by Becky Flade
“Go to bed, Doc,” he ground out. “Take your tea with you. We’ll talk in the morning.”
Chapter Fifteen
The sun shone on her dark hair. Today the front was pulled into a barrette, and she’d left the back hanging loose. It was a young look for her, and he liked it. Henley appeared carefree as she sat on the patio, her face shining in the sunlight. She didn’t know he watched her in a moment when her defenses were down. He didn’t think she was aware of how much stronger she was becoming day by day, but he could see it, right now, in her peaceful expression. It physically hurt him to know, in moments, he would destroy that. Carter stepped through the open door, and she turned toward him.
“Hi.” The happiness on her face fell away as he approached her, replaced by wary caution. It saddened him to watch as she erected invisible walls. “What’s wrong?”
“The cabin burned down last night.”
“What did you say?”
“This morning, when Aidan stepped out onto the back deck, he spotted smoke, a lot of smoke, coming up through the trees. He raced over there while Maggie called the volunteer fire department, but they were too late to save much. Doug just called, asking for the number of the county arson investigator. No one was hurt, it’s just a thing, and it was insured, but Maggie’s still upset.”
“It was because of me, wasn’t it?”
“Best guess? Yeah. We need to talk.” Carter sat on the chaise across from her, his elbows braced on his knees. “You’ve had enough time to think it over, Henley. Who wants to hurt you?”
“No one.”
“There has to be someone.”
“No, there’s no one. The only person who wanted to hurt me was Jacob, and he’s dead.” Tears filled her eyes, and he wanted to hug her, but he couldn’t. “That’s it. The rest of my life has been boringly ordinary.”
“Someone wants to do you harm. And we need to find out who that is. I need you to think. What about disgruntled patients?”
“Disgruntled patients file malpractice suits. No one filed against me. Ever. And if it were a disgruntled patient, why would he or she wait this long to do something about it? Or do something so extreme?”
“I don’t know. I’m grasping at straws here. Think, Henley—patients?”
“I had one problem patient—one. The boy I told you about, the one I failed. He formed an unhealthy attachment to me. His father and I discussed the situation, and I transferred his treatment to a male doctor. That was it.”
“That couldn’t possibly be all there was to it, Henley. Not with the reaction you had. It triggered something, a PTSD episode that snowballed, but, regardless, it wasn’t as simple as you’re making it. I need to know what happened.”
“The boy was grieving the loss of his mother. They were very close, and he wasn’t dealing well, trapped in denial. His father thought the two of them going through her things, packing them up, together, would be healthy for him. Normally, he’d have been right. But the boy found evidence he’d been adopted. They hadn’t told him. The boy’s behavior became volatile, angry, and violent. That’s when he was referred to me.”
“Sounds a lot like Jacob.”
Henley nodded, solemnly. “He was having an identity crisis. Suffering with abandonment and inferiority. And, yes, he displayed some markers for paranoid schizophrenia, although it’s difficult to diagnose in adolescents. I felt my patient needed to know that what he perceived as his biological mother’s rejection was, in fact, an act of love and self-sacrifice. And that his adoptive mother hadn’t loved him more or less but as radiantly. It became imperative that I make him understand that.”
“You were thinking of your son.”
“Yes, I was. What I did wasn’t about him, it was about me. And the boy got worse.”
“Was the father mad?”
“No. Poor, sweet man broke down and sobbed.”
“How’d the son take it?”
“It was decided I needed to cut all ties, and his new psychiatrist couldn’t discuss his treatment with me because that would’ve been a violation of confidentiality.”
“So you don’t know how he took it. What’s the boy’s name?”
“It’s not him. If he were going to act out against me, it would’ve been when I stopped seeing him more than five years ago. He had ample opportunity in the three years before I left Cleveland. He knew how to find me—it doesn’t track that he’d wait this long and hunt me down in Trappers’ Cove.”
“Someone was stalking you in Cleveland, but you allowed others to convince you that it was a symptom of your illness and not an actual threat. Now there’s a threat.” He wanted that name. “At least, let me talk to the doctor you referred him to.”
“No. I’m not going to violate his privacy and insert myself back into his life.”
“I’ll have someone local check on him, casually, no intrusion into the kid’s life. No connection to you. Make sure he’s where he’s supposed to be. Easy as that. Give me his name; give me something.” Her tears were gone. In their place was grim determination.
“It wasn’t Aidan,” he added.
“I realize that. Doesn’t make sense.”
“Henley.”
“Carter.”
“Goddamn it, don’t play games.” He punched the arm of the chaise, and the wicker crackled threateningly. “This is serious. Had you been in the cabin, you’d be dead now.” She recoiled. “Goddamn it, Henley! Don’t pull away from me. I’m not mad at you. I won’t hurt you.”
“I know you wouldn’t hurt me.” Her voice sounded tiny. She wasn’t small or frail, but he saw fragility. On a groan, he leaned forward, grabbed her waist, and pulled her into his lap, his front to her back. He wanted to touch her but knew it wasn’t wise with the riot of emotions swirling through him. He rested his cheek against her shoulder blade.
“It still could’ve been one of the Cove’s single ladies,” she said.
“We’re definitely going to explore that possibility when we get back. I’ll run down the list of all the women I’ve scorned since moving there.” He rubbed his face back and forth against her back. The heat and scent of her excited him. “It’s a mighty short list.”
“I rejected Doug.” His body jerked. He had to force himself to relax.
“Shit. You’re right. And I had more to do with that than you. I’ll check, but I don’t think it’s Doug.” He stroked her sides. “Any other spurned lovers, ex-boyfriends, one-night stands that refused to take a hint?”
“Is the sheriff asking, or the guy with his hands on me?”
“Both.” He kissed her spine through the shirt she wore. “We both need an answer.”
“Zero.”
“Zero? Come on, Doc. The nicest, most well-rounded people have at least one sour relationship to their credit.”
“I do.” She hesitated. “Jacob.”
“And since Jacob?”
“None.”
“None that ended badly?” An impossible conclusion took root in his mind. She tried to push herself out of his lap. “Hold still. Hold still.”
How flushed her face had become. She immediately turned away from him.
“Henley?”
“There was only ever Jacob.” He felt his muscles clench. “With my ability, I thought, I didn’t . . . I haven’t tried.”
“Until now?” He needed to know, before he fell any harder. Carter willed her to look at him. And felt a tiny thrill of triumph when she met his eyes.
“Until now.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Thank God you’re here.”
Carter caught Maggie as she flung herself into his arms. His honorary little sister was always in constant motion, and the tiny, curvy powerhouse packed a punch. He smiled and rubbed her back.
“Hey. You better not be crying.”
“I’m not crying. I’m fucking pissed. That was my place.” She stepped out of his embrace, and he noticed the glimmer in her eyes that promised payback. “I know you drove straight
here from the airport, but have you had a chance to talk to the arson inspector?”
“Yeah. George says his report isn’t ready and he has more tests to run, but the pervading odor of kerosene on the scene made for an obvious initial conclusion. He expects his test results will confirm.” He followed Maggie through the house as he relayed the rest of his conversation with George. The kitchen was more cluttered than usual. The papers spread out over the table were probably insurance forms. “Where are Aidan and the Turnip?”
“They went for a ride. I wanted to go through all this”—she waved a hand at the table—“without interruption. We’ve been on top of each other all day. I thought I’d appreciate the alone time, but I got restless as soon as they left.”
“Dublin?” Carter was loathe to admit he’d missed the mutt.
“Followed them out the door. Traitor didn’t hesitate to abandon me. He’s a peach.” She held up the coffee pot, and Carter nodded. “We’re going to have to get Tala a dog now. Thanks for that.”
“You were thinking about getting her one anyway, as I remember it.” He accepted the mug with a murmur of thanks. “I need to ask you some questions, Mags.”
“I know you do.” She sat and pushed her hand through her curls. “Henley?”
“I told her to go home when we parted ways in the short-term lot. I have ideas of where to start but nothing solid. Regardless, I’m fairly confident this is about her and not you. However, I need to cover all the bases.” He held his cup, imitating how Henley used hers as a shield in his mother’s kitchen. They hadn’t known the cabin was burning while they’d whispered over tea. “She’s worried about you. And, though she hasn’t said it, worried you’ll blame her.”
“That’s ridiculous. She didn’t set the cabin on fire.”
“That’s what I thought you would say.” He intentionally emphasized “you.”
“Aidan doesn’t blame her either. But we’d both be fools if we ignored the fact that the problems started when Henley arrived in town. He wants me to limit my and Tala’s exposure to her.” She picked up her mug. “I told him that was bullshit. I’m not going to turn my back on Henley when she needs me most. I get the feeling she doesn’t easily make friends. And she’s got me whether she likes it or not. But I did agree to keep Tala at a distance until you’ve got this nut in custody.”
Carter nodded. He understood Aidan’s position. He understood Maggie’s. He didn’t necessarily disagree with either. Still, he was worried that if Henley realized the Gaels had put up roadblocks between her and their daughter, she’d be hurt. It couldn’t be helped. He couldn’t deny the fact that two of the three incidents to date had happened on their property or that the person responsible was escalating.
“Who do you think it could be?” she asked.
“I think we can cross anyone aware that Henley had moved out of the cabin off the list. If he meant to hurt or kill her, he chose the wrong residence at the wrong time. But I don’t think that was his intent.” She gestured for him to continue. “Henley spent time with me at the cabin; the cabin was broken into. She spent time with me at my house; her car was vandalized. She went away with me; the place he thought she resided in was burned to the ground. It doesn’t take a criminologist to see the pattern. She’s being punished for her interest in me.”
“You could be a target.” Maggie sat up straighter.
“I might. Yeah. It’s more likely he’ll come after me than you or your family. And I doubt he’s a local or he’d have known she’d moved. Have you seen anyone you haven’t recognized hanging around here or town?”
“Not that I remember, and strangers stand out in the Cove.”
“Has Tala mentioned seeing anyone hiking or camping in the woods?”
“No, and she would. She’s as possessive and vigilant as Aidan in that regard.” Maggie abandoned her mug and grasped his hand in hers. “Maybe you should distance yourself from Henley.”
“She works in my office and lives above it.” He shook his head. “If I could avoid her professionally, which I can’t, I wouldn’t distance myself personally. Capitulating to this whack job is a mistake. He wants her isolated, scared, vulnerable. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.”
“I had to try.”
“I understand, sweetie.”
“Aw, I can’t remember the last time you called me that.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Any other questions, Sheriff?”
He ran through the pro forma inquiry. She hadn’t told him anything he didn’t already know or expect to hear. He’d go through the same routine with Aidan and, to a lesser degree, Tala, but he wasn’t optimistic. This was someone either rejected by Henley or jealous of her. He could feel it. The Gaels didn’t apply.
“So now what?”
“I ran into an old FBI contact while in Cleveland. He’s been transferred to the field office there, and I’m going to call in a couple of favors.”
“Sounds like the best idea I’ve heard in weeks. By the way, if this thing between you and Hen works out, I plan on taking full credit,” Maggie said.
“Hen, huh?”
“Yeah. It’s an abbreviated form of Henley.” Maggie’s snarky tone matched her smirk.
“I call her Doc.” He smiled, but the gesture faded as he heard Tala and her father’s voices a moment before they opened the door. It made him happy to see the love spread over Maggie’s face when her family returned. He denied the tiny spark of envy spearing him.
But Tala didn’t look happy to see him.
“What’s the matter, Turnip?”
“You’re going to take Dublin home now, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, baby, I am. But thank you for taking such good care of him for me while I was gone.” He slipped her five dollars when he bent to hug her. “That’s for you. A job well done deserves a reward.”
He chuckled when she surreptitiously tucked the bill into her pocket. Avaricious little kid. He winked and tugged on her braid before facing her father.
“Hey. We need to talk,” Aidan said.
“After you.” Carter followed Aidan out onto the deck and rested his body against the wood rail while he waited. It took Aidan a moment, while staring out over his meadow, to put his thoughts together.
“Any leads?”
“No. I’ve got ideas. Avenues worth exploring. Most of which won’t get me anywhere, but any and all possibilities will be exhausted.” Carter angled his body into Aidan’s line of vision. “I won’t let anything happen to your women. I’ll do my best to protect your property too.”
“I hate myself for asking this, but does that include convincing Henley Elliott it’s past time she moved along? It’s not her fault—I get that. But if not for her, this shit wouldn’t be happening. And I need to know if my family is your priority or if that woman is.”
Aidan’s words echoed the opinions of Henley’s family. Carter wasn’t about to let Aidan or anyone else continue making her feel that way. “Henley isn’t going anywhere if I have anything to say about it. Don’t put me in a position to choose, Aidan. And don’t go to her with that bullshit, either.”
“It’s like that?”
Carter nodded. He turned toward the meadow and gripped the rail he’d been leaning against, his stance no longer casual. He felt Aidan’s stare, but he didn’t acknowledge it. They were quiet. Carter was saddened by the chasm he felt growing between them.
“You have questions for me, right?”
Carter mechanically ran through the list of questions he’d already asked Maggie. Aidan’s answers were similar, as he’d expected. Aidan assured him that if Tala had seen anyone, she would’ve remarked on it. He promised to keep his eyes and ears open. With nothing more to do, and the tension between him and Aidan making him uncomfortable, Carter collected Dublin’s things and said good night.
He was backing his Jeep out of their drive when Maggie came running out of the house, calling his name. “Carter, wait.” She leaned into the open window. “I’m sorry about
Aidan. You know how he is.”
“I do. I get it.” He winked. “We’ll be fine. Don’t sweat it, okay?”
“Okay.” She grinned, but it wasn’t the full of life and enthusiasm smile she usually displayed. “When you talk to Henley, let her know that Doug has her spare key.”
“What?”
“She left the windows open to air out the paint and cleanser fumes. Gave me the spare, you know, in case of rain. When the clouds got thick on Friday, I ran into town, but before I got to her place they issued a tornado warning and closed the school. I ran into Doug when I picked up Tala. He offered to close Henley’s windows for me.”
“And Doug still has the key?”
“Yeah. Why?” Maggie froze. “You can’t possibly think . . . ?”
“I’m not taking any chances. Call her.” He hit the gas and spun out of the Gaels’ driveway. He had no reason to suspect Deputy Doug Roman. The cabin had been empty and an ineffectual threat because she’d moved. Doug knew she’d moved. Unless he was wrong, and the cabin had been torched not as threat or punishment, but to drive a wedge between Henley and the Gaels. Anyone who knew Carter well could reasonably conclude he would choose Maggie and Aidan. Henley could leave town, go back out on the road where she’d be an easy target. What if that’s what she had done while he was at Maggie’s? Would she have left him a note? If she didn’t, how would he know whether she’d left on her own impetus, or if someone had taken her?
He pressed the accelerator to the floor, and when he could see the edges of the town, hit the lights and sirens. He had a knot in his gut, the same sense of doom he’d had walking into that alley. He couldn’t make another mistake. He glanced at Dublin, and the dog whimpered. Decelerating, Carter reached over, grabbed the passenger-side seat belt, and buckled in his mutt. “Not going to lose you either, partner.”
