Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
He’d done it again. Let his mouth get ahead of his brain.
Colton winced at the stricken look on Mrs. Hudson’s face when she returned to the table. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have been that hard on her.”
She dabbed at her cheeks with her cloth napkin. “No, please. Don’t apologize. I agree with you. She needs to tell you everything. Tell all of us everything.”
Riley’s grandfather regarded him with eyes creased with concern. “I had no idea it had come to this. Please do whatever you have to do to keep our girl safe.”
“Yes. Please, take care of my daughter.”
“That’s exactly my plan, Mrs. Hudson.”
“Please, call me Candace.” She pushed her plate away. It appeared Hilda’s stellar breakfast would go unfinished.
“Candace. I’ll take care of her.”
Mr. Hudson shook his head. “Why is this happening? When she’s done nothing but help people her entire life? Is it because of me? Our money? Is it because of some business deal I was a part of that somebody wasn’t happy with? Why is this happening?”
“I wish I could tell you, Mr. Hudson.”
“You can call me Drew. I think it’s appropriate we’re on a first-name basis since it appears you may be living under my roof indefinitely.”
It certainly did. From his first day on this gig, Colton had hoped nothing else would happen, proving the attack had been isolated, and he could salvage some of his holiday vacation time. With this new information, the stakes had been raised. Everything in him said her life was on the line.
“Drew. I wish I could tell you why this was happening. If we had the motive, we’d be closer to nailing this guy.”
“You think it’s one person and not more?”
“With the threatening notes—and, if it’s the same person, the guy trying to grab her—it reads like a stalker. One guy. But is it someone who simply saw her and became infatuated? Is it someone she went up against in court? Is it because she’s a Hudson? We need to know more.”
“And, of course, convincing my daughter to stay in is a futile effort.”
Colton knew that all too well. Tech Ops had been working on next week’s schedule since Thursday.
The bathroom door opening pulled his attention to the arched entry from the dining room to the living area. But Riley never appeared. “I should check on her to apologize. If you’ll excuse me.”
Candace nodded. “Of course. Although you owe no apology for being honest.”
He put his napkin next to his plate and stood. An apology was definitely in order, but he needed to know what happened in those green eyes after his not-so-gentle reprimand. She’d gone somewhere. In her mind. Somewhere that scared her.
He needed to know where. What she saw or heard. What had literally made her sick.
After taking his plate and glass to the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed back through the formal living room to the main staircase.
He’d taken three steps up when, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted her sitting in the family room, her legs curled up under her and a pillow clutched to her stomach as she stared into the fireplace.
Not wanting to startle her or interrupt her thoughts, wherever they may be, he walked to the mantel and stood in silence.
Her focus never left the tall flames, as if she wasn’t even aware of his presence.
The heat from the fire warmed his jeans-clad legs, and his sweatshirt bearing the Petersen logo would probably carry the smoky aroma of burning logs the rest of the day.
“Riley, I apologize if I—”
“He knew me.”
He inclined his head. “What?”
“He knew my name. Called me Miss Hudson. He knew me.”
Confused, he regarded her for a moment. “You’re not talking about the phone call or the cards.”
“No. The creep. Last week. It all just came back to me, but I can hear it in my head, plain as day. He knew exactly who I was.”
A chill traveled over his skin, despite the flames behind him. “That’s where you went. A few minutes ago. You’d blocked it out before, but now you remember.”
Her eyes traveled to his. “I’m sorry, Colton. I never meant to mislead anyone. I honestly didn’t remember until five minutes ago.”
The stark fear painted in the lines of her face pulled at his gut.
His natural protective instinct wanted to do everything in his power to make her feel safe again.
But the temptation to take her in his arms disconcerted him.
Certainly not standard protocol, yet in this moment, his entire body longed to do just that.
He swallowed and moved closer to kneel in front of her, handing her the bottle of water after loosening the cap.
“That’s not uncommon. A traumatic event can block a memory for days, weeks, even months.
And as much as you want to pretend you’re okay, your mind is still processing it.
It’s okay you didn’t remember until now. It’s okay to not be okay.”
She took a deep breath in. “I was so … scared. When he grabbed me. Just … panic. It all happened so fast. Afterward, I was convinced it was random. That he was waiting for a vulnerable woman to cross his path. Until you said something about all of this possibly being the same guy. That he wanted to destroy me. And I could hear him. His voice. That he used my name.”
“Did you recognize him from anywhere? A past case? Anything?”
“Not at all.”
“So, you don’t know of a reason why he might have wanted to hurt you.”
She took a swallow of water. “Only because of who I am. But he wouldn’t put me on alert by sending me notes or calling me if he planned to try again for a ransom grab.
He wouldn’t be trying to impugn my character on social media with no threat of extortion.
If he’s not after money, what’s it all about? ”
The same thought crossed his mind. If the guy was after a big payday, the smart move would be to chalk his failure up to a learning experience and move on to another target. One who hadn’t already involved the authorities.
But this guy … No, this guy was all about Riley. He couldn’t take her last week, so what was his new endgame? Take her integrity? Her reputation?
Her credibility?
But why?
And was it tied to the Shane Everett case? The notes warning her off her new project and the photo insinuating they’d been involved before Caitlyn was killed strengthened that possibility.
He stood and sat next to her on the edge of the sofa, turning toward her with his hands clasped between his knees.
“We need to call Stapleton. This changes things for them. They need to start looking more closely into who might want to hurt you personally, rather than a guy out there targeting vulnerable women. Do you have the cards here?”
“In my room.”
“I’ll bag them up to turn over to the police.”
“And I have video.”
His brows rose. “You what?”
“I requested video of the drop-offs from Security, so I’ve seen the guys who left them.”
“Wait. Guys? As in, more than one?” That wasn’t what he’d expected. He’d told her father he believed it was one person. A stalker or someone wanting to upend her life for reasons only they knew. But guys?
“Three different people. But the handwriting didn’t change, so I don’t know which one would be the author of the notes, or if any of them are and not just dupes he used to deliver them.”
“That could be.” And made much more sense than three different people being involved here. But they couldn’t assume, either. Everything was on the table now that they were aware she’d been specifically targeted.
“You have the links?”
“Yes.”
“That was good thinking, getting the video. Shoot me the links. I want to see the footage, and I’ll get it over to Detective Stapleton.”
She nodded, her haunted eyes staring into his as if she were searching for something, anything, to tell her all would be well, and soon.
If only he could make such a promise. But the truth was, even though this new information would steer the investigation in a different direction, they were no closer to identifying the person—or persons—responsible.
“I don’t know what to do.”
His thoughts stilled at her quiet voice. “You trust me, Riley. Trust that I know best. Trust that I can take care of you. That I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I do trust you.”
“Then you need to talk to me. Tell me everything. As it’s happening, not after the fact. Any weird letters, I see them immediately. Any phone calls, you give me a signal. I’m never more than a second away from you, even in your office. I’m always right outside the door.”
“I’ll tell you. I promise.”
She held his gaze, and he was powerless to look away.
She didn’t have a lick of makeup on, as she had every other time he’d been with her.
But she was no less stunning. Completely natural.
Her skin flawless, her eyes large and green, and at the moment, so filled with uncertainty, he would do anything in his power to bring back their usual sparkle.
“I’m scared, Colton.” Her whispered confession squeezed his heart. “And I don’t want to be. I don’t like to be afraid. I don’t like feeling out of control of my own life.”
“I understand. I do. But it’s probably good you’re finally scared.
Fear puts you on alert if used effectively.
Don’t let it paralyze you. Let it galvanize you.
Be ultra-aware of your surroundings, the people around you.
You can be your own best weapon in keeping yourself alive.
I’d almost rather have you a bit scared than indifferent. ”
“I’m not used to that. Being afraid. I always trust God is in control. That He’s on top of things, so I don’t need to worry. But this …” She swallowed hard. “Thinking somebody may want me dead? That’s a lot to take in. And my faith suddenly feels very small.”
He didn’t know what to say to that. Who was he to judge another’s faith after his own had shattered in the face of tragedy?
Yet from what he’d witnessed in the week he’d been with Riley, her faith was not small or weak.
Not in the slightest. Watching her lead the prayer breakfast Monday morning, then at Tuesday Bible study with her friends, the way they pored over their Bibles in the family room, then sat holding hands with heads bowed close together.
The many times over the past week he’d glanced across the backseat of the SUV to find Riley consulting the Bible app on her phone.
God clearly played a big role in her everyday life.
But she was being tested now, in a way few people ever were. Would God act?
Or would He stand back and let another young woman die?