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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

G avin hung up his phone, frustration nipping at him. “I hate to say it, but Mayor Scott was right. Ryker interviewed the head housekeeper. According to her, the family had dinner together on the night Faye was murdered. Heather had a headache and went to bed early. Mayor Scott and Ian discussed business in the study until eleven thirty. The housekeeper was in and out of the room frequently, bringing drinks and additional food. The mayor left around eleven thirty. Neither man could’ve killed Faye.”

Claire was silent for a long moment. She stood in front of the whiteboard, studying the timeline and crime scene photos. The noise from the deputies beyond the glass walls of her office filtered in. Keith, Claire’s chief deputy, rose from his desk and disappeared into the break room. Probably for coffee. Gavin was tempted to grab a cup for himself. It’d been an emotionally draining day and his energy was waning.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Claire said, drawing Gavin’s attention back to her. She’d changed into a fresh uniform after the hospital. The crisp creases and polished badge matched the determination in her voice. “Every one of our suspects has an alibi for at least one of the murders. Either someone is lying or?—”

Claire inhaled sharply and her eyes widened. “There’s more than one person involved. We could be looking at two killers, working together.”

All thoughts of caffeine fled as a jolt of adrenaline shot through Gavin’s veins. “That’s an interesting thought.”

“It’s something I’ve been pondering for a while. Stephanie’s car was pulled into the lake using a boat. It’s technically possible that one person could accomplish it, but it makes a lot more sense if two people are involved.”

“One person ambushed Stephanie at her house, took her to the lake by force, and shot her. The other drove the boat to the meeting place and helped drag the vehicle into the water.” Gavin pictured the scenario in his mind. “You’re right. It makes sense with two people involved. But we don’t have any evidence to support the theory. It’s just supposition.”

“I know. Let’s run with the idea anyway and see where it gets us.”

“I’m game.”

Claire tapped her fingers against her lips. Gavin enjoyed watching her think. Most of their time together had been spent working the case. What would it be like to hang out on the lake with Jacob and fish? Or share a candlelight dinner together before snuggling on the couch with a movie?He wanted to find out.

Had he messed everything up by being honest with Claire about his fears? Gavin didn’t know. And now wasn’t the time to ask. Claire had enough problems on her plate. After the case was over, when she had some time to grieve Faye, then he’d see where they stood.

Claire dropped her hand. “Do you believe Ian is telling the truth about his father?”

“I do. At least…I’m convinced Ian believes his father killed Stephanie. He was extremely drunk when he gave us that information. It could’ve been a ploy to cast suspicion on someone else, but there are much easier ways to accomplish that. And I don’t doubt Ian was going to pull the trigger today. He’d be dead if you hadn’t tackled him.” Gavin pointed to a photograph of the Glock taken from Stephanie’s car. “Then there’s the murder weapon to consider. Patrick’s story about the gun being stolen from his home is possible, but it’s also unlikely.”

“Agreed. Okay, let’s put together what we know. Patrick discovered his son was having a secret relationship with Stephanie. He didn’t approve. He offered Stephanie money to leave Ian alone…what if she refused it?”

“That would infuriate Patrick.” Gavin leaned against the conference table. “But there’s one problem. In the days before Stephanie’s murder, Patrick removed $100,000 from his bank account. We have records proving it.”

Claire lifted her gaze to meet his. “That’s where the accomplice comes in.”

He inhaled sharply. “It was a payoff.”

“Yep. According to her mother, Stephanie was pregnant. She and Ian were planning to elope. The mayor didn’t have time to waste. He had to get rid of Stephanie quickly. He makes a plan to kill her. Patrick files a police report listing his gun as stolen and then pulls money out of his bank account.” Her gaze swept across the board. “He hires someone to help kill Stephanie. The question is, who was he working with?”

“It has to be someone he trusts.”

“What if it’s Heather?”

Gavin’s mouth dropped open. Claire could’ve said Santa Claus was the mayor’s accomplice and he would’ve been less shocked. “What?”

“She lied to us about her relationship with Stephanie. Why would Heather do that if there was nothing to hide? Then it occurred to me…she had as much to lose as Patrick did. Remember the photograph of Ian and Stephanie at the park? Heather was there, in the picture, standing next to the mayor. And she was as angry as he was. Heather may have already been in love with Ian, even back then.”

“But to commit murder over it? That’s a stretch.”

“Not when you think about what Ian told us at the country club. His father pushed him to marry Heather.” Claire ran a hand over her ponytail. “They could’ve made an agreement. Both of them wanted Stephanie gone. People have killed for a lot less.”

Gavin had to admit Claire made a good argument. But they were low on evidence. “Even if that’s true, we don’t have a way to prove it. Not yet.”

A knock at the office door cut off Claire’s response. When she called out for the person to enter, Keith poked his head inside the door. “Randy King is here to see you, ma’am. He says it’s urgent.”

“I bet he did,” she muttered. Claire flipped the whiteboard to the blank side, hiding their notes about the murders. “Show him in.”

Keith disappeared. Gavin arched his brows. “What does Sheriff King want?”

“To lecture me. I’m sure he was the first call Mayor Scott made when he left the hospital this afternoon.” She straightened her shoulders and marched behind her desk. “I’m glad Sheriff King showed up. I have a few things of my own to say.”

Gavin positioned himself near the credenza. He was close enough to make his presence known, but far enough away to allow Claire to lead the conversation. This was her battle. One, as much as Gavin hated to acknowledge, she had to fight on her own. Otherwise, Sheriff King and her subordinates wouldn’t respect the boundary lines she drew.

Randy appeared in the doorway. The former sheriff was dressed like a ranch hand in a fringe leather jacket and scuffed boots. Dark circles hung low under his eyes. He carried a notebook in one hand. Without asking, he entered and shut the door behind him. “We need to talk.”

“We certainly do.” Claire’s tone was polite, but there was a hidden edge of anger lining it. She crossed her arms over her chest. “For starters, I’d like to know why you’ve been keeping relevant information about Stephanie Madden’s case secret. You’re a private citizen now, Sheriff King, but you served this community for decades. I’d hoped that meant something. It clearly doesn’t.”

His shoulders rolled inward, as if her words were poisonousness darts. “It does mean something. I owe you an apology, Claire. I believed Stephanie had left town on her own accord.”

“She didn’t.”

He sank into a visitor’s chair. “My wife and I took a trip to Fort Worth. I accidentally left my cell behind at the house. I only found out you’d discovered Stephanie’s body when I returned late last night. I immediately started looking for this.”

He lifted the notebook in his hand. “It’s my personal diary. I often wrote notes and observations about cases I was working on. You should read it. It’ll help with your investigation.”

It was awful, but Gavin questioned Randy’s change of heart. The man seemed sincere, but could he be trusted? Claire must’ve had the same thoughts, because her gaze narrowed and she asked, “Mayor Scott hasn’t called you?”

“He did. I share his concern that you’re headed down the wrong path with this investigation. Ian didn’t kill Stephanie.” Randy set the notebook down on her desk. “You need to take a closer look at Alex Sheffield.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not the person he claims to be. Alex belongs to the Chosen. He has a tattoo on the inside of his arm.”

Gavin stiffened. “You knew Alex was a member of the Chosen and you’re just now telling us?”

“I didn’t know it was relevant until Stephanie turned up dead. Xavier is still missing, right?” Randy waited for Gavin to nod before continuing. “He may not be alive anymore. If the rumors are true, Alex challenged Xavier for a leadership position in the group. It failed. Since then, he’s been towing the line, but this may have been the opportunity he needs to frame someone else for crimes he committed. Starting with Stephanie’s murder. She betrayed him by dating Ian. When Alex found out, he was furious.”

“How do you know all of this?” Claire asked.

“As you pointed out, I was sheriff for decades. Witnesses and conversations are all listed in the notebook.” Randy glanced at Gavin and then focused back on Claire. “Learn from my mistakes. Follow the evidence, Sheriff, and ignore everything else.”

Claire wrapped the ends of her oversized cardigan around her midsection. It was late, and although her body was exhausted, her mind wouldn’t shut off. Dishes rattled in the kitchen as Gavin cleaned up after dinner. She’d offered to help, but he insisted on doing it himself. There was something comforting about his steady presence in her home.

Thunder lit up the night sky. The white flash illuminated the lake and woods behind her house. There was another storm coming. In more ways than one. Since discovering Stephanie’s body in the lake, Claire had the overwhelming sense that the killer wasn’t done with her. Not yet.

It was an awful feeling she couldn’t shake.

After the conversation with Sheriff King, she’d read every page of his notebook. Most of it was based on innuendo and rumors, but it all had to be looked into. The Texas Rangers sprang into action, dividing up the witnesses, and attempting to track down more evidence that would lead them to the killer. Or killers.

There was nothing more to do. Not tonight. She reached for the leather-bound Bible on the end table beside the couch and flipped to the homemade bookmark tucked within the pages. Faye had gifted it to Claire. The intricately cross-stitched birds were accompanied by a verse.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

A sense of peace swept over Claire. It was the reminder she needed, especially tonight.

Gavin came around the corner. A water stain spread across his shirt and the fabric clung to his chest muscles. He carried a steaming mug in one hand. “I made you a cup of tea. If you’re lucky, it’s drinkable. That fancy kettle has more buttons than mission control.”

She chuckled. He was right. The kettle had six different temperature settings for perfect brewing along with a stay warm function. It’d been a gift from her parents when she moved in. Claire set her Bible down before accepting the mug Gavin offered. Their fingers brushed, sending a jolt of electricity up her arm. “I’m the tea is wonderful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His gaze dropped to the Bible. He picked up the bookmark, running his fingers over the delicately stitched verse. “Did you make this?”

“Faye did. Jacob was only six weeks old and my divorce had just been finalized when a gift showed up in the mail. Baby clothes and other things, along with this bookmark. The verse was her favorite.”

It was one Claire didn’t always live by. She hadn’t with Gavin. The fear of being hurt had held her back from saying what was in her heart, but she couldn’t remain silent anymore. It was time to be courageous.

Please, God, give me the right words.

She set her tea down on the coffee table and turned to face the man seated on the couch next to her. She took his hand. “Gavin, there’s something I need to say. I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation in the hospital.”

“Claire…” He ran a thumb across her knuckle, sending a sweet wave of warmth coursing through her. “I don’t mind having this conversation tonight, but there’s no need. We can talk another time?—”

“No. We’ve been shot at, chased, and nearly blown up. Before some other catastrophe happens, I need to say this.” She took a deep breath. “You aren’t the only one who fears not being good enough. I was married once. It ended in disaster. My husband cheated on me, left me while I was pregnant, and moved to the other side of the world without a backward glance. Starting a new relationship…it’s the last thing I ever thought about doing. And then you walked into my life.”

Tenderness softened the hard planes of his face. Gavin’s hand cupped her cheek, his fingers threading through the strands of her hair. His touch was irresistible. And oh, that look in his eyes. She wanted to melt in it.

Claire gave into her desire and laid her head on his broad chest. “You make me want to try, Gavin. With you, things could be different. But I can’t do this alone. I learned that the hard way in my marriage. I can’t convince you. You have to believe in us—in the love we could have—on your own.”

“You’re right. I do.” He tightened his arms around her and brushed a kiss across her temple. “I’ve been thinking a lot too. I’m not the same man I was when my ex and I broke up. God wasn’t a part of my life then. But He is now and my faith…it changes things. The first day we were working on this case, I said God had brought me here for a reason. I thought it was to protect you. Now I realize He had bigger plans for me. For us.”

Claire’s pulse jumped. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

“Maybe the key is to love each other, keep communication open, and to hand our fears over to the Lord.” Gavin gently grasped her chin and tilted it upward until she was looking him in the face. “I’m falling in love with you, Claire. You and Jacob. I’m not going anywhere as long you’ll both have me.”

Her breath caught. His speech was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. Tears pricked Claire’s eyes as her heart burst wide open. Gavin searched her face, a faint hint of worry lurking in his chestnut eyes. “Did I say too much?”

Claire swallowed past the lump in her throat. “No. You said everything perfectly.” She leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his in a gentle kiss. “I’m falling in love with you too.”

He inhaled sharply and his hand trembled slightly as he tilted her head to deepen the kiss. Claire lost herself in the moment. She was safe with Gavin. There would be bumps along the road during their romance, but she knew with every ounce of her being that he would never purposefully hurt her. She could trust him with her heart.

When the kiss ended, they were both breathless. Gavin pulled her back into the circle of his arms. Claire rested her head on his chest, snuggling into the comfort of his embrace. They stayed like that for a long time, not talking, just enjoying the quiet moment together. Rain tapped against the windowpane.

Finally, Gavin sighed. “It’s late. I should go. We have a meeting first thing tomorrow morning with the entire ranger team.”

Reality came crashing down on Claire like a bucket of icy water. Things with Gavin were settled, but the case wasn’t over. They were no closer to finding the killer—or killers—than they had been this morning.

“Can we talk the crimes through again, one more time?” Claire backed away from Gavin to look him in the face. “I feel like we’re missing something. Something obvious. It’s right there at the edge of my mind, but I can’t grasp it.”

“Sure—”

Claire’s cell phone cut him off. She ran to the kitchen to grab it from the charger. The number wasn’t one she recognized. “Sheriff Wilson.”

“Someone’s here.” Maribelle’s voice was hushed and ladened with fear. “It’s Xavier. He broke into my cabin—” A sob choked off her words.

Claire flew into motion, pulling on her shoes. Gavin appeared by her side and she put the call on speaker. “I’m coming right now. Keep talking to me, Maribelle. Can you get out of the cabin?”

“No. I’m hiding in the closet. But I can hear him searching. Hurry, please! He’s going to find me, and when he does…he’ll kill me.”