“We shouldn’t have dropped the news on her like that. She clearly had no idea her husband may have cheated on her.” Aiden was torn between learning more about Mitchell’s investigation and rushing over to comfort Shelby.
Not that she’d want to be comforted by him.
“I feel bad about that,” Mitchell admitted. “But if the rumors of an affair are true, then it could be related to the shooting attempts.”
He glanced over to make sure Eva was still focused on the cartoon. “I knew Emmitt, not really well, but we were acquaintances. I never heard the rumors of an affair.”
“Rumor isn’t fact,” Mitchell said. “I didn’t find any proof of the liaison.”
“Two years have passed since Copeland’s death. Why would anyone bother to come after his widow and daughter now?”
“I have a theory.” Mitchell hesitated, then said, “What if Shelby’s father learned of the affair? And took action against the female sergeant involved?”
He frowned. “I see your point. But Sergeant Major Savage died of a heart attack. Even if he had uncovered something, there’s no reason to come after Shelby and her daughter now.”
“You asked for insight.” Mitchell shrugged. “It’s only rumor and theory, but if the sergeant major had taken action, that may have been the impetus to lash out against Shelby.”
“Do you have a name of the female sergeant?” He had trouble wrapping his mind around this. “An interview with her would clear this up, so we can move on to another theory.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t. I told you, there was no proof that Copeland was involved with anyone. However, hearing about the recent shooting attempts made me wonder if we missed something when we investigated his death two years ago.”
He swallowed a flash of frustration. “Is there a way to see if Savage did take action against a female sergeant? That may be a place to start.”
“Working on that.” Mitchell grimaced. “You know how the army is, though. They haven’t been very transparent with information.”
Would Brady run into the same roadblock? Probably. If the army wouldn’t cooperate with their own investigator, he doubted they’d open their files to the feds. “We need to know who Copeland had an affair with.”
Mitchell reached into his soft-sided computer case and withdrew a sheet of paper. “I ran a list of all female personnel serving in the National Guard. I didn’t limit the list to those of higher rank because I didn’t want to miss anyone. And again, the rank of sergeant was a rumor. Could be he had a relationship with an enlisted soldier.”
“That would definitely get the sergeant major’s attention; superiors are not allowed to date subordinates, much less have affairs with them.” He took the list, running his gaze down the list of names. “Twenty-five women.” He glanced up at Mitchell. “I expected more.”
“I only ran the names of those who served in this area.” The investigator shrugged. “It doesn’t seem likely he’d have time to meet up with a woman stationed on the East or West Coast.”
“I get it, but what if the woman involved has since left the army?”
“I ran a quick check on that, too, and added three names.” Mitchell leaned forward to point to the bottom of the list. “These names marked with an asterisk were working here but left within the last two years.”
“We should start with those three women first. Although maybe we should go back even farther than that.” Aiden couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction to have something to focus on. “It makes sense that a female soldier would want a fresh start elsewhere after the man you were having a secret affair with died in the line of duty. Maybe the woman in question broke things off ahead of his death.”
“True.” Mitchell sighed. “But this is only one theory, Finnegan. I could be way off base here. For all I know, there’s someone from Ms. Copeland’s past who has decided to come after her.”
“Yeah.” Aiden set the paper down on the desk. “She’s a schoolteacher. Hard to imagine she has enemies.”
“Her father could have many enemies,” Mitchell said. “Someone with a grudge and mentally imbalanced could think that killing her will even the score.”
It was difficult to imagine anyone taking their anger to that extent. Lashing out at the sergeant major was one thing, but an innocent woman and her child? Incomprehensible.
Yet he had seen some mentally unstable people during the course of his deployments. Especially those involved in moblike activity. It didn’t take long for a routine protest to turn ugly. No matter which side of the political aisle was involved.
He focused on the issue at hand. “Any way to identify who had been disciplined by Shelby’s father?”
“I’m working on that.” Mitchell looked as frustrated as Aiden felt. “I’m waiting for the upper brass to approve my request.”
He had to bite back an angry retort. Someone had taken shots at Shelby three times in less than twenty-four hours! They didn’t have time. They needed answers now.
The bedroom door opened. Shelby stepped out, her face puffy from crying. She avoided his gaze, walking over to sit beside her daughter.
“When can we swim?” Eva asked.
“Soon.” Shelby’s smile was strained. “We’re waiting for our swimsuits to arrive, remember?”
“Don’t wanna swim soon. I wanna swim now.” Eva’s insistent tone made him smile. But Shelby only appeared more stressed.
“If you don’t behave, we won’t swim at all.” Shelby’s sharp tone startled him, but then she gestured toward the television and added, “Be a good girl, Eva. Keep watching your show.”
Eva lapsed into silence as her attention was once again riveted by the cartoon. Watching the interaction gave him a new appreciation for all parents. Especially single mothers. Being a parent was a full-time job.
“I wish I had more information to share,” Mitchell said in a low voice. Likely trying to avoid Shelby overhearing.
“It’s fine. But I need you to keep me informed on your progress.” Aiden frowned. “You need to make it clear to the bars and stars how much danger Shelby and her daughter are in.”
Bars and stars was slang for upper brass. As a staff sergeant, Aiden had bars on his sleeve, but he was nowhere near the level of making big decisions.
“I will. I’ll give them the details on this latest attempt. Maybe that will spur them into moving faster.”
It shouldn’t take blazing guns for that, but Aiden nodded. “I’d appreciate it.”
Surprisingly, Shelby stood and came back to the table, pinning Mitchell with a stern gaze. “Do you have proof?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t.” Mitchell lifted his chin. “As I said, there were rumors. I was hoping you’d know something that might help us.”
A myriad of expressions contorted her features. Anger, confusion, stubbornness, then finally acceptance. “I didn’t know about the affair. That came as a complete shock. But I can admit that things were somewhat strained between us.”
That information hit Aiden in the chest like a brick. “What do you mean?”
She huffed. “You haven’t been married, so maybe you don’t understand. It’s not all sunshine and roses. We had our fights. Especially after Eva was born. He refused to take a leave of absence to be home with me.” With a glance toward Eva, she added, “With us. Now I have to wonder if that was because of this other woman rather than his commitment to the army.”
“You’re right, I haven’t been married. And I can appreciate a relationship takes work. On both sides.” His older siblings made it look easy, but he knew there was a lot of compromise involved. “I’m sorry to hear things had been a little rocky.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t know about his cheating.” She narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were his friend.”
“I wasn’t as close to him as some of the other guys, and unfortunately, I was busy with my own team of soldiers.” But her comment did make him think. He turned toward Mitchell. “We need to interview Emmitt’s close friends. They would be more likely to know about his indiscretions.”
“They denied that two years ago.” Mitchell slowly nodded. “But you’re right. Now that Emmitt’s widow and child are in danger, they may be more likely to talk.”
“Both Oliver Kennedy and Victor Morrison were at the cemetery. Maybe start with them.” Aiden wished he could accompany the investigator to interview the men, but he would not leave Shelby and Eva alone. Or drag them from one place to the other. “I’m sure they’ll give you some insight into whatever was going on with Emmitt before he died.”
“I will.” Mitchell turned a solemn gaze toward Shelby. “Ms. Copeland, I’m truly sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
Shelby stared at her hand, then shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ll get over it.” Then she scowled. “But if you discover there is no truth to this rumor, I hope you make sure my husband’s name is cleared. I don’t want anyone thinking badly of him if it’s not warranted.” Her voice hitched. “He served his country well. I don’t want his memory tarnished for no reason.”
“I promise.” Mitchell rose. He held out his hand, and Shelby took it. “I’m sorry for your loss. Thanks again for meeting with me.”
“Of course. Thank you for coming.” Shelby’s voice was subdued.
“Make a note of my new cell number.” Aiden rattled it off, then made a point of adding Tom’s name to his cheap disposable phone. “I have a computer, so I can start digging into the list of names as soon as possible.”
“Good. I’ll keep hounding the upper brass.” Mitchell nodded thoughtfully. “Between the two of us, we should be able to make progress.”
He followed Mitchell to the door. After the intelligence officer left, he turned to find Shelby reading the list of female soldiers. He wished more than anything he could spare her this pain. Hadn’t she already suffered enough?
Yet she could be right about this being nothing more than a nasty rumor. His brother Tarin often mentioned how the search for truth could be messy. Ripping open people’s personal lives revealed secrets better left buried.
He had a very bad feeling that this was exactly what would happen here.
A call on the hotel room phone startled him. He reached across the desk to pick up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Your delivery is here.” He recognized the voice of the front desk clerk who had checked him in.
“Thanks, I’m coming.” He hung up, then glanced at Shelby. “Food and swimming gear has arrived. I’ll be right back.”
“Great.” She pushed the list of names aside; although from the furrow in her brow, he knew she understood the significance of the information. All possible names of the woman Emmitt had cheated on her with.
Picking up the supplies didn’t take long. Aiden had his hands full, though, so he had to use his elbow to knock on the door. A moment later, Shelby swung the door open. He hoped she’d checked the peephole first.
“Thanks.” He set the items on the desk.
Eva bounced on the sofa with excitement. “Time to swim! Time to swim!”
He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Take the clothes.” He handed that bag over. “I’ll put the food away while you change.”
Shelby managed a small smile, then turned to her daughter. “Come with me, Eva.”
He quickly unpacked the snacks, then set about blowing up the water wings and beach ball Shelby had requested.
When the two of them emerged from the bedroom, he tried not to swallow his tongue. Shelby wore a conservative blue one-piece that favored her eyes. She was stunning, and Eva was cute wearing her frilly pink swimming suit. They both carried towels from the bathroom. Shelby wrapped hers around her waist.
He handed her the beach ball, then bent to slip Eva’s arms through the water wings. “Ready to go?”
“Aren’t you swimming too?” Eva cocked her head curiously.
“Not today.” He smiled and reached for the door. He met Shelby’s gaze, and added, “I’ll watch.”
“Okay!” Eva wasn’t deterred. She ran down the hall toward the pool, leaving him and Shelby to follow more slowly.
“You should have ordered swimming trunks too.” She shifted the ball to one arm so she could unlock the door to the indoor pool.
“I’d rather be on lifeguard duty.” He spoke lightly, but in reality, he took his role as protector seriously.
Watching Shelby and Eva playing in the pool made him smile. The moment of normalcy was at odds with the threat that lurked outside the hotel.
And he silently vowed to find the person responsible before the gunmen struck again.
Shelby was keenly aware of Aiden watching from the side of the pool. Dealing with Eva made it impossible to hold on to her anger.
Emmitt had cheated. Seeing the list of women’s names had hit hard. One of them was likely the adulteress.
She told herself it didn’t matter. Emmitt was gone. But her stomach churned with the knowledge that she’d been so foolish, naïve, and gullible. Believing that Emmitt had been a dedicated husband and father, determined to protect and serve his country.
When in reality he’d been sleeping with another woman.
No proof, Tom Mitchell had said. But deep down she knew it was true. In a way, it explained the distance she’d felt growing between them in the months prior to Emmitt’s death.
A wave of nausea hit hard, and she had to swallow to keep from throwing up. Emmitt’s betrayal wasn’t important. Keeping her daughter safe was.
And if that meant digging up the truth, then so be it.
“Mommy, look! I’m swimming!” Eva stood on the bottom of the shallow section of the pool, slapping her arms on the water, splashing herself in the face. She smiled, then swam over to join her.
“Like this.” She lifted Eva so she was lying on her tummy, then gently drew her through the water. The water wings helped keep Eva’s face above the water, and it occurred to her that she should enroll the little girl in swimming lessons.
Maybe once this nightmare was over.
Eva splashed and played, enjoying herself immensely. Soon, the heaviness in her chest lightened.
It was hard to grieve for something that had taken place a long time ago when her daughter needed her. Eva was the most important person in her life.
Shelby would do anything to protect the little girl.
After forty-five minutes, she carried Eva from the pool. “Time to get dressed.”
“Nooo,” Eva wailed. “I wanna swim!”
“Maybe later.” She had sensed Aiden getting antsy, although he hadn’t said anything. “Look, our fingers are wrinkly. Time to take a break.”
Eva stared at her fingertips with fascination. “Will the wrinkles go away?”
“Yes, very soon.” She draped a towel around the little girl. “Let’s go back to the room.”
Eva reluctantly allowed her to take her hand so they could head back to the room.
“Thanks.” Shelby smiled at Aiden. “I know this wasn’t easy for you, but Eva enjoyed herself.”
“Of course.” His deep husky voice made her shiver. Or maybe she was feeling the chill from the cold air in the hallway. Yeah, that was it. She wasn’t interested in Aiden. She wasn’t interested in anyone. “You and Eva deserve some fun.”
She nodded, then waited for him to use the room key to get back into their suite. Steering Eva toward the bedroom, she said, “We’ll need to think about lunch.”
“We’ll order room service when you’re finished,” Aiden said.
She nodded and closed the door. It took longer than she’d have liked to strip off their wet things, shower, and change into dry clothes. Eva squirmed as she tried to brush her damp hair.
“No, Mommy.” Eva ducked to avoid the grooming. “I wanna watch TV.”
“Not until after lunch. Now hold still.” She managed to drag a brush through her daughter’s blond tresses enough to get rid of most of the tangles. Then she stepped back to tend to her own hair.
Eva ran out of the room. Lowering the brush, she stared at her reflection for a moment. She wasn’t beautiful, but Emmitt had seemed enamored of her when they’d first met, sweeping her off her feet in a whirlwind romance. When had things changed? After Eva had been born? Or even before that?
What had caused him to look at her and find her lacking? Had she done something that had sent him into the arms of another woman?
Stop it. She pushed the wave of self-doubt aside. Emmitt’s cheating wasn’t her fault. It was his.
And now, it was also hers. If that indiscretion had indeed set this terrifying string of events into motion.
She and Eva did not deserve this.
Anger helped keep her steady. She used the blow-dryer, then went to join Aiden and Eva.
“What do you like to eat?” Aiden was asking. “Chicken tenders?”
“Yes! Tenders!” Eva bounced up and down on the chair. “With ketchup.”
“Sounds good.” Aiden met her gaze. “Uh, if that’s okay with your mom.”
“It’s fine.” She cocked her head, regarding him thoughtfully. “I’m surprised you know what kids like to eat.”
“Learned everything I know from Brady’s son, Caleb. He’s six and as full of unlimited energy as Eva.” He grinned. “I have less practice with women. What would you like? It’s not an extensive menu, I’m afraid.”
She crossed over to see for herself. “The chicken ranch wrap is fine. Thanks.”
While Aiden placed their order, she went over to turn the TV off.
“Mommy,” Eva protested.
“After lunch.” She gave the little girl a stern look. “We don’t eat in front of the TV.”
Their room service meal arrived quicker than she’d anticipated. The pool had been empty, so maybe they weren’t very busy today.
Aiden unpacked their meals. Then he reached out to take her hand. “I’ll say grace.”
Surprised, she nodded and bowed her head.
“Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food and for continuing to keep us safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen.” She lifted her head. “Do all the Finnegans pray?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “Oh, we tried to rebel after our parents died, eleven years ago now. But Rhy and Tarin were not having it. They stepped in to raise us and insisted we continue practicing our faith. Looking back, I think that was a big reason why we stayed so close.”
“Your family is amazing.” She was impressed at how the siblings had stuck together through such a difficult time. “I didn’t realize you lost your parents so young.”
“Yeah, it wasn’t easy. But things would have been much worse if not for Rhy and Tarin.” He grinned. “Alanna and I tried to get away with stuff, but they seemed to anticipate every move we made.”
“They were young once too,” she pointed out.
“That’s exactly what Rhy said. He told us he and Tarin had done everything we’d tried, and some stuff we hadn’t even thought of.”
That made her laugh. “I bet that made you both try to come up with new ideas.”
“We did.” Aiden flashed a smile. “But then we had college prepare for and Elly to protect.” His humor faded. “She’s been doing great in her role as an EMT. But I can’t shake the idea that she doesn’t love her job.”
“Does anyone?” She flushed, then said, “I mean, yes, I enjoy being a teacher, but that doesn’t mean I come home each day raving about how great it is. Every job has challenges.”
“That might be it.” He shrugged, took a bite of his burger, then said, “We talked about placing bets on how long Elly would last, but Rhy shut that down. I guess we’ll just wait and see.”
It was easy to see that the siblings had a soft spot for the youngest Finnegan. Being an only child, she’d never experienced the camaraderie he’d described.
Glancing at Eva, happily munching her chicken nuggets, she realized her daughter would be an only child too.
Not something she’d planned. It hurt to think back to how she and Emmitt had discussed having several children.
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Her gaze rested on the list of female soldiers. “How do you plan to investigate them? Do you have access to army records?”
“No, but I can try social media.” Aiden frowned. “Do you have an account?”
She shook her head. “No, I did for a while but shut it down after Eva was born. I found there were too many creeps on there.”
“True,” Aiden said. “Our family isn’t big into social media either, especially my cop siblings. It was never a thing in our house, but some people are really active, so it’s worth a try.”
She couldn’t argue his logic. She knew several of her colleagues were constantly posting stuff. Her cheeks burned as she considered the possibility that the woman who’d had an affair with Emmitt had pictures of the two of them together posted online.
“I’m done, Mommy.” Eva swiped at her face, smearing ketchup across her cheek. “Can I watch TV now?”
“Okay, just a minute.” She wet a napkin to clean Eva’s face and hands. Then she stood and turned the television back on.
Returning to her seat, she picked up the last of her wrap. Funny, an hour ago she’d wanted to throw up. Now she was finishing lunch.
“Hey.” Aiden reached over to take her hand. “I’m really sorry. I wish we could have saved you the stress of hearing all of this.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not responsible for Emmitt’s actions.” She held his hand, grateful for the connection. “And it’s worth the agony if we can figure out who is responsible. Eva doesn’t deserve this.”
“Neither do you.” Aiden shocked her by picking up her hand and kissing it. “You’re an amazing woman, Shelby.”
She didn’t feel amazing. Although Aiden’s warm brown gaze did make her feel special. Before she could say anything more, his cell phone rang.
He squeezed her hand, then reached for the phone. “It’s Tom Mitchell,” he said, before answering. “Hey, Tom, what’s up?”
She couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but Aiden only listened for a moment before lowering the phone. He lurched to his feet. “We have to go.”
“What? Go where?”
“Away from here.” He tossed the computer into the bag, then reached for her hand. “Get Eva’s coat. Hurry.”
“What’s going on?” She reached for their coats.
“Tom’s injured.” His gaze darkened. “He thinks the shooter has found him.”