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“Since when do you wear glasses?” Jason asked, sipping a mug of strong coffee as he scrolled through the messages on his smart phone.
“Since forever,” she replied absently. “See...there’s something you don’t know about me. I even wore glasses back when I was in high school, or at least I was supposed to.” She flashed him a mischievous smile. “I didn’t think they were sexy, so I refused to wear them.”
There was a knock at the door, and Deputy Black called Jason’s name through the door. Slanting a look at Caroline, he opened the door and let the deputy in.
“They made an arrest last night,” Colton said. “Two men have confessed.”
Caroline threw the files to one side and climbed to her feet, yanking her reading glasses off. “Are you sure? Who was it?”
Colton looked at Jason as if for permission. Jason nodded curtly.
“After the break-in at the Santa Cruz house, the police received an anonymous tip that two men were seen in the vicinity of the Sea Cliff residence on the night of the shooting.”
“Go on,” Jason said.
“Who called it in?” Caroline interrupted. “Are they sure they have the right men?”
Colton looked at her, his expression serious. “My understanding is that the police just brought them in about ten minutes ago, and they’re still being questioned. But one of the men did admit to the shooting.”
Caroline turned to Jason. “We have to get down there. I want to see these guys for myself.”
“Do they have names?” Jason asked.
Deputy Black nodded. “Yeah. They’re two of Sanchez’s men.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“He’s the Mexican drug lord who wanted to serve the remainder of his sentence in Mexico?” Caroline looked at Jason for confirmation.
He nodded absently. “Yes, but it doesn’t make sense. Why would his men confess?”
“My understanding is that whoever called in the tip was able to provide a tag number for the car they were driving. The police went to the address and found the men. Someone had worked them over pretty good. From what I hear, they practically begged the police to take them in.”
Caroline frowned. “But they did confess.”
“That’s correct.”
“So then it’s over?” Caroline turned to look at Jason again.
He didn’t want to crush her hopes, but the news just didn’t make sense to him. If the men had been beaten, it was because they had botched the job, or someone with even more influence than Sanchez had intimidated the men into confessing.
“Deputy, I’m sending you over to the police department to oversee the questioning. I’ll bring Caroline over to the hospital. Until we have solid proof that these are our guys, we’re not doing anything differently.”
“But, Jason—”
“I’m not taking any chances,” he said, forestalling whatever argument she might have presented. “I don’t know who these guys are or if they really are part of Sanchez’s gang or why they would confess to the shooting. They must know that if they implicate Sanchez, he’ll have them killed. Being in prison won’t keep them safe.”
Caroline sighed heavily and walked over to the far side of the room, hugging her arms around her middle. Jason’s eyes lingered on her for several seconds, and then he turned his attention back to Colton.
“Get over to the station and check it out,” he said. “If anything seems out of place with their story, let me know.”
Colton nodded and looked over at Caroline. “What will you do?” he asked quietly.
Jason followed his gaze. “Deputy Mitchell and I will bring her over to the hospital to see her father, and we’ll wait for your call.”
When they were alone again, she pivoted toward him. “Do you think it was them? Sanchez’s men? I mean, it’s possible, right? Sanchez is on your list of potential suspects, based on how my father ruled against him.”
“It’s possible that Sanchez’s men are culpable,” he conceded. “But I’ll have the FBI look into those malpractice cases, just as a precaution. Until we know for certain these men were responsible, you’re still under my protection. That’s not going to change.”
13
CAROLINE SAT BY her father’s bedside, holding his hand in her own. The doctors, satisfied with his progress, had removed the ventilator, and he was breathing on his own. He still had a number of tubes coming out of him, but he did seem to be resting more comfortably.
