Chapter 14 #2
“Oh, please. Laurel needs somebody as intellectual as her to keep her interested. She shouldn’t have to dumb herself down every second.
You two started a formal life because of the baby, and the baby no longer exists.
You need to let her find someone who can challenge her and keep her entertained.
While you’re good-looking and no doubt fit, those attributes don’t last forever. ”
There was enough truth in her statement that his temper began to spiral, and he forced it down.
Ruthlessly. “Dr. Caine, the last person in the world I’d seek dating advice from is you.
Let’s stick to who wants you dead. Is there anybody in your past besides these men?
” He took a quick glance at the sheet of paper and noticed a notation. “You were married. Very briefly.”
“It was a bit of a fling,” she said with a careless shrug.
Huck read the name again and then whistled. The guy was a venture capitalist, well-known, probably worth a few billion dollars.
“Yes. Let’s just say my divorce settlement was rather lovely,” Abigail said with a smug tilt of her chin.
“Unbelievable.” Huck shook his head. “Well, he could afford a sniper.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, he doesn’t want me dead. He’d love to get back together.”
Huck almost believed her. The kind of man with that much money didn’t need to hire a sniper to make his problems disappear and would probably just bury them under piles of cash. “Do you have any known enemies at the church?”
“Not really.” Abigail reached into her bag and pulled out several more pieces of paper. “Here are the death threats I’ve received via email. I’m sure Laurel could trace the IP addresses.”
“So can the state,” Huck said. “We’re keeping the cases separate.”
Her eyes widened, voice pitching up with genuine disbelief. “Why? Both my sister and I were attacked within a day of each other.”
“If so,” Huck said, “that leads to the only real connection between you, and that’s the church and your father. Did he have any close friends? Anybody who would kill for him?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
There had to be more victims out there. “How about women other than Uma Carrington?”
“He dated many,” Abigail said, shaking her head. “Several in the church, but Pastor John would know more about that than I would.”
Zeke Caine had taken off on some supposed sabbatical, and nobody had been able to trace him except to a small community in Arizona. “Where has he been this last year?” Huck asked.
“I truly don’t know,” Abigail admitted. “But it’s not something I cared about. As you know, I did not want him to return home, especially once I discovered Laurel.”
Huck had other state officers digging into Zeke Caine. They were working angles Huck couldn’t cover himself, reaching out to local precincts, running Caine’s name through databases, tracking anything from cheap motel receipts to social media pings.
He’d also obtained a warrant for Zeke Caine’s financial and phone records, making sure it would be executed by Washington State authorities, wherever the trail led. The report probably wouldn’t come in for a few days, but Huck had patience. Sort of.
“I don’t suppose you want to talk about the night you killed your father?” Huck kept his tone casual.
Her smile was catlike. “I don’t suppose I do. I’m fully willing to cooperate to figure out who shot at me. However, since you’re trying to put me in prison for defending myself, I’ll not discuss that other matter with you. Besides, you know I can’t without my attorney present.”
“I’m surprised your attorney isn’t here.” Huck eyed her closely. Abigail Caine was a true narcissist and probably didn’t think she needed her lawyer.
“Oh, no. I wasn’t going to pay him nine hundred dollars an hour to sit here and try to protect me from you. I’m perfectly capable of doing that myself.”
Yeah, that’s exactly what he thought.
She stood and stretched, the movement deliberate, drawing the material of her deep red sweater tight across her high breasts. Huck kept his gaze above her neck. Abigail played games. He didn’t.
She turned, gaze flicking toward the corner of the room. “Oh, I didn’t even see him. Cute little puppy sleeping there.”
Of course she had. Huck knew without a doubt that Abigail Caine missed nothing. Aeneas looked up, his sharp, dark eyes locking on her for a long moment before lowering back to his bed. There were very few people he wouldn’t stand and greet. She was one of them.
Huck fought down a smile. He had learned long ago to trust his dog’s instincts. Aeneas rarely misjudged people. If the dog didn’t like Abigail, there was probably a good reason. “What about your farming operation?” Huck asked. “Any enemies there?”
She tapped her lips thoughtfully, that calculated smile still in place. “I really haven’t been all that involved in it for quite a while, but I can see if we’ve received any threats. I guess a lot of people don’t like pot farming, even in Washington State.”
“I can ask Pastor John when I interview him later today as well,” Huck said.
Abigail and the pastor owned a successful marijuana growing operation together, one of the more surprising facts he’d uncovered.
It was also where she made much of her income.
“I know you’ve conducted experiments on participants that have pushed them to violence.
I’m not looking to arrest you for that .
. . yet. But I need a list of every single one of your subjects. ”
Her smile didn’t so much as flicker. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Captain. As you know, patient confidentiality is paramount, even if the files weren’t destroyed, which they were.”
Huck’s eyes narrowed. “All right. Then give me the name of anyone who would possibly want you dead.”
“I would if there were any.” She sounded cheerful, almost playful. “You have to remember, Jason Abbott didn’t want me dead.”
“Not until the very end when he unraveled,” Huck countered. She’d really fucked with that guy’s head until he started killing women. “For too long, he wanted to kill everybody except you.”
“Well, he certainly came around on that point,” Abigail said with a wry smile. “And now he’s dead.”
“If you have other enemies out there, you need to tell me who they are.”
Abigail straightened and moved toward the door, her chin tilted in that superior way Huck had come to associate with her worst moods. “Captain, the biggest enemy I have in this life right now is you.”