Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 1 of 2: Undercover Marriage\Collateral Damage\Forgotten Past (43 page)

Teddy patted his shoulder. “Don't worry about us. You focus on keeping Faith and yourself safe. You are the closest person to her right now. In my book, that puts you right in the killer's sights.”

JT closed the door and went back to his office. Faith hadn't moved since they'd left. She stared into space with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

He sat down next to her. “I know this is hard.”

She stared at her clasped hands. “JT, I'm so scared. I—I just want this to end.” She was crying and he'd give anything to take her pain away.

JT brushed a calloused thumb over her cheek. “I know you do. I'm sure right now, it's impossible to imagine it ever ending, but it will.”

“And how many more innocent people will have to die before that happens?” she said wearily and covered her eyes with her hand. “This is so unfair. Those two officers' deaths weren't fair. Rachel's and Carl's weren't. None of this is fair.”

“I know it isn't.”

A storm of emotions—fear, uncertainty, acceptance—warred for control. After what felt like an eternity, she gave him a faint smile and his pulse beat a little faster at the sight of it.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“You're very welcome.” He knew he'd do whatever it took, everything within his power to keep her safe.

SEVEN

O
nce the fire department finished inspecting the house, JT drove Faith over to pick up some of her things. When they pulled into Faith's driveway, Will was there waiting for them. The clouds from earlier had dissipated. A gorgeous blue sky and calm seas made it impossible to believe anything bad could be headed their way.

Will's people had cleared away the patrol car. With the exception of the charred downstairs, there was no sign of the terror that had taken place in her home less than twenty-four hours earlier.

They got out of the SUV and went over to Will. “Any news yet?” JT asked as he glanced up at the house.

Will shook his head. “No. We had a forensics team go over the truck inside and out. There was nothing. I'm sure he wore gloves. We did find a footprint in the kitchen that didn't belong to any of our people and you said you didn't go near the kitchen.” He paused briefly. “CSI took a photograph of it and our technician was able to confirm with some certainty it's a man's size-10 Rockwood work boot. Pretty commonplace around here.”

“What about the ballistics report?”

Will didn't answer right away. Both JT and Faith stared at him. Something was wrong.

“What is it?” JT asked.

“He used an AK-47 M4 assault rifle. The shell casings matched the ones he fired at you.”

Faith had no idea what the significance of the model was, but she could see it meant something to JT.

“It's one of the standard weapons used by most SWAT teams,” he told her.

“Do you think he's a cop?” That would certainly explain how there'd been no evidence left behind. No suspects in the Austin murders. It made sense. A cop would be able to track her down easily enough.

JT shook his head. “Let's not jump to conclusions. That type of weapon isn't exclusive to law enforcement.”

“But still, it's a possibility. Wouldn't you have to register a weapon like that?”

Will shrugged. “Yes, unless it was purchased illegally. I'm checking records now. Hopefully something will come of it.”

Once again, the killer seemed one step ahead of them.

Will headed for the front of the house. “Let's go in this way. I'm not sure the back is structurally stable.”

The second Faith stepped into the foyer, the horror of that night surged back. She'd come close to dying. So had JT. He'd risked his life to save her. What about the next time?

JT touched her arm. “Don't go there. We're both safe.”

She smiled at his attempt to reassure her. “Yes. Thankfully.”

Behind them, Will cleared his throat. “We notified the realtor handling the house. She's still not sure what they're going to do with the place. Most of the stuff in the kitchen and in the back of the house is ruined. The fire never reached upstairs, though. I can't guarantee you'll be able to use any of your clothes ever again with all the smoke, but there might be some mementos worth saving. I need to check out a few things down here. You two go ahead.”

Faith followed JT upstairs while the chief stayed below.

A heavy scent of smoke clung to everything. The smoke had tinted her bedroom's cream-colored walls gray. She looked around in dismay. She didn't know where to start.

JT came up behind her. “Hey, it's just stuff. You and Ollie are fine. You can replace everything else.”

That much was certainly true. She went over to the table next to her bed to get her watch. JT's cell phone was there as well. She handed it to him. “Hopefully it's not ruined.”

“It'll be fine. This one's supposed to be virtually indestructible.” He shoved it in his pocket while she glanced around the room and noticed something missing from the top of her dresser.

JT had seen her hesitation. “What's wrong?”

She went over to the dresser. “There used to be a small picture frame here. It's missing.”

“What was in it?”

“A photo of me and Rachel taken right before...that night. I'm almost certain it was here when we left last night. Why would he take it? When did he take it?” Was he hoping to keep some trophy from that horrible night? The thought of it made her sick.

“I don't know. I'll tell Will about it. Let's get your stuff. We shouldn't stay here much longer.”

She gathered a few personal items and some toiletries and tossed them into a bag. The picture of herself with Rachel was the only thing of any emotional value.

JT took the bag from her. “Ready?”

She glanced around the room that had been her home for just a short time. Once again, she was running. “Yes.”

They went downstairs together and found Will waiting for them in the foyer.

“Has anyone been in the house since the firefighters cleared it?” JT asked.

The question surprised the other man. “No. The fire department had their people out here all night watching to make sure the fire didn't restart. Why?”

“Someone took a picture from Faith's dresser. It was a photo of Faith with Rachel Jennings.”

“I don't think anyone from the fire department would have a reason to take it, but I'll talk to the fire chief to see if he knows anything. Does the picture have any special meaning to you?”

As hard as she tried, she couldn't remember details of her friendship with Rachel. “I don't know. I kept it because it was the only thing I had of the two of us together.”

Will walked with them back to the SUV. “Depending on what type of direct hit the other islands take, the hurricane could either blow itself out or turn back out to sea and continue to grow stronger. Either way, this is the last place Faith needs to be when the power goes out.”

JT nodded in agreement as he held the door open for her. “I've called my friend Mark. He has a house outside of Whaler's Point. He's out of the country for another month and he told me to use the place for as long as we need. We'll leave in the morning.” With everything that was going on, remaining positive took every ounce of Faith's energy.

“At least Whaler's Point isn't in the storm's direct path as of yet. That's something,” Will pointed out. “But you two still need to be careful. I don't know what to make of this predator, and without having a clear picture of what he looks like, we don't know where he might turn up next.”

* * *

Faith felt JT stealing glances her way as they drove through town. She knew she'd been unusually quiet since they'd left her house, and it was due in large part to their earlier kiss. It had left her feeling a little off balance...and she just couldn't get that unforgettable encounter out of her head. She wondered if JT had felt the same rush of attraction for her that she had for him. It made her wish for what couldn't be. So many things stood in their way, and the biggest obstacle of all was her uncertainty about whether she had taken part in the Jennings' murders. With so much unsettled, it would be a big mistake to give in to the desires of her heart.

“Are you okay?” The gravelly sound of his voice pulled her out of her troubled thoughts. She slowly nodded, yet she couldn't quite make eye contact. She didn't want him to see the struggle going on inside her.

When they passed the cutoff to his house, Faith shifted in her seat uneasily. “Where are we going?”

He looked her way. “Since most of your clothes were ruined, I thought we could stop by the clothing store downtown and pick up a few things.”

The thought of shopping for clothes with JT felt a little too personal, yet she knew he was only trying to help. She leaned back in her seat and watched the light traffic pass by as she tried to calm her crazy heartbeat.

It was off-season for tourists so the town was definitely experiencing a down period. With the impending hurricane, she had a feeling things were about to get worse.

JT parked the Suburban in front of Island Dreams, got out of the car and opened her door. “It's not much, but I'm sure you can find something that works.”

When his fingers brushed her arm, she moved away. She was acting like a schoolgirl who had just had her first kiss and yet she couldn't seem to help it. Everything about her reaction to JT scared her.

He seemed to sense it as well. “I'll wait for you over by the window. I want to keep an eye on what's going on outside.” He stepped away and she could breathe normally again.

Faith went over to the sale rack and began browsing through the items while JT checked messages on his phone. She'd worked at a clothing store in Benton before the move to Hope Island. The owner had taken Faith under her wing and let her stay at the apartment above the store rent-free. In exchange, Faith opened the store each morning for her. Because of the woman's generosity, she had managed to save a nice nest egg, which allowed her to take her time finding a job when she moved to the island. She'd gotten used to dressing in jeans and T-shirts.

Faith picked out several pairs of jeans and half a dozen pastel T-shirts, along with other necessary items, then paid for them.

“Did you find everything you needed?” JT asked politely as he took the bag from her.

She followed him outside and back to the Suburban. “Yes, thank you. I'm all set.”

“Good.” He unlocked the door, put the bag inside and closed it again.

Finally, she glanced at him. The look in his blue eyes sent her heart racing. “What are you doing?”

“Relax.” He leaned against the Suburban and tugged her closer. “We could have some rough days ahead of us, so I thought maybe we could just take a walk along the beach and unwind.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. “What do you think? Want to take a stroll with me?”

In JT Wyatt, she found what she'd always been searching for, and it scared her to death. She wanted to spend this time with him. Only him. She swallowed hard and took the hand he offered her. “I'd love to.”

“Good, because there's this great stretch of beach a couple of blocks from here. It's been used as a backdrop in several movies. It's a shame to live on Hope Island and not see it.” She could feel color creeping into her cheeks and she looked away.

He laughed huskily. “You are awfully pretty when you're blushing, Faith McKenzie.”

When they reached the beach, she stopped and took in the stunning view. The soft sand spread out before her, but it was the pristine blue water beyond that was the most amazing.

She realized JT was watching her reaction. “It's beautiful. I can't believe it. It's so different from our beach and yet we're not that far away.”

“I know. There are a few beaches scattered around Maine that come close, but none of them are as picturesque as this one. People come from all over the world to see this stretch of shoreline.”

She could certainly understand that. “It makes me want to take my shoes off and feel the sand between my toes.” She snatched a quick glance at JT and laughed. “Is that silly or what?”

He chuckled as well. “It's not silly at all. In fact, I'll race you.”

“I beg your pardon?” At first, she thought he was joking until he grabbed one foot and pulled off his shoe. She watched in disbelief for a second and then they were racing to see who could get their shoes off first.

By the time they were both barefoot, they were laughing so hard it was difficult to catch their breath.

JT grabbed her hand and held it. “Come on. Let's get our feet wet.”

She nodded and they walked down to the water's edge. Faith waited while JT stuck his foot in and cringed.

She giggled at his expression. “Is it cold?”

“Freezing,” he said and splashed some water on her foot.

“JT.” She squeaked and jumped backwards several steps, but he caught her before she got away.

He tugged her close and wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly both of them weren't laughing anymore.

“JT.” She exhaled his name right before he lowered his head and kissed her and she forgot about everything but the man standing close to her.

This is wrong,
her head told her, but her heart just wanted to stay here with him for a little while longer. She wanted to feel normal. Special. He made her feel both those things and so much more.

JT lifted his head and gazed into her eyes. “We should probably get going.” But he didn't move. “We need to pack and get ready for the trip tomorrow and I don't trust being here in the open like this too long.”

“Yes.” She sounded breathless, as if she'd been running a marathon.

He cupped her face and leaned in to kiss the tip of her nose and she sighed softly. Just for a little while, she'd felt happy and carefree again. He turned to leave but she reached up and touched his cheek. “No, wait.”

His eyes searched hers, filled with concern. “What is it?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to thank you. I know this has been hard for you, too. You've risked your life for me.” She pointed toward the ocean. “You didn't have to do this, but I'm so glad you did.”

* * *

JT pulled the SUV behind the house and glanced around at the surrounding area cloaked in darkness. Everything appeared as they'd left it, yet he couldn't shake the feeling someone might be watching them.

Faith noticed his uneasiness. “What's wrong?”

“I'm not sure. Maybe nothing. Let's just go inside.” He got out of the SUV and went around to her side. He took another quick look around, but nothing was out of place. Was he just being paranoid?

After they were inside and he secured both door locks, the niggling feeling didn't go away. “I'm just going to check things outside to be on the safe side.”

Faith's eyes widened in alarm. “Do you think someone is following us?”

He did his best to reassure her. “No, there's no one following us. I just want to make sure everything's okay.”

She grabbed his arm in a death grip. “JT, don't go out there by yourself. Let me come with you.”