Jay came beside her, his hand on her back. “Remember your theory that people must have been used to them being together?”
She nodded.
“Sarah worked with the police all the time. With young offenders.”
Cat squeezed her eyes shut. A chair scraped behind her. Kyle snorted.
“Yep. Hold on to your hat, Sergeant. You’re going to send down the top man in the Templeton police force. Bennett was banging the best damn teacher this town has ever known.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CAT WALKED BACK TO JAY’S CAR with her head held high but her legs shaking. Bennett? Inspector Bennett whom she respected? Trusted? She closed her eyes for a second and swallowed the betrayal burning her throat and stinging her eyes. His face filled her mind’s eye. His cold stare and holier-than-thou smile swam in her vision. How could he? How could anyone stand in front of their victim’s friends and family stating he would do all he could to find her killer? It was sick. Sick and wrong.
Nausea whirled hard and fast in her stomach, and Cat swallowed against the urge to gag. She’d thought he was on their side, Sarah’s side. Just the day before, Bennett had stood in front of a horde of television cameras and appealed for help. That had been the catalyst to letting her final reservations about Jay’s involvement diminish. It was a public admission they were still searching for a killer. Cat closed her eyes. Before she could crumple to the sidewalk, regardless of Kyle Jordon watching her from the front door of the crack house, Jay caught her elbow.
She trembled at the passenger door as he opened it and gently eased her inside. Once she was seated, he closed the door and Cat turned to look out the side window.
Kyle stared straight back at her, his expression unreadable with his arm pitched against the door frame. He said he was giving them Bennett because he stole Kyle’s money and killed Sarah, but Cat sensed it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with Bennett getting away with the murder of a young and vibrant woman with her entire life ahead of her. Kyle had clearly been fond of Sarah, too.
That didn’t make him any better a person than Bennett. She turned away, concentrated her gaze ahead. She didn’t know which of them was worse. Bennett for his coldhearted, murdering, lying ass or Kyle for thinking Bennett was less than him even though he supplied drugs to men and women often younger than Sarah. They were both killers.
The car purred to life and Jay drove away from the crack house and everything it represented.
He took her limp hand in his. “Are you okay?”
She closed her hand tightly around his. “No.”
“I could kill Bennett. Right now. Just curl my hands around his neck like he did Sarah’s.”
“Me, too.”
“He shared information with us. Appealed to the public. Allowed you access to the incident board. Accused me...” He squeezed her fingers. “What do we do next? Do you want to go see him?”
“No.”
She turned. His beautiful brown eyes locked with hers, filled with concern...and love. He blinked and turned back to the windshield. The road ahead blurred through her tears.
“I should ring my boss. He should know...” Her voice cracked. “Goddamn it. He’s going to kick my ass into next week. How could I be so bloody blind?” She slipped her hand from Jay’s and swiped her fingers under her eyes. “Bennett has changed my entire view of mankind. And it was pretty low to begin with.”
“Don’t lump the rest of the human race into the same pot as Bennett. What he did...is still doing, is evil. Pure evil. It takes a different kind of person to not only commit murder but to appeal to a small town community for help, to lead a team...”
Cat turned. Jay’s jaw clenched and unclenched and his knuckles shone white as he gripped the steering wheel. They had to do something—and do it fast. With both of them feeling not only stupid but used and insulted, the natural knee-jerk reaction would be for them to head back to the station and confront Bennett in front of his entire team. Whip back the blackened curtain he hid behind and let his staff kick the filthy, lying, murdering crap out of him.
She froze. She wasn’t thinking straight. “What if Kyle lied?”
“What?”
She turned. “What if this accusation toward Bennett is a smokescreen? What if Kyle killed Sarah? Or one of his runners? Do you believe he’s telling the truth?”
He glanced at her. “Don’t you?”
Doubt and unwelcome uncertainty whirled in her mind. “I do, but know I shouldn’t. Not yet.”
“Then we need to prove it one way or another.”
Cat squeezed her eyes shut. She had to think, and think fast. “If Bennett killed Sarah, someone else must know. Kyle Jordon doesn’t strike me as the type of person who would keep something as damning as that about a cop to himself.” She hated having to ask Jay more about the drug community but saw no alternative. “Jay?”
He frowned. “What?”
“Who is Kyle’s second in command? Who does he trust? We need another witness.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I really am the oracle as far as the Templeton drug scene goes, aren’t I?”
She touched his thigh. “We need to do this. For Sarah.”
He nodded. “I know who he is. I’ll go see him. On one condition. I see him alone. My nerves can’t cope with you being around these pieces of scum anymore.”
Cat gripped a handle on her brewing frustration. “You can’t expect—”
“Alone, Cat.”
She slipped her hand from his thigh and slumped back into the seat. Was it wrong that his keeping her away raised the doubts about him in her mind once more? She’d kissed him, slept with him, yet...
Self-loathing whispered over her skin. She had to trust him. She had to.
“Fine. Alone. But you get away from him as soon as you know anything, good or bad. You get yourself back to me in one piece, okay?”
He turned and met her eyes. “Okay.”
Nothing but determination and sincerity shone in his eyes and Cat’s heart swelled behind her rib cage. This was Jay. Jay would never hurt Sarah. Never. She snatched her gaze to the road.
“We have to do this right. If we rush in riding on a hurricane of emotion and Bennett is guilty, he’ll be forewarned and forearmed. He could leave or alter evidence that will clear him. We’re dealing with a cop. We can’t forget that. He could secure an alibi, bribe a false witness...the list goes on.” Cat drew in a long breath. “In the meantime, we’ll put the wheels in motion for his arrest, or at least an internal investigation.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
She smiled as inspiration struck. “We’re going to trap him with the money. I want to make sure it’s iron-clad that he did this. Then, and only then, will I ring my boss.”
He stared through the windshield, a small smile lifting his lips. “You’re the boss.”
A strange mixture of pleasure and pain coursed through her as she watched his profile. They were joined in the knowledge and weight of her mum’s truth, the same as they were in the burden of his past regret and pain. Neither of them hid anything from the other anymore and what happened next would be without lies or deceit.
Guilt at the lack of contact she’d had with her mum or Chris resurfaced. She’d done the right thing focusing on Sarah and not her mum. She was doing some good being here instead of constantly fighting a losing battle at home. She had made more headway in helping Sarah in the past wee
k than she had helping her mum in seven years.
And it felt good. She was worthy. Her entire life wasn’t an alcohol-induced mess. If there was a problem...or more of a problem, Chris would ring her. She had to believe that and do her job.
Jay turned and met her eyes. The love she harbored for seven years bloomed and burst inside her heart. She loved him so much. He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles before putting her hand back into her lap.
“Tell me what to do, Sergeant, and we’ll do it together.”
Cat smiled. With Jay beside her, she was whole, powerful and happy; without him, she would be helpless and frustrated all over again. She didn’t want that. Not anymore. More than that, she wanted to know if their feelings for each other were real or a fantasy.
Was she capable, strong and sexy because of Jay? Or was she pretending for Jay? There was only one way to find out. No more running away.
She drew in a shaky breath and pulled her bag from the floor of the car into her lap. “Okay, so the first thing I need to do is ring Bennett. I’m supposed to be meeting him at the school tomorrow, so first I’ll check he’s still going and then I’ll let slip in something about the money and having a hunch I know where it is.”
“He’ll see through that.”
She frowned. “Are you losing faith in me?”
“No, but I’m not risking losing you. If he suspects for one minute you’re hiding something from him or worse, you’re onto him, who’s to say he won’t have his hands around your throat next?” He shook his head, his cheeks darkening. “I won’t risk anything happening to you.”
She stared at him. So this is what it felt like to have someone sober enough to care what she did when she walked out the door each morning. This is what it was to know she had more to live for than work or spending every spare hour trying to stop a loved one from killing herself.
“I love you, Jay.”
He turned and his gaze softened. “I love you, too, but don’t think for one minute those eyes of yours are going to break me down on my decision.”
On impulse, she leaned across and pressed a firm kiss to his jaw. “I wouldn’t dare.”
He grinned. “Good.”
“But I have to do something. I can’t just wait—”
“Grab my phone from the glove box and ring Marian. See if they’ve gotten anywhere in finding the money.”
Cat reached forward and took out his BlackBerry, scanning the address file until she found Marian’s number. “If they’ve had no luck at the beach, I’ll still meet Bennett at the school tomorrow and find some way not to stab the man in the eye while acting as though nothing is wrong.”
He shook his head. “I can’t let you be alone with him.”
“Jay, I’ll be fine. I’m a trained cop. We’re going to find that money, and when we do, we’re going to lead Bennett to it like a dog to a bone.”
Cat dialed Marian’s number. “Hi, Marian. It’s Cat. How did it go?”
The older woman sighed. “Nothing. We went to three of the six places you listed before it got too dark to see anything other than our hands in front of our faces. We had to ship out. The police team left half an hour or so before we did, looking glum, so I think we can safely assume they’ve stopped empty handed for the night too.”
Disappointment fell heavy into Cat’s stomach. “Okay. Well, you’re doing a fantastic job. We wouldn’t have made that much headway if you and George hadn’t been willing to step in.”
“I’ve got cover for the bakery first thing, so George and I will make our way back down there tomorrow. Don’t you worry, if that money’s there, we’ll find it.”
Unease stole into Cat’s conscience. She had thought Marian and George at the beach was the best way forward, but risking them being there a second time didn’t feel right. Her intuition was telling her to keep them away from the beach. “Get some sleep and let me worry about tomorrow. Jay and I will take the risk and go ourselves in the morning.”
“Oh, no, you’re not. What about this person watching you? You said—”
Cat closed her eyes. “I know what I said, but the phone calls have stopped. Maybe he’s run out of ammunition, moved on to something else more interesting. Who knows what these people want? Sarah’s death hasn’t been mentioned in the press for a couple of days. Whoever called me most likely wasn’t her killer, just someone who gets a kick out of violence in the newspapers. I don’t want you in harm’s way again, Marian.” Cat opened her eyes. “I shouldn’t have asked you in the first place.”
Silence.
“Marian?”
“Okay, okay. You just be careful. Both of you.”
Cat smiled softly. “We will.”
“And give Jay a kiss from me.”
Cat rolled her eyes. The insinuation that Marian thought Cat would be kissing Jay at some point that night was clear. “Night, Marian.”
“Night, lovely.”
The line went dead and Cat hung up. She stared at the phone lost in thought.
“Nothing?” Jay’s voice filtered her mind.
She turned. “Nothing.”
“Right. Well, we’ll head back to the cabin. Get a good night’s sleep and start again at first light tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
He squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be all right, Cat.”
She nodded, unable to find the words to say she agreed. They were still not there. They didn’t have the money. They didn’t know for sure Bennett killed Sarah. Worst of all, she still didn’t know for sure Jay was innocent.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN the start of a perfect day. The vista at the back of Jay’s cabin was breathtaking. Cat drew in a long breath. It was one of those idyllic summer mornings when everything was bathed in golden sunlight, the leaves on the trees barely moved, and the sky was a perfect blue without a cloud breaking its beauty. Cat’s brow creased. If only it weren’t for the vivid reminder of the forest, of the place Sarah took her last breath.
She tightened her grip on the balustrade. It was just past six in the morning, and Jay was inside the house preparing a quick breakfast before they went to the beach. Cat refused to miss a couple of vital hours searching before she met Bennett at the school. Nothing could go wrong. If Bennett killed Sarah, he would pay. An Inspector. A man in authority. A pillar of the Templeton community. It made her sick to her stomach.
She stared at the forest. How were she and Jay supposed to look for the money when the beach undoubtedly already crawled with Bennett’s officers?
“Cat.”
Jay held his home phone to his chest, his face split with a wide grin. She frowned. “What is it?”
“They found it.”
Cat’s stomach turned over as disappointment crashed into her diaphragm. “The police? Bennett has the money?”
He shook his head. “Marian. Marian and George have the money.”
“Oh, my God. They went down there? Is that her?”
He nodded and held out the phone.
With laughter bubbling in her throat, Cat rushed forward and snatched the phone from him. “Marian? What happened? You have it?”
“Yes, indeedy. The whole lot. We found it in one of the places on your list. It’s wrapped in paper with some writing on it but we haven’t touched anything. I have no idea what it says.”
Cat’s breath left her lungs in a whoosh of air. “But it’s so early. You shouldn’t...
Thank you. Thank you so much. This is fantastic. And the police? Are they there?”
“Yep, and so far away from the money, they may as well be in America.” She laughed. “George and I just about peed our pants watching them for the last half an hour.”
“The last half an hour? But when—”
“Been here since five o’clock. Up with the sun, we were. I couldn’t sleep for the frustration we didn’t find it last night.”
Cat grinned. “Stay right there. Guard it with your life without actually...you know what I mean. We’ll be right there.”
“We’ll be waiting. We found it up on Carter’s rock, the smaller of the two at the far end. Make sure you come in around from the west side. The police are running their blind asses off on the east side. You don’t want to risk one of them spotting you and telling that snidey Bennett you’re here.”
Cat laughed. “Got it. West side. See you soon.”
She pushed the button and passed the phone to Jay. “They’ve got it.”
“Then let’s go.”
He smiled and gestured for her to lead the way into the cabin when Cat stopped. “Wait.”
Jay turned. “What?”
“I need to ring Bennett first.”
He stared. “Why?”
“If Kyle was telling the truth, I want to see Bennett’s face. I need to see him when he realizes I have the money. That I suspect him as Sarah’s killer.”
“We don’t know it’s him, Cat. Kyle could be lying. Until we know—”
“What if it is? I want to see if he panics, gets angry, rants and raves. If it is him, I want him to know we know. I want him to know we have him and his miserable life is never going to be the same again.”
“You’re shaking.” He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, held her close.
She stole her arms around his waist and closed her eyes. She would hold the man she loved just for a moment, just for a few seconds before she lit the fuse that would lead to an explosion and what she ultimately hoped was Bennett’s demise. Jay was her peace. Bennett her new chaos. Her mum the future problem she would face with the man she loved right beside her.
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