“I smell smoke,” Justine commented as Trey pulled onto the highway.
“What?” He leaned forward, searching through the windshield.
She laughed and swatted at him. “I meant, you’re thinking so hard, I can smell the smoke burning in your brain from the effort.”
Trey chuckled, settling back in his seat, and passed her a piece of paper.
She scanned the scribbled phone number and address. “Should we call first?”
“Not yet. I don’t want to give him a chance to avoid us. It’s only about ten minutes from here.”
“Interesting the Nolans didn’t recommend we meet with him,” Justine mused.
“I thought the same thing.”
Trey turned into a business district and approached a massive stone-and-glass building. The landscape surrounding the property offered no parking spaces. “Looks like we’ll have to go in there.”
A large striped bar restricted entrance into the multilevel parking garage.
“Guess we’ll need him to give us access.”
“I’ll call.” Justine dialed the number and put it on speaker. A male voice answered on the third ring. “Mr. Duncan, this is Justine Stark. I’m a forensic—”
“I know who you are.”
Justine shot Trey a confused glance. He shrugged.
“As the Nolan family attorney, my loyalty lies with them first and foremost.”
“Absolutely. I—” Justine began.
“I have nothing to offer regarding Kayla’s case.”
Justine rushed on. “With all due respect, Mr. Duncan, I believe you do.”
A silent second ticked away, and she glanced at the screen, worried Alex had hung up.
“The Nolans are covered by client-attorney privilege.”
“We understand that.” Justine held her breath.
“I don’t see the point.”
“The point is justice for Kayla,” Trey said.
Alex sighed. “Her death was...a tragedy.”
Justine heard the difference in his demeanor. “Yes. And the case has remained dormant. I’d like to change that.”
Another long pause.
“I’m sorry.”
He wasn’t getting off that easily. “Mr. Duncan, I realize you don’t know me, but Kayla was my best friend, and she deserves justice. The Nolans deserve closure. Not to mention there is a killer still on the loose. What if someone else is hurt? Please. I’m only asking for a moment of your time.” Lord, help me get through to this guy.
Alex lowered his voice. “Ah, yes, I do recall her mentioning you. That must be why your name was familiar to me.”
Trey gave Justine a thumbs-up.
“Miss Stark, you don’t realize what you’re asking.”
Trey opened his mouth, but Justine held up her hand, silencing him, and shook her head.
“Our conversation will be kept in the strictest of confidences.”
“It’s not that simple. I won’t testify or go on record.”
Something in his tone had her redirecting. “Mr. Duncan, are you afraid for your safety? If someone has threatened you, we can help you get protective custody.”
Alex snorted. “No amount of protection would suffice. I’ll meet with you. Briefly. Park on the second floor of the garage and use the stairwell to walk down. I’ll turn off the security cameras there. Come to the north side of the building. There’s a door where I will let you in.”
The bar over the entrance lifted.
“Thank you,” Justine responded, but Alex had already hung up.
Trey parked on the second floor, and the trio exited the truck. Their footsteps echoed in the empty concrete structure; dim light filtered through the drab space. They made their way to the stairwell.
Justine pushed open the heavy steel door and startled as it slammed behind them.
Inside was stuffy and dark, and Justine eagerly stepped outside, welcoming the bright summer sun.
Unlike the dank garage, the grounds of the Nolan Building were professionally landscaped, with colorful plants and flowers bordering the sidewalk. They approached the north-side door marked Personnel Only. Justine raised her hand to knock as it opened.
A bald man of average height, dressed in jeans and a navy polo shirt, stood on the opposite side. His salt-and-pepper hair was groomed short, and the goatee completed his distinguished appearance.
“Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Duncan,” Justine said.
He ignored her, glancing down at Magnum. “We don’t allow dogs in the building.”
Ever intuitive, Magnum sniffed Duncan’s expensive shoes and sneezed.
“Magnum’s got dog immunity,” Trey retorted.
Justine stifled a giggle.
Alex shook his head and spun on his heel. “Follow me.”
Trey shot her a conspiratorial grin, and Magnum trotted triumphantly beside him.
The hallway was painted a depressing shade of gray and ended at a stairwell door. Justine held it open while Trey lifted Magnum through, then hoisted the dog up each flight of stairs. To his credit, he never complained, but hauling the large animal had to be exhausting.
Finally, Alex stopped on the fourth-floor landing and stepped aside to allow the trio to exit the shaft. They then followed him through the darkened area, still under construction and lit by only small emergency lights.
Alex led them to a closet with three folding chairs. “Have a seat. I apologize for the clandestine atmosphere, but as I said on the phone, I’m uncomfortable doing this. This floor doesn’t have security cameras.”
Justine sat next to Alex, giving Trey the chair closest to the door.
“Do you fear retribution?” Justine withdrew her notepad.
He frowned. “I’ve been a faithful employee of the Nolan family, and they trust me. I’m afraid they’ll see this meeting as a betrayal.”
“How so?” Trey leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
Alex glanced down and seemed to study the floor.
Justine said, “Mr. Duncan, I realize this isn’t easy, but I assure you we will not misuse any of the information you tell us.”
Several seconds passed before Alex spoke. “The Nolans are prominent pillars of the Lincoln community.”
Justine forced herself not to roll her eyes. She was so incredibly over hearing about the Nolans’ fine reputation.
Alex continued, “Kayla fought not to fit into their mold, but I adored her. She was a great kid. Hard worker too. She had a good eye for business and accounting. One month in my office, and she’d done what the previous accountant hadn’t accomplished in twenty years.”
“Did you work closely with Kayla?” Trey asked.
Alex snorted and lifted his chin. “I’m a corporate attorney with enough responsibility, but Mr. Nolan reassigned the accounting division to report to me with the specification I supervise Kayla. I’m not sure if that was punishment or favor. I certainly didn’t have time for babysitting. Not that Kayla needed one.”
An attorney overseeing the business financials was unusual but not completely out of the question. “Had something prompted that reorganization?” Justine asked.
“Mr. Nolan is obsessive about money. Under the previous accountant, he became aware of several errors. Nolan tossed the man out before he knew what hit him. Kayla was an accounting major in college, so he got his academic money’s worth in having her work for him. His words, not mine,” Alex explained.
“Did Kayla locate the source of the errors?” Trey pressed.
“No, but she implemented a system of checks and balances to prevent it from happening again.”
“Was the previous accountant charged?” Trey asked.
“How could he be? There was no proof he was responsible or had done anything blatantly illegal. He covered his tracks well.”
“I’m confused with what that has to do with this surreptitious meeting,” Trey said.
Alex narrowed his eyes. “Tell me, Officer, would you be happy knowing your most trusted confidant talked with the police about the investigation of your daughter? How do you think the Nolans will take that bit of news?”
“If they trust you, and you’ve got nothing to hide, why worry?” Trey straightened his shoulders, gaze unwavering from Alex.
Justine intervened before the men threw punches. “Mr. Duncan—”
“Alex, please, dear,” he said in a voice smooth as ice cream.
“Alex, my goal is to develop the profile of the killer. I’m most interested in the clues available to help me do that. What can you tell me about Kayla’s state of mind the week prior to her death?”
“Agitated. You were her friend. Did she mention a stalker to you?” Alex addressed Justine.
“Yes.”
“Was there any proof of her claims?”
Justine hesitated, unwilling to share details from the diary. “Only gifts the stalker left.”
Alex frowned. “Did she show those to the police?”
“No, sir, she threw them away.”
Alex shook his head. “That was unwise. Might’ve helped her since her parents didn’t believe the stalker allegations. They viewed them as another of her attention-seeking antics.”
“Why would she need to seek their attention?” Trey asked.
“Why does any child?” Alex sighed, annoyance written in his expression. “She put them through the wringer in her teenage years. Always so rebellious and wild.”
“Did she get into trouble with the law?” Trey asked.
“No, never like that. But she worked hard to embarrass and annoy them. Once at a country club event, Kayla showed up accompanied by a motorcycle gang! Can you imagine? They drove over the golf course, tearing up the greens. She strutted into the dinner, wearing black leather, on the arm of a hooligan twice her age, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. That girl was a force to be reckoned with. Susan tried to corral the wild child and make her a respectable young lady.”
Justine shoved down a grin, picturing Kayla pulling such a stunt.
Trey interjected, “Did you witness Kayla using drugs?”
“She died of an overdose. I’d say that answers your question,” Alex bit out.
Justine bristled. “However, that’s counter to her normal MO. Did she have visitors at the office?”
Alex seemed to ponder that. “No, but she took long lunches several days in a row. Caused quite the uproar with the other staff. They interpreted it as her taking advantage of her position as a Nolan.”
“Did she meet with anyone?”
Alex shrugged. “I’m not accustomed to following my personnel on their lunch breaks.”
“Did Kayla report to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol?” Trey probed.
Justine glared at him. Let it go already.
“Who could tell the difference between Kayla’s boisterous ways or intoxication?”
“So, no,” Justine concluded.
Trey quirked a brow. “Were any of the employees who viewed Kayla’s role as nepotism vying for the same position?”
Alex nodded. “As a matter of fact, yes. Grant Barron was so angry about being passed over, he threatened to quit, until Susan offered him a considerable pay raise.”
Had Barron sought revenge by stalking Kayla?
“Look, the Nolans are very good to me, and I will not speak ill of them. However, I liked Kayla. She was refreshing in a monotonous environment and brought life to the office. Kayla was one person Mr. Nolan couldn’t tame, and they fought often. They were quite accustomed to getting whatever they wanted. Mr. Nolan still is.” Alex hesitated. “You didn’t hear this from me, but Mr. Nolan’s temper is an issue. Susan’s confided her own fears about her husband to me. She said he was desperate to deal with Kayla.”
“We’ve seen a glimpse of Mr. Nolan’s temper,” Justine said.
“Oh, yes, the exhumation. He already contacted me about that. Expect a motion to dismiss, by the way,” Alex said with the ease of a weatherman reporting the forecast.
“Why did the Nolans decline an autopsy? Wouldn’t that be a normal course of action in a suspicious death?” Justine continued.
Alex snorted. “Why bother when the intoxication-panel screening showed she’d overdosed? I understand your hope for due diligence, but let me share a tidbit that may change your mind. Kayla demanded her inheritance early, expressing a desire to travel the world. Naturally, Nolan viewed it as Kayla throwing away her career. They had a big fight the night before her death. Susan tried to intervene, but he threatened her.”
Kayla had never mentioned a trip, her inheritance or fearing her father. “Are you implying Mr. Nolan killed his own daughter?”
“Absolutely not,” Alex said. “Simply that Kayla had the gift of manipulation. Something she learned from Nolan, no doubt. Isn’t it ironic we detest most in others those traits we see in ourselves?” Alex locked eyes with her. “However, I don’t believe traveling was her intention. Rather, Kayla got involved with the wrong people, not realizing the cost.”
“You think she owed a drug dealer who retaliated when she couldn’t pay?” Trey clarified.
“Yes.”
“That sounds out of character for Kayla,” Justine insisted.
“Except I also never shared that Kayla came to me, desperate for money. I gave her a few hundred dollars, as it was all that I had on hand. Such a sad situation.”
Justine wasn’t convinced, but arguing with Alex was futile. Any noncash deficits in Kayla’s financial records would confirm or refute the man’s claims.
“Additionally, the Nolans want Kayla’s diary. I’m sure you appreciate the significance of such a personal item.”
“And when the investigation is finished, they’ll be able to take it,” Justine explained.
Alex frowned, glanced at his expensive imported watch and stood. “There’s nothing more I can offer, and I have another appointment today, so I’ll see you out.”
Justine rose. “Thank you for meeting with us.”
The departure was solemn as they went back down the stairs and out of the building. Alex paused, his hand bracing open the door. “Oh, I forgot my briefcase. Please go on ahead.”
Trey shot a look at Justine. “Okay...”
Once they were belted in the pickup and Trey had started the engine, Justine said, “I’m not sure I believe him about Kayla asking for her inheritance.”
“Me either.”
Trey backed out of the space and drove down the ramp, exiting the garage.
A blast from behind them rocked the ground. Concrete rained around the truck.
Trey sped from the property, and Justine twisted in her seat as a massive chunk of cement landed where the pickup had been only a second before.
Dust and debris clouded the space.
Trey parked at a distance.
Justine gaped in disbelief at the decimated structure. “We could’ve been killed! Was Alex inside there?”
Trey threw open his door. “I don’t know. I’ll check. Stay here.”
“No way. I’m going with you.”
“If there’s a secondary device, I don’t want you hurt. And I won’t risk Magnum getting reinjured.”
On cue, Magnum poked his head out of the divider between them. She wanted to argue but couldn’t disagree. The dog might hurt himself on the rubble. Justine acquiesced for his sake. “Fine.”
Trey stepped out of the vehicle, cautiously working his way toward the garage, disappearing into the fog.
“Lord, keep him safe.”
Her phone rang, and she glanced down. Alex’s number. “Alex? Where are you?”
“If I hadn’t forgotten my briefcase, I’d be dead! I told you it was dangerous to meet. Now do you believe me?”
* * *
Trey’s emotions seesawed between anger at himself and Alex Duncan. Thankfully, Sergeant Oliver offered to handle the garage-bomb investigation after reaming out Trey for endangering Justine. The fire investigators located the ignition source in Alex’s luxury sedan, and Trey shared the information with Justine. Oliver concluded by commanding they return to the ranch ASAP. The berating added to Trey’s self-loathing for his failure to protect Justine.
They sat eating a quick meal at Trey’s kitchen table before he packed a few essentials, and they got on the road again.
“That bomb was intended for Alex,” Justine reminded him, invading his internal tirade.
“Except it was convenient he forgot his briefcase, disconnected the security cameras so we wouldn’t have any footage to refer to and stayed in the building where he wouldn’t be affected by the blast.”
“What will your boss do about Alex’s plea for confidentiality? If he pushes the man, we might lose any leads if the bizarre story he told us has any credibility.”
Trey worked his jaw. “For now, he’s agreed to keep Alex’s involvement under wraps.” That hadn’t been an easy request. Oliver, like Trey, found the events a little too coincidental. After some discussion, Oliver conceded Duncan had a bead on the Nolans and they couldn’t lose that connection.
His phone rang. Oliver. Great. Round two. “Boss.”
“As if today hasn’t been enough fun, the captain just advised you have seventy-two hours to provide sufficient evidence to continue working this case or you’ll be reassigned,” Oliver said.
Trey pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen, praying he’d misunderstood. “Hold on.”
Justine paused, hamburger in hand, midbite.
He covered the receiver. “Be right back.” Trey stepped outside and closed the sliding glass door before continuing, “Sarge, that’s impossible. This is a decade-old cold case. How am I supposed to solve it in seventy-two hours?”
“You just need to come up with evidence to justify working on it.”
“I assumed an unsolved murder of an innocent woman sufficed. Not to mention dodging kidnappers and a bomb in between conducting interviews.”
“Save your snappy comments for someone else. Who besides the Nolans and Duncan have you spoken to?”
Trey hesitated. “Off the record, Drazin.”
“If you got Drazin to poke his head out from the retirement hole, I’m impressed. Can’t say I blame him. When I retire, I plan to revert to smoke signals and will toss my cell phone into the lake before casting my fishing line.”
Trey opted to cast a line of his own. “He wasn’t very forthcoming and was nervous talking to us. He also left just prior to the attack at the truck stop.”
“The man’s devoid of personality, but that doesn’t mean he set you up.”
“Any word on the GPS device I found?”
“Nope. Techs are still working on it.”
“Okay, but Drazin retired right after Kayla’s case went cold, and rumors were he came into money thereafter.”
“Kayla’s investigation was the needle that broke the camel’s back for him. He was already a foot out the door before it happened.”
Trey grinned at Oliver’s way of confusing clichés.
“What’re you getting at?” Oliver asked.
No point in dancing around the question. “Did Drazin accept a payout from the Nolans to close the file?”
“Your accusation is based on the indisputable evidence you’ve found to support it, right?”
Trey grimaced. “Negative.”
“Then until it is, don’t go there.”
“Roger that. I’ve got a long list of suspects but not enough on any of them to haul them in for questioning. Although Duncan tops that list, Justine is adamant the guy is terrified and might be imperative to the investigation, since he offered new information.”
“Thought you didn’t buy his story?”
“I don’t. At least, not in its entirety, but he did offer details no one else has thus far.” Trey sighed. “Okay, when does the clock start?”
“Already did. Captain advised he doesn’t appreciate the waste of resources on this case.”
Heat boiled up Trey’s neck. “Since when is a murder investigation a waste of resources?”
“Suspicious death. Based on our short conversation, I’m thinking those would be the regurgitated words from the governor.”
Trey paced the small concrete patio. “Why is he involved?”
“If I had to take a guess, the Nolans started making calls.”
“So what? I just pack up and leave the case unsolved? Sarge, someone is trying to stop us, and Justine’s in real danger.”
“I don’t disagree with you, but the governor’s unwavering.”
“Does he know about the attacks on Justine’s life?”
“Does Miss Stark have enemies outside of the Nolan case?”
He’d tried talking to Justine last night, but she’d been shaken up and asked to hold off until morning. “Yes. I’m looking into every possibility.”
Hopefully, Slade had information on Will Percy.
Oliver sighed. “Jackson, you and I debating this isn’t going to change a thing.”
Trey turned and spotted Justine reading through Kayla’s journal. “The only evidence we have is Kayla’s diary, but it’s inconclusive.”
“Oh, yes, the captain mentioned the Nolans want the diary returned to them.”
“It’s evidence.”
“I’m aware of that. Has Miss Stark completed the criminal profile?”
“No. We’re headed back to her ranch and will focus on reviewing the details this evening.”
“And Slade is still helping with security?”
Trey hesitated. Would Oliver be upset with them?
“Give me a break. I know how Team Jackson works. I’m trying to get overtime authorized. Might finagle comp time, if nothing else. Miss Stark needs the protection detail, but with the upper echelon hovering like vultures, I don’t see that happening.”
Interesting Oliver would choose the same metaphor Trey referenced with Irwin. “We’ll take care of her security.”
“Keep me informed.”
“Will do.” Trey disconnected and pocketed his phone. Three days to solve a ten-year-old cold case. Next they’d want him to explain the Bermuda Triangle.
He turned and spotted Justine, hand perched on her hip and an expression that mirrored his mother’s look of disapproval. He followed her inside. “What has to happen in seventy-two hours?”
Trey exhaled the ridiculous order in one breath, expecting Justine to explode. Instead, she gathered the remnants of their fast food. “If the Nolans intervene with the exhumation, that’ll stall progress, and we can’t afford the delay. We have to get on top of this and do a little preemptive work. Let’s meet with Dr. Curtis and explain the urgency. Then we can use the drive to the ranch to sort through the evidence.”
He blinked. She was relentless and amazing. “Right. Okay, let me finish gathering our stuff.” Trey broke off a chunk of burger and handed it to Magnum, then stuffed the last bite into his mouth.
Justine paused. “Trey, I appreciate everything you’ve done and don’t want to appear ungrateful, but you have a job to do. You can’t be my personal bodyguard forever.”
Trey pushed in his chair. “Sure I can. I just need my toothbrush.”
A corner of Justine’s lip lifted. Kneeling to pet Magnum, Trey overheard her say, “Does he ever wait for someone to respond before leaving the room?”
He chuckled. No, because he wasn’t willing to leave her unprotected.
That was the reason, wasn’t it?
Before the phone call, Trey’s thoughts hovered around the almost kiss that Vulture Irwin had interrupted. No time for that kind of thinking now, but even as his mind raced with the impossible seventy-two-hour order and the Nolans’ interference, he returned to that single consideration. Justine had softened toward him.
Hadn’t she?
That made no difference. She was off-limits, and he wasn’t worthy of a woman like her. As much as he detested Irwin, his arrival probably had kept Trey from doing something stupid and unacceptable.
Head in the game, Jackson.
Ten minutes later, Trey returned to the living room, duffel bag in hand. “Well, the diary is our go-to for now. Care to share what you’ve discovered?”
“So far, not much. However—” She pulled out the book and flattened it on her lap. “Kayla really seemed to enjoy working with Alex. At least, I’m assuming that’s who she is referencing by A.”
“She mentions this A a lot?”
“No, but always in a good light. Seems A, or Alex, was encouraging.” Justine met Trey’s gaze. “She tried hard to gain her family’s approval, but she had bigger dreams. I remember her saying employment under her dad would be a last resort.”
“What changed her mind?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. She never talked about work.” Justine closed the diary and gathered the case files. “I don’t mean to speak ill of Drazin, but he didn’t have a long list of witnesses or suspects. Gives the impression he wasn’t looking particularly hard.”
“I’d like to dispute that, but I can’t.”
“If the Nolans are trying to interfere, let’s warn Dr. Curtis.”
“Sounds good.” Trey locked up, and they loaded into the truck.
They’d driven only a mile before Justine said, “I’ve debated bringing this up, but since it appears we’re going to be together for the next few days, we should probably talk about what happened at the truck stop.”
Trey focused on the road a little too hard, not daring to breathe. “Okay.”
“I’m not trying to make excuses. Or maybe I am. But I don’t normally break down like that. In my defense, I’ve never had guns pulled on me so many times in a twenty-four-hour period.”
“No judgment here.” Good—she wasn’t going to tell him how out of line the almost kiss was. No harm. No foul. He exhaled relief.
“Kayla was in love with you.”
Not what he’d expected. Denying Kayla’s multiple romantic overtures would be childish. “She was open about her feelings.”
“You didn’t reciprocate?”
Trey considered his words carefully. “No. She was a good friend, and I enjoyed spending time with her in group settings. I was interested in someone else.” Chicken. Why not tell Justine the truth?
“Kayla never mentioned that.”
She’d never told Justine? Trey recalled Kayla’s disregard for his rejections, subtle at first. When she hadn’t taken the hint, he’d had to spell it out and confess he liked Justine. Kayla had exploded. “I did.” Weak, but it was the best he could offer.
“Oh, gotcha. She didn’t take no for an answer. Kayla was used to getting her way.” Justine closed the file and settled back in the seat.
Her cell phone rang, and Trey had never been more grateful for an interruption.
“Hey, Will, what’s wrong?” Justine paused and gasped.
His relief was short-lived.