by Rebecca Deel
“Hammer.”
Darcy buried her face in her hands. “Oh, no.”
Nick straightened. “Know something I don’t?”
“How long have you lived here, Nick?” Rio asked.
“Almost two years. Why?”
“The previous owner of this house was a homicide victim. Ms. Bond was beaten to death with a hammer.”
Nick’s gaze darted to Josh. “Any arrests?”
“Nope. It’s a cold case. Ms. Bond died a few months before Ethan arrived. Detective Beauchamp worked the case until the trail went cold. By the time Ethan came, the old police chief was gone and Beauchamp had died from a heart attack. Rod brings the case out every few months and looks it over, but hasn’t turned up any leads.”
Darcy frowned. “Who’s Rod?”
“Rod Kelter. He’s married to my other sister, Megan. She’s the editor of the town newspaper.”
“Isn’t Sutton’s manner of death a coincidence?” Mason asked. “Every wanna-be handyman has a hammer.”
Josh’s lips curled. “There are no coincidences in law enforcement.”
“He’s right.” Nick grabbed his empty plate and took it to the dishwasher as the microwave signaled the end of the heating cycle for Darcy’s tea. “This house is the connection between Sutton and Ms. Bond’s murder. He wanted something bad enough to try and scare Darcy into leaving the premises. And now that he’s been murdered in the same manner as Bond? No, it’s not a coincidence.”
“Same perp?” Josh asked.
“I’ll pull Bond’s file and compare it to Sutton’s. I might ask Stella to look at the Bond case, see if she comes up with anything.”
“It’s all connected, isn’t it?” Trent asked, a dark frown on his face. “How much danger is my sister in?”
“I don’t know.” The detective leaned back against the counter, arms folded across his chest. “Don’t go anywhere alone, Darcy.”
She gave him a wan smile. “No worries, Nick. I don’t have a car now, remember?”
Trent’s attention shifted to his sister. “Is your car in a body shop?”
“More likely the junkyard,” Mason muttered.
“That bad?”
“I doubt the insurance company will bother repairing it,” Darcy said. “Even if they do, I’m getting rid of it. I want an SUV that can handle the mountainous terrain along with snow and ice in the winter.”
Satisfaction surged through Rio at her words. “I’ll help you find something, baby.”
She smiled as he pressed the mug into her hands. “I hoped you might.”
“You downplayed the severity of the accident,” Trent accused her.
“Would I do that?” she asked, a look of pure innocence on her face.
He scowled.
“Do I need to go to the station, Nick?” Rio asked.
The detective waved that off. “I’ll confirm your conversation with Liz, Aaron, and Brian. If I have other questions concerning your whereabouts or any evidence I uncover points to you being at the scene of the crime, I’ll track you down and haul you to the station.”
“Fair enough.”
“Why did you think Rio was responsible for Sutton’s death?” Darcy asked. “He wouldn’t murder someone.”
Rio, Josh, and Trent all stiffened. A twinge of uneasiness rolled through Rio’s gut. She knew what Trent did for a living. Rio worked for the same group. Killing someone was not his first choice, but he’d do it without hesitation if his teammates’ lives depended on it. He’d do the same thing for Darcy and Mason. Could she handle his job?
“Rio cares about you. Anyone around you two sees it. Do I think he killed Sutton? No. Is he capable? Oh, yeah. The military does a fantastic job training their soldiers. I never served in the military, but I am well aware of the lengths Rio would go to in protecting you. If he thought your life was in jeopardy from Sutton, he’d do whatever was necessary to ensure your safety.”
“I don’t doubt about that. But cold-blooded murder with a hammer? Absolutely not. If Rio wanted him dead, he wouldn’t have needed a hammer. He knows many ways to kill with his bare hands. Sutton could have hurt me the night he broke in. Instead, he left a message in lipstick on my mirror. Rio did not kill him.”
“And if Rio believed Sutton was responsible for your accident? Do you think he wouldn’t track Sutton and exact revenge?” Nick tilted his head. “If Trent was in better shape, he could have taken out Sutton himself, as could Josh. Durango team has the skills to get away with the crime and the ability to slip in and out without being seen. They’re men of integrity, though. If one of them killed Sutton, they would have called the police and surrendered immediately. I suspect your brother has the same integrity. Do I think one of them killed him? No, but I have to follow procedure and eliminate suspects. The nature of the crime and Sutton’s previous threat to you led me to Rio. I’ll confirm his alibi and move on.”
“Why aren’t you questioning me?” she asked, temper glittering in her gaze. “I could have used a hammer on him to protect myself or my boyfriend.”
Trent flinched at that declaration.
Rio turned her head gently toward him. “Nick’s trying to help.”
“By blaming you for something you would never do?”
“Don’t kid yourself, Darce.” Trent placed his empty mug on the table with a solid thump. “Durango’s medic might appear as if nothing riles him, but he’s just as fierce a fighter on the battlefield as the rest of his unit. He’s Delta, sis. That makes him one of the most dangerous men on the planet.” He stopped, smirked. “Even if he isn’t a SEAL.”
Rio snorted, then refocused on the woman seated next to him. “You don’t have to defend me, Darcy.”
“Nick should question me, too,” she insisted. “I could have done it.”
“Not possible, baby. First, the pain medicine Doc Ross prescribed knocked you out. I checked on you twice before I turned in. You didn’t budge either time. Second, I don’t think your joint issues would allow you to beat a man to death with a hammer. Unless you were very lucky on the first strike, Sutton would have overpowered you. Third, I suspect your hands and arms are still sore from the accident. Fourth, you don’t have it in you to hurt someone deliberately in cold blood. To defend yourself or someone you love from imminent danger, absolutely. Otherwise, no. That’s just not you.”
Nick’s lips edged up. “In the interest of fairness, I’ll get statements from Darcy, Trent, and Mason as well.”
Rio wanted to laugh at the satisfaction on his girlfriend’s face, but decided it wasn’t wise. Their statements would consist of one paragraph, two at the most if Nick stretched it.
His gaze shifted to Trent. The other Fortress operative wasn’t taking heavy-duty pain meds anymore. If Rio had left the house to confront Sutton, Trent might have heard him. Moot point, though. He hadn’t left the house.
“Rio didn’t leave the house,” Trent told Nick.
“How do you know? Weren’t you asleep?”
A quick grin from the operative. “Not that asleep. I took a couple of over-the-counter pain relievers. I checked all the windows and walked every inch of the first floor yesterday afternoon. The windows creak when you raise them and the floors groan everywhere.”
“Rio could have learned which boards squeak and avoided them,” Nick pointed out.
“If he had time. He didn’t.”
A nod from the detective. He pulled out his notebook and pen. “Mason, we’ll start with you.” Within a few minutes, he had statements from all three of them. “Darcy, do you have a cell phone?”
She nodded.
“Good. Keep it with you, even in the house.” A wry smile curved his lips. “Sutton already proved this place isn’t all that secure.”
“That changes today,” Trent said. “Fortress will be installing a security system.”
“We both know security systems are only a deterrent. Someone determined to get in here will find a way.” Nick shoved the notebook back into his
pocket and grabbed his coat from the back of the chair he’d occupied. “Darcy, thanks for feeding me breakfast. I’m looking forward to the opening of your deli. Josh, you’re with me.”
Amusement lit his eyes. “Yes, sir,” he murmured. He rose, leaned down and kissed Darcy’s cheek. “Thanks for taking pity on hungry cops.” His gaze locked with Rio’s. “Call Murphy,” he murmured before following Nick from the house.
“What did he mean by that?” Darcy asked.
“Nick can’t tell me what he found at the crime scene and I won’t put Josh in a bad place by asking him for information known only to law enforcement. But he must think there’s something I need to know or he wouldn’t have encouraged me to contact Zane.”
“I don’t understand,” Mason said, a frown on his face. “What does Josh think Zane can do? He’s not a cop and he’s not here.”
Trent grinned. “Zane Murphy is one of the best hackers in the business. I doubt OCPD’s computer system will be a challenge. As soon as Nick enters the information in his computer, Z will have access to what Rio needs without compromising Josh.”
Rio’s cousin whistled softly. “You guys are scary.”
“Nope, just good at what we do.” Rio rose and cleared his plate and coffee mug. He glanced at the time, grimaced. “I need to go. I have a session in thirty minutes. Mase, keep an eye on things today.”
“Count on it.”
Trent rose. “Might as well take a shower. The Fortress techs will be here in an hour.” He punched Rio lightly in the shoulder as he passed.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Darcy said. She followed him to the living room where he’d deposited his mike and Go bags by the door before his run.
He turned and circled her waist with his arms. “Be careful today, sweetheart.”
She studied his expression a moment. “You’re worried.”
“Someone tried to force you off the mountain side yesterday. You bet I’m worried.”
“I have Trent and Mason here with me as well as whatever techs Fortress sends. I’ll be fine. If anything weird happens, I’ll call you.”
“Thank you.” He leaned down and brushed her lips with his. “I spoke to Aaron and Liz Cahill last night after you went to bed. They invited all of us to dinner tonight.”
“The faster we uncover information, the better.”
“It’s not too soon after your accident?” He trailed the back of his fingers over her cheek. “I don’t want to make you hurt more.”
“I won’t hurt any less by staying here. I’m looking forward to meeting Josh’s parents. I’ve heard good things about them from Del and Madison.”
His cheeks burned. “They sort of adopted Durango. Aaron and Liz are like second parents.”
“In other words, be prepared for a grilling?”
“They won’t be that bad.” Maybe. Probably. He blew out a breath. “They’ll love you. How could they not?”
“You are a keeper, Rio Kincaid.” Darcy tugged his head down for a long, deep kiss. “Text me the time to be ready.”
After another kiss, he grabbed his bags and left. While he waited for his SUV to warm up, Rio sent a text to another Delta teammate who now provided special order vehicles. Hopefully, Bear would have the type of vehicle Rio wanted for Darcy. If his relationship with her continued long term, he needed the security of knowing she was as protected as possible when driving.
On the drive to PSI, Rio called Zane. He hoped the tech geek wasn’t too busy to do more digging.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Darcy shivered as she closed the door behind Rio. Man, it was frigid outside. She hoped the PSI trainees had sessions indoors today. Otherwise, all the trainers would be outside with them.
She returned to the kitchen to find Mason putting the last of the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. “Thanks, Mason.”
He shrugged. “You cooked. This is the least I could do. Brian is sending another worker over to bring supplies and give me a hand. He should be here by seven.”
“This place will be busy today.” Darcy’s cell phone chirped in her pocket. She glanced at the screen, eyebrows winging upward. What did he want?
“Darcy? Everything okay?”
“It’s nothing. Do you know when the floor will be ready? I’d like to schedule the piano delivery.”
“Tomorrow night at the latest. I may be finished tonight, but I wanted to allow extra time in case I run into something unexpected.”
“Josh Cahill’s parents invited us all to dinner tonight.”
A ghost of a smile curved his mouth, a mannerism that reminded her so much of Rio. “That would be an unexpected thing. I should finish the floor.”
She squeezed his hand. “The invitation included you, and you should go. Mason, this is your new home. You have to make connections in Otter Creek. For that matter, so do I.”
He glanced away. “Not many people will accept me.”
“Give them a chance. We can’t focus on the folks who reject us. This is a new start. We’ll make friends and prove ourselves worthy of trust. That’s all we can do.”
His gaze locked on hers. “I could screw up again.”
She regarded him in silence for a moment. “Do you plan on drinking and driving?”
A shudder wracked his body. “No. I don’t want to return to prison. The incessant noise, smells, watching my back all the time.” He shook his head. “I can’t handle that again. More important, I won’t ever forget the price of my stupidity. Every time I sleep, I see the faces of that mother and baby.”
“Did you know the family, Mason?”
“She was a classmate. That’s bad enough. Worse, her family sends me age-progressed pictures of them every year on the anniversary of their deaths.” He swallowed hard. “Even if I wanted to forget the consequences of my actions, which I don’t, the family won’t let me.”
Darcy’s heart ached for Rio’s cousin. She understood the family was devastated by the loss of their loved ones. But he’d paid a heavy price for his mistake. He deserved a second chance. “Is that why you decided to come to Otter Creek instead of going home?”
Hurt darkened his eyes. “The Fitzgeralds stirred my hometown into a feeding frenzy. Dad’s received threats, people promising to kill me if I showed my face in town again.”
Oh, man. How devastating for Mason and his family to spend so many years apart and still not be able to be together. “So you came to Rio?”
“Dad sent me to him. My guess is he wanted to be sure I stayed out of trouble.”
More likely, his father wanted Mason to have protection if the Fitzgeralds came after him. “You and Rio were close growing up?”
“We had fun together. Played on the same ball teams. We lost touch when Rio entered the military and I went to college. He’s a good man, Darcy.”
She sipped her protein shake. “I know. I’ve heard nothing but good things about him for months. The Fortress operatives are impressed with his skill.”
Mason’s cell phone signaled an incoming call. He checked the screen, smiled. “Excuse me. It’s my father.” He swiped the screen and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hi, Dad.” Rio’s cousin left the kitchen, heading toward the living room.
Darcy drank her shake before pulling out her own cell phone. She scowled at the second text from her agent. She didn’t want to deal with him today, especially this early. For that matter, why was he awake? Allen didn’t like seeing the sun rise in the mornings. Beyond that, he’d lied to her about when he arrived in Otter Creek. Could she really trust anything he said?
If she had to deal with him today, at least Trent and Mason would be on hand along with the Fortress techs. Without a vehicle, she couldn’t meet him anywhere.
Another text message came in. Allen again? A check of the screen had her smiling. Stella. She placed the call to her friend. “You’re up early.”
“Nick called and told me Sutton is dead. Nasty business, Darcy.”
“Tell me about it. Rio and Trent
are both worried. To tell the truth, I’m worried, too. I can’t imagine what was so valuable in this house that a group of thieves is killing for it. This house was full of junk.”
She’d seen what the PSI trainees carted from the house. While she was in Texas with her brother, Rio’s teammates had sent pictures. Just more of the same items. There had been nothing in this place worth keeping except the candles and the miniature piano.
“I saw pictures of your car. These guys think you know something.”
“That’s ridiculous. All I’ve done is clean out the house with help from friends and acquaintances. I don’t even know what they want.”
“I may have some information on that. Is it all right if I stop by?”
“Sure. Fair warning, though. Fortress techs will be here by seven to install a security system.”
A soft laugh came through the phone. “At least I don’t have to worry about that. Nate already had a top-of-the-line system in place when we married. The grapevine says your car is toast. Do I need to pick up anything for you?”
“The only thing I need is company to keep my mind busy.”
“That I can do, at least for a couple hours. See you in a few minutes.”
Darcy washed her glass and straw and gulped the rest of her tea. By the time she finished, the doorbell rang, if you could call it that. She cringed at the flat, irritating chime. Definitely time for something new. Maybe it was the musician in her, but she couldn’t stand those discordant notes long term. She sighed as she walked to the door. The list of things to replace or repair was growing longer by the day. Her lips curved upward. If she could find a pen and paper, she’d be in business.
“Don’t open the door without checking!” Trent yelled from his room.
She scowled toward the hall. Did her brother think she was an idiot? She crossed to the peephole. Stella stood on the porch, two hot drinks in a carrier in her hands. Coffee? Hot chocolate? Contemplating sipping either choice made her mouth water. And Rio wasn’t around to know if she cheated. She unlocked the door.
Stella smiled. “Nate thought you would like something hot.”