Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Carol Ericson (short books to read TXT) đ
- Author: Carol Ericson
Book online «Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Carol Ericson (short books to read TXT) đ». Author Carol Ericson
Sheâd been out in her town every day since the bomb had gone off, reassuring citizens and doing the same kind of low-key investigative work as her officers. But right now the question of Rodney Brownâs involvement was still messing with her focus.
Jaxâs claim that Rodneyâs leaving was just coincidence could be right. Twelve years in law enforcement had taught her that stranger coincidences happened. The problem was, it had also taught her to always be suspicious of them, because too much of a coincidence usually meant it wasnât actually a coincidence.
Then again, maybe something bad had happened to Rodney, too. But what? And why?
Rodney Brown killing Celia Harris and then killing Juan was a real possibility she couldnât drop. But the bombing connection felt more tenuous.
What if they were two different people? The idea made Keara jerk straighter in her chair, making it roll slightly backward and bump the credenza behind her.
Two different people didnât mean they werenât connected.
The theory made her heart rate pick up, sent a familiar rush through her body. The thrill of the chase, when her gut was screaming sheâd hit on something. Sheâd felt it regularly as a detective. As a chief, she had less opportunity to be in the center of a case in the same way.
Grabbing her cell phone, she hit redial on a number that had started to appear constantly on her list of recent calls.
âJax Diallo.â
The deep, relaxing tone of his voice sent a little thrill through her that Keara tried to ignore. âJax, itâs Keara.â
âKeara.â
The way he said her name, the way she could practically see his slight smile, made her stomach clench. Pushing forward, she told him her new theory. âWhat if youâre right about Celia Harrisâs murder being personal? What if the person who killed her is still out there, but itâs not Rodney Brown?â
âI donâtââ
She kept talking, adrenaline pumping, her words spilling out faster as the idea continued to take shape. âWhat if the killer knew Rodney, knew the symbol he liked to use, and spray-painted it above Celiaâs body to lead police in the wrong direction? Or maybe theyâd had a falling out and it was a âscrew youâ kind of move?â
âSo youâre suggesting Rodney is the bomber?â Jax asked, not sounding anywhere near as excited by the theory as she felt.
âYes! When Juan came to talk to him about the murder, he was pissed because his symbol was used. He killed Juan to keep him from connecting it to his own crimes. Then he left town.â
âSo you think Juan is the one who let it slip about the symbol? But what about Rodneyâs car being near the murder scene?â Jax asked, still sounding confused.
âWe know Rodney was near there at the time of the killing. Maybe it really was coincidence. Or maybe he knew what was going to happen and drove by, but he wasnât the killer.â
âThen, the real killer told Rodney he was going to murder this woman? Why would he do that?â
âMaybe they had a sick friendship. You canât tell me you havenât seen criminals connect before, give each other ideas, trade stories about what theyâve done, even cooperate with each other. Maybe give each other alibis. Maybe play a one-upmanship game.â
âWell, sure,â Jax said, his tone still skeptical.
âMaybe thatâs what happened here,â Keara said, holding in her frustration. âAnd whether or not Juan mentioned the symbol, Rodney knew about it. So maybe that was his real worry. He wouldnât know that Houston PD isnât like the FBI. We donât have bomb databases. We wouldnât know if heâd used that symbol before, not if it was outside our jurisdiction.â
She blew out a heavy breath, tried to slow her adrenaline along with the speed of her words. âWhat Iâm saying, Jax, is that maybe the killer and the bomber arenât the same person. But maybe they know each other, even schemed together at one point. And Rodney killed my husband because he was onto something bigger than a single murder.â
Jax sighed. âItâs a good theory, Keara, but thereâs a problem.â
âWhat?â
âThe FBI ran the bombing details through our database, specifically that symbol. They finished reviewing everything today and confirmed it. Weâve never seen a bomb with this symbol before. Not in Houston, not anywhere.â
CHAPTER EIGHT
With every large-scale crime scene, Jax found at least one person whose resilience awed him. From the Luna bombing, that person was Gabi Sinclair.
The young woman was a fighter. Sheâd lost a leg, lost a fiancĂ©. She was definitely angry, grieving and in pain, but she was also strong. She had a lot still to get through, but he knew sheâd come out the other side of it.
He went to see Gabi at her momâs house in Desparre, where she was staying while she healed. He was hoping she might remember something more, since sheâd been at the edge of the park, maybe at a good vantage point to see the bomber leave the scene. But she had nothing new to offer him, just like he had nothing new to share about the investigation. The most he was able to do was return her fiancĂ©âs watch, which had been processed by the FBI.
âThey told me in a month, Iâll get a preparatory prosthetic,â Gabi said, fighting through the pain as she settled herself on her momâs couch, with Patches beside her good leg. âAfter a few months Iâll be able to get fitted for something permanent. Then Iâm going to learn to run again.â
She said it all with her chin tipped high, with her mom clutching her hand and fighting tears. Gabi only broke down once, when he handed her the watch and she told him about her fiancĂ©âs funeral, which had been put on hold long enough for Gabi to be released from the hospital.
As Jax and Patches climbed into his rental SUV, Gabiâs broken words echoed in his head. âI thought Carter and I had so much
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