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Fenn and Tai and Kate were outside, providing discreet protection. Not that Dressler or Vangie Myles were capable of breaking out of the squad cars.
He bent down to pick up one of the bigger shards of glass. His fingers shook. It was taking way longer than he wanted to admit to master the icy fear that shook him to the core. Jane could have died. Would have, if it weren’t for Mason and Paige’s quick thinking.
What if they’d ignored the threat to her?
Nausea roiled his belly. He clenched his teeth, willing himself to find the calculating calm that saw him through a decade of black ops work.
It had only been a week, but Jane had burrowed so far under his skin he’d never be the same.
And she had no idea.
If he had his way, she never would. She was Jason’s baby sister, so that was a total no-go. Not that it mattered. He wasn’t exactly relationship material himself. And he wasn’t looking.
But all the perfect logic in the world couldn’t stop the feels. He might pretend he didn’t want a relationship, but he sure wanted to see where things with Jane might lead. He tossed the jagged glass in the big garbage can Mason had brought in. Tai and Fenn and Kate clomped back inside before he started down a bad, bad road.
“Whew.” Tai pointed out the window at the squad cars just pulling out of the drive. “Those two are something else. Ten pounds of crazy in five-pound sacks.”
The sheriff came in behind him. He snorted, shaking his head. “Haven’t heard that phrase in a while.”
“You get used to it.” Bridger threw his buddy a look. “Kind of.”
Pastor Myles was almost to the ER in Buttermilk Valley. The paramedics reported that he’d already regained consciousness.
All that was left was cleaning up the mess. Blood and glass everywhere. Thankfully, none of it hers. She’d gotten away with a few nicks from flying glass around her hairline.
A fact he’d already thanked his Savior for at least twenty times since he blew in the door.
“Did Vangie talk?” he asked the sheriff.
Hammond laughed dryly and sank down on one of the clean barstools. “Talk’s not the word for it. Woman couldn’t rat out Dressler fast enough. Same goes for him. The way those two have turned on each other, we won’t even need to have trials. We could just turn ‘em loose on each other.”
He shook his head sadly and continued. “Turns out Vangie and Dressler had this planned for years. ‘Fated lovers,’ she said.” He wrinkled his nose as if he’d gotten a whiff of rotten garbage. “Vangie knew her husband had been blackmailed a couple years before. She figured that was their way in. Start it up again and then they’d have a reason to kill Myles off.”
Jane turned to Bridger, her beautiful eyes troubled. “That part never made any sense. Why kill the golden goose?”
Sheriff Hammond rubbed his bald pate. “Turns out this was never about the blackmail money. Jane was right about the life insurance. Dressler says the original plan was to make it look like a suicide. Despair over the blackmail.”
“Clever,” Bridger acknowledged. “Only Jason started investigating. Ruined that plan pretty quick.”
Broom in hand, Mason sidled closer. “Why drag this out so long? If I had my mind set on a woman, I sure wouldn’t wait years.”
The sheriff rubbed the top of his bald head. “He didn’t say as much, yet, but my guess is Dressler wasn’t eager to commit. I think Vangie got tired of waiting. She started the blackmail then bullied him into helping.”
Fenn grabbed a mop and a spray bottle of cleaner. “She must have figured a spare million would sweeten the deal.”
“But Randall’s family’s wealthy.” Jane protested. “Vangie might need the money, but he wouldn’t. Certainly not enough to commit murder.”
Paige swung her laptop around so they could see the screen. “His family might have money, but Mr. Handsome’s flat broke.”
Tai clapped Mason on the shoulder. “Told you. You owe me lunch.”
“Fine.” Mason muttered.
“Oooh, food.” Paige sat up straighter. “Who’s up for pizza after this?”
Tai grabbed the vacuum from Bridger’s hand. “Give me that. You’re slower than molasses in January, Captain.”
Jane put a hand to her mouth, trying to hide a smile.
