Page 67 of Smoky Mountain K-9
“Watch it.”
Mara glanced down. Her foot was inches from a thin, nearly invisible wire. Gulping, she nodded and lifted her foot high, stepping over it.
At the door, Constance disabled another wire, then unlocked the door and shoved her through. “Have a seat over there.” She pointed to a wooden chair by the fireplace.
Mara’s eyes darted around the room as she stumbled toward the chair. A line of black, curved shields lined the center of the room, dividing it and cutting off her path to the rear door. She’d never make it before Constance could shoot her. Resigned to being captive for now, she sat down. When Constance picked up a length of rope, she stood again.
“Sit.” Constance lifted the gun.
Glaring, Mara hesitated.
“I only need you breathing to get Carter here. So, if you don’t want an extra hole in your body, sit down.”
Gritting her teeth, Mara perched on the edge of the chair. “Fine.”
Constance looped the rope around her and tugged, pulling her back in the seat. Mara wiggled her butt to sit up straighter. Slouching would just make her back hurt.
“Are you ready to tell me what this is about?” Mara turned so she could see Constance’s face. “What happened? Why do you blame Carter for your husband’s death?”
“Because he’s responsible!” Constance yanked on the rope, pulling it tighter than was comfortable. Mara bit back a wince. “If he’d done his job correctly, Kyle would still be alive.”
“I’m still confused. What did he do wrong?” Had he not investigated a case as rigorously as this woman thought he should have?
“He rushed. It’s the only explanation for why he and his dog missed that mine.”
Mara sucked in a breath as realization struck. “Is this about what happened in Afghanistan?”
“Ding-ding-ding. Give the woman a prize. Yes. Carter’s carelessness got my husband and two others killed.”
“I doubt it was carelessness.” She’d heard the story from him. He’d been thorough, but he was also human. And his dog wasn’t infallible. If it was even their fault.
“No. It was. Kyle would be alive if he’d done things correctly.” Anger simmered in her gray-blue gaze.
Mara pressed her lips together. It wouldn’t matter what she said. This woman had nurtured her hatred for years. “So, what do you intend to do?” She figured it involved killing one or both of them, but the more information she had, the better.
“Simple. Lure him here and watch him as you blow up when he trips a mine. Then he can live with the same pain I’ve felt for the last seven years.” She pointed to Mara’s chair.
Frowning, Mara glanced down. It was then that she noticed the thin wire running from both sides to the bottom of her seat. Eyes wide, she turned her gaze back to Constance. The woman grinned at her from ear-to-ear.
“You’re insane.”
“No.” Constance bent close. “Just vindictive.”
Thirty-Six
“Carter!” Ben’s voice carried through the station.
Rolling away from his desk, Carter stood. Calling Mav, he ran through the bullpen to Ben’s office. Tristan and Jake flanked the desk. Carter’s eyes bounced between the three of them. “What did you find out?”
Ben nodded to Tristan.
“This.” Tristan turned the tablet in his hands around and held it out to Carter. “Her prints came back.”
Taking it, Carter glanced down. The name on the screen made his blood run cold.
“I take it from the lack of color in your face, you know who that is?”
Carter nodded and handed the device back to Tristan. “Constance Messer is Kyle Messer’s wife. Kyle was one of the men who died after I missed an IED in a minefield in Afghanistan.”