Suzanne Cox - One Man To Protect Them

“Yeah, he had a laptop. But maybe it was with him.”

“Could be, but we’re not seeing notes or any sign of research. His kitchen and bathroom are so perfectly straight, they could be ready for a photo shoot.”

“Eric was so messy. I find it hard to believe he’d straightened the place.”

“Then I’m probably right. We’re not the only ones who’ve been searching the place.”

“What would anyone else want?”

“Same as us, detailed information on the story Eric was working on. Did he ever mention his work, tell you what he’d found?”

She groaned inwardly. Not this again. “He was doing an exposé on the Militia.”

“The Acadian Loyalists, I knew that.”

Her fingers tightened on the swing’s chain. “What a joke. That’s a significant historical name for the Acadian people. But this group has nothing to do with history, though they might like to think they do.”

“So did you and Eric ever discuss the Militia?”

Past her house, through the trees, she could see her mother’s house. A truck was parked in front of her beauty shop. Jayden rubbed her thumb over a rough spot on one of the wooden slats.

“Not much. He asked a few questions, since I’d grown up here…but I’ve been gone a long time. He never mentioned finding anything important. Do you think they’re involved in his death?”

“Maybe. What do you think?”

“I think Duke Swayze is a psychopath and he’s openly proud of his membership in the Loyalists.”

She didn’t look at Jackson, but out of the corner of her eye she could see his head turning as he inspected the area.

“We might want to question the boys. They’ve been around Eric.”

“No. They’ve dealt with enough lately.”

“But they might have heard or seen something.”

Jayden shoved the swing backward as she got to her feet. “I said no. If they mention the least thing to me I’ll call you, but I won’t have them questioned by the police. They’ve lost their parents and now this with Eric. It’s too much.”

She tossed the keys to the house at him. “You can lock it when you’re done. Leave the keys with my mother.”

The wooden steps echoed with her footfalls as she stomped off the porch. Scrambling into the battered truck, Jayden tried to suppress her anger, which had begun to feel more like panic. She just wanted her life to be simple again, but she didn’t see that happening any time soon.

AS MUCH AS SHE’D HOPED to forget about Eric and the Militia for the rest of the day, the clinic had remained slow and she’d hidden away in her office to try to distract herself with computer work.

At a tap on her office door, Jayden looked up from her computer to see a familiar face. She felt a rush of mixed feelings as the man held out his arms. Slowly she got to her feet.

“Mr. Arneaux—or am I supposed to call you General?” She came around her desk and stepped into his grasp.

“Mister is fine. I retired from the army.”

“I heard.”

“It’s good to have you home, Jayden.”

He released her and she sat in a small wooden chair and positioned another one for him. “It’s good to be home.”

He sat and patted her knee. “Is it?”

She gave him a wry smile. “Not really, but I need to be here. California wasn’t home anyway.”

“You certainly stayed there long enough.”

Her chest tightened so that her next words came out in a whisper. “Too many things here were hard to face.”

He squeezed her leg with his large hand. “My son chose to be where he was, and what happened wasn’t your fault. You have nothing to feel guilty about, Jayden.”

She stared at the floor, a knot in her throat—what seemed like the millionth since she’d come home. “I still feel it, whether I should or not. Louis was a good friend. I don’t think he knew Mark Dubois any better than I did. I know Louis didn’t want to be in the army as you’d hoped, but he would have made a wonderful doctor.” Her eyes burned and the tears she thought she’d finished crying years ago ran down her cheeks.

His hand on her knee tightened. “I’m sorry, too, but it happened and you weren’t responsible. It was the Militia that caused his death.”

When she looked up, he smiled. “That’s enough tears. You have two nice young men to raise and you’re going to do a good job. I came by to drop my dog off. I’ll let you get back to work.”

She stood with him and he gave her one more hug then left. Stumbling back into her chair, Jayden gripped the wooden arms. She was glad to have seen former General Reginald Louis Arneaux, but the memories that came with him weren’t happy ones. His son had been best friends with her boyfriend, Mark. Now they were both dead.

JAYDEN PULLED INTO a parking spot shaded by the branches of an enormous oak. She sat waiting with the engine off as the light fall breeze fluttered the ends of her hair. In a few more seconds she’d be ready to go into the sheriff’s office. The place brought back as many bad memories as General Arneaux but she had a responsibility to Eric and she needed to know more.

With a sigh, she got out of her truck and crossed the lot. The sun reflected off the metal trim on the door and she squinted in the bright light. She reached for the knob, just as the door opened.

A young man stepped aside with a smile and paused. Did she know him? His face seemed familiar, but she wasn’t sure why. His dark hair was clipped close to his head but he ran his fingers through it as if it had once been longer and he’d forgotten it wasn’t there anymore. His smile abruptly disappeared. But it was the look in his eyes that made her stomach churn.

“Hey, Kent. I kept digging and found that paper you needed. Good thing I caught you before you left.” Sheriff Wright came out through the door Jayden still held open. He glanced between the two of them as the younger man took the paper. “Jayden, you need to see me?”

“Yeah.”

The young man Matt had called Kent turned away, half wadding the paper as he weaved his way through the parked cars.

“Who was that?”

“What?”

Jayden didn’t realize she’d been whispering. She cleared her throat. “Who was that?”

“You don’t remember him? I guess he’s changed a lot over the past ten years. That’s Kent Raynor.”

She leaned against the edge of the door and closed her eyes.

“Oh, relax. It’s been a long time, Jayden. Let’s go to my office.”

She followed behind Matt, wishing ten years could feel as long as it sounded and wondering how some things could change so much and others not at all.

Matt eased into his chair and kicked his feet up on the desk. “You’re going to have to deal with people like Kent now that you’re back.”

“I was hoping he might have left.”

“He did, but he’s home now doing an internship while he’s finishing law school.”

“Great. He’s a lawyer. He’ll probably try to find a way to bring me to trial. He hates me.”

Matt nodded. “Yep, he does. But that could change.”

“If it hasn’t changed in ten years, it’s not likely going to.”

“Ah, but you haven’t been here for ten years to prove anyone’s beliefs wrong.”

“It’s impossible to change the opinion of everyone.”

Matt shrugged. “Maybe, but it doesn’t hurt to try. I bet none of that is why you’re here.”

“You’re right. I’d like to know the latest on Eric’s case.”

“Jayden, I can only tell you what we’ve already told the reporters. We’re still trying to identify those bodies.”

She rubbed her eyes. “Duke Swayze did this, Matt. I know it, and so do you.”

“It doesn’t matter what we know, only what we can prove.”