Lara Lacombe - Colton K-9 Bodyguard

“I’m not sure,” Micah admitted. “It’s possible the killer knocked her out before shooting Joey. Or maybe Bea heard the gunshot and went to explore, and that’s when the killer attacked.”

Finn frowned. “If that’s the case, why is she still alive? Surely the perp wouldn’t be so careless as to leave behind an eyewitness?”

“Maybe there wasn’t time to kill her,” Micah suggested. “It’s possible the killer intended to finish her off, but got spooked and ran.” Or maybe, he thought privately, Demi couldn’t stomach the thought of shooting her cousin.

A cold chill skittered through his body at the thought of Bea lying unconscious on the ground, at the mercy of a murderer towering over her helpless body. Whatever the reason, Micah was glad Bea’s life had been spared.

The elevator at the end of the hall let out a faint ding, and the doors opened to reveal Brayden along with Carson Gage, a fellow K-9 officer, and Shane Colton, a PI who worked with the department. The three men wore serious expressions, and Micah’s interest spiked. What was going on?

Carson spoke first. “We’ve got news.”

“Your initial witness, Tucker Frane, who claimed to see Demi Colton shoot someone in the alley?” said Shane. Micah nodded, and he continued. “Dead in his home.”

“What?” That was too coincidental for Micah’s taste.

Carson nodded. “Yep. We went to his house to ask him a few more questions about what he’d seen. He didn’t answer, but the door was ajar so we entered. Man was shot dead in his recliner.”

“No witnesses, I suppose?” Micah asked.

Shane shook his head. “Neighbors didn’t see or hear anything.”

“Of course not,” Micah muttered. They rarely did.

“We put a rush on ballistics,” Carson said. “We need to see if the same gun killed the witness and the man in the fitting room.” He cast a subtle glance at Brayden.

“My sister didn’t do this,” Brayden said quietly. “I know she didn’t.”

“All we can go on is evidence,” Finn said. “Her name written in blood by the body of the first victim. Her necklace found at the scene. She was spotted running in the shadows at the time of death. Now, we have a witness—a dead witness—who says he saw her shoot a man in the alley near Bea’s shop.”

“Two bodies in one night is strange,” Carson put in.

“Two bodies?” The men turned as a group to find Fenwick Colton lurking on the edge of the circle, a cup of coffee in his hand. “Someone else was killed tonight?”

Micah clenched his jaw. He’d been so focused on listening to the other men he hadn’t noticed Fenwick come back. Now the businessman was privy to information he shouldn’t have, and Fenwick didn’t know the meaning of the word discretion.

“Sir,” he began, trying not to choke on the word.

Fenwick ignored him. “Why haven’t you arrested Demi yet?” he demanded. “It’s been clear from the start she’s the Groom Killer, and now she’s gone and murdered someone else. When are you people going to do your jobs?”

Brayden sucked in a breath, and Micah glanced over to see that his friend was on the verge of an explosion. Brayden’s face had turned dark red, and his body was tense with anger. Micah put a restraining hand on Brayden’s forearm, hoping he wouldn’t lose his temper. If he lashed out at his uncle, Fenwick was just spiteful enough to take the matter up the chain of command and Brayden could very well lose his job.

Finn appeared to recognize the gravity of the situation as well, and he moved forward, forcing Fenwick back a step and blocking Brayden’s view of their uncle. “Mister Colton,” he said sharply. “You are interfering in official police business. Unless you want to be brought up on charges, I suggest you walk away and keep your opinions on this matter to yourself.”

Fenwick blinked at his nephew’s tone. “You wouldn’t dare,” he said. But there was a flicker of fear in his eyes that belied his apparent confidence.

Finn leaned in close. “Try me,” he said softly.

Micah bit back a grin as Fenwick paled. He shot a hateful glare at Micah before retreating a few steps, turning his focus to the TV mounted in the far corner of the waiting room.

The elevator at the end of the hall dinged again, and Bea’s sisters Layla, Gemma and Patience walked out. Patience, the veterinarian at the K-9 training center, gave him a nod as the group walked over to their father, and Micah relaxed a bit. Bea’s siblings should be able to handle Fenwick, at least for the time being.

“Nice job, chief,” Micah muttered.

Finn sighed. “I’m sure I’ll pay for that later.”

Micah noticed a doctor enter Bea’s room and wondered if everything was okay. Had her injuries been more severe than they appeared? The gash on her forehead was deep and jagged, but Micah was more worried about a concussion or brain injury. She’d seemed to have no trouble speaking to him earlier, but he knew her head had been hurting. Hopefully that wasn’t a sign of more serious damage.

He was so distracted he didn’t realize Finn was speaking to him until the man touched his shoulder. “Still with us?”

Micah shook his head. “Yes. Sorry. Uh, what were you saying?”

Finn lifted one eyebrow but didn’t otherwise comment. “Ballistics probably won’t be back until tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, I want you to assume these two bodies are linked. I want you and Carson and Shane to coordinate your investigations until we know more.”

“Yes, sir.” Micah nodded. The door to Bea’s room opened, and the doctor walked out. “I’ll take care of it,” he said, already walking toward the man in the white coat.

“Doctor?” The man turned. Micah showed him his badge. “I’m the officer who came in with Beatrix Colton. How is she?”

“She’s got a mild concussion, but she should make a full recovery. I’m going to write up her discharge paperwork.”

“Can I question her now?”

“I see no reason why not. But she might not be in the mood to talk. She’s got a pretty severe headache.”

Micah frowned, unhappy at the idea of Bea in pain. “Can you give her something for it?”

The doctor nodded. “Already ordered. It won’t affect her cognitive abilities, so she should be able to answer questions if it’s necessary.”

“It is,” Micah replied. The sooner he discovered what Bea had seen, the better his chances of catching whoever had attacked her. They’d been looking for a break in the Groom Killer investigation, and Bea might have just the information they needed to crack the case wide open.

Micah thanked the doctor and took a deep breath. He felt a fluttering sensation in his stomach, and he realized with a small shock that he was nervous. Stop being ridiculous, he told himself. He’d done well over a hundred interviews with witness and suspects alike since joining the Red Ridge police department. In all that time, he’d never once felt uncertain or worried before starting the process. Why was he acting like a rookie on his first day now?

Because it’s Bea. The answer came immediately to his mind, and much as he wanted to deny it, he knew it was the truth. Bea Colton had always been his weakness, and even though years had passed since he’d seen her, his body still reacted the same way it always had to her presence.

Her father’s words echoed in his mind. Didn’t you figure out she doesn’t want you?

“Oh, yes,” he muttered. “She made that very clear.”

Even now, the memory of her letter was enough to make his heart ache and his eyes sting. He’d looked for her letters at every mail call, but she’d never written. He’d told himself she was busy making their wedding plans and packing her things to join him after he returned. There was a lot to arrange while he was gone, and he felt guilty leaving her to do the lion’s share of the work. But she had probably employed her grandmother’s help, drawing on the older woman’s expertise to plan a sweet, simple ceremony.