"Bullshit," Knox said between gritted teeth, knocking his brother's hand away. "You did it for yourself. Just like you do everything. You're a piece of shit and everyone knows it. You're pathetic. Here you are standing in front me lying about a woman that's probably dead. Do you have any feelings at all?"
Cal shrugged and walked over to the window, staring out at the road.
"I'll take that as a no," Knox said. "You don't feel anything, do you?"
"Why?" Cal shot back. "Why should I? So I can be like you? You feel every goddamn thing and it clearly hasn't made you happy. I didn't hurt Lori, so back off. Why would I kill her? It doesn't make any sense."
"Because if you couldn't have her, then no one could."
"I didn't care one way or the other."
"Really? Like the time that Stacey Bailey broke up with you in high school and you told everyone that she gave you an STD so no one would date her? Is that how you didn't care?"
Cal shrugged again and shook his head. "I have no memory of that happening. If there was a rumor then it wasn't started by me."
"You really are a piece of work. How do you sleep at night?"
"I sleep just fine, thanks for asking. Is there anything else you need to talk about? Because I'm rapidly losing interest in this conversation."
"I'm surprised. It's about you and I know that you love that."
"Fuck you."
"As a matter of fact, I do have a few more questions. Where were you yesterday afternoon between one and three, and also four and five this morning?"
"Work and home. You can check with my boss and my new girlfriend. Now, are we done here?"
Knox wasn't going to get anything more out of Cal. He probably should have been nicer or more patient. Cal might have opened up more, but he simply didn't have that much self-control. He wasn't a saint and his older brother sure as hell wasn't one either. They'd just as soon kick each other's ass than talk and hang out.
"I doubt you did have anything to do with Lori's disappearance. You couldn't work up the energy or the initiative. But if you did," Knox said, moving closer to his brother and giving him the most menacing look he could manage, "I will make sure you spend the rest of your life behind bars. Do you understand me?"
"You're not an Owens," Cal snorted. "You're a traitor to the family. I know it. Randy knows it. And Dad knows it, too."
"Good. I'd rather be a traitor than the pathetic asshole that you are. If I need anything else, I'll be in touch."
"I'm so looking forward to that," Cal laughed as Knox stomped out the door. "Have a nice day, little brother. It's always so nice to see you."
That was a complete waste of time. But then I knew it would be.
It hadn't been a pleasant visit, but Knox had walked away with more information than he'd started with.
He didn't think that Cal was responsible for Lori's disappearance. His older brother was a jerk of the highest order, but he wasn't a killer. At least not this time. Hedgcock, on the other hand, was looking like the number one suspect.
They needed a warrant for the house and grounds. Was Lori there? Dead or alive, he was going to find her.
There was something about good food and friends that made even an especially ugly day much more tolerable. It turned out Eli loved to cook so both he and Jenna worked side by side in the kitchen preparing dinner. Since it had been a trying day Eli had suggested comfort food, telling her that his mother's meatloaf recipe was life-changing. She'd enthusiastically agreed and they'd chatted while he prepared the entree and she peeled the potatoes that would hopefully become a creamy, garlicy side dish.
They'd planned to eat late in the hopes of Knox being able to join them and they'd timed it almost perfectly. The delicious-smelling meatloaf was just being taken out of the oven when he turned in to the driveway.
They all sat down for dinner, although Jenna was dying to hear what Knox had to say about questioning Cal. While she felt that Hedgcock was the number one suspect, Cal still had been the last one to see Lori alive as far as anyone knew. He might have information that could help if he stopped lying about seeing her that day.
"So I punched him."
They were halfway through their meal when Knox made the announcement. Eli was trying to hide his laughter, and Jenna wanted to hear more.
But she was kind of glad that Knox had punched his brother. Violence was never the answer but Cal Owens didn't sound like a good person at all. Not from Lori, and certainly not from his own sibling.
"Before or after you talked to him?" she asked.
"Before. He opened the door and I was really pissed...so I just punched him. It was a sucker punch and I don't feel all that good about that. I should have given him a warning before I did it. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I did it, and I'd do it again, but I should have told him I was going to do it. That would have been fair."
Eli's brow quirked. "Would he have been fair to you?"
"No," Knox admitted. "He fights dirty. Always has. But I'd like to think that I'm better than him. I'm probably not, but I like to think that way."
"I think that you're probably head and shoulders above your brother," she replied.
"You might be biased," he said with a playful wink.
"Not that biased."
"What happened after you punched him?" Eli asked, getting the conversation back on track. "Did he hit you back?"
"No, but only because he knew I'd pound him into the ground. He's really let himself go these last few years. There was a time in our lives when we were evenly matched."
She adored Knox, but he was taking too long to get to the meat of the story.
"So what did he say? Did he admit that he saw Lori that day?"
"He did. He also said that he walked her to her car and she drove away. That's the last he saw of her. He also says that he has an alibi for yesterday and early this morning. I haven't had a chance to check those out yet but I will."
Jenna exchanged a glance with Eli. "And do you believe him?"
Knox took his time answering, wiping his mouth with a napkin and taking a drink from his glass. "I do. And not because he's my brother. Because I think he was telling the truth. I don't think he had anything to do with Lori's disappearance. He was nervous but not because of that. He wasn't sure what I was going to do and that kept him off balance."
Eli sat back in his chair, patting his stomach. "You're thinking that Hedgcock is our best bet?"
"Let's just say that he definitely has my attention. Logan and Jason are trying to get law enforcement to issue a warrant for the house and grounds. In the meantime, we're going to make sure that there aren't any additional heat signatures on the property that can't be accounted for."
Jenna's heart lurched in her chest and her fingers wrapped around her napkin until the knuckles turned white. "You think Lori could be alive? A prisoner?"
It had crossed her mind briefly but Knox hadn't mentioned it, so she'd put it out of her head. She didn't want to think about it. It was far too horrifying.
Knox reached out and placed his hand over hers. "I think it's a small possibility but we need to make sure."
Jenna wasn't sure she could finish her dinner now. The thought of her sister being held all these months was too awful to comprehend.
But she'd be alive.
When Jenna had held out hope that her sister was alive, she hadn't really thought through the details. She'd sort of assumed that Lori would have actually gone off somewhere, although that would have a remote chance of happening.
"That would explain the text I received while we were cooking dinner," Eli said with a short laugh. "A few of Jason's old buddies from the DEA are going to meet me a few blocks from Hedgcock's house tonight. We'll check the property out and report back."
"Wouldn't that be illegal?" Jenna asked.
"Are you planning to tell on me?" Eli said, a wicked smile on his face. "With the tools that the DEA have we won't even have to go onto his property. No laws will be broken tonight. I promise."
"It's all a little much to take in," Jenna said. "Of course, I want Lori to be alive..."
Knox squeezed her hand, their fingers tangling together. "Don't let your imagination run away with you. We don't know anything for sure."
Already images were crowding her brain and none of them were good. She'd always had a vivid imagination and she'd thought it was a good thing. Maybe not so much this time.
"I just wish this were all over."
She couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth, but it was the bare truth. When she'd pictured having a real investigation done, she hadn't thought about what it would mean. Knox had said he would find the truth, no matter what it was. He was fulfilling that promise. Yet, she wasn't sure she was ready for it. He had warned her.
"We're getting closer," Knox replied. "I can feel it. People are getting shaken up, secrets are going to be revealed. I think we're on to something."
"I hope so."
"If this is too much for you, I completely understand. We can put you on a plane back to Seattle while Eli and I continue on here. This is a hell of a lot to put yourself through, Jenna, and you don't have to. No one will think less of you if you want to go home."
Home. A funny word. Seattle wasn't home. She had a temporary rental there. She didn't really have much of a home. Her job didn't lend itself to putting down roots in one place for very long. Her time with Knox was the most "at home" she'd felt in a long time, even when they were staying in a house belonging to his boss.
She didn't need to think about the offer very long. She'd long ago made her decision. She would see this through. Her temporary discomfort didn't outweigh her need to find out the truth about Lori. It just hurt, but she could endure it.
"I'm going to stay. It's disturbing, but I need to do this. I'll be okay, I promise. I won't faint on you or anything like that."
Knox didn't get a chance to reply. Jenna's phone started buzzing with an incoming text. She'd left her phone on the kitchen counter so she quickly excused herself to check it. She'd sent an earlier message to Michelle to see how she was doing and she was hoping for a reply. Her sister was in meetings all day, but it was evening now and she should be done with work.
Thumbing to her messages, she scanned the text and the sender. Her knees almost gave way underneath her and she had to grab onto the granite counter to keep from falling into a heap on the floor. Her dinner was threatening to make a second appearance as her stomach tumbled in her abdomen.
Knox shot up from the table and wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.
"Honey, are you alright? You're white as a sheet. Are you sick?"
Her entire body was shaking as she handed him her telephone, showing him what had brought about this reaction. He frowned, looking down at the phone, at her, then back at the phone again. The message was straight and to the point.
Stop digging or you'll regret it. I can see what you're doing and I know where you are. You can't hide from me. You have protection but eventually it won't be enough. Back off.
And the sender of the text?
It was from Lori's missing cell phone.
22
Knox didn't have the opportunity to feel triumphant. Jenna was intensely shaken by the text from Lori's phone, clearly upset by the blatant threat. He needed to be there for her even though he didn't think he was a particularly comforting human being. But he'd do his best.
Inside, however, he was doing fist pumps in the air. They were making waves with the investigation and someone was scared and panicking. As he'd told Jenna a few times, this was good news. Panic made people make mistakes. It also meant that they were getting closer, otherwise their quarry wouldn't be troubled in the least.
He'd sent the message off to Logan, who was going to get Jared to try and triangulate the location of Lori's cell phone, if at all possible. Wherever Lori's phone was, surely the responsible party was also.
Eli had offered to stay behind but Knox had assured him that he needed to go check out Hedgcock's house. That needed to be done sooner rather than later. Knox didn't think that anyone would try anything at the safe house but they had plenty of security, just in case.
"When we're done there, I can do the night shift if you like," Eli offered. "I slept on the plane on the way out here, and I don't need much sleep anyway."
"You sound like Ryan. He's practically a robot. He lives on caffeine and chocolate donuts."
"Sounds like my kind of guy. Seriously, you stay with Jenna. I'll keep watch over things."
"I should argue but I'm not going to. But if you need me, let me know."
"Hopefully, it will be a boring night."
That was Knox's hope as well. After Eli left to meet the former DEA guys, Knox went to find Jenna and see how she was doing. She'd gone to lie down after dinner, but he didn't want to leave her alone too long. He had a feeling her mind was making up ever-worsening stories in her head and she needed to stop torturing herself.
She wasn't lying down, however. There was a strip of light underneath the bathroom door and he tentatively knocked, only wanting to be sure that she was okay.
"Honey, do you need anything?"
"No, I'm good. I decided to take a soak in the bathtub."
Knox wasn't a saint. He was only a flesh and blood man. And currently that blood was rushing into places south of his belly button. He shouldn't even be having these thoughts. Jenna was in a vulnerable place and here he was thinking with his dick about how she might look in the bathtub.
I'm a bad man.
"Oh, okay. I'll–"
"You can come in. It's okay."
No, it wasn't. This wasn't fine at all. He was a horn dog. No, he was King of the Horn Dogs. He should be ashamed of himself. He really should.
He opened the door anyway.
His hand wasn't taking orders from his addled brain right now.
Jenna was in the bathtub covered in a sea of bubbles. Christ on a pogo stick, it was sexy as fuck. The foam was playing a particularly sadistic game of peek-a-boo with her legs, arms, and upper torso sticking out but covering all the delicious parts. A stubborn cluster of bubbles stuck to her pink cheek.
"Uh..."
Knox couldn't remember the last time he'd been this tongue-tied around a woman. Maybe when he was a teenager? His normally smooth demeanor was gone, and he was acting like he'd never seen the female form when he most certainly had. More times than he could count, although for the life of him he couldn't even begin to conjure up the face of even one of those other women at the moment. They'd all faded away until there was only Jenna.
"You can come in and sit down. I'm guessing you want to talk. I'm really okay. I'm not going to cry or anything, I promise."
He didn't even make a conscious decision. His legs just walked into the bathroom all on their own. Settling on the edge of the tub, he trained his gaze on a spot just to the left of her head. Not down where the bubbles were beginning to dissolve in the heat.
"I was just worried about you. I don't think that Lori is at Hedgcock's home, but we have to check every box. I'd be remiss in my job if I didn't make sure."
"I know. It's just the reality of this is hitting home. I let it get to me."
"You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. It would get to anyone. You're only human."
Her fingers played with a mound of bubbles. "I know. I guess I thought that this investigation would make me happy somehow. Michelle, Tom, and I have been living in this sort of limbo-like state where nothing seemed real. Now everything is almost...too real. I don't know if I'm explaining it right."
"You are. I see it a lot in my line of work. You think that finding the truth and getting to a conclusion will solve all your problems. It does solve some, but then it creates other issues that you'll have to deal with."
He didn't say out loud that she'd need to mourn her sister. He had a feeling that she and her family had been delaying, holding on to hope that Lori was alive. He had hope too, but not much. Sadly, the odds
were stacked against them.
She moved around in the bathtub, bubbles and water sloshing the sides. "Give me a minute and I'll get out and get dressed. I think I could use that drink right about now. Care to join me?"
"I'll pour two shots."
He left the steamy bathroom and went into the kitchen, retrieving the whiskey bottle from the top shelf. By the time he'd poured their drinks, Jenna had joined him. Her hair was still piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she'd put on a pair of baggy pajama pants and an oversized t-shirt.
She was absolutely the most gorgeous woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. It wasn't even close. She was a knockout. Naturally beautiful and sexy, and she almost brought him to his knees just standing there. She had no idea, either.
He was falling and for the first time in his life, he welcomed it. He was ready. If she was the one, then bring it on.
He handed her one of the glasses filled with the amber liquid. "Maybe this will help."
"At this point, it can't hurt." She lifted the glass as if in toast. "Should we drink to something? I'm not sure what, though."
Lifting his own glass, he said, "I had a friend in basic that always used this one. May you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead."
"I'll drink to that."
The both knocked back their shots and then placed the glasses on the countertop. Jenna sighed, her shoulders slumped.
"That didn't make me feel any better. But my guts are on fire."
"Give it time. Whiskey doesn't work in seconds."
Knox's phone beeped and he pulled it from his pocket, reading the text message.
"It's Eli. There's no sign of any additional heat signatures anywhere on Hedgcock's property."
Jenna didn't respond at once, but then her eyes closed and she leaned her elbow on the countertop. He immediately moved forward, wrapping his arms around her in case her legs gave way. She was shaking and a few silvery tears had made their way down her cheeks.
"I'm relieved and sad at the same time."
He didn't say anything, simply held her more tightly, running his hand up and down her back in what he hoped was a soothing way. He wanted so desperately to take away the pain she was feeling inside. If only he could lift it from her slim shoulders, he'd gladly bear it. She was too good of a person for this. But hadn't he seen horrible things done to decent people in his career? So often he'd met a person on the worst day of their lives. They were victims but he knew if he said that word to Jenna, she'd deny it vehemently. She didn't think of herself that way and she wouldn't want him to think that, either.
Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) Page 17
