Chapter 37
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Carter pressed down on the accelerator, heart racing as the brick building came into view. He had been about six blocks from the VA when Taylor called with the information they had been waiting on all afternoon.
“Police are looking at Nate Raines,” Taylor said. “Works at the VA. Dropped out of medical school a couple years ago and earned his RN instead.”
“You’re sure?”
“No DNA match—that’ll take weeks. But hair seems to match, and he had access to his father’s residence where the gun was stored.”
Carter couldn’t believe the quiet young man was responsible for something so horrific. He had only met him once that he remembered, but Nate had always been reserved and polite. He had even broken up the fight between Kellerman and his father after Lucy’s funeral. “What’s the motivator?”
“Possibly money,” came Taylor’s response. “He was the medical power of attorney for Lucy after the accident. Apparently, Nate convinced his father that he was more qualified to make decisions on her behalf. According to his finances, there’s a ton of money here unaccounted for.”
Jesus. Carter swung into the parking lot and slammed the car into park, then hopped out, already jogging toward the building before the car door shut. “Headed into the VA now. I’ll call you as soon as I get Audrey and get back on the road.”
He ended the call and shoved his phone into his back pocket, hoping the churning in his gut wasn’t age-old instinct screaming that something was wrong—very wrong.
As he approached, he could see the lights were on inside, and he tentatively pushed against the door.
With little pressure, it swung inward. He choked back the urge to vomit as the smell assaulted him the moment he stepped into the lobby.
It was too distinct not to recognize, and he covered his mouth with one hand.
His gut roiled with nausea, worry twisting it into knots as he crept forward.
The body was partially concealed by the hallway that ran perpendicular to the lobby, and fear clutched at his throat as his gaze landed on the pair of legs twisted at an awkward angle.
He paused mid-stride and shoved his hands into his hair.
Oh, God. What if it was Audrey? What would he do?
The despair that crashed over him was almost crippling in its intensity, and his heart hammered against his ribs.
He stood frozen for several long seconds before forcing his feet to move. He had to look—he had to know.
Throat thick with fear, he crept forward, already palming his phone in one hand.
As he neared, two things became apparent.
The first was that the woman, whoever she was, wasn’t Audrey.
He nearly cried at the relief that rushed through him.
The second thing he noticed was the blood staining the carpet and the gunshot wound that had ripped a hole in her torso.
She was beyond saving. Which raised his next question—how long ago had she been shot, and by whom?
Taking a deep breath to try to slow the rapid pace of his heart, he tuned his ears to his surroundings. All was still. Pulling his phone from his back pocket, he quickly brought up his messaging screen and tapped in both Mason and Knox’s names, keeping it brief and succinct.
Carter: At VA. One dead. No sign of Audrey yet.
Oh, God. What if Nate had gotten to her? He threw a look at the woman at his feet, praying that she was the only victim here. He prayed that he wasn’t too late, that Audrey wasn’t lying in one of the offices off the long hallway, gasping her last breath. He needed to find her—now.
Tucking his phone away, he pulled his Glock from the holster at his lower back, then slipped his finger forward to the trigger guard and held it low as he quietly made his way forward.
He knew that Knox would call in the woman’s murder, so he didn’t bother to contact the police.
He also didn’t want to draw any attention to his presence if the killer was still here.
He peeked in each doorway he came to, but each room remained dark and empty.
About halfway down the hall, he spotted something lying on the floor.
As he drew closer, he realized it was a scalpel.
Blood stained the blade, and he sucked in a breath when he glanced in the open doorway of the supply closet.
The shelving unit inside was skewed, as if someone had knocked it over, and materials had been spilled all over the floor.
He peeked around the doorjamb, but the room—like the others—was devoid of life. He quickly cleared the rest of the floor, but whoever had been here was long gone. Part of him was relieved; the other part was ready to jump out of his skin at what that might mean. Where was Audrey?
He dialed Knox, who answered on the first ring, no preamble. “What did you find?”
“Not a soul here, other than the dead woman.” Frustration seeped into his tone. “Any word of Nate yet?”
“Not yet.”
Carter didn’t like the way Knox said it, and he immediately went on attack. “We need to find him—both of them. What if he has her?” He couldn’t help the hysteria rising up, threatening to choke him.
“We’ll find her.” Knox’s voice was firm, confident. “Taylor’s cross-checking everything, and the police are checking Nate’s known residences. We’ll find her one way or another.”
The sound of approaching sirens drew closer, and Carter tucked the Glock in his waistband as he made his way toward the door. “Police are here. I’m headed back your way as soon as I’m done here. Find her.”
He didn’t bother to wait for an answer before he hung up and stowed his phone in his back pocket. He was already waiting, hands in front of him when the police entered the building. He recognized one of the cops from a few days ago, and the officer gave him an appraising nod. “You found the body?”
“Yes, sir.” Carter explained how he had come to pick Audrey up and found the woman dead. “I’ve got my concealed carry on me, so you can check ballistics.”
The officer nodded, jotting down the information as Carter relayed it to him. “I’m worried he has her.”
The cop eyed him shrewdly. “We’re examining each lead, and we’ll do our best—”
Carter was already shaking his head. Sometimes the best just wasn’t good enough. The police were bound by policy and red tape—but he wasn’t. “I’m telling you—he has her. He’s—”
His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he met the detective’s steely gaze. “Can I get that?”
The officer dipped his chin, and Carter slowly reached back to retrieve it. Knox’s name flashed on the screen, and hope flared in his chest as he swiped his thumb over the screen. “News?”
“Police are checking his house now, as well as the home where Lucy had been staying. Taylor also found an old trailer registered to Peter Raines—Nate’s paternal grandfather.”
They would search the obvious places first, the places Nate frequented. They couldn’t waste time running off to check every little thing with no evidence.
“Where?” The officer rattled off the location, and Carter’s gut twisted even as he prayed he was wrong. It was an isolated area, private and secluded—perfect to carry out a murder. “I’ll meet you there.”
He hung up with Knox the same time the detective’s phone rang. “Am I free to go?”
The officer held the phone away from his ear as he spoke to Carter. “We’ll be in contact if we need anything.”
Carter left the building at a dead run before the officer had finished speaking. They were going to find her one way or the other. He just prayed it wouldn’t be too late.