Chapter Twenty-Two #2
“No, he’s an adult now and has to be held accountable for his crimes.
The TBI may be contributing to his rage, but he’s been so deliberate about all this.
He’s followed you, listened to you, and murdered people while making sure he hasn’t left behind any clues that point back to himself.
That indicates he’s aware of right and wrong.
We can ask his aunt or anyone who knows him well if he saw that photo of you and the child and what his reaction was to it.
We’ll find out if he was ranting or posting on social media.
If he had a manifesto. We’ll look at all of that. ”
“Do…” Her swallow was audible. “Do we have to go to Sarasota to ask these questions?”
“I might. You won’t.”
“Thank you. I still get anxiety when I go back. I go for holidays to see my family but it’s hard.” She stiffened. “My family. I need to call them. Right now.”
He didn’t think she needed to call them right now because it was still early in the morning even in Florida, but he offered his phone, as she’d left hers on the kitchen table. “You can use mine.”
“They might not answer a number they don’t know.”
“Try. If they don’t pick up, I’ll get your phone.” He didn’t want to get up. Didn’t want to let her go.
She paused before punching in the number. “Don’t you need to call your boss?”
“I called him right after Sara called me. We’ve got a new BOLO out. Like I said, I told him that I got an anonymous tip. If he suspects that it came from Sara, he didn’t let on.”
“Wait. You never finished telling me how Sara figured out Ashton’s identity.”
“Like I was saying, after she found him in the airport footage, she ran his photo against the Florida DMV database. She got a match with Ashton’s photo before his accident.
He was younger but the eyes don’t change.
Sara said their program was very precise, maybe more so than the one we use in the sheriff’s office. ”
“She’s probably right.”
“She said her heart stopped when she saw the guy’s real name on his driver’s license.
She knew exactly who he was to you. She called me right away.
I drove straight here. We also got a hit on the surveillance footage at one of the gas stations so we know what credit card he’s using.
It’s his Bradley Albertson alias. Howard got a transaction report and we know where he’s been eating, but he hasn’t used the card at any of the local hotels. ”
“He could be camping like the Millers.”
“Or he could have multiple credit cards. We’ll keep looking.”
“Okay.” She drew a breath and let it out. “I have to be calm when I call my folks. My parents will freak if I’m upset.”
“I’m here.”
She smiled up at him, a tentative thing. “Thank you.”
He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her so bad.
Bad idea.
He no longer cared.
Lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers. Just a small kiss. But she hummed, contented, and he went in for another.
Her mouth was soft and lush and she kissed him back like she wanted it as much as he did. He’d planned to keep it chaste, but something in him snapped and all the want from the past weeks rushed in. The kiss became frantic and wild and…wonderful. He wanted more.
He wanted everything.
He froze when he realized his hand was covering her breast. It felt so natural there. So right.
But this wasn’t the time. When they were free, he wouldn’t hold back, but now he pulled away before he succumbed to the temptation to take more.
She stared at him, panting, her brown eyes dark with arousal. “There are cameras in this house. Penny told us they were only pointed at the doors, but the audio…”
“I turned them off when I came in.”
“Why?”
“Because I figured this news would hurt you and you deserved privacy for whatever reaction you had.”
Her smile bloomed, no longer tentative. “That was so sweet. And now I think I can talk to my parents without them thinking they have to get on the next flight to San Francisco.”
She dialed and put it on speaker. It rang several times, and Ronan thought he was going to have to get up to get her phone, when a male voice answered sleepily.
“If this is a spam call—” he started.
“Dad, it’s me,” she interrupted.
“Elle? What the hell?” All sleepiness disappeared from his voice. “Why are you calling from another phone? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Truly fine. I needed to talk to you urgently and my phone is in another room. I need to warn you about something, and I couldn’t sleep until I did.”
“Wait. Let me wake up your mother.”
“I’m awake,” a woman said. “Ellie’s okay?”
“She says she is. Ellie?”
“Okay. First, I’m not alone, so you don’t have to worry. I have police protection.”
“What?” both her parents shouted at the same time. “Why?” her father added.
“You never should have taken that job with Sara,” her mother fretted.
“That’s probably true,” Elle conceded. “I’m with Detective Clarke and you’re on speaker, just so you know.”
“Clarke,” her father said. “You called the department here in Sarasota. Bellinger told me.”
“I thought he might,” Ronan said mildly. “Your daughter is not a suspect, sir.”
“Well, of course she isn’t,” he blustered.
“My father, David Randolph, and my mother, Summer Randolph.”
Ronan blinked. Summer? Really? For a Florida woman? “Um, nice to meet you.”
Elle’s lips twitched. “Mom was born in California. Her mother was kind of a flower child. Went to Berkeley, both of them.”
“So you did, too,” Ronan said with a smile.
“For law school, yes.”
“Ellie?” Summer said warily. “Who is this man?”
“The detective on the case we’ve been working together. After it’s finished…I don’t know. We’ll have to see.”
“Hm,” her father grunted. “Tell us why you’re calling at seven-thirty a.m. I haven’t had coffee yet.”
So Elle told them everything. Her parents were admirably silent until she finished.
Ronan didn’t think he would have been so serene if Penny were telling him this story.
“So what happens next?” her father asked, sounding very tense.
“We keep looking for him, sir,” Ronan said. “We’re getting closer.”
“I’ll look into the boy as well,” her father said. “I know a few people who can get you information.”
“Thank you,” Ronan said. “I appreciate it.”
“Thank you,” her mother said softly. “For not letting her be alone right now. Ellie, are you okay?”
“No,” Elle said honestly. “I’m…I don’t even have words for what I am right now.”
“ ‘Guilty’ should not be a word you use,” her father directed.
“Thanks, Dad, but that’s not easy.”
“Is Sara there?” her mother asked.
“No, she went home. Felicia had the baby.” A small smile curved her lips. “Josephine Hazel. Healthy and gorgeous. But Alexis is here,” she added. “She’s staying with me.”
“She’s a good girl, too,” her mother said. “Detective Clarke, do you have a first name?”
“It’s Ronan, ma’am.”
“Ronan. Well, you keep my daughter safe.”
“I will.”
“I’m holding you to that,” her mother said. “Elle, please tell me you’re quitting that bounty hunter job.”
“Yes, Mom. I’m quitting.” Something that sounded like a sob came through the phone. “Mom?”
“I’ve just been so worried. I worried that every time the phone rang it would be Sara telling me that you were hurt. Or worse.”
Elle seemed stunned. “I’m sorry, Mom. You never said anything.”
“It’s your life, baby. You’re an adult. I can’t tell you what to do. But I’m so glad that job with its danger is behind you now.”
Not yet, Ronan thought. But it would be soon. He’d make sure of it.
“We should let you go,” her father said gruffly. “Be careful and call us whenever you need us.”
“I will. I’ll let you get back to sleep now.”
“Like that’s gonna happen,” her father grumbled. “It’s time to get up anyway. But I’m glad you called. I hate to find out you’ve made headlines by seeing the damn headlines.”