Page 14 of Ice Cold Liar (Ice Breaker Cold Case #14)

“Memphis believed he was on the trail of a serial killer.” A little bubble of laughter came from her. Would have been a musical sound, if it didn’t hold the note of desperation. “Turns out that back when Hudson lived in New Orleans, a girl he dated went missing.”

Now Eb nodded. “I know. Mary Fontenot.”

Her lips parted. “He told you about her?”

“Mary was his high school sweetheart. It devastated him when she vanished. Said it changed his whole life.” Her disappearance had been the reason his partner wound up in the CIA.

At first, Hudson had been bound for the FBI.

He’d wanted to stop violent criminals, but then the CIA had recruited him.

Stolen him right from under the FBI’s nose.

That tended to happen a lot.

“It devastated him, huh? Interesting.” She nodded. “According to Memphis, Hudson was a major suspect in Mary’s disappearance.”

Eb’s shoulders tensed. “Romantic partners are always suspects.” No big surprise.

Another laugh slipped from her. One tinged with more desperation. “Tell me about it.”

His lips thinned.

“Memphis thought Hudson was tied to other disappearances, as well. Two other disappearances in New Orleans. Females who had a similar appearance to Mary. Victims who vanished while Hudson lived in the Big Easy.”

This was bullshit. It was?—

“Hudson began working with the CIA after those disappearances, and it became harder to track his movements. You know how you secret CIA guys are. Always slipping in and out of countries. New identities each time. But Memphis believed that he had managed to uncover a few concerning patterns. That Hudson might have been tied to the disappearance of a woman in the UK. Then another one in Spain.”

The pounding of Eb’s heartbeat seemed far too loud as it echoed in his ears. “Some guy—a total stranger—appears on your wedding day and spins a story about your groom being a serial killer and you…you what? Just buy it?” This was unreal.

“Memphis had no proof. No concrete proof. Just his suspicions, but he said he had to tell me. That he thought I deserved to know because he believed I could be in danger.”

“What did you say to Memphis?” Eb asked.

He didn’t know Memphis personally, but the name had clicked for him.

He was well aware of Memphis Camden’s reputation.

A former bounty hunter, Memphis was rumored to be completely relentless.

He had a real knack for tracking killers.

According to the stories, his prey never escaped him.

“I told Memphis to screw off, of course. I wasn’t marrying a killer.

Surely, I wouldn’t make the mistake of falling for a man who was a real monster?

I mean…no way.” Her fingers lifted and curled around the wrist he’d held moments before.

“Hudson was always kind to me. Incredibly caring. I’d never had anyone pay so much attention to me.

He seemed to know me better than I knew myself. ”

The fingers of his right hand tightened into a fist.

“He made sure I always had my favorite dessert when we went out to eat. Those amazing chocolate lava cakes.” A full smile came and went on her face.

“He found this property for me because he somehow knew that my dream was to open my own business. My own bed and breakfast where I could make my guests feel at home. So very welcome. He knew about that dream before I even told him. Just like he knew where I had always hoped to vacation. He knew the movies I liked. He knew the jewelry I thought would be the prettiest. He knew me sometimes…” A faint click as she swallowed.

“He knew me better than I knew myself. And he promised me that my life would never be the same once we married. That he could give me everything I wanted in this world.” An exhale.

“So on my wedding day, when a stranger appeared and told me that the man who loved me, the man who had always shown me nothing but care—when a stranger appeared and told me that man could be a serial killer, I told him to get the hell out. I told Memphis Camden that he was wrong. And I walked down the aisle to marry Hudson.”

Eb had been right there. And he’d never seen any doubt on her face.

No fear. “Is that why you killed him?” Eb questioned, wondering if he was about to get the confession he needed.

“Because Memphis made you doubt him? You snapped that night, and you attacked? You should have told the cops the truth. You should have?—”

She surged toward him. Didn’t quite touch him. Almost. He could feel her warmth all around him. “I thought you believed I wasn’t the killer. Didn’t you say we were going to team up to find the real murderer? Haven’t we been over this?”

I lied, sweetheart. You understand that, don’t you? Because you’ve been lying, too.

“Hudson was a very good liar. He had to be, didn’t he? That whole CIA business means that he had to lie all the time. I didn’t even know he was CIA, not until after he proposed.”

You didn’t just go around announcing the truth of the job all the time.

It was something that was definitely need-to-know.

The local detective only knew because Hudson had been freaking murdered.

The truth about his job had to come out for the investigation.

But the higher ups at the agency had spun a tale about Hudson and Eb just being pencil pushers. Good old data crunchers.

Bullshit.

“Hudson always said you were better at the job than he was. That you blended better. That you could become anyone in the blink of an eye. He called you a chameleon.”

Blending was Eb’s specialty.

“I think that means you’re probably far better at lying than he ever was.” Now she backed up a step. “Do you know how much that terrifies me? Because he was very, very good.”

Time to recap. “You’re standing here, telling me that my partner was a serial killer. And I’m just supposed to buy this?”

Her lips curled in a humorless smile. “You sound like me, when I was talking with Memphis.” The smile vanished.

“No bodies have ever been found. Those women just disappeared, seemingly without a trace. It’s hard to prove the crime without the victims. I told you, Memphis had no proof.

Just his suspicions. He said he had to tell me before I went through with the ceremony… ” Her words trailed away.

“You married Hudson anyway.”

“I had a chapel full of people waiting. A caterer who’d been paid.

” The words were mocking. Her sad gaze was not.

“And you, standing there and glaring at me the whole time. I have to know, curiosity compels me to ask, did you start disliking me from the first moment you saw me? Or was it before we ever met?”

“No, I wanted you from the first moment I saw you dancing in that fountain. Hate had nothing to do with it.”

Her lashes flickered. “What…fountain?”

“The one in Vegas. When you were wearing the pale blue dress and laughing after midnight. You looked carefree and so beautiful, and all I wanted to do was scoop you out of that water, pull you into my arms, and kiss you.”

She took three frantic steps back.

Henry let out a low whine. He stood at attention.

“No, no. I-I didn’t meet you in Vegas.” A frantic shake of her head. Her hand rose, and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

His gaze sharpened. Were her fingers trembling?

“I met Hudson there, not you. You were not in Vegas.”

“I was there. Heard you laughing and headed for the fountain. Saw you. Wanted you.”

Another negative shake of her head.

“But I got called away. Family business.” What an understatement for the hell that had wrecked his family.

“Before I left, I told Hudson that you were going to be mine.” Something broke inside of him.

He surged toward her. Don’t touch. Don’t touch.

She’d said she felt too out of control when they touched.

How the hell did she think he felt? Anger and need twisted and seethed inside of him.

“ I saw you that night.” Such a long-ago night.

Another lifetime, almost. Because when he’d gotten called away, that had just been the start of the battle he had to fight with Marley.

He’d even wound up going undercover, living in hell for a time, because he’d wanted to eliminate the threat to her.

All that time. All that effort. Only for Marley’s now husband to swoop in and steal Eb’s vengeance.

During all that time, when Eb had been distracted, when he’d had to become someone else, Hudson had been working to slowly seduce Naomi.

To get her to fall for him. It hadn’t been some rushed, head-over-heels wedding.

It had been a long time coming. When she’d said that Hudson had given her everything she’d wanted, the man had.

Like a careful, strategized plan. A plan that never should have been put in motion because I wanted you first. “I said I wanted you. But he got you because I fucking wasn’t there.

” Gone far too long. Living in a hell she would never understand.

“He took you…and now you’re standing here, telling me some BS serial killer tale?

You married him, and if you murdered him, just say it! ”

“I told him what Memphis said,” she blurted. Her hand flew out. Gestured wildly around the guesthouse.

Henry padded closer to her.

“Told him right here. He’d carried me over the th-threshold…” Her eyelashes flickered again. “Barely put me down. I-I don’t know why I…”

Henry bumped into her.

“Back away, Henry,” Eb growled.

Henry didn’t. He bumped into her again. His nose pressed to her, and he whined. Then barked. The dog seemed to push her.

“I…feel dizzy.” Her breath came in and out. “I should g-get to bed.”

Henry nudged her. Carefully. Gently?

“Henry?” What in the hell was the dog doing? “Henry, back off.”

But the dog ignored his command and pushed Naomi again.

Naomi stumbled for the couch. “Closer…” Her breath heaved. “Can’t believe this is…happening now. ”

“What’s happening?”

The dog was at her side. Completely alert. Naomi sank onto the cushions of the couch. She put a trembling hand to her head. Definitely trembling.

Alarm flashed through Eb’s body, and in an instant, he was on his knees beside the couch. “What is happening?” he repeated, throat tightening.

The firefighter had said Henry was a service dog.

“Just…need a little while,” she rasped.

Her skin seemed paler.

“Why don’t you…take the…ah, bedroom? I’ll stay here.” She spread out on the couch. One hand flew toward Henry. “Good boy,” she whispered. “I’m okay.”

She didn’t look okay. A savage surge of worry rolled through Eb because he could have sworn a hard tremble just shook her whole body. “Naomi?”

“Don’t hurt me,” she breathed.

“I won’t.” Not fucking ever. He bit back those words. Barely.

Another tremor shook her. Harder.

“Naomi?”

Her body jolted against the couch.

Henry barked. Loud. Sharp. Again. Again.

Her eyes rolled.

Shit. Eb grabbed her shoulders. “Naomi!”

Another jolt. A shudder.

“What do you need?” Eb demanded. “ What do you need?”

Not now. Not now. Notnownotnownotnownotnownotnow. A frantic, terrible refrain in her brain. But her brain and her body weren’t listening. They’d never listened. She’d fought so hard for control. She’d tried so hard over the years.

But sometimes, there was no control. Sometimes, she lost herself.

Her arm jerked. Her leg flew out to the left.

“Naomi!”

He was over her. Big, strong. With shadows chasing over his face and…a golden halo just peeking behind his head. She’d thought she was absolutely crazy the first time she’d seen one of those halos.

But everyone had said she was crazy back then. That she’d had fits, even as a child.

They aren’t fits. Someone, help me. Help. Me!

Her teeth snapped together.

The dog was barking. Her Henry.

The man was over her. Dark and dangerous, and his words were the same. She was in the same house. The guesthouse. The same terrible place.

And he was saying the same words to her…

What do you need?

Her arm jerked again. Her fingers squeezed into a fist. But there was no knife in her grip.

“What do you need? Tell me how to help you!”

Not the same voice. That wasn’t Hudson’s voice. Hudson’s voice had been taunting. Falsely sympathetic. Smug. All of the?—

“Naomi!”

Eb’s face was right before her. His topaz eyes were worried. A bit wild. So was the expression on his face. Wild and almost desperate.

Did he care? Was that another lie?

She couldn’t hide this secret. Her body had betrayed her.

Her dog was barking again.

“I’m calling nine-one-one,” Eb said.

There wasn’t much the EMTs could do for her. They’d load her up. Take her to the hospital. Everyone would know her secret.

She’d been taking her pills. Prescribed by a doctor in another town. She tried to keep her secrets. Always.

Why was this happening now? At least, it wasn’t too bad. She could still process. Still think?—

“ What do you need?”

Her arms and legs jerked. Time vanished. Hell returned. Fear blasted through her. Deja-vu.

Did this before. Been here before. Same place.

But, no, different man. Different?—

Fear consumed her. Awareness drifted. “Help…”

Nothing else. There was no more. She was lost.

Gone.

Help.