by Lynn Shannon
Megs, our prayers have been answered. I’ve found evidence that proves Wade is innocent. You need to come home now, but quietly. No one can know. We can’t trust anyone. Call me when you get this.
The muscles in Luke’s shoulders stiffened. “What time was that call?”
“Four fifteen.”
“Your aunt’s accident happened around four thirty.” His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the information. “Did she call you again?”
Megan shook her head. “Was there anything in the car? A file folder, maybe?”
They’d conducted a search of the vehicle and the ravine to secure possible evidence and hadn’t found much.
“We recovered her cell phone, but it was smashed. Her credit cards and driver’s license were in the case.” He ran a hand through his hair. “How is it possible she found evidence of Wade’s innocence? He confessed to Franny’s murder.”
“Under duress,” she snapped.
“Are you suggesting Sheriff Franklin coerced him?”
“No, but I think the sheriff was under a lot of pressure to solve the case. Some things may have been overlooked.”
“Like what?”
She speared him with a look. “You know as well as I do that Wade wasn’t acting right in the days after the murder. I think he saw something the night Franny was killed and he’s too scared to say what it was.”
“If that’s true, then he would have told the sheriff. He wouldn’t have confessed to the murder.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “If my aunt didn’t know who to trust, how would Wade?”
The question socked him like a punch to the gut. In the years since her brother’s conviction, Luke had reasoned Wade’s nervous behavior was attributed to guilt.
“You’re telling me Wade confessed to Franny’s murder because someone threatened him?”
“Not him. I think someone could’ve been threatening to harm June or me. There’s nothing Wade wouldn’t have done to protect us.” Megan scowled. “If you had just talked to him, convinced him to tell you the truth, we wouldn’t be in this mess now.”
“Megs, there are things about your brother—”
“What? That he was partying? Drinking? He’d gotten in trouble for some barroom brawls.” The color in her cheeks deepened. “I already know, Luke. June came clean after his confession. Too bad neither of you thought to tell me before it was too late.”
Her tone was caustic. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a slice of her hand through the air. “Don’t. There’s nothing you can say to fix it now.”
He gritted his teeth and wrestled with his temper. What was the point? She was right. They were too far gone for explanations. Not that she’d given him the chance—ever—to give one.
“Fighting grown men in a bar or drinking too much is a far cry from murdering a woman in cold blood.” She jutted up her chin. “I don’t believe Wade is capable of it, and the only reason he confessed is because he was forced to.”
“How do you know all of this? Has Wade told you?”
“My aunt spent some time looking into the case after his arrest. We managed to put a couple of things together.” Her shoulders slumped. “Wade refuses to talk about it. He insists June and I both leave it alone.”
Megan was a criminal defense attorney. If Wade refused her help, there were only two explanations. Either he was guilty or he was trying to protect her. June’s recent attack coupled with the voice mail gave serious weight to the latter. A cold, insidious finger of self-doubt crept across Luke’s heart like barbed wire. He closed his eyes. God, did I help put an innocent man in jail?
The concept made his stomach roll. When Megan had come to him and shared that Wade had been in the cabin with Franny on the night of her murder, Luke had taken the information straight to the sheriff. His decision led to chain of events affecting all of them. Wade was arrested and convicted. Megan broke off their engagement. Luke felt the responsibility of his choices resting on his shoulders, weighted down by the ranger badge and his own personal code of conduct.
“Do you have any idea what the evidence June found might be?”
“No. I didn’t even know June was investigating until I heard the voice mail.” Megan stared down at the table. “If the evidence wasn’t with her, then where is it?”
“The vehicle caught fire. It’s possible the evidence was destroyed.” He blew out a breath. “The forensic unit will go over the car with a fine-tooth comb, but I’ll tell them to keep an eye out anyway. I’ll also put out feelers to see if June was asking questions around town about Franny’s murder.”
Megan opened her mouth, and he held up a hand.
“Hold on, I want to be clear. I’m not convinced Wade is innocent, but I’m also not going to ignore what’s right in front of me. If there is any way June’s accident is connected to Franny’s murder, then it’s a thread I have to pull.”
Her lips flattened into a thin line, but she nodded. “Visiting hours are over, so I won’t be able to see June until tomorrow morning. I’ll stay at the house tonight.”
Luke caught his objection moments before it left his mouth. As a law enforcement officer, he needed a warrant or permission from June to search her house. Megan didn’t. She only needed lawful entry, which she had, thanks to her spare key. No doubt the brilliant woman was five steps ahead of him and had already figured that out. He couldn’t help her search for the evidence, but he could provide protection.
“I’ll follow you home and make sure you get there okay.”
Megan nodded, her hair caressing her cheeks, before turning to collect her jacket and purse. He watched her, a mix of emotions churning inside him. She’d shown up only two hours ago, and yet her reappearance in his life had imploded everything Luke thought he knew.
Three
His hand tightened around the syringe filled with enough barbiturates to kill a horse.
He adjusted the doctor’s surgical mask over the lower half of his face and peeked out from inside the supply closet. The scrubs he’d stolen from the back of a truck in the parking lot smelled like musky cologne and his stomach revolted. A trooper stood guard outside June’s hospital room. Even dressed in disguise, there was no way he could slip by unnoticed and finish the job.
A string of curse words ran through his head. June should be dead. That road was rarely used. What were the chances a good Samaritan would see the wreck and call it in?
The door leading to the break room opened, and Megan appeared followed by Luke. Her chin was high, and there was a determined march to her step. His teeth ground together. The ranger was an aggravation, but one he could manage. He had connections, and he knew the pressure points. Wade’s sister, on the other hand, was a wild card and far too much like her aunt. He should have gotten rid of the Hunt family a long time ago.
He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. There was no reason to panic. Not yet. Things hadn’t gone as planned, but they hadn’t gone badly either. June was in a coma. She couldn’t tell them anything. Luke suspected foul play, but with the car in such bad shape, it was possible they would never find proof.
Still, he needed to calculate his next moves carefully. He ducked behind the door as Megan and Luke passed by the room. His gaze narrowed into slits. Little did she know, but Megan was a dead woman walking. So was her entire family. One by one, he would smash them into oblivion.
The couple disappeared around the corner. His phone vibrated. He released the syringe and flexed his fingers before unhooking the phone from his belt.
“It’s about time you return my call.”
“Things are busy down here and I can’t disappear any time I want. But don’t worry, I have the information you need. Let’s meet.”
They arranged a time and place before he hung up. Checking to make sure the coast was clear, he slipped from the supply closet. The drive wasn’t long, but it would be enough to plan. To figure out exactly how he would mop this mess up.
Megan wasn�
�t the only loose end he needed to tie off.
Four
Luke rubbed his chilled hands together before shoving them in his jacket pockets. The porch swing rocked and trees on the outer edge of June’s yard rustled with the wind. Lights inside the house glowed. June had run her private investigation business out of her home, and it seemed Megan was focusing on the office first.
Headlights made their way down the street. Two quick flashes bounced off the rearview mirror, and Luke relaxed against the seat. A Medina County Sheriff’s patrol vehicle pulled up next to his, Lieutenant Brent Granger behind the wheel.
Motion detection lights attached to the house lit up Brent’s face. A dark beard covered his jaw, an offset to the boyish cheeks plaguing him since grade school. His head was shaved—in solidarity with his mother who was undergoing chemo treatments—and Brent’s shoulders bunched up to his ears as he crossed the distance between the two vehicles. When he opened the passenger-side door, a gust of icy wind scented with french fries slipped in.
Brent hefted his weight into Luke’s truck, the movement fluid despite the bulk of his duty belt and bulletproof vest. “Holy moly, it’s freezing out here.”
“You doing the night shift again?” Luke asked, bumping up the heat to ward off the chill. “I thought those days were behind you.”
Brent had been with the sheriff’s department for almost a decade. As a lieutenant, he didn’t normally do patrol.
“Watson has a new baby. I’m picking up some of his shifts so he can help out his wife.” He handed Luke a large takeaway mug and a bag from a fast food place. “I heard about June’s accident from Sheriff Franklin when I showed up for my shift. He said you were worried about it being foul play and that Megan might be in danger.”
Luke set the coffee in a cup holder and fished fries from the bag. He quickly ran through his conversation with Megan, including her suspicion that June’s accident was connected to Franny’s murder.
Brent whistled. “Wow. No wonder the sheriff and the chief deputy were huddling in his office tonight.”
Dan Carter, currently the chief deputy, had been the lead investigator on Franny’s murder case. Brent had assisted.
“How do you think Dan handled the investigation?” Luke asked.
“There was a lot of pressure to solve Franny’s murder. Megan isn’t wrong about that, but everything Wade told us lined up.”
“I figured as much.”
“You did nothing wrong, Luke.” He twisted in the seat to face him. “Wade was in love with Franny and angry because she didn’t feel the same way. It was an argument fueled by drinking that went sideways. You can’t let your feelings for Megan interfere with the investigation.”
“I’m not.” He jerked the bag of food away. “I have my eyes wide open.”
Brent’s jaw tightened.
Luke took a deep breath, realizing that his tone was more hostile than necessary. His friend’s warning wasn’t unjustified. As much as he hated to admit it, Luke couldn’t completely divest himself of his emotions when it came to Megan.
He took another deep breath. “I don’t intend to work this case by myself. I have a plan.”
“Okay.” Brent paused. “Just…tread lightly. The Dickersons will be upset if you reopen Franny’s case. They won’t be the only ones.”
“I know. One thing at a time. Let’s see what the forensic unit finds when they examine June’s vehicle.”
“Yeah, okay.” Brent reached for the door handle. “I better get back on patrol. I’m on till six so let me know if you need anything.”
“Hey, before you go, how’s your mom doing?”
“She’s not bouncing back from the chemo like she did with the first round of cancer, but she keeps fighting. Thanks for sending over the flowers. She loved them.”
“Anything I can do, let me know. And Brent, I appreciate the coffee and the advice.”
“Anytime.”
Brent strolled back to his vehicle, and his taillights faded into the night. Luke’s gaze drifted back to June’s house. The living room lights were still on. Megan was being thorough, and for the hundredth time that night, Luke wasn’t sure what outcome he was hoping for.
Early-morning sunlight creeped across the countertop. The scent of fresh coffee filled the kitchen, and Megan breathed it in, hoping for a jolt of caffeine by smell alone. The metallic toaster morphed her reflection, but nothing could hide the dark circles under her eyes. She’d been up most of the night searching for the evidence.
Archimedes, her aunt’s cat, twined around her legs. He let out a meow.
“Yes, yes. I suppose the first order of business is you.” She fed him, and the tabby cat attacked the bowl with gusto. Megan laughed. “I fed you last night. You can’t be that hungry.”
The coffee finished dripping, and she poured a cup. An open bag of jelly beans she’d discovered hidden in her aunt’s office sat on the counter and she popped a couple in her mouth, chasing them with a sip of the strong dark brew. The cat, now finished with his food, slanted a look her way.
“Don’t judge me. I’m exhausted.”
She unearthed a portable mug from the cabinet and filled it with coffee. When she stepped outside, a slap of sharp cold bit her cheeks. The sun peeked over the horizon. Tendrils of light sparkled on the morning dew, and the grass shimmered like diamonds.
Luke leaned against his vehicle, texting something on his phone. His gaze lifted to meet hers and his lips tipped at the corners. “Morning.”
“Good morning.” She handed him the travel mug.
His smile grew wider, and her traitorous heart skipped a beat. She shifted her gaze to the house and the barn beyond. She was here to prove Wade’s innocence and get June well, not to deal with the lingering feelings from her broken relationship with Luke.
He took a long sip of the coffee. When he lowered the mug, his expression grew serious. “Any news on June this morning?”
“Still in a coma. The doctor didn’t say much.”
She felt pulled in multiple directions. A large part of her wanted to be at the hospital, holding June’s hand, but her aunt would be the first to say Megan needed to focus on proving Wade’s innocence.
“They have to be cautious,” Luke said softly. “If she hasn’t worsened, it’s a win.”
She nodded. “I keep reminding myself of that.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve had any luck on your search.”
“Not yet, but I still have to go through my aunt’s bedroom.”
She’d saved it for last. Although it was a necessary step and one her aunt would understand, it was an invasion of June’s privacy. Megan had hoped the evidence would be somewhere else in the house.
She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “Would you like breakfast?”
Say no, say no, say no. The last thing she wanted to do was break bread with the man who’d hurt her so deeply, but Luke had slept in his vehicle outside last night, protecting her. The manners her mother instilled in her wouldn’t allow Megan to refuse him basic hospitality.
Her mixed emotions must have shown in her expression because he frowned and said, “No, I’ll get breakfast at my place, thanks.”
“Okay.”
He gestured toward the barn. “I took care of Cinnamon this morning. She’s out in the pasture and her stall is clean.”
She stiffened. “You didn’t have to do that.”
The words came out snappy and harsh. What was wrong with her?
He scratched his chin. “It was only one horse, Megs. It’s not a big deal.”
With a jolt, her brain caught up with her emotions. After Wade’s conviction, June had sold all their other horses, including Megan’s. It was a reasonable choice—it was a lot to keep up with on her own—but losing Fiona, her gentle quarter horse, still stung. Another thing her family had lost, part of the fallout she blamed on Luke.
He took another drink of coffee. “Hank will come by in half an hour to watch over things while I go home and
grab a fresh change of clothes.”
Luke’s stepfather was a man of few words and the ones he spoke were often gruff, but he was as steady as an old oak tree. He’d married Nancy, Luke’s mother, and they’d moved to Cardin ten years ago. Luke had followed after college.
“Do you think that’s necessary?” she asked. “I’m sure Hank has better things to do.”
“Naw, gives him an excuse to get away from tilling Mom’s new garden. You’re helping him out. Besides, I’m not taking any chances. You shouldn’t either. When you go back inside, lock the door behind you.”
“I will.”
Megan walked back to the house. The warmth inside embraced her and her cheeks tingled. She stripped off her boots and jacket. Her aunt’s cat was nestled on the couch. He blinked his bicolored eyes at her.
“Where would June have hidden the evidence, Archimedes?” She stroked his fur, and he purred. “You’re no help.”
Megan poured a fresh cup of coffee and took it to June’s bedroom. Sunlight drifted through the pale-blue curtains. The checkered comforter was tucked under the pillows, and it smelled of furniture polish and lavender. A worn Bible rested on the nightstand. Next to it, a framed photograph caught her eye and twisted her heart until it hurt to breathe.
It’d been taken the day of her brother’s high school graduation. Wade, standing between her and June, had an arm slung around each woman. His cap was askew on his head, the wind billowing his gown around his knees. They were all caught midlaugh, blissfully unaware that in few short years, Wade would be convicted of murder and their entire lives would be altered forever.
Megan squared her shoulders. Enough. It was time to get to work.
The evidence had to be here, and she would find it.
Luke’s lower back ached from sitting in his vehicle all night, and his eyes felt gritty. Keeping watch over June’s house—and Megan—had been necessary, but it hadn’t done his body any favors. He buttoned up a fresh shirt and pointedly refused to look at the bed. There wasn’t time for a catnap.