by Dani Pettrey
“How’d she react when you arrested her?”
“She was cold and calculated. Very calmly swore she’d get revenge.”
Kayden shifted to face him. “And now she’s back.”
He scooted back. “Yeah.”
“And this time?”
“She wants to take away everyone I love.”
Kayden swallowed. “Because she blames you for her husband’s suicide?”
“Maybe. But more likely, because she thinks I destroyed her perfect life, she’s bent on destroying mine.”
And Kayden, whether she knew it or not, had become his life.
He looked at the clock. “It’s late. I’d better get you home.” He needed to keep her safe.
“Piper dropped me off. I’ll call her to pick me up.”
“No need. I can take you.” Jake grabbed his keys.
“It’s no problem.” Kayden reached for her cell.
“No problem for me to take you.” He jangled his keys.
She relented. “Okay. Thanks.”
Jake watched with frustration and pride as Kayden made it to his truck by herself and climbed inside.
He drove her the ten miles home and escorted her to the door.
“I had fun tonight,” she said, clearly without thinking. “I mean, going over the case files was interesting.”
He exhaled. “Right.”
“I can tell you were a really good detective. Still are.”
“I don’t know about that.” Back then he’d been arrogant and cocky, and his job had gotten his wife and child killed.
“The way you caught Joel Markum and his wife. That was brilliant.”
Had Kayden just complimented him twice? He slipped his hands into his pockets, fighting the urge to reach out to her. Now that he’d held her during the dance at Cole and Bailey’s wedding, held her in his arms, he never wanted to stop. The urge to pull her into an embrace was always there. “You better get some sleep. It’s been a rough week.”
“I’m—”
“Fine.” He smirked. “Trust me, I know.”
A smile tugged at the corners of her full lips, but she held it in check. “Good night, Jake.”
“’Night.”
She shut the front door and he moved back to his truck, every fiber of his being alive and tingling.
“You two kids have fun?”
Jake whirled around with gun drawn to find Gage standing ten feet away.
Gage lifted his hands. “Easy there, cowboy.”
Jake holstered his weapon. “You shouldn’t sneak up on someone like that.” Especially not him.
“I assumed you heard me coming. You always hear me coming.”
“I was . . .”
“Distracted.” Gage grinned.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying at Cole’s while he and Bay are on their honeymoon. With everything going on, I felt better staying closer to the girls.”
“Good idea.” Cole’s cabin sat on the other side of the tree line, only a few hundred feet away from the girls’ place.
“Piper said she dropped Kayden off at your place hours ago.” Gage leaned against the grill of Jake’s truck, his grin still beaming. “That’s gotta be a first.”
He and Kayden had been experiencing a lot of firsts lately. “Yeah. She came over to go through the case files with me.”
“Uh-huh. I saw the way you two were looking at each other on the porch, all googly-eyed.”
That was the second time Gage had said “looking at each other.” Was there a chance Kayden really was interested in him? Might she love him the way he loved her? It would be too good to be true. But the last time he’d been in that position, he’d lost everything.
“So?” Piper met Kayden at her bedroom door.
Great. “So?” She stepped inside her room and dropped her purse on the bed.
“How’d it go with Jake?”
“Fine. We went over his old case files.”
Piper followed her in. “And?”
“And they were very interesting.”
Piper smiled. “Must have been for you to have stayed so late.” Her eyes narrowed. “What happened to your chin?”
Kayden fingered the Band-Aid Jake had applied, remembering his assertiveness and tenderness, the combination a reminder of the amazing strength and gentleness her dad had displayed when it came to those he loved.
Kayden leaned her stupid crutch against the dresser and pulled out her PJs.
Piper plopped on the bed. “Earth to Kayden. What happened to your chin?”
“Oh. I tripped. No big deal.”
Piper shook her head. “If you wouldn’t be so stubborn.”
“If you wouldn’t be so smothering.”
“It’s called compassion.”
“It’s concern, and in this case it’s unwarranted. I’m fine.”
“Well, that’s a first,” Piper mocked.
If they were still kids, now’s right about when she’d pummel her sister with a pillow. “Well, thanks for the chat, but it’s late.”
Piper crossed her legs Indian-style. “We both know I’m not going anywhere until you give up the deets on Jake.”
Kayden set her PJs on the dresser with a shake of her head. “You’re impossible.”
“I prefer persistent.”
Kayden sighed and moved to sit beside her sister on the bed. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
Kayden laughed. “Fat chance. I’ll answer one question. One,” she reiterated before Piper could argue, “but then you have to let me get some sleep.”
Piper mulled it over a minute. “Fine. One question.” Her smile returned.
Kayden braced herself.
“Are you in love with him?”
Of course Piper would go for the big one.
“Well?”
They both looked over to find Gage leaning against the doorframe.
“Gage!” Piper scowled. “She’s never going to answer now.”
“Please . . .” He stepped from the doorframe into the room. “She wasn’t going to answer you.”
“What are you doing here?” Kayden asked, thankful for the reprieve.
“Jake said you took a spill earlier. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I’m fine.”
“Of course you are.”
“Okay. Enough. Both of you out.” She stood and scooted Piper with her crutch toward the door.
“Not until you answer my question,” Piper said, stalling against her forward motion.
“Good night, you two.” She gently shoved Piper into Gage and both of them into the hall, closing the door behind her with a huff.
“Gage, your timing stinks,” Piper said from the other side of the door.
“Oh please, like she’d ever answer that question,” Gage retorted. “Besides, she didn’t have to. Her face said it all.”
Kayden let the door support her weight. Great. Now her siblings knew. Did Jake know too? Could he read it on her face? He had an uncanny knack for reading her.
A mix of embarrassment and excitement drilled through her as she flopped onto the bed. This, as Gage liked to say, was ungood.
Jake walked down the pier, the stars overhead big and beautiful against the black night.
It was cool, the breeze off the water chilling his heated skin. Something akin to happiness soared inside, but he tried to temper it. Angela Markum was out there somewhere, but so far no trace of her had been found—no car registered to her name or her assumed name, no credit-card usage, no one in town having seen her since they raided her place. It was like she’d just vanished, but he knew that was too good to be true.
He moved down the gangway, feeling horrible that Kayden had tripped. The woman was so incredibly stubborn. Half of him admired her for it, but the other half . . .
He paused at the sight of his glass door cracked open. Pulling his gun, he entered and found a bouquet of cypress flowers wrap
ped with black ribbon and a note on top of his case files.
Angela had been in his home. There was no sense looking for her. She was long gone.
He lifted the note.
You’ve got a lot of catching up to do.
He fought the urge to crumple the note, knowing he’d need to admit it into evidence. She’d spent the last four years fixated on him while he’d gone out of his way to forget her. He made himself a cup of coffee and sat back down with his files. She was right. He did have a lot of catching up to do if he was going to snare his prey.
35
“Still no word on her whereabouts?” Jake asked Landon, who had his deputies canvassing Yancey.
Landon set his coffee mug down with a sigh. “None, I’m afraid.”
Jake laid the latest note on Landon’s desk. “She’s still here. Somewhere.”
Landon lifted the note, reading it. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”
“Before she strikes again?” Jake asked, the image of Kayden beneath the rocks flashing through his mind.
“We’re all taking precautions. She’s on our turf this time.”
“For only being here a few months, she’s studied it well.” As the surveillance photos demonstrated.
“Any new insight from the case files?”
“Only regarding the level of her involvement, the fact that she was the one running things.”
“I thought you already knew that.”
“I knew she was helping her husband, and that the burial spot chosen for Candace Banner’s body was too rational to be chosen by the panicking Joel Markum, but at the time I saw her simply as a society wife determined to maintain her lifestyle by any means necessary.
“But now, as I reread our interviews with Joel and Angela, as well as the interviews with the people who worked with them and knew them, a different picture emerged. The fact that Joel took his own life proved his weakness, his desperation. The decisions made about burying Candace’s body, disposing of the evidence, covering their tracks—they were all undertaken by a shrewd and calculating person, one with no remorse or emotional attachment.”
“You think Joel Markum regretted killing Candace?”
“We’ll never know if he regretted killing her or simply regretted getting caught, but the murder appeared to be a crime of passion and emotion. Everything that happened after the murder was cold and calculated. Those decisions were made by a different person.”
Landon sat back, his chair creaking. “Angela.”
Jake nodded. “Which makes me more concerned than if we were dealing with Joel. She’s smart and she’s clearly invested the time in whatever she’s got planned. We need to find her before she makes her next move.”
Kayden sat on a chair in the middle of Angela Markum’s war room, studying the labyrinth of photos, articles, and plans laid out on the wall in front of them.
Jake had wheeled in a large whiteboard, making notes and setting up a timeline to track Angela’s whereabouts and focus. The only way to catch the woman was to get inside her head—twisted and vengeful as it may be.
“That picture”—Kayden pointed to one of her climbing Jagger’s Peak—“was taken about a week after we returned from the Bering.”
“Are you sure?”
Kayden nodded. She always remembered her climbs. It was unnerving to realize the woman had been watching her then, making her plans.
How many times had she talked with Carol about her upcoming climbs? How much had she told her, period? Her mind raced back through their conversations. She’d never considered Carol overly pushy or intrusive. All their chats had been comfortable, and it was frightening to imagine all the information she’d passed on unwittingly. Tidbits about her siblings, about their interests, even some of their routines and schedules. It had all been casual—casual but calculated on Angela’s part.
Jake rested a warm hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Just regretting ever speaking to her.”
“There was no way for you to know.”
“I know, but it’s frustrating. She was so friendly and laid back and . . .”
“She’s good at fooling people. When I first met her, I thought she was the proper president’s wife—dutiful, elegant. I had no idea the heart of a killer resided inside.”
“Killer?”
“I doubt she was just trying to wound you with the rockslide.”
Kayden took that in, really thinking about it for the first time. “What do you think her next move will be?”
“Another attempt.”
“On me?”
“My gut says yes, but she’s clearly been following all of you.” He gestured to all the McKennas’ photos, along with Landon and Darcy. “She likes to toy with people. She might make a smaller move.”
“Or?”
“Go straight for the kill.”
It wasn’t Jake’s intent to scare Kayden, but he wanted her to understand the depth of Angela’s depravity. Her need for revenge fueled her, propelled her on. She wouldn’t stop until he lost those he loved again—unless he stopped her first, which was exactly what he intended to do.
They’d checked with the landlords of every rental property in Yancey and now were spreading out to cover the outlying cabins on Tariuk. So far no one recognized Angela’s photo or Kayden’s police sketch of “Carol.”
The cabins rented to women were few, and it didn’t take long to rule them out—most going to younger women in their twenties, transplants, divorcees, or migrant workers in town for the salmon season. No one matched Angela’s description. They’d also ruled out the B and Bs and lodges; Jake’s frustration grew with each dead end.
He studied Kayden, her eyes tracking Angela’s postings on the board and then switching to follow Jake’s notes. He’d written down everything they knew about Angela Markum. Both of her early-morning messages to Kayden had come at 5:11. The same time Becca had been pronounced dead, albeit p.m. Angela was leaving a very clear message. Kayden was next.
Jake stood and stretched.
They’d been surrounded by Angela’s madness for hours, and it was getting to him. He needed a break. He glanced at his watch. They’d completely bypassed lunch.
“Let’s grab some dinner.”
“Dinner?” Kayden looked up at him.
“It’s already six.”
Kayden blinked. “Wow. I didn’t realize we’d been here that long.”
“Occupational hazard.” Jake smiled. “Cases have a way of sucking you in.”
“Dinner sounds good. I’m sure Piper has something going at the house.”
“I was thinking Chinese.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve been craving General Tso’s, and I know you love the Imperial Garden.”
She hesitated a moment. Was she trying to figure out if he was suggesting a date? Whatever they called it, he was simply thrilled to continue spending time with her.
“Okay. I could go for some Hunan beef.”
“Great.” He moved to help her up.
“I got it.”
He backed off. She was so incredibly stubborn.
It took her a few minutes, but she hefted herself out of the chair and stabilized herself, for the most part, on her crutch.
“After you.”
The Imperial Garden was packed—families, couples, even a few singles, crowded the red vinyl booths and black lacquer tables.
The waitress showed them to one of the booths near the front entrance, not far from the rice-paper screen dividing the takeout counter from the dining area. The restaurant was louder and a lot less intimate than he’d hoped, but he wasn’t complaining. He was eating out with the woman he loved.
After perusing the menu to make sure neither had changed their mind, they ordered, and then Kayden excused herself, hobbling to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
“Let me help you.” The thought of her weaving her way through the crowded restaurant made him beyond nervous.
She s
miled. “I think I can handle the ladies’ room on my own.”
His face heated. “Of course. I just meant I’d help you back there.” The restrooms were on the opposite side of the restaurant.
“I’ll be fine. But don’t eat all the noodles while I’m gone.” She lifted her bruised chin, indicating the crunchy noodles they both loved.
Jake caught himself holding his breath as she worked her way around tables, waitresses, and a little kid’s train that had fallen from his booster seat onto the floor. He sighed with relief when she finally reached the back hall leading to the restrooms.
Kayden made it to the ladies’ room, her shoulder sore from the crutch, her body taxed from the uneven gait. She couldn’t wait until the stupid cast came off and she could walk easily again. She used the facilities and stepped to the sink to wash her hands, propping her crutch beside her and her weight against the marble sink. A mother with two small children left the restroom just as a stall door opened behind her.
She switched on the water, pumped soap onto her palms, and began to lather. A man appeared behind her—short and slight.
She turned as something sharp pierced her neck. “What on earth?”
Her eyes fixed on the man’s, and she recognized the smile. “Ange—” Everything faded away.
36
Jake pushed the bowl of crunchy noodles away before he ate them all. What was taking Kayden so long? Yes, she was on crutches, and yes, it would obviously take her longer, but . . .
He glanced at his watch. It’d already been twelve minutes. What if the floor was slippery and she’d fallen in the ladies’ room?
He moved to stand and then sat back down. If he barged in on her, if he even knocked on the door and she was fine, she’d be ticked. Better to wait. He watched the numbers on his digital watch tick by. Thirteen minutes. Fourteen. At fifteen he stood. She could be mad at him if she wanted, but he had to be certain she was okay.
He moved across the restaurant toward the back hall, his chest tightening.
He passed the men’s room and paused at the door to the ladies’ room. Bracing himself for the backlash, he knocked.
No answer.