Sins of the Father

by Winter Austin

  “’Cause her daddy and I wanted it that way. She knew I was her momma, but I wasn’t allowed to be near her. I screwed up bad. Still screwing up.”

  “Do you have any idea who might have wanted to take her?”

  Head wagging back and forth, Linda sniffed. “Grace was a good Christian girl; her daddy had her in church every Sunday. She would have never … I just don’t understand. How does her going missing have anything to do with Anthony being dead?”

  “Did Anthony know a Sarah Kruger?”

  “Deputy, I told you everything I know about my son. I don’t know who or what he knew. If you’re going to keep questioning me, you can get the hell off my property.” Linda moved to shut the door.

  Jolie jumped and got her boot wedged between the door and the jamb. “Ms. Maddox, wait.”

  Maybe it was the desperation in her voice, or maybe the old stripper had a heart, but Linda slowly inched the door open.

  “I’m sorry Anthony is dead. We’re doing all we can to find whoever took his life. Could you, please, go to the hospital and talk to Dr. Drummond?”

  The woman snorted. “Cop, I live in the real world. If you don’t know who killed him by now, you’ll never find out.” Taking advantage of Jolie’s shock, Linda slapped shut the piece of particle board that served as the door.

  Heart heavy, Jolie studied the wavy lines of bits and pieces of wood shavings. She’d done what she could, for now. Turning away, she headed back down the well-trodden path through the grass.

  It was just too coincidental that Anthony Maddox had been killed right after a teenaged girl had gone missing, and that he was related to another preteen who’d disappeared.

  Jolie sat inside her car with the door open to let out the heat. She stared at the stack of files sitting on the passenger seat. A good cop would go back to Wendi Kruger and talk with her more. Or better yet, track down Rena Chapman. Any of that sounded better than what she knew she should be doing.

  Sighing, she closed the door and started the car. Deny it all she wanted, she knew why she kept running to find other ways to figure this all out. She couldn’t bring herself to face her father and whatever lies he might have kept buried.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Xavier had driven aimlessly, taking every gravel back road and out-of-the-way path he could find, driving like Mad Max in a death race at first, gradually calming until he ended up parked beside that same flowing hayfield. Sitting on the dock, he stared at the far reaches of the field, where sky met earth. The sound of the water lapping against the thick timbers soothed the war raging in his mind. Cattails swayed with the ebb and flow of the water as the wind pushed across the pond. Water bugs skimmed the surface, feeding and trying to avoid being fed on.

  This was why Jolie had sought peace in this spot.

  Here Xavier stayed, finding he no longer cared what others thought. His muscles loosened, and his heart beat with the rhythm of the pond lapping the bank. Here, the echoes of his past were silenced. He didn’t hear the rattle of gunfire or explosions. Just the sway of the tree as the wind played with its boughs.

  He hadn’t heard the car pull up, but her approach through the field reached him before she set foot on the dock. The wind was coming from the right direction to catch the fragrance of orange and jasmine.

  Jolie came to a stop off to his left. “Xavier, are you okay?”

  He wouldn’t look at her. No, he’d drink in the scent of her and remember. Remember how she felt pressed against him, with her legs hooked around his waist, her feet brushing against his bum. How she tasted like honey wine as she ravaged his mouth. These would be the memories he drew on when he left. Or while he rotted away in prison.

  Then her fingers grazed his neck, and his skin prickled. He willed his body not to move, not to react as she lowered herself next to him.

  “Xavier?” The breathy whisper was unbearable. She tortured him.

  “Shhh, the water is calling me,” he said.

  Her lithe body shifted then she sat. She reached up, cupped his chin, and turned his head. Worry crimped the corners of her mouth.

  He was not a man who cried easily. In his adult life he could count the times on one hand: when he learned he’d lost his leg, and when he was told he’d been the only man from his squad they had pulled out alive. The fucking insurgents had even killed the dog.

  Her movements slow and methodical, Jolie ran her fingertips along his cheekbones, smearing the wetness into his beard. “What happened?”

  “How’d you find me?”

  “I was actually coming this way when I saw your truck. Did something happen while you were at work?”

  He turned from her touch. “You could say that.”

  She sat cross-legged and propped her chin on her fists, staring at him. The posture and expression were sheer teenager, but unlike a teen girl, she didn’t say a word.

  Trying to ignore the scrutiny was a losing battle.

  “I saw my brother in the prison today,” she said.

  He didn’t take the bait. Whatever she was doing wasn’t going to work on him.

  “It was a weird meeting, because he’s never been allowed in the same room as me without a five-inch thick pane of bulletproof glass between us.”

  This got his attention, but he wouldn’t look at her again. If he did, God help them both. His resolve to steer clear of her was battered away by the arousal of his body. She was so close.

  “Ian told me something I can’t figure out. I don’t know how to tell the sheriff, because … ” She sighed. “It involves my dad.”

  “Jolie, please don’t reveal things about your cases to me. Taking me to The Golden Slipper this morning was a mistake.”

  “No, it wasn’t. If you hadn’t been there, I probably would have been in a worse spot, and I don’t think Linda would have told me about her son.”

  “You would have taken one of the other guys with you.”

  “And then no one would have spoken to me, and we still would be clueless about Anthony Maddox.” She placed her hand on his forearm, her thumb rubbing circles. “Did you have a flashback or something?”

  “I’d rather not talk about anything right now. I can’t even begin … Look, I got out of the police business when they shipped me home half a man. The last thing I want to do is get sucked in any farther than I already am.” He leaned closer, his nose brushing the tip of hers; a big mistake, as it put him within kissing distance. “Leave me out of this. I can’t help you.”

  As he moved to leave, she gripped his arm tightly and pushed down. Xavier thumped onto the wood.

  “You don’t get to run off.”

  “Jolie, let me go.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “No. I wanted to give you a chance to tell me what happened, but since you didn’t, I have to reveal my hand. Cassy called and told me that Nic figured it out and confronted your father about it.”

  “He’s not my father. He’s just some asshole who knocked up my mother.”

  “But he didn’t know about you, did he? So is it fair to be angry at him for something he was never told?”

  “Well, now he does. Guess that means my reason for being in Eider is over. Time to move along. Find a new place to start over or go back to Adelaide. Oh, wait, I can’t leave the country. I might have killed someone, so that leaves me stuck here.”

  She blinked rapidly, her features a bit washed out. Clearing her throat, she averted her gaze. “I don’t think you should leave him hanging like that. Whether you’re stuck here waiting to be charged with murder or not.”

  Shaking his head, he turned so that he didn’t face her. “Maybe you should worry about your problems with your own father.”

  “Maybe I should, but … I’m beginning to think my own father might have been involved in the disappearance of a girl and covered it up. And now he might be tied up in another one.”

  This stopped him. He tried to picture the man Jolie was describing as the one who had shoved him to the ground yesterday thinking
he was protecting his daughter. “Wasn’t he the sheriff at the time?”

  “Yes, but his reasons for closing the case and not continuing are wrong. I went back and talked to Linda about what she remembered during that time, and she informed me that Grace was a good churchgoing girl who never would have run away.”

  “You and I both know that means nothing.”

  She released him, scooting around to dangle her legs over the edge of the dock. As she’d done yesterday, she gripped the wood and looked off into the distance. Giving her some mental space, he retreated into his own thoughts. She didn’t give him long.

  “Do you really think you’re not a whole man because you’re missing part of your leg?”

  His attention snapped to her, but she continued to focus on some point on the horizon.

  “Most people would consider that rude.”

  “Well”—her gaze cut to him—“I’m not most people. Do you say crap like that to drive people away?”

  “It’s not crap.”

  “It is, Xavier, and you know it. I can’t begin to understand what it’s like, or what you went through while you were in war, but I do know what it’s like to think less of yourself. You’ve been preaching at me to step it up and assert myself, gain the confidence that has been stripped from me. So, why don’t you practice what you preach?”

  Her blunt speech slammed home. Damn, all this time Ariel had been harping on about the same points, but it came out of Jolie’s mouth and he suddenly sat up and took notice.

  “You know, that tactic won’t work with me. I told you I’m not talking about what went down today.”

  “Fine, then tell me this: what would you do if you suspected your father of covering up something?”

  “Confront him.”

  “Then do it.”

  Xavier glared at her. “Now who needs to practice what they preach?”

  “Guess that makes us even, huh?”

  This was ridiculous. She was talking in circles, trying to draw him out when he didn’t want any part of it or her. It was time to leave and get as far from her as he could. But would she let him?

  “Xavier, I’m scared.”

  Her admission stopped him; he sank back onto the dock.

  “I haven’t told anyone this.” Her pause filled with tension. Her posture stiffened as if preparing for a bad reaction. “Someone called me directly last night and told me to look hard at my father for Grace’s case.” Her hand flew up to stop any retort he might have given. “The caller didn’t threaten me, just told me to pay attention. Then Ian goes and says almost the same thing, except he’s more specific—he told me to look closely at the men who orbit my father.” She finally looked at Xavier. “What the hell does this all mean?”

  Someone had called her? Xavier’s heart seized. She was under the threat of danger from more than a few drunk perverts in a stripper bar. The caller told her that her father was involved with Grace in some way and expected her to turn traitor against him. Xavier might have gotten mad at his mother for keeping the truth from him about his real father, but he’d never in a million years turn on her for that one infraction.

  “Is it possible Ian was the caller?”

  She shook her head. “He’s not allowed to make calls. If he wants to contact someone, he gets a message to the warden, and the warden calls. No, this caller knew I was looking into Grace’s case. I’m not sure how they knew when there are only four people who had a clue at the time. And now Linda knows, if it penetrated her whiskey-induced grief.”

  “This is something you need to relay to the sheriff.”

  “You don’t think I know that? My dad’s a big enough pain in the ass—I don’t need more crap from him, and neither does the sheriff. You do realize my father is stirring up a smear campaign against Hamilton?”

  “So let the man fight his own battles. He’s done a good job so far and survived.”

  “I’m expected to be Daddy’s girl and support his causes. I side with the enemy, and the whole damn county goes up in smoke. He even warned me away from you because it wouldn’t be good for my image to be seen with a suspected killer.”

  “Jolie, you do the job you were given, politics be damned. Right now, your focus should be on those missing girls, and apparently, as you put it, clearing me of any wrongdoing. Get the intel from your father on what he knows about Grace and leave it at that. Never let what that caller or your brother said influence you in any way. This isn’t about personal vendettas; it’s about two girls and two homicide victims, even if I am the possible cause of one man’s death.”

  “You make it sound so simple. But you’ve had a taste of what my father is capable of. I told you I had to pull my service weapon on him last night. Imagine what he’s going to hear when I ask him questions about all of this. He’s going to hear me accusing him of being crooked. Every election, my father ran on a platform of openness and integrity. He left office as one of the good guys. I go in there blasting him with questions about Grace and why he did what he did, I’m going to be roasted.”

  Xavier took hold of her chin and turned her head. Those hazel eyes blinked back at him, and all his blood swam south. Get a grip, Hartmann. “Do not let fear define you. Yeah, I know. Practice what I preach.”

  “Come with me,” she whispered.

  “Not a good idea.”

  “Please. I don’t think I can handle another confrontation like last night, even with my mom there.”

  “How do you think having me there will make it any better? Your father’s more inclined to have me turned into shark bait than to look at me.”

  “He won’t bother you.”

  Xavier frowned, his hand falling into his lap. “And you know this how?”

  She flushed pink and averted her gaze.

  “Jolie Murdoch, you told him about my disability.”

  “What did you expect me to do? He was being a total asshat, and I had to set him straight. Believe me, he was justifiably humiliated for what he did.”

  Groaning, he scrubbed his face with both hands. “And this is exactly why I never wanted anyone in this county to know. You all will treat me like a damn leper. Maybe if you wrap up these cases, I can get out of here unscathed.”

  Her eyebrows wrinkled. “Do you really have that bad a view of the people around here?”

  “No one has proven me wrong yet.”

  “You know what?” She clasped his hand and crawled up to her feet, dragging him with her. “I am going to prove you wrong.”

  Stumbling upright, he steadied his body but didn’t take his hand from hers. “Right.”

  “Don’t look at me with that tone of voice. We’re doing this. Get in your truck and follow me. I have one stop I need to make before my shift is up anyway.”

  “Where’s that?”

  A Loki-like grin spread across her face. “Why, the McIntire County Fair, of course.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The sun was making a steady descent in the sky as Jolie wandered the fairgrounds with Xavier. Kids squealed on kiddie rides while their bored or tired parents watched. Teenagers congregated in random spots at the food booths or the picnic tables. Off in the distance, the quad races roared from the dirt track.

  Jolie drew in a deep breath of fried-something-or-other-on-a-stick, dust, and animals. Xavier gave her a comical expression. Laughing, she winked and continued on at a jaunt.

  “Why in the world would you sniff the air? It’s not exactly pleasant.”

  “More pleasant than what I had to smell yesterday morning. I love this.”

  He grunted, shaking his head.

  His admission about wanting to leave had punctured a hole in her chest, next to her heart. The wound was left open and bleeding by the reminder that the only thing keeping him here now was the fact that he was number one on the list of suspects for the death of Clint Kruger. Screw the fact that just the night before he’d ravaged her lips, and her mind, with his kiss. And screw the fact that he’d left her wanting
more of him. Apparently he was the kind of guy who got what he wanted and moved along.

  No, Jolie, you’re not thinking about that. You dragged his sorry ass out here to prove to him McIntire County isn’t all bad. Maybe you can prove to him there’s more to you, too.

  “Want something to eat?” she asked, turning to walk backward.

  “Like what? Everything here is heart attack inducing.”

  “Come on, Xavier, everyone has to have that one guilty indulgence.” She came to a halt, squinting against the sun’s harsh rays. “Live a little.”

  “I’d rather not, but you go ahead.” His head swiveled back and forth as he scanned the crowd.

  Shading her eyes, Jolie took a closer look at the tense lines in his face and the stiffness in his body. Damn, he wasn’t supposed to be bothered by all of this; he needed to relax.

  “Xavier, if you’re not comfortable—”

  “Don’t you dare apologize for bringing me here. I’ll cope, like usual.”

  She gripped his forearm; at the feel of the thick, corded veins and muscles, a tingle of awareness wiggled through her midsection. She’d done her best on the dock not to jump his bones. There had been moments when they were so close, all it would have taken was a simple shift of her body and she would have kissed him. Given half a chance, she didn’t think they would have ended up here at the fair.

  “I don’t want to make you cope. This is supposed to be fun and get our minds off of our troubles. Besides, how are you going to get to know the people here if you’re not relaxed and enjoying yourself?”

  Someone hailed her. Jolie turned and waved at the passing young couple pushing a stroller.

  “You’d make a fair go as a pollie, kissin’ rug rats an’ all,” Xavier remarked.

  “A pollie?”

  “A politician.”

  “Oh. Well, not everything someone does has political influence behind it.”

  “Says the sheila who was raised by a pollie.”

  “Okay, fine. Then tell me how an Aussie would make friends.”

  One of his eyebrows lifted in an amused quirk. “Find me a barbie with an esky full of longnecks, on a beach with some waves to shred, and then you’d have a whole mob of people.”