Chapter Nine #3
Yes, it was. But then it was just as likely that Nicola had struck out on her own to try to investigate something she should have left to the badges.
Of course, in this case, maybe the badge was what had gotten her into trouble if she’d inadvertently mentioned something to Zeller that made him believe she was some kind of threat.
Perhaps Nicola had even known something about his involvement in the sex trafficking.
But if so, Jack had no proof of that.
“Look, I feel like dirt over what happened to her,” Zeller went on. “She seemed like a good kid, and she was killed. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t have anything to do with that. She’s still dead.”
Either Zeller was telling it the way it was, or else he was darn good at putting on an act. If Zeller was feeling guilty, maybe that was the bad vibe Jack was picking up on and it had nothing to do with being dirty.
This time, it was Jack who took a deep breath. “Just cool your heels for a while. I’ll need an official statement from you about Nicola, but for now I have to observe another interview.”
“Lily,” Zeller quickly supplied. “I heard about the warrant to get the file of the missing woman.”
Of course, he had. There wasn’t much of a chance of keeping a warrant a secret, and Zeller likely had his ear to the ground to hear anything going on with the investigation. Jack couldn’t fault him for that. If their positions had been reversed, he would be doing the same thing.
“I want to be in on Lily’s interview,” Zeller insisted.
“I’m sure you do, but it’s not going to happen.” Jack considered telling Zeller that he could watch from the observation room, but Caroline would be in there, and Jack didn’t want the marshal near her. “I’ll ask Kellan to copy you on the report he writes up after he talks to Lily.”
Zeller huffed. “We’re on the same side here, Jack. I know you don’t believe that.” He shot Caroline a nasty glance, no doubt to remind her that she was the reason for the mistrust. But Jack had had his doubts about Zeller before Caroline had voiced any.
“You’ll get the report if Kellan agrees,” Jack emphasized. “That’s the best I can do right now.”
Obviously, that wasn’t enough in Zeller’s opinion.
He turned on his heels and stormed out. Jack didn’t mind the fit of temper.
It was better than the alternative of having Zeller linger around and upset Caroline even more.
Jack could practically see the jangled nerves all over her face, but he would need to speak to Zeller again.
Would need to make it official that Zeller had neglected to mention the conversation he’d had with a woman who had ended up murdered.
When Kellan tipped his head toward the interview room, Jack and Caroline followed him there. Jack intended to leave Caroline in observation while he conducted the interview with Kellan. But before they could even start, Lily came out, with her lawyer trailing right behind her.
“Are you really trying to get a warrant to get into my computer files?” Lily demanded, and she aimed that at Jack. There was fire in her eyes and raw anger in her voice.
“Yes, Kellan and I are,” Jack confirmed. He didn’t want Lily including Caroline in on the venom.
Lily made a sound of outrage and batted away her lawyer, who tried to whisper something in her ear. “You have no right!” And this time, she directed her anger solely at Jack. “I’m trying to help women who’ve been violated.”
“If that’s all you’re doing, then having us look at your files shouldn’t be a problem.” In contrast, Jack kept his voice calm.
Clearly, it was a problem for Lily, because every muscle in her face tightened in rage. “I’ll stop you. So help me, I’ll stop you.”
“Under the circumstances, my client and I need to reschedule this interview,” the lawyer said.
Jack considered nixing any rescheduling, but he rethought that.
Maybe it would be best to speak to Lily after the warrant had come through and they’d done a computer search.
That way, they might have some ammunition they could use to get her to confess to any wrongdoings going on at New Beginnings.
Of course, it was possible for Lily to successfully fight the warrant.
That had been known to happen, but if she managed it, that would make her look as if she were hiding something.
“Tomorrow morning,” Jack finally said. “Be back here at nine.”
That should give them plenty of time to press for the warrant and start searching through the files. He had no idea how many women were actually in the facility or had been there, but the search might take a while.
And it was something Caroline could help them with.
He’d likely run into some protest from Kellan on that, but Jack understood that Caroline needed to be part of this.
She should have a hand in helping eliminate the threat to both of them.
Besides, Caroline would get through those files a lot faster than Kellan, he or the techs they could get to work on it.
Lily certainly didn’t thank Jack for rescheduling. As Zeller had done, she hightailed it out of there, leaving the anger still vibrating in the air.
“I’d better push on that warrant,” Kellan muttered, taking out his phone again. As he’d done with the other call, he stepped into the squad room.
“I’m okay,” Caroline told Jack before he could even ask. “Really,” she added when he gave her a flat look. She sighed and pushed her hair from her face. “I just want answers. I want the person who attacked us behind bars.”
“That’s my top priority,” he said, though that was one of those half-truths similar to the one he’d told Zeller.
Finding the person responsible and keeping Caroline safe and sane went hand in hand.
But Jack knew that once that happened, it wouldn’t be the end of things.
Caroline still had to recover from the ordeal that Eric had put her through.
She’d need time to deal not only with that but also with her feelings for him.
And she did have feelings. No doubts about that.
But Jack suspected that was the last thing she wanted to sort out right now.
“Sorry I dragged you in here,” Jack told her.
Caroline lifted her shoulder. “You didn’t get to do the interview, but we still learned some things. Both Lily and Zeller are scared. Maybe they’re that way only because of the damage something like this can do to their reputations, but they’re scared.”
Oh, yeah. And Jack liked that because it could perhaps cause them to make a mistake. It could also make them dangerous. If one of them had indeed run the sex-trafficking ring and murdered Nicola, then there was nothing they’d hesitate to do to cover their tracks.
Because getting caught could lead to the death penalty.
“If Lily tries to delete or hide computer files, we can arrest her,” Jack explained. “Ditto if Zeller tries to cover up the unreported contact he had with Nicola.”
Of course, neither of those things would be a direct link to the attack, but it could open a door or two. Right now, Jack would settle for a sliver of an opening.
He was about to suggest that Caroline and he go back to his place to work, but before he could say anything, his phone rang. Jack frowned when Unknown Caller popped up on the screen.
Hell, what now?
He hit the answer button, and while hoping that whatever he was about to hear didn’t give them another dose of bad news, he put the call on Speaker. “Marshal Jack Slater,” he answered.
Jack didn’t care much for the long silence that followed, but he finally heard a woman’s voice. “Marshal, you’ve been trying to get in touch with me. I’m Grace Wainwright. I understand you have some questions for me.”
Well, he certainly hadn’t expected Kingston’s friend, and the former resident of New Beginnings, to return his call. Jack had figured he’d have to track her down.
“Yes, I have questions,” he verified. “What can you tell me about an attack that took place yesterday near Longview Ridge?”
Since it was a direct question, he thought maybe she would dodge it. She didn’t. “Unfortunately, I know more about it than I should.” Grace sighed, and it sounded both heavy and weary. “Marshal Slater, there are some things you need to know about Caroline Moser.”