Page 101 of Present Danger (Rocky Mountain Courage 1)

“Terra, no. We’re still hoping to find even a small piece of evidence.” Crimes against persons and property fell within the county sheriff’s jurisdiction, otherwise Terra might investigate. Except in this case, the vandalism was linked to her.

And that’s what worried him.

Was it deliberately linked to her?

Terra, Erin, and Alex walked around the edges of the tape. Grief carved into her features, Terra made a full circle, leaving Erin and Alex standing on the other side, while Terra joined Jack.

“Who and why, Jack? I don’t understand. Random vandalism? Is someone sending a message? If so, what’s the message? I just don’t get why someone would do this. Why now?”

Why now, indeed. Jack’s chest constricted. Terra’s mother’s plaque had been obliterated as if someone had taken some kind of vengeance against it. He had no answers. This could be a distraction to pull her focus from her current investigation.

“We’ll find whoever was behind this,” he said. “In the meantime, stay focused on your investigation.”

Her eyes held his. “You think this is about our investigation?”

He leaned closer and caught the scent of vanilla in her hair. “I didn’t say that. But all possibilities are on the table.” He peered at her beautiful face, saw the hurt mixed with anger, and Jack wanted to hold her. Tell her it was all going to be okay. Since he’d given up his undercover work, he was done with lying or putting on a facade. “I’m concerned about you.”

Her lips revealed the smallest of smiles. And something in her eyes—trust. Something he’d longed to earn again from her, though he hadn’t realized it until this moment.

“Then I have nothing to worry about if you’re concerned,” she said. “That means I can trust you to find who did this.”

She didn’t understand that he’d failed in the worst kind of way before. How did he tell her? He couldn’t bring himself to open up about it any more than he could tell Aunt Nadine. So he admitted the truth to himself.

He’d been wrong.

He was still a liar.