They met Matt’s friends at a truck stop diner that was open all night.
Matt headed toward a booth where two men and a woman sat. They stood to greet them. The woman—Matt introduced her as Elise—was a dark-haired beauty with a look that shouted professional even in her jeans and blouse. She was also sporting a big diamond on her ring finger. Next to her was Josh, who was tall, though not as tall as Matt. He was slim and lean with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Garrett, the second man, had a much younger-looking face and a mop of dirty-blond hair on his head that matched the goatee. He had a big smile and an easygoing manner.
“Garrett’s a hacker,” Matt said. “He can get into any system and find out pretty much anything he needs to know.”
Garrett grinned and shook his head good-naturedly. “No one says hacker anymore. I prefer to be called an information broker.” He smiled at Claire. “That’s a little skill I learned before joining the army and it has served me well since reentering civilian life.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Elise said, extending her hand for Claire to shake. “I wish it were under better circumstances.”
“It’s nice to meet you all. Thank you for your help.”
“The rangers are always here for one another,” Josh told her. “Whenever, wherever.”
“And even though I’m not officially a ranger, I’m always glad to help, too,” Elise said.
Matt ushered her into one side of the booth and took the seat beside her while Josh and Elise sat on the opposite side. Garrett grabbed a chair, turned it around and sat at the end of the table.
As Matt recounted every detail of what they’d been going through, Claire shuddered at hearing it repeated aloud all at once. It seemed as if it had been a long time since Matt had walked back into her life, but in reality it had only been five days. Five days since she’d been lured to the school to find Luke dead...and now multiple failed attempts on her life.
Garrett grinned as Matt explained how Claire had used the sodium metal to escape the attack in the lab. “Clever girl,” he said. “I like that. It shows determination.” He nudged Matt. “Now I see why you fell so hard for her.”
Matt stiffened at Garrett’s words about falling for her. He glared at Garrett, then glanced at Claire with what she could only call a stricken look. “I—I never told him that I had fallen hard for you.”
She tried to smile graciously, but her heart was breaking at the way he stumbled over his words, trying to assure everyone that he didn’t have feelings for her. It was only another reminder that she wasn’t the girl he used to know. Somehow his repeated insistence hurt more than the cord around her neck had.
“I have some papers in my car,” Matt said. “Garrett, will you help me get them?”
Garrett nodded and they got up and walked out.
“Don’t mind them,” Josh told her. “Garrett is kind of known for sticking his foot in his mouth.”
Elise leaned forward. “I’ve heard Matt’s version of what happened. Now I’d like to hear yours.” She led Claire through several of the attacks, asking probing questions.
“Now tell me about the incident in the lab. What happened exactly?”
Claire rubbed the raw area on her neck as she spoke, reliving each terrifying moment and realizing Matt had been in what she’d believed might be her last thoughts.
“What about his clothes? Was there anything unusual in his attire?”
She shook her head. “I don’t remember. It all happened so fast.’
“You said you didn’t see his face,” Elise continued. “Did you see his eyes?”
“Yes. Through the holes in the mask.”
“Can you describe them?”
“They were light-colored, maybe green or gray. I saw anger in them. They were glowing with white-hot rage. That’s how I knew he wanted me dead and wasn’t just trying to scare me.” Fear rippled through her as she remembered the hatred she’d seen there, and she knew he would have taken satisfaction in killing her.
Claire rubbed her face, weariness spreading through her. Would they ever find out who was behind this mess?
Elise reached across the table and placed her hand over Claire’s. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out. You’re not alone in this.”
Claire glanced at the empty seat where Matt had been and remembered his reaction to Garrett’s words. Why then did she suddenly feel so alone?
* * *
“Are you insane?” Matt demanded when he and Garrett were outside.
Garrett looked surprised by the outburst. “What did I do?”
“Saying I was falling hard for Claire right in front of her. How could you do that?”
“I didn’t know it was a secret.”
“It’s not a secret because it’s not true.”
Garrett gave him a skeptical look, then grinned. “Yeah, it is. It’s so obvious.”
Was he that transparent with his affection for Claire that even Garrett could see it? Did that mean Claire could, as well? He raked a hand through his hair and decided to come clean with his friend. “Look, Claire and I were an item when we were kids, but that ended a long time ago and it ended badly. Claire’s not interested in rekindling that spark.”
“How do you know unless you try? You obviously care about her. I’ve never seen you this way before, Matt. That lady has poked some holes through your cool exterior.”
He was known by the rangers and all who encountered him throughout his army career as levelheaded and emotionless. He’d left Claire when he was full of anger at her refusal to see him and guilt over the accident. He’d made the second biggest mistake of his life in leaving her, and he’d learned the hard way not to let emotion drive his actions. But Garrett didn’t know that side of him.
“I told you what happened between Claire and me. I left her, Garrett. I ran away and that’s something that cannot be forgiven. So, yes, I do care for her a lot, but we can never be anything more than friends.”
Garrett had to understand that he and Claire could never have a future together, no matter how much he wanted one.
* * *
Elise had Matt and Claire walk them all back through each incident again as a separate event, examining the players and the evidence of each. They spread out the files and even moved to a bigger table to give them more room to work. Thankfully, the diner was nearly empty, so it wasn’t an issue.
“There is a lot going on here,” Elise stated, “but it looks to me to be two places to focus on, inside the school and outside the school. Inside we have an unknown, and by extension his possible recruit, Ryan.”
Matt saw disappointment line Claire’s expression, but she nodded. “Ryan did say he and Luke were also competitive. He believed Luke didn’t tell him about his supplier because he might try to supplant him.”
“And whoever Luke’s supplier was, he’ll need someone new to push his merchandise,” Matt agreed.
“I’d focus on putting pressure on Ryan to give up his supplier,” Elise continued. “His background doesn’t suggest he’s been in any real trouble before. He’s probably in way over his head and doesn’t even realize it. He’s definitely your weak link.”
“That’s what I was thinking, too,” Matt said.
“That could put the kid in danger,” Garrett stated. “Whoever killed Luke probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, too, if he thought he might talk.”
“Also, I would dig further into Luke’s life. Someone close to him knows what’s going on. I know you spoke with some of his friends, but they all stated in their interviews that Luke had pulled away from them, that he’d become distant.”
“That’s right,” Claire said. “He’d become a Christian. His friends didn’t understand that.”
“Even a new Christian needs someone to talk to, someone who understands
him. Luke had to have been sharing what was going on in his life with someone else.”
Claire looked at Matt. “Melissa did say she thought Luke was seeing another girl.”
“But who?”
“Jessica Alvarez. She’s tried several times to speak to me, but each time something has spooked her and she’s rushed away before she could. I was going to suggest she speak with one of the counselors, but maybe there’s more to her behavior than simple grief over a fellow student’s loss. She does seem overly distraught by Luke’s death.”
“We never interviewed her because she wasn’t on the list of Luke’s close friends.”
“No, they weren’t friends. At least, I didn’t think they were. They ran in different circles, but Luke was liked by so many people. It’s possible they had a connection I knew nothing about.”
“We need to speak to Jessica as soon as possible.”
“Principal Spencer is another person you should be focusing on,” Elise stated.
“Principal Spencer?” Claire exclaimed. “That’s unlikely.”
Elise continued despite her outburst. “He fits the description of the man who attacked you in height, weight and eye color according to his Tennessee driver’s license. Plus, he’s the one responsible for hiring the security at the school. I noticed in your notes, Matt, that you wrote the security team was markedly untrained, which made the high school an ideal location to peddle illegal drugs.”
“That’s true. The security at that school was terrible and it’s seemingly been that way for some time. And Spencer is always hanging around asking questions about the investigation.”
“He’s the principal of a school where a known drug ring is operating. I’d say he has reason to question,” Josh stated.
“True, but we should check into his financials to be sure nothing suspicious turns up just in case.” They all nodded, but Claire was obviously still skeptical.
“Principal Spencer has been nothing but good to me. Besides, it couldn’t have been him who attacked me in the lab. Wasn’t he in the auditorium with you?” she asked Matt.
Matt thought back, trying to place where the principal had been. He had definitely been there up until Matt had stepped on stage and addressed the assembly. After that, when the arguments erupted, Matt couldn’t recall seeing him. How easily could he have slipped away to try to strangle Claire when he saw her sneak out?
The crowd had definitely gotten unruly and Matt couldn’t pinpoint exactly where Spencer had been during the commotion. Matt had given up on restoring any kind of order when he’d noticed Claire was gone. He shook his head. “I can’t say for sure, but it would be a big risk for him to try to sneak away and attack you.”
Elise continued to her next point. “We have to also consider Ryan’s tip about Steve Wilson. Someone outside the school might be pulling the strings.”
“I tracked Wilson down through his prison records,” Matt said. “He’s currently serving a ten-year stint in a Memphis prison. According to his records, he’s been uncooperative with the police in giving up his supplier.”
“Josh and I can take a drive down there to interview him,” Garrett said, and Josh readily agreed.
Matt shook his head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. We just volunteered. Don’t worry, Matt. I haven’t forgotten how to get information from a hostile informant.”
“But if Ryan is involved as you suspect, that tip could be bogus,” Josh stated.
“If it is, we’ll find out,” Garrett told them. As the meeting wore down and they all had areas to focus on, Matt took a moment to thank each one of them for their help.
Elise shook her head. “No thanks are necessary. You all were there for me when I needed help. Brooke and I wouldn’t have made it out of that cabin alive if not for the rangers.” Elise looked at Claire and explained. “Josh’s niece was kidnapped by a human trafficking ring I was investigating. I found her and helped her escape but managed to get myself and another kidnapped girl trapped in a cabin with a madman. Josh, along with the rangers, rescued us.”
“That’s not exactly how it went,” Josh stated. “She did a bit of tail kicking before we were able to get there.” He leaned over and kissed her, and Matt thought he’d never seen Josh so happy.
He envied his brother that. Despite the fact that she was sitting right beside him, the only woman he’d ever loved was out of his reach. He remembered how frantic Josh had been when he thought he might have lost Elise for good. Matt and Colton had calmed him down, but Matt had secretly known just how he’d felt at that moment. It was the same horror he’d experienced the night of the accident after they’d wheeled Claire into the hospital and he hadn’t known if she would survive her injuries, while he’d walked away with nothing but scratches. Josh had recovered the woman he loved, but Matt had not...not until he’d seen her standing over the dead body of Luke Thompson.
He knew what he’d told Garrett was true. There was no way Claire could ever forgive him for leaving her the way he did, but that didn’t mean he didn’t care about what happened to her. He would make sure she was safe before he walked out of her life again.
* * *
Claire was eager to speak with Jessica off school grounds. Maybe she could finally convince the girl to share what she’d been too frightened to say before. Matt pulled up at Jessica’s home and cut the engine, and they walked together to the door. He rang the bell and the door was opened a moment later by Jessica’s mother.
“Hi, Mrs. Alvarez, I’m Claire Kendall, one of Jessica’s teachers. I was hoping we could have a word with her.”
The woman folded her arms. “I know who you are. You’re that teacher who murdered her student.”
Matt quickly stepped in to defend her before she could defend herself.
“Claire did not kill him. She did all she could to help him. And the DEA is working with the local police to find out who is behind Luke’s death.”
“Then why did the police arrest her?”
“That was a mistake. She’s innocent.”
Claire was thankful he was here beside her and thankful for his quick defense. It felt good to have someone on her side. “I understand Jessica was close to Luke. We were hoping she might have some information that would be helpful to the investigation.”
At the top of the stairs behind Mrs. Alvarez, Jessica appeared, stopping when she saw them at the door. “Miss Kendall, what are you doing here?”
Claire noticed the girl looked pale and frightened. “Jessica, we were hoping to talk to you about your relationship with Luke.”
“No,” Mrs. Alvarez interrupted. “I don’t want you talking to my daughter. I don’t even want you around her. In fact, I haven’t even decided if she’ll be returning to school.”
“Mother, don’t blame Miss Kendall. She had nothing to do with Luke’s death.”
“I don’t care,” her mother insisted. “I don’t want you involved.” She turned back to Matt and Claire. “I have to look out for my daughter.” She shut the door as Jessica continued protesting.
Claire felt her heart fall. She’d been hoping Jessica might be a key to uncovering Luke’s killer, and now they weren’t even allowed to speak to her.
“What are we going to do now?” she asked.
He shrugged and she could feel the frustration flowing off him. “It’s not an official investigation anymore, so I can’t compel her to answer questions.”
They were nearly to the car when the front door opened and Jessica called to them and ran out to meet them. “I told my mom that I want to talk to you. She’s worried about me, but she gave her okay.”
Claire stepped forward. Mrs. Alvarez was standing at the door. She didn’t look happy but she nodded her agreement to the interview.
“I want to tell you what I know.�
�
“And what’s that, Jessica?”
“I think I know who killed Luke.”
SEVEN
Mrs. Alvarez paced the kitchen floor, her arms folded and her face drawn. Matt could see she was nervous about Jessica’s involvement and he understood her apprehension. A boy was dead, and her child was too close to the situation. What Jessica knew about the murder might put her in danger.
Jessica looked frightened and picked at her cuticles nervously as she sat across from them at her kitchen table.
“Don’t be afraid,” Matt told her, and Claire was in awe of his gentle manner. He understood that Jessica had been through a difficult time and was frightened and he was doing all he could to reassure her. “Just tell us what you know.”
“I was leaving school one afternoon and Luke and I were supposed to meet up. I went to meet him and I saw he was talking with Principal Spencer. I didn’t think anything about it until I saw Principal Spencer grab Luke’s arm. He looked angry and he was yelling. He said Luke would be sorry if he tried to double-cross him. He said he would kill him if he tried.”
Claire sucked in a breath. Principal Spencer. No wonder Jessica had been so frightened every time she’d seen him. “Did he see you, Jessica? Did he know you overheard that conversation?”
“I don’t think so. I hid behind a corner and waited until he was gone. When I asked Luke what he was so mad about, he only shrugged and said it was no big deal. Luke was dead two days later.”
Mrs. Alvarez gasped. “Principal Spencer? The principal of the school killed someone? That’s it, Jessica. You’re not going back there.”
“I actually think that’s a good idea,” Matt said. “If Spencer is the killer and he even suspects you know about that conversation with Luke, you could be in danger.”
“There are several families who haven’t allowed their kids back to school yet. I don’t think your absence would raise any flags,” Claire told them.
Jessica’s eyes widened. “But won’t he go to jail?”
“We can’t arrest him until we have more evidence to back up your statement. But don’t worry. Now that I know where to focus my investigation, we’ll find it.” Matt gave her another reassuring look. “You did good, Jessica. You’ve been a big help, but you don’t have to worry anymore. You’re not in this alone.”
Reunion Mission (Rangers Under Fire) Page 12