Written in Blood (Otter Creek Book 3)

by Rebecca Deel

  Rod nudged her harder under the table. If she didn’t settle down, he would send her on an errand.

  “He was going to get a divorce.”

  “When did he tell you that?” Rod asked.

  Candy glared at him, defiance glittering in her eyes. “He didn’t, but it was coming. I could tell. He was spending more and more time with me.”

  “Is that why you were trying on engagement rings?”

  She lifted her chin, but said nothing.

  “Did you get tired of waiting for the divorce, Candy? Maybe decide to speed things up and get Sherri out of the way?”

  “No!”

  “When did you see him last?”

  “Sunday night.”

  Rod raised his gaze from the notepad, pen hovering. “Sunday night. What time was this?”

  Her hands wrapped around her coffee cup and brought it to her lips. “He left my apartment late, maybe 3:00 in the morning.”

  “How long had he been there?”

  A dreamy look came over her face. “Since Thursday.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “How could he do that to Sherri?” Meg stared out the window at the passing houses and street signs. Rod’s interview with Candy Wilson twisted her stomach into a knot.

  “A lot of people don’t take their marriage vows seriously, Meg. You should know that from all the stories you’ve written on broken and abusive homes.”

  “But she loved him.”

  “Love isn’t enough to hold a marriage together, Megan. It takes commitment from both partners to work toward the same goal.”

  She twisted in her seat to face him. “What are you saying?”

  He sighed. “I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but during an interview Ty mentioned Sherri’s charity, The Haven. He said she had gone beyond interest into obsession, that she spent more time on plans for The Haven than she did with him.”

  “So you’re blaming her for their marriage problems?”

  “Don’t put words in my mouth. If Ty was having some sort of crisis or issue, the rape and her handling of the aftermath probably made him more insecure, especially if she shut him out.”

  Meg sat in silence for a moment, studying his face, lit by the dashboard lights. “You sound as though you’re speaking from experience.”

  “I am.” He glanced at her before returning his focus to the road. “Erin was a rape victim, too. About two years after we married. She was so different I wondered sometimes if our marriage would hold together. It was tough, Meg. I loved her and told her so repeatedly, but my love wasn’t enough.

  “She never felt safe unless I was with her and my schedule was just as erratic then as it is now. The nights I worked third shift, Erin didn’t sleep. She stayed awake and worried that someone might break in while I was gone. I bought a state-of-the-art security system for the house. When I addressed that concern, her worry shifted to my safety. She started calling me five, ten times a night to check on me.”

  His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “I bought a separate cell phone for personal use, one I kept on vibrate, so she wouldn’t tie up my work cell phone. I checked the messages she left frequently, but had to quit answering every one of her calls. I couldn’t do my job. That kind of radical change is hard for a partner to accept, Meg.”

  “Life is change, Rod. What about me?”

  Rod frowned. “What about you? You aren’t a rape victim.”

  “I’m still the victim of a violent crime. We’ve already discovered I’m newly afraid of the dark. Who knows how many obsessions might take over my life now.”

  “I wasn’t talking about you, Meg. I know you’re strong.”

  “Not on the trail. Not right now. Everybody’s weak at some point in their life, Kelter. Even someone as infallible as you. Oh, wait. I’m forgetting that problem you had a few months back. What was it? Oh, yeah. Booze.” Sarcasm riddled her words.

  He parked in front of the newspaper office, anger tightening his features. “Maybe we should slow down, rethink this dating thing, Meg.”

  Rethink this dating thing? Her eyes narrowed. No problem. “Thanks for dinner.” Before he could unbuckle, she flung open the door and climbed into her vehicle. She gritted her teeth and backed into the square. She needed a hot shower and a cup of hot chocolate, in that order. She did not need any man in her weak life.

  Rod’s headlights shined in her rearview mirror. He would follow her home. He was a cop before anything else.

  A stop sign loomed a few feet in front of her. She pressed on the brake, expecting the vehicle to slow down. It didn’t.

  Meg’s heart jumped into overdrive. The brakes were out? She hadn’t experienced problems this afternoon. She dragged her mind back to the task at hand. This road had a steep downhill slope.

  When her cell phone rang, she dug it out of her purse. Without looking at the readout, she knew Rod was calling to read her the riot act for blowing through the stop sign. “My brakes are gone.”

  “I’m going to pull around in front of you. When I’m in position, take your transmission out of overdrive so it won’t work against me. And put me on speakerphone so you can keep both hands on the wheel.”

  Meg dropped her cell phone into an empty cup holder and eyed the speedometer. The needle passed fifty miles per hour and kept rising. She gripped the wheel tighter. She glanced in the rearview mirror as Rod started to pull around her. An oncoming vehicle in the next lane sent his SUV diving in behind hers. By the time the vehicle passed them, the Jeep speedometer cruised at 60 miles per hour down a stretch of road with a speed limit of 35.

  Rod swung around the Jeep, his blue lights flashing, and floored the gas pedal. His SUV lunged forward. “Meg, ease toward the right. When I get in front of you, maneuver the Jeep onto my bumper, okay?”

  “Got it.”

  Her voice sounded tight, but she was still in control. She smiled grimly. No guarantees when the Jeep came to a stop in one piece. It had to come to a stop in one piece. She didn’t want to face Nick if she messed up his car.

  This was going to be tricky, but if she were hysterical it would have been almost impossible for him to help her. And he didn’t want to lose her despite what he’d said to her earlier.

  The engine of Rod’s SUV whined as he passed the Jeep and eased in front of her. He maintained his speed. If he slowed down, the Jeep would hit the back of his vehicle too hard and cause either him or Meg to lose control. He figured if he held steady, she would nudge into his bumper. He hoped he could slow both vehicles down and get them to a safe stopping place.

  “Okay, Meg. Both hands on the wheel. Try to steer so that the nose of the Jeep is against my bumper.”

  “Right. Between curves, I’m going to start easing down my emergency brake.”

  Rod switched to speakerphone, dropped his cell phone into the seat beside him and gripped the wheel with both hands himself. He alternated between watching the approaching Jeep in his rearview mirror and scanning the road ahead for obstacles.

  The first contact with Rod’s bumper jarred Meg to the teeth. She grimaced and held on to the steering wheel through a curve. On the straightaway, she depressed the emergency brake until she heard a click. The Jeep jerked as the braking system began slowing her descent in small increments. She prayed nothing strayed into Rod’s path as they bumped their way down the grade.

  Rod’s brake lights lit up as he slowed a little. She held tight as the Jeep rolled into the back of the SUV with a thud. Again, she set the brake a little more. Another jerk from the Jeep.

  All the way down the mountainside, Meg repeated the process, gradually slowing the Jeep until at the bottom of the grade, she and Rod steered onto a wide flat spot of hardened dirt beside the blacktop.

  As soon as the Jeep rolled to a stop, Meg slipped the transmission into park and turned off the engine. No sooner had she removed the key, Rod opened the driver’s side door and lifted her out. She threw her arms around his neck, grateful to feel the steel band of his ar
ms across her back.

  “Are you okay, baby?”

  “Aside from being scared out of my wits, I’m good considering the alternative.”

  “You are an amazing woman, Megan Cahill.”

  “Yeah? Well, this amazing woman will sink to the dirt if you let go.”

  Rod tightened his grip, chuckling. “Guess those driving lessons with DEI actually paid off.”

  A siren sounded in the distance. She lifted her head to look at his face. “You called in the troops?”

  “Made sure we had help on the way in case we had a problem.”

  “We already had a problem.”

  He grinned. “All right. Another problem, like a deer darting into our path or my brakes giving out.” He sobered. “I’m sorry, Meg.”

  “For what?”

  “I should have insisted on checking the Jeep before you pulled out.”

  She laid her forehead against his chest. “I didn’t give you the chance. I was so angry at you, I didn’t think about anything but getting some breathing room.”

  “Hey, I suggested we slow down, not stop.” He ran his finger down her cheek. “I don’t want to lose you, Cahill.”

  She smiled. “Nice to know, Kelter. Gives us a common goal when those odd weaknesses appear. And I’m sorry, too, Rod. That comment about the drinking was way out of line.” Meg eased out of his arms, testing the strength of her legs. Finding they would hold her up, she took off her coat and laid it on the Jeep’s hood.

  “What are you doing? It’s freezing out here.”

  “Got a flashlight?”

  “In the SUV. Why?”

  “Get it, please. I want to check Nick’s brakes.”

  He frowned, but strode back to the SUV and pulled out a heavy-duty flashlight and handed it to her.

  Meg scooted under the Jeep and turned on the flashlight. She growled, anger surging. She slid out and stood as two Otter Creek police cruisers rolled to a stop beside them.

  “You guys okay?” The officer climbed from his car and surveyed the damage to the Jeep and the SUV.

  “We’re fine.” Rod handed Meg her coat. “Chief on his way?”

  “Yeah. Should be here in a couple of minutes.”

  Great. She’d end up with a 24-hour bodyguard this time.

  Rod swung around and stared at her. “Well, did you find anything?”

  She gave him the flashlight and slipped on her coat before answering. “I hoped my brother-in-law didn’t pay much attention to maintenance on his vehicles. I should have known he wouldn’t take risks, especially since Maddie might drive his car on occasion.”

  “So what did you find?”

  “The brake lines were cut. Neat slice, like with a knife.”

  “No question about this being deliberate?”

  “None.”

  Two more SUVs from the Otter Creek PD screeched to a halt behind their vehicles. Ethan and Josh spilled out of one, Nick scrambled from the other. Wonderful. The gang’s all here.

  “Everybody okay?” Ethan asked.

  “We’re good.” Rod waved them over to the Jeep.

  “What happened?” Nick slid one arm across Meg’s shoulders and hugged her.

  “Brake line was cut.” Meg laid her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry about your car, Nick. I seem to be trouble on wheels for our cars this week.”

  “No sweat, Meg.” He ruffled her hair. “That’s why we have insurance. Where’s the flashlight? I want to look.”

  Josh frowned at Rod. “Didn’t you check the car before she got in?”

  “Back off, bro,” Meg said, a warning in her voice.

  “Don’t tell me to back off. You might have been killed on this mountainside. I want to know if Kelter let down his guard.”

  “I didn’t check the car,” Rod admitted.

  Josh’s fists clenched.

  Meg stepped in front of her brother, placed her hands flat on his chest and shoved. “I didn’t give him the chance. It’s my fault, Josh.”

  “You want to blame somebody?” Ethan scowled at all of them. “Blame the perp who’s trying to kill Megan. Put that emotion and energy into finding Sherri’s killer before he succeeds in taking out Meg.”

  Ethan pulled out his car keys and tossed them to Josh. “Take Meg home and stay with her.”

  An hour later, Meg slid under the covers, a mug of hot chocolate on her bedside table and her laptop open and ready on the bed. After adjusting the pillows, she leaned back and shifted the computer to her lap.

  She ignored the file she started earlier in the day and opened a new one. Meg had tried to ride the balancing line between Rod and Ethan’s request and her freedom of the press. Tonight’s incident with the car had pushed her over the line. Enough was enough. What if Maddie had taken the Jeep and driven it? She might have been killed. It was one thing to try to kill her. Now Sherri’s murderer had stepped into no-win territory. She wouldn’t let her family be caught in the crossfire.

  Her bedside phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line brought a smile to her face. “How are you?”

  Rod chuckled. “I’m supposed to ask you that question.”

  “You’re the one working out in the cold.”

  “Not anymore. I’m at the station. We towed both cars to our garage. Nick’s processing his Jeep. Maybe we’ll get lucky and find a print, but I doubt it. Our perp hasn’t made that kind of mistake yet.”

  Not yet, but after her editorial came out, he might slip up. “No repercussions from Ethan?” Silence greeted her inquiry. “Okay, what happened?”

  “Let’s just say I sympathize with Henderson’s hide stripping now.”

  Meg blew out a breath. “Ethan or Nick?”

  “Both. I deserved that and a lot more for putting your life at risk. There was a puddle of brake fluid in the slot where you parked the Jeep. I would have seen it if I had checked the vehicle.”

  “I disagree with that assessment, Kelter. I’m not exactly easy to corral. You can’t take the sole blame for this fiasco. So, what happens now?”

  “You don’t go anywhere alone from now on.”

  “Yeah, I figured that. Not much of a problem since I don’t have wheels right now. What about you?”

  “More of the same. I have leads to follow up, more interviews.”

  “You interested in taking me to Knoxville?”

  “Sure. Any particular reason?”

  “Car shopping.” She grinned at the answering groan.

  After Rod hung up, Meg resumed typing. All the men in her family were going to be furious with her after this. Especially one red-haired detective who was growing on her.

  Rod unlocked the door of his house and stepped inside the dimly lit kitchen. Clean counters and sparkling sink plus the smell of something sweet told him Serena had been at work in his kitchen.

  He walked down the hall to his bedroom and changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Back in the kitchen, he peered inside the freezer. Food containers filled almost every square inch of space. He pulled out a couple. Beef stew, chicken and dumplings, white chili. Man, Serena had stockpiled his favorite foods for this month.

  He closed the freezer door and opened the refrigerator. Home Runs’ chef service was the best money he’d spent in years. A fresh pitcher of tea, salad, eggs, milk, cheese, bagels. Two twelve-packs of Coke and a case of bottled water now occupied the place where a case of beer used to sit.

  Rod sighed as he shut the refrigerator door and scanned his counter. He’d been alcohol free for seven months. Even now, Meg’s comment about the alcohol rankled, made him more determined than ever to beat the addiction.

  The full cookie jar drew his attention. He lifted the lid and drew in a deep breath. Molasses cookies. He grabbed two and bit into one. The spicy flavor tingled on his tongue. Perfect.

  Finishing the cookies, he wiped the sugar from his fingers and went to his woodshop and turned on the heat. Waiting for the warm air to knock off the chill, Rod selected several piece
s of wood and stacked them beside his table saw. He marked the dimensions he needed for the wood and set to work.

  He mulled over the case while he cut the wood to the correct proportions, twisting pieces of the puzzle, searching for a way to fit what he knew into the final picture. The evidence, little that they had, pointed to the Drake men. The most obvious place to look first was Ty, but that didn’t sit well with Rod. He believed Ty guilty all right. Guilty of stupidity, not murder.

  A few hours later, he cleaned up his equipment and turned off the heat and the light on the bookcase. If he had time this weekend, he’d stain it to match Meg’s other bookcases. The way he figured it, Meg needed at least four more bookcases to hold her collection of reading and research material.

  For now, he needed sleep. Tomorrow presented unique challenges. The most important of those was regaining Ethan’s confidence.

  Friday morning, Ruth laid down Meg’s editorial, a grim expression on her face. “Are you sure about this?”

  Meg swallowed hard and shoved trembling hands into her pockets. “It has to be done. The killer’s coming too close to my family. Maybe I can draw him out in the open. Maybe he’ll make a mistake.”

  “And maybe you’ll end up as dead as Sherri. Then what will that do to your family? To Rod? Did you think of that?”

  “Of course I did. I don’t know what else to do, Ruth.”

  “Let Rod and Ethan do their jobs.” She frowned and waggled her finger in Meg’s face. “This is foolhardy, Megan. It’s like flashing a red cape and daring an angry bull to come get you.”

  Her gaze dropped to the editorial. The title almost jumped off the page. Murder: A Coward’s Tool.

  “Will you at least give Ethan a copy early so he’ll be prepared?”

  “And have him pull it before press time?” She shook her head. “I’ll give him and Rod the first copies off the press before it hits the streets.”

  “What’s to say I won’t tell them myself before tonight?”

  Meg’s lips twitched. “I would fire you on the spot and then you wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on me during the daytime. You are my watchdog today aren’t you?”