Page 10

CHAPTER NINE

NOAH HELPED VIOLET into the front passenger seat, closed the door, and circled the hood to climb behind the wheel. He cranked the engine and looked at Violet. “Where does your aunt live?”

She flinched. “Are you sure that’s wise? My aunt basically washed her hands of us as soon as my sister and I turned eighteen.”

“Did your sister keep in touch with her?”

A nod.

“We need to talk to her.”

Violet sighed and spouted off directions to the house. “She won’t be happy to see me.”

“No one was happy to see me when I carried a badge.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “We need to find out what she knows. She might be helpful.”

“Fat chance,” she muttered, then fell silent for the rest of the drive to Rosalie Trevelyan’s home.

The attractive ranch-style home had a large yard filled with beautiful landscaping and extensive flower beds prepped and ready for spring planting in a few months. “Is this where you grew up?” He parked at the curb.

She snorted. “Are you kidding? We lived in an apartment on the outskirts of town. As soon as she kicked us out, Aunt Rosalie bought this place.”

Yet the other woman claimed she didn’t have any money. If that was true, where did she come up with the down payment for the house? Another reason to have Zane dig into the woman’s background. Something wasn’t right.

“What do you want us to do?” Grant asked.

Noah thought about that for a beat, then said, “Come with us.”

“Copy that.”

Noah and Grant exited the SUV and helped the women to the sidewalk. “How do you want to play this, Violet?” Noah asked.

“Doesn’t matter. Aunt Rosalie will be as cold as ice to me and charming to the rest of you.”

“Well, this ought to be fun,” Rayne murmured. “Let’s see what the lady can dish out.”

They walked to the porch, and Noah pressed the doorbell. He wrapped his arm around Violet’s waist.

A moment later, a blonde-haired, brown-eyed woman in her late fifties opened the door and stared at Violet. Her pleasant expression morphed into a glare. “What are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you, Aunt Rosalie. May we come inside to talk?”

Rosalie’s gaze shifted from Violet to the rest of them. The glare changed yet again into one of welcome and curiosity.

Exactly what Noah had hoped would happen. He held out his hand. “I’m Noah, Violet’s boyfriend. This is Grant and Rayne, our friends. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Trevelyan.” He released her hand after squeezing it briefly.

“Please, come in and have a seat. I have a few minutes before I have to leave for the country club.”

Country club? As soon as they sat in the living room filled with leather and wood furniture, Noah said, “We appreciate you talking to us. We know you’re busy.”

“I don’t know what I can tell you, but I’ll be glad to help. Would you like coffee or a soft drink?”

“No, ma’am. Thank you for the offer, though.”

Rosalie turned back to Violet. “Why are you here, Violet?”

“To ask you about Camilla.”

A frown. “I don’t understand. You obviously know she’s dead. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be in Morrison. What else can I tell you?”

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“Over the weekend. I was surprised to see her.”

“Why is that? I thought you and Camilla had a good relationship.”

The older woman snorted. “You know better than that. You and your sister weren’t grateful for anything I did for you. She was as disrespectful to me as you always have been. The only difference is Camilla waited until you left Morrison for her true colors to show who she really was.”

Noah locked down his temper. Rosalie Trevelyan needed to take a long look in the mirror if she wanted to see an authentic example of disrespect. “If your relationship with Camilla was so poor, why did she come see you?”

Rosalie frowned at Noah. “I don’t see what business this is of yours. You’re not family.”

Violet gasped. “Aunt Rosalie!”

Noah squeezed her hand. “Anything that impacts Violet is my business, ma’am. That makes everything connected to Camilla also my business.”

“Noah, Grant, and Rayne were law enforcement officers,” Violet said. “They volunteered to come to Morrison to help me look into Cami’s death.”

Rosalie’s frown intensified. “Someone killed your sister. She meddled in something that wasn’t her business, and this was the result. Are you so eager to die, too?”

“What did she meddle in, Ms. Trevelyan?” Grant asked. “If she came to see you, she must have had a reason. What was it?”

“Anything you share might be the key to finding Camilla’s killer,” Rayne said.

Rosalie’s expression showed her doubt. “I don’t see how that’s possible.” She sighed. “Camilla wanted to know if the women at the country club were talking about teenagers and women going missing in this area. It was a ridiculous question, and I told her as much. We don’t talk about distasteful things like that at the club. We spend our time discussing more important issues.”

“What’s more important than people?” Violet’s hands fisted. “Did you ask Cami why she was interested in the missing women?”

The other woman blinked. “What missing women? Really, dear, you aren’t making sense. No women have gone missing in the area. If that was true, James would have made an announcement. He wants to protect the public from criminals.”

“James?” Violet stared at her aunt. “You call Chief Hanson by his first name?”

“Why, yes, dear. Why wouldn’t I? We’re close friends, after all.”

Close friends. Noah studied the older women. Was that a euphemism for dating? “You’re seeing Chief Hanson?”

Rosalie’s cheeks turned pink. She smiled. “I am. He’s a wonderful man.”

Time to pull Violet’s aunt back to the topic at hand. “Did Camilla say why she was so concerned about missing women?”

“She had some outrageous notion that a few of her misfits were victims of crime rather than juvenile delinquents who ran away from their caregivers. I told her she was being foolish. Most likely, those girls ran off with their boyfriends and got themselves into trouble. Those who make poor choices have to live with their consequences.” She lifted her chin and looked pointedly at Violet. “Isn’t that right, Violet?”

“I didn’t run away and get into trouble, Aunt Rosalie. I joined the Army and became a paramedic.”

“The Army is no life for a lady. I raised you better than that.”

Enough. Noah rose and drew Violet to her feet. “You helped raise an amazing medic who saved hundreds of soldiers’ lives on the battlefield. Because of Violet, those men and women went home to their families instead of going home in a casket. Take my word for it. As a Special Forces soldier, I’m grateful for every sacrifice Violet made to keep us alive.”

Grant stood and extended his hand to Rayne. “As a paramedic with Fortress Security, all of us owe Violet our lives. She’s the best medic we’ve ever seen under pressure. It’s too bad you don’t appreciate her skill.” He glanced at Rayne. “Let’s go, sweetheart.” They left the house.

“Thanks for your time,” Noah said as he escorted Violet to the front door.

“What will you do now, Violet?”

She paused and glanced at her aunt. “Whatever is necessary to find Cami’s killer. He won’t get away with taking my sister from me.”

“You’d be wise to stay away from this. I assure you James has everything in hand. He won’t rest until he has Camilla’s murderer behind bars.”

“Do you trust him?” Noah asked. From what he’d observed of the Morrison police, he wasn’t impressed.

“With my life,” the other woman said.

“I hope your trust isn’t misplaced,” he murmured and escorted Violet to the porch.

Rosalie followed them, pausing in the doorway. “Don’t come back, Violet. You won’t be welcome inside my home again.” She stepped back and slammed the door.

“I told you this would be a waste of time,” Violet murmured.

Noah waited until they were standing beside the SUV and their waiting teammates to say, “It wasn’t a total waste. We learned your sister had girls in her care to disappear and she was afraid they had been victims of the serial killer.”

“The serial killer the Morrison police say doesn’t exist.”

“If he’s responsible for the death of your sister, we’ll find him and nail his hide to the wall.” And if Noah and Grant could capture him, they would press the DA to seek the death penalty.

Violet wrapped her arms around Noah’s neck. “Thank you for caring enough to pursue this despite police warnings to stay out of their case.”

“You don’t have to thank me for doing what’s right. This guy has gotten by with murdering women for too long. The Morrison police should have asked for fed help long before now, and that makes me wonder why they haven’t.”

“Could be the long-standing feud between local and federal law enforcement officials,” Rayne said.

“Maybe, but I don’t think so.” Noah unlocked the SUV and opened the passenger door for Violet. When he climbed behind the wheel, he glanced at Violet, then at the rest of his passengers. “I think we should return to the hotel for a while. We’ve been on the move since early this morning, and we need time to do a deep dive into the backgrounds of people on our suspect list.”

Violet’s head whipped toward Noah. “I want to see Cami’s apartment.”

“We’ll do that, but I prefer not to explain to the local police why I’m breaking into a crime scene in broad daylight.”

“We should eat and get some rest if we’re doing some after midnight B & E.” Rayne leaned forward and squeezed Violet’s shoulder. “We’ll divide the list of suspects and rip apart their lives. I’m sure Zane has already been digging into their backgrounds.”

Noah wondered how soon he and his teammates would receive a visit from the local police. If Rosalie was dating the police chief, she would tell him about her visit with the Fortress operatives.

On the drive back to the hotel, he watched the mirrors to see if they’d picked up a tail. Sure enough, three blocks away from Rosalie’s home, a black and white patrol car appeared in the rearview mirror.

“Picked up a tail,” Grant said.

“I see him.”

Violet looked in the side mirror. “Police.”

“I think your aunt called her good friend, James Hanson, as soon as we left.”

“May have to slip away later to go to Camilla’s apartment,” Grant said.

“I doubt it will be a problem. Those boys don’t strike me as being too alert.”

Rayne frowned. “I hope we don’t find out. With our luck, we’ll have to put up with Fitz Hanson again.”

Violet grimaced. “I’d rather avoid another confrontation with that jerk.”

Hanson might be a jerk, but he was wise enough to still be interested in Violet. Noah had noticed the cop’s gaze glued to the medic whenever she was in sight. Although he didn’t blame the guy since Violet was drop-dead gorgeous, he’d still prefer good old Fitz to keep his attention somewhere besides on Noah’s woman.

Since he didn’t want to risk being pulled over for a traffic violation, Noah shifted his attention to his driving. “Grant, keep an eye out for anything suspicious other than our friend in the prowl car.”

“Copy that.”

Fifteen minutes later, Noah turned into the parking garage of their hotel and parked in the slot next to Grant and Rayne’s vehicle. “We’ll take your SUV when we need to leave the hotel. It’s inconspicuous compared to the bullet holes in mine.”

The operatives climbed the stairs to the fourth floor and used the key card to unlock the suite door. Noah held up his fist and pulled out his electronic signal detector. He searched each room of the suite and removed five bugs, one in each room. When he finished the search, Noah filled a glass with water and dropped the bugs into the liquid.

“Where were they?” Grant asked.

“One in every room, including the bedrooms and bathrooms.”

“I know they’re curious about our activities,” Rayne said. “But having listening devices in our bedrooms and bathrooms is flat out creepy.”

“Agreed,” Violet said. “They know where we’re staying.”

Noah inclined his head. “Morrison isn’t a thriving metropolis. Wouldn’t take much footwork to figure out where we were.”

“I still don’t like it,” Grant muttered.

“Same.” He turned to Violet. “Do we stay here or find another hotel?”

“Another hotel. I don’t like the enemy knowing where to locate us. Wouldn’t take much to convince hotel management to allow the local police into the suite. In fact, since our electronic lock was still operational, I think they already either scored a master key card or sweet-talked management or the maid into opening the door.”

Noah glanced at Grant and Rayne. “Stay or go?”

“Go,” they said at the same time.

“Pack your gear. I’ll call Z and have him find us another place in a different town.”

While his teammates scattered to gather their belongings, Noah called Zane.

“Yeah, Murphy.”

“It’s Noah.”

“What do you need?”

“Another place to stay. When we returned to the hotel, we found five listening devices planted in the suite.”

“Sounds like you caught someone’s attention.”

“Yeah, and I don’t like it. The police aren’t cooperating, and earlier today, a sniper took several shots at us.”

“Everybody okay?”

“We’re fine. The SUV isn’t.”

Zane groaned. “The boss won’t be happy to hear that.”

“We’re aware.” He sighed. “Any chance you can run interference for us?”

A snort. “Sorry, buddy. You’re on your own.”

“Some friend you are,” Noah muttered. “Do you think the rental agency will notice a few bullet holes?”

Zane laughed.

“That’s what I thought. I wonder how much of a bite this will take out of my paycheck?”

“I just sent you the address of another hotel. It’s in a town almost an hour from Morrison. Will that work?”

“That’s perfect. Thanks, Z. I owe you.”

“How is Violet?”

“Coping. Losing her twin sister is hard.”

“I can’t imagine that kind of loss. Anything else I can do to help?”

“Background on the major players.”

“Names?”

Noah rattled off the names of the lawyer boyfriend, the nosy cop and his father, the detectives assigned to Camilla’s case, and Violet’s aunt. “Something is off with the aunt, Z.”

“What do you mean?”

“She told the girls she didn’t have any money, so raising them was a hardship. The aunt provided the sisters with only essentials. However, right after kicking the girls out on their eighteenth birthday, Rosalie bought a ranch-style house.”

“Huh. If she was so strapped for money, how did she come up with a down payment for the house?”

“That’s what I want to know. Violet said her aunt lived in an apartment the whole time she and Camilla were with Rosalie. In order to survive, Violet and Camilla worked full time, paid rent for an apartment, food, and utilities while completing their senior year of high school.”

A soft whistle from the tech genius. “That was cold. What did the girls do after graduation?”

“Violet joined the Army. Camilla put herself through college to become a social worker.”

“I’ll set up the searches and let you know the results.”

“We’ll start preliminary searches, but the local police refuse to believe a serial killer is hiding in their midst. Two other things you should know. Some of Camilla’s kids had disappeared, and she suspected something bad happened to them. She asked her aunt if anyone at the country club had mentioned the disappearances.”

“What did Rosalie say?”

“She blew it off. Rosalie said if a killer was in the area, the police chief would have warned the public. She believed the girls who went missing were runaways and deserved whatever happened to them.”

Another soft whistle.

“Yeah, but get this. James Hanson, the police chief, and Rosalie Trevelyan are in a relationship. Since her man isn’t sounding the alarm, Rosalie says the problem was Camilla’s overactive imagination.”

“Wow. If that’s how she treated Violet and Camilla while they were growing up, it’s no wonder Violet never talked about her aunt.”

Noah glanced around to be sure Violet was still in the other room. “As we left Rosalie’s home, she told Violet not to come back, that she wouldn’t be welcome.”

Zane growled. “You sure I can’t do something other than run a background check on that woman? She sounds like a piece of work.”

“That, she is, my friend. However much I’d love to turn you loose on her, I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the case against the perp.”

“Please tell me you think it’s the aunt.”

“I wish. Can’t do that, though.”

“If you change your mind about my offer….”

“You’ll be the first to know. Thanks for the fast work of finding another hotel.”

“If you think of anything else I can do to help, please let me know. We’re all eager to help Violet.”

“I’ll let her know. I’m scheduled to check in with Maddox. Is he available?”

“Hold while I check.”

A minute later, Maddox said, “Sit rep.”

Noah reported everything that had happened since his last check in. “Sorry about the SUV, boss.”

“Everyone okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Sounds like someone doesn’t want Violet in town.”

“That’s my take.”

“How is Violet holding up?”

Noah paused. Maddox would know if he brushed off the question. “She’s having a hard time.”

“Do I need to bring her back to Nashville?”

He could imagine how well that would go over. “No, sir.”

“You will tell me if it becomes necessary.” Maddox didn’t make that a suggestion. Nope, it was a full out demand. “I don’t want to bring home one of my best operatives in a pine box. You hear me?”

“I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“Violet can’t be objective, Noah, so I’m counting on your good judgment. Don’t disappoint me.”

“I understand.”

“Report in six hours.”

“Can we make it twelve hours, sir?”

A pause, then, “Why?”

“We’re going to do a little overnight B & E.”

“Please tell me you’re not breaking into the evidence room at the station.”

Noah’s eyebrows shot up. “Should I?”

“Absolutely not. Those boys wouldn’t recognize a clue unless it jumped up and bit them. But I prefer not to bail my operatives out of jail.”

“Noted.”

“Later.” Maddox ended the call.

Noah slid his phone away and went to the bedroom to pack his gear. Soon, the operatives gathered in the living room with their bags. Grant handed Noah his key card. “Let’s get out of here. Grant, you and Rayne leave first. I sent you the address of the new hotel. As soon as Violet and I check out, we’ll be right behind you.”

“Copy that.” Grant grabbed his gear and one of Rayne’s bags, and the two operatives left the suite.

“Where are we going?” Violet asked.

“Emerson Hotel in Carterville.”

Her eyebrows soared. “That’s a luxury hotel.”

“Good. I have the feeling Hanson and company don’t expect you to have high end accommodations.”

“Probably not, since Camilla and I barely scraped by when we lived here.”

“Hey.” Noah cupped her nape. “I’m sorry about the confrontation with your aunt.”

She shrugged. “She behaved exactly as I expected, Noah.”

“My interrogation technique has always been heavy-handed. Seth was the diplomat, not me.”

“Wouldn’t have mattered if Seth was here or not. My aunt didn’t want us there.” Violet wrapped her arms around his neck. “You did nothing wrong.”

Noah couldn’t resist the temptation to take her mouth with his. The contrast between pillow-soft lips and a spine of steel was a huge attraction for him. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he was addicted to Violet’s taste of honey and spice. For him, there was no one else and would never be again. Too soon to tell the woman in his arms, though. The last thing he wanted was to scare her off.

A long minute later, Noah broke the kiss and stared down into her beloved face. “We should go. I don’t want to trail too far behind Grant and Rayne.”

“You’re right.” Violet brushed a light kiss over Noah’s mouth and stepped out of his embrace. “There’s no telling what might happen.” Violet slung her mike bag over her shoulder.

Noah grabbed the rest of their gear, and they rode the elevator to the first floor to check out. From there, they walked to the garage to retrieve their SUV. Once Noah was positive no one had tampered with the vehicle, they loaded their gear and drove from the parking garage.

In less than a block, he noticed the tail.

“We have company,” Violet said.

“I see him.” He shook his head. “He’s not even trying to hide his presence. Call Grant. Let’s see if we’re the only ones with a tail.”

She grabbed her phone and made the call.

“We’re a little busy here,” Grant said.

The sound of squealing tires filled the SUV’s cab. “You have a tail, too?” Noah asked.

“Yep.”

“Where are you?”

“Highway 35, west of Dover Glen. I’m leaving the highway now. I can’t shake him on this straight shot.”

“Copy that.”

“What about you?”

“We’ll lose our tail in town unless you need backup.”

A snort. “I’ve got this. Give me ten minutes, and we’ll be home free.”

“Call when you’re clear.”

“You got it.” Grant ended the call.

Noah glanced at Violet, checking that her seatbelt was locked in place. “Let’s do this. Hold on.”

Instead of heading for the highway, Noah turned back toward the center of town and wove in and out of traffic, slowly putting more and more distance between them and the tail. When the prowl car was half a block behind them and blocked in by traffic, Noah took a quick right and sped down three blocks before taking another right turn. He continued the process for another fifteen minutes, finally escaping Morrison without their pursuer.

“We’re clear,” Violet said and turned in her seat to face forward again.

Noah’s phone signaled an incoming call. He glanced at the screen and handed the phone to Violet. “Put it on speaker.”

Violet brushed her thumb across the glass.

“Give me good news, Grant.” Noah checked his mirrors. Still no sign of their tail. Excellent.

“Lost the tail. You?”

“Same. Go to the hotel and make sure we don’t have an ugly surprise waiting for us.”

“Copy that. If we see a problem, we’ll let you know.” The operative ended the call.

When Violet set the phone in the cup holder, Noah threaded his fingers through hers. They rode in comfortable silence the rest of the journey, both operatives alert for more trouble.

As a precaution, Noah took several detours. When he was satisfied they were still free of tails, he drove to the hotel, arriving an hour after Grant and Rayne.

Noah parked beside Grant’s SUV in the garage and sent his teammate a message, letting him know they’d arrived. A minute later, the other operative met them with their key card. “Any problems?” he asked his friend.

“The suite’s clear.”

Noah breathed easier. He wanted Violet to have a few hours to rest before they visited Camilla’s apartment. Knowing his lady, though, she’d insist on helping with the research into their key suspects’ backgrounds.

He and Grant grabbed bags from the back of the vehicle. Violet slung her mike bag over her shoulder and headed for the elevator.

“Fifth floor,” Grant said. He glanced at Violet. “I think you’ll like the suite.”

“Why?”

He smiled. “A baby grand piano is in the sitting area.”

Her breath caught. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh, man. I can’t wait to see it.”

“Rayne says the piano is in tune.”

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet’s shoulders. “You want to play for a while?”

“I’d love to if we have time.”

“We can’t go anywhere until midnight. Too much traffic in and around Morrison to slip into town without someone noticing us.”

This was the perfect distraction for Violet, a way to relieve her stress without going for a run in the area. That was the last thing he wanted her to do. While he believed they had arrived in Carterville undetected, Noah couldn’t discount the possibility of the Morrison PD enlisting the aid of law enforcement in the surrounding counties to keep an eye out for his team. “I’m looking forward to hearing you play again.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Thanks.”

The car stopped at the fifth floor, and Grant led the way to room 556. He slid the card into the reader and opened the door. Rayne turned away from the French doors. “Good. You arrived just in time. Room service will deliver hot tea and coffee any minute.”

She smiled. “That’s perfect. Thanks, Rayne.”

“Anything to put you in the mood to play the piano.” Rayne motioned to the polished ebony baby grand sitting in the center of the room.

Noah took the mike bag from her shoulder when Violet headed toward the musical instrument.

“Oh, it’s gorgeous. Look at this, Noah.”

“The piano is beautiful,” he admitted. Not as beautiful as his woman, though. He made a mental note to take Violet shopping for a piano for his own house. If they planned to spend a lot of time together, he needed a piano for her to play at his home.

On second thought, he’d prefer surprising Violet with a piano in his living room. Her preferred instrument was a Steinway. If they broke up, he’d gift the piano to her.

But they wouldn’t break up. He was already gone over this woman. All he had to do was convince her he was worth the risk to her heart. Piece of cake. Maybe.