by Cynthia Eden
A few moments later, he’d taken the seat across from Casey. His gaze swept over her, narrowing a bit when he saw the swelling and bruising on her cheek.
Josh rolled back his shoulders. He was standing to the side, his back against the wall as he stared at the prisoner—and at Casey. One wrong move from the prisoner, and the guards wouldn’t have to attack because Josh would be on the guy.
“Mr. Anderson.” Casey’s voice was smooth, calm. “Just why did you agree to see me today?”
He was silent—a silence that stretched a bit too long. Tucker had coached a disgruntled Casey before she went into the prison—trying to tell her how to use interrogation techniques. Casey had been adamant that she already knew plenty of techniques to use. And as she’d told Tucker and Josh, it wasn’t her first time interviewing a murderer. Not her first time, not even her fifth.
“Sorry about what he did to you,” Theodore said, hitching his head forward. His eyes were bright in his pale face. “Such a shame...”
“He?” Casey prompted.
Theodore smiled. Josh didn’t like that smile. Too cold. Too calculating. A monster’s smile. But then, he was staring at a man who’d killed his own daughter. Was there a worse monster?
“I heard the guards talking about what happened to you.” With his bound hands, Theodore gestured to the men beside him. “Seems the good people of Hope have more to fear than just me these days.”
“The people of Hope feared you for a very long time. A killer living right among them—someone they never suspected.” Her voice was still low and unemotional. “They felt sympathy for you, pity, because you lost your daughter.” She gave a brief pause. “They never realized that you were the one who’d murdered her.”
Theodore’s hands slammed down onto the table. “That wasn’t my fault!”
Josh—and the guards—immediately surged forward, but Casey waved them back. “Then whose fault was it?”
“Christy was never supposed to die! You think I’d go after my own daughter? No, no. I had a victim. Jill...sweet little Jill, but she got away. She got away and she messed everything up for me.”
Jill... Jillian West. The woman Hayden loved. The FBI agent who’d finally learned the truth about Theodore Anderson.
“Christy was the one good thing in my life.” Theodore’s shoulders slumped forward. “After she was gone...I was only left with...him.”
“Him?” Casey prompted.
Theodore looked up at her, squinting. “You ever stare straight at evil, Casey Quinn?”
She’s staring at it right now. So was Josh. He knew evil when he saw it. But Casey didn’t speak, she just waited.
The woman does know how to work an interrogation. She would have made a good FBI agent.
“I have. I saw it...in his eyes.” Theodore licked his lower lip. “He’s the one who took you. He’s the one who hurt you. Who hurt the others... I tried to keep him in check all those years, but now that I’m locked up in here...there’s nothing to stop him.”
Every muscle in Josh’s body locked down.
“You know the identity of the man who abducted me?” Casey asked, leaning forward.
Josh didn’t like that. He didn’t want her getting so much as another inch closer to Theodore Anderson.
The prisoner nodded. “He took you...and I heard what he did to those other women, too. He killed them. Always knew he’d be a killer.”
“Who is he?” Casey’s voice was strained now.
“Guess sometimes, it is in the blood, huh?” He expelled a long sigh, then looked regretful as he said, “The apple didn’t fall so far away, now did it?”
And Josh knew what the guy was going to say, even before Theodore Anderson smiled.
“The man who took you,” Theodore said, “the man who killed those others...it’s my son, Kurt.”
* * *
JOSH KEPT HIS body next to Casey’s as they exited the interrogation room. After his big reveal, Theodore Anderson had locked down, refusing to say another word. Apparently, he’d wanted to point the finger at his son.
And he had.
Josh opened the door to the right and led Casey inside the observation room. Tucker was on the phone.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Tucker barked into the phone. “I want to know where Kurt Anderson is right now. Find the guy and bring him to the sheriff’s station. I want to talk to him...Yes, yes, get him there, and I’ll meet you.” He hung up and swung to face Casey. “Good job, Ms. Quinn—”
“Casey,” she cut in. “Just...Casey, okay?” she slid away from Josh and moved toward the observation window. The glass showed them the now empty interrogation room. “Do we believe the guy? I’ve talked to Kurt Anderson a few times since coming to town.”
Behind her back, Josh and Tucker shared a long look.
“Kurt struck me as someone who was fighting a lot of grief and anger. He’d just found out that his own father murdered his sister years ago...and that he’d lived with that killer. He was hurting, but for him to suddenly start killing...” One shoulder lifted in a weak shrug. “Does that fit?” She looked back at Tucker, then at Josh.
“It could fit,” Tucker allowed. But he didn’t say more.
Josh just watched Casey. He was worried she was pushing herself too hard.
Her full lips pressed together. “You are not shutting me out now.”
“We should get going,” Josh announced. “It’s a drive back to—”
“I did this interview for you both. I got the guy to talk. Now you’re trying to pull some FBI rank and not share with me?” Her cheeks flushed. “Not cool, gentlemen.”
“You’re a reporter,” Tucker gently reminded her. When her eyes turned to slits, Josh figured she didn’t like—or need—that reminder. “And this is an active investigation. There’s only so much we can say to you.”
“I want the guy who attacked me caught! I want Kylie, Bridget and Tonya to have justice! I’m helping here. What happened to us being a team? What happened to that?” Her gaze raked them. “Or are we only a team when the two of you want to use me?”
“You’re the one who insisted on doing this,” Tucker replied, voice quiet. “And you’re the one who’ll get to air the footage later. You’ll have the scoop of the century, won’t you? So I think it’s a win for you.”
Her expression hardened.
No, it wasn’t a win. Tucker was misjudging her, the same way Josh had. Josh crossed to her side. “We should get going.”
Her gaze jumped to his face. “Do you think it’s Kurt?”
He thought it was possible, but his stare slid to Tucker and he replied, very carefully, “Just because a killer’s in the family, it doesn’t mean you have bad blood. Each person makes his or her own choices.”
“I’m going to find Kurt,” Tucker stated. “Josh, we’ll talk later.” Then he turned on his heel and marched out.
“It’s hitting too close to home for him,” she murmured. “Isn’t it?”
Yes, the case was. Because Tucker had a killer in the family, too. One who’d come far too close to destroying everything that Tucker loved.
Josh caught Casey’s hand in his. His fingers slid over her wrist, and he felt the quick jump of her pulse. “Let’s get out of here.”
“You still didn’t tell me whether or not you think the killer could be Kurt Anderson.”
No, he hadn’t told her, not yet. “Just how many times did you talk to Kurt?”
“Three times.” They walked down the narrow corridor, past the guards. The security doors were opened for them, one after the other. Soon they had cleared the checkpoints. Josh took his gun back and adjusted his holster.
“The last time I saw him...” She’d been quiet as they passed the guards. “We had a brief dinner on Friday night.”
&nbs
p; She’d gone to dinner with the guy? Dinner...the night before she’d been abducted.
“I wanted to hear his side of things.” They walked out of the facility. The sun was bright, beating down on them. “He lost his sister. He was just as much of a victim as—”
“Casey!” a man’s voice boomed.
Josh tensed and his body immediately moved in front of Casey’s. His hand went to his weapon.
A man with black hair and thin-framed glasses rushed forward. He wore a suit and had a flashy watch around his wrist. A short-haired woman was behind him—Josh recognized Katrina, Casey’s camerawoman. And, unfortunately, he recognized the man, too. Tom Warren. Casey’s producer.
“Knew you’d get the exclusive!” Tom cried out. He tried to reach out and touch Casey. Josh just moved his body and prevented that touch. “Wait—what the hell are you doing?”
Protecting Casey.
Tom’s gaze sharpened on him. “Look, Agent Duvane, I get that you saved Casey, and I’m grateful, but you can relax. I’m not any threat to her.”
Josh didn’t relax.
A trickle of sweat slid down Tom’s temple. “Hey... I’ve got an idea.” He flashed a smile. “It would be great if we could get you both on camera. You know, some footage of Casey and the agent who saved her.” He motioned to Katrina. “Get the gear from the van.”
“Not happening,” Josh said flatly. “And for the record, Casey saved herself.”
“Right, right, yes, but I haven’t gotten all of those details yet.” Tom’s smile slipped. “Because I kept being told that I can’t speak to my own employee.”
Josh didn’t want the guy talking to Casey. And the other woman, Katrina, was shifting nervously from foot to foot. Obviously, she was wondering if she should follow Tom’s orders and rush to get the camera or if she should stay put.
“Casey.” Tom’s voice deepened. It took on a personal, almost possessive edge as he said her name. “I’ve been worried about you.”
Katrina slanted a quick, hard stare toward her boss.
Casey slid closer to Josh’s side. “I’m okay.”
“Your face.” His eyes were absolutely horrified as he stared at her cheek. “Katrina, get the camera.” He stepped toward Casey, lifting his hand to touch her cheek. “People need to see—”
Josh caught the guy’s wrist before Tom could touch Casey. “See what? Her pain?”
Tom’s pale blue eyes narrowed. “They need to see the damage that the monster did to her. When people see real pain, up close and personal, they have a more visceral reaction. The public loves Casey. They relate to her. We show the world what that SOB did to her, and everyone will be hunting for him.”
“Everyone is hunting for him now,” Casey said and her shoulder brushed against Josh’s arm. “But it’s hard to find a killer when no one knows what he looks like.”
Josh let go of Tom’s hand.
“You didn’t get a look at his face?” Now Tom sounded disappointed.
She shook her head.
“You must have noted something about him. Something distinct that we can lead with. His voice. Mannerisms. A stutter—”
“You aren’t leading with anything,” Josh said flatly. “Casey is leaving with me, right now.”
Tom’s mouth opened, closed and then opened again. Finally, he sputtered, “She works for me!”
Josh really didn’t like the producer. “And she’s in my protective custody. For the moment, I need her to stay off the radar. By going on-air again, she might just make the killer focus even more on her.”
Casey sighed. “He’s already come for me once. I don’t know that there can be more of a focus.”
Josh turned toward her. “Going on camera would be like shining a spotlight on yourself right now.” He didn’t want that danger gathering around her again. “Give me a little more time.” Time for them to find Kurt. To bring him in for questioning. Time to analyze the situation more. “Just—I’m not asking for forever. I’m just asking for you to stay off the air a little longer, let the agents and Sheriff Black do their jobs. Give us a little more time.”
“You can’t hold Casey prisoner,” Tom huffed. “You can’t keep her trapped in protective custody. I’m her boss, but I’m her friend, too. And I’m not going to let you trample over her rights!”
He wasn’t trampling over anything. He was trying to keep her alive.
“We’re both her friends,” Katrina muttered, her lips curving down.
Tom nodded. “Kat and I will stay with Casey. We’ll make sure she’s safe.” He waved toward Casey, as if expecting her to just walk toward him. “You really think I’d leave my top reporter without a guard under these circumstances? One phone call, and I’ll have two bodyguards at her side at all times. I mean, I appreciate your efforts, Agent Duvane, but isn’t your focus more on diving into the water? Evidence retrieval? Perhaps you’re just not suited to this role at all.”
He would so enjoy driving his fist into that guy’s face. But an FBI agent wasn’t supposed to do stuff like that. He wasn’t supposed to want to hurt a civilian. “My focus right now is on Casey. Her safety is the priority for me.”
Tom’s lips thinned. “Casey? Come on, you know I can get you the best protection money can buy. I can get—”
She slowly exhaled. “Thank you, Tom, but I’m going with the FBI right now. They’ve promised me an exclusive regarding new developments in this case, and the closer I stay to Agent Duvane, the better chance I have of being on scene when the killer is apprehended.”
A gleam lit Tom’s eyes. “They’re that close to catching him?”
No, they weren’t. And he didn’t remember making the promise Casey was talking about.
“I’m going to stay with Agent Duvane for at least the next twenty-four hours,” Casey continued, her voice brisk, as if she’d reached a decision and that was all there was to it. “Then I’ll be ready to go on-air again.”
Twenty-four hours. Well, that was better than nothing.
But Tom shook his head. “I need a report sooner than that. You have people waiting for you—you have—”
“Twenty-four hours,” Josh said flatly. “You heard the lady.” And if he had twenty-four more hours without that Tom jerk breathing down their necks, that would sure be a sweet deal to him.
“Everyone will tune in for the story, Tom,” Casey promised. “You know they will.”
And he could tell by Tom’s expression that, yeah, the guy knew she was telling the truth.
“I’m hoping you got something good in that place,” Tom said as he dragged his hand across his jaw. “Theodore freaking Anderson—can’t believe he finally agreed to an interview with you. I’ve been after that guy for ages. Casey, you are the queen.”
“We’re leaving.” Josh didn’t like standing out in the open with Casey, not even in a scene where dozens of guards were patrolling the grounds. He wanted her away from there—or maybe, maybe he just wanted her away from Tom.
“Here, take this.” Tom pulled a phone from his pocket and pushed it into Casey’s hand. “I think the cops took yours from the hotel, and I wanted to make sure you could contact me, whenever you needed me.” He slanted a hard stare toward Josh. “I got the feeling the last call was made on someone else’s phone, and I wanted you to have the freedom to call me anytime.”
The guy just seriously didn’t understand what protective custody actually meant.
Then Tom pulled Casey in for a hard, tight hug. “I was worried.” His voice had turned gruff. “You scared me. You’re too important to the show—to me. Nothing can happen to you.”
Josh saw Katrina’s face harden. She quickly glanced away from Casey and Tom.
“Agent Duvane will make sure I stay safe.” Casey eased from Tom’s hold. “And thanks for the phone.” She slid it int
o her pocket. Then she reached for Josh’s hand. “Ready?”
Hell, yes. He curled his fingers around hers and stalked toward the waiting SUV. He opened her door, made sure she was in securely, then he slammed the door shut. He glanced back and saw that Tom was still watching them.
Or maybe the guy is just watching her. Tom certainly seemed to have a personal interest in Casey. Josh headed around the vehicle and yanked his door shut after he’d jumped inside. He cranked the engine. Tom was still watching. “Your boss wants you.”
Her laugh was startled. “What? No, I told you already...he’s involved with Katrina. One of those friends-with-benefits type deals.”
Not really friends if the guy was her boss.
“He wants you,” Josh said flatly. He’d read the guy’s expression too clearly.
“Well, I’m not into him. Sleeping my way to the top has never been on my agenda. And I can’t do the with-benefits routine because—” But she broke off, not saying more.
He drove them out of there. “Because of your past.”
“Trust is hard. Being that intimate with someone... I don’t like to take risks.”
No, he got that. But what he didn’t get... “Why didn’t you go with them?” Tom had given her an out right then and there, but Casey hadn’t taken it.
“Because I wanted to stay with you.”
“I didn’t promise you an exclusive.” The Bureau brass would freak if they thought he’d been making any side deal with her. “The only thing on the table was your access to the footage from that little sit-down with Anderson.” A sit-down that had not gone the way he expected.
Kurt Anderson. He’d met the guy before, too. The man had seemed shaken, grief-stricken. And he’d been filled with a lot of rage. But Josh had thought all of that rage was directed at Kurt’s father.
Had he been wrong?
“I know, Josh.” Her soft sigh filled the car. “I lied,” Casey admitted without even a hint of guilt.
He cast a quick glance toward her.
“I wanted to stay with you,” Casey said again. “I...feel safe with you, okay? I mean, I’ve already told you the deepest, darkest secret that I have. You pretty much know me better right now than anyone else has known me in years.”