When a Secret Kills (24 page)

Satisfaction zipped through him. “About time we had a break.”

“I know.” He paused. “Rick’s working on the boat.”

Something in Hunter’s tone clued Colton in. “What did he find?”

“A line-throwing device.”

“That tells me nothing. What’s that?”

Hunter snorted. “It’s a shotgun with a device that goes into the barrel. It has a large soft pad on the end and a rope attached. It’s used at sea to ‘toss’ a line between vessels over long distances. Distances that are farther than can be thrown by hand.”

“So all this guy had to do was replace the pad with the explosive device and—”

“And boom. It had the same chemicals on it that were found in Serena’s house.”

He got the idea. “That’s the device used to launch the bomb into Serena’s house.”

“Exactly.”

“Smart. So where is this guy?”

“We’re still working on that.”

“Keep an eye on my uncle’s hospital room. He might show up there.”

“Will do. When you have some time, Serena said she had something to show us.”

Colton looked at his watch. “Can she bring it over here?”

“I’ll ask her.”

Jillian distracted Meg with one of her favorite Disney shows on the television in the bedroom. She walked into the main living area in time to see Colton hang up the phone. She held back, unsure of her welcome anymore.

He looked at her. “It’s going to take some time.”

Jillian swallowed hard. “I know.”

“I’m angry. And hurt. And . . .” He shook his head. “I don’t even know what else.”

“I understand.”

“And . . .”

She tensed. “What?”

“After hearing all you’ve been through, seeing the attempts on your life with my own eyes . . .” He paused and rose to stand in front of her. “I can’t deny you had a very good reason for doing what you did. I just wish—”

“I shouldn’t have done it. I should have told you.” Tears leaked and slid down her cheeks. “I wish I’d done it all different, but I . . . I was eighteen and scared and . . .” She couldn’t form the words.

“We can’t go back and change it. And if we could, I don’t know that it would be the best move.”

She sniffed. “What?”

“You kept her alive. You kept both of you alive. Back then, we were kids. Young and probably more stupid than we remember. My gut tells me if you hadn’t run, you’d be dead.”

Relief at his ability to look at things objectively, even when his emotions had to be running crazy, slid through her. “Our guts agree then,” she whispered.

“There’s just no way to tell.” He drew in a deep breath. “I have a decision to make.”

“About what?”

“Whether to hold on to my bitterness and anger at missing out on the first ten years of Meg’s life . . .”

“Or?” Hope blossomed.

“Or let it go and grab on to what I have now with both hands.”

A tear slipped down her cheek. “I know what I want you to do.”

He pulled her into a sudden hug, then leaned down to capture her lips. Emotion swelled and she kissed him back with everything in her. When he pulled away, he leaned his forehead on hers. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Jillian.”

Her throat clogged on her response. She managed a nod and a smile.

He gave her another tender kiss. “I want to see what we can have together. The three of us.”

“Me too.” All she could do was whisper.

“So does this mean y’all are getting back together?”

They both jumped at Meg’s impish question.

Because Jillian still hadn’t found her voice, Colton answered, “Time will tell, Meg.”

“Well, just want you to know, it’s okay with me if you do.” She fingered her necklace. “I’m tired of wearing you around my neck and just hearing stories about you. I want to be able to give you hugs every day.”

A quiet sob escaped Jillian and she thought she saw a sheen of tears in Colton’s green eyes. He nodded and held out a hand to his daughter. Meg joined them and Jillian sucked a breath in at the small circle they made.

Finally, there was a chance they could be a family.

“So will I ever get to go swimming?” Meg asked.

A knock on the door disrupted the little reunion before she or Colton could answer her question.

Colton pulled away and stepped to check the peephole. “It’s Serena.”

He let her in.

Serena took one look at Jillian and asked, “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

Serena’s gaze bounced from Meg to Colton to Jillian. “Really?”

“Really.” Jillian placed her hands on Meg’s shoulders and said, “Meg, I want you to meet one of my very best friends. This is Serena Hopkins.”

“Hello, Ms. Hopkins.” Meg held her hand out for a shake. “You’re pretty and tall. Are you a model?”

Serena grinned. “I like this girl,” she said to Jillian. To Meg, she said, “I’m a medical examiner.”

“Oh cool!”

“Thanks.”

Jillian steered her child back to the bedroom. “Finish your show, hon, okay?”

“Sure, sure. Send the kid to the bedroom so y’all can do your grown-up talk. I get it.”

Jillian smothered a smile. Her baby could always make her smile. “Thanks.”

Meg quirked a brow at her, looking so much like Colton it took her breath away. Meg turned back. “I’ll stay out of your hair, but you owe me.”

“Add it to my tab.”

“Of course.” Meg disappeared into the room and shut the door.

When Jillian turned back, Serena had a piece of paper in her hand. Blake came from the other bedroom and the four of them sat.

Serena said, “This is a copy. The original was buried with the governor.”

Jillian gasped. Colton grunted. Blake looked interested. “What is it?”

“A letter. Now sit back and listen.” She took a deep breath and read, “‘If you are reading this, then you’ve exhumed Harrison’s body because you’ve found something amiss in his death. You are right. He did not die in the staged car accident that burned the majority of his body. He died from a gunshot wound to the back. The small caliber bullet that caused the wound was right to left, back to front, and downward and diagonally piercing the heart and lodging in the lower 10th floating left rib.’”

Colton leaned forward as Serena continued. “‘The body came to me. I was in the process of doing the autopsy when I received an anonymous phone call telling me to falsify the autopsy report or my family would die. If I agreed to falsify the report, I would receive the money needed to pay the hospital and my daughter would receive the kidney she couldn’t live without. The caller demanded an answer at that moment. He described my wife and two youngest children, noting what each one was wearing. He also knew that my oldest daughter, Tracy, was at the hospital getting dialysis. He went on to say that if I did not agree to falsify the report, they wouldn’t make it home from the movie. It went against everything I believed in, but I agreed. I would receive instructions on where to pick up the cash and how to make it look like a loan from my in-laws and my daughter would receive her kidney. As I write this, I don’t know if this will come to pass, I just know I have to protect my family at this moment. I don’t know who the caller was. I don’t know the details of why these people wanted
the shooting covered up. I just know that my good friend is dead and I’ve done him a horrible injustice by calling his death an accident. I’ve prayed for the Lord to forgive me and I pray that one day the murderer will be brought to justice. Sincerely, Gerald Benjamin, M.D.’”

Colton blew out a breath when Serena stopped reading. “Well, guess we know why the man was so agitated the last few weeks of his life.”

“What a choice,” Jillian muttered. “I don’t know that I wouldn’t have done the same thing given the circumstances. Still . . . couldn’t he have gone to the authorities after the fact?”

Colton shrugged. “He probably had no proof. He’d still done something illegal . . . I don’t know what would have happened. But from what his wife said, it sounds like he was overcome with guilt and was going to tell.”

“And they knew it,” Jillian said. “They were watching him and knew it.”

“So they killed him.”

“Who could set something like that up?” Serena asked.

Colton rubbed a hand over his face. “My guess is this person after Jillian has military training. The bomb at Serena’s, getting into the lake house with the tranquilizer gun—everything is very professional, precise.”

“And I’m still alive.” She looked at Serena. “We all are. Any more attempts to get to you?”

She shook her head. “I was followed to work yesterday. Dominic was with me and noticed the tail. I still have Chris, my bodyguard, and if the person following me was planning to try anything, he was scared off.”

“And Alexia?”

“No. Nothing.”

“Probably because I’m here,” Jillian said. “I’m the one they’ve wanted all along.”

Serena yawned. “Well, I’d better get back to work before I decide to go home and take a nap.”

Colton stood. “I’ll walk you down.”

“No need. Chris is right outside the door.”

They said their goodbyes and Serena left, Chris at her side.

Colton turned. “Why don’t you get some rest while you can? I’ll entertain Meg.”

Jillian bit her lip and he smiled.

“Come on, Jilly, I want to spend time with her.”

“All right. I am exhausted. Maybe I’ll take that nap since Serena can’t.”

“Great.” Glee entered his eyes. “Hey Meg, you want to play charades?”

Meg came to the door and crossed her arms. “Any chance I can talk you into a swim?”

Colton motioned the little girl over. “I promise, when all of this is over, I’ll take you swimming.”

Meg released a heavy sigh. “I don’t get it. We’ll be inside and you’ll be there. You won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Which is why we’re going to play charades.”

Another dramatic sigh ensued. She turned back into the room, and Jillian was just about to reprimand the child for being rude when Meg came back into the room with a deck of cards.

“Can we at least play something fun like Texas Hold ’em?”

“Meg!”

Meg shrugged and gave them an innocent look. “What?” Then giggled. “Okay, how about Hearts?”

Jillian opened her eyes—to an empty side of the bed. She reached out a hand to run it over the shallow indentation left by Meg’s head.

Then frowned as she looked at the clock.

What was Meg doing up so early? Especially when her body was on California time, which would be 5:30 in the morning. Usually when she had the chance to sleep in, Meg did so. But it was a new place, a strange situation. Maybe she couldn’t sleep.

So where was she?

Shoving her tangled curls from her face, Jillian sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She heard the suite door click as she stumbled into the bathroom.

Empty.

Maybe Meg and Colton were having breakfast. Jillian dressed in a pair of shorts and a yellow T-shirt. She stepped into the main living area and stopped. Also empty. Now the worry kicked in. “Meg? Where are you?”

Colton came from the other bedroom, freshly shaven, eyes alert. “What is it?”

“Is Meg with you?”

“No.” He frowned. “I thought she was sleeping in there with
you.” He walked to the balcony’s sliding door and looked out. “She’s not out there.”

The knot in Jillian’s stomach doubled. “Where’s Blake?”

“He’s doing a routine safety check of the hotel. You know, the stairwells, the elevator . . .”

Her blood hummed as her pulse picked up speed. “All right. Meg’s gone. Blake’s gone. He wouldn’t have taken her with him, would he?”

Colton’s jaw went rigid. “Not if he has any brains.” He pulled out his phone and she knew he was calling Blake. She raced back into the bedroom and slipped her feet into the flip-flops Alexia had provided.

Back in the living area of the suite, Colton stood by the door. “Blake doesn’t have her. He’s looking for her now.”

Jillian’s fingers curled into fists. “I can’t believe this. She slipped out of the room.”

“If she’s not here, it’s the only explanation.”

“But why? When I get my hands on her . . .”

She started toward the door and he said, “Wait a minute. You can’t go out there. This might be some kind of trap to get you out of the room.”

“Or it might be a way to get me alone in the room with no one to help me fight back.”

He grimaced. “Yeah.”

He pressed his eye to the peephole, then opened the door. They slipped into the hall. She noticed he kept his hand on his weapon even though he hadn’t pulled it. Yet.

She stopped and said, “I heard the door click.”

“When?” They walked toward the elevator.

“Just a few minutes before I came in the living area looking for her. I thought it was you or Blake coming back with breakfast or something.”

“Blake was gone at least thirty minutes before that.” They stepped onto the elevator. “We’ll check the lobby.”

Jillian swallowed hard. “She did leave on her own then,” she whispered as frantic fear spread through her veins. “We have to find her.”

“We will.”

“The pool.”

“What?”

“I didn’t check to see if her suit was missing, but I’m guessing she went to the pool.”

“Then that’s where we’ll check first.”

Hysteria welled. “What if he’s watching the hotel?” She managed to control the quiver in her voice. “Can you call Blake and tell him to check the pool?”

Colton dialed the number. “No answer.”

The elevator dinged, indicating they’d arrived on the first floor. Colton held her back when she would have dashed off. He stepped out, looked both ways like he was crossing the street, then motioned for her to follow him.

Jillian hurried after him. “The pool’s that way.”

“I know.”

Together, they headed toward it.

As they drew closer, Jillian heard a scream that shot terror straight to her heart. “Meg!”

Colton bolted in the direction of the scream, his heart pounding. He rushed into the pool area. A woman stood staring at the emergency exit and she spun at his entrance.

Her eyes widened as she saw his gun. He flashed his badge and she pointed to the door. “He took her! Just grabbed her and went out the door.” Colton didn’t have time to waste. He hollered to Jillian, “Stay with me!” He shoved his phone at Jillian. “Call 911!”

“I already did,” the woman called.

Jillian stayed on his heels, her breaths coming in panicked gasps as she tried to keep up while dialing. “I’m trying Blake.”

He burst through the exit into the sweltering outdoor heat.

From the corner of his eye, he saw movement, heard Meg’s scared cry. Feet pounding against the asphalt, he raced toward them. “Police! Freeze!”

And the man did. For a split second.

Blake appeared on the opposite side of the would-be kidnapper. “Let her go!”

Meg hollered and kicked back into his shins. He flinched, but didn’t loosen his grip.

Jillian rushed up. “Let her go! She’s just a little girl!”

“Let me go!” Meg screamed. “Mom!” Her eyes landed on Colton. “Daddy, help me!”

Colton felt his heart slam into his chest at her words. Daddy . . .

The man spun, Meg still clutched against him, his face covered with a black mask. “Get back! Get back now or she’s dead!”

Colton felt Jillian’s presence behind him, her terror making the air vibrate around them. Blake caught his eye and pulled his weapon. Colton said, “Meg, be still. The man is going to let you go.”

His small daughter in her blue-and-black bathing suit ceased her struggles, her gaze locked on his. Colton felt the trust in her eyes leap out and grab him by the throat. He couldn’t fail. “Let her go!”

“I can’t do that. She’s my ticket out of here. Now back off!” One hand gripped Meg, his superior strength no match for the scared nine-year-old. Colton saw the flash of a weapon in the other hand.

Sirens rent the air and the kidnapper froze. His eyes changed, his body language signaled his intent to run.

Blake stepped forward just as the man turned and spotted him.

“Back off! Back off!” He raised the gun to press the muzzle against Meg’s temple and backed toward the waiting vehicle.

Colton immediately saw his plan. As soon as he was between the car and the trees, he’d be almost home free.

“Don’t move! Drop the weapon!”

Officers yelled.

Blake moved closer.

“Blake, get back!” Colton yelled.

Meg’s scared cries broke his heart and filled him with determination to save his child.

Blake said, “Let her go.”

“I’m leaving. Just let me go and I’ll drop her somewhere safe. Somewhere you can find her.”

“Not going to happen,” Blake spat.

The kidnapper whirled, lifted the gun, and fired.

Blake dropped.

Jillian screamed as he fell. Meg’s frightened cry echoed hers. “Blake!”

While the circle of blood pooling on Blake’s chest grew larger, the man in the mask yelled, “Does that let you know I’m serious?” He started backing toward the car. “I’m getting out of here!”

“Hold your fire! Hold your fire!” Colton ordered the other officers.

Jillian knew Colton wouldn’t let them take a chance on hitting Meg. The little girl was an effective shield.

Jillian, heart pounding, looked up to see the man’s eyes on her. She shivered. She’d recognize those eyes anywhere. Eyes from the lake house. The gun in his right hand lifted. “Get over here.”

“No,” Colton said. “She’s not going anywhere.”

The gun pressed against Meg’s temple and the little girl cried out.

Her mother’s heart slammed inside her chest and she moved forward. Colton jerked her back.

“Let me go.”

“You can’t go and give him two hostages.”

She kept her eyes on the man who’d terrorized her and her family for the last ten years. “I’m going for my daughter. But be ready.”

She jerked away from him, and before he could grab her back,
she moved out in the open toward the man who held her heart in his hands.

“Faster! Get over here or I’ll shoot her!”

Jillian shuddered at the look in his eyes. He’d do it. Her blood thundered in her veins, the gun a deadly reminder that she would only have one chance to escape. One chance to get it right.

Meg saw her coming and squirmed, reaching for her.

“Jillian!”

She ignored Colton’s angry shout. Her baby needed her. As soon as she rounded the car and was within range, the man transferred the gun to her temple and she winced. “Get in!”

Jillian pulled Meg to her and hunched as best she could, covering her child with her body, praying his finger wouldn’t twitch and blow a hole in her head.

“Go, go!” the man yelled. “Get in the car!”

Jillian knew the minute they got in, they were dead.

Cops hollered, Meg cried, Colton yelled. Jillian did her best to block it all and focus. Remember what Blake had taught her.

“Go!” the man yelled again.

The gun slipped away from Jillian’s head as she opened the car door and shoved Meg in. Then to her captor’s surprise, she slammed the door and whirled, bringing her arm up to jam her elbow into his exposed throat. He gagged, spewed. The gun fell to the ground. Jillian kicked out to catch him in the stomach.

A shot rang out, followed by two more, and he dropped like a rock.