She had some fond memories of her big brother looking after her when they were children growing up in Dill, Texas. She’d idolized him, following him everywhere when she was a little girl, but current events were undeniable. Boyd had not only confessed in court, he’d acted proud of his crimes and justified for committing them. Therefore, she had no rebuttal for those who blamed Boyd for the terrible things occurring since his escape. He was intelligent yet behaved in a way she couldn’t fathom, couldn’t identify with. The youth who had stood up for her against playground bullies had chosen to become an abusive adult rather than continuing to champion those who needed help. If he had stayed on the side of law and order, he would have made an excellent military officer or policeman.
As for the personal problems she was currently facing, however, Zoe doubted Boyd would bother to create that kind of chaos. Not only was it unlikely that he’d have known she’d duck into the warehouse in time to see that supposed shooting, he wouldn’t have sent an enlisted man to do his bidding that morning when he could easily have contacted her himself. Not to mention whoever had been lurking in her apartment, particularly since Portia had vowed she knew nothing about the prowler and had convinced everybody she was not responsible. That made the whole scenario much, much more terrifying.
Zoe’s thoughts were cut short when the service ended. Everyone stood. Zoe let Freddy climb up on the bench beside her, so he’d be at eye level and she turned to speak to Linc. “We usually go out for lunch on Sunday after church. Is that all right?”
“You don’t have to ask me,” he said flatly. “If you aren’t too worried about being out in public, then go.”
“I’d almost rather be out and about than back in my apartment, wondering who else is hiding there, ready to pounce. How about the Winged Java for lunch? You’re coming with us, right?”
“Absolutely. I have the day duty. Let’s get back to the car so I can check my messages in private. I want to see if they managed to nab your SUV driver.”
She shuddered. “He’s not mine. In fact, I hope I never run into him again.” Falling into step with Freddy propped on her hip, she said, “By the way, I keep imagining I’m catching glimpses of the shooter from the warehouse. I know it has to be impossible to tell, because his face was covered, but... I don’t know. I keep seeing guys who move the way he did, and it gives me the jitters.”
“What about his supposed victim? Any sightings of her?”
“No. That actually should be easier because she had reddish hair, but I haven’t noticed anybody who looks like her.”
“Any more thoughts about the guy in your apartment?”
“I’m just glad he didn’t show himself sooner and hurt Freddy,” Zoe replied. “Or Portia. Now that I think about it, he probably wasn’t one of our airmen. His face was shadowed by the hoodie but it looked grubby, as though he might be growing a beard. Airmen are always neat and their uniforms make them look so handsome.”
“You in the market for another husband?”
Cheeks warming, Zoe shook her head. “No way. I’ve had my fill of smooth talkers and romance. Been there, done that, have the T-shirt and the scars to prove it.”
“You mentioned your late husband before. What was the deal with him anyway? I can’t find much on file. That is, if you don’t mind talking about him.”
They had reached the SUV and Zoe had helped Freddy get settled before climbing into the front seat. Linc had briefly checked his messages, then pulled into traffic and was heading for the café before she chose to answer.
“His name was John. John Flint. We met in basic and by the time we were both E-2s, we’d fallen in love and decided to get married.”
“I figured out that much. What happened to him? I was told he died in an auto accident, but there are no details on file and all I could find for a cause of death is unknown. Did he die of his injuries?”
Hesitating, Zoe studied Linc’s profile. As much as she wanted to deny it, there was something about him that inspired confidence. As long as she didn’t reveal the specifics of John’s crimes, she supposed it wouldn’t hurt to clue him in a little.
“There are questions, suspicions surrounding the accident,” Zoe said, keeping her voice soft so Freddy wouldn’t overhear. “Officially, the accident caused his death. The reasons behind that crash are something else. I inadvertently unearthed evidence that my late husband had committed crimes and I turned in the evidence. The authorities began to speculate that perhaps he had been...terminated after that, because he knew too much and his usefulness had ended.”
“Usefulness to whom?”
“Good question. If they ever did figure it out, I wasn’t told.”
“Who are they?”
“The case eventually made its way to Homeland Security. They’re the ones who sealed the files.” She noted Linc’s scowl and the way his fists gripped the steering wheel. Little wonder. Mention Homeland Security and walls shot up. That agency was the be-all and end-all of national defense. The very fact that it had become involved marked John’s death as the act of subversives. Or worse.
“What did you find that implicated him?”
“They asked me not to divulge those details,” Zoe explained. “I’m not sure what investigations grew out of the info they got from his laptop, but it no longer matters. John may not have directly murdered innocent people the way my brother has, but he was not the kind of man I thought he was when I married him. If he hadn’t died, I’d probably have divorced him when I learned what he’d been up to.”
“Could any of that background be influencing what’s happened to you lately?”
“I can’t see how. It’s been years.” Sighing deeply, she leaned against the seat. Bothered by the knot of hair at her nape, she pulled the pins that held it in place. Shaking out her tresses, she raked her fingers through them. Linc was watching her out of the corner of his right eye and that much intensity made her nervous. “What?”
Color rose to infuse his cheeks. “Nothing.”
“You may as well say it,” Zoe grumbled. “Boyd and Freddy’s daddy—the men in my life. I can really pick ’em, huh?”
“You didn’t pick your brother. He came as part of the family package. My lineage isn’t much better.”
“Really?”
“Really. Listen, if I tell you something in confidence, will you promise to keep it to yourself?”
“You’d trust me that far?” Her eyebrows arched theatrically. “Maybe you’d better not confess anything. I don’t want to be responsible if your deep dark secret gets out.”
“It’s not about me. It’s about my dad. He was in the air force, too, only his record was far from honorable. They caught him stealing and drummed him out of the service. After that, his personal life fell apart and he left my mother. She raised me alone.” He leaned his head back, gesturing toward the back seat. “Kind of like you and Freddy.”
“Is that why you seem to understand him so well?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. What I’m trying to say is, don’t beat yourself up about your past. We all make mistakes. It’s part of life. The good news is we can turn it around and make amends, because you and I are still alive and kicking.”
What was he alluding to? Did he think his speech about his father was going to loosen her tongue? Sure sounded like it. She steeled her nerves and cleared her throat. “Listen, Colson, I went to my commanding officers and did all I could to make things right after John died. And I would do the same now if I had any clues about Boyd. Is