The next day, Emmanuel came to see them. “Jenna hasn’t confessed. Not exactly. But there is so much evidence against her that it doesn’t really matter.”
“Why did she kill Evan?” Abigail asked.
“Because he was going to fire her. She believed it was over her online adoption scam,” Emmanuel said. “When Jenna was working on the miscarriage project, she’d seen an opportunity to make money and had developed the MorningStar baby con. It had worked well for her with no real issues and she made a lot of money from it. When she found out someone was on to her about her fake company, she assumed it was you, Abigail, because she knew you were looking into adoption.”
“But it was me,” Griffin said. “Liam and Shelby Desmond had asked me to investigate the online scam.”
“And the reason why Evan had decided to let her go had nothing to do with her dirty tricks,” Emmanuel said. “When we went through his computer, we found her dismissal letter in his files. Jenna was a shoddy worker and she’d been falsifying scientific evidence as part of her research. Dr. Hardin had warned her in the past, although it seems he’d given her chances because of their brief affair. This time he wasn’t prepared to give her another chance.”
“She killed him for that?” Abigail asked.
“People kill for less,” Emmanuel said.
“But she went back and planted the bracelet at the scene,” Griffin pointed out. “Are you sure it wasn’t her intention to frame Abigail all along?”
“That’s a possibility, I guess, but we’ll never know the answer. Any half-decent defense lawyer will go for the spur of the moment scenario. Killing her boss in anger because she was devastated at the thought of losing her job sounds better than bashing his head in to frame a coworker she hated.”
“But I lost the bracelet six months ago, long before the RevitaYou story broke, or before Griffin started looking into MorningStar.” Abigail was confused. “Jenna and I were friends back then. If she picked up my bracelet when I lost it, why didn’t she just return it?”
“Jenna’s diary will be part of the evidence against her at the trial. It even gives details of how she planted the idea with Ryan Thorne of how you should ‘get what was coming to you.’ If you’re feeling strong enough, I suggest you come and see me and read it before then,” Emmanuel said. “But the answer is simple. She was jealous of you. Personally, and professionally, you were everything she wanted to be.”
“So she made up the story about taking RevitaYou in order to publicly humiliate me?”
“It was a clumsy attempt. If she’d been serious, she could at least have researched what the pills looked like.” Emmanuel smiled. “But I’m glad she didn’t. Even though that damn green bottle gives me nightmares, Griffin was able to use it to trick her and spook her into the open.”
“Yeah.” Abigail rolled her eyes in Griffin’s direction as she rubbed her left arm. “Thanks for that.”
“Things could have gotten a lot worse,” Emmanuel reminded her.
“I know.” She leaned against Griffin. “I have a strange way of showing gratitude.”
He smiled down at her. “But I like you anyway.” He looked back at Emmanuel. “Returning to the serious conversation, do you know where Jenna was hiding out while she was on the run?”
“She was in the basement of an old house down the road.”
Abigail gasped. “You thought she was in Roosevelt Park.”
Emmanuel looked embarrassed. “I reached that conclusion because she sought medical help at a clinic in the Roosevelt Park area.”
“So she was right here, watching us, the whole time?” Abigail shivered. “That’s creepy.”
“It seems she was reconnoitering the house, studying the entrances and exits, and watching who was coming in and out. We found pictures on her cell phone of the doors and windows, including close-ups of the window she smashed to get in here on the day she abducted Maya.”
Abigail had to ask the next question, even though she dreaded the answer. “And the contents of the syringe?”
“Crushed RevitaYou pills mixed with water.” Emmanuel grimaced. “Jenna was planning to film herself as she injected Maya with the compound and send the video to you in real time. She was slowed down by her infected wrist and took a nap. You can thank your little ferret buddy that she wasn’t feeling strong enough to put her plan into action sooner.”
Overtaken by a bad case of the “what-ifs?” Abigail bowed her head. Griffin placed a warm hand on the back of her neck, and, after a few seconds, she looked up again with a smile.
“I’m okay. But Lucy needs some serious treats when we get her home.”
The Colton family removal machine was in full flow again. This time the team was moving furniture from Abigail’s house into Griffin’s apartment and taking other items to be placed in storage. They had decided that they would live at his place for the time being and make some permanent arrangements after the wedding.
“Abigail has her job back at Danvers and she’s been completely cleared of all the allegations against her. The adoption process is proceeding as planned, so it feels like life is back on track,” Griffin said to Riley. He looked across at where Abigail and Charlize were sitting in the shade and sorting through a box of baby clothes. As soon as they placed anything in a neat pile, Maya, who was trying out a crawl, came over and tossed it aside. “Well, life is a whole lot better than on track. A whole lot better than before.”
“And I couldn’t be happier. For both of us.” Riley gripped his arm.
Pippa carried a tray of lemonade out onto the lawn and everyone gathered around as if she was a rescue dog carrying brandy in a blizzard. As they took a break, Griffin checked the local news on his cell phone. One of the items caught his attention. A homicide victim had been found in Heritage Park. The man, named Robin Olver, had been shot twice at close range.
In the video accompanying the news item, the anchor reported that Olver had invested in RevitaYou, the vitamin that had been in the news lately because of its deadly ricin compound. Anyone with information was encouraged to call the tip line...
“This needs to be checked out.” He sent everyone a link to the news item. “Robin Olver had eight recently broken bones.”
“An even number of broken bones?” Riley looked up from his own cell phone when he’d finished reading. “You’re thinking Capital X?”
“Has to be,” Griffin said. “I’ll call Emmanuel.”
Emmanuel answered almost immediately. “Tell me you aren’t thinking of performing any more heroic acts.”
“Tell me you aren’t thinking of taking up a new career in comedy.”
“I’m too tired to be funny.” Griffin could hear background noise as though Emmanuel was in a busy office. “What can I do for you?”
“This case that’s being reported on the local news channel. The homicide victim who was found in Heritage Park? He was clearly killed by Capital X.”
“What leads you to that conclusion?” Emmanuel asked.
“Aside from the fact that he’d invested in RevitaYou? The guy had eight recently broken bones. You know the Capital X goons break two at a time when their borrowers can’t pay up. This Robin Olver must have been one of their victims.”
“You could be right,” Emmanuel conceded. “It’s an angle we need to look at.”
Griffin looked over his shoulder at the family group on the lawn. He took a few more steps away, making doubly sure he couldn’t be overheard. “My sister, Pippa, is determined to infiltrate Capital X.”
“You need to talk her out of that plan. Those guys are loan sharks and they’re dangerous.”
“We’re doing our best to change her mind, but she’s pretty stubborn. If she goes ahead with it, can I count on you to take care of her?”
“Griffin, if you sister manages to go undercover and get inside Capital X, you can rest assured that I will be watching her like a hawk.”
Griffin thanked him and ended the call. A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to find Pippa studying his face. “Who were you talking to so seriously?”
He considered the matter and decided it wouldn’t hurt to tell her. “Emmanuel Iglesias.”
She pulled a face. “Oh. Him.”
It wasn’t exactly promising. “Yes. I told him about your plans to infiltrate Capital X.”
Pippa sucked in a breath. “It’s got nothing to do with him.”
“Maybe not. But he said he’d look out for you if you go ahead with that strategy.”
“That’s big of him.” Pippa’s whole body bristled. “But you can tell Detective Iglesias that the only way I’ll work with the enemy will be over my dead body.” She flounced away to join the rest of the group.
Bewildered by her reaction, he went to sit on the grass with Abigail and Maya. “Why would Pippa think of Emmanuel as the enemy?” he wondered.
Abigail shrugged. “I’m sure she has her reasons. And we should probably stay out of them.”
“Wise words.” He grinned. “Hey. You’re all moved in.”
She nudged his arm. “No getting rid of us now.”
Griffin slid one arm around Abigail and the other around Maya. “That’s exactly the way I want it.”
Don’t miss the first installment in the
Colton 911: Grand Rapids series:
Colton 911: Family Defender by Tara Taylor Quinn
Available now from Harlequin Romantic Suspense
And look out for Book 3
Colton 911: Detective on Call by Regan Black
Available in September 2020!
Keep reading for an excerpt from Colton’s Amnesia Target by Kimberly Van Meter.