by Rebecca Deel
“Don’t you trust me to do my job?”
She looked startled. “Of course I do. This isn’t about your abilities as a detective. I’m tired of being a victim and hiding behind you and my brother. I want Sherri’s killer to know I’m after him now. The hunter is now the hunted.”
“He’ll come after you with everything he has, Meg, and whoever is with you could get caught in the crossfire. Did you think of that before you threw down the gauntlet?”
“But I’m the target.”
“Innocent people die all the time. What if I’m not with you the next time he tries?” His hands circled her arms in a vice grip. “What if he succeeds? Did you think about what that would do to me?”
She paled. Her hand pressed against his cheek. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
Rod dragged her against his chest and folded his arms around her. “If something happens to you, it’ll rip my heart out.” He rested his chin on the top of her head and sighed. “I’m growing used to your wicked sense of humor and grouchy bedside manner before your first cup of coffee. I’d hate to lose you now, Cahill.”
She pulled away a little and smiled at him, and his heart lurched in his chest. Somehow over the course of the last few days, Megan Cahill had wormed her way into his heart so deep, he’d never get her out. He swallowed hard, his stomach knotting with the unfamiliar sensations swamping his emotions. His arms tightened around her.
Rod forced himself to face the truth. He had fallen for the woman in his arms. Hard. So hard that if he lost her now, his heart would be shattered.
“Same here, Kelter.” A puzzled look crossed her face. “What’s going on with you, besides being ready to cart me off to a cave for safekeeping?”
Rod drew in a deep breath. “I did some thinking about you, me, us.”
“Okay.” She tilted her head. “What did you decide?”
“I don’t know exactly what we have together, Megan, but I want to find out. If you’re interested.”
A huge smile curved her mouth. She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. “I am very interested, Rod Kelter. Does this mean our relationship can move out of granny gear?”
Rod chuckled, his arms tightening around her waist. “I guess it does.”
“Good,” she said and kissed him.
Meg gritted her teeth and waited for the explosion.
“Are you crazy?” Ethan wadded the newspaper into a ball and threw it across the room, glaring at her.
She twisted her mouth. “Rod already asked me that a few minutes ago.”
“If you weren’t my wife’s sister, I’d tan your hide.” He slapped his palms on his desk and leaned toward her. “I still might after this is over with. Do you realize you’ve put Serena and Madison in danger as well as the men on protection detail?”
Meg eased back in her chair, as far as the seat would let her. She’d never seen him this angry. “I did what I thought was right, Ethan.”
He dropped into his chair and dragged his hands down his face. “You are a piece of work, Megan Cahill. I can’t believe you printed that editorial. Why didn’t you just parade around the streets with a bulls-eye on your back? Would have been just as effective.”
Rod straightened away from the wall and came to stand behind her chair. His hands rested on her shoulders. “What now, Ethan?”
“We’ve got about twelve hours before this hits the streets. Either we nail Sherri’s killer by six o’clock tomorrow morning or Megan’s going into protective custody out of town.”
“No.” Meg jumped to her feet. “I’m not going into hiding like a scared mouse.” How was she supposed to follow up on Ty’s adoption if Ethan had her stashed somewhere and locked down? “What about the Gazette?”
“You should have thought about that before printing your editorial.” Ethan folded his arms across his massive chest. “Go home and pack your bags, sweetheart. You might be going on a trip by sunrise.”
He couldn’t be serious. But looking at her brother-in-law’s expression of stone, she knew he meant every word. She whirled to face Rod. “You’re going to let him do this to me?”
Rod raised an eyebrow. “Let him? Honey, I’ll help him cuff you and cart you off if necessary.”
After a silent ride to her house in his car, Rod escorted Meg to her front porch where Josh waited for them.
He looked uneasy, shifting his gaze from Rod to Meg. “What’s up? Ethan sounded like he could chew nails when he sent me over here.”
Megan remained mute.
Rod rolled his eyes. “Megan’s dangling herself as bait in tomorrow’s paper.”
“Aw, Meg.” Josh scowled at her. “You girls can’t stay out of trouble.”
“Yeah, I know. We’re triple trouble.”
“With a capital T.” He shifted his gaze to Rod. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Don’t let Meg out of your sight. If anything out of the ordinary happens tonight, call me.”
Josh stiffened. “Why not Ethan? The last time you were in charge of her safety, she careened down a mountainside without brakes.”
Rod maintained steady eye contact with the former soldier. “I’m aware of that. I doubt I’ll ever forget it. You can trust me, Josh. She means a lot to me, too. I’ll keep her safe when we’re together. In the meantime, while she’s in your care, Meg is still a material witness in my case. I need to know if our perp makes another run at her.”
Josh studied his face a moment, apparently weighing Rod’s words. “He won’t succeed.”
“I know, Josh.”
Rod’s muscles relaxed a fraction. The last time he’d seen the rookie was on the mountainside, ready to tear him apart for putting Meg at risk. Rod considered himself lucky the man didn’t flatten him on sight, even if he was Josh’s superior in rank.
Meg nudged her brother. “I’ll be inside in a minute.”
Josh turned his head and eyed Rod a moment.
Rod nodded, understanding the silent message, and shifted his position. Anyone trying to get a shot at Meg now would have to go through him first.
After Josh closed the door, Meg’s hand slipped into Rod’s. “What are you going to do now?”
“Go back to work. Did you finish with the interview tape?”
She dug into her bag and handed him a cassette. “A copy of the transcript should be in your e-mail at work.”
“Thanks.” He slid his hand into her hair. “I’m glad you didn’t take much length off your hair.”
She laughed softly. “Funny. My brothers-in-law say the same thing about my sisters’ hair.” Meg sobered. “I need to go to Kingsport tomorrow, Rod.”
He blinked. “Why?”
“The Senator’s reaction when I asked about Ty’s birth parents. You’ll hear it when you listen to the tape. Maeve told me the name of Drake family lawyer and the lawyer’s secretary at the time of the adoption. I think this might be important information.”
“I’ll get back to you on Kingsport.” He wrapped her hair around his hand and tugged gently. “Promise me you won’t ditch your brother and track down this lead on your own.”
She bit her lip.
“Don’t do this to me, Cahill.” He dipped his head closer and kissed her. “You mean a lot to me, enough that I will go to extreme measures if you push me too hard.”
Meg scowled. “Threatening me with handcuffs again?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
“You’ll talk to Ethan about Kingsport?”
“Yes.”
He felt the tension in her body melt before she said a word.
“I promise to stay with Josh.”
He closed his eyes, relieved at her words, and gathered her close. “Thanks, baby.” Rod’s cell phone chirped. He grabbed the phone, refusing to let Meg slip away from him just yet. “Kelter.”
“It’s Ethan. We got the warrant. I’ll meet you at the Drake house.”
“Okay.” He closed his cell phone and dropped a light kiss on Meg’s uptu
rned face. “I’ve got to go. I’ll have my phone if you need me.”
Rod waited until the door shut behind Megan before leaving. He pushed the pedal to the floor and arrived at the Drake mansion just as Ethan and a prowl car swung into the driveway.
Ethan motioned to the other officer to go around back and turned to Rod. “Let’s go.”
The maid who opened the door looked stunned to see the two policemen on the doorstep. “May I help you?”
“Is Senator Drake here?” Ethan said.
“He asked not to be disturbed tonight, sir.”
Rod pushed the door open wider and shouldered his way inside, holding his crime scene kit in one hand. “Tell the Senator we have a search warrant.”
She gasped, then turned and ran down the hallway to the library. In less than a minute, the Drake men assembled in the foyer, varied expressions of hostility on their faces. Ty cast puzzled glances between his family and the police.
Kyle stepped forward, fury evident in his stiff movements. “What’s going on, Rod?”
Ethan handed him the warrant. “We have a warrant to search the house.”
“For what?”
“A weapon, for starters.”
“You’ll find plenty,” Ty said, his tone wry. “We all have guns.”
“I’m only interested in one,” Ethan said. “The gun that killed Sherri.”
Silence greeted his statement. Finally, Ty’s hoarse voice intruded into the quiet. “You think one of us killed Sherri?”
“A ballistics test will confirm what I already know.”
Kyle turned. “I’m calling the lawyer, Dad.”
“Use the phone in the living room.” Rod motioned to the officer who appeared in the doorway. “Officer Gates will stay with the three of you while you wait for us to finish searching the house.”
“That could take all night,” Kyle snapped. “This is a 10,000-square foot house.”
“That’s enough, son.” Warren Drake sounded tired. “Let Rod do his job.”
After Gates left with the Drakes, Rod nodded toward the library. “Let’s start there first.” He pulled a pair of latex gloves from his pocket and handed them to Ethan, then tugged a pair on his own hands.
A fire crackled in the fireplace. Three glasses with varying levels of liquid in them sat on the desk, waiting for the Drakes’ return. An open decanter sat in the middle of the desk. Unless their tastes had changed, Rod knew the crystal contained brandy. “Take the desk, Ethan. I’ll start on the other end of the room and work my way toward you.”
He left the crime scene case by the door and searched the couch and armchairs. A few coins, pens and a paperclip. Next, he turned to the bookcases. He discovered that the maid didn’t spend much time dusting the tops of the books, but nothing else.
“Rod.”
A gun lay in Ethan’s hand. “A Smith and Wesson, .38 caliber, and it’s been fired recently.”
Rod’s hand clenched into a fist. If this gun was the murder weapon, one of his friends had tried to kill Megan three times in the last week. He snatched a clear bag from the crime scene kit and opened it for Ethan to place the weapon inside. Once the gun was secured, they strode to the living room.
Kyle and Ty jumped to their feet, gazes glued to the bag in Rod’s hand. Ty’s jaws clenched, but he made no sound.
Rod held the bag in front of Warren Drake. “Is this your gun, Senator?”
Drake stared at the weapon a moment before raising his gaze to Rod’s face. “It appears to be.”
“Are you aware it’s been fired recently?”
“Don’t say anything else, Dad.” Kyle grabbed his cell phone. “I’ll see what’s taking Phillips so long.”
“I suggest you find your father a criminal attorney,” Ethan said, his voice soft. “Senator, come with us.”
“Where are you taking him?” Ty asked.
“To the station.”
When Kyle moved like he was going to interfere, Rod stepped between Ethan and Kyle. “Back off, Kyle. We’re taking the Senator in for questioning, not arresting him.”
Drake rose. “Everything will be fine, Kyle. Trust me, son. I’ll take care of it.”
No one said anything more as Ethan and the Senator left the room. Kyle ran a shaking hand through his hair. “You can’t do this to him, Rod. He’s sick.”
“I know.”
“How did you find out?” Ty glared at him. “I just found out a few minutes ago.”
“The Senator did an interview with Megan this morning. He told her.”
“And, naturally, she told you everything.” Kyle mouth twisted into a wry smile. “So much for you being only friends. What happens now?”
“We’ll talk to your father, see if he can help us with some questions.”
“He didn’t kill Sherri,” Ty said. “Dad loved her. You know that.”
Rod had to admit, it didn’t seem the Senator’s character to murder someone. He’d be more inclined to murder someone’s reputation. “We build cases based on evidence.”
A stunned expression settled on Kyle’s face. “You have evidence that Dad killed Sherri? That’s not possible, Rod.”
Rod crossed to the doorway. “Hire a good lawyer.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“That’s about the dumbest move I’ve ever seen you make.” Josh leaned against the kitchen counter. “Why’d you do it, Meg?”
Dumb. Yeah, that described her actions all right. Meg sipped her hot cocoa. “I was so angry after that scare with the brakes last night. Mad at myself for not looking under the car because I would have noticed the brake fluid. Mad at Sherri’s killer for putting my friends and family at risk.”
She set her mug down on her counter and slid onto a bar stool. “Josh, what if Madison had driven Nick’s Jeep? She wouldn’t know what to do or had anyone around to help her. We could have lost her last night or Serena if she’d borrowed the Jeep.”
“Or you.”
“Maybe.” She traced the rim of the mug with her finger, steam rising from the hot chocolate. “Slowing the car was easier with Rod as a buffer, but I could have done it without him.”
“So what’s the point of running a challenge in the paper?”
“Draw the killer’s attention back to me. I want him to know I’m coming after him. I will find him before he catches me.”
“So how will you make sure the perp targets you and not Madison or Serena?”
“I’m not going near either of them until you guys slam the cell door behind him.” She glanced at her watch. “You up for a drive?”
“Meg’s right.” Rod stopped the tape player sitting on Ethan’s desk. “Drake doesn’t want Ty poking into his adoption.” Why? None of this made sense to him. It was thirty years in the past. Who cared about the details now except Ty?
“Has Drake always been against Ty looking into his past?”
Rod shook his head. “Ty never showed any interest in his birth mother or father as he grew up. He seemed satisfied that his adoptive parents loved him enough to choose him from all the other available children. What triggered the need to find his birth parents?”
“Maybe trying to have a baby with Sherri. In any case, sounds like you should go to Kingsport tomorrow with Meg.” Ethan handed him a piece of paper. “Check this out.”
Rod scanned the report on the button he’d found at the trail. The lab had lifted a print from the surface belonging to Warren Drake. “The coat in his closet was missing a button. Guess we found it.”
Ethan stood. “The Senator’s been stewing on his own long enough. Let’s see what he has to say.”
Rod opened the interview room door. The Senator turned his head and watched them. “Do you need anything to drink, Senator?”
“So the police chief’s playing the bad cop?”
Rod sat beside Ethan across the table from Drake and laid a file folder in front of him. “This is a murder investigation, not Law and Order. We’ll be here a while. I don’t want you dehydrated.”<
br />
Drake stared at him a moment. “Very well. I’d like some water, please.”
After Ethan returned with the water, Rod said, “Senator, when was the last time you were at the Churchill Trail?”
“Why?”
“That’s not how it works, Drake.” Ethan folded his arms across his chest. “You answer questions, not ask them.”
“I don’t remember.”
Rod removed a picture from the folder, a close-up view of the button he’d found in the trail’s parking lot, and slid it across the table. “Do you recognize this?”
Drake examined the photo. “It looks like a monogrammed button. We use similar buttons, but that doesn’t mean it belongs to a Drake. Anyone could use a monogrammed button. We don’t have proprietary rights to the design.”
“True.” Rod slid the picture back into the folder. “But this particular button has your fingerprint on it.”
“I see.” Drake lifted the cup of water, hand shaking, and drank.
“The weapon we found in the study at your home is registered to you.”
“It’s not illegal to have a gun.”
“It’s illegal to murder someone with that gun. Where were you Sunday night starting at midnight?”
“At the house. I made a few phone calls and went to bed. Look, is this really necessary? I already answered your questions about my activities.”
Rod noted the Senator’s heightened color. “Can anyone confirm that?”
“Maybe the maid, but I doubt it. The staff and the rest of the family were in bed by that time.” He stopped. “At least, I thought they were.”
“You thought they were?”
Drake frowned. “Sherri must have left sometime after midnight, but I didn’t see her leave.”
Ethan leaned forward, his gaze intent. “She saw you. She heard you.”
The Senator froze. Rod could almost see thoughts racing through his mind.
“Heard what?”
The politician had to be wondering what secret Sherri had divulged. “She called Megan and asked her to meet at the trail. Did you follow Sherri, try to reason with her?”
“No, of course not. I was asleep. Ask Ty. He woke me around 4:00 a.m.”
