by Laura Scott
That was a relief. “Thanks for letting me know.”
In the morning, an insurance agent showed up, followed by a cleaning crew.
“Mr. McKenzie, Tom Tyron from your insurance company. Paige Walker called me last night, asked if I’d handle your case personally.”
“Thank you.” Liam let the agent inside and showed him the wrecked room.
Tyron gave a low whistle. “Someone really did a number in here. If it’s okay with you, I’ll take pictures and start on a report. Good thing you didn’t try to clean up. Makes it harder to assess the damage.”
Liam recalled Paige’s suggestion that he leave things as they were. “I probably would have, but Paige stopped me.”
“She’s good people. I’ve worked with her before. Unfortunately there are more cases like this than I want to count. If it’s okay with you, I’ll get started.”
“Thanks.”
Liam took the stairs two at a time, showered, put on fresh clothing and then decided to call Jonah. The sound of his son’s voice lifted his spirits and reminded him of all that was good in the world. He spoke with his parents for a few minutes and, reluctantly, told them of the vandalism.
When he returned downstairs, he found the agent finishing up. Another ring of the doorbell announced the arrival of a cleaning crew.
“Ms. Walker called us,” a friendly-looking woman said, “and told us you could use some help.” She took a quick look around. “I’d say she was right. My crew will have your place spick-and-span by the day’s end.”
“Thank you.” Liam saw the insurance agent out and, not for the first time, wondered what he’d have done without Paige.
He owed her an apology for his brusqueness last night when she’d trusted him with her feelings about God. Just because he didn’t share those feelings didn’t give him the right to dismiss her beliefs.
It would be empowering to believe the Lord was on his side. The reflection reminded him of his childhood, when he’d trusted God would never allow anything bad to happen.
The accident had shattered that trust. Forever.
ELEVEN
A day spent looking up the old classmates he had not yet talked with had revealed little. Several had moved away, while still others had not even heard about the accidents. Their blank expressions had convinced Liam and Paige that they were telling the truth.
As gently as possible, Liam told them of his suspicions that the deaths weren’t accidents and suggested his former classmates contact the police and ask for protection. He didn’t want to alarm them, but they needed to be prepared. He didn’t know whether they’d seek help from the police, but he had to at least warn them.
“Something has to break loose,” Paige said once they were back in the car. “We’ve visited all the survivors in the area, and no one popped as a murderer.”
“Well, we weren’t exactly expecting whoever’s behind this to wear a sign saying ‘Murderer,’ were we?” The sharpness of his tone caused him to flush. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”
“It’s okay.”
His frustration was growing with every hour.
Without any new leads, he didn’t know how they were going to find out who was behind the murders, but knowing that he wasn’t alone in the fight, that Paige was on his side, made a difference.
He didn’t know what to make of her. She was beautiful. That was a given. She was also extremely intelligent. Another given. But there was more to this woman than he’d anticipated, and his feelings for her were more complicated than he wanted.
Simple was always best, but Paige Walker was not a simple woman. She was multilayered and complicated and so lovely that she took away his breath. Added to that were her compassion and faith and humor and everything else that went to make her up.
What right did he have to think she could want a man like him, broken in so many ways?
With more effort than it should have taken, he forced himself to turn his thoughts to what mattered: Who was next on the killer’s list? And, more importantly, how could he and Paige stop another murder?
The call came as Liam and Paige drove back to his home.
“Reva. Slow down. Say that again.” Liam listened with growing concern.
Her words came in bits and pieces. “A gas leak at my house... Fire department and police came.” A pause as though she were trying to recall something. “A detective named Reineke showed up.”
“Are you all right?” He listened some more.
“Got out in time... In hospital now.”
“Okay. Get checked out. Stay overnight if they tell you to. We’ll stop by to check on you.” He ended the call and turned to Paige.
“Reva’s house was filled with gas. The fire department got there in time. Turns out the pilot light had been turned off.”
“Another so-called accident,” Paige guessed.
“She’s going to the hospital now. I told her we’d go see her. But first I want to check with Detective Reineke. Reva said he was at the house. Okay with you?”
“Let’s go.”
Liam drove to Reva’s home to find the scene a jurisdictional nightmare, with the fire and police departments each vying for authority. Pouring rain didn’t help matters. Police and firefighters alike wore slickers over their uniforms, making it hard to distinguish who was who.
Liam spotted the detective, who motioned him and Paige to one side.
“Gas leak. The mayor’s fortunate she woke in time to get out and call the fire department. Another few minutes and it would have been a different story. Gas inhalation could have killed her.”
“An accident?” Paige said with ironic emphasis.
Reineke favored her with a scowl. “It could be an accident. Or it could be attempted murder.” His sigh was long-suffering.
“Where do we go from here?”
“I’m going to go through the records of the other ‘accidents,’ see what the forensic team can come up with. I’ll start interviewing the remaining survivors, gather impressions. And I want to take a long look at the bus accident of fifteen years ago.”
It wasn’t lost on Liam that the detective was now more willing to look into things when he hadn’t been earlier. Because the mayor of Willow Springs was now involved?
Reineke speared Liam with a hard look. “I’ll say it again—stay out of this. You’re in over your heads. You two almost got yourselves killed, same as Mayor Thomas.”
“Reva wasn’t investigating anything,” Liam reminded him. “There was no reason to try to kill her because of that. She was on the bus that day, same as me, same as the others who’ve died. As for me staying out of this, not going to happen.” He returned the detective’s look with a hard one of his own.
“Without Liam, you would never have connected these deaths,” Paige put in quickly. “You need him.” She paused. “Make that you need us.”
“Point taken.”
“We can come in tomorrow,” Liam offered. “I’m willing to share what I know if you’re willing to listen.”
Reineke gave a grudging nod. “Fair enough.”
“Paige and I are heading to the hospital to check on Reva. We’ll be in around eleven in the morning, if that works for you.”
“I’ll be expecting you.” The detective turned away to answer a question from one of his officers.
A few minutes later, Liam and Paige were on their way to the hospital. Rain blurred the windshield, the wipers working double time, their swish-swish motion a counterpoint to his thoughts.
Someone had tried to kill Reva. Would she have been next on the list anyway, or had his and Paige’s visit spurred the killer to make a preemptive move on her? Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders. Had something he’d done caused this?
“What happened to Reva—what almost happened—wasn’t your fault,” Paige said.
“How did you—never mind. We don’t know that.”
“If the killer is going after everyone on the bus that day, he would have gotten to her eventually. The important thing is that she’s all right.”
As usual, Paige was right.
“I think Reineke’s finally coming around,” she added.
“It just took another almost-murder to get his attention.” Liam gave a short laugh. “Sorry. I’m afraid Detective Reineke and I aren’t going to become fishing buddies any time soon.”
“It could have gone the other way if she hadn’t woken up when she did,” Paige mused aloud.
“Yeah. Let’s get to the hospital. I want to see for myself that she’s really all right.”
They found Reva’s room and were admitted by a nurse who couldn’t have been more than five feet tall. Despite her small stature, she stared at them with a take-no-prisoners glint in her eyes. Hands planted on her hips, she glared at Liam and Paige.
“Five minutes. That’s all I’m allowing anyone,” she said. “My patient needs her rest. I don’t care if you’re the queen of England, you ain’t getting more than five minutes, so don’t bother arguing. Just so you know, I’m trained in martial arts and don’t mind using them.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Liam said meekly. She sounded so much like his drill sergeant in basic training that he nearly saluted.
“Did I see you quaking in your boots?” Paige teased as the nurse marched away with a military bearing that would put many recruits to shame.
“I came close. She could give some sergeants I know lessons in intimidation.” He knocked and received a faint “come in.”
Inside the room, they saw a pale Reva lying on the bed. Her hair was pulled back from a face devoid of makeup. The vibrancy she’d exhibited earlier was conspicuously absent.
She lifted a limp hand in greeting. “Liam. Paige. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it...” her voice broke, and she cast her eyes down “...more than I can say.” Her breath was expelled in a trembling sigh. When she lifted her head, tears swam in her eyes.
Liam crossed the room to stand beside the bed and took her hand in his. “You look a little the worse for wear.”
She gave a watery chuckle. “Just what every woman wants to hear. I don’t see a future in politics for you, Liam.”
He grinned. “Probably not.” He thought of what had almost happened, and his grin disappeared. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”
“So am I.” Her fervent words were hoarse.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Paige asked.
Reva pressed her lips together and made a humming noise. “I stayed late to talk with my campaign manager. We discussed a few things, then I headed home. I had a bite to eat, settled down on the couch to go over some papers. I must have drifted off. Something woke me up, and I smelled gas. I called 911 and hustled out of the house.”
“Do you remember what woke you?” Liam asked.
She shook her head and frowned.
Paige leaned in a bit. “Is it normal for you to fall asleep on the sofa?”
The frown deepened with what might have been annoyance. “No. I just felt extra sleepy.” Reva put a hand to her heart. “When I think how close I came to dying...”
Liam saw her shake with a sudden sharply drawn breath. Almost dying tended to do that to a person.
“You take care of yourself. We’ll see you later.”
* * *
Outside, rain pummeled Liam and Paige as they made a beeline for the car. The howl of the wind imbued the darkness with a menacing air. An unnerving sense of being watched feathered the fine hairs at the nape of her neck. The shiver that raced down her spine did not come from the cold alone.
Her hand shielding her eyes from the pelting rain, she peered through the night, trying to identify the source of the danger.
A loud popping noise had her ducking for cover. The sound was unmistakable: a semiautomatic spitting out bullets with terrifying speed.
She and Liam sought safety behind a parked car and drew their weapons. “I can’t see anything,” Paige said.
“Me, either.”
More shots were fired in their direction. Did the shooter have NVGs? She’d give anything for a pair of night-vision goggles right now.
“Liam!” A figure darted closer. At this distance, she could see well enough to glimpse him moving in on their right flank. “Draw his fire and I’ll take him out.”
“Okay.”
Liam sent off a volley of shots. Under his cover fire, Paige rose and got off a shot, hitting the shooter in the shoulder. The man fell. At the same time, shots came from a second direction. Okay, that made at least two men. She turned in that direction and took aim, but the rain blurred her vision and her shot missed.
Liam fired off more shots, but the man had retreated.
When no more shots were forthcoming, she and Liam got to their feet. They ran toward where the man she’d shot had fallen, but he wasn’t there. Was she wrong in thinking she’d hit him? Sheltering her eyes from the whipping wind and rain, she thought she saw a bloodstain.
“We have to call this in,” she said. “I can’t wait to hear what Reineke will have to say.”
As it turned out, the detective had a lot to say, including calling their behavior reckless and irresponsible.
“Did you want us to sit there like ducks waiting to be picked off?” Liam asked.
Reineke didn’t bother answering. “Do you two come up with these stunts on purpose just to send my blood pressure through the roof?”
“This wasn’t our idea of how to end the evening, either,” Paige retorted.
“I put a rush on finding out what caused the gas leak in Mayor Thomas’s home. It wasn’t an accident. The safety valve was turned off and the gas line leading to her stove had been cut. You were right.” The admission came on a mighty heave.
“Thanks for letting us know,” Paige said.
In the end, the detective sent them on their way with a warning to stay out of trouble.
On the way back to Liam’s place, Paige considered what had happened. “Who knew we’d be at the hospital at that time?”
“The same person who tried to kill Reva,” Liam answered.
“Maybe.”
“You don’t sound too sure. Who else could it have been? Reva almost died. Whoever did it most likely wanted payback.”
“She had a close call,” Paige agreed. The killer had miscalculated the timing. The other murders had been staged with careful attention to detail and made to look like accidents. The execution of the attempt on Reva seemed careless, almost sloppy, as had the attacks on Liam.
Liam had also survived the attempts on his life, probably due to his Delta training. That made two people who survived the killer’s attempts. Was the murderer getting desperate or had something changed? The agenda was the same—to take out the survivors—but the implementation of it had taken an abrupt 180 turn.
He gave her a sidelong glance. “Something bothering you?”
“Just thinking about the timing, of how Reva woke up just in time.” Paige chewed on what had happened. Something about it troubled her.
“Maybe your God was looking out for her.” There was a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
That tore Paige’s mind from thoughts of Reva to her and Liam’s earlier discussion about the Lord and His love for His children.
“Why does that bother you?” she asked.
“It doesn’t. If He kept her alive, then I’m grateful to Him. But it’s more likely just good fortune on her part.”
“What about the ambush on us? Was it only ‘good fortune’ that saved us?”
“That and the fact that we were armed.”
Paige kept her disappointment to herself. Liam had enough on his mind without her preaching to him. Uncomfo
rtable with the idea that she might have been preaching, she struck that. She hadn’t preached; she’d merely borne witness of her beliefs. If Liam took offense at that, she was sorry, but she wouldn’t apologize.
Her faith in God was one thing she could never compromise on. Nor, she thought, could she accept a man into her life who rejected that belief. Where had that come from? She admired Liam, liked him—a lot—but she wasn’t looking for a relationship with him or with anyone.
“Whatever the reason, I’m grateful, as well.” She kept the rest of her questions about the gas leak to herself.
“There’s nothing more we can do tonight.”
She nodded absently, her heart grieving over Liam’s refusal to recognize the Lord’s hand in what had happened.
* * *
At home, Liam reviewed the events of the evening. He knew he’d disappointed Paige in refusing to acknowledge the Lord’s protection. Why hadn’t he just agreed with her? Was his heart so steeped in bitterness that he couldn’t accept even the possibility that the Lord had saved Reva from inhaling too much gas and then Paige and himself from the gunmen?
It shamed him that he had turned so far from the beliefs of his childhood. Was that what he wanted for Jonah?
No!
He wanted his son to believe in God, to have a real relationship with Him. That made him the worst kind of hypocrite.
For the first time in many years, Liam got to his knees and prayed. The words came haltingly at first, then more quickly as he poured out his heart to the Lord. After the rush of words, he waited.
For what?
A confirmation, he supposed, that the Lord had heard his prayer, but there were no blinding lights or a voice telling him that all would be okay. Instead, a quiet peace filled him. He remained on his knees, absorbing that peace.
Long minutes later, he headed to bed. The sleep he sorely needed didn’t come, though, as he recalled Paige’s question of who knew they would be at the hospital at that time.
It had to be the person responsible for the gas leak in Reva’s house, the same individual behind all the attacks. Nothing else made sense. No one else had known he and Paige would be there at approximately that time, and nobody else would have reason to target them.