Page 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

VIOLET TOOK ONE last look in the mirror, then turned away and crossed the room to the door. If her aunt bothered to come to the visitation or funeral, she wouldn’t be happy with Violet’s choice of clothing.

Too bad. With a killer on the loose and likely to show his face today or tomorrow, Violet wouldn’t sacrifice safety for the sake of her aunt’s sense of fashion for formal occasions. While the black dresses she’d tried on at the boutique were beautiful, Violet wouldn’t have been able to hide the stash of weapons she wanted at hand. She wasn’t taking a chance with her own life or those of her friends.

She opened the door and walked into the sitting room, where Noah and the others were waiting.

Noah held out his hand. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.” He bent and brushed his mouth over hers.

“Thanks.”

“We should go, since we have one stop to make on the way to Morrison.”

A stop? “Do you have new information?”

Noah threaded his fingers through hers and led her into the hallway. “This is something I wanted to do. We’ll contact Z after we return to the hotel tonight.”

Minutes later, Grant stopped in front of a coffee shop. “Be back in a minute.” He returned soon with a to-go cup in his hand. He handed the drink to Violet. “For you to sip while we’re driving to Morrison.”

Once they were back on the highway, Violet sampled the drink and sighed. Chamomile and mint tea. Perfect.

“Like it?” Noah asked.

“It’s exactly what I needed. How did you know?”

“When my brother died, my stomach was in knots. I couldn’t eat, barely slept, and was constantly on the verge of exploding in a fit of anger. While I don’t have a solution to all of those symptoms of grief, I know you drink herbal tea when you’re upset or hurting. I thought the tea might give you a little comfort on one of the hardest days of your life.”

Tears stung her eyes. Violet drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. She’d be shedding plenty of tears as it was without starting the waterworks here in the SUV. Time for a distraction. “Rayne, what’s your idea of the perfect date?”

Her teammate turned to stare at Violet. “Looking for ideas?”

“Maybe.”

That started a lively discussion between the four operatives on the best and worst dates they’d experienced. As they finished the conversation, Grant turned into the parking lot of the Morrison Funeral Home. He found a space near the front and turned off the engine. “Rayne and I will meet you inside.” After coming around, he opened Rayne’s door, threaded his fingers through hers, and escorted her inside.

Noah climbed out and reached back for Violet. He closed the door, and instead of moving back, stepped closer to her. His hand cupped her nape. “I’m here for you. If you need anything, tell me and I’ll take care of it. Please, don’t be angry with me when I insist you take a break. The next few hours will be grueling, and I want to take care of you. You’re everything to me, Violet. I love you more than you know.”

Her heart skipped a beat, then surged ahead. This man was a genuine gift. “I love you, too, Noah.”

“You’ll let me take care of you?”

She kissed him, slow and sweet. When Violet broke the kiss, she rested her hand over his heart. “As long as you promise to let me take care of you if the situation arises in the future.”

“Deal,” he murmured and bent his head for a long, deep kiss.

“Really, have you no decency at all, Violet?”

The vitriolic words penetrated the haze Noah’s kiss had cast over her. Violet broke the kiss and glanced to her right.

Rosalie Trevelyan glowered at Violet, her hand tightening on the arm of her escort, Chief James Hanson. The chief’s cold eyes took in her attire and Noah. His disgust was clear in his expression.

“Aunt Rosalie, I’m glad you could make it.”

“Of course I would be here. What would people say if I didn’t show up to pay my respects?”

Right. Appearances were everything.

Noah stepped forward and held out his hand to James Hanson. “Noah Mann.”

After a hesitation, the chief shook it. “James Hanson.” He looked at Rosalie. “We should go inside, my love. People will be waiting for you.”

Her expression softened. “You’re right. We don’t want to keep the good citizens of Morrison waiting.” She let Hanson lead her away from Violet and Noah.

When she would have followed on their heels, Noah held her back. “Wait,” he murmured.

They watched as the older couple made their way inside the funeral home. “Did you notice his walk?” he asked.

“No hesitation or limp. He wasn’t the man in the bathroom.”

“He might walk normally for a short time, but if he’s injured, Hanson will eventually give himself away.”

“We’ll have to watch him.”

“You’ll be busy. That’s a job for the rest of us.” He nudged her into motion. “If you need a break for any reason, either I’m with you or Rayne is. I’m not giving your attacker another shot at you when you’re alone.”

Noah opened the door and escorted her inside the funeral home. A crowd milled about in the lobby and in the long hall to the viewing room where Camilla’s body lay.

“Ms. Trevelyan, everything is ready and as you requested.” The funeral home director motioned toward the open double doors of the viewing room. “We have chairs set up along the walls and stools for you and your aunt.” He paused. “I didn’t know she would be involved in today’s activities.”

“Neither did I. Thanks for adjusting the plans to include her.”

“Oh, of course. Well, if you’ll follow me, please, we’ll give the family time alone with your sister before we allow the public into the room with you.”

Noah wrapped his hand around hers and walked with her to the viewing room. He signaled Grant and Rayne to follow them inside.

Rosalie and Hanson were already in the room. When Violet and her friends entered, Rosalie turned and glared at the newcomers. “This is for family only,” she snapped. “Your friends can wait outside in the hall until we’re finished, Violet.”

“They are my family. They’re staying.” She walked toward the casket, steeling herself for the jolt of seeing her sister in the elegant box.

Violet stopped and stared down at her beloved sister. How could Cami look as though she was merely sleeping?

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet and anchored her to his side. He remained quiet, lending his strength and support as she spent a few minutes with Camilla.

“You should sit down, Rosalie. This is difficult for you to bear,” Hanson murmured.

“You’re right. Such a great shock for me.” Rosalie dabbed at her dry eyes with her lace handkerchief and allowed the police chief to escort her to the nearby stool.

At least the funeral home director had arranged for Rosalie and Violet to sit at opposite ends of the casket.

The director spoke to Rosalie a moment, then approached Violet. “Are you ready for the visitation to begin? You have quite a crowd gathered.”

“That’s fine.”

“We’ll send in about ten people at a time. There’s a family refreshment room down the hall to your right. Please, take breaks as you need them. People will wait for you.”

She gave a slight nod.

“If I can help you with anything, let me know. I want to make this as easy for you as possible.”

A minute later, the first guests entered the room. Some people were confused about whom to greet first. Most of them stopped by the casket first, then turned to exchange a few words with Violet, who introduced them to Noah. Afterward, guests spoke with Rosalie and James.

More than once, Violet noticed the angry glances Rosalie tossed her way when guests continued to greet Violet first. What did she expect? Rosalie made no bones about her disapproval of her nieces.

An hour into the visitation, the funeral director approached Violet. “This might be a good time for a break, Ms. Trevelyan. We have a slight lull between the first and second hours of visitations, and the crowd has diminished significantly. Once people leave work for the day, the visitors will increase and stay steady for the rest of the evening.”

“That’s a good idea,” she murmured. A bottle of water sounded perfect.

“Excellent. Why don’t you and your friends go to the family break room. I’ll send your aunt and her friend along in a moment.”

Noah signaled Grant and Rayne to follow them. The operatives had stationed themselves at the outer edge of the room, watching those who stopped to speak to Violet.

As they entered the family refreshment room, Noah said, “Sit down a few minutes, Violet. What can I get you?”

“Water. No food.”

“Would you like chamomile tea, too? Looks like the funeral home has herbal tea as well.”

“I would love a cup,” she murmured and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Thanks for taking care of me.”

He kissed her lightly. “I plan to do that for the rest of our lives,” he whispered.

Grant’s eyebrows soared. “Did I hear that right?” he teased.

Noah pointed at him. “You’re sworn to silence. No breathing a word to anyone.”

“What’s my incentive for not spilling the beans?”

“You stay healthy.”

Grant chuckled. “I’m so going to enjoy teasing you about this once you tell the teams.”

“Do your worst. I can take it.” Noah pulled out a chair for Violet and one for Rayne. “Rayne, what can I get you?”

“Just water for me.”

Rosalie and James strode into the room. He escorted her to a table across the room from Violet and her friends. Following a quiet conversation, James poured two cups of coffee and carried one to Rosalie, joining her at the table.

Noah handed four bottles of water to Grant and inclined his head to the table where Violet and Rayne waited. He prepared a cup of tea for Violet and took it to her. “Are you sure you don’t need a snack, baby?” he murmured.

She shook her head. “I can’t deal with it right now. I’ll eat something afterward.”

“If we don’t see something we like on the drive to the hotel, we’ll order room service again.”

After finishing her tea and polishing off the water, Violet sat back and let the tension bleed off for a couple of minutes. She opened her eyes to see her aunt glaring at her again.

“I’m ashamed of you,” Rosalie snapped. “You dress as though you chose clothes from the bargain bin at a big box store. You’re an embarrassment to the Trevelyan name.”

Amusement filled Violet. What irony that the outfits she purchased for today and tomorrow were the most expensive clothes she owned, easily three times the cost of her normal wardrobe selections.

Noah held out his hand to Violet, helping her to her feet. He nudged her toward the doorway.

Violet paused at the threshold and glanced back at her aunt. “I’ll pass your opinion on to the owner of The Boutique.”

Rosalie’s cheeks flushed at the mention of the most exclusive women’s clothing shop in the county.

The operatives returned to the viewing room and resumed their places.

“Are you ready to receive more visitors?” the funeral director asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Uh, should we wait for your aunt?”

“She’ll be along soon.” Couldn’t imagine Aunt Rosalie passing up the opportunity to play the role of grieving aunt. Too bad the sentiment she projected wasn’t real.

The next group of people who entered the room included a woman Violet didn’t recognize. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she approached the casket. When she pulled herself together, the woman ignored Rosalie and instead turned to Violet. She shook her head slightly. “Camilla told me the two of you were twins. The resemblance is uncanny.”

Violet held out her hand. “I’m Violet. Thank you for coming.”

“I’m Melanie Raines. Camilla worked for me.”

She smiled. “It’s great to meet you, Ms. Raines. Since you spent so much time with her, I’d love to talk to you about my sister. Would you have time to speak to me tonight?”

“I’ll make the time.”

“I appreciate that. We should finish about 8:30 tonight. Would you meet us at the coffee shop on West Main?”

“Sounds perfect. That will give me time to feed my son and make sure he has what he needs for school tomorrow.”

“Would it be easier if we met tomorrow morning?”

Melanie shook her head. “Tonight is fine. My son is seventeen. He’ll tell you he can take care of himself, and he can. I just want to spend as much time with him as possible. He’ll be leaving for college next year and I won’t have this opportunity.”

“I understand. I promise we won’t keep you long.”

“I’ll see you in a few hours.” Melanie hugged Violet, spoke to Rosalie for a minute, then left.

“She seems open to talking to us,” Noah murmured.

“Cami really liked her.”

“Maybe she’ll be able to help us.”

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of friends and acquaintances of Camilla’s stopping by to offer their condolences.

In the last group of visitors, Bradley Melton entered the room. His gaze locked on the casket. When he stopped and stared down at Camilla, Bradley’s composure broke.

After a glance at Noah, she went to Bradley and hugged him. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured.

Long minutes later, he said, “This isn’t fair. She was a wonderful woman and had so much life left to live.”

“You’re right. Cami died while trying to protect others.”

Bradley eased out of her hold and stared at her. “What did you say?”

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet’s waist. “Come with me,” he whispered. He led Violet and Bradley to the other side of the room where chairs were set up and motioned for Violet to sit. “You already know Camilla was looking into her missing and murdered girls. We got confirmation from Lauren Gilmore. Lauren believes the culprit is a cop.”

Bradley’s head whipped toward James Hanson. “That’s crazy. The cops are the good guys.”

“Not all of them.” Violet couldn’t forget the cops she and her teammates had discovered were dirty during their first mission with Noah and his teammates.

His gaze returned to her. “If you can’t trust the men in blue, who can you trust?” He sounded bleak. “No one cares about Camilla’s death, do they?”

“We do,” Noah whispered. “We won’t stop until we know who took her from you and Violet.”

“Think, Bradley.” Violet squeezed his hand briefly. “Did Cami mention anyone she might go to for help besides you?”

He sighed. “I didn’t have a name to give her. Even if I had, I wouldn’t have given it to her. I wanted her to drop the investigation, to focus on us. I guess that makes me selfish, but she was obsessed with finding answers and protecting her kids.” Bradley dragged a hand down his face. “I just told her to stay away from anyone even remotely connected to her kids.”

“How did she respond?”

“She got this faraway look in her eyes and said she might know of someone. I didn’t push her for a name.” His voice broke. “I should have.” Bradley pulled out a handkerchief and dried his face. “I’m sorry, Violet. I have a meeting with a client in a few minutes. I have to go.”

She stood and gave him a quick hug. “Thanks for coming, Bradley. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

After a glance at Noah, Bradley bent and bussed Violet’s cheek with a light kiss and left.

Noah threaded his fingers through Violet’s. “Ready?”

She nodded and walked toward the front of the room. As she walked closer to the casket, Violet noticed Jeff Hanson talking to his father and Rosalie. He looked tense and unhappy. She knew exactly how he felt.

Minutes later, the lawyer turned from James and Rosalie and approached Violet with a slight limp. He shook Violet’s hand. “I’m sorry about your sister, Violet. This is a devastating loss for our community.”

“Thank you, Jeff. I appreciate you coming.”

His mouth curved at the corners. “Truthfully, I came because your aunt would not be happy if I didn’t pay my respects. If she’s unhappy, my father is livid. I prefer less trouble in my life.”

She laughed. “I don’t blame you. Rosalie is quite opinionated.”

“And not afraid to tell you about it.” He turned to Noah and extended his hand. “Jeff Hanson. I’m a friend of Violet and Camilla.”

“Noah Mann.”

Amusement glittered in his eyes. “My father will be glad to see the last of you.”

“He’s made that clear.”

“I’m sure he has.” His attention returned to Violet. “I’ll see you later, Violet.”

“Wait.”

He paused, eyebrow raised.

“What happened to your leg?”

“My leg?”

“I noticed you’re limping.” She shrugged. “I’m a paramedic. Being observant is a hazard of the trade.”

“I strained a muscle while running yesterday morning. I’ll be fine in a day or two.” A minute later, he was gone.

“Interesting,” Noah murmured.

That was one word for it. She’d said more to Jeff Hanson in the past five minutes than she had the entire time she lived in Morrison. He also had a leg injury. Could he be the man who attacked her in the bathroom?

By the time the last of the visitors exited the viewing room, Violet almost sagged from exhaustion.

The funeral director came to her. “Ms. Trevelyan, do you want to change the funeral before tomorrow?”

She shook her head. “I’m happy with what we decided.”

He looked relieved. “I’m glad. Your aunt isn’t so accommodating.”

Of course she wasn’t. “My aunt isn’t paying the bill. If her requests are doable without too much difficulty for your staff, then do what she wants. Otherwise, stick to our plan.”

“Yes, ma’am. We’ll do what we can.”

Rayne motioned to Violet. “Look at this.”

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet’s waist and escorted her to the beautiful quilt draped over a stand. “That is gorgeous,” Violet said. “Who is it from?”

“Fortress.” She pointed to a large peace lily. “That’s from our teams.”

Violet trailed her fingers over a cool green leaf. “They didn’t have to do this,” she murmured.

“All of us love you, Violet,” Rayne said. “This is only a small way to show you how much we care.”

Violet hugged her teammate. “Thanks,” she whispered. After stepping back, Violet turned to Noah. “I’m ready.”

Threading their fingers together, he walked with her to the doorway.

“Violet.”

She paused and glanced back at her aunt. “Yes, ma’am?”

“What time tomorrow are you leaving town?”

Rayne gasped.

Noah’s fingers tightened around Violet’s. “In a hurry to get rid of us, Ms. Trevelyan?”

“You and your friends are nothing but overpriced thugs,” Hanson snapped. “The lot of you are trouble. This town has seen enough difficulty without you sticking around and adding to the misery of your sweet aunt.”

Sweet? Violet stared at him. His affection for Rosalie must blind the police chief. In all the years she and Cami had lived with her aunt, the one description they’d never used for Rosalie was sweet. Her tongue was sharp enough to cut deep.

“Do your job, Chief Hanson.” Without another word, Noah urged Violet from the room, with Grant and Rayne close behind them.

Inside their SUV, Grant said, “Where is the coffee shop, Violet?”

She gave him directions and leaned her head against Noah’s shoulder. “That was a hateful exchange.”

“You okay?” Noah asked.

“I suppose. I’m puzzled. Sweet doesn’t describe my aunt.” She shrugged. “Maybe she had a change of heart.”

Grant snorted. “Can’t see that happening.”

Truthfully, she couldn’t either.

Minutes later, Grant parked in front of the coffee shop. “Anyone hungry?”

Violet and the others laughed. She patted his shoulder. “I thought you’d opt for a steak and potatoes instead of a bagel or pastry.”

“I can handle a snack before dinner.”

They walked inside the shop. “What do you want to drink?” Noah asked.

“Chamomile tea. Rayne?”

“Herbal tea.”

“Take a seat with Ms. Raines,” Noah murmured. “Grant and I will get the drinks.” He and Grant seated Violet and Rayne. “Ms. Raines, what can we get you to drink?”

“Peppermint tea. Can’t handle caffeine this time of night.”

“Thanks again for agreeing to meet us here,” Violet said.

“Anything for Camilla’s sister. I’m just sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

“So am I.”

“Your sister was an outstanding employee and a good friend. I’m going to miss her terribly. I can’t imagine the pain you feel at losing a twin.”

“It’s rough,” she admitted. “How long have you known Cami?”

“Six years. I’m the one who hired her.” Melanie’s smile was wistful. “Camilla was my best hire, hands down. She cared about her kids.”

“Cami talked about them all the time. No names, of course. Just stories about the ones who made it out of the system and into a better life.”

“Sounds like her. She was their loudest cheerleader. I can’t tell you how many times she went toe-to-toe with cops, lawyers, and judges to provide the best care for her kids.”

Noah and Grant brought drinks to the table and joined the women. Noah handed Melanie and Violet each a cup. “Peppermint tea for both of you. Yours has chamomile as well, Violet.”

“Have you talked to Camilla’s boyfriend?” Melanie asked. “He was devastated when we lost her.”

“We’ve spoken to him a few times.” Noah sipped his drink. “What do you think of him?”

“He’s a good man and an excellent lawyer. We need him to go up against Jeff Hanson and lawyers of his ilk.”

“Hanson lives in Helena.”

“Part time. He also keeps a place here. Hanson’s law firm has an office in Morrison, so he takes on cases here, as well as in Helena.”

“Must be a pretty good lawyer to convince the firm to work with him like that.”

“He’s one of the best I’ve seen in a courtroom,” Melanie admitted.

Violet heard something in the other woman’s voice. “You don’t like him.”

A shrug. “Not really. I can’t say why exactly. He’s one of those men who always says the right thing and acts the right way in every situation, but it feels fake, like he’s reading from a script.” Melanie sighed. “That probably makes no sense.”

“Actually, it does.” Noah put his cup down. “Did Camilla feel the same way about Hanson?”

She nodded. “The week before she died, she looked into the deaths of some of her kids. I kept telling her to leave the detecting to the police, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“Why do you think she continued to investigate?”

“Camilla didn’t give me details. She was afraid too much information would be dangerous to me.”

“Would she have gone to Jeff Hanson for help?” Noah persisted.

“Maybe.”

“Why do you say that?” Violet asked. Made little sense for Cami to go to a man who gave her the creeps for help. Wouldn’t she have gone to her boyfriend instead?

“Camilla said she needed someone who understood police procedures and knew cops.”

Well, that excluded out Bradley. “Did she say why?”

Fear clouded Melanie’s eyes. “She wanted information about a cold case, and she believed Hanson could help her get what she needed.”

Violet looked at Noah. His expression was grim. They needed to talk to Jeff Hanson again.