Having Peter Colton in custody was a relief. Even though Elly hadn’t been convinced he was the shooter, the fact that Brock and Raelyn had found a rifle and a handgun was encouraging. Not illegal, though, unless one of the weapons had been used while committing a crime.
She desperately wanted this nightmare to be over. Yes, she would miss spending time with Joe, but the longer this evil man was out there stalking her, the more likely innocent victims would be hurt.
Or killed.
“We need to get over to the precinct to interview Peter Colton,” Joe said. “We also need a vehicle.”
“You can use ours,” Quinn quickly offered. “We can call one of the sibs for a ride home.”
“Thanks, Quinn.” Elly knew her family would come through for them. “We appreciate your support.”
“Have you spoken to Rhy lately?” Quinn asked.
She winced. “No, but we will.”
Her brother held her gaze. “Do that soon, El. You know he worries about you.”
It wasn’t easy being the youngest of nine. She loved her family, but they tended to hover. And maybe that was partially her own fault, she silently admitted. After all, she could have moved out of the homestead. She’d actually made plans to do that but then decided to stay longer to help Devon with the baby.
“I promise to call Rhy.” She managed a smile. “I’m sure it’s frustrating for him to be left out of the action.”
“Big time, not that he would willingly leave Devon and Colleen behind,” Quinn agreed.
Sensing Joe’s impatience, she glanced at him. His grim expression made her wish she could lighten his burden. None of this was his fault. Maybe if she hadn’t bumped into the shooter, making eye contact with him, they wouldn’t be in danger now.
But she couldn’t go back and change the past no matter how much she wanted to.
“I’m almost finished.” Steele looked pointedly at Joe’s tapping fingers. “I’ll ride with you back to the precinct.”
“Thanks.” Joe looked relieved.
True to his word, Steele finished his breakfast in record time. Joe pulled cash from his pocket, but Quinn waved it off.
“I’ll take care of it,” her brother assured him. “We have to hang around for a while until one of the sibs can pick us up.”
“Or use a rideshare,” Steele suggested.
“That too,” Quinn agreed. He tossed Joe the key fob, then added, “Keep Elly safe.”
“That’s the plan.” Joe stood and held her coat for her. She slipped her arms into the winter jacket, feeling self-conscious as Quinn watched.
“Thanks,” she murmured, zipping it up over the vest.
Joe and Steele donned their jackets too, then made their way through Rosie’s Diner. The place was hopping, so they didn’t have a chance to tell Rosie goodbye.
Outside, Joe clicked the key fob to find Quinn’s SUV. Soon they were buckled in and heading toward the precinct. Elly folded her hands in her lap, feeling nervous about seeing the Christmas parade shooter in person.
As if sensing her distress, Joe caught her glance in the rearview mirror. “We’ll make sure you’re behind the two-way mirror so he can’t see you.”
“I understand.” She put on a brave front.
“Too bad we can’t do a lineup,” Steele muttered.
“I know, that’s my fault for showing Elly Colton’s photo,” Joe agreed. “But we’ll get him. He may spill something during the interview.”
And if he didn’t? Elly didn’t voice the thought.
Joe escorted her to an interview room. Through the one-way glass, she got her first glimpse of Peter Colton in the flesh. The minute she saw him, she knew he wasn’t the shooter.
She didn’t have a photographic memory or anything like that. But the image of the gunman was indelibly etched in her mind. There wasn’t time to say anything to Joe or Steele though as they entered the room, joining Brock and Colton.
They introduced themselves, then sat across from the former cop.
“Do you want a lawyer?” Joe asked.
Colton crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t need one. I didn’t shoot anyone. You don’t have anything on me other than some vague similarity to a sketch. I’m not your guy.”
She continued to listen as Joe, Brock, and Steele questioned Colton.
“Were you at the Christmas parade?” Joe asked.
“No, I was home. Alone,” Colton added. “I had no reason to go to a stupid parade. I don’t even like Christmas.”
“Why were you fired from the police department?” Brock asked.
Colton scowled. “I’m sure you know that already. A lowlife scumbag claimed I used excessive force during his arrest.”
“Did you?” Joe asked.
Colton narrowed his gaze. “I don’t have to answer that.”
There was a long moment of silence as the four men stared at each other.
Finally, Joe slid the photos of the dead skaters across the table. “Do you know these victims?” Elly caught a glimpse of surprise and shock in Colton’s eyes. As if he couldn’t believe how brutally they’d been murdered.
“No. Why would I?” Colton shoved the photos back. “I already told you I wasn’t at the stupid parade.”
“You’ve never seen them?” Joe pressed.
Colton shrugged. “I may have seen the ice skaters on TV. They’re in a commercial I think, aren’t they?” When Joe didn’t respond, he added, “Seeing them isn’t knowing them. I’ve never met either of them in person.”
“Do you own any guns?” Steele asked.
Colton snorted. “You found the rifle and handgun. They’re both legal and registered. You have my concealed carry permit. No, I don’t have any other guns.”
The guys asked several more questions before Colton himself ended the interview.
“Enough.” He scowled. “I’ve cooperated with these ridiculous allegations. You can either arrest me or let me go.”
“You’re not finished until we say so,” Brock challenged.
“In that case, I’ll call my lawyer.” Colton wasn’t fazed by the threat. “He’ll have me out of here in five minutes flat. You don’t have anything linking me to this crime because I wasn’t there. I didn’t do this.”
Elly could tell that the guys were frustrated by the lack of information they were getting from the interview. But since Colton asked for his lawyer, there wasn’t anything more they could do.
“You’re free to go,” Joe said. “For now.”
Colton shot him a narrow glare but didn’t respond. Elly watched as the four men filed out of the interview room.
“This way,” Brock said, escorting Colton away.
Joe and Steele came around to meet with her. “What did you think?” Joe asked.
“He’s not the shooter.” She hadn’t meant to come across so bluntly.
“How can you be sure?” Joe clearly didn’t want to let it go.
A flash of annoyance hit hard. “I told you before, when I first saw his photograph, that he didn’t look like the shooter. Even if he’d done something to change his features, he doesn’t match my memory. Especially his eyes. I know I’ll recognize them when I see him.” She lifted her chin, meeting Joe’s gaze head-on. “I’m telling you, that is not the man I bumped into at the Christmas parade.”
“You admitted to seeing him for less than a minute,” Joe said stubbornly. “You could be mistaken.”
“I’m not.” She stepped closer, stabbing her index finger into Joe’s chest. “He’s not the shooter.”
“Hold on, Elly,” Steele said. “We believe you.”
“Joe doesn’t.” She didn’t take her gaze off his. “I understand you want this nightmare over. Don’t you think I feel the same way? I prayed we’d found him. But Peter Colton isn’t the shooter.” She jabbed his chest again for emphasis.
She tried to dial back her anger, but it wasn’t easy. Arresting the wrong guy wouldn’t make her feel safe.
That would only happen when they found and arrested the real culprit
Joe lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. I hear you.”
“It’s about time.” Elly stepped back, dragging her hand through her hair. He’d never seen her so annoyed and angry. And really, he couldn’t help but be impressed by how she’d stood up to him.
She might be Rhy’s baby sister, but she wasn’t a wimp. She stood up for what she believed. And of course, she’d saved his life that night, handling the shooting scene like a professional.
He was forced to admit that if Elly said Colton wasn’t their guy, he needed to believe her. His glimpse of the shooter had been from a distance. She’d seen him up close.
“I trust you, Elly,” he finally said. “You would recognize the shooter more than I would.”
“Thank you.” Her voice didn’t necessarily reflect gratitude.
“We don’t have anything on Colton anyway,” Steele said, his gaze darting between him and Elly as if watching a ping-pong match. “The lab will compare the shell casings from Colton’s weapon to those found at the crime scene. I doubt they’ll match.”
“They won’t because the shooter had an AK-47.” Joe knew Steele was right. Besides, Colton hadn’t given them anything useful. The guy didn’t have an alibi, but that didn’t make him a stone-cold killer.
Yet he hated knowing that without Colton, they were back at square one.
“Now what?” Elly asked.
He sighed. “I need to update Michaels. You should call Rhy to fill him in on the latest. He should know that Colton isn’t our guy.”
“Okay.” Elly pulled out her disposable cell to make the call.
“I’ll watch her,” Steele said in a low tone. “Go chat with Michaels.”
He nodded and turned away. He found Michaels in his office. The guy waved him in.
“Did Colton give you anything?” Assistant Chief Michaels asked.
“No. Ms. Elly Finnegan doesn’t believe he’s our guy.” He briefly summarized the disappointing results of the interview.
“How reliable is your witness?” Michaels asked.
“Very.” He didn’t hesitate. “She bumped into him, saw him up close. I’m convinced she would know him if she saw him again.”
“That’s just great,” Michaels muttered. “We’ve got a whole lot of nothing.”
“I know. But I still believe the shooter’s background is either as a cop or being in the military.” He went on to explain the way their most recent safe house had been found. “We’re barely managing to stay one step ahead of this guy.”
“We need another lead.” Michaels rubbed his hand over his chin. “Got any ideas?”
He desperately wished he did. “We’ll keep going through the witness list. This guy opened fire on the paradegoers for a reason.”
“Yeah.” Michaels sat back in his chair. “I appreciate the update, Kingsley. But there is one more thing you should know.”
“Like what?” Had he missed some other avenue to investigate this case?
“Captain Finnegan put in a request for you to be promoted to lieutenant. It took a while for the upper brass to approve your promotion and rank, but it’s official. Or will be at the first of the year.”
“Lieutenant?” Joe tried to hide his shock. He knew Rhy often leaned on him as the team leader, but to recommend him for a promotion? That was a surprise. “Thank you, sir.”
“You earned it.” Michaels waved away his gratitude. “Keep up the good work.”
He’d done a far from stellar job on this case, but he simply nodded. “Will do. Thanks again.” He turned and left the office.
The bump in pay would be good, especially if Elly didn’t want to keep working as an EMT. As soon as the thought entered his mind, he mentally kicked himself. What was he thinking? He didn’t have a claim on Elly. No matter how much he liked and admired her.
And even though he wanted nothing more than to see her again once this was over, he had Rhy and the rest of the Finnegan siblings to deal with. He imagined Rhy would regret submitting his name for a promotion if he knew how Joe had kissed Elly.
And how badly he wanted to kiss her again.
Enough. He couldn’t think about a potential future with Elly. Not until they had the shooter behind bars.
As he rounded the corner, he saw Grayson chatting with Elly. Steele wasn’t around, and he found himself curling his fingers into fists when he caught sight of Elly laughing at something Grayson was saying.
The stab of adolescent jealousy hit hard. Grayson was known to be a chick magnet. For whatever reason, women gravitated toward him. It was all he could do not to physically insert himself between Grayson and Elly.
“Hey, where’s Steele?” Joe asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice as he approached.
Elly turned to face him, her eyes brightening when she saw him. “I’m glad you’re back, Joe. Steele is arranging for another vehicle for us to use.”
“Great.” He forced himself to relax. Elly had looked pleased to see him. Maybe he wouldn’t have to punch Grayson in the nose.
Grayson’s dark eyes shifted between him and Elly as understanding dawned. Joe held his teammate’s gaze, refusing to back down. He knew he was treading on thin ice but couldn’t find the energy to care. He was way past trying to keep himself from becoming emotionally involved. That ship had obviously sailed. He decided it would be best for the entire tactical team to know he had personal feelings for Elly.
They’d need every minute of their intense skill and training to keep her safe.
“There he is now.” Grayson nodded toward the doorway. Steele crossed the room, holding up a set of keys.
“I’ve secured you a new ride,” he announced. “Figured I could return Quinn and Sami’s SUV. Grayson can follow along to give me a ride back.”
“Are they still at Rosie’s?” Elly asked.
“Yep.” Steele dropped the key fob into Joe’s outstretched hand. “We can meet up with you at the safe house.”
Joe frowned. “What safe house?”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot to tell you. Tarin came through for us,” Elly said. “I talked to him after touching base with Rhy. We’re all set.”
“That’s great news.” He was glad to have a plan. “Okay, we’ll head over there now. I want the two of you to escort us to the replacement vehicle, though, considering the last time we drew gunfire.”
“Got it,” Steele agreed.
“Count me in too,” Grayson added.
“Steele, you and Grayson can meet up with us, but only after you get replacement phones.” He scowled. “We’re not taking any more chances with this guy finding us at the safe house.”
“Understood.” Steele clapped Grayson on the back. “Let’s hit the road.”
“Do I get to eat breakfast too?” Grayson asked as they made their way to the side exit. “I’m hungry. I heard all about Rosie’s apple turnovers.”
Joe ignored their banter. He held Elly back until Steele and Grayson had stepped outside. Then he urged Elly across the threshold, keeping her sandwiched between the three men. They moved as a group to the SUV parked close to the building.
There was no gunfire this time, giving Joe hope that they’d gotten away clean. Although he wouldn’t relax until he had Elly stashed inside the safe house, behind bullet-resistant glass windows.
“Why didn’t Tarin call me?” He glanced at Elly. “I’m the one who left him a message.”
“He was going to, but I got to him first.” She shrugged. “He would have called sooner but had to wait until the family had been relocated and the cleaning crew had come in.”
“He arranged that just for you?” Joe was surprised Tarin had the support of the department to pull rank like that. Granted, Rhy was a captain, and the department tended to take care of their own.
“No, they were scheduled to go to a new location in another state anyway.” Elly frowned. “I hope they’re okay. I hate the idea of children being in danger. They deserve the safe house more than I do.”
“I’m sure they’re fine.” He couldn’t worry about the family Tarin had relocated, not when there was a vicious gunman stalking Elly for the past two days. “They wouldn’t have been moved if it wasn’t safe to do so.”
“I hope not.” Elly settled back in her seat as he drove away from the precinct. “I have to wonder if the real shooter knew you had Peter Colton in custody. He could assume the pressure is off.”
He glanced at her in admiration. “That’s possible. He could have a scanner. Maybe that’s why he didn’t bother staking out the police department again. Well, that and we had already canvassed the area after the last attempt. Not very smart to push his luck by taking that same shot a second time in two days.”
“Yeah, maybe.” She looked thoughtful. “Did Assistant Chief Michaels have any insights to share?”
“Not really.” He shrugged. “Your brother put my name in for a promotion to lieutenant. The upper brass approved the new rank and pay increase, effective the first week of January.”
“Really?” Elly turned in his seat to take his arm. “Oh, Joe, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks.” He could feel his face heating up. “It’s nice of your brother to do that. I hope to make him proud.”
“Rhy has always leaned on your leadership, Joe. He wouldn’t recommend you if he didn’t trust and believe in you.”
Yeah, that was what he was afraid of. That Rhy’s trust and admiration would fade like the mist once he made it clear he wanted to ask Elly out.
They couldn’t demote him for that, could they?
Nah, he didn’t think so. That wasn’t how the upper echelon within the police department worked. Although Rhy could make his life extremely difficult if he wanted to. Would Elly’s brother stoop that low?
He hoped not.
Yet there was no point in thinking about that now. Elly’s safety trumped everything else. He’d gladly give up his promotion if he thought that would help find and arrest the shooter.
“Joe? I think the safe house is in the other direction.”
“Yes, I know.” He smiled reassuringly. “It’s become a habit to take the long route to our destination.”
“I understand.” She sighed. “I wish there was more we could do to find this guy. I hate knowing he’s planning to strike out at me again.”
That was a massive understatement. “Me too. But keep your faith, Elly. You’ve said from the beginning that God has a plan for us. We’ll find him.”
“I know we will.” Her smile was strained.
His phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, surprised to see the call had the first three numbers of the police station. “Kingsley.”
“This is Josie from dispatch. I just got a call from Eloise Malaki.” It took him a moment to place the name of Kyle’s widow. “She thinks there’s a man outside her house.”
A shiver snaked down his spine. “Patch me through to her.”
“Will do.” The dispatcher spoke to Eloise, then dropped off the call.
“Is this Joe?” Eloise’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Yes. Do you recognize the man outside your house? What does he look like?” Joe asked.
“He’s wearing a long coat, but he’s too far away for me to see him clearly.” Eloise’s whisper was full of fear. “Please, Joe. I don’t want to die.”
“Go into the bathroom and lock the door. Take a weapon with you if you have one.” He wanted to assure her that everything would be fine, but he couldn’t. “We’ll be there as soon as possible, okay?”
“Hurry.” She abruptly disconnected from the line.
“What’s going on?” Elly gripped the armrest as he hit the gas, taking a sharp right toward Greenland where he knew Kyle and Eloise lived.
“Eloise saw a man outside her house.” He thrust the phone into her hand. “Call dispatch back, tell them we need all units to respond to her address.” He gave her the house number and street information.
Elly did as he’d asked, speaking in a calm tone despite the seriousness of the situation. When that call was finished, she went ahead and called Steele and Grayson too.
“The shooter was last seen at Kyle and Eloise’s house,” she said. “We’re heading there now. Joe needs backup.”
He concentrated on driving, desperately wishing he could drop Elly someplace safe. Taking her on a call like this wasn’t smart. But he couldn’t bear the thought of letting this guy slip away either.
And why would the shooter show up at Eloise’s home anyway? Because Kyle had been the true target all along? They’d felt certain the two ice skaters had been killed first. But maybe that had been done to clear the area for a better angle to eliminate Kyle.
It was a possibility that hadn’t occurred to him until now.
“Steele and Grayson are meeting us there,” Elly said. “What did Eloise say?”
“She saw a man in a long coat.” Even as he said the words, he frowned. “Seems odd that he’d still have that long coat on. Too noticeable.”
“Rhy claims criminals aren’t always smart.” Her voice wavered a bit, betraying her fear.
“He’s right about that.” He pressed harder on the accelerator, taking the shortest route to Eloise’s home.
While praying with all his heart that they wouldn’t get there too late.