Chapter Three #2
I turned to another photo, this one showing Robert Harland’s vehicle. “And here, what you discovered earlier, almost identical damage pattern. Someone hit them from behind at the same angle, targeting the wheel assembly.”
Nova’s breath caught. “They knew exactly what they were doing.”
“They did.” My jaw tightened. “This isn’t amateur work. Whoever did this has either done it multiple times or had professional training. And I mean more times than the accidents we know of.”
I sorted through more of the crash photos, my mind cataloging details the average observer -- even police investigators -- might miss.
The glass shattered in a way that showed someone had already compromised the windows before the main impact.
The position of the bodies revealed they had lost consciousness before the car hit the bottom of the ravine.
“There’s something else.” I pulled out the coroner’s report on her parents.
“Your mother had bruising on her wrists and forearms. The report attributes it to the crash, but…” I pointed to the pattern of discoloration in the photos.
“These are defensive wounds. She was trying to protect herself from something -- or someone -- before the crash.”
Nova’s face paled, freckles standing out starkly against her skin. “You’re saying someone attacked them before forcing them off the road?”
“I’m saying it’s a possibility we can’t rule out.
” I kept my voice steady, clinical, even as rage built inside me over what someone had done to this woman’s parents.
My money was on the couple being attacked, fleeing to their car, and then being run off the road.
“The report notes these injuries but dismisses them too quickly. Someone wanted this investigation closed fast.”
Nova’s hands trembled as she gathered the photos, but her voice remained steady. “That’s why we need to go to the crash site. Tonight. Before they realize what we’ve figured out.”
I studied her face, noting the set of her jaw and unflinching resolve stamped on her features. “Nova, it’s been weeks. Any evidence at the scene will be long gone.”
“Maybe not.” She flipped open her mother’s notebook. “Look at this entry from three weeks before she died. ‘Dash cam installed as precaution. Manual activation switch under steering column. Evidence backup protocol in place.’”
My eyebrows rose. “Your mother installed a dash cam?”
“She was paranoid about being followed. Dad thought she was overreacting, but he let her install it anyway.” Her finger traced the words in her mother’s handwriting. “If that camera was still in the car when they went off the road…”
“The police would have found it,” I pointed out.
“Would they? Or would they have been told to overlook it?” Nova countered. “The car was totaled, Doc. No one was looking for a hidden camera, especially if they didn’t want to find evidence of foul play.”
She had a point. If someone had deliberately caused the crash and then mishandled the investigation, they might have overlooked a dash cam -- or chosen to ignore it.
“Even if the camera is still there, it’s been exposed to the elements for weeks…” I trailed off, not wanting to crush her hope but needing her to be realistic.
“I have to try. Wouldn’t you, if it were your parents?”
I would. Hell, I’d have torn apart the entire county looking for answers. I ran a hand through my hair, weighing the risks.
“If we do this, we do it my way. We go in quiet, we stay alert, and at the first sign of trouble, we leave. Immediately. No arguments.”
Nova nodded quickly. “Agreed.”
“And we tell no one where we’re going. Not even the club.
Not until we know what we’re dealing with.
” The President wouldn’t like me going rogue, but until I knew who to trust, I refused to take chances with Nova’s safety.
It wasn’t likely any of my brothers would be involved in something like this, but I’d heard the horror stories about past betrayals.
“When do we leave?”
“Now.” I checked my watch. “It’s after midnight. Roads should be clear, and we’ll have darkness for cover.” I pulled out my phone and disabled the location tracking -- a precaution that went against club protocol but felt necessary given what we were potentially up against.
Nova moved with quick efficiency, sliding select documents into a messenger bag.
I watched her gather what she needed, struck by the contrast between her petite frame and the steel in her spine.
In that moment, she reminded me of soldiers I’d treated in the field -- the ones who kept going despite impossible odds, driven by something deeper than fear.
“You should change.” I gestured to her sleep clothes. “Wear something dark. Practical. And bring a jacket -- it’ll be cold out there.”
While she disappeared into the bathroom to change, I took the opportunity to check my weapon, ensuring it was loaded and secured under my cut where I could access it quickly. I hadn’t expected to need it tonight, but after seeing those crash photos, I wasn’t taking any chances.
Nova emerged wearing dark jeans and a black hoodie, her hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. The oversized clothes made her look even smaller.
“Ready?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
She nodded, clutching her messenger bag against her side. “Let’s find out what happened to my parents.”
As I led her to my truck, I scanned our surroundings with heightened awareness. If Nova was right -- if someone had deliberately targeted her parents -- then we were about to poke a very dangerous hornet’s nest. And I had the uneasy feeling that someone might be waiting for exactly this moment.