Page 7

H e looked like a different person.”

Those words played over and over in her mind.

Cole said nothing more, for which she was grateful, as he concentrated on driving in the pouring rain, through heavy traffic and oblivious pedestrians.

They approached the ferry station. Jo’s breathing hitched.

Could she do this? Could she get onto another ferry so soon after everything that happened this morning?

The Yukon inched forward behind a crimson Volvo midsize SUV.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. He must have noticed her tensing up.

“Sure about what?” Might as well play dumb when she didn’t want to admit what a coward she was.

“We could always just take the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.”

“At this time of day, the traffic would be awful. We’re here.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure, okay?” She snapped at him. “I’m sorry. Thanks for checking. To be honest, I’m not sure, but I don’t want to fight the traffic.”

In fact, while they rode the ferry, maybe she could answer his questions, and then, on the other side of the sound, they could part ways.

That would be for the best. He’d hurt her, and even though they agreed to work together as professionals, it was harder to maintain that emotional distance than she thought.

I really am a coward.

Her elbow on the armrest, she rubbed her temple. “You had questions about my mother. Why don’t we talk about that?”

“It can wait. I know you’re stressed. I’m not in a hurry.”

Maybe I am. “Talking about what happened before would distract me from getting back on the ferry.” She noticed they’d switched out the Chimacum for another one. Maybe that’s because a murder had been committed and portions of the ferry were deemed a crime scene.

Cole inched forward behind the line of cars and steered onto the ferry. Jo couldn’t believe how much her pulse raced. Was it just this morning that she’d witnessed a murder? Nearly drowned? A shiver or two or three crawled over her. She tugged her jacket tighter.

God , I just want to be home in my bed. I just want to be back in the rainforest and pretend I never came here. That Pop was still working nearby. “Ask me questions, Cole, please.” She’d already told him a lot, but there was more.

“All right. So, you mentioned your mother never returned home. You said she warned you that if something happened, you needed to hide. But you didn’t at first. You waited.”

“No. I didn’t. I stayed. I grieved. I worked. Mom had told me to hide if something happened to her. But I didn’t listen. I didn’t open the security box. Not at first. I was too shocked. I tried to get the police to understand that she had warned me of something.”

“Makes you wonder what triggered her to suddenly warn you. Had she received some kind of warning herself?”

“Not that she told me, but that makes sense that she could have. And if she had told me what it was, then I could have shown that to the police. Obviously, something set her off.”

“Did you show them the safety-deposit box?”

“I was scared that whatever was inside might have been more indicting than helpful.” Wow. Saying that out loud made it sound bad.

“Yeah, I can see that. Good call.”

Oh, good. Cole understanding her logic reassured her.

“Plus, they could possibly prevent me from using the tools she left. I made a mistake. Okay? Besides, I wasn’t going to leave, I wasn’t going to run before her funeral.

I wanted to know what she was afraid of.

I wanted her murder solved! A few days before she was laid to rest, someone followed me.

He grabbed me, pulled me into an alley, and I kicked him where it hurts most. I was able to get away.

When I got to my apartment, I found it had been trashed.

Now I wish I would have turned to look at him.

You know I would have remembered his face.

Drawn it, and he would be behind bars. But in that moment, all I could think was to run. ”

“That thinking saved your life, Jo. And the police?”

She shrugged. “I mean, what are they going to do? They investigated. Even went as far as dusting for prints, which they don’t for every situation. But I worked with them, freelancing like Mom, and so they did it to give me the benefit of the doubt.”

“Please tell me you didn’t stay in your apartment until the funeral.”

“I didn’t. I stayed with my friend Becky Stobbe, who had moved back in with her parents. I was there until the funeral.”

“And the safety-deposit box?”

“Before the funeral, I opened it. I should have listened to my mom. Inside I found cash—lots of it—along with a note explaining that I should take the enclosed passport with a new ID and travel with it so I couldn’t be followed.

Use the fob to the vehicle at a storage unit.

Disappear for good.” She turned to him, her eyes wide. “Can you imagine my complete shock?”

“I think I can, actually. And you did disappear.”

Almost. But she still used her real name and not the new ID.

“Yes. I was completely out of my element, but she had prepared for this day for a reason big enough to get her killed, and I was next. After the funeral, I grabbed luggage I’d packed, got the car out of the storage unit, and traveled across the country.

Unfortunately, she didn’t tell me where to go.

Just to disappear. That’s how I ended up in Kansas.

Before I left, I told the police everything, including my mother’s warning, but they still didn’t rule her death as a homicide or even suspicious.

They didn’t find whoever trashed my apartment.

They still maintain that her car accident was nothing more than an accident.

Her car was found overturned in a flooded ditch.

There wasn’t anything suspicious connected to her death. ”

“Until now,” Cole said. “Now there’s movement. The police are looking into her death again.”

“I want to talk to the Michigan detective. Who is he? I hope he’s someone new on the case.”

“Rick Wilson is a detective in the cold case unit. Does he sound familiar?”

“I don’t know him, but I mean, seriously, a cold case already?”

“In Michigan, a case is cold after a year. The fact they considered it a case even though it was ruled an accident tells you something. But it’s been three years.”

Had it been that long? Why hadn’t she done something—tried to find Mom’s killer—before now? As for the new detective, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but fresh eyes and new interest had to be good, right?

“I think talking to him is a great idea,” Cole said. “Remember, I’m looking into this too, and working with the police is the best way to go. I’ll try to set something up.”

Jo leaned her head against the headrest. A murder on the ferry. Her mother? Her father? What next?

She skimmed her smartphone. Maybe she shouldn’t, but she wanted to see if her story had gone viral. She spotted multiple news stories about the murder on the ferry, and her gut clenched. Nausea erupted. But she needed to see. She needed to know.

“Oh ... no...”

“What?” he asked.

“Too many viral images of me.” She looked up and held his gaze. “What was I thinking, coming out of hiding?”

“Let me see.” He leaned in as she held the phone for him to view the screen.

He watched a few moments, then sighed. “You look different here, Jo. Maybe you won’t be recognized.”

Then again, maybe this was all good. Stirring up trouble could be the best way to get answers. Hadn’t she hidden long enough?

“They’ll still publish my name. Someone is going to find me. Whoever chased me out of Michigan, whoever killed my mother, now knows I’m in Washington. They could already be here.”

“They only know you were here. They don’t know you live here. People travel across Puget Sound for multiple reasons. Tourists. Business travelers.”

“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“We’ll figure it out. I’ll find a place for you to stay.”

“You don’t have to give me protection. I know you have other obligations. Other commitments.”

“That all involve you.” He held her hand and looked at her, deep and long.

This wasn’t the professionalism she’d asked of him, but Jo was powerless against the gentle caress of his thumb and the longing in his eyes. The way he squeezed her hand made her want to move closer and melt into him.

Get a grip.

“Nothing ... nothing is more important than your safety,” he said. “Solving the mystery of your mother’s murder isn’t more important. Figuring out what’s going on with your dad isn’t more important. My job isn’t more important. You are what’s important to...”

He let his words trail off. What had he been going to say?

To me...

He’d almost said it. She knew it. She couldn’t breathe. Oh , Cole...

Jo pulled her hand away. Now she could breathe. “Solving her mystery can help me to be safe.”

Hurt flickered briefly in his gaze, but then he smiled, and that reassured her. “I’m glad you see it that way.”

Jo turned her attention to the cars ahead of them, willing the ferry to go faster so she could put distance between them. A lot of space. Getting out of this vehicle would go a long way.

“You do understand that your safety is my priority, Jo, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“So please let me help you. I’m good at this.”

Though she kept her focus ahead, she smiled at that. “I have no doubt.”

“I can give you a list of protective detail references if needed.”

So he was keeping it professional and not so personal. He was sending her mixed signals. “No need. I’ll accept whatever you can offer, Cole.” But he hadn’t mentioned cost. She’d figure that out later when she got some space from him.

Cole got out his cell when a text came through and stared at it, leaving her alone with her thoughts.