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Maribelle hesitated. “I won’t answer questions about my husband, Sheriff. Or about the Chosen. It’s a risk to leave here with you. Betraying Xavier any further would put me in serious danger.”
“You’re protected under the law, Mrs. Whitlock. I can’t compel you to testify against your husband or answer my questions about him. You would have to waive your right of spousal privilege. I understand why you wouldn’t.”
The woman was terrified of her husband. Claire’s immediate concern was getting Maribelle some place safe. But the older woman’s statement confirmed Xavier was conducting illegal activity on his property. Did it also mean she was lying about where her husband was on the night of Stephanie’s murder? It was possible. But Claire’s gut said Maribelle was telling the truth. The love she had for her daughter was obvious. It seemed unlikely she would protect Stephanie’s murderer, even if it meant risking her own life.
Maribelle placed her hand over Claire’s and squeezed. “Faye said you were nice, that I could trust you. She was right.”
Those kind words sent a wave of unexpected grief crashing through Claire.Oh Faye, what I wouldn’t give to speak to you now.One last conversation…to say all the things she hadn’t in life. It was a regret she’d carry with her forever. Claire had been in survival mode for so long, she’d forgotten how to express her feelings to those she loved.
Was she making the same mistake with Gavin? She hadn’t told him how she truly felt. She was so busy trying to protect her heart, she hadn’t shared what was in it.
Maribelle released Claire’s hand and sat back in her chair. She licked her lips nervously. “I need to tell you something, but no one can know you found out about it from me. Please give me your word.”
“You have it.”
“My daughter was seeing someone secretly. She was in love, but I was concerned the young man didn’t feel the same. That he was playing with my daughter’s feelings. His family didn’t approve of Stephanie.” Maribelle’s lips flattened into a thin line. “Then she ended up pregnant. Stephanie said she was getting married and then…”
She’d been killed. Claire’s mind whirled with possibilities. She leaned forward. “Do you know who Stephanie was secretly dating?”
Maribelle nodded, lifting her gaze to meet Claire’s. “Ian Scott, the mayor’s son.”
Gavin’s hands tightened on the steering wheel as he maneuvered around a tractor stuttering along the two-lane country road. His mind raced as quickly as his tires rotated against the asphalt. He’d known there was something strange about their interactions with Ian Scott. Could he have killed his secret girlfriend when she became pregnant? Sadly, that type of scenario was far too common. Especially if Ian felt trapped between his family’s expectations and Stephanie’s.
He certainly had the clout to determine who the next sheriff would be. His father was the mayor and his wife worked for City Hall. Convincing them to hire someone Ian had selected would be a simple matter.
In the passenger seat beside him, Claire hung up her phone and tossed it in the cup holder. “Ian called in sick this morning, but no one is answering the phone at his house. His cell is turned off. Something about this isn’t right.”
“Do you think he’d run? We found Stephanie’s body yesterday. Ian could be on a Mexican beach by now.”
“I doubt it.” She gripped the door handle as Gavin sped through a yellow light. “Ian wasn’t honest with us about his relationship with Stephanie, but there could be several reasons why. We can’t assume he’s the killer.”
Gavin tapped the brakes as he turned into Ian’s neighborhood. Within moments, they parked in the mansion’s driveway. The front door swung open and a female housekeeper in a black uniform rushed out. Her eyes were wide with fear. In one hand, she held a cell phone.
“Thank goodness you got here so quickly.” The woman’s words tumbled out. From the cell phone’s speaker, a voice demanded answers. The housekeeper was on the phone with emergency services. Tears rolled down her face. “Mr. Scott has a gun. I don’t know what he plans to do with it.”
“Where is he?” Gavin barked out, his hand immediately flying to his own weapon.
“In his bedroom. I think he’s been drinking. When I went in to clean, he screamed for me to stay away. I’ve never seen him so angry.”
“Is anyone else in the house?” Claire asked. She’d palmed her own weapon.
“Kylie, the other housekeeper, is still upstairs. I tried to get her to come with me to call the police, but she wouldn’t move…”
The rest of her sentence dissolved into sobs. She was shaking uncontrollably. Gavin ordered her to stay put and then quickly jogged up the walkway to the front door. It hung open. “Police, Mr. Scott. I’m coming in.”
There was no reply. Claire appeared by his side, her tone sharp as she relayed instructions to dispatch. The radio crackled. Backup was ten minutes away.
A lot could happen in ten minutes. Ian was armed and possibly drunk. Killer or not, he wasn’t acting rationally. There was an innocent woman still in the house. Gavin had to find her before she was harmed. He crossed the threshold, gun outstretched. The tiled entryway was empty. A spiral staircase led to the upper floor. Gavin’s boots didn’t make a sound as he ascended.
Claire stayed close, her own weapon raised. Near the landing, she whispered, “The housekeeper said the bedroom is at the end of the hall.”
He was glad she’d had the presence of mind to ask because Gavin hadn’t. He adjusted the grip on his weapon. Sweat beaded along his hairline. He listened for any sound, but the house was quiet. The ornate double doors leading to the bedroom were shut. Thick carpeting sank under his feet and the hallway smelled of elderflower and whiskey.
Gavin slid alongside the bedroom doors. “Ian Scott, this is the police. Put your weapon down and come out with your hands up.”
Silence. Gavin glanced at Claire as she reached for the door handle. Time seemed to stop as their gazes held. Adrenaline sharpened his senses, imprinting everything about Claire in his brain. The loose strand of hair curving around her neck, the smattering of freckles on her nose, the determination in her crystal blue eyes. Emotions Gavin couldn’t name rolled through him like a hurricane. They threatened to unmoor him.
He was falling in love with her. Right or wrong, good timing or not, the truth smacked him clear across the face. There was no going back. He would lay down his life for this woman. Not because it was his job, but because his heart demanded it.
