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As he studied Treven, the criminal’s eyes widened, then he broke eye contact and studied his bound hands.
“Look in my eyes,” Jensen demanded.
Treven’s gaze flicked up to his, and dread churned in Jensen’s gut.
The prisoner’s eyes were blue, a true summer-sky blue. Not bluish gray like Treven’s eyes. ‘I’ve only seen eyes like his on him, his dad, and Sophie’s daughter Sunny.’ Livvy’s words.
She’d been right. It was impossible but the evidence was staring directly at him.
Jensen was frozen for half a beat.
“What?” the guy snarled.
Jensen leaped to his feet, leaned across the table, and grabbed the man’s prison uniform. He fisted it and yanked him against the table, face up, where the harsh lights proved the truth about his identity.
No!
“Where is Treven Rindlesbacher?” he demanded.
“Chief?” one of the guards asked cautiously.
“Where is he?” Jensen yelled.
“I’m Treven Rindlesbacher,” the guy said. He grinned, but it was uneven. “You’re going nuts, Chief.”
Jensen stared at the guy. The eyes weren’t the right color, and now that he studied him, something about his face wasn’t right either. Had he had plastic surgery to look like Treven? Had the Rindlesbachers found someone who looked eerily similar to Treven and paid and groomed the guy? How had they switched the prisoners out? Had Treven even come back to prison after his release when William brilliantly framed Hattie for another murder and being arrested again for kidnapping Ellery? Was it possible this guy had been here a month and nobody had looked deeply at him enough to connect the dots.
Livvy had been right all along. He cursed himself for not listening. His stomach churned.
“I’m going to ask you one more time …” He paused. “But I think before I do that you’d like to know about some new information I received today.”
The man only cocked his head to the side.
“Treven—well, I mean you—might have some new charges dropping.” Jensen arched his eyebrows. “Something involving crimes against children.” Jensen released him, and the man fell back into his chair.
Jensen sat back and casually crossed his ankle across his other leg. “I’d hate to be a guy in gen pop if that rumor somehow got out.”
“You wouldn’t.” The man’s eyes finally registered fear.
Jensen remembered the pain of protecting Hattie, the way these people had tormented Livvy. He looked him dead in the eye. “You have no idea how far I would go. What lines I would cross.”
Fear rounded the man’s eyes, but he acted brave. “The venerable police chief. I know you’ll only stay on the up and up.”
“That’s your final answer?”
The guy nodded.
Jensen faced the guards, who stared wide-eyed at him. “Get him back to his cell.”
“Yes, sir.” They both saluted him.
Jensen glared at the fake Treven one more time. “You can act stupid and seal your own fate, or you can cooperate and maybe we’ll go more lenient on you.”
“You’ve lost it, Chief. I am Treven.”
“Your funeral,” Jensen said. He hated the twisted loyalty this man had to Treven. He’d rather go back to general population as a known child molester rather than turn on him. Loyal or scared? The Rindlesbachers would stop at nothing to succeed. He’d heard about and could imagine even more the vile threats and snares they wove.
Jensen stormed to the door and banged out of it. Anger surged through him. This was a hit to his pride and another time the Rindlesbachers had gotten the upper hand. He’d long detested Treven for trying to frame Hattie and hated the concessions he and Peter had made to protect her. What he’d done to Livvy and Sophie made it even worse.
