Chapter Five #2
Jack eased up on the glare to give the man a look of skepticism. Caroline felt the same way, and when Kingston obviously picked up on their disbelief, he huffed and took out his phone. After he’d pulled up a message, he handed Jack his phone.
There it was on the screen. No name of the person who’d sent the message, but there was the address of the safe house, along with the message, Want to get a look at the woman who helped kill your friend Eric Lang? You’ll find her here.
“I don’t know who sent it, and the number is no longer working,” Kingston explained. “My guess is he or she used a disposable cell and deactivated it.”
“Or else you used such a phone and sent the message to yourself,” Jack quickly countered.
Kingston didn’t exactly give him an eye roll, but it was close. “There’s no reason for me to do that.”
Jack didn’t waste any time arguing. “Sure there is. You might think a message like that would get you off the hook. It won’t. You were in the vicinity of Caroline’s house, and you have a motive to murder her.”
“A motive?” Kingston challenged. “You mean because of Eric?” He didn’t wait for Jack to confirm or deny that. “I wouldn’t kill because of him. Yes, I was intrigued by Eric. He was very interesting and charismatic, but I wouldn’t have done his bidding. Besides, he’s dead.”
Jack leveled his gaze on Kingston. “Yet you acted on what you’re saying was an anonymous tip to go to the house of a woman you blame for the death of this interesting and charismatic piece of dirt?”
Kingston opened his mouth, then closed it as if rethinking what he’d been about to say. “I don’t blame Caroline for Eric’s death.” He shifted his attention to Kellan. “I believe you’re the one who delivered what eventually became the fatal blow.”
“I did,” Kellan readily admitted. “I just wish I’d been able to put a bullet in him sooner.”
If Kingston had a reaction to that, he didn’t show it. Instead, he turned back to Caroline. “Someone wants you dead. The attack proves that. And I think the person who sent me that message thought I’d do the job for him or her.”
“Do you want to do the job?” Caroline asked, and thankfully she sounded a lot tougher than she felt. More of those flashbacks bolted through her like lightning, and for just a moment she wished she hadn’t recovered those parts of her memory.
Again, Kingston took his time answering. “There’s no law against admiring a man like Eric. In his own twisted way, he was a genius. And he kept you alive. That’s a key point here. Why would I want to go against him on that? If he didn’t kill you, then why should I?”
Caroline didn’t have to think long to come up with a reason. A sick one. “Because he’s dead, and you might want the thrill of murdering me to honor a man who intrigued you.”
“No.” Kingston looked her straight in the eyes when he said that. “I wouldn’t do that, and I’m not responsible for the attack against you. I merely went to your place out of curiosity.”
Caroline wasn’t sure she believed that, but the problem would be finding the proof.
Maybe they’d get that with the rental car.
Jack had asked his brother, Texas Ranger Eli Slater, to assist with locating it, though she was concerned that Kingston had covered his tracks there.
Strange, though, that he hadn’t done the same track-covering at the safe house.
But then maybe he hadn’t known there’d be security cameras at the back of the property.
“Did you send Eric money the night he took Caroline hostage?” Jack asked Kingston. Obviously, he intended to press the man on more than just the attack. Of course, anything Jack found out about Kingston could give them more fodder to make an arrest.
“I did,” Kingston admitted, “but I didn’t know what he’d done. It hadn’t hit the news yet that Caroline had been taken hostage, and Eric didn’t mention it.”
Eric hadn’t. Caroline had been there for that entire call, and not once had Eric said anything about why he needed funds.
“How’d you get him the money?” Jack pressed.
“I gathered the cash. Ten grand. It was all my parents had in their safe. I put it in a bag and left it for Eric on the side of the road where he told me to leave it.”
Jack gave Kingston another dose of his lawman’s glare. “And you didn’t think it was a little strange that a person you knew or at least suspected was a serial killer would ask you for money?”
“No. I didn’t know or suspect he was a serial killer,” Kingston insisted. “That didn’t come out until later, until he escaped with Caroline.”
Maybe. But Caroline still wasn’t buying it.
“Did you get Eric a car that night, too?” Jack continued.
Caroline had to speak up on this. “No. Eric stole it. Or rather, he had me hot-wire it. It was in the driveway of a house not far from the abandoned inn where your father was killed.” She paused, stared at Kingston. “But just because you didn’t do that doesn’t make you an innocent man.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Kellan agreed before Kingston could respond.
“I need to take him to the interview room and get his statement.” He didn’t invite Jack and her to go with him.
No doubt because it would be a conflict of interest since Kingston was a suspect in their attack.
Still, Caroline wanted to hear what else the man had to say.
“There’s an observation room,” Jack told her, and they headed out of the office and toward the hall.
However, they hadn’t made it far before the front door opened again.
This time, it wasn’t a suspect who came in but Gemma.
In the blink of an eye, the past months melted away, and Caroline felt the warmth of seeing a dear friend.
Even though she figured the flashbacks would soon return, she savored the moment when Gemma rushed to her and pulled her into her arms.
“You’re okay?” Gemma muttered.
Caroline nodded. It wasn’t the total truth, but she hadn’t been physically harmed. That was what Gemma needed to know for now.
When Gemma pulled back, Caroline saw tears in her friend’s eyes. Not just from the relief of her not being injured but because her memory had returned. Gemma didn’t have to say that aloud for Caroline to know that Kellan had told her.
Jack cleared his throat to get their attention. “I’m going to the observation room. Why don’t you two talk in Jack’s office?”
Only then did Caroline remember that they were too close to the windows. Not a good idea for either one of them. Caroline hooked her arm around Gemma’s waist and got her moving.
“How much have you remembered?” Gemma asked.
“Enough.” Caroline didn’t say more until they were in the office. “I got my memory back three days ago.”
Gemma nodded. Then she sighed. Obviously, her friend didn’t understand why Caroline had kept it a secret. Heck, Gemma might not even understand after she’d explained. Still, Caroline had to try.
“Eric made a call to someone the night he took me hostage. I heard a police radio in the background. I heard someone say Longview Ridge. The caller used cop words, including dispatch codes. I know, I know,” Caroline added before Gemma could try to explain all of that away.
“It doesn’t mean Kellan’s guilty. But he could be unknowingly shielding a killer because he can’t see past his friendships or blind loyalty to the badge. ”
Much to Caroline’s surprise, Gemma didn’t dismiss that. “So you think it could be one of Kellan’s deputies? Or Jack?”
“Not Jack.” Caroline should have at least hesitated a split second. “He might have that badge blindness—” or DNA blindness, she silently added, when it came to his brothers “—but Jack doesn’t want me dead.”
Gemma was one of the best profilers that she’d ever met, and she turned those profiling eyes on Caroline. And she waited as if she knew Caroline was holding something back.
She was.
Of course, Gemma knew about her history with Jack. Knew all about Jack and her being lovers.
“I kissed Jack,” Caroline blurted out, cursing herself. She added some more curse words for Jack, too.
“And you think that was a...wise idea?” Gemma asked as if carefully choosing her words.
“No! Of course, it wasn’t. It was the worst idea in the history of bad ideas.
Someone’s trying to kill me. I don’t know who to trust, and I feel ready to unravel.
The whole time I’m feeling all of that, I’m thinking how can a man like Jack still want me when I’m like this?
” Caroline paused, steadied herself and admitted the truth.
“But he did want me. As much as I wanted him.”
Gemma sighed and took hold of her shoulders. “You can trust him. And you can trust Kellan, though I don’t expect you to just take my word for it.”
“I’m sorry I can’t take your word for it.” Caroline scrubbed her hand over her face. “I really am ready to unravel.”
“Yes, I can see that. Just be careful not to unravel in Jack’s arms.”
That sent Caroline’s gaze back to Gemma. “You can’t believe Jack would want to hurt me.”
“No, I don’t, but I think he could hurt you here.
” She tapped her fingers on Caroline’s heart.
“Hurt himself, too. Caring this much doesn’t always help.
Just take things as slow as you can. Keep your mind open.
” Gemma blinked back more tears, then smiled.
“And for Pete’s sake, quit aiming your suspicious eyes at the man I love. ”
Gemma’s smile didn’t last, though, and Caroline could see the concern return to her friend’s expression. Caroline figured she was about to get a lecture about staying safe and cooperating with Kellan and Jack, but Gemma stopped when Jack appeared in the office doorway.
“We have a visitor,” Jack said, and judging from his tone, it wasn’t someone he especially wanted to see.
Caroline moved closer to him so she could peer over his shoulder, and she saw the tall, lean man making his way toward them. Correction—not just a man, but a marshal.
Marshal Lee Zeller.
The very person that Jack hadn’t trusted enough to give them backup when the sedan was following them.
“There was no need for you to come,” Jack quickly told Zeller.
But Zeller shook his head. “I need to talk to you,” he said. “Because I think I might know who’s trying to kill Caroline.”