Chapter Six #2
Jack wasn’t ruling out that all of those events could be connected, but some of the pieces didn’t have obvious fits.
Kingston, for one. There was nothing to prove he was involved in the sex trafficking.
For that matter, Caroline wasn’t connected to it, either.
Unless, of course, all of this went back to Eric.
Maybe Eric had been working with the sex trafficker, and now the person or people behind that wanted to tie up loose ends.
If someone thought Caroline was a loose end, that would be motive for the attack.
Zeller checked his watch again and moved as if to leave, but then he stopped and looked at Caroline. “Did you really get your memory back?”
Jack couldn’t tell if that was a good guess or if Zeller had heard that from Teagan.
“Some of it,” Caroline said.
As answers went, it was a darn good one. Evasive but also probing, because Jack was pretty sure Caroline was studying Zeller to gauge his reaction. However, Zeller didn’t give them a chance to study much of anything. He turned away, heading for the door.
“Good,” Zeller told her from over his shoulder. “I’ll keep you both posted if I find out anything more about Lily.”
Caroline and Jack stood there and watched as he left. “What do you think Zeller really wanted?” she asked.
Despite his bone-weary fatigue and frustration, Jack nearly smiled. He’d forgotten just how sharp Caroline could be and how she tended to think like a cop.
Or a criminal.
“I’m not sure,” Jack said, “but it felt like a fishing expedition with some mud throwing for good measure. Don’t worry. I don’t trust him.”
The slight sound she made seemed to be approval, but when she dodged his gaze, Jack stepped in front of her, forcing eye contact. Not very smart, considering the last time he’d done that they’d ended up kissing, but he wanted to see what was going on in the depths of her cool green eyes.
Plenty was going on.
Like him, she was tired and a little unsteady. Riled, too. She’d been through so much already and didn’t deserve another attempt to murder her. Worse, Jack couldn’t guarantee her that there wouldn’t be another attack. Which was why he had to take precautions: losing her again wasn’t an option.
He hadn’t meant for his gaze to stay locked with hers.
Also hadn’t meant for the regret about the attack and then the heat to creep into his expression.
Of course, with Caroline there was always heat, so it was hard not to have it playing into things.
Impossible for her not to pick up on it, either.
“I can’t kiss you again,” she insisted. Then she huffed. “Well, I could, but I’m asking you to back off. I need room to breathe. Time to think.”
Jack immediately stepped back, giving her that space and nearly smiling again when it seemed as if she was disappointed that another kiss hadn’t happened.
But she was right. They definitely needed some thinking time on this.
Better yet, this called for some concentration coupled with plenty of detective work.
He scrubbed his hand over his face, dragged in a breath and started laying out some things.
“Kellan should have enough probable cause on Kingston to get a look at his financials. That’s a start.
Also, I can arrange to have Kingston’s friends interviewed just to see how deep his obsession with Eric went. ”
Caroline nodded. “I can help. Not by hacking into Kingston’s bank records,” she quickly added when he scowled at her.
“But I can call the various research assistants that Gemma and I worked with and see if they remember anyone other than Kingston coming in with Eric. It’s possible Kingston had some help if he put this attack together. ”
True, and searching for that might help Caroline keep her mind off the flashbacks and the panic attacks.
“What about Zeller?” she asked. “Is there any chance you can get into his financials?”
“Slim to none, with what I have on him. Which is nothing.” Jack paused. “But he’s not the only one who can talk to Lily and others at New Beginnings. Maybe Lily can shed some light on why Zeller has her in his sights for a whole boatload of felonies, including coming after you.”
“I’d like to hear what she has to say. And no, I don’t recall Eric mentioning anything about the sex trafficking, but he did have contact with a lot of bad people.
Stupid, gullible people that he could charm into doing what he wanted,” she added.
“Look at what Kingston was willing to do for him. Maybe there are others who overlap with Lily, Eric and Kingston.”
It was one of those angles that had to be checked out, but it would also be a big time suck. Jack was worried that time wasn’t on Caroline’s and his side right now. The person who’d attacked her would almost certainly come after her again.
He was about to suggest they go to the observation room to watch the rest of Kingston’s interview, but Jack spotted his brother Eli coming in through the front door.
Jack also saw Caroline stiffen, and he didn’t have to guess why.
She didn’t have faith in his Texas Ranger brother because in her mind, Eli could also be connected to that phone call Eric had made a year ago.
Eli made a beeline toward them, glancing first at Jack before his attention lingered a moment on Caroline. Eli lifted an eyebrow. “You got your memory back, but you don’t know who killed our father.”
It wasn’t a question. Nor was it especially sympathetic. But then, Eli wasn’t known for his soft touch. His recent engagement had given him a sunnier outlook, but it didn’t appear that he was going to spread any of that sunshine Caroline’s way.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wish I did know who killed him, because I would tell you. I also wish that I could trust you, but I don’t.”
Eli kept his attention on Caroline, studying her, before he shrugged.
“Understood. But if you remember anything about me, you know I don’t do things half-assed.
If I’d actually helped Eric, I wouldn’t have let a hostage overhear a conversation I’d had with him.
A conversation that could have come back to bite me.
That’s just an FYI,” he added in a growl before he turned back to Jack.
What Eli had said was true. He wasn’t the sort to leave stones unturned or loose threads untied. Jack just wished his brother had tried to give Caroline a little more reassurance. She was already spooked, and none of them wanted her slipping into a panic mode.
But Caroline didn’t panic. She simply nodded in response to Eli. So maybe that was progress. Soon, though, she’d need to trust all the Slater lawmen because they were her best shot at staying alive.
“I found the rental car,” Eli threw out there, causing both Jack and Caroline to turn to him. “It was on an old ranch trail less than a mile from where you were attacked. No one was in it, but the CSIs will go through it.”
Good. Finally, there was news that Jack wanted to hear. He hadn’t expected the shooter to still be with the vehicle, but maybe the person had left fingerprints or trace evidence behind.
“There’s a second set of fresh tire tracks on the trail,” Eli went on. “Either the shooter had stashed another vehicle there so he could use it to getaway or else someone was waiting there for them.”
A partner. Yeah. Jack had considered that, too, though he was hoping the person was working alone.
“Can we get the model of the second vehicle from the tire tracks?” Jack asked.
“CSI will try, but it’s the longest of long shots. They said it was a common tread.”
Okay, so they likely wouldn’t get much from that. Still, there was another angle on this. “Who rented that sedan?” Jack asked.
“Brad Smith,” Eli immediately answered.
It was a common enough name, and judging from Caroline’s headshake, it didn’t ring any bells for her. Jack took out his phone to start a search on the man.
“Smith reserved the rental car online, but he had a valid credit card in that name,” Eli went on. “It was one of those deals where Smith used a code the rental company gave him and used it to get the car from a specific spot on the lot.”
“In other words, Smith didn’t have face-to-face contact with a clerk,” Jack concluded.
Eli confirmed that with a nod. “The rental company has security surveillance cameras in the lot where the vehicles are kept, and they’ve agreed to turn over the feed to us. They’re emailing copies here and to the Ranger lab.”
Jack was glad the rental car company was cooperating, but he was betting how this would play out.
Smith—or whoever the hell he really was—likely knew there’d be cameras and had probably worn a disguise.
Heck, a ball cap could have obscured his face.
Still, they’d be able to get height and build, which in turn might give them something they could use against Kingston.
Well, it would if Smith matched Kingston’s description.
“There’s more,” Eli said, and this time his tone had a darker edge to it. He made eye contact with Jack. “I had the Ranger lab do a deep run on all the Brad Smiths in the area, and something interesting came up.”
“I’m listening,” Jack grumbled when Eli hesitated.
And even with that prompt, Eli hesitated some more.
A muscle jerked hard in his jaw. “Brad Smith was an alias that came up in an investigation a few years ago. Another sex-trafficking ring that wasn’t connected to Dad’s case.
But according to the file notes, Smith was actually an undercover marshal. ”
Hell. Jack knew how this was about to play out, and he finished what Eli had been about to say. “Brad Smith is Lee Zeller.”