by Rebecca Deel
“She doesn’t remember the meeting or how she landed in the ravine.”
She moaned, voice soft. “We’re still short on facts and long on speculation.”
“Unfortunately.”
“Will she regain her memory?”
“Maybe.” He wouldn’t hold his breath, though. “It’s also possible she won’t ever remember. Sometimes your brain protects you from shock or trauma by hiding the truth.”
Lacey rested her head against the wall. “I was sure if we found Mom, we’d have the answers we needed.”
Knowing a cop would arrive soon, Jake pulled out his phone. He needed backup to aid him and Cade in protecting Lacey and Yvonne.
His call was answered on the first ring. Shouldn’t have surprised him, but he thought his boss would be asleep at this hour. “It’s Jake.”
“Hold” A rustle of movement, then a door shut softly. “Talk to me. What’s the latest?”
“We found Yvonne at the bottom of a ravine near the cabin that exploded.”
“She alive?”
“A few broken bones, memory loss, dehydration, a couple good bumps on the head. For the amount of time she spent untreated and exposed to the elements, she’s in remarkably good shape.”
“Survival chances?”
Mindful of Lacey’s presence, he said, “Unknown. I’ll let you know what the ER doc says.”
“What else?”
Yeah, Brent Maddox always knew when there was more to the story. “While we searched for Yvonne, we stumbled across fifteen body bags.”
“The missing women.”
“That would be my guess. I left the confirmation to Todd Jones, the detective assigned to Yvonne’s case. With that many bodies, he’ll need fed help sooner rather than later. They’re not equipped to handle the volume or the circumstances.” Serial killers weren’t the norm in small towns. Based on what Jones revealed in the interrogation room, the detective didn’t have law enforcement experience on a larger police force.
“En route. Rafe Torres should arrive in town within two hours. I gave him your number. He’ll contact you as soon as he arrives.”
“Thanks, Brent.”
“What do you need from me?”
“Remy and Lily. Cade and I need assistance with Yvonne and Lacey.”
“Done. Adam and Veronica might come along. They are your teammates.”
Jake sighed. He hadn’t wanted to ask Adam and Vonnie for help. They were newlyweds, and Vonnie was recovering from her recent injuries. “I’ll call Adam and Remy myself. Tell Rowan Lacey may be out of pocket for a while. Her mother will need help while she recovers.”
“Believe me, she’ll be glad for the inconvenience because it means Yvonne is alive and healing. We thought you would find Yvonne’s body.”
“So did I.”
After Brent gave him a few last instructions, he insisted on talking to Lacey. Moments later, she ended the call and handed Jake his phone.
Despite the late hour, Jake called Adam Walker, his team leader. “Sorry to wake you, Adam.”
“What do you need?” came the gravelly response.
“The team in Winston, Alabama.”
“Sit rep.”
In a quiet voice, Jake brought Adam up to date on events since he and Lacey arrived in her hometown. “I need more boots on the ground to protect Yvonne and Lacey.”
“Expect us in town by nine o’clock.”
“Thanks, Adam.”
“Where are you staying?”
He gave the name of the hotel. “Lacey, Cade and I have two connecting rooms on the third floor.”
“I’ll call Remy. We’ll be in touch as soon as we’re on the road. Any place in town with good coffee?”
Jake smiled. “The diner. Avoid the coffee shop or you’ll regret it.”
“Interesting. See you in a few hours, Jake.”
He slid his phone into his pocket. “My teammates will be here soon.”
“I’ll be glad to see them, but why do you need help? Mom won’t be going anywhere for a day or two.”
Longer, by Jake’s estimation. “I want two people with Yvonne at all times. We don’t know who we can trust. Someone in this town is a killer and he’s already attempted to kill your mother once.”
“By throwing her into the ravine?”
“Did you notice the bruises on her throat?”
She frowned. “I thought they were from her fall.”
“Those bruises are from a man’s hands. The killer tried to strangle your mother.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Strangled?” Lacey’s stomach clenched at the horrible visual images. Memories of her own brush with death at Frank’s hands swelled to the forefront.
Jake cupped her chin with the palm of his hand and turned her face toward him. “I’m sorry. I should have found a better way to tell you. You’ve already had more than one shock tonight.”
“No, it’s not what you think.” How did she explain in a way that wouldn’t incite him to hunt down Frank? Jake’s protective streak was a mile wide and their new relationship would push him further along that path.
“Tell me.”
“The last time Frank attacked me, he strangled me until I passed out, then revived me.”
Jake shifted his hold from her chin to wrap an arm around her shoulders and draw her close to his side. “One time?”
“No. Over and over.”
A growl rumbled deep in his chest. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill you.”
“I had bruises on my throat for weeks after that incident.”
“If he touches you again, he’s a dead man.”
“Frank hasn’t bothered me in months. Adam and Brent scared him.”
“I want to know if he shows his face anywhere near you.”
“He won’t. Frank’s a coward.”
He flashed her a heated look. “I expect a phone call or text if you see him again. You matter to me, Lacey. I need to know you’re safe.”
There was some undefinable emotion behind those words, a hidden message in there, an important one. “I promise to tell you.”
They sat in silence for a time, hospital personnel hurrying along the hall. She and Jake garnered a few sideways glances, but no one objected to their vigil outside the exam room.
The door swung open and the doctor walked out with bunched plastic in his hand. “I’m Dr. Royce. Are you Ms. Coleman?”
“Yes. I’m Lacey. How is Mom?”
“We’re taking her for x-rays, then the operating room for surgery. She has bad breaks in her wrist and ankle. The good news is Yvonne is doing well considering what she’s been through.”
The doctor turned to Jake. “You must be the medic.”
“That’s right.” He held out a hand. “Jake Davenport.”
“Here are the vacuum splints you used on Yvonne. What branch of the military?”
“Army Rangers,” he answered as he placed the splints in his mike bag.
Royce’s eyebrows winged upward. “Special Forces. I served in the Air Force.”
Jake grinned. “A fly boy.”
“Eight years. You?”
“Ten.”
“Good work out there, Davenport.” The doctor moved away from the door as two orderlies approached. “If you want to relocate to this part of the country, I’ll put in a good word for you with the fire department. They could use more qualified EMTs.”
“I love my job, but thanks.”
The orderlies guided the bed bearing Yvonne from the room. Jake held out a hand to Lacey. “We need to stay with her,” he murmured to the doctor. “She’s not safe.”
“I understand. Lacey, I’ll keep you updated on your mother’s condition.”
Once the surgeon studied the x-rays, Yvonne was prepped and wheeled to the operating room.
“Come on.” Jake clasped Lacey’s hand. “The waiting room is down the hall so we’ll know if there’s trouble in the OR.”
He was right, but Lacey hated to b
e far. She’d come so close to losing her mother she wasn’t comfortable with distance between them. Soon, though, she would be anxious to return home. She missed her job at the coffee shop already, but Mom would need help while she recovered. The thought of remaining in this town for several weeks wasn’t appealing.
An hour later, Cade strode into the waiting room. “How’s Yvonne?”
“In surgery,” Jake answered. “How soon can we expect the police?”
“Within the hour. Jones has his hands full so I’m not sure who will question us.”
“Hopefully not the Becketts.” Lacey sipped the water Jake bought for her. “I’ve had enough of them to last a lifetime.”
“How bad is it out there?” Jake asked.
“As bad as it gets. This is rough on the cops working the scene. Some of the women were friends and neighbors, and a sick creep killed them for no good reason.”
“Have they positively identified the remains in any of the bags?”
Cade shook his head. “The coroner arrived a few minutes before I left. Once he does his thing, they’ll start the transport. With that many bodies, it’s going to take a while to move them to the morgue and identify them all.”
A nod. “Adam and the others will be here in a few hours.”
“Figured. You still need me?”
“Stay if you can. I’d like to put my teammates on a round-the-clock protection detail for Yvonne. You and I can cover Lacey.”
“Fine with me. I talked to St. Claire on my way here. He said we’re not due for deployment for another month.”
“We won’t be in Winston that long. If we haven’t run the killer to ground by that point, we’ll either move Yvonne to Nashville temporarily or have Brent assign a team of bodyguards to keep an eye on her.”
Lacey’s eyes misted as she caught the extent of the plans Jake had already put together to protect her mother.
Cade settled into the vacant seat beside Lacey. “How are you?”
“I’ll be better when I’m sure Mom will recover and is safe.” She sat up. “Harley. We need to call Harley.” Lacey shoved a hand through her hair. “I don’t know his number. Wait. Never mind. Winston is a small town. I can ask someone.”
“I’ll go to the nurses’ desk and ask. Do you need a snack?”
She shook her head.
“Be back in a minute.” With a glance a Cade, he left the room.
“Why does he do that?”
The operative looked puzzled. “Do what?”
“Every time he leaves me, he looks at you. Why?”
“He’s handing off your protection to me until he returns.”
Lacey frowned. Really? “We’re in the middle of a hospital. What could possibly happen here?”
“Too many exits to cover. We can’t control who comes or goes. The hospital is a security nightmare. Jake needs someone he trusts to pull a trigger if necessary to keep you safe. Otherwise, his attention will be divided between you and whatever task he needs to complete.”
Her stomach lurched. That explained a few things. “That’s why he’s bringing in Adam and the others, isn’t it?” He’d explained his reasoning earlier, but she didn’t truly understand how dangerous this situation was at the hospital. She’d been so focused on finding her mother that she hadn’t considered the continuing danger as Yvonne received medical treatment.
Cade inclined his head in silent agreement. “He’s a good man, Lacey.”
“Yes, he is. Are you worried I’ll hurt him?”
“No.” No hesitation. “The career we chose isn’t easy for loved ones who spend their lives waiting for our return from deployment. We have high-risk jobs.”
“Sounds like you’re warning me off.”
“Never, but you should know what to expect before you go deeper into this relationship.”
She pressed his hand. “Thanks.”
Jake returned, his eyebrows raising when he caught sight of her hand on Cade’s. “Harley’s on his way.”
His cell phone rang. Jake checked the screen and answered the call. “Davenport.” He was silent a moment, then told the caller they were at the hospital. When he conversation ended, he returned to his seat on the other side of Lacey. “That was Rafe Torres, Brent’s friend in the FBI. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”
Several policemen strode into view, including the Becketts.
“Torres will arrive in time for the circus,” Cade murmured.
Lacey’s stomach knotted. How could he joke at a time like this? The last thing she wanted to do was spend time with the police chief and his son.
Wayne Beckett came to a halt in front of Lacey, eyes hot, face flushed. “Where is your mother?”
“Surgery.”
A scowl. “I need to question her.”
“The questions will have to wait,” Jake said, wrapping his hand around Lacey’s. “Yvonne’s been in surgery for an hour. When the surgeon is finished, she’ll be in recovery. You can talk to her when she’s been assigned a room.”
“She has answers to my questions. I have a field full of dead women who deserve justice.”
“You won’t get answers by sacrificing her health.”
What would the police chief say when he realized Mom didn’t remember anything? Knowing Beckett, he would probably accuse her of obstructing justice.
“You don’t tell me how to conduct police business, Davenport. You’re a gun for hire, nothing more.”
“Where is Detective Jones?” Lacey asked. “I thought he would be here by now since this is his case.” Might as well distract the chief while they waited for Brent’s friend to arrive at the hospital.
“Still at the scene,” he answered curtly. “You and your boyfriend interfered in my investigation.”
What investigation? From what she’d gathered, the police chief hadn’t lifted a finger to solve any of the cases, including her mother’s.
A dark-haired, dark-eyed man walked into the waiting room dressed in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, polished shoes. With his close-cut hair plus his bearing, something about him screamed military. She’d bet this was Brent’s friend.
“Wayne Beckett?”
The chief swung around to glare at the newcomer. “Who wants to know?”
The stranger flipped open the small wallet in his hand to reveal a badge. “Rafe Torres, FBI.”
He sneered. “A fed? What are you doing here?”
Torres stared at the police chief. “The better question is why didn’t you call in federal help? You have a serial killer using your town as a hunting ground.”
“Didn’t need no outside help.”
“Really? You should have contacted us after the first three or four women went missing. Because you couldn’t swallow your pride, fifteen women have died and another woman is fighting for her life.”
“There’s no proof the Coleman woman’s case is connected to the other deaths.”
“Keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, the FBI will be lending your detective a hand.”
A muscle in Beckett’s jaw twitched. “I told him not to call you boys. We handle our own cases in my town.”
“Not very well from what I can see. However, no one from your police department contacted us.”
The police chief turned to stare at Jake, eyes narrowed. “I’ve got you to thank for this interference?”
Jake smiled.
“I’ll expect your full cooperation, Chief Beckett. You owe it to your citizens to give us as much help as possible.”
“You’re taking over, then?”
“No. We’re using our resources to aid your detective in solving the case.”
A snort. “Right.”
“You going to let them just take over, Pop?” Will swaggered to his father’s side.
“Don’t have much choice, do I?” He swung around to glare at Lacey. “Your mother say anything we can use before she went under the knife?”
Nice way to put it. “No.”
“
No, as in she didn’t say anything or what she said wasn’t useful?”
Jake squeezed her hand and Rafe Torres shot her a warning glance.
Yeah, Lacey knew she had to be careful. They couldn’t really trust anyone in this town with her mother’s safety. “She said very little. She was in shock and a great deal of pain. Instead of prodding her with questions, Jake gave her medical aid until the EMTs arrived, then we brought her here.”
Beckett’s expression was one of pure disgust. He turned back to the FBI agent. “I expect updates every step of the way.”
Torres just stared at him, his expression giving nothing away.
“Let’s go, boys. Now that the feebs are here, we can get on with our jobs.”
Will’s gaze crawled over Lacey, giving her the creeps. Jake must have sensed how uncomfortable she was because he stood and stepped in front of her, blocking Will’s view.
Once Will was gone, Jake walked toward Torres. “Jake Davenport,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Rafe Torres. Commander Maddox sent me to look into the murders.”
“Thanks for coming at short notice.” He nodded at Cade. “Cade Ramsey, also with Fortress. He’s on Lacey’s security detail.” Jake turned and held out his hand to Lacey.
She rose and walked to his side.
“This is my girlfriend, Lacey Coleman. Her mother is the woman in surgery.”
Rafe shook her hand briefly. “I’m glad you and Jake found your mom. Let’s sit down while we talk. I need to know everything.” An hour later, he shook his head. “I can’t believe Beckett or his detective didn’t call the feds. More important, I think you know the danger is not over. Lacey and Yvonne are the key to this killer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Jake locked his gaze with Rafe’s. “Trust me, that’s not something I’d miss. I saw the resemblance between the victims, and Lacey and Yvonne. The killer is fixated on Lacey. The timing of the disappearances can’t be a coincidence.”
“Given the eerie similarities between Lacey and the murder victims, I’d say you’re right. How does Yvonne play into this?”
“I’m not sure if Yvonne knew what was going on and who was doing it, or just suspected. It’s also possible the only connection is that Yvonne is Lacey’s mother. Whatever the reason, she caught the attention of the killer. Based on the bruises to Yvonne’s neck, I think he believed he’d killed her.”
