And Kellan would be right.
Caroline didn’t look so much regretful as she did embarrassed. Nervous, too. That was likely because of the distrust she had for not only Kellan but all the other cops in the building.
“I’ll find the medic,” she muttered, moving past both Jack and Kellan to hurry away.
Kellan immediately motioned toward Sherry McNeil, one of the deputies at a desk in the squad room. “Keep an eye on her,” Kellan said to Sherry, tipping his head in the direction of both Caroline and the ladies’ room.
Jack just lifted an eyebrow.
“Caroline lied to you. She waited three days to tell you she’d gotten her memory back,” Kellan said, as if that excused the tail he’d just put on her.
“She lied because she doesn’t trust me. Not yet.”
Kellan made a sound of disagreement. “She looked pretty trusting to me when she was kissing you.”
“That was the attraction. It’s always been intense between us.”
He wouldn’t tell his brother that Caroline and he had gone all night their first time together. As if they’d been starved for each other. Hell, they were still starved for each other. If the door had been locked and Kellan hadn’t walked in, Jack might have backed Caroline against the wall and taken her then and there.
And she would have let him.
He’d felt that. The way her body had hummed against his. His own body had hummed plenty, too, and Jack knew it wasn’t going to be easy to rein in that kind of heat. And he doubted he would be able to count on an interruption to give him the willpower to resist a woman he’d never been able to resist.
“I don’t have to tell you this, but I will,” Kellan went on a moment later. “Sex could cause you to lose focus.”
This was obviously going to be one of the big topics of conversation today. “Lack of sex can do that, too. I haven’t been with another woman since Caroline.” Jack looked at Kellan then but didn’t see even one raised eyebrow. “You don’t seem surprised.”
“I’m not just a cop, I’m also your big brother. I know you fell hard for her, but she’s not the same woman she was a year ago.”
“Of course, she’s not,” Jack snapped. “She was nearly murdered by a serial killer and had amnesia. Hard to come back from that. But Caroline’s there. Underneath the tangled mess of memories in her head, she’s there.”
The sound that Kellan made was still edged with suspicion. “Personally, I like her. There’s plenty of toughness beneath that delicate-looking exterior.”
Yes, there was, and it was one of the things that had first attracted Jack to her. But her toughness had some fractures in it now. Thanks to Eric. This latest attack sure wasn’t going to help, either.
Jack scrubbed his hand over his face. “I need to figure out how the location of the WITSEC house was breached, and I have to look into those things that Caroline heard the night Dad was killed.”
Kellan’s jaw tightened. “The police radio transmissions. The mention of this office. The dispatch codes.” He glanced around the squad room. “I’ll help with that. I trust every person who works for me, but I won’t blow off what Caroline told you. That’s why I sent Sherry to keep an eye on her. Caroline said the voice on that call to Eric was male, so she should be okay with Sherry watching after her.”
Jack sent his brother a silent look of thanks for that.
“The call Caroline heard could have been part of the sick game that Eric was playing,” Kellan added after a pause. “Something to throw her off the accomplice who was actually helping him.”
That wasn’t just possible. It was likely. The trouble would be to convince Caroline of that, and his best shot at doing it was to figure out how Eric could have faked a call like that.
When Jack heard someone clear their throat, he looked to the doorway and saw Tatum Carson, the medic. “Neither of the women has any injuries,” Tatum told them, “but if you want me to take them into the hospital for tests, I will.”
“No,” Lucille and Caroline said in unison. They were behind the medic, and Sherry and Gunnar stood behind them.
Jack looked at both Lucille and Caroline and knew there’d be no other tests. “Thanks. You can go,” he said to Tatum.
With a suit-yourself shrug, the medic gathered his things and headed out.
“Lucille wants to go to her sister’s in San Antonio,” Gunnar said, stepping up. “I got her statement and her contact info. Her sister doesn’t have a car, so Lucille will need a ride. Is it okay for her to go?”
This was touchy jurisdictional territory. The shooting hadn’t happened at the WITSEC safe house, which meant technically this was Kellan’s case. Jack didn’t want to cross any gray lines—when he managed to make an arrest, he needed to have dotted all the i’s and crossed all the t’s to get a conviction. He also didn’t want to step on his brother’s toes, so he looked at Kellan, wanting him to respond to Gunnar’s question.
“Any chance this shooter will go after Lucille?” Kellan asked Jack.
“Slim to none.” Caroline was the target. Jack was certain of that. “But San Antonio PD should be alerted just in case something comes up. That way, they can make sure Lucille is protected.”
“She can leave,” Kellan said, apparently satisfied with what Jack had just told him. “I can’t send Gunnar with her, though, because he’s got to testify in court in about an hour. He won’t make it back here in time. Sherry, will you drive Lucille and contact SAPD on the way there?”
Sherry nodded, and, as the medic had done, the deputy started to gather her things, too. However, Lucille didn’t budge. Instead, she caught onto Caroline’s shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.
“Remember what I taught you,” Lucille said.
Caroline nodded. “Open-hand strike to the nose, followed by a hard kick to the groin.”
Jack winced, but Lucille smiled, clearly proud of her student. She brushed a kiss on Caroline’s cheek, whispered a goodbye and headed out with the deputy.
“Should I take Caroline’s statement now?” Gunnar asked.
This was another t-crossing and i-dotting moment. Since Jack had also been on the receiving end of that attack, he couldn’t question her. Heck, he shouldn’t even be in the room with her during the interview. That meant Caroline was about to be questioned by a male cop whom she maybe didn’t trust.
Jack was still mulling over the best way to handle that when he realized the interview and his own mulling were going to have to wait. That was because he saw a now familiar face had stepped into the squad room.
Kingston walked in, and he was wearing the same clothes he’d had on in the security footage. What the footage hadn’t captured was the cocky look on his face. It appeared to be a permanent expression.
“Caroline,” Kingston purred, his attention going straight to her. “So you’re still alive. Too bad that you won’t be that way for long.”
* * *
CAROLINE PULLED BACK her shoulders. Considering Kingston had been friends with a serial killer, she hadn’t expected him to look, well, normal, but she also hadn’t believed he’d come waltzing into a sheriff’s office to dole out what sounded like a threat.
“I’m Kingston Morris,” he greeted as if this were a social call. He thrust out his hand for Jack to shake. “And you’re Marshal Slater. Good to meet you.”
Jack didn’t exchange handshakes, but he gave Kingston a look that could have frozen Hades. He caught onto Kingston, whirled him around and, despite the man’s howl of protest, frisked him. No weapon.
“So you’re still alive. Too bad that you won’t be that way for long,” Jack growled, repeating word for word what Kingston had just said. “Along with some other things, you’ll want to explain that now.”
Kingston was wise enough to drop the cocky smile and the protest over the pat down, but he didn’t appear as conce
rned as he should be, considering that Jack looked ready to tear him limb from limb.
“I said that because of the attack.” There wasn’t much concern in Kingston’s voice, either. Unflappable was the word that came to Caroline’s mind. “Lots of gossip about it, and from what people are saying, someone wanted to kill Caroline and you.”
Now Kingston turned to her, their gazes connecting, and Caroline forced herself not to take a step back. Too bad that he spurred the old memories, and she got a burst of the flashbacks before she could stop them. The pain and the fear. She’d thought she was going to die, and the swarm of emotions that had come with that belief hit her now.
Jack must have noticed or else guessed about the flashbacks, because he moved closer to her, his arm brushing against her. It was surprising and unnerving how just a simple touch from him could soothe her. But Caroline would take it. She definitely didn’t want to collapse into a puddle from a panic attack when she needed to confront Kingston.
“You tried to kill Jack and me?” Caroline came out and asked, and she made sure she held eye contact with Kingston.
“No, of course not.” It sounded more mocking than genuine, but at least the man started to show some concern when Jack turned on a recorder and began to read him his rights.
“You’re arresting me?” Kingston demanded several times while he was Mirandized.
“Any reason I shouldn’t?” Jack countered after he’d finished. “You were at Caroline’s not long before she was attacked.”
Jack didn’t add more to that explanation, and Caroline thought she knew why. He was giving Kingston a chance to lie by denying it. If so, that would add weight to his arrest.
However, Kingston shrugged. “Yes, I was there,” he readily admitted. “I got a text, giving me the address and saying I should go there.”
Jack eased up on the glare to give the man a look of skepticism. Caroline felt the same way, and when Kingston obviously picked up on their disbelief, he huffed and took out his phone. After he’d pulled up a message, he handed Jack his phone.
There it was on the screen. No name of the person who’d sent the message, but there was the address of the safe house, along with the message, Want to get a look at the woman who helped kill your friend Eric Lang? You’ll find her here.
“I don’t know who sent it, and the number is no longer working,” Kingston explained. “My guess is he or she used a disposable cell and deactivated it.”
“Or else you used such a phone and sent the message to yourself,” Jack quickly countered.
Kingston didn’t exactly give him an eye roll, but it was close. “There’s no reason for me to do that.”
Jack didn’t waste any time arguing. “Sure there is. You might think a message like that would get you off the hook. It won’t. You were in the vicinity of Caroline’s house, and you have a motive to murder her.”
“A motive?” Kingston challenged. “You mean because of Eric?” He didn’t wait for Jack to confirm or deny that. “I wouldn’t kill because of him. Yes, I was intrigued by Eric. He was very interesting and charismatic, but I wouldn’t have done his bidding. Besides, he’s dead.”
Jack leveled his gaze on Kingston. “Yet you acted on what you’re saying was an anonymous tip to go to the house of a woman you blame for the death of this interesting and charismatic piece of dirt?”
Kingston opened his mouth, then closed it as if rethinking what he’d been about to say. “I don’t blame Caroline for Eric’s death.” He shifted his attention to Kellan. “I believe you’re the one who delivered what eventually became the fatal blow.”
“I did,” Kellan readily admitted. “I just wish I’d been able to put a bullet in him sooner.”
If Kingston had a reaction to that, he didn’t show it. Instead, he turned back to Caroline. “Someone wants you dead. The attack proves that. And I think the person who sent me that message thought I’d do the job for him or her.”
“Do you want to do the job?” Caroline asked, and thankfully she sounded a lot tougher than she felt. More of those flashbacks bolted through her like lightning, and for just a moment she wished she hadn’t recovered those parts of her memory.
Again, Kingston took his time answering. “There’s no law against admiring a man like Eric. In his own twisted way, he was a genius. And he kept you alive. That’s a key point here. Why would I want to go against him on that? If he didn’t kill you, then why should I?”
Caroline didn’t have to think long to come up with a reason. A sick one. “Because he’s dead, and you might want the thrill of murdering me to honor a man who intrigued you.”
“No.” Kingston looked her straight in the eyes when he said that. “I wouldn’t do that, and I’m not responsible for the attack against you. I merely went to your place out of curiosity.”
Caroline wasn’t sure she believed that, but the problem would be finding the proof. Maybe they’d get that with the rental car. Jack had asked his brother, Texas Ranger Eli Slater, to assist with locating it, though she was concerned that Kingston had covered his tracks there. Strange, though, that he hadn’t done the same track-covering at the safe house. But then maybe he hadn’t known there’d be security cameras at the back of the property.
“Did you send Eric money the night he took Caroline hostage?” Jack asked Kingston. Obviously, he intended to press the man on more than just the attack. Of course, anything Jack found out about Kingston could give them more fodder to make an arrest.
“I did,” Kingston admitted, “but I didn’t know what he’d done. It hadn’t hit the news yet that Caroline had been taken hostage, and Eric didn’t mention it.”
Eric hadn’t. Caroline had been there for that entire call, and not once had Eric said anything about why he needed funds.
“How’d you get him the money?” Jack pressed.
“I gathered the cash. Ten grand. It was all my parents had in their safe. I put it in a bag and left it for Eric on the side of the road where he told me to leave it.”
Jack gave Kingston another dose of his lawman’s glare. “And you didn’t think it was a little strange that a person you knew or at least suspected was a serial killer would ask you for money?”
“No. I didn’t know or suspect he was a serial killer,” Kingston insisted. “That didn’t come out until later, until he escaped with Caroline.”
Maybe. But Caroline still wasn’t buying it.
“Did you get Eric a car that night, too?” Jack continued.
Caroline had to speak up on this. “No. Eric stole it. Or rather, he had me hot-wire it. It was in the driveway of a house not far from the abandoned inn where your father was killed.” She paused, stared at Kingston. “But just because you didn’t do that doesn’t make you an innocent man.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Kellan agreed before Kingston could respond. “I need to take him to the interview room and get his statement.” He didn’t invite Jack and her to go with him. No doubt because it would be a conflict of interest since Kingston was a suspect in their attack. Still, Caroline wanted to hear what else the man had to say.
“There’s an observation room,” Jack told her, and they headed out of the office and toward the hall.
However, they hadn’t made it far before the front door opened again. This time, it wasn’t a suspect who came in but Gemma. In the blink of an eye, the past months melted away, and Caroline felt the warmth of seeing a dear friend. Even though she figured the flashbacks would soon return, she savored the moment when Gemma rushed to her and pulled her into her arms.
“You’re okay?” Gemma muttered.
Caroline nodded. It wasn’t the total truth, but she hadn’t been physically harmed. That was what Gemma needed to know for now.
When Gemma pulled back, Caroline saw tears in her friend’s eyes. Not just from the relief of her not being injured but because her memory had returned. Gemma
didn’t have to say that aloud for Caroline to know that Kellan had told her.
Jack cleared his throat to get their attention. “I’m going to the observation room. Why don’t you two talk in Jack’s office?”
Only then did Caroline remember that they were too close to the windows. Not a good idea for either one of them. Caroline hooked her arm around Gemma’s waist and got her moving.
“How much have you remembered?” Gemma asked.
“Enough.” Caroline didn’t say more until they were in the office. “I got my memory back three days ago.”
Gemma nodded. Then she sighed. Obviously, her friend didn’t understand why Caroline had kept it a secret. Heck, Gemma might not even understand after she’d explained. Still, Caroline had to try.
“Eric made a call to someone the night he took me hostage. I heard a police radio in the background. I heard someone say Longview Ridge. The caller used cop words, including dispatch codes. I know, I know,” Caroline added before Gemma could try to explain all of that away. “It doesn’t mean Kellan’s guilty. But he could be unknowingly shielding a killer because he can’t see past his friendships or blind loyalty to the badge.”
Much to Caroline’s surprise, Gemma didn’t dismiss that. “So you think it could be one of Kellan’s deputies? Or Jack?”
“Not Jack.” Caroline should have at least hesitated a split second. “He might have that badge blindness—” or DNA blindness, she silently added, when it came to his brothers “—but Jack doesn’t want me dead.”
Gemma was one of the best profilers that she’d ever met, and she turned those profiling eyes on Caroline. And she waited as if she knew Caroline was holding something back.
She was.
Of course, Gemma knew about her history with Jack. Knew all about Jack and her being lovers.
“I kissed Jack,” Caroline blurted out, cursing herself. She added some more curse words for Jack, too.
“And you think that was a...wise idea?” Gemma asked as if carefully choosing her words.
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