Even a private investigator looking into a major crime like murder could get charged with obstruction if he or she wasn’t careful. “I will, I promise.” She eyed him. “I trust you with this case, honestly.” More than he would ever know or believe. “And you’re a good detective. You’re a good man, Ryan.”
He stared at her as if he didn’t know how to take the compliment, but she saw the doubts swimming in his eyes. Being a county detective hadn’t been good enough for her. Before emotions rushed through her, she looked at the river. She shouldn’t think about the past, but she almost regretted the choices she’d made that caused her to lose him.
Almost.
Because truly regretting her choices would mean she’d made the wrong ones. And she couldn’t accept that.
* * *
While Ryan spoke to his team of deputies and his techs who would process and then transport the kayak, Tori waited near the river. Was the shooter out there somewhere, watching?
Two techs began processing the kayak—taking pictures and documenting everything. Tori was glad Ryan hadn’t just hauled it in his SUV as if it had no importance. The slightest detail could be vital in a case like this.
He left his team to work and approached her. “You ready to go?”
“I thought we were going to look up top for rifle shells. We could help those deputies search for evidence. We aren’t doing anything.”
“Let the county sheriff’s department handle it. I’m taking you home.”
Though she didn’t need the lead investigator acting as a chauffeur, how else would she get home? Dad had already gotten her car from the river. Back in his SUV, Ryan steered them toward town.
“Is there any remote chance that the fact someone targeted you has to do with something unrelated to Sarah—maybe one of your past cases?”
“I suppose anything is possible, but it’s not probable.”
They remained quiet for the remaining miles back to town. As he drove down Main Street in Rainey, her mind constantly flashed to memories of them together. It seemed so strange to be with him again, only for an entirely different reason than because they simply wanted to be together.
A gut-wrenching reason. Her breath hitched and she squeezed the hand rest.
“I keep asking if you’re all right.” He steered into the driveway of Sarah’s small bungalow and parked. “You keep telling me that you are. But you’re not okay. I’m worried about you, Tori.”
“You’ve said that.” Tori hung her head. She didn’t want to get into this conversation with him. Why did he have to keep asking? Why did he have to care? Of course she wasn’t okay.
“Is it me?” he asked.
That question brought her head up to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Is being here with me too much for you? Too awkward? I know we’re both trying to stay focused on the case, but maybe it’s too much. Maybe it’s just too hard to work together.”
And you want to avoid me, Ryan? She kept the question to herself. “Even if it’s too hard, we have to push past that. We can’t change it.”
“We can. You can go back to work in South Carolina. Be safe. Let me find who killed these people. Your sister. I don’t need your help.”
Tori had no response to that. She got out of the vehicle, slammed the door and stomped up to the home that reminded her so much of Sarah. She remembered when her sister had picked it out. Sarah had emailed so many pictures to Tori. She’d been so excited to find such a cute place to live in on her own.
Oh, Sarah...
What had happened to her was wrong on so many levels. Why couldn’t Ryan understand that Tori could not leave this alone? She wanted to look Sarah’s killer in the face. And deep in her heart, she wanted to be the one to bring him down.
At the door, she fumbled for the keys in her purse with shaking hands and then finally unlocked the door. Ryan remained in his vehicle, making a call, waiting for her to get safely inside. She wished he would hurry up and leave.
Inside, she slammed the door and pressed her back against it, her heart pounding for no other reason than she was upset with Ryan. Upset with herself. Upset that this nightmare was real. Tears leaked out the corners of her eyes.
She swiped them away. No time for grieving.
Tori needed an escape from the events of the last weeks, days and hours. Unfortunately, Sarah’s home was full of reminders instead. She shoved herself away from the door and dropped her bag on the table in the foyer. Dad had retrieved it from the car and Mom had brought it up to the hospital. Mom. She’d better text—
Clank, clank...
Tori froze. She listened.
The hair on her arms rose. Someone was in the house just down the hallway.
She pulled her weapon from her bag. Even on leave, she was required to always carry her FBI-issued weapon with her.
Weapon at the ready, she crept down the hallway toward where the sound had come from and cleared the first room. That left only one more room. Heart pounding, she whipped the weapon around as she stepped through the open door. “Freeze!”
A masked man stood much too close—her mistake—and he knocked the SIG from her grasp. She fought him, but with her injured shoulder, she struggled. Still, Tori was determined to best him. Somehow, she needed to get to her gun on the floor. Tori punched him in the solar plexus for good measure, then slammed his throat.
He coughed and gasped, but pulled out his own weapon—a nine-millimeter Glock.
Oh, no...
Tori dove into the hallway as gunfire exploded.
* * *
At the crack of gunfire, Ryan’s heart jackhammered.
He tossed his cell aside and radioed dispatch that shots had been fired and to send backup. But with Tori in danger, he couldn’t wait for them. He jumped from the SUV and pulled his Glock from his holster all in one smooth motion.
Please let me be wrong, please let me be wrong.
But it was hard to mistake the sound.
He sprinted up the driveway toward the front door. The distinct sound of glass shattering resounded from the back of the house.
Weapon held at low ready, he quickly crept along the side of the bungalow, cautious near the bushes in case someone hid behind them. At the back corner, he peeked around, prepared to face off with a possible perp.
But he saw no one in the neat backyard that included a blue-and-white-striped hammock. His heart kinked as he pictured Sarah relaxing in that hammock. But there was no time to think about what had been lost. Ryan kept his weapon ready to aim and fire and continued all the way into the backyard to make sure it was clear.
At the back of the house, he found the shattered glass and the window that had been broken.
“Tori!”
While he didn’t want to destroy any evidence, his primary focus was on finding her. He approached the window carefully and glanced inside. He saw nothing. “Tori?”
There was no response. His heart rate ratcheted up.
Lord, please let her be okay.
He ran around to the front of the house and, shoving the door open, forced his way inside. “Tori! Are you