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AFTER HE WAS sure Violet was asleep, Noah called Zane Murphy, Fortress Security’s tech and communications guru.

“Yeah, Murphy.”

“It’s Noah.”

“How’s Violet?”

“Asleep. She’s having a difficult time dealing with the loss of her sister.”

“Understandable. How can I help?”

“Have you done any digging into the murder?”

“Some. The Morrison cops aren’t fast inputting data and observations.”

“Anything will help. I have a feeling we’ll be going to the police station first thing tomorrow morning. The detectives in charge of the case may not share what they know.”

“From what I can tell, Noah, they know little. Camilla was stabbed seven times. She might have survived the attack if the killer hadn’t hit her heart.”

Seven stab wounds. He frowned. No chance this was an attack in the heat of the moment. “No hesitation marks?”

“None.”

Not good. This guy wasn’t a rookie. “Are the detectives looking at similar crimes?”

“Unknown. Want me to do a search?”

“If you have time.”

“If I can’t work it in, I’ll ask one of the other techs to help. What else do you need?”

“See what you can find out about the detectives assigned to Camilla’s case. Background, experience, everything.”

“They won’t be as good as you and your teammates.”

“Maybe not. Still, the more information we have, the better Grant and I will work with law enforcement.”

“If they let you. You’re not carrying a badge anymore.”

“But I used to. I’ll use that and hope they’re more willing to cooperate with us than with a civilian.”

“Don’t hold your breath, my friend. I’ll see what I can find out. Is there anything I can do for Violet?”

“Not right now. If that changes, I’ll let you know.”

“Do that. Day or night. Violet is one of the good ones.”

Wasn’t that the truth. “Later, Z.” He ended the call and settled deeper into the cushions. He treasured every moment with Violet in his arms. Noah didn’t know what he’d done to catch the attention of this special woman, but he was grateful that she was giving him a chance.

He kissed the top of Violet’s head and let himself drift into a light sleep. Two hours later, Grant walked into the living room. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Violet on the sofa.

“Problem?” Grant whispered.

“She’s having trouble sleeping.”

A slight nod as Rayne entered the room. “We’ve got the watch. Sleep, Noah.”

Violet stirred. “Trouble?” she murmured.

“Watch change. Go back to sleep.”

She mumbled something unintelligible and settled back into sleep.

Rayne draped a blanket over them and took their bowls and mugs to the breakfast bar.

Since Grant and Rayne were on duty, Noah drifted into a deeper sleep. As the sun rose, he opened his eyes. Grant was at the French doors. Rayne sat in the recliner working on her computer.

As though feeling his gaze on her, Rayne glanced up. “Need anything?” she asked.

He shook his head.

Grant turned. “No problems. We’re ordering room service in a few minutes. Any requests?”

“Bagels and hot tea for Violet. Anything is fine for me.”

“You got it.” Grant turned away to peruse the room-service menu and call the front desk.

Violet sighed, hugged Noah tighter for a moment, and looked up at him. “Good morning,” she murmured.

He captured her mouth with his for a brief but hard kiss. “How are you?”

“I feel good, a minor miracle considering how hard our mission was and the lack of sleep. What about you?”

“Never better.” Noah bent his head until his mouth was close to Violet’s ear. “I loved holding you in my arms all night. You fit like you were made for me.”

Her cheeks flushed as her slight smile morphed into a full grin.

Grant end the phone call with the front desk and announced, “Breakfast will be delivered in 45 minutes.”

Violet sat up. “I should shower and change clothes.”

“Take your time, Violet. We have two hours before the detectives in charge of your sister’s case arrive for their shift, and the police station is only a few blocks from the hotel.”

“Put on your battle armor,” Rayne said. “The detectives may not want to share all the information they have on your sister’s case.”

“They’ll tell me what I want to know or I’ll go over their heads all the way to the mayor’s office,” Violet said grimly.

“You know him well?”

“Her, and yes, I do. Her daughter and Camilla and I were best friends growing up.”

Grant leaned against the recliner where Rayne sat and folded his arms across his chest. “Hold that option in reserve. We don’t want to use our biggest ace unless the detectives stonewall us.”

“It’s up to them how we proceed. I will not waste time that we could use hunting for a killer instead of placating the ego of two cops.”

“Let’s wait and see how they react to your presence and questions,” Noah said. “No need to place them in the enemy’s camp without giving them a chance to play fair.”

“Would you and Grant have been willing to give me information on my sister’s case?”

Noah and Grant exchanged glances. “Depends on the type of information you wanted,” Grant said. “We never told families everything. Some details were better off unspoken. Noah’s right, though. Wait and see how they react. We’ll make a plan from there.”

After a slight nod, Violet walked to the bedroom and closed the door.

“This will be so hard for her,” Rayne said.

“Dealing with the death of a sibling would be difficult for anyone. I can’t imagine how much more difficult the loss of a twin would be.” Grant went into the kitchen and grabbed the coffee carafe. He rinsed it out and prepped the coffeemaker for another pot of the steaming liquid.

“Wish we knew someone in the Morrison police department.”

“Hopefully we won’t need an inroad into the department other than being former cops ourselves.”

Uneasiness coiled in Noah’s gut. If the Morrison PD was like other small law enforcement divisions, the detectives would be more interested in guarding their territory than in working with outsiders to find Camilla’s killer.

“Go clean up,” Grant said. “Rayne and I will keep an eye out for the food.”

“Don’t start eating without us.”

“No guarantees. I’m starving.”

“That’s not news,” Rayne teased. “I could hear your stomach growling from across the room.”

Noah chuckled as he left his friends giving each other grief. In the second bedroom, he grabbed a change of clothes and his shaving kit, and headed into the bathroom.

Minutes later, he returned. Violet was nowhere to be seen. Noah poured coffee into a mug and sipped the steaming brew. His eyes watered. “Tastes like you quadrupled the amount of coffee you’re supposed to use.”

“Wuss,” Grant said. “It’s not my fault if the coffee is terrible. At home, I grind my own beans. The coffee grounds are the problem.”

“You, my friend, are a coffee snob.”

“Guilty. So sue me.”

“I won’t go that far, but I am banning you from making the next batch of coffee. This stuff is toxic.”

“Rayne?” Grant looked at her. “What’s your vote? You’ll take up for me, won’t you?”

“Sorry, buddy, but I have to agree with Noah.” She poured her coffee down the drain. “To keep drinking your coffee, I’d need a cast iron stomach.”

He scowled and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine. The rest of you can be on coffee duty from now on. I’ll show you what a good cup of coffee tastes like the next time you’re in my home.”

A knock sounded on the door as Violet entered the living room.

Noah checked the peephole, then opened the door to allow room service to bring in two carts loaded with food and drinks, including coffee sure to taste better than the swill Grant brewed.

Violet went to the carts and stared at the assortment of food Grant had ordered. “Good grief, Grant. This is enough food to feed both of our teams.”

“Maybe. No complaints about my choices, though. I didn’t know how hungry everyone was or their preferences, so I ordered what I wanted.”

“Can’t complain about the variety,” Rayne said, amusement in her eyes. “Looks like you ordered everything on the menu.”

He scowled. “I didn’t order the steak, hamburgers, or pizza, thank you very much. Nor did I order the ice cream. I should get credit for having some restraint.”

“A gold star for you today, then.” Rayne picked up a plate and filled it with a variety of food.

“She’s right,” Violet said. “You chose a wonderful variety from the menu. Thanks for including bagels and hot tea. That may be all I can handle this morning.”

“That was Noah’s suggestion.”

She turned and smiled at him. “Thank you.”

His heart skipped a beat before surging back into a normal rhythm. “That’s what I was looking for.”

Violet’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t understand.”

Noah traced her lower lip with his forefinger. “I’ve been missing your beautiful smile.”

Grant handed Violet a plate. “So, what’s your plan for the day?”

She sobered. “Talk to the detectives in charge of Cami’s case. I want to know what progress they’ve made in finding the killer. After that, I want to go to Cami’s apartment.”

“The detectives may have it sealed off.”

She raised one eyebrow. “If your sibling was murdered, would you let crime scene tape prevent you from searching for evidence as to the killer’s identity?”

“Not a chance.”

“Neither am I. If you three don’t want to risk a slap on the wrist by the Morrison cops, I’ll go alone.”

Noah shook his head. “Not happening, Violet. We stick together.”

Rayne ripped open a foil-wrapped tea bag, dropped it into a mug, and poured hot water over it. “Grant and I still need to shower and change. I know you’re eager for answers, Violet, but Noah is right. We need to stick together because we don’t know what happened or who’s responsible for Cami’s death. We can’t let down our guard.”

“Hadn’t planned to. Don’t worry. I’m not in so much of a hurry that I’ll go off and leave my team.”

“Good.” Rayne squeezed her hand. “Grant and I won’t delay you for long.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Except it wasn’t fine. Noah could almost see impatience snapping at her heels, pushing her to confront the detectives as soon as possible. He didn’t blame her. However, antagonizing the detectives wasn’t the way to get what she wanted the most. Information.

He and Grant exchanged glances. Acknowledgment of the pitched battle Violet fought inside herself was in his friend’s eyes. They’d been in Violet’s shoes before, usually on the other side. Balancing the investigation against the needs of the family and friends to see justice done was challenging at the best of times.

This time, though, was different. He and Grant weren’t investigating some random stranger’s murder. Camilla was Violet’s twin sister, and that made their drive to find the truth themselves all the stronger.

For now, he’d play nice with the detectives assigned to Camilla’s case. If they didn’t cooperate, the gloves would come off. No one would stop him from running the killer to ground if law enforcement couldn’t do the job. Justice would be served for Camilla’s death. He wouldn’t rest until the hunt ended with the killer behind bars or dead.

Noah picked up a plate, selected food he thought would be light on Violet’s stomach, and took her hand to lead her to the living room sofa. He set her plate on the coffee table. “I’ll get your tea.”

“Noah, I will not shatter.”

“That possibility never entered my mind. Take your time eating.”

She pushed the plate away. “I’m not hungry.”

“Your body needs the fuel. If we’re going to nail this killer, you need to be strong.”

Violet’s mouth curved. “Throwing my own words back at me isn’t nice.”

He chuckled and brushed her mouth with his. “Be back in a minute.” Noah went to the breakfast bar and returned with Violet’s tea.

His phone signaled an incoming message. Noah pulled it from his pocket and scanned the screen, frowning. Not the news he wanted.

“What is it?” Violet asked. “Is the news about Cami?”

“In a way. Zane looked for other deaths similar to your sister’s.”

“What did he find?”

Grant glanced up, listening to their conversation.

“He found at least six other women in the surrounding counties who died similarly.”

Grant scowled. “A serial killer?”

“Not officially, but that’s what Z thinks.”

“Have the Morrison cops called in the feds?”

Noah snorted. “Of course not. They can take care of their own business. Who needs the help of the feds?”

“Can’t blame them for feeling that way,” Rayne said. “The Chicago PD didn’t like to call in federal help, either, and we had more capital crimes than a town the size of Morrison.”

“They’ll never ask for outside help.” Violet sipped her tea. “The police force here is a ‘good old boy’ club. They think they can handle anything that comes up in town.”

“We didn’t like it either, but were wise enough to ask for fed help when it was warranted,” Grant said. “They had more resources than we did. We would have been fools to pass up the help available.”

“In this town, Chief Hanson is a powerhouse. You don’t want to be on his bad side. A detective calling in the feds without Hanson’s consent could expect immediate termination.”

“Did you ever run up against him?” Noah asked as he filled his plate. Soon, he’d turn the conversation to something neutral so Violet would eat. However, he and Grant needed to know how cooperative Hanson would be with Violet involved in the case. No way to keep her from nosing around and asking questions.

“A time or two.”

He waited a beat for Violet to continue. She didn’t. “How serious?”

She shrugged. “Enough.”

Grant tilted his head. “You couldn’t have much of a record or the military wouldn’t have allowed you to enlist.”

Her cheeks turned pink. “I didn’t have a record. If I had, the chief’s son would have had one as well.”

Noah froze with a biscuit halfway to his mouth. The chief’s son?

“That sounds like a story.” Rayne grinned. “Care to share?”

“More like a bad dream. Let’s just say I was young and stupid and thought the most popular boy in high school was really interested in a girl from the wrong side of town. Turns out Fitz was only interested in one thing and when I wouldn’t put out like he wanted, he dumped me like a hot potato.”

“His loss,” Noah said. “My gain.” Time to turn the conversation in another direction. “Rayne, you were a Chicago cop for several years. You must have some other good stories you can share.” He inclined his head slightly toward Violet.

Understanding filled Rayne’s eyes. “Too many to count.” She launched into a story about catching a man stealing a toaster from his ex-girlfriend. By the time she finished, Violet’s plate was empty, and she was laughing so hard she was holding her sides.

“I’ve got a better story than that one,” Grant said. He told the women about the time he and Knight caught a guy who robbed a jewelry store and was desperate to escape before Grant and Knight caught him. He’d been scrambling out an open window, but his pants got caught on a screw. To escape before the police arrived, the burglar had left his pants behind and ran right into the path of an unmarked police car carrying Grant and his partner.

“How did he explain the lack of pants?” Rayne asked.

“Sleep walking.” Grant’s eyes twinkled. “I’m going to take a shower. Be back in ten minutes.”

Rayne stood. “Same for me.” She left the living room.

Then Noah and Violet were alone.

Noah set his mug and empty plate on the coffee table beside Violet’s dishes. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against his body.

“Thanks, Noah.”

“For what?”

“Taking care of me, holding me all night.” She snuggled closer. “For everything. I don’t know if I could face this nightmare without you.”

“You’re strong. I know you would have faced it with the same grace and class you exhibit daily. I’m privileged to walk through this with you.”

Violet uttered a soft laugh. “I don’t know many men who would say that considering the trouble we’re facing. You’re one in a million.”

Noah loosened his hold, cupped her chin, and tilted her face up to his. Mouth capturing hers, he kissed her slow and deep. When he finally came up for air, he noted that Violet’s eyes were unfocused, her breathing ragged.

A door opened, and Grant stepped into the living room. He paused. “Should I come back later?”

“Nope. We’re finished for now.”

Soon Rayne rejoined them.

Minutes later, Noah parked the SUV in the lot beside the police station and removed his weapons and holsters. The rest of the operatives followed suit, stashing them in various places around the vehicle. When they finished, Noah exited the SUV and came to Violet’s door. He extended his hand to her. “Ready, beautiful?”

“If I want answers, I’ll have to be.”