Page 137

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

C laire stood inside the observation room of the sheriff’s department. On the computer screen in front of her, Alex paced the interview room. Every once in a while, he muttered something to himself. His name was etched across the front of the polo and the shelter logo was printed on the back.

“He refused to talk during the car ride over.” Luke crossed his arms over his chest. The ranger badge pinned to his chest reflected the light from the computer screen. “Alex already knew we’d discovered his alibi was fake. The friend must’ve spilled the beans after our conversation yesterday. Alex insisted on speaking with you, Claire, when I arrived to question him.”

“I’m not surprised. We know each other casually, and I’m sure Alex thinks I’ll go easier on him because of it.”

He was wrong. But Claire wasn’t above taking advantage of the situation if it meant catching a killer. She glanced at Gavin. “It might be better if you stay here and observe. The more comfortable Alex feels, the easier it’ll be to get to the truth.”

Gavin frowned but then nodded. “Take him something to drink. Maybe a snack too. It’ll support his assumption that you’re sympathetic.”

“Good idea.”

Their gazes met. Emotions tumbled through Claire, tangled and impossible to separate. When she’d pulled Gavin from the water yesterday and couldn’t find his pulse, it became undeniably clear that her feelings for the handsome ranger were far deeper than she’d wanted to admit. She was falling in love with him.

And now…their conversation in the hospital only complicated matters. Gavin wasn’t sure he wanted a wife and family. His heart had been broken—that was something she understood and sympathized with—but Gavin’s hesitation also ripped at the wound left by her ex-husband’s abandonment. He hadn’t wanted a family either.

Impossible relationships. Claire couldn’t manage to steer clear of them. She had no doubts Gavin would make a wonderful husband and father. He was kind and caring, generous and protective. But Claire had made the mistake of trying to convince her ex-husband that their marriage was worth fighting for. She wouldn’t do it again. Gavin had to want their relationship to work as badly as she did.

Until he made a final decision, it was prudent to keep her own feelings locked down. She didn’t want to be left brokenhearted again.

Claire tore her gaze from Gavin’s. She focused back on the computer screen. Alex was still pacing the interview room, his movements growing increasingly frantic. He was muttering something, but even after turning the volume up on the recording equipment, Claire couldn’t distinguish the words.

She considered letting him stew a bit longer but decided against it. Time was of the essence. It was possible Alex was innocent, and she didn’t want to waste precious investigation time if he had a reasonable explanation for lying about his alibi.

After a quick deviation to the break room for a soda and chips, Claire entered the interview room. Alex immediately halted his pacing. He swallowed hard, holding out his hands in a classic sign of surrender. “Sheriff, thank goodness you’re here. There’s a simple explanation for everything.”

“I’m sure there is.” Claire offered him a reassuring smile and set the snacks on the table. She pushed them toward the chair closest to him. “Here, these are for you. Let’s sit down, Alex, and talk. Before we do, I need to go through some procedural things.”

She quickly ran through his rights and had him sign a waiver. Everything by the book. Whatever Alex had to say, Claire wanted it cleanly on the record. She tucked the waiver into a folder and gave the snacks another push in his direction. “Do you like this soda? If not, there’s also water and coffee in the break room.”

“No. This is great.” Alex’s hand shook as he popped open the beverage. He took a long drink. “First, let me say, I’m sorry for lying about where I was on the night Faye was murdered. I know it looks bad. But I didn’t have anything to do with her murder.” He lifted his gaze to Claire’s. “You have to believe me.”

There was a thread of desperation in his voice. Under the table, his leg was jittering. Claire kept her expression nonjudgmental. “Why did you lie to us?”

“I panicked. You said Faye’s murder was connected to Stephanie’s disappearance.” He racked a hand through his hair. “There were some rumors, right after Stephanie left town, that I’d possibly killed her. It’s not true. But Faye suspected me. I could tell from the questions she asked when we spoke last.”

“If you didn’t hurt Stephanie, then what do you have to worry about?”

He scoffed. “You’re kidding, right? Sheriff, you grew up here. You know this town. My grandmother Jane raised me, and she’s an amazing person, but my parents have a bad reputation. Drugs, in and out of jail. I started down the same path as they did, but saw the error of my ways when my grandmother had a bout with cancer. I got my life together for her. It took me years to rebuild my good name. People are finally respecting me. Another turn in the rumor mill would destroy everything I’ve worked hard to build.”

Claire remembered the minor arrests for drug possession on Alex’s criminal record. The last one had been two years ago. It was in the same time frame that Stephanie disappeared. Could he have killed her while under the influence? Had Faye figured that out? It was possible.

She needed to be careful with her questions. Claire needed Alex to feel they were on the same side. It was the only way he’d continue talking. “Rumors can cause damage. I don’t blame you for being worried, especially since you and Stephanie had several public arguments.”

Alex’s leg bounced faster. “I regret those. I was using at the time and…I wasn’t always a nice guy to Stephanie. But I never hurt her.”

“Faye said you got aggressive in the bakery. She was scared you’d hit her.”

“I know. I came back days later and apologized for my behavior. She encouraged me to seek help.” Alex blinked rapidly, as if holding back tears. “Faye was…special. One of the few people in town who treated me kindly even when I didn’t deserve it.”

Claire couldn’t tell if his emotions were genuine. Alex had lied to them once. There was nothing to prevent him from doing it again. “What did you and Stephanie argue about?”

“That day, I was upset because I’d heard a rumor she was dating someone else. We’d had an on-again, off-again relationship for years. I loved her, but Stephanie made it clear she wouldn’t stay with someone on drugs.” He twisted the soda can in his hands. “She was right, of course, but I couldn’t see it at the time.”

“Who was she dating?”

“I don’t know. Stephanie wouldn’t tell me, but the relationship was serious. That’s why I flipped out. She said we were done for good and she was moving on, happy.” He bit his lip. “When she left town, I assumed it was with the guy she’d been seeing. Then Faye came around, asking questions…she believed Stephanie was dead. Then Faye was killed. It scared me. I didn’t want to be a suspect.”

But he was. Alex could’ve killed Stephanie in a jealous rage and then murdered Faye because she was getting close to the truth. Claire’s stomach churned at the thought. It took every ounce of training to keep her expression neutral. “Where were you on the night Stephanie disappeared?”

“Home. Alone.” Alex met her gaze again. “I promise you, Sheriff. I had nothing to do with Faye’s murder or Stephanie’s?—”

A knock interrupted his statement. Claire nearly growled at the interruption. She pushed a pad of paper toward Alex. “Help me prove you had nothing to do with this. I want you to write everywhere you’ve been and everything you’ve done for the last three days.”

Confusion flickered across his face. “Three days?”

“Yes.” Whoever had killed Faye was also attempting to murder Claire. That was the one niggle working in the back of her mind. Alex might have a motive for killing Faye if he’d hurt Stephanie, but why get rid of Claire? He had no sway over who the next sheriff would be.

Then again, he could simply be hoping Claire’s replacement would bungle the investigation by not bothering to look for Stephanie.

Another knock came on the door. Claire handed Alex a pen. “The last three days. Everything.”

She turned and marched to the door, ready to give whoever was on the other side a piece of her mind for interrupting the interview. Claire swung open the door and the angry words died on her lips. Gavin stood in the hall. His expression was grave, his dark eyes haunted.

This was bad.

“Is it Jacob?” Her heart battered against her rib cage.

“No. No, Claire. Jacob’s fine.” Gavin placed a hand on her arm, but the haunted look never left his eyes. “I’ve received a call from the divers searching the lake. They’ve found Stephanie’s car. There’s a body inside.”

Gavin poured a cup of coffee, exhaustion seeping into his bones. The long days and sleepless nights were catching up to him. Nearly drowning less than twenty-four hours ago—had it only been last night?—exacerbated the situation. And today…today had been incredibly difficult. The body pulled from the passenger side of Stephanie’s vehicle had been bound hand and foot. The case was classified as a homicide. Ryker attended the autopsy and was heading back to update Gavin and Claire.

The evening news filtered from the living room television. Claire’s parents were nestled on the couch together. Gavin didn’t want to intrude on their quiet moment. He leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. Claire was getting Jacob ready for bed. She’d be down soon.

Moments later, the patter of feet proceeded Jacob into the kitchen. The little boy wore footed pajamas with a cartoon pattern. His hair, still damp from the bath, was combed away from his face. “Mr. Gavin, I have a surprise for you.”

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 golden wave. 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.”

Gavin blew out a breath. “We need to speak to Stephanie’s mom again. She knows more than she’s saying.”

Ryker shook his head. “She’s refused to talk to us so far.”

“Things are different now.” A shadow crossed Claire’s face. “Maribelle is hoping Stephanie is alive. That’s not the case. Hearing about her daughter’s murder may change her mind about helping us, especially since Xavier is missing. This may be the best chance we have of getting to the truth.”