“YOU SAY SHERIFF Allens is dead?”
Caisey nodded. She was in the front seat of the state patrol car while Gabe rode in the back. “I appreciate you giving Mr. Thompson and I a ride back to his place. I left my car there earlier and after the day I’ve had I just couldn’t face waiting for my partner to sort himself out.”
Her leg had started to throb again and her muscles all felt like jelly, but she shot the cop a smile. “You know what I mean?”
He nodded, like she was the little woman he needed to placate. “It’s no bother at all, ma’am, just doing my duty for a fellow law officer.”
Caisey nodded herself, seizing the opportunity to study the man. “Long drive?”
He shrugged. “Couple hours.”
“You like working this region?”
“Sure.” He shrugged again, like that was his default response. “I like the mountains.”
Except this was Colorado and you didn’t need to come west of Denver just to see mountains. He must not have worked for the state patrol long if he didn’t even know that. Maybe the younger officer had been with them longer. That guy had stayed behind at the sheriff’s office with Liam to get the run down on the case.
On the surface they were doing everything they should be, but still. Caisey couldn’t quit the idea that something was…off with these guys. What it was, she couldn’t put her finger on.
She glanced back at Gabe in the backseat. “You fall asleep yet?”
A low chuckle emerged from his throat. “Just about. I think I lost my second wind. What time is it, anyway?”
“Almost two.”
“Seriously? I don’t think I’ve stayed up this late since college.”
Caisey laughed. “Those wild days of youth?”
“More like all-nighters studying.”
“Ah, the studious type.”
“That’s me. Nerd to the core.” He paused. “But there was this one time. I had this date that lasted all night.” His voice was wistful, now.
Caisey pressed her lips together so she didn’t grin like an idiot. He might be a nerd, but he filled out the shoulders of his t-shirt nicely. The glasses he’d been wearing before they jumped in the ravine suited his face. A face that was older now, but what drew her to him was still there. His intelligence made him seem so solid, deep like he saw underneath what was on the surface.
She smiled. Their date-night conversation had covered everything from the views they shared and what they didn’t agree on, to their hopes for the future. “Do you have another pair of glasses at home?”
“Somewhere. I can see enough without them, but I shouldn’t drive unless I can find my spare.” He blew out a breath. “I think I know where I put them.”
The State Patrol officer glanced in the rearview. Was he concerned about Gabe?
Caisey studied the officer again. “What did you say your name was?”
“Bill Peters.”
“And how long have you been a trooper with this fine state?”
“Eons now, or so it feels.”
Caisey smiled. “I know what you mean.”
“You’ve been with the FBI a while?”
She nodded. “Coming up on six years. My dad was an agent too, shot in the line of duty four years ago. The Bureau was everything to him.”
It hurt to say, but it was the truth. Her dad had been more concerned about whatever case he was working than anything else. Then when Caisey got hurt, it seemed like he withdrew even more into his job, bound and determined to keep the two separate. Sure, it was an honorable pursuit in life to uphold the law; too bad it seemed to come at the expense of a personal life, and of love. It had cost her a family that was hers alone, as much as she loved the makeshift one she’d built. Belonging to people who loved her without question was everything that made this world worthwhile outside of her faith.
And yet what she really wanted was out of reach, like trying to catch a snowflake.
She focused on the cop again. “That’s why I can’t stand people who take the responsibility of this job for granted.”
“Take a right just up here.”
The patrol vehicle made it up the mountain at a caterpillar’s crawl. Caisey had never been so relieved to see her car in her life. Home was good; her own pillow, even better. She slammed the door and blew out a breath. The car’s headlights lit up the cabin, which looked intact except from the broken front door that had been shattered by the blast of the sheriff’s shotgun.
Gabe got out and came to stand beside her. “Are you sure you’re okay to drive? We can crash here tonight instead of heading back out, if you want. I’ll take the couch…if it’s still in one piece.”
Caisey squeezed his elbow. “That’s sweet.”
Gabe gave her a jaunty smile. “That’s me, Mr. Sweet.”
Caisey chuckled and walked with him to the cabin. Apparently the trooper was going to watch them go inside. She looked back at the vehicle, but couldn’t see anything beyond the blinding brightness of his high-beams. Caisey lifted a hand in thanks, stepped over debris and went inside.
“I love what you’ve done with the place.”
Gabe groaned. “I doubt it’s even livable now.” He flipped on the light. The floor was a smorgasbord of papers, torn up books, and leaves. The computer screen was completely shattered.
He ran his hands through his hair. “This is unbelievable. I get hauled into the sheriff’s office for questioning about Emma’s disappearance, now she’s a murder victim and the sheriff tried to kill us? My home is completely wrecked, and for what? I can’t live here now and all my work has been destroyed.”
Sure enough, the tower had been shot through. “Do you want the facts, or a consolation speech? You said you backed-up online.”
Gabe blinked. “What?”
“Do you want me to tell you the sheriff probably murdered his niece and tried to pin it on you because he doesn’t like you, or for whatever other reason? He even tried to make it look like you’re the Chloroform Killer. Guess he didn’t figure Liam and I would show up ahead of a team of FBI agents and not just take his word for it. So the sheriff has to scrap his plan in favor of a new plan, which happened to involve yet another homicidal episode.”
Something niggled at the edge of her thoughts, only she couldn’t pin-point what it was. “Or I could tell you that your stuff was an extension of the person you are and you’ll need time to honestly grieve its loss. But it’s only for a season, until you can rebuild your life.”
“What if I don’t like either of those?”
“I could just help you clean up.”
Gabe smiled. “That would be appreciated. If you didn’t look about as good as I feel.” He pointed to the couch. “Brush yourself off a seat and I’ll get you a blanket.”
Caisey started to shake her head. “I really should hop in my car and get back to Liam before I crash completely.”
“He’s a nice guy, isn’t he?”
“I’m kinda partial to him, he’s a good partner. He became a Christian a few weeks ago, so he’s in that beginning stage where everything’s new and exciting.”
It took a second, but realization washed over Gabe’s face. “You saw my Bible when you were here before?”
Caisey nodded. “And the verse on the sticky note on your bathroom mirror. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” She blew out a breath. “That’s a tough one.”
“How about you?”
“Sure, I go to church.” Caisey didn’t want to get into a deep theological conversation about how she wasn’t nearly the Christian she should be. Not just because she was so tired and liable to say too much. She pushed off the wall and walked to the door. “I really should be going.”
“So it’s goodbye then?”
She shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know what else it would be.”
Nothing tied them together, not anymore. Caisey needed to get back to work so she could get on with her life. Gabe’s presence here was curious, but it made sense her dad hid him somewhere familiar if he thought he couldn’t trust anyone else to protect Gabe from his uncle. Caisey needed to get home to Grams, Jenna and Jake where she belonged.
**
Holden Arturo curled his fingers around the telephone cord and gripped the handset while he was briefed on the situation in Buckshot.
The man said, “What are your orders?”
Holden leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking. “Samuel’s daughter is collateral damage. I want my nephew.”
“Yes, sir.”
**
“Hold up a second.” Gabe’s hold on her arm was gentle, but that didn’t mean she was going anywhere. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She didn’t look like she should be driving all the way to Denver. More like taking a twelve hour nap. “It’s been a long week.”
“So this isn’t just about the sheriff, or my uncle?”
She frowned. “Why would it be?”
“I don’t know.” Gabe crossed his arms. “Maybe because the sheriff said his name right before he tried to kill us?”
Caisey slumped onto the couch and ran her hands down her face. “Okay, I think we need to run this down. My brain isn’t firing on all cylinders.”
Gabe strode to the kitchen, heated some water and found some black tea at the back of the cupboard. Thankfully his electric kettle hadn’t been smashed up like the rest of the house. He didn’t know what he was going to do about work. He was going to have to order a new desktop, or make a day trip to a computer store.
All he knew right then was he didn’t want Caisey to leave.
**
Liam studied the State Patrol officer, trying to figure out where he knew him. The guy was younger, but not by much, and his accent had a twinge of Boston to it. Was he trying to cover it up by softening the sound? Liam ran down the specifics of the case and the state of the investigation into Emma Allens’ murder while Officer Maddens looked around the room, checked his phone, and generally acted like he had a million places he’d rather be.
Liam talked through the specific pieces of evidence, rambling on for the sake of drawing out the conversation. While Officer Maddens’ eyes were on his phone, Liam made like he was checking the computer file. He pulled up an internet search engine and typed in ‘Boston Cop’ just on the off-chance his hunch was right.
Bingo.
An article popped up of a disgraced officer facing charges of corruption who’d been acquitted on lack of evidence after the whole case fell apart, making everyone involved look like inept idiots. Liam didn’t like it when honest lawmen and women looked bad and a criminal who was a disgrace to the uniform walked. It really ticked him off.
Liam rambled on at length about the backpack and what they knew about that completely generic brand, which could have been bought anywhere, making it sound like key evidence.
What was a disgraced Boston cop doing in Colorado dressed as a State Patrol officer? Whichever way you swung it, this wasn’t good. Liam needed to get to Caisey. She had no weapon and Gabe had no training, going up against a fully loaded gun in the hands of...whoever that old guy was.
Liam lifted his chin. “And so you can see, Officer Maddens, clearly this was the work of someone emotionally pre-disposed to violence. More than likely they will strike again.”
Unless the dead sheriff was the killer, in which case he wouldn’t be doing much of anything ever again.
Liam pushed back from the desk and stood. “I think that covers it. So if you’re happy taking it from here, I’ll get out of your hair and let you get to work.”
Officer Maddens looked up from his phone. “Sure, whatever.”
Liam strode through the main office straight to where Officer Kurter was at her desk. He put one palm on the center of the page she was reading and leaned in. “Call the State Patrol. Tell them you have two guys in town impersonating their officers.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Already did. Clocked them the minute they came in. State patrol—real ones—are an hour out.”
“You did?”
She smirked. “My brother is a Sergeant with Colorado State Patrol down in Colorado Springs. Seriously, these guys didn’t hardly even make an effort to be real. It’s pathetic really.”
“Right then.”
“You should probably go check on your partner.”
Liam straightened. “You’ll hold down the fort here?”
Completely straight face, one of her eyebrows lifted.
“Right. You’ve got it covered.” Liam grabbed a notepad and scribbled the real name of the disgraced Boston Cop.
And then he booked it up the mountain.
He slammed the car door and Gabe came out. As he approached the cabin, Gabe put his finger to his lips.
“What’s going on?”
“She fell asleep.”
Liam’s whole body relaxed. “That’s a whole lot better than I what I’d imagined.” He blew out a breath. “I guess I’m tired and seeing danger where it isn’t. I swear I thought that cop who drove you back here was going to try and kill you guys, or something.”
But the State Patrol officers weren’t cops. They’d been sent there by someone to impersonate them. The question was, who was behind all this? There had to be a bigger plan, since someone had gone to a whole lot of trouble to insert themselves into this scenario.
He followed Gabe inside, where Gabe handed him a steaming cup. “I made this for her, but...”
Liam dumped a spoonful of sugar in to make it more palatable and stirred. While he drank, he studied the man who had put a serious crimp in Caisey’s ability to have a romantic relationship.
Gabe leaned his hip against the kitchen counter. “Something you want to say?”
Interesting, most people asked it as a simple question and not one that invited confrontation. Liam shook his head, but it was a lie. He wanted to sit with the man and ask all the questions he had, followed with what his intentions were toward Caisey, and who that other woman was. “Maybe—”
Caisey jumped off the couch, yelling one of Jake’s fake curse words. She brushed off her jacket and winced when her hand touched the area where the knife had gone in.