“She’s always been jealous of me,” Jenna stated, slapping the delicate china cup into its saucer with a teeth-jarring clatter. “She’s always wanted Drew but she couldn’t have him. It’s made her a bitter woman that wants revenge on people who are happy.”
Dizzy’s eyes widened and she gave Leann an alarmed glance. “I didn’t realize that Nicole was that unhappy, but I don’t know her that well.”
“She could have killed me,” Jenna insisted, her lips pressed into a flat line. “I was lucky I was able to run away and call for help, otherwise I would be dead. Then my children wouldn’t have any parent at all.”
“We’re just glad you’re okay,” Leann replied, wanting to keep the conversation as calm as possible. She didn’t want to add to Jenna’s upset emotions. “Jason is going to double the guard on you.”
A deputy had been doing the guarding duties but Jason had assigned one of his own men to assist. He was currently sitting in a dark SUV in front of the house after posting several cameras around the property.
Dizzy frowned. “How did the attacker get through the guard this morning?”
That was an excellent question.
“I told him that I didn’t need a guard to go to the mall during the day. I asked him to drive the children to my parents’ house so I knew they’d be safe.”
The one time Jenna didn’t have her guard she was attacked? The killer had to be watching. It also wasn’t a smart move to go shopping by herself but Leann wasn’t rude enough to point that out. She too wasn’t thrilled about having a babysitter everywhere she went, but she put up with it because she wanted to stay alive.
The conversation waned as they sipped their tea. Dizzy had a strange look on her face and she was biting her lip. Leann wasn’t sure what to say either. She didn’t want to upset Jenna but she really wanted to ask some questions about what had happened in that parking garage.
“Is there anything we can do to give you a hand?” Dizzy asked, looking around. “Run some errands or do some grocery shopping?”
“That’s sweet but I can’t think of anything,” Jenna replied with a grateful smile. “It’s wonderful to have such good friends. Both of you have stuck by me through this awful time. But there is one thing I’d like to ask of you.”
“Anything.” Leann refilled Jenna’s tea. “We’re here for you.”
“Will you hold my hand while I call my parents? They’re going to be so upset and when they get upset, I’m going to get upset all over again.”
Dizzy smiled and patted Jenna’s hand. “Of course we will.”
If the killer wanted them, they had to stick together.
* * *
Zach paced the perimeter of the area in the parking garage where Jenna was attacked and it didn’t make any sense. In the aftermath, she must have been so upset and frightened that she’d scrambled her answers.
His partner Logan wasn’t any happier, scowling and shaking his head. “This can’t be right.”
Rubbing his chin in thought, Zach couldn’t argue. “She must have been dazed and confused afterward. That would explain her statement.”
Logan pointed to the concrete floor. “She was standing about here when someone – a woman supposedly – came up behind her. Jenna said the woman wrapped an arm around her neck and pushed her to the floor. How tall is Jenna?”
“Five-five, maybe five-six.”
“So the female attacker would have to be a few inches taller and pretty strong to take her straight down.”
An image of the crime was being slowly constructed in Zach’s brain. “But Jenna fought and got away.”
“And ran that way according to her statement.” Logan now pointed toward the next level of the parking garage. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why didn’t she run toward the street where there are people? She’s parked on the first level and help wasn’t that far away, yet she ran in the opposite direction. That doesn’t make any sense.”
That was the little detail that was bugging Zach as well.
“I’ll play devil’s advocate,” he said, his gaze sweeping the open building. “Maybe the path to the street was blocked by her attacker so she had no choice but to run the other way. Perhaps she thought she could hide among the cars and get to the stairs or elevator.”
“Okay, let’s play that scene out. Come up behind me and then when I get away, block my path.”
Wrapping his arm around Logan’s throat, they lightly wrestled to the ground before Zach let go, letting Logan roll away. Zach stationed himself between Logan and the street as his friend jumped to his feet and turned to run.
Then Logan froze…staring right at Zach.
Logan pursed his lips. “If Jenna’s attacker was in between her and safety, then Jenna had to have seen who it was but she says she didn’t.”
“So she definitely didn’t run this way. Her statement has to be correct.”
“So she ran in the opposite direction,” Logan agreed. “But why? What was she thinking? Did she hear other people on that level?”
“Maybe she wasn’t thinking at all and was in a panic? We can’t expect untrained civilians to think like we do in a crisis situation. If she was in fight or flight mode, she probably just ran and to hell with the direction. She just wanted to get away.”
“Maybe,” Logan conceded. “It still doesn’t make sense to me but you have a valid point. If she was terrified she might just run. But I can tell this is bothering you too. Spit it out.”
Rubbing at his temples, Zach turned to face the street and then back to Logan. “How did she not see her attacker? You’re right, if she tried to run this way she would have seen the woman. If she ran that way and the attacker pursued Jenna, is she then saying she never looked over her shoulder? She would have seen the attacker then. I would have looked over my shoulder.”
Logan pulled out his phone and scrolled a few times. “Jenna says she ran that way and the attacker ran in the opposite direction. So if that’s true, the attacker had to run down the street. There might be some cameras out there we can get some footage from.”
“Where would she have parked?” Zach asked in frustration. “If she was waiting in the parking garage for Jenna, why didn’t she park there too? Why attack Jenna and then have to make an escape on foot to wherever her car was stashed? None of this is logical. This killer was smart enough to murder more than once and get away with it. Now they attack Jenna unsuccessfully and have a lousy getaway plan. Is there something I’m missing here?”
Hands on his hips, Logan surveyed the crime scene. “There has to be more than what was in that statement. We’re missing some key details.”
“Agreed, and there’s only one place to get those.”
Chapter Thirty
‡
Jason was sitting in his truck in front of Jenna’s house when Logan and Zach pulled up. There was also an unmarked police car in the driveway with a deputy in the driver’s seat, trying to not look bored. Zach doubted the guards were allowed to read or play with their phone while they were on duty.
Rolling down the window when he saw them, Jason gave a mock salute. “I didn’t expect to see you here. Is everything okay? How did the crime scene look?”
Zach rubbed at his chin and grimaced. “About that…it posed more questions than it answered. Her statement doesn’t make any sense and isn’t logical. We need to ask her more questions.”
It was Jason’s turn to wince. “Are you saying Jenna Marshall lied to the police? Shit, that’s all we need today.”
Chuckling, Logan leaned a hip against the side of the vehicle. “If she’s telling the truth, she doesn’t have a lick of sense. She ran in the opposite direction of help and people. Also, her statement that she didn’t see her attacker doesn’t hold water. I guess it’s a possibility she didn’t see who it was but hell, it’s broad daylight and the garage was well lit.”
“Maybe she has terrible eyesight,” Jason suggested. “Maybe she’s a nitwit. Crime happens to dumb people too.”
“I need to see her answer my questions,” Zach replied. “Watch her expressions and eyes. I think I’ll be able to tell if she’s lying. Even if I can’t, one of us should be able to recognize a tell.”
Blowing out a breath, Jason pushed open the truck door. “Why would she lie? For the attention?”
“It’s as good a reason as any,” Zach shrugged. “Maybe she liked the attention after Drew died and didn’t want it to go away. Or maybe she’s telling the truth and I’m off my game. Anything is possible.”
“If she did it for the attention, you kind of have to feel sorry for her,” Logan suggested as they approached the front door. “I mean, that’s just sad, you know? She might be really lonely.”
Zach extended his arm to ring the doorbell but paused, turning to Jason. “Is the deputy out here okay by himself?”
“He was by himself when we showed up, although they’ve got a cruiser coming by every fifteen minutes or so. Tonight they’ll put a guard in the back as well, although if her story is bogus that won’t be needed.”
Zach wasn’t sure what to believe at the moment. If Jenna had lied about being attacked it was clearly a cry for help and attention. After what she’d witnessed with her husband’s death, she might want to talk to a professional. Someone who specialized in victims of crime. He hated to see anyone in so much pain they felt compelled to lie to the police.
The door swung open and Dizzy stood beckoning them to come in. “Come in. Jenna and Leann are in the kitchen making a grocery list. We finally convinced Jenna to let us go shopping and make some meals for her that she only has to heat up.”
“How is she?” Zach asked. “The report said she only had some bumps and bruises.”
He was particularly interested in what injuries she might have. If she’d falsified her statement to the cops, there still might be a good explanation for her wounds. Perhaps she’d used the story of an attacker to cover for someone else hurting her.
“She sort of alternates between anger and sadness,” Dizzy replied, keeping her voice low. “She seems pretty calm right now.”
Hopefully Jenna would stay that way once they started questioning her about this morning. Zach nudged Logan, holding him back before they entered the house.
“I’m going to watch her facial expressions and body language while you and Jason ask her questions.”
Logan nodded. “Sounds good, especially as she already knows Jason and there should be some trust built already. I hope this turns out to be nothing.”
So did Zach, but he had a bad feeling it was something. At the party Saturday night, Jenna had appeared to be a woman who liked attention but there had been no shortage of it. She wasn’t someone who had to fake attacks to get people to see her. If anything, it was the opposite. She’d had friends and relatives in and out of the house all day, every day since Sunday.
Then there was the obvious logical path to follow.
If Jenna wasn’t looking for attention, but she had indeed faked the attack…why? What did she gain from it? Was it to push the detectives to work faster, harder? Or was it to throw off the investigation? He feared it might be the latter. What was Jenna Marshall trying to hide?
Leann and Jenna were opening and closing cabinets in the kitchen, stopping every now and then to scribble items down on their list. Instead of the warm smile he’d come to expect from Leann whenever he saw her, she shifted her gaze to the piece of paper in front of her, not looking him in the eye.
Dammit.
This was all his fault and he needed to fix it. Now, however, wasn’t exactly the moment. He’d talk to her later after they’d questioned Jenna. If he threw himself on Leann’s mercy, surely she would forgive him? He’d acted like a prick this morning and he was sorry. She hadn’t deserved how he’d treated her. Moving home and telling her family was a big deal and she needed to do it in her own time.
Dizzy had gathered up some of the cookies and a travel cup of coffee. “I’m going to take this snack out to the deputy. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you,” Jenna called out to the other woman’s retreating figure. “Good afternoon, gentlemen. I didn’t expect you.”
“Sorry to drop in unannounced,” Jason apologized. “But we really need to speak with you about what happened this morning. Would you mind answering a few more questions? I know you gave your statement to the police but we’re just here to clarify a few points.”
Zach placed his hand on Logan’s shoulder. “I’m not sure if you’ve met Jason’s partner Logan Wright. Logan, this is Jenna Marshall.”
“Ma’am, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Logan had a way with the ladies without even trying. Maybe it was the man’s smile or his tone of voice but women seemed to love it and him.
“Can we get you something to drink?” Leann asked, studiously avoiding Zach’s gaze as she opened the refrigerator to inspect its contents. Instead of looking at him she was checking the date on the milk.
“We’re good,” her brother replied, turning his attention back to Jenna. “So can you tell us again how the attacker came at you? I think you said it was from behind.”
Jenna’s cheeks burned red. “I’m not sure I want to talk about this again. It’s very upsetting.”
“I know it is, ma’am,” Logan said. “But it would help us with our investigation. Just a few questions?”
Chewing on her lip, Jenna nodded. “Fine, just a couple. Yes, she came at me from behind. Grabbed me around the neck and wrestled me to the ground.” Her fingers came up to touch the bruise on her cheek. “My head hit the concrete and that’s where I got this.”
“What made you decide it was a woman?” Jason asked.
“Her hands were definitely female.” Jenna huffed out a breath. “I don’t know why we’re talking about this. I told the officer that the woman who attacked me was Nicole Quincy. You should be at her house asking her questions, not me.”
This was the first Zach was hearing about Nicole Quincy. “Why do you think it was Nicole? Did you get a look at her?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, but I know it was her. She’s been jealous of me for years. I think she killed Drew because she couldn’t have him.”
“What about the other victims?” Logan queried. “Why did she kill them?”
“Decoys,” Jenna replied. “She killed them to throw off the investigation.”
That was a very interesting theory and it could be true, but Zach doubted that Nicole Quincy had thought it up. Jenna’s body language was closed, with her arms crossed over her chest and her hand lifted to cover her throat in a protective gesture. She wasn’t making eye contact either.
Zach’s gut was screaming that Jenna was hiding something and there was a hell of a lot more to this story than getting jumped in a parking garage.
Logan cleared his throat to continue. “Jenna, I want to be sure that we have the details of the attack correct. You said that you ran toward the next level in the parking garage to get away from your attacker. Is that correct?”
“It is.”
“Why didn’t you run toward the street? Toward the people?”
Jenna threw up her hands. “I couldn’t. She was in my way.”
“So you tried to run that way but she blocked your path?”
“Exactly,” Jenna smiled. “That’s exactly what happened.”
Logan had her right where he wanted her. “Then how did you not see her face? You turned to run toward the street but she was blocking your path. She would have been right in front of you.”
“No,” Jenna sputtered, clearly shaken by Logan’s observation. “That’s not how it happened. You’re twisting my words.”
“Then how did you know she was in your path?” Jason asked softly.
“That’s where she was standing.” Jenna’s voice rose and her body was visibly shaking. She didn’t like being put on the spot. Not one bit. “Between me and the road. I couldn’t go that way.”
“You said you were facing
east,” Logan reminded her. “That meant the road was on your left and she was behind you, so she couldn’t have been blocking you.”
Caught in a lie, Jenna wasn’t going to go down without a fight. Zach watched as her chin lifted with determination.
“No, you’re not listening.” Jenna shook her head again. “I didn’t see her but she was blocking the path. I had to run up and I went to the elevators.”
“Did you push the button for the elevators?” Zach asked and then cursed his loose tongue. It was his own idea to let the others do the questioning but his senses were on high alert. Jenna was slapping lie upon lie and he wanted to know why. She was clearly hiding something and he had a terrible, awful feeling what it was.
The other victims might have been decoys but it wasn’t because Nicole Quincy had wanted Drew dead. It was because Jenna wanted her husband dead. It was one of the oldest stories in the book – one spouse murdering another.
“They don’t come any other way,” Jenna replied acidly. “That’s how elevators work.”
All they needed to do was keep putting on the pressure. Jenna hadn’t expected to be pressed on her story and she wasn’t prepared. She’d assumed she’d be treated as the grieving widow and a victim.
“How long did it take for the elevator doors to open?”
“I don’t know. A few seconds maybe? Is it important? I got away and I’m still alive.”
Patience. Just be patient.
“You’re sure the elevator doors opened? Did you get in the elevator?”
She’d taken a step back, an instinctive move to get away from Zach but he wasn’t going anywhere. “I took it to the third floor, got out, and headed into the mall where I flagged down a security guard. But you already know all of that.”
“Actually, this part wasn’t in your statement. You told the officer that you ran into the mall to get help from a security guard. There was no mention of you taking the elevator to do it.”
She shrugged carelessly. “I just remembered.”
Reunited With Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 6) Page 19