt overwhelming. The headache that came with it was even worse than the one I had felt earlier today.
When we met Jaxon at the airport, he didn’t look any better than he had during lunch.
If anything, he looked worse.
More distant.
More exhausted.
I tried not to stare at him too much, but I couldn’t help it.
After we checked in, our flight took off in no time.
Jaxon and I ended up sitting next to each other, and for most of the flight he stayed focused on his laptop.
The cabin was quiet, everyone seeming to be lost in their own little world.
I pulled out my phone and finally turned it on.
Immediately, missed calls and messages flooded the screen.
But among all of them, Brianna’s message was the one that caught my attention first.
I couldn’t believe I hadn’t even called to check on her since I got back to Hollowmere.
A wave of guilt hit me hard.
I felt angry with myself.
“Hey Nancy, I’ve been trying to reach you but your calls keep going straight to voicemail. Can you call me when you see this message?”
I stared at her message as frustration slowly settled in my chest.
Just then, our arrival was announced, and the plane quickly began its descent before landing.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drop you off?” Troy asked for the second time after we picked up their car.
“No, I need to head to the station before going back home,” I said, declining his offer for the second time.
Jaxon simply sat casually in the back of the car, his gaze still fixed on his laptop.
“Okay. I’ll probably pick Alba up tomorrow,” Troy said before adding,
“Remember to check your email when you get home. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I nodded in response, the file he had given me still clutched tightly in my hands as I watched him board the car and drive off.
I made my way out of the airport and boarded a taxi to the station. On the way there, I decided to call Linda, planning to call Brianna once I got home.
First ring.
Second ring.
No response.
The taxi pulled up in front of the station just as I spotted Linda heading out.
I immediately paid the driver before rushing after her.
“Linda!” I called, finally catching her attention as I approached her.
“Nancy?” she called out, shock clearly written across her face. “You—”
She stopped mid-sentence, groaning slightly as she bit her lower lip in frustration.
“Why weren’t you answering your calls? Do you know how worried I was?” she almost screamed at me.
Instead of answering immediately, I could only let out a tired sigh.
“I’m sorry, Linda. I was going to call you, but a lot happened, and I was just… out of it,” I said quietly, my voice low, my eyes barely meeting hers.
She let out a deep sigh before saying,
“The boss wanted to see you.” She rolled her eyes in clear disgust. “He’s angry. He says you’re leaving him out of the case, and you’re supposed to report every single detail without leaving anything out.”
Linda dragged out her last words in irritation.
I sighed again and ran a hand through my hair in frustration.
That man was seriously testing my patience.
“You know what?” I said suddenly. “By tomorrow, have our team vacate the office and arrange every single piece of information you’ve gathered about Ravyn Vale. Keep everything with you.”
Linda’s expression shifted instantly—from anger, to shock, and then complete disbelief.
“What?” she asked.
“We’re dropping this case,” I said firmly. “He and his team should handle it since they’re so fucking good at their jobs.”
I could feel my anger rising with every word.
“I only involved you guys in this because I wanted you to earn the respect you deserve. But if we’re only being used like he’s always done, then we’ll be the first ones to step away.”
With that, I turned and marched straight toward his office.
But first, I stopped by our office and grabbed my resignation letter.
Then I headed directly for his.
I didn’t bother knocking.
I burst straight into his office.
“Wow, look who’s here—the officer who shows up to work anytime she wants. Listen to me, Miss Carter—”
“No, you listen to me, Officer Brown,” I cut in sharply, my voice filled with intensity. My anger was barely contained as I interrupted him.
“I am done being another pawn in your game. I am not going to fucking risk my life just so you can take the glory.”
The words poured out of me, fueled by weeks of frustration.
“I will have my team move out of the office and head back to their original unit, and you better give them the promotion they deserve—or else I will make sure you make the news.”
I stepped closer, my voice dropping dangerously low.
“And trust me, you’re not going to like what the headline is going to say about you.”
I had no idea where half those words were coming from, but I meant every single one of them.
This man was an ass.
And I was done.
Jaxon said I could capture Ravyn Vale as Nancy Carter, but not as Detective Nancy Carter.
So that’s exactly what I was going to do.
The way he stared at me in complete shock—as if he had never expected me to say any of those things—only made the moment more satisfying.
“And for the last time,” I added coldly, “I quit.”
I dropped the resignation letter right onto his desk before turning and storming out of the office.
From now on, I would find both Mia and Ravyn Vale my own way.