Page 64 of Now or Never

She was wondering that as well. Whether the guy was employed by the Pentagon.

“No idea. The neighbors never spoke to him, never saw him wearing a uniform, or had any clue what he did. He’s lived here a few months, but that’s it. Pays cash to the landlord. Nothing personal in the house. All the mail is junk for the previous resident.”

“Do you have a photo of him?” Kenna asked. “I doubt I’ll know who he is, but I prefer to cross any possibilities off the list that I can.”

The officer went to the forensic tech and took the iPad the tech handed him. He swiped through the screens and showed her the crime scene images with the body.

Kenna took the iPad, looking first at the scene. “It matches the other death. Definitely the same killer, because there’s no way anyone knows enough to be a copycat.” She enlarged the man’s face with two fingers.

“Any idea who he is?”

Kenna didn’t want to lie. “I’ve seen him before, but I don’t know what his name is.” At least not his real one. “Or why he’s here. Or why, or who, might want to kill him.” She handed the iPad back. “Thank you for your time.”

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Jax said.

Kenna would’ve stayed a moment longer, but the look on his face indicated that wasn’t going to happen. She stepped outside first and spotted Ramon and Zeyla on guard at the end of the front walk, with Ramon chatting up the officer at the curb.

He spotted them coming and his body language immediately changed. He strode over and met them at the end of the walk. “What is it?”

Kenna said, “I was wondering the same thing about you.”

“Someone tripped the security system at the RV.” Jax put his arm out. She set off for the car, and he put his hand on the small of her back, then hit the button on his keys to start the engine. “Not getting old, is it?”

“You taking care of me?” Kenna stopped by the car. “Ask me again in ten years. Maybe it will have gotten old by then, but I highly doubt it.” She touched his cheeks. “I like it that you’re here to protect me.”

“It has fringe benefits.”

She laughed.

Jax smiled, but he looked distracted.

Kenna opened her door. “Who’s at the RV?”

“Female.” He scanned the street. “She’s sitting in one of our chairs out front.”

“I’ll call Maizie on the way. See if she accessed the information stored in those photos. We need a break in this case, or we’re going to keep spinning our wheels and getting nowhere.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Who was killed?” Maizie’s voice came through the car speakers.

Kenna leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “What?”

“At the house, that scene,” Maizie said. “Who died?”

“One of those retired guys. I don’t know which number he was. Four. Two. One of them was killed.” She shook her head. “That was months ago, so it has to be one of the others.”

“Two of them showed up to take my blood.”

She opened her eyes and looked at Jax. “Right. You told me that.”

“Something about needing the father’s genetic profile.” He gripped the steering wheel, but they weren’t going anywhere fast in this inching-along traffic.

Jax probably wished he had lights and sirens, as he had during his days as an FBI agent. It certainly made getting somewhere fast a lot easier. But right now, that wasn’t an option, so whoever was waiting for them at the RV would have to wait long enough for them to get there.

He shook his head. “They could’ve asked. Instead, they decided to just take it.”

Ah, so he wasn’t super upset that the guy was dead?