Chapter Fifty-Two
“Detective Braddock is here,” Edward announced.
CJ looked up from her work. Her host waited near the French doors. Her heart thumped at hearing Braddock’s name. “Okay. Thanks.”
She set her notes aside and stood. She’d escaped to the sunporch to think. To try to make sense of all this tragedy. She’d made a list of all the victims and how they were tied to Nash as well as what he might have hoped to gain by eliminating each of those victims.
As she entered the long hall leading to the front of the house with Edward, he hesitated. “Will you be all right?”
She couldn’t help smiling at the worry etched across his face.
He was still fretting about her going to the party on Dubose Street tonight.
He insisted he would have gone with her had he not already been obligated to attend the library’s board meeting.
He didn’t want her out of his sight. He was as bad as Braddock.
“I’ll be fine. Detective Braddock may have news about the investigation. Hopefully this will all be over soon.”
“Very well. I’ll be in my library.”
CJ hurried through the den and entry hall. Braddock waited in the parlor. The urge to run into his arms was nearly overwhelming. “You have news?” Maybe the killer had finally screwed up and left evidence at the scene of his latest murder.
“Unfortunately not.” Braddock shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “I just came by to check on you.”
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, she noticed that Cooper waited in Braddock’s car. “You’re on your way somewhere?”
“We’re working on rounding up Nash for questioning.”
CJ moved a few steps closer to him. “You still believe Tyrone is the killer?” She knew he’d killed Celeste. But the others . . . she wasn’t so sure. She kept trying to connect the dots, but the puzzle wasn’t coming together.
“I don’t think he is.” Braddock shook his head.
“But the chief and the mayor are determined to nail someone for these murders, particularly since the Cost family is . . .” He shrugged.
“Well, the Cost family. He wants this wrapped up. If Cooper and I don’t find Nash first, he may end up dead no matter who finds him. ”
“Oh.” CJ knew all too well how the politics of any organized situation worked.
She dealt with that in the hospital. The first cop to spot Nash the suspect was either going in or going down.
She understood that as well. Without Nash to question, they might never know the truth.
“You’ll keep me up to speed on what’s going on? ”
“I will. That’s part of the reason I stopped by. I need you to promise me that you’ll stay right here. No going out for anything. You’re safe here. Abbott has a state-of-the-art security system, and I doubt that he’ll take his eyes off you for more than an instant at any given time.”
A frown furrowed its way across her forehead. “You think I have reason to be afraid? I mean, if it’s not Nash, why would I be in danger?”
He closed the final steps between them, took her by the arms, and peered down at her with such earnestness that her chest constricted.
“I don’t believe these murders are about the victims or anything they did or didn’t do.
I think this whole thing is about you . .
. somehow. I need you to promise me you won’t do anything hotheaded. ”
“I’ll stay here.” She braced for his reaction.
“Except the women on Dubose Street are having a celebration for Shelley and Celeste tonight. I promised I would stop by.” Before he could argue, she offered, “I thought maybe Jenkins could go with me. He can come inside and stay right next to me if that will make you more comfortable.”
Braddock shook his head. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to be outside this house at all.”
CJ rested her hands on his arms. “If this is about me, as you suggest, the killer will try to get to me no matter where I am. Look at Carter. He was locked away inside his home in a gated community and the killer still got to him. I have to do this, Braddock. It’s important to me.”
He exhaled a heavy breath. “All right. But Jenkins will be armed, and you aren’t to leave his sight. We’ve got two uniforms watching Nash’s house, so they’ll be close by as well.”
CJ nodded. “Thank you.”
Braddock hugged her, then kissed her forehead. “I’ll check in with you every couple of hours. There will be a cruiser out front. And Jenkins is on the porch.”
She nodded.
Then he kissed her lips. One of those slow, sweet kisses he was so good at.
She wanted this investigation over.
For the first time she wanted a real life. And she wanted this man to be a part of it. On what level, she didn’t know just yet. But she wasn’t letting go of what felt like a good thing.
One her sister had recognized way before CJ had.
Maybe there were a few things CJ could learn from her sister’s life.
Live for the present . . . not the future.