Page 31

Present day

Bend FBI office

“After six years with the Sacramento Police Department—one year as a detective—I made a lateral transfer to Deschutes County as a detective,” finished Noelle. “I was ready for a change of scenery.”

“During those six years, the Bells continued to publicly cast doubts on your memory loss,” said Agent Rhodes, not unkindly.

“That fed my goal to change my scenery. Everywhere I went, people questioned me about Derrick. I was sick of it.” Noelle appreciated the sympathy on Rhodes’s face.

“I was damn good at my job at the Sacramento Police Department, but it was time for a fresh start. My sister had talked forever about moving to this area. When I visited, I fell in love with it too.”

Bend had four distinct seasons. Green springs, hot summers, cooling autumns, and some snow in the winters. And tons of blue sky every month.

“When did you change your last name back to Marshall?” asked Agent Keaton.

“When I moved to Oregon. I was ready to leave the Bells behind, and that included my name.” She looked sharply at both men. “When do you interview Derrick’s family?”

“We already did,” said Keaton.

“Do they still hate me?”

Both men looked taken aback, but neither spoke up.

Noelle relished the discomfort and the truth on their faces. “I see. Don’t worry about it. I get occasional emails from Catherine or Jason that tell me exactly where I stand with them.”

“They email you?” Rhodes asked in surprise. He exchanged a look with Keaton that told Noelle the Bells hadn’t mentioned that tidbit.

“Yep. And let me know they still believe I’m hiding the identity of Derrick’s killer.”

“They say that?” asked Keaton.

“I can read between the lines.” The emails stung. She’d never done anything to that family except try to fit in for the sake of her husband. But they continued to blame her. “Have you talked to his old staff?”

“Yes. And we’ve also spoken to several of his friends,” said Keaton.

Neither his staff nor his friends ever spoke to me again.

Noelle checked the time. “It’s almost dinner. Are we about finished?”

As Keaton considered the question, Rhodes glanced at him and then back at Noelle. “Yes, we can be done for today. We’ll want to touch base again in a few days.”

“You’re not going back to Sacramento?” asked Noelle as she stood and stretched her back. She was ready to have the FBI out of her hair.

“We have a team working in Sacramento,” said Rhodes. “We have more interviews to do here.”

Noelle froze and eyed him for a long moment. “The only people in this area who had a connection to Derrick are my family members.”

“Correct.”

“Shit.” She grimaced. Lucia was now thirty-one, and Noelle was highly protective of her youngest sister. College hadn’t worked out for Lucia, and she went from job to job, never able to settle into one. Lucia had little focus, and it seemed as if she’d never become a responsible adult.

Noelle didn’t know who or what to blame.

Her overprotective grandfather? Their lives’ upheaval after Derrick’s murder? The fear about Noelle’s injury and long recovery? Simply her impressionable age at the time? Genetics?

Most likely a mix of all.

Their grandfather’s death a few years later had struck another blow to all the sisters. The death caused Lucia to fiercely cling to Daisy, terrified that her great-aunt would die any day. Moving to Bend had helped Lucia relax. She’d benefited from the change of scenery too.

Lucia currently worked at the humane society taking care of dogs. Working with the animals gave her some peace, but she often sobbed over the abused and very sick ones.

She had a huge, sensitive heart.

Eve had become a rock for Noelle. Always the levelheaded one, she’d recovered quicker than her sisters from trauma in their lives and often held both their hands.

Her love of children had directed her toward teaching, and she had taught grade school for several years.

Adam had left politics after Derrick’s death.

He now worked in marketing for a large Oregon tech company.

Lucia lived in a garage apartment at their home outside of Bend.

Great-Aunt Daisy had lived with them for a while but moved to a retirement home four years ago, where she’d become the unofficial activities coordinator and relished playing Cupid for her friends.

She’d been the driving force behind two of the residents’ marriages and was always scheming to create more.

For a woman who’d never married, Daisy had developed a touch for creating romance between senior citizens. Her hearing and eyesight had worsened, but she’d grown sweeter every year. All three sisters visited at least once a week.

“Promise me that you’ll be gentle with Lucia,” Noelle said to Agent Rhodes.

“She’s very sensitive. The upheaval in our lives after Derrick’s death rattled her for a long time.

I don’t think she’s ever stopped worrying that someone will come after me to finish the job.

” Her hand started to rise to touch the back of her head, but Noelle immediately forced it back down.

Rhodes met her gaze. “Of course.”

“Thank you.” She was confident he’d soften Keaton’s tough questions for her sister. Rhodes had occasionally reworded Keaton’s questions during Noelle’s interview. Keaton hadn’t appreciated it, but Noelle had.

“How is your great-aunt?” asked Rhodes, sliding his laptop into a messenger bag. “Would she handle an interview well?”

“She’ll talk your socks off,” said Noelle, pulling on her thick coat. “Keeping her on topic will be the hard part.”

“I’ll make sure we go in prepared,” he said solemnly.

Noelle believed him. “Thank you for buying my coffee this morning.”

“What?” Keaton looked up from putting away the camera equipment and raised a brow.

“I was behind Agent Rhodes at Starbucks,” said Noelle. “He bought my coffee.” She watched Rhodes’s face, wondering if he’d wanted that little purchase to be a secret.

“I didn’t know who she was,” Rhodes said to Keaton. “And I wasn’t hitting on you,” he rapidly added, looking at Noelle. She swore his cheeks pinked a little. “The person before me had done the same, so I continued it.”

“Which left me to buy coffee for a bunch of teenagers or else be the horrible person who ended the streak,” said Noelle. “My surprise latte made me happy enough to do so, and I could imagine those kids’ delight at their free coffee.”

“Huh.” Keaton refocused on picking up their equipment.

Unable to hold back her grin, Noelle met Rhodes’s gaze, and his eyes narrowed as he realized she’d tried to get him in a little trouble with Keaton.

“I bought you coffee,” he said in a low voice as they both moved toward the door. “That’s how you repay me?”

“Your flash of concern that Keaton wouldn’t approve was worth the thirty dollars I left for those kids.”

He opened the door for her, and she went through.

My God. He smells amazing.

She’d already noticed that neither man wore a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean anything in law enforcement. Many officers didn’t wear one simply to keep the public’s attention out of their personal lives.

“Noelle!”

She glanced down the hall and spotted Mercy Kilpatrick, the FBI agent she’d hoped to see when she’d arrived that morning. “Hey, Mercy.”

The dark-haired woman caught up with them and immediately held out a hand to Rhodes. “Mercy Kilpatrick.”

He shook her hand. “Max Rhodes. Sacramento.”

“I know,” said Mercy. “Everyone here is curious about the secret meeting you’re holding in our office.” She studied Noelle with her intense green gaze. “You good?”

“Yes. Ready to go home. Long day.”

“Sorry about that,” said Rhodes. “We’re done for the day too.”

“Do you need some restaurant suggestions?” Mercy asked Rhodes.

“Actually I don’t,” said Rhodes. “My sister lives in Bend. Keaton and I are eating at her home tonight.”

“Terrific,” said Mercy. She and Noelle said their goodbyes to the agent, and he headed toward the lobby. “Wow.” Mercy pushed an elbow into Noelle’s side as she watched him leave.

“Stop it,” said Noelle. “This is a professional thing.”

“He looks like a younger version of that actor.” Mercy scowled, thinking hard.

“From The Walking Dead ?” asked Noelle. The handsome actor had crossed her mind several times during the interview. “The psychotic asshole who beats in people’s heads with his barbed wire–wrapped baseball bat?”

“Yes, that’s him, but he’s had lots of nicer roles.”

“True, but that was the one I kept thinking of while I was in there.”

“The interview was that bad?” Mercy gave a sympathetic look.

Noelle paused. She’d never discussed Derrick or her past with anyone in Oregon, and that included coworkers, neighbors, and acquaintances.

But Mercy is a very close friend.

“How much do you know about our meeting?” Noelle asked Mercy.

“Absolutely nothing. It’s been hush-hush. All we were told was that two agents out of Sacramento needed an interview room. We didn’t know they would be talking to you until five minutes before you showed up.”

“That’s it?” Noelle asked skeptically.

“Yes. Why? Is everything okay?” Concern filled Mercy’s face.

Noelle eyed her for a long moment. If she didn’t tell her, Mercy would hear through the gossipy law enforcement grapevine. Noelle was surprised it wasn’t already circulating.

“Do you have time for a drink?” asked Noelle.

“Absolutely.”