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Jenna had no reason to disbelieve his story; she had checked him out and his creds appeared legitimate. Although, not many detective sergeants swept their rooms for bugs or had the body of a marine. Her mind went to the previous night. The moment he had turned his car onto her property, his eyes had flicked from side to side, taking full account of her well-hidden surveillance. His head had not moved, and the familiar ploy had her inner alarm bell ringing loud and clear. She would bet her last dollar he was ex-secret service and had a past he wanted hidden. If she poked too hard, he would start looking into her background and could easily have the clearance to discover her secrets. Her excuse would have to be a good one to pass his scrutiny. She shrugged. “Nothing unusual is going on. I came here to get far away from an abusive relationship. He was a cop, so my trust is limited and I’m not foolish enough to let my guard down.”
“What else has spooked you? This setup is overkill.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, and he noticed her hesitation and raised a dark brow. Glaring at him, she lifted her chin. “Okay, fine. Many locals don’t hide the fact they hate a woman doing a man’s job and want to see the back of me.” She sipped her coffee and considered him over the rim of the mug. “I believe last night was one of the disgruntled residents trying to frighten me in the hope I’d leave town. The council elections are coming up soon and my position here is on the line.”
“I see.” Kane toyed with his coffee cup, turning the mug with the tips of his long fingers. “If you’d agree, ma’am, I’ll investigate the incident and discover who tried to kill you last night and deal with them personally. If you believe anyone in town is a potential threat, then I want a list of names along with any open cases you are investigating. If you know of anything concerning you or your safety, I need to know.” He waved a hand toward the front door. “You shouldn’t have to live like this. I could rig up a silent alarm that goes straight to my cellphone?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have an alarm and it’s usually activated.”
“That won’t save you if you believe your life is in danger. This ranch is isolated and I can be here in minutes.” Kane’s gaze roamed over her face. “If you want, I can fit a chip into one of your earrings, then if you get into trouble out on patrol, squeeze it and I’ll be able to track your whereabouts.” His mouth twitched into a small smile. “It’s obvious you’re a tech head, so if you’d rather make one, I could give you the specifications. I’m not suggesting this to keep tabs on you. I’m offering my help, is all. Let’s face it, if I wanted to kill you, I’ve had ample opportunity in the past eight hours.”
Every word he had said made sense, and the idea of twenty-four-seven personal protection eased her nerves. She nodded in agreement. “Okay, I’ll take you up on your offer and thank you.”
As she removed the diamond stud from her ear and handed it over, she stared at the large, handsome man sitting at her table. Having someone like him to watch her back would be a dream come true, but he could be a plant sent to arrange a fatal accident for her. I would so much like to trust you, David Kane, but not yet.
Five
Kane leaned back in his seat at Alton’s kitchen table, trying to unravel why she was acting so defensive. He detected the strain on her face. Whatever she was dealing with had caused her considerable worry. He had taken inventory of the interior of her house and noticed the complete lack of personal items—well, apart from the pink slippers. The family photographs and personal knickknacks most people displayed in their homes were missing, and women living in secluded rural areas usually owned a dog. He assumed she was like him before he made the mistake of marrying Annie. Back then, he had preferred to be devoid of attachments and ready to leave at a moment’s notice. He had been in Jenna’s position, lived through the sleepless nights waiting for the silent assassin, but being married had made him soft. He had not discovered the bomb under his car. His wife had died and his carelessness carried the blame. His commander refused to ignore the hit and ordered him to vanish. Standing in the rain watching his empty coffin buried beside Annie had been surreal. He accepted the chance of a new life for one reason—revenge. One day, he would seek justice for Annie and it would be brutal.
He understood Alton’s fear. The world believed him dead, but his knapsack remained packed and ready for a quick getaway. Yet Alton had lived in Black Rock Falls for at least two years, apparently without a problem. He did not buy the battered woman story, not her; she could take a man down with one hand tied behind her back. The threat to her life might have shaken her but she had broken the first rule of survival. He wanted to know why she had not taken off immediately, if she believed him a threat, but questions would have to wait until he gained her trust. “What else is bothering you? If anyone in town is a threat, I need to know. I can’t protect you if I’m kept out of the loop.”
“I’ll give you the access code to view the department’s files but apart from neighborhood disputes and the like there are three main cases.” Alton placed her mug on the table and the pink tip of her tongue flicked across her lips. “People are going missing, and if there is a killer on the loose and I’m living alone, then my extra precautions are valid.”
“So why bug my room?”
“I was watching my back. Just in case my ex paid someone to take revenge or check out my vulnerability.” She shrugged in a dismissive gesture. “You see, for the last two years, I’ve put in requests for a deputy sheriff without success. Then, without notice, the mayor suddenly receives funding to create the position, and the only person to apply was you. Kind of suspicious, don’t you agree?”
“Not at all.”
“Yeah, it is.” Alton let out a long sigh and her dark blue gaze settled on his face. “What’s the probability of you seeing the advertisement I placed in the Black Rock Falls County news?” She leaned back in her chair and gave him a long, concerned look. “You worry me.”
Then you have something to hide. “Do I? I’m sorry if you don’t believe me.”
“Maybe you should explain just how you came to apply for the job?”
She intrigued him and he wanted to call his contact at HQ and get intel on her. He chuckled to clear the tension in the room. “The social worker at the hospital where I recovered found the advertisement for the position online and suggested I apply. After being shot in the head I wanted a quiet life, and for the record, I’m not after your job.” He rubbed his chin. “If you thought I might be a problem, why did you accept my application?”
“I have three deputies. Rowley is twenty-five and as solid as a rock, Daniels is fresh out of college, and Walters is old enough to be my grandpa.” Her cheeks pinked. “I needed an experienced officer to be my deputy. Trust me, I checked you out and you came up clean… maybe too clean.”
He stretched, acting as nonchalant as possible under her scrutiny, something he had perfected over the years. “It sounds like I have experience way beyond the others in your department. I’m street-smart and I’ll watch your six. What do you have on the missing persons’ cases?”
She tossed her head in an action he guessed she once used to flick long hair over one shoulder, then as if remembering her short bob, pushed a few strands behind one ear.
“We have many itinerant workers drifting in and out of the area depending on the season but over the last couple of months two people have apparently arrived in town and vanished.” Her brow wrinkled. “Trust me, Black Rock Falls isn’t a place most people would want to visit in winter.”
I wonder if you’ve had plastic surgery like me. Kane refilled his coffee and took time adding the sugar and cream. “I agree. So who or what alerted you to the problem?”
“A young woman came into the station to file a missing persons’ report. Her name is Sarah Woodward.” Alton fingered the bandage on her forehead and pressed the dark blue bruise under her eye. “She arrived two weeks ago looking for her grandma, Samantha Woodward. Apparently, she is a spry and healthy sixty-eight. Nine months ago, after her husband died, she sold up and informed Sarah she’d be traveling around the state. Last she’d heard, she’d planned to visit Black Rock Falls.” Jenna wet her lips. “We know she arrived and opened a post office box then she dropped off the earth.”
Kane raised a brow. “Maybe she moved on. Did you pass on the information to the sheriff of the next county?”
“No, because Sarah mentioned her grandma planned to purchase a small ranch here. Many years ago her father owned land in the area and I guess she wanted to recapture her youth. Sarah’s mother received letters from her on a regular basis, then two months ago the letters stopped and Sarah became worried. She checked hospitals along the route she’d taken, and when she couldn’t find any trace of her, she ended up in Black Rock Falls. Her grandma mentioned the town but no specific area.” Jenna sighed and ran her slim fingers through her short hair. “She ran into brick walls trying to get help from the locals and came into the station to report her missing last Tuesday.”
Kane rubbed his chin. “Do people still write letters?”
“Apparently so.” Alton shrugged and her mouth turned down. “She was old-school, preferred to write letters, and refused to own a cellphone. Her granddaughter told me she believed them to be intrusive and preferred to speak to people in person.”
“Okay. How was she picking up her mail?” He removed his woolen cap and scratched his head. He m
