Page 483 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Claire appeared in the doorway. She’d shed her police uniform earlier in the evening, exchanging it for sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. Her hair flowed down her back in a goldenwave. She offered Gavin a brilliant smile that made his toes curl. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. The thirty minutes she’d spent with Jacob had done her a world of good.

Gavin set his coffee mug on the counter and dropped to Jacob’s level. “A surprise? For me?”

Jacob nodded. He whipped out a piece of paper from behind his back and thrust it in Gavin’s direction. It was a drawing. Streaks of green and blue formed the earth and sky. Several crayon figures of different sizes stood on opposite ends of the paper.

Jacob’s chubby finger pointed to a tall person with wild black hair. “That’s you. And this is your dog, Lucky.”

Gavin grinned. A large star was pinned to his chest in the drawing. Lucky, his imaginary pet, was a blob of yellow with a fluffy tail. “He looks like a very nice dog. Who are these people?” He pointed to the two figures on the opposite side of the page.

“That’s mommy and me. We’re coming to visit you and Lucky.” Jacob paused, worry entering his gaze. “If you get a dog, you’ll let me come play with him, won’t you?”

“Of course. You can come to my house any time, as long as it’s okay with your mom.”

Jacob threw his arms around Gavin’s neck. “Thank you, Mr. Gavin.”

He embraced the little boy. Tenderness swept through Gavin, wriggling past the last brick of his defenses. He imagined the life in Jacob’s drawing. A house, Claire and Jacob, and a dog named Lucky. Family. Love. It made his heart ache.

He lifted his gaze to Claire. Were those tears shimmering in her eyes? She’d sucked in her bottom lip and nibbled it. Worry shadowed the curves of her face. Gavin was skirting dangerous territory. He hadn’t promised Jacob anything more than he could deliver, but children didn’t see things the same way adults did.

Claire cleared her throat. “Come on, little man. It’s time for bed.”

Gavin released Jacob. He scampered across the room. Claire took his hand, and they left, the scent of baby shampoo lingering in their wake. Silence settled in the kitchen. Gavin stared at the crayon drawing in his hand. He ran a finger over the dog.

A part of him wanted to throw caution to the wind and dive into a potential future with Claire. But a whisper of doubt held him back. What if he wasn’t capable of being a good husband? Or father? His fellow rangers balanced work and a family, but Gavin had already failed at it once. He didn’t want to hurt Claire or Jacob. Ever.

The back door opened. Ryker stepped inside, bringing a wave of cold air with him. He shrugged off his jacket and hung it on a peg by the door before toeing off his boots. Gavin poured him a cup of coffee and set it on the table. Then he pulled a plate of food from the oven. “Claire’s mom set this aside for you. Hungry?”

“Starving.” Ryker took a long sip of his coffee before pulling out a chair. He bowed his head and said a quick grace. He forked a piece of brisket, shoveled it in, and moaned. “Do you think Claire’s mom will keep cooking like this for me after the case is over?”

Gavin laughed. “You can’t move into their house permanently. They aren’t looking to adopt a six-foot Texas Ranger.”

“Shame.”

The two men chatted while Ryker ate. There was no sense in talking about the case, since Claire would want to hear the update as well. She reentered the kitchen a few minutes later, this time without Jacob, and joined the men at the table. Her shoulders were stiff and the easy smile from earlier was gone.

Ryker pushed his empty plate away. He swiped at his mouth with a napkin. “Using dental records, the coroner officially ID’d our victim from the lake. It’s Stephanie Madden.”

Claire closed her eyes. “The facts didn’t support it, but I kept hoping this would have a different ending.”

“We all did.” Gavin turned to his friend. “Cause of death?”

“Stephanie was shot several times. We found 9mm casings in the vehicle and a Glock under the driver’s seat of the vehicle.”

An icy chill settled in Gavin’s bones. Faye had also been shot multiple times with a handgun. So had the private detective she hired. “The similarity between Stephanie’s murder and the others—Faye and the private detective—is enough to indicate we’re dealing with a single killer. He didn’t use the same gun in all three crimes, but he used the same method.”

“Agreed. I believe Claire’s theory about the case was right the entire time. Someone didn’t want us locating Stephanie’s body. I’m hoping the gun can lead us to the killer. I’ve sent it to the lab for analysis.” Ryker pulled out his phone and scrolled to a photograph of Stephanie’s vehicle. He set it on the table. “See the rope tied to the front grill? The killer shot Stephanie and then used a boat to pull her car into the lake using this nearby ramp. That boat could be the same one that lured you guys into a chase the other night.”

Claire sat back in her chair. “Then we should eliminate Alex from the suspect list. He doesn’t own a boat. No one in his family does.”

“He could’ve stolen it,” Gavin suggested. “Or borrowed it.”

“Both times?” Her nose wrinkled. “Possible, but risky. With Stephanie’s murder, the killer had to drive the boat to the ramp and leave it there for at least an hour. The boat could’ve been reported missing.”

She had a point. Still, Alex had a clear motive. “He admitted he was jealous and believed Stephanie was dating someone else.”

“I know. We can’t remove him from the suspect list, but I have my doubts about him. Alex doesn’t seem smart enough to have planned and executed a series of complicated murders. His alibi wasn’t even well thought out.” Claire frowned. “Xavier, however, is a different story. He has a boat, he’s still missing, and he’s smart. Law enforcement suspects him of other crimes, but he’s evaded arrest so far. If Stephanie discovered something illegal her stepfather was doing and threatened to turn him over to the police…he’s capable of killing her.”

“He also knows about bombs,” Ryker interjected. “Grady did some digging into Xavier’s background and discovered he spent time in the military. Explosives expert. He could’ve built the bomb that was on your boat, Claire.”