The Bond Between Us novel Chapter 890

Herman basically told everyone to clear out.

Jason knew Herman was in a foul mood, and Anastasia was a mess herself. It wasn’t the right time to press for details.

So, he left.

It was already dark when he made it back to the station. The corpses of those four men were still lying in the morgue, cold and forgotten.

Jason holed up in his office, combing through case files. Those four had to be connected somehow—there was no way it was just random chance they all ended up together.

They’d only recently gotten out of prison. What on earth had pushed them to kidnap Anastasia? None of them had family, no ties, nothing to lose—but guys like that usually kept their heads down, tried to stay alive.

Lately, the department was drowning in cases. Jason was running on fumes, getting maybe four, five hours of sleep, practically living at his desk.

He had to keep tabs on Harry, the serial killer case was still nowhere near solved, and now this new mess had landed in his lap.

Jason was barely keeping it together when someone knocked on his door.

“Come in,” he said, gathering up the files.

The door opened. It was Chief Taylor.

Jason blinked. “Chief? Didn’t expect to see you this late.”

Taylor, in his fifties, always looked warm and approachable. He smiled. “Still hard at work, huh, Jason? You working on the Salstrom kidnapping?”

Jason figured this was about pushing for progress. “Yeah. I’ll solve it soon, Chief.”

“No rush, I’m not here to breathe down your neck.” Taylor grinned. “How about grabbing a bite with me?”

When the Chief invited you to eat, it usually meant good news.

“Chief, if there’s something you want to say, just say it here. I’m swamped.”

“There’ll always be more cases, Jason. But you’re no use to anyone if you burn out.” Taylor chuckled. “But I already made a reservation, so come on, indulge me.”

Taylor’s smile faded. “Jason, I gave you your start here. This is a one-time shot. You’ll still have access to the serial killer case from Einsberg. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll get special clearance, work with the new lead.”

That only made Jason more certain—they didn’t want him near Anastasia’s case.

He pushed, “What about the Salstrom kidnapping? All four suspects are dead, and if the press gets wind of this, Riverdale’s going to explode.”

Taylor took a long drag from his cigar. “The case is closed. Herman called—it’s over. There’s enough gossip about Mrs. Salstrom already. Digging further will only hurt her.”

“Herman asked for that?”

Jason was stunned. He’d just seen Herman. The man had looked furious—like he’d never rest until someone paid. No way he’d give up that easily.

Taylor nodded. “The Salstroms are a big name here. This kind of scandal could destroy Mrs. Salstrom. They want it gone. So, you’ll report to Einsberg tomorrow.”

That wasn’t a request. It was an order.