Page 6

CHAPTER FIVE

“THAT’S IT. WE’RE done here.” Noah pushed back from the interrogation table and helped Violet stand. Their teammates joined them.

Noah tossed a business card on the center of the table. “If you have more questions for Violet, call Fortress Security’s main line. They’ll pass a message to Violet.”

“Where are you staying?” Ellis demanded.

“Call the number. Violet will contact you as soon as possible.” He knew small town gossip would give the detective the information he sought soon enough, but Noah wasn’t in the mood to make his job easier.

He escorted Violet from the interrogation room, through the bullpen, and out the front door.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” drawled a low voice. “Long time, no see, Violet.” A tall, dark-haired cop leaned his back against the rental SUV, ankles crossed, arms folded across his massive chest. The sneer on his face marred his GQ good looks.

Her face lost all expression. “Fitz. You’re a cop?”

Noah studied the beat cop. So, this was Fitz Hanson, the jerk who dumped Violet because she wouldn’t put out.

“Of course. Family tradition. So, you finally came back to Morrison. Got to say I’m surprised. You lit out of here like a cat with her tail on fire.”

“I came back for Cami.”

He snorted. “Too little, too late. What good are you doing her now?”

“I’ll see that justice is done.”

Fitz straightened, glaring at Violet. “You’ll keep your nose out of the investigation if you know what’s good for you.”

“Is that a threat?” Noah asked, shifting position to stand partially in front of Violet.

“Who are you?”

“Hers. The name’s Noah. I asked you a question, Hanson. Are you threatening Violet?”

“Don’t have to threaten.” Fitz tapped his badge. “Anyone interfering in an active investigation can and will be arrested for obstructing justice. I’ll be happy to slap a pair of handcuffs on her or anyone else caught breaking the law.”

“You need to rethink your understanding of the law.”

“What do you know about it?”

“I was a homicide detective for ten years. It’s not illegal to ask questions or follow an investigation.”

“We do things our own way in Morrison.” Fitz’s smile was smug. “My daddy’s the chief of police, and he don’t tolerate no outsiders messing around in our business.”

“How long have you been a cop?”

“Long enough to know you ain’t got no power in Morrison.” His cold eyes shifted to Violet. “Do yourself a favor, sweet cheeks. Bury your sister and go back to your life. You don’t belong here now.” With that, Fitz sauntered toward the police station.

After he entered the building, Noah unlocked the SUV and opened the passenger-side door for Violet. When she continued to stare at the police station, Noah stepped in front of her. “Hey, you still with me?” he murmured.

Violet blinked and refocused on Noah. She blew out a breath. “Sorry. I didn’t expect to see him here, of all places.”

“You didn’t know he was a cop?”

She shook her head. “Cami never talked about him, not after what he did to me in high school. As far as she was concerned, Fitz Hanson didn’t exist.”

In a town the size of Morrison, Camilla had to be aware of him. No doubt her silence about Fitz’s career moves was her way of protecting Violet.

Noah helped her into the SUV and shut the door before circling the hood and climbing behind the wheel. “Where to next?”

“Medical examiner’s office.”

“Where is it?”

“The basement of the hospital. Turn right on Main Street and go straight. Morrison Hospital is five miles away on the left. You can’t miss it.” She lapsed into silence, staring out the window.

He followed her directions and soon parked in the lot in front of the hospital. Noah turned off the engine and twisted toward Violet. “Ready?” he asked softly.

“There’s no shame if you aren’t,” Grant said. “Do what’s best for you, Violet. If you’d rather wait until Camilla is at the funeral home, no one will think less of you.”

“I would. I have to do this for Cami.”

Noah got out. When he came around to her door, he scanned the area. No one seemed to pay attention to them, but the back of his neck tingled, a sure sign someone was watching them.

After helping her to the asphalt, Noah glanced at Grant and Rayne. “We have eyes on us.”

“Direction?” Rayne asked.

“Can’t tell.”

“Do you want us to go with you or wait here?”

“Stay,” Violet said. “See if you can figure out who’s so interested in our movements.”

Noah handed Grant the SUV’s remote. “Take off if things get hot.”

A nod. “Let me know when you’re finished. I’ll pick you up at the entrance. Less exposure for Violet.”

“Thanks.”

Wrapping his arm around Violet’s shoulders, he headed for the hospital’s entrance. Once inside the building, Noah skimmed the directory attached to the wall and headed for the bank of elevators.

They boarded a car, and he pushed basement level 2, where the morgue and ME’s office were located. As soon as the doors closed, Noah embraced Violet, holding her close while the elevator car descended to the lowest depths of the hospital.

The car arrived a minute later and the silver doors slid open soundlessly. The familiar scents of a morgue assaulted Noah’s nose the instant he stepped into the hall. Some smells you didn’t forget. The combination of harsh chemicals and death permeated the atmosphere in a noxious, memorable combination.

He glanced down at Violet. Her face showed absolutely nothing of the pain in her eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this, baby? Some things can’t be undone in life. Seeing Camilla on a slab is one of those things that will stick in your memory.”

She gave a curt nod and squared her shoulders.

Noah’s heart hurt for her. The next few minutes would be excruciatingly painful. “All right. If you need to get out of there in a hurry, tell me.”

Another brief nod.

He followed the signs to the medical examiner’s office and opened the door.

A woman sat at a desk, typing on a computer. She glanced up and smiled. “Hello. I’m Sandy. How can I help you?”

“My girlfriend, Violet Trevelyan, would like to see her sister. The name is Camilla Trevelyan.”

Sandy turned to Violet, sympathy in her eyes. “Of course. I’m so sorry for your loss, Ms. Trevelyan. If you would have a seat, I’ll let Dr. Royce know you’re here.”

Noah guided Violet to the cushioned chairs several feet from the receptionist’s desk.

“In case I forget to tell you later, thank you for coming with me,” she whispered.

“I will always have your back, Violet. You can count on me whenever you need me.”

She glanced over at him at that. “Back at you, Noah. Anytime, anywhere, I’ll be there for you.”

“What do you think about dogs?”

Violet blinked. “Dogs?”

“Yeah. You know. Four legs, two ears, a tail, and barks.”

“I love dogs. What about you?”

“They’re the best pets.”

“You’re not a cat fan?”

“Oh, I like them fine. Most of them don’t like me. Cats have a mind of their own and nothing I’ve done convinced them to be my buddies.”

“Why are you asking me about dogs?”

“I’d love to get one.”

“We’re deployed a lot, Noah. Who would take care of the dog when we’re out of the country?”

“I talked to Jesse’s wife, Simone. She’s willing to watch our dog when we’re deployed. She said her dog would enjoy the company, and she’d just bring ours to work along with hers.”

“You already asked her,” she murmured, sounding stunned.

“Like you, I was concerned about our frequent deployments and didn’t want to board the dog for a month. What do you think?”

“What size dog are we talking about? I don’t want to have a miniature horse running around a house or apartment, and I doubt Simone and Jesse’s dog would like a playmate that large, either.”

“I was thinking about a West Highland white terrier.”

“I love Westies.” Violet grinned. “They’re adorable, spunky, and loyal. I vote yes.”

Noah chuckled. “Excellent. When we go home, I’ll see what I can find. I have a friend who breeds Westies. If he has a litter ready, we’ll go on a field trip to see if one of his puppies might be the dog for us.”

An inner door opened, and a man in scrubs walked into the waiting area. “Ms. Trevelyan, I’m Dr. Royce.” He held out his hand to Violet. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

“I understand you want to see your sister.”

“Yes, sir.”

“If you’ll follow me, we have her ready for you.”

Noah wrapped his arm around Violet’s waist as they trailed the medical examiner down a long hall with utilitarian tiled floors and neutral paint.

The doctor stopped in front of a door labeled Viewing Room 4. Royce opened the door to a small room with a long curtained window. Inside the room were several chairs, a round table off to the side, and an intercom on the wall.

Royce gestured to the intercom and curtains. “Pull the curtains aside when you’re ready, Ms. Trevelyan. Take your time. When you’re ready to leave, use the intercom to let us know. Do you have questions for me?”

“I’m a paramedic so you can be straight with me, Dr. Royce.”

His eyebrows shot up. “All right. What are your questions?”

“How did Cami die?”

“She was stabbed seven times. The last wound pierced her heart.”

“Was she sexually assaulted?”

“I saw no sign of that.”

Violet sighed and leaned harder against Noah. “All right. Thanks.”

“Give me a minute, then open the curtain when you’re ready. There’s no hurry.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Noah tucked Violet against his chest as Dr. Royce left the room. He held her in silence until Violet’s tears stopped.

She eased back to look up at him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to cry all over you. Again.”

Her tear-streaked cheeks gutted him. Noah swiped the tears from her face. “I’m here for whatever you need, Violet. I wish I could ease the pain you’re in.”

A ghost of a smile curved her lips. “You can’t. No one can. But I appreciate the sentiment.” Violet glanced at the curtained window. “It’s time to open the curtain.”

“You heard the doc. Take your time. This is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do.”

“How often have you said the same thing to other family members?”

“Too often. I’ll tell you what I tell them. The dead can wait. Take care of yourself first. If you’re not ready, wait until you are.”

“I’ll never be ready. I don’t want to see Cami on a slab. My sister should be living and enjoying her life. This isn’t fair. I’m the one with the high-risk job. It should be me on a cold steel table, not my gentle twin.” She squared her shoulders. “So let’s do this and get out of here. I want to go to her apartment and talk to her neighbors.”

“Do you want me to wait outside in the hall?”

Violet shook her head. “I need you with me.”

“All right.” Noah walked to the window with her. “Ready?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “Do it.”

After wrapping one arm around Violet’s waist, Noah pushed the button to open the curtain.

As the curtains parted, Violet gasped and pressed closer to the window. On the gurney lay a woman who was a mirror image of her. “Cami.” Her voice broke. “I had hoped someone made a mistake, that my sister was still alive.”

Noah tucked Violet against his side. He’d lost count of how many times loved ones had said the same thing to him. “Tell me something good that happened to you and your sister.”

She was silent a moment, then said, “When we were five, Mom and Dad took us to a ranch on the outskirts of town. They’d arranged for us to go on a trail ride for our birthday.” She smiled. “I know now the two horses were old and slow mares, but they were the best horses in the world to us. Beautiful and gentle, both horses were dappled gray. We thought they would win awards for their beauty. The kind trail hands who took us on the ride must have thought we were silly. But neither one contradicted us.”

“How long was the ride?”

“Two hours.” Violet rested her head against his shoulder. “The best two hours of our young lives. From that point on, both of us rode horses whenever we could. We plastered horse posters all over our room.”

Her smiled faded. “The dream of owning our own horses died along with our parents. Aunt Rosalie refused to waste money on riding lessons or even on trail rides. She also refused to let us put up anything on the walls of our room. She didn’t want the paint marred.”

Noah steered the conversation back to more pleasant ground. “On your first ride, what were the names of the mares?”

“Sadie and Lady. They were so sweet. Sadie loved apples. Lady was more interested in carrots.”

“Sounds like you and Camilla had a good time.”

Violet laughed. “We talked about that ride for months. You would have thought Mom and Dad had given us the most expensive present available instead of paying a little money to a friend for his cowboys to lead two horses around a well-worn ranch trail.”

While she talked about Camilla and the horses, Violet kept her gaze on her sister’s face.

Looking at both of them in such close proximity, Noah had to admit he would have had a hard time discerning at first glance which sister was Violet.

After telling him a story about another horse ride the sisters had enjoyed for their sixth birthday, Violet turned to Noah. “Thank you for bringing back wonderful memories of Cami.” She shifted to her tiptoes and kissed him.

The tender, sweet kiss made Noah’s heart turn over in his chest. Man, he was so gone over this woman. If Violet ever walked away from him, she would shatter his heart into a thousand shards.

When she stepped out of his hold, she turned back to the window one more time. After a moment, she said, “You can close the curtain now.”

He pressed the button. When the curtain closed, Noah activated the intercom. “Dr. Royce, we’re finished. Thank you for arranging this for us.”

“No problem. Is there a particular funeral home we should contact?”

“Morrison Funeral Home,” Violet said. “I’ll call them in a few minutes and have Cami transported there.”

“I don’t mind making that call for you,” Royce said. “Your sister’s boyfriend has been here twice to see her and ask about arrangements.”

Her brows furrowed. “Her boyfriend?”

A slight pause. “You don’t know?”

“It must have been a new relationship, and I’ve been out of the country most of this month. Cami and I were supposed to meet in Gatlinburg in two weeks. I think she would have told me about him then.”

“I see. I don’t know where Bradley Melton lives. If you’ll return to my office, my assistant will give you his number.”

“Thanks for your help, Dr. Royce.” Noah turned off the intercom. “Let’s get Melton’s phone number and have Zane run a background check on him.”

They retraced their steps to the ME’s office and spoke to Sandy. After obtaining Melton’s phone number, Noah walked with Violet to the elevator. As they waited for the car to reach their floor, he sent a text to Grant to let him know they would exit the hospital soon.

“Does your friend with the Westies have a website so we can look at the puppies?” Violet asked.

Noah slid his phone into his pocket. He rattled off the email address. Violet called up the Fortress web browser on her phone and typed in the address.

When the elevator car arrived, he guided Violet inside. “Find it?”

“Look, Noah.” She pointed to a litter of Westie puppies. “He has a new litter almost ready for adoption.” Violet scrolled down the pictures of the individual puppies. “Do you want a boy or a girl?”

“Your choice, babe.”

“A boy. There are several boys in the litter.” Violet tapped the screen and brought up the picture of one puppy. “This one. I’d love to see this puppy.”

Noah glanced at the picture. The black nose, pointed ears, and inquisitive eyes brought a smile. When the elevator chimed their arrival on the ground floor, he nudged Violet out of the car and to the side so they wouldn’t block people waiting to board. He pulled out his phone and sent a message to Joe Swanson, the Westie breeder, asking him to hold the puppy until they returned to Nashville to see him. “Done.”

She whirled toward him. “What do you mean, it’s done? What did you do?”

“Sent Joe a message and asked him to hold the puppy for us. Joe has a pristine reputation in the dog breeding business, so his litters sell fast. If we decide this little guy isn’t for us, Joe won’t have trouble finding a different family for him.” Noah slid his phone into his pocket. “Have you thought of a name?”

“Max.”

He nodded. “Short and easy works. I like it.”

“Joe won’t sell him before we return home, will he?”

“Nope. Joe owes me a ton of favors. He’ll be glad to hold the puppy for us.”

Noah threaded his fingers through Violet’s and headed toward the hospital’s front entrance, where Grant and Rayne waited for them. The glass doors slid open as they approached.

He quartered the area as they hurried to the SUV. Although Noah saw nothing suspicious, something was very wrong.

Urging Violet to move faster, he lengthened his stride. Just a few more feet until they reached the vehicle. Unfortunately, the SUV wasn’t equipped with the standard safety features of their Fortress vehicles.

Five feet to go. Four. Three. Two. Just as his hand grasped the handle of the door, shots rang out.