He’d purchased a burner cell to update his office on the train fiasco and ask a pal for a favor. Still hadn’t made the call yet. Sherry would be furious and think he was out of his mind.
If she hadn’t thought he was nuts for helping Jo before, she would when he told her that his non-witness was on the verge of identifying a murderer who looked like a Rainbow Man.
* * *
“IT SHOULD JUST be a couple of more blocks. We’re going to drive by once to see if we can spot anyone watching the house.”
Levi spoke in his natural, calming manner. Seemingly unconcerned that Jolene was about to enter her childhood home. A place she’d only allowed herself to remember with happy childlike impressions.
But she saw his eyes, searching the mirror, the streets, watching those walking by just a little longer than normal. His voice might be soothing, but his body spoke a different language. Defensive, ready to strike, protective, fingers tight on the steering wheel, ready to race the car and get them out of there in an instant. She knew he’d readied his gun at the hotel, verified how many bullets he had one last time before placing it in his holster.
So many of the things she’d wondered about over the past four years made sense now. She loved the curiosity in his eyes that had seemed to be constantly searching and seeking. His toned body came to mind without thinking. Who wouldn’t admire that? She’d mentioned it to her father once and he’d said Levi had a great gym membership.
It was hard to remember the “friendship” between her dad and the “new kid at work” hadn’t been real. It seemed very sincere at the numerous dinners Levi had joined. None of that mattered. Her father was just a case number to Marshal Cooper. She was an obligation and Levi felt guilty for not keeping her safe. He sat next to her because of a promise to her father. And she let him because she needed his assistance.
Nothing more.
She should remember their being together had nothing to do with feelings or friendship. No matter how many kisses they shared, he’d made it very clear two years ago that nothing else could happen between them. In the many hours they’d spent together during the past two days, there had been no attempt to assure her things were different.
There wasn’t a future between them.
Period.
Jolene’s insides were in knots. The tension wrenching her muscles caused an achy tightness like she’d just run a half marathon. She loved running, but never experienced this sick feeling of dread.
Maybe it was just the part she was to play. She wasn’t sure she could pull it off, but Levi had insisted that the owner not know her true association with the house. Her dad always had a plan. And a backup. “Always be prepared for the first to fail,” he used to say. So flying by the seat of her pants was not only new, it just felt...wrong.
“What do you expect to happen? What am I supposed to do?”
Levi moved as if he was going to hold her hand, but she quickly lifted hers to rub the back of her neck. The close proximity of him was hard enough to control. Touching was out of the question. He might insist on sharing a room, but he was definitely pushing the two chairs together and not sleeping in her bed. All six-plus feet of him.
“You aren’t supposed to do anything.” He used the hand originally headed her direction to push that stray curl off his forehead. “Just see if you remember anything. Don’t try too hard, just let it happen.”
“And how is my character supposed to act?”
“I think you could act as normal and natural as you always do.”
She had her doubts about that last statement. They turned onto the street where she’d lived, he’d given her the address, she could see the house numbers, knew when they passed it. Nothing happened.
No recognition. No feeling. No spark of emotion.
“It’s a pretty little house,” she said, turning in her seat to stare longer, trying hard to remember. “Do they know we’re coming?”
Levi’s hand covered hers and she snapped around, yanking her hand back to her lap. The warmth lingered longer than she wanted to admit.
“What do you remember about your mother?”
“Impressions. Dark hair, tall, she spoke in whispers. LuLu was actually the one who took me to the park. I remember her catching me at the end of the slide or darting under my swing as she pushed me high in the sky. Childish memories that abruptly stop. It’s like another life.”
“Did you ever overhear her talk about cases?”
“Cases? What do you mean?”
He opened his mouth, then flattened his lips and scratched his freshly shaven chin. The car was stopped at an intersection. He took another quick look around and then twisted in his seat to look at her. “Your mother was a defense attorney with some very high-powered clients.”
“I had no idea. I’ve spent my entire life with my father who avoided the subject of my mother. No matter how many times I asked, he never spoke of her. Ever.”
If she had to describe Levi’s actions, she’d say the line of questioning made him extremely uncomfortable. He was practically squirming. She’d never seen him this indecisive. He hesitated, clearly struggling with how to answer.
“Not to you, but he did talk about her.”
“Really, Levi. You’re just telling me now?” She watched him return to driving the car. “Your timing needs a lot of work.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You’re not going to tell me anything else though. Are you?” Did she see a moment of sadness cross his expression before he shook his head?
“I will. I just don’t think it’s a good idea before you remember.”
“And if I never do?”
“You already are, Jolene. You ready to do this?”
They were parked in front of the house.
“No, but that doesn’t matter, does it?”
She got out without looking at him again. If she saw one second of remorse or hesitation, she’d tell him to take her back to the hotel.
A variety of roses were planted on either side of the walk and house. A virtual rainbow of colors side by side. Rainbows. She couldn’t take another step. Levi had a hand at her back, gently encouraging her with a slight pressure to move forward.
“You can do this, Jo. I’m right here. We’re just going to knock on the door. Okay?”
She must have nodded her head. They moved. He knocked. He talked, showed his badge. They moved.
One little step at a time. That’s all she could accomplish. She stared at her feet. Actually being here was a lot harder than she’d anticipated. Much harder to look up and not recognize anything except the stair rail.
Nails. Rainbows. Blood.
“Mama.”
Chapter Seven
“Hey, hon, do you need to sit? You’re sort of swaying on your feet.” The bleached blonde, gum-smacking Mrs. Colter stuck a glass of water as far away from herself as possible. Nowhere near Jolene.
Levi waved off the drink and trapped Jo’s waist tighter to his side—if that were possible.
“I’m fine.” Jolene pushed at his hands.
The moment was gone. She stood straight and looked at him as if he were the one in a trance or about to faint.
“You sure you’re okay?” He released his life-saving grip, skimming his hand down the side of her cool arm and latching onto her ice-cold fingers. “You were kind of sleepwalking for a minute.”
“So you’re a real psychic? You didn’t see a ghost or anything, did you?” Mrs. Colter asked.
“No, nothing like that. I’m sorry, were we introduced?”
Jo seemed fine answering. Like nothing had happened. Did she have a clue she’d been talking out loud? Nails. Rainbows. Blood. She seemed to have remembered something the moment she stepped onto the sidewalk. He’d have to wait to find out exactly what, since the new owner of the house was completely enthralled with their cover story about trying to solve a twenty-year-old murder.
“Oh, I’m Sadie Colter and I’ve been hoping to see a ghost in
this house since the night I moved in fourteen years ago, you know? No luck for me though.”
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked after seeing how colorless Jo’s cheeks were.
She completely ignored him, took the water and politely shook Mrs. Colter’s hand. “Annabel Drummond. Thank you for allowing me in your home today. As I told the marshal, I’ve been having dreams about the unsolved crime that took place here.”
“You mean the triple homicide?” the older woman asked. “Or the other thing?”
Don’t fall apart, Jo.
She threw her shoulders back. “Could you tell us what you know about both?”
Asked like a pro.
“Sure, come on into the living room,” Mrs. Colter said and led the way.
Levi leaned close to Jo and whispered, “You’re doing great.” His praise was met with a look that told him just what he could do with it.
“You know, I’m not exactly sure what I expected a psychic to be like, but you aren’t exactly what I had pictured.” Mrs. Colter laughed, nervously smoothing her tight red pants that matched her brightly painted toes.
“Lots of people say that.” Jo sat on the edge of a denim-covered chair, one of the few places free of cat fur.
Standing was a better option for him. He didn’t need to watch the conversation, and observing the street traffic or anything unusual was a priority to keep Jo safe. So he listened, keeping the women’s reflections in the windowpanes.
“Well, I suppose you know all about the attorney who was murdered here. From the research I did, I’m almost an expert, you know?” Mrs. Colter paused only long enough to fill her lungs. “Anyway, she was a big to-do attorney working for the wrong people. That will always come back to bite you in the butt, darlin’. Never work for the wrong people. Has there been any new development I don’t know about?”
“I can’t say. Please continue, Mrs. Colter.” Jolene didn’t flinch or move at all. She listened.
No movement on the street, not even a postman.
“Oh honey, call me Sadie, everybody does. Anyway, absolutely no one knows for certain what she did to get herself killed. But you know what, no matter if she deserved it or not, her husband and little girl didn’t deserve it. No sir-reedee. That little girl was only five years old. Just five short years old. You pickin’ up on something again, hon?”
Levi caught Jo before she marched from the room, swinging her around to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t do this,” she whispered with a clenched jaw.
“Oh, do you need to be alone to work your magic?” Mrs. Colter asked.
“No, she’s fine.” He was certain she’d bolt if he let go of her elbow. He lowered his voice. “I’ve got you.”
Jo’s look of complete disbelief shot through his heart. She really didn’t believe he’d protect her. And he couldn’t—at least not from the lost memories she didn’t want to accept.
“Anyway.” Mrs. Colter didn’t let Jo’s attempt to leave slow her storytelling. “From what I found out, all three were professionally gunned down in the kitchen. Such a lovely room, too, you know? It’s full of sunlight all the time.”
Elaine Frasier had been stabbed, but he didn’t correct her.
“And the second incident you mentioned?” Jolene asked, unsuccessfully attempting to slip from his grasp.
“Why, the next owner, Gerald Major, you know? He bought the house for practically nothing, you know? And then it was up for sale again. He was murdered in downtown Dallas not three years later.”
“Why did you buy the house, Mrs. Colter?” Jo asked with a hesitant voice.
“I thought for certain it would be haunted. And it was dirt-cheap, you know? Easy to convince Eugene to make the deal.”
“Can we see the rest of the rooms? Do you mind if Annabel wanders alone?”
“Oh, not at all. I’ll wait here keeping my fingers crossed she can sense some paranormal activity, you know?”
Jolene’s look was either dread or simply disbelief that he expected her to explore on her own. But she quickly left him with Mrs. Colter, only pausing a second before stepping on the bottom stair. He watched until she disappeared from view.
Mrs. Colter popped her gum mid-sentence, forcing him to listen to her once again. “I’ve always been interested in ghosts, ever since I seen that movie Poltergeist, you know?”
He checked the street perimeter. His hand went to his weapon, but there was nothing there. “Is your block normally this quiet?”
“Yeah, even after twenty years and a couple of new paint jobs, most people avoid it.”
“I’m curious, were all the flowers here before?”
“Well, a lot of them died over the years. But I’ve had the lawn guy replace them, keeping them exactly the same. It sort of looks like a rainbow, you know?”
Again with the rainbows.
Levi’s job depended on precision planning and good execution. He didn’t need to trust his instincts. He’d never experienced the tiny hairs on the back of his neck prickling at a sign of danger. But if he had to describe why his gut felt tangled and the weird feeling of something crawling up his spine—that just might be it.
Something was off. A bad vibe.
He moved to the doorway and caught sight of Jo on the upstairs landing. Walking from door to door, swaying as if she were unsteady on her feet. She glanced in, then moved on to the next room.
He could hear his blood thumping in his ears in the split second between her swaying and catching herself on the door frame. He took the first stairs two at a time, then slowed and made as little noise as possible. If she were remembering, he didn’t want to yank her away.
“Y’all doin’ okay?” Mrs. Colter said from where he’d stood moments before.
Jo turned, met his eyes and dropped her shoulders with a heavy sigh. “I’m fine. I’m afraid I haven’t remem—received any otherworldly messages.” She pivoted and headed down the stairs. “Mrs. Colter, is there anything left from the victims? Anything associated with...rainbows?”
He was one step behind Jo.
“Oh. My. God. So you did pick up on something.”
Mrs. Colter shuffled across the tile floor, looking like she wanted to run, but unable to pick up her strapless sandals. He hated noticing everything about her. He was in that mode, though. Searching for potential threats was what he was good at. Standing on the sidelines without a plan wasn’t.
As much as he wanted to follow through on her memories, he couldn’t continue to make mistakes with Jo’s life. Being here was a mistake. He led her to the bottom of the stairs.
“I’m...I’m not sure. I just keep seeing rainbows.” Jolene’s voice went all breathy again. She latched onto Levi’s forearm with a death grip.
“There’s this old birdhouse that fell apart ages ago,” said Mrs. Colter. “I wouldn’t let Eugene throw it out. He put the pieces in the shed.”
“Can you take us to it?” Levi asked, delaying their departure against his better judgment.
“Sure, but don’t you want to see what was stuck inside?”
“Was it something like a dog?”
“Oh, my God. You’re for real.” She ran up the stairs.
“I can’t do this anymore.” Jo turned her face into his chest.
He guided her back to the chair. Instead of sitting, she looked up, tears pooling and enhancing the green sparkles in her eyes. He wrapped his arms around her slender body. The urge to walk away before the owner returned was so great he had to pull his foot back a step.
Jo didn’t deserve this sadness, but she’d strangle him if it were all for nothing.
“I don’t understand why Joseph put this on your shoulders to finish,” he said, whispering into her ear. “He must have had his reasons, but I know that you were the only thing important to him. The only thing he loved.”
“It was easier to believe that yesterday. Right now, I feel like a pawn in his game of revenge.” She patted his chest, leaning away. “I do
n’t know why the image of a carved wooden dog popped into my head. I can’t remember Mama putting it inside a birdhouse.”
“Maybe she didn’t.” When was he supposed to hand her the statue in his duffel? Joseph’s instructions wrapped around the dog by a rubber band, said he’d know when it was right. Now there was a second one?
“Who then?”
Levi released her and Jolene collapsed on the edge of the loveseat, waiting to confront one of her mother’s favorite gifts. She could remember it was very special. She’d gotten in trouble on more than one occasion for touching it and...
“It has a hidey space. That’s what Dad called it. I don’t remember what to do, but somehow the bottom pivots open.”
“We can’t let—” He abruptly stopped when the homeowner appeared in the door. “Mrs. Colter, we’re fortunate you kept this piece of evidence.”
“I tried to give it to the police when we found it, but they said the case was closed. I didn’t think that the limitations thingy ever expired on murder, you know?”
Why wouldn’t they have taken it or called her mother’s murder case ‘closed’? Unless the Marshals Service wanted it closed due to her father’s WITSEC status. Yet another question.
Levi met the excited woman at the doorway and blocked her from Jolene’s sight. “May I?”
Whatever she handed him, he put straight into his jacket pocket.
“No tellin’ how long it had been there. The police said they didn’t think it had anything to do with either murder, but I already had it in the bag. It’s filthy, but just like I found it.”
There was a clear picture in her mind of a brown-stained cocker spaniel. She knew they couldn’t open it here and didn’t need to see the little statue. The image of a dark-haired woman taking it from her hands and placing it on a high shelf out of a five-year-old’s reach was as clear as any photograph.
“Can we see the backyard?” she asked before thinking it through. She didn’t want to see the broken birdhouse. In fact, she was frightened out of her skin. She’d come this far, though.
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