Intrigue Books 1-6

by Delores Fossen, Rachel Lee, Carol Ericson, Tyler Anne Snell, Rita Herron

  “No, I don’t see. Spell it out for me,” Jack insisted. “What did you want to tell me about Caroline?”

  “That she’s part of this. Not the crimes. Not the murders. But she’s a part of it.”

  “All right,” Jack huffed. “Keep talking. And I’m especially interested in hearing if you helped your old buddy Kingston get to Caroline.”

  Definitely no laugh this time. “I didn’t. Is that what he told you, that I helped him?”

  “Kingston said plenty,” Jack settled for saying.

  Grace gave another heavy sigh. “Well, I didn’t give Kingston any information about anyone. Especially not Caroline. She’s in WITSEC, which would have meant me hacking into federal files.”

  Jack lifted an eyebrow. “You aren’t good enough to tap those files?” And this time he was obviously goading Grace, probably hoping to spur her into blurting out more than she intended.

  “I’m good at digging out data,” Grace answered. “I’m sure you’ve already heard that, but I wouldn’t have done something to bring the feds, or you, coming after me. Especially you. You would have hounded me to the ends of the earth to get back at me for going after your woman.”

  Your woman. So Grace knew about their relationship. Something like that wouldn’t have been hard to access, but what wouldn’t have been so easy was getting to the depths of Jack’s feelings, which would have indeed caused him to go after Grace and bring her to justice. It meant Grace had been thorough when she’d gotten whatever she had on Jack and her.

  “How did you know I was in WITSEC?” Caroline asked, knowing that it was going to earn her a scowl from Jack.

  It did.

  He obviously had wanted her to stay quiet, maybe because he thought Grace wouldn’t spill all if she knew someone else was listening, but Caroline had taken a calculated risk. There was a reason Grace had dug into their relationship. Into their situation. And she’d called Jack. Apparently, the woman had something to say.

  “Everything pointed to you being in WITSEC,” Grace explained. “When the cops found you in Longview Ridge, Eric was still alive. No way would Marshal Slater have risked Eric getting to you again, and with your head injury, WITSEC is the only thing that made sense.”

  Maybe. But it was possible that Grace had confirmed that by hacking into Justice Department files. Of course, that only led Caroline to yet more questions. Why would Grace have done that? Why was the woman so interested in her?

  “I’ve been looking into Nicola Gunderson’s murder,” Grace went on before Caroline could press her for more. “And no, I didn’t know her, but her murder grabbed my attention.” She paused. “I felt sorry for her, that she died that way.”

  Caroline looked at Jack to see if he believed that last part, but he only shrugged. It was possible what Grace was saying was true. Nicola’s death had gotten the attention of a lot of people. An attractive college student who’d been kidnapped and forced into sex trafficking, only to be murdered. Of course, the media hadn’t picked up on Zeller’s connection to Nicola.

  But did Grace know?

  Since that would be giving the woman too much information on their conversation with Zeller, Caroline kept it to herself and waited for Grace to continue. She didn’t have to wait long.

  “After Nicola’s murder and Eric’s death, I started researching the investigation,” Grace explained. “I believe whoever was running the sex trafficking got Eric to kill Nicola.”

  Caroline felt that hot tightness in her stomach. “Why do you think that?” she snapped. This time the memories came with a hefty dose of anger. Mercy, were they going to have to add another name to Eric’s list of murders?

  “Because of info I got from hacking into some files. And no, I won’t tell you specifically which ones, because if you do manage to find me, I don’t want to be arrested for it.”

  Caroline could see the debate going on in Jack’s eyes. No way could he offer Grace immunity, because hacking was a serious crime. Plus, the woman might not even be telling the truth.

  “Does the name Skylar Greer mean anything to you?” Grace asked.

  That got every bit of Caroline’s attention. Jack’s, too, because his eyes widened, then narrowed. “What about her?” Jack countered, obviously keeping his investigative cards close to the chest.

  “She was in the sex-trafficking ring, too, and was rescued,” Grace went on after a long pause. “Afterward, Skylar started asking questions and was trying to figure out who’d been running the ring.”

  Caroline didn’t think it was much of a stretch that the woman had done that while living at New Beginnings.

  “Do you know where Skylar is?” Jack asked.

  “No.” Grace didn’t hesitate before that answer. “But it’s possible she’s in hiding. I hope she is, anyway. I hope her questions didn’t get her killed.”

  Caroline hoped the same thing, and it twisted away at her to think of the worst-case scenario here. That Skylar may have been murdered by the same person responsible for taking her into the sex-trafficking ring.

  Maybe Lily or Zeller.

  Heck, maybe even Kingston. Grace had said this was all balled up together, and Kingston was definitely in the mix.

  “Do you know if Skylar saw a counselor or therapist while she was at New Beginnings?” Jack pressed, and Caroline knew why. If she had, then that should have been in the file.

  “I’m not sure. Maybe,” Grace concluded. “She was eager to turn her life around. Eager to find answers, too, and I think it was that search for the truth that maybe landed her in trouble.”

  Jack gave an impatient huff. “What did Skylar find in that search and how is all of this connected to Caroline?”

  “Again, I’m not sure what she found.” Grace hesitated. “But I believe whatever Skylar learned, someone wanted her silenced for it. And that leads me back to Caroline. If Eric did kill Nicola at the request of the person running the sex-trafficking ring, then that person might believe Eric told Caroline about it. Eric had her a long time, and he was cocky. He could have bragged to her about it.”

  Yes, Eric was cocky, but he’d never mentioned Nicola. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. Eric had only talked about his murders in a general kind of way. He’d been far more interested in taunting Caroline for not figuring out sooner that he was a serial killer. The taunts had been like an arrow to her heart because they’d been true.

  “Do you have any proof to back up what you’re saying?” Jack asked Grace.

  “None. It’s based on conversations and files that no longer exist. Someone wiped them. Someone who almost certainly wanted to cover up their crimes. I’ll leave that to you to figure out.”

  “Obviously, you wanted to help with that or you wouldn’t have returned my call,” Jack quickly pointed out.

  “No, I returned your call to get you off my back. Also to warn you that I believe this all goes back to Caroline and what the killer thinks Eric might have told her. I don’t want to be dragged out into the open so I can be silenced.”

  That was another arrow strike. Maybe Skylar and Nicola had both been killed to protect a killer’s identity. A fatal tying up of loose ends. Both Grace and she also could fall into that category, but there was one major difference between them. Grace obviously knew a lot more about this than Caroline did.

  “I want you to back off and not try to contact me again,” Grace added, and before Jack could say anything, she ended the call.

  Cursing, Jack immediately hit Redial to call Grace back. No answer, and Caroline was betting the woman had used a burner cell, so there was no way to trace it.

  “She hacked into the New Beginnings files,” Caroline concluded, and she got an instant nod of agreement from Jack.

  “That’s why I need to talk to her again and find out if something was deleted from Skylar’s record.” He looked at her. “Any chance you can fin
d Grace?”

  “I’ll try. I don’t know her, not personally, but it’s possible we brushed up against each other in cyberspace.”

  Jack’s eyes narrowed a little, enough to let her know that he didn’t want that “brushing up” to get her into legal hot water.

  “I’ll be careful,” Caroline assured him.

  He studied her a moment, then went to her and brushed a kiss on her cheek. Considering the heat that was always there between them, it seemed almost chaste. Something she hadn’t thought possible from Jack. He eased back, their gazes connecting and holding for a long time. Too long. Because she saw more than the fire fueled by the attraction; she saw the worry he had for her.

  “I’ll be careful,” she repeated, and this time Caroline was the one who dropped a kiss on his cheek.

  He studied her a moment longer as if he wanted to say more, and then he tore his attention from her. “I’ll get you a computer.”

  Jack went into the bullpen and spoke to Gunnar, and a few moments later, the deputy took a laptop from one of the empty desks and handed it to Jack. Jack was on his way back to Kellan’s office when Caroline saw the visitor come in.

  Kingston.

  She was still feeling raw from everything that had already gone on, but she didn’t mind going around again with him. Everything she and Jack learned could put them a step closer to catching their attacker, and Caroline was positive that Kingston knew more than he’d told them.

  Jack, however, didn’t seem as eager to meet with one of their persons of interest, and it was obvious he didn’t trust Kingston, because Jack immediately stepped in between Caroline and him. Then Jack passed her the computer, no doubt to free up his hands. Since she wanted to do the same thing, Caroline put the laptop on Kellan’s desk.

  “I’m here to sign the statement that I gave to your brother,” Kingston said. “Somebody called and told me it was ready.”

  “I did,” Gunnar spoke up. “Give me a sec, and I’ll get it for you.”

  Kingston didn’t go to the deputy. He stayed put and cast glances at both Jack and her. “I gotta say that the two of you don’t make many friends. I was at the diner across the street and saw Lily when she came out. She didn’t seem happy.”

  “She wasn’t,” Jack verified. In the same breath he added, “What were you doing at the diner?”

  “Waiting on a call that the report was ready. There’s a storm moving in, and I thought I’d go ahead and drive out here while the weather was still clear.” Kingston got that smug look on his face, as if pleased that he’d had a plausible answer.

  Gunnar came to the doorway and handed Kingston the report and a pen. “Look that over and let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made.”

  Kingston nodded and moved as if to step away, but Jack stopped him. “I just had an interesting conversation with someone you know. Grace Wainwright.”

  Like Jack, Caroline was watching Kingston’s face, and she saw it. The flash of concern. “Grace? What did she want? Where is she?”

  The last question seemed to only increase his concern. But Caroline didn’t know where that particular emotion of his was aimed. Was he worried about an old friend, or did Kingston think Grace had given them info they could use against him?

  “She’s fine,” Jack answered. “Safe.”

  Caroline figured that last part was wishful thinking on Jack’s part, along with being bait to see more of Kingston’s reaction.

  “Good,” Kingston said, but his expression didn’t mesh with the response. “I was worried about her. Grace tends to champion causes that can get her into trouble.”

  Interesting. And Caroline didn’t believe it was her imagination that Kingston had thought carefully about how he was going to say that.

  “What causes did Grace recently champion?” Jack asked.

  Kingston lifted his shoulder. “I don’t have anything specific, but that’s just the way Grace is.”

  Jack stared at him. “Nothing specific, huh? Nothing about the woman missing from New Beginnings?”

  “Oh, that.” Kingston dismissed it with his tone. “Yes, I suppose it’s possible Grace would have poked around with that. She would have likely known the woman since they were at New Beginnings together.” He lifted the reports. “I’ll just find someplace quiet to go over this.”

  Jack stepped in front of him before he could leave. “Does Lily have any reason to harm Caroline or want to silence her?” Jack asked.

  Kingston huffed and shook his head. “I don’t have any details about the sex-trafficking ring. If Lily had a part in that, I don’t have proof.”

  “Any other reason you can think of?” Jack pressed. “Something that’s perhaps connected to Eric Lang?”

  Again, Kingston shook his head and turned as if to leave, but then he stopped. “Maybe Lily’s still upset about the Crime-Track program that Caroline and Gemma were working on.”

  Of all the things Caroline had thought Kingston might say, that wasn’t one of them. “Crime-Track? Why would Lily be upset about that?”

  “Lily tried to invest in it,” Kingston calmly said.

  Jack immediately looked at her as Caroline said, “I don’t remember that.” And she didn’t. She was sure there hadn’t been a single conversation about Lily when it came to Crime-Track. Unless she truly had gaps in her memory and this one had slipped through.

  “I don’t think she advertised her interest in it,” Kingston explained, “but she contacted Gemma. Lily wanted to fund the project, but Gemma turned her down. It might have caused some bad blood between them.”

  Jack took out his phone and handed it to Caroline so she could call Gemma. She went to the other side of Kellan’s office while she did that. Not that the distance would give her much privacy, but at least Kingston wouldn’t be able to hear her every word.

  Caroline scrolled through the contacts, pressed Gemma’s number and said a quick prayer of thanks when Gemma answered on the first ring.

  “Is everything okay?” Gemma quickly asked. “Was there another attack?”

  “No. We’re fine,” Caroline assured her, and she felt guilty that she’d caused her friend an obvious moment of terror. Not just because of Jack and her but also because the man Gemma loved could have been in the line of fire.

  The breath of relief Gemma took was audible. “Sorry. I’m on edge.”

  Caroline was right there with her. Too bad things would stay that way until they made an arrest. This phone call might help with that.

  “I have a question about Crime-Track,” Caroline explained. “Did Lily Terrell ever contact you about it?”

  “Yes,” Gemma answered after a short pause. “She dropped by my office shortly after the project started, before you started working on it.”

  So that was why Caroline hadn’t recalled anything about this. “You didn’t want Lily involved with it?”

  “No. Because Lily didn’t want to merely be involved. She wanted control of the project.”

  Control? Caroline tried to think of a logical reason for that. Maybe because Lily believed she could use it to help with stopping things like sex trafficking? But that seemed a stretch since the program was being designed to catch killers.

  “It was hard to turn down the funding that Lily offered,” Gemma added, “but I wanted the data and reports to be as objective as possible. For that to happen, I thought it best if I handled the process. For all the good that did,” she muttered.

  Maybe Gemma hadn’t meant for her to hear that, but she did. And Caroline couldn’t even argue with Gemma on that point or try to make her friend feel better. Because Eric had made dupes out of both of them.

  “Was Lily angry when you turned down her funding?” Caroline asked.

  “Possibly. I mean, she didn’t yell or anything, but she also didn’t contact me again. Once when I saw her at a party,
she didn’t even speak to me.”

  That sounded like anger to Caroline, but she couldn’t see it leading to attempted murder. If it had, Lily would have likely gone after Gemma instead of Jack and her.

  “You’re staying safe, right?” Caroline pressed, just to make sure.

  “Of course.” Gemma huffed. “Kellan has one of the reserve deputies guarding me, and the ranch hands are on alert.”

  “Good. Keep it that way.”

  “What’s this all about?” Gemma demanded. “Was Lily involved in the attack?”

  “We’re not sure. If she is, you’ll be one of the first to know. Take care of yourself, Gemma.”

  When Caroline finished the call and turned back around to hand Jack his phone, she realized Kingston was gone. “I sent him to the interview room so he could read the report,” Jack said. “I figured you didn’t want him hanging around here.”

  “I don’t.” The guy made her extremely uneasy. Of course, any admirer of Eric would. “Did Kingston tell you anything else about Lily?”

  Jack shook his head. “Did you get anything from Gemma?”

  Caroline put it in a nutshell. “Lily wanted control of the project, and Gemma refused. I’m not sure if it plays into this, though.”

  He made a sound of agreement. “Hard to see how it would fit. Well, unless Lily thought she could manipulate the program for some kind of vigilante justice or to launch her own illegal spree. Yeah, I know, it’s a long shot,” he added.

  It was, but... “When Crime-Track first started, it was all about gathering data about murders. The idea was to use that data to try to predict when and where other killings would take place and to combine that with profiles to identify possible suspects. It was meant to become a tool for law enforcement, but maybe someone with unlawful intent would want to stop the project in its tracks.”

  Jack nodded. “And one way for Lily to do that would be to fund it and then crush it.”

  Yes, but that seemed like an inefficient way to hide her criminal tracks. Still, it was a possible piece that Jack and she could eventually fit into this puzzle of an investigation.