elise manion | 16
funk coming from the backseat, where drunks and petty criminals had left a little something of themselves behind. He would have Lauren call the detailer to have the cruiser scheduled for a good cleaning. No, she still wasn’t speaking to him but it hadn’t effected her job performance…much. The forecast was for ice and possibly snow in this freak October storm, so the chances weren’t good that he’d have it freshened up anytime soon. The wrecks would keep him busy most of the day. Jarod was the oldest son of James and Camille King, who were a prominent family in this little corner of Nevada. His father had built his construction company from the ground up before Jarod was born. King Construction was now one of the leading outfits in the state. But Jarod had eschewed his birthright, handing over his legacy to Jason, the second oldest of the three brothers who Jarod loved dearly. He preferred law enforcement, working with and helping the people of his community. But his dark mood this morning had nothing to do with his job. Today was the fifth anniversary of his darkest hour, the day his high school sweetheart, Miranda, had left him for her drug dealer. After the bitter divorce, he’d moved back home into his suite of rooms at the King estate with his parents. Since then, every morning had been a carbon copy of the last; wake up, get dressed, and go to work. It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic, he thought to himself with ironic disgust. A gust of wind blew sand and rocks into his windshield, startling him. He gripped the wheel to keep from drifting into oncoming traffic when the pickup in front of him blew a tire. Sighing out loud, he pulled his cruiser over to the shoulder behind the disabled vehicle and called it in to dispatch. He needed a fortifying drink of coffee to warm him up before he left his vehicle, but as he reached for the much needed elixir he realized he’d left his mug on the counter at home. Disgusted with himself and his sour mood, he carefully opened his door and stepped out of his vehicle