Falling back into a kitchen chair, Ava rested her head in her hands. “I want to kiss you and kick you in the balls. I’m going to do both but I’m not sure which I’m going to do first.”
Laughing, Logan playfully covered his crotch with his hands. “Baby, I think you like what I got going on here. Think before you do that.”
She looked up at her husband. So handsome. So sexy. So full of shit. He made her crazy and he ought to thank the good heavens that she was in love with him.
“I had no idea of what was going on, you idiot. I thought we were at the point in our marriage where you liked working more than being home. I thought…maybe…Kim was more interesting. I mean…she catches criminals better than I do.”
“Because that’s my criteria when it comes to choosing a mate for life? And you are stuck with me for life, good girl. Don’t think I’m ever going to let you go. And just so you know…I was beginning to think that maybe you preferred it when I was gone.”
He had to have lost his mind. She wasn’t planning to go anywhere nor was she planning to let him wander away either.
“You rarely call me good girl anymore.” She raised her hands up when he would have reached for her. “And I’m still pissed at you. If you’d have just told me this would have gone a lot smoother.”
He leaned down so his hands were resting on his knees and their noses were almost touching. “I am sorry about that. I just wanted it to be a sure thing before I told you. And as for not calling you good girl? That’s because it doesn’t fit so much. We’ve done some pretty naughty things in the bedroom, baby. While I can definitely say that you were good at it, I cannot say that you’re a good girl if that adjective means that you don’t get down and dirty with your man.”
Glancing over her shoulder, Ava wanted to make sure that the children were still glued to the television. They didn’t need to hear their father talking like this to their mother.
“You’re not so bad yourself, handsome.”
“But I am.” His lips pressed against hers and his tongue ran along her bottom lip. “A bad boy. Just ask your dad. He’ll tell you.”
Rolling her eyes, she pulled him back in for another kiss. “I don’t think my father has a leg to stand on when it comes to opinions about you. Are you really going to be home more?”
Logan’s answer was to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her out of the chair and onto the kitchen counter. Her legs were splayed so he could fit snugly between them. They couldn’t start anything, but it sure gave her ideas about things they could do after the kids were in bed.
“I’m going to be home so much you’re going to get thoroughly sick of me.” He cocked his head to one side. “Did you honestly think I found Kim more interesting than you? Baby, you are the most fascinating woman I’ve ever met, and you certainly keep me on my toes. Every day with you is more fun than the day before.”
Now he was just being silly. Every day couldn’t possibly be like that. But she might just be that fascinating. At least to him.
“You and she have a lot in common. She’s caught some nasty criminals.”
“So have you. Whether real or literary. You have to know that I love you.”
“I do know, and I know that you’re devoted to us. My jealousy didn’t make any sense and I knew that. I guess it was that she seemed to get all the best time with you. When you were home you were tired or distracted. She got…prime time…and I got what was left over. I think that’s why I was feeling down.” Ava didn’t know if she was doing a good job of explaining this. “As much as you’ve hated being here in Corville, I got to spend so much time with you. Work with you. I’ve missed that. Sometimes it feels like we’re on parallel paths that rarely cross.”
Rubbing his lips across hers, he whispered the words that always made her heart skip a beat.
“Baby, you’re the one. The only one. Forever.” He pulled back and looked into her eyes. She could feel the emotion radiating off of him, that passion and fervor she’d never take for granted. “I’m going to do better. I don’t want you to have even one moment of doubt.”
She couldn’t let him take the rap for this. It was all her own insecurities. She’d known they were stupid but she’d let them worm their way into her brain, making her think things that made no sense.
“It’s not your fault. This is my issue.”
“We do things as a couple so it’s our issue. You know, I get a little insecure, too. I’ve often thought that you and the kids were such a tight unit. You go about your daily business and handle everything just fine without me. You don’t…really need me.”
How could this man possibly think that? She needed him all of the time.
“I must be a heck of an actress,” Ava declared with a smile. “Because I need and miss you all the time. Sure, I can take out the garbage and kill the spiders by myself but it’s after the kids are in bed and I’m all alone. That’s when I need you most of all.”
“I hope you mean that because I’m going to be home pretty much every night from now on.”
Ava couldn’t think of anything she wanted more. It sounded like heaven.
“I suppose you think you’re going to get lucky more often,” she teased. “But there won’t be any more going away sex or welcome home sex.”
She didn’t mention the stuff they did on the phone or Skype. That was the I-miss-you-sex.
His lips found that special spot right underneath her ear and she almost melted into a pool of goo on the granite countertop.
“I think I’m lucky just being your husband, but I guess you could say that I’m looking forward to a lot more…togetherness. In fact, let’s start right now.”
“The kids are watching cartoons in the other room,” she reminded him. “They only get a few hours a day of screen time and it’s not even dinner yet. Can you wait until we put them to bed?”
She moaned the last part of her sentence, her pulse thrumming in private places. He was far too good with that tongue and those fingers. She wasn’t sure she could wait to be honest.
“I can wait, good girl, but be prepared to be very bad tonight.”
It was good to have him home.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The next night Ava, Logan, Drake, and Tanner all sat around the coffee table nibbling at the remains of the pizza. Logan and Drake sat on the floor while Tanner and Ava sat on the couch and the chair. The twins were tucked up in bed after having been read a whopping six stories. Three by Ava, one by Logan, another by Drake, and the last by Tanner. They were now sleeping peacefully with a tummy full of sausage and cheese.
Tanner bit into a piece of crust. “We’re back at square one. Mary, Aaron, and his wife Lindsay alibi for each other, plus the neighbors remember the loud argument. We were also able to place Mary’s vehicle on the road to their house that morning with a traffic camera so that corroborates their story. Drake found a witness to your father-in-law’s fishing so he’s out. Cory Eldridge no longer has a motive either because he would have wanted to keep his good money laundering scheme going. So now we’ve got bupkiss.”
Ava snorted. “We’d be lucky to get bupkiss. No one has a motive or if they do they have an alibi.”
Drake steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. “What do we do now? Are we saying that it was some random event? A serial killer or maybe a hunter that wasn’t paying attention?”
“I hope that no one was hunting in the local park,” Logan replied, his own expression sober. The whole case was at a standstill. While Ava was thrilled her sister and father were innocent she’d hoped for the evidence to send her off onto a productive path. That hadn’t happened. They were stuck in quicksand. “As for a serial killer, that’s a theory but what are the chances of two serial killers in a town this small? I’m no math genius but the odds have to be astronomical.”
Ava agreed but this entire case had been strange. “I think you’re right about the math but we have to consider the possibility. No one else has been k
illed but that doesn’t mean anything. If we can’t find Lyle’s shooter, then we need to be cognizant when future crimes are investigated. They might be related.”
“Has Jared done a search for similar crimes?” Tanner queried. “Maybe the killer was passing through.”
“He did,” Logan confirmed. “He didn’t find anything that tripped my radar. We do have to think about the possibility that this was an accident. Someone playing with a gun – maybe a kid – and it went off by accident. Lyle was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Tanner didn’t look convinced. “What’s your gut telling you?”
Logan was famous for his lawman gut. It had solved more crimes than the heroes in Ava’s mystery novels.
“It wasn’t an accident. Someone shot Lyle, but who or why I don’t know.”
Logan was trying to play it off but Ava knew her husband too well. He was pained terribly that he couldn’t solve this crime. He didn’t like it when he thought a criminal was smarter than he was. With his personal connection to the victim, she didn’t see him simply walking away and moving on to the next case either.
“That leaves us sitting here eating pizza,” Drake said glumly. “The only thing I know to do is go back over the evidence we already have.”
“What would your characters do, Ava?” Tanner said with a laugh. “Who would be the killer in one of your books?”
“That’s an easy question. The killer is always the person it absolutely couldn’t be.”
“And who is that?” Drake asked.
“Wade,” Logan replied between gritted teeth. “That would be Wade.”
It couldn’t be Wade. That was impossible.
The silence stretched on as everyone contemplated Logan’s words. It didn’t make any sense but little had in this case.
“It can’t be Wade,” Ava argued, sitting up on the couch. “He’s in prison. He couldn’t have shot Lyle. And he doesn’t have a motive either.”
“He hates the Bryson family’s brand of loyalty,” Logan said. “He told me that when I visited him. And he sure as shit wasn’t all broken up about his little brother’s death, not that I expected him to be. He’s grown a hell of a lot colder since being inside. But I will say that he had nothing but contempt for the Bryson business dealings.”
“But he couldn’t have done it.” Drake looked around the group. “Right?”
Tanner’s eyes narrowed as he watched Logan closely. “What’ve you got on your mind? You’re thinking something. I can practically see the hamster wheels turning in your head. Talk to us.”
Logan sat up and leaned on one hand, his legs stretched out on the rug. “Wade made a big deal about telling me that he’s like a king inside. He’s got people who look up to him, he’s got female groupies outside that want to marry him and have his baby. Do you think that one of those women would kill for him?”
Ava’s curiosity was piqued. “Do you think Wade was trying to brag without actually admitting to anything?”
“Wade is a sick individual,” Logan reminded her with a grimace. “He’s not dealing with reality, especially behind bars. He has his own little world there and apparently he’s a worshipped like a god. But I think we should get a look at Wade’s visitor logs. According to Aaron he won’t see his family but he might see some of his admirers. We could check out the names.”
“We need to check his mail, too,” Tanner added. “These serial killers get a ton of mail from lovelorn ladies. We need to check the ones he writes to. He’s got a lot of free time on his hands. He might be pen pals with several people.”
Logan looked happier than he had a few minutes ago. “I’ll check with the prison tomorrow. Drake, we may need a warrant.”
“I’ll get it,” Drake vowed, already pulling his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call the county judge and get him to sign off on it tonight.”
They had a direction to go in. A new start.
Had Wade conspired to have his younger brother killed? It was a long shot of a theory but they had to check it out.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Logan and Drake were clearly unwelcome guests in Dr. Marilyn Bartlett’s office. Annoyed that she’d had to move appointments around to accommodate them and their court order, she still greeted them politely when they showed up at the prison the next day.
Like the last time he’d met with her, her office was only marginally more colorful and happy than the rest of the institution. Her gray walls were decorated with diplomas and her desk had that same sad little potted plant but that was the extent of the personalization. As before, she was dressed in a navy blue skirt and blazer and the same shoes with the sensible heel. He couldn’t help but wonder how many of those blue suits and shoes she had at home in her wardrobe.
Dr. Bartlett pointed to two boxes of letters that were stacked next to her desk. The boxes were large and heavy, indicating that there were far too many lonely and troubled women out there who would write to a convicted serial killer.
“The boxes contain the incoming mail. Wade hasn’t answered many letters,” the psychologist said, lifting a thick folder from a drawer in the filing cabinet. “We scan and read all outgoing mail. These are copies of all of his correspondence outside of the prison. I doubt you’ll find anything interesting in there. Nor will you find anything of substance in his incoming letters. I’ve read them all and they’re harmless.”
“What about his visitors?” Logan asked. “Have any of the women come to visit him? We’d like to get a copy of his visitor logs.”
Dr. Bartlett shook her head. “Sadly, you won’t find them helpful either. He’s had few visitors. He refuses most of them. He allowed his family at first but then no one except his attorney. You’re the first in a long time, Mr. Wright. I’m hoping that’s a sign that he’s perhaps turned a corner and is becoming more social.”
This woman was an optimist. An unsmiling, rigid, chilly optimist.
“We’d still like a copy,” Drake replied, tapping the signed court order they’d placed on the good doctor’s desk. “We’ll wait.”
“No need,” Dr. Bartlett said dismissively. “I assumed that you would want them. I pulled everything together when I received your message this morning. I was simply trying to save you some work. You won’t get any help from his visitor history. The logs are already in the box.”
This woman was so cold she ought to be followed around by a parade of penguins. “You don’t think much of our theory.”
She made a small shrugging motion with her shoulder. “It’s not for me to say. You’re the law enforcement officers. I have no experience there. My job is to aid in the rehabilitation of prisoners. When that isn’t possible I help them learn to modify their behavior so they can function behind these walls.”
“But you do have experience with troubled, lost people,” Logan pressed. “You can’t say that there isn’t a history of women helping men in prison.”
“A small history. It seems like more because it makes the news. But it makes the news, Mr. Wright, because it’s a rather rare occurrence. That doesn’t mean that you aren’t correct, however. There absolutely could be someone out there who wanted Wade Bryson’s approval. Who might kill to please him.”
“Wade would certainly love that.”
She folded her hands together and placed them on the desk. “I’ve been working with Wade Bryson for over five years now and I hope he’s moved past that point. He has made progress.”
Logan didn’t want to burst the woman’s bubble but that was bullshit. She probably had to believe that to be able to come in here every day and do her job, but Wade was no better than the day Logan had arrested him. He might even be worse, if it was possible. He’d been bragging about being worshipped by people. That sounded like the same old Wade who had wanted to be a hero and catch criminals. Nothing had really changed, only the venue.
“That’s good to hear,” Logan said, not wanting to rock the boat. She’d been very cooperative about them basically messing u
p her day. “We need more dedicated individuals such as yourself in the criminal justice system.”
He could say that with total truth. They did need more people like Marilyn Bartlett. Many more. Wade was a lost cause but there were others on the inside who just needed a helping hand and someone who cared.
For a moment Logan thought he saw the wisp of a smile. Maybe she wasn’t so frosty after all. She probably had to act that way in here just to get any respect.
“Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help your investigation. As I said, I don’t think you’ll find anything in those letters but I hope that I’m wrong.”
“We really do appreciate your help.” Logan hefted one of the boxes under his arm. “I’m sorry that we didn’t give you more notice.”
Dr. Bartlett stood and nodded. “Thank you. Will you be visiting Wade Bryson again, Mr. Wright?”
Would he? An interesting question that he hadn’t thought about until now.
“Maybe. I need to do more research but there is a possibility. Why do you ask?”
“To prepare him. After your last visit, Wade acted out during dinner. He spent a few days in solitary.”
Drake frowned. “I thought you said you were hopeful that he was progressing?”
“Progression doesn’t happen in a straight line. The fact that Wade expressed any emotion at all after seeing Mr. Wright is a huge step in the right direction. Now he needs to work on showing emotion in an acceptable way. Two steps forward, one step back.”
Logan didn’t want to make her job any harder than it already was. “I promise to contact you if I need to speak with him again. How does that sound?”
Justice Divided (Cowboy Justice Association Book 10) Page 15
