Silent Protector, page 14
“He disappeared around the corner of a house at the end of the street. He didn’t see me and I didn’t see him go in, but he had to have. I don’t like any of this. We’ve got to call 911.”
He was already pulling his phone out, but her phone rang and it was Lincoln. She shoved it at Mac, who immediately answered.
“I’m with Adeline and my brothers,” Mac said on speaker.
“Good. I’m sorry I couldn’t call you back earlier. I’ve had a lot going on the last couple hours. Where are you now? Are you guys safe?”
“We’re off Loch Ness Road.” Mac’s tone was neutral, but Adeline winced.
Lincoln cursed. “You’re not at the rental?”
“No,” Adeline started. “We tried to call you—”
“It doesn’t matter. You guys need to get home and lock yourselves inside. I need you sitting tight. We’ve found a body…in the pond on his property. It’s why I’ve been tied up.” It went all muffled for a moment and then he said quietly, “This is off the record. But…it was someone close to Harlan. We’ve got a witness tying him to it. This is serious.”
“You’re sure he did it?” Mac asked, his voice tight.
“It’s an open investigation.”
Mac cursed low at the non-answer. “Look, we followed him. We’ve both tried calling you the last couple hours. I saw him go into a house right off Loch Ness Road. Or I saw him disappear behind the house, not technically go inside. But I know he doesn’t live here.”
“Stay where you are, but do not approach him if you see him!” Lincoln hung up.
Mac handed the phone to Adeline as he opened the front door once again and jumped out. He looked at her. “Get in the driver’s seat, keep the engine running and don’t let anyone but me inside. If you see someone approaching other than Lincoln, drive.”
“Wait—” But he’d already closed the door. She growled to herself even as she slid over into the driver’s seat.
“Holy hell,” Joe said from the back.
She felt that she was in a tunnel as she gripped the steering wheel, the engine now running. “Joe, you watch the back, see if anyone approaches from behind. Dylan, you keep an eye on the sides of the vehicle. I’ll watch the front. If anyone approaches, we’re leaving. We’ll head straight to where Mac ran off to.” Because they sure as hell weren’t leaving him behind.
Worry crept up her spine, knowing that he’d run into potential danger. He might be trained, but he was still human, could still get shot. The thought of something happening to Mac… She swallowed hard.
She couldn’t go there.
Chapter 24
Lincoln raced down the residential street, his lights on, but he kept the siren off. As he turned onto Loch Ness, his lights swept over an SUV and…he spotted four people behind the tinted windows.
Someone jumped out of the front seat and he tensed, but that faded when he realized it was Mac.
He parked behind them, one of his deputies pulling in behind him. Before he’d gotten out, Adeline and Mac’s brothers all poured out of the SUV. He couldn’t believe they were here. And if he hadn’t been out on Hayward’s property hauling a body out of the water earlier, he’d have gotten their damn calls.
“There’s a body inside.” Mac’s expression was grim. “I did my best not to disturb the scene but when you mentioned there’d been a murder… I saw Harlan near this house. I had to make sure someone wasn’t in danger. But I was too late.” Regret flashed in Mac’s eyes.
“It’s not your fault. Who knows how long it would’ve taken us to find out about this… Do you know who it is?” Lincoln was pretty sure he did but wanted to see if Mac had an identification.
“No. It’s not pretty, fair warning.”
Yeah, murder never was. “Stay here,” he ordered. “I mean it. No one leaves. We’re going to have to take statements from all of you.” At least then he could keep an eye on all of them.
One of his deputies started talking to them as Lincoln hurried past the SUV and made his way into the house. The front door was slightly open and he needed to ask Mac if it had been open or if he’d left it that way. Weapon up, he swept the house like he normally would, circling back to the body in the kitchen.
Ian Shaw.
Hell. Lincoln bit back a curse. This never should have happened. And this all could’ve been prevented if he’d found Hayward.
But the bastard had been elusive. They’d had a tail on his girlfriend but she’d disappeared. His deputy thought she’d switched vehicles or had a friend pick her up downtown. Either way, as far as they knew, she was lying low too.
Slipping on gloves, he crouched down next to Ian, regret slicing through him. He checked his pulse even though there was no doubt Ian was dead. The butcher knife embedded deep in his chest and the pool of blood on the kitchen floor guaranteed that.
Damn it. Ian had told him he’d be getting out of town for a while so Lincoln had put him out of his mind for now, thinking he was safe.
“We’ve already started securing the house,” Marisol said as she approached from behind.
Sighing, he stood and turned to face her. In uniform, she had on gloves too as she eyed Ian, her expression as grim as he felt.
“He’s not going to stop,” he said more to himself, but she nodded.
“A knife is personal.” She cleared her throat. “He tried to shoot up Collins and Adeline but he stabs this guy? Yeah, he had to know about the statement Ian gave you.”
Lincoln nodded, not liking any of it, but she was right. They’d filed paperwork at the courthouse and then somehow Harlan had found out about Ian turning on him. Someone had told him about this. And Harlan had multiple weapons that they knew of, given the different caliber bullets found at Mac’s workshop. For some reason he’d chosen to go up close and personal for this. And he’d used a knife from on-site—the butcher knife was the only slot empty in the knife block—so while Lincoln wasn’t one hundred percent sure, he was going with his instinct that Harlan had used the knife because he’d wanted to get his hands bloody, so to speak.
Guns were violent too, far too violent and far too often ended up in the wrong hands, but killing someone with a knife forced you to get close. It spoke of rage and hatred. Being out of control.
Fuuuck. This was just going to escalate until they brought him in.
“Keep securing the scene.” He stepped back. “I need to talk to the witnesses.”
“Why are they even here?” Marisol frowned as she started opening up the crime scene kit.
“A misguided attempt at helping,” he murmured as he stalked past her. Or he assumed that was what had happened, given some of the messages he’d listened to on the way here.
The four of them were leaning against the outside of the SUV as he approached and he couldn’t help but notice that Mac and Adeline were very close to each other. They weren’t quite touching, but maybe an inch separated them. Mac’s body was angled toward hers in a protective stance.
“I’m going to need an official statement from all of you. You’re going to have to come down to the station and be interviewed separately. It’s going to be a late night,” Lincoln said, “because we’re already dealing with a lot of shit right now. And I really want to know what the hell you were thinking.” He focused on Mac now. Because he wouldn’t have expected him to go off half-cocked, chasing down Hayward. Much less with Adeline and his brothers in tow.
Adeline stepped forward, putting her body in front of Mac’s. “We ganged up on him. He didn’t want to do this but I created a fake Instagram profile and found out where his girlfriend was going to be. So we drove to where she was and Hayward showed up. We followed him—though we did call and text you. We kept a decent distance and were never in danger.”
He blinked at the dump of information. “You created a fake Instagram profile?”
“Of course. Hayward attacked us with a gun! He shot at us and burned down Mac’s shop. And now he’s running free. And apparently murdering people,” she added, a bite to her words.
Mac put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She stilled immediately, some of her anger seeming to fade as she leaned into him.
“Look,” Mac started, his tone completely neutral, “we shouldn’t have followed him—probably shouldn’t have left the house, and that’s on me—but once we spotted him, and I couldn’t get hold of you, I just couldn’t let it go. I’m not sorry. Actually, I’m sorry I didn’t follow the bastard into the house. I thought it was a safe house and he was holing up there.”
Lincoln studied all four of them and sighed. Glancing over at one of his deputies, he waved them over. “I get it. But you guys are still going to have to make statements.”
“Should we just head to the station?” Adeline asked.
“Yes, but I’ve got to split you up.”
Adeline snorted. “If we wanted to get our stories straight, we were here for a while before you got here. There’s no sense in splitting us up now.”
Mac closed his eyes and sighed. “You’re not supposed to say that out loud,” he murmured.
“I’m just saying that if—”
Lincoln held up a hand, a low-grade headache starting at the base of his skull. “I know what you’re saying. But I have to follow protocol. Mac, you can drive the SUV to the station. Joe and Dylan, get in the back of Shaughnessy’s car. Adeline, you’re riding with me. It’s probably going to be a little while though. I’ve got to make sure everything is secure before we leave.”
Grumbling under her breath, she nodded and crossed her arms over her chest.
“It’s going to be okay,” Mac said as he pulled her close. “We didn’t do anything wrong—I mean it was stupid, but not wrong.”
She nudged him with her elbow, her expression softening as she looked up at him. “Not stupid.”
Lincoln pulled out his radio and responded to an inquiry from inside, stepping away from the four of them.
Tonight was definitely going to be a very long night. And it was going to get a hell of a lot worse if they didn’t find Harlan, and soon.
Chapter 25
Adeline tapped her fingernail against the table in the interrogation room. It was a nervous tic, one she couldn’t seem to stop. Her adrenaline from earlier had long since dissipated and now she was punchy and exhausted—and ready to go home.
“You’ve gotta stop doing that,” Joe murmured, his eyes closed as he leaned back in one of the chairs.
Mac stood at the corner of the long table, arms over his chest and his back to the two-way mirror that lined one wall.
Dylan had actually draped himself across the table, his eyes closed as he tried to sleep, which was basically impossible under the sharp fluorescent lights. But he was giving it his best shot.
At least they’d already given their statements and the deputies on duty had brought them food and hot coffee.
Not that the caffeine had done much other than keep her warm. It was one in the morning and she was about ready to crash, and crash hard. But Lincoln had said he needed to talk to them before they left. That it was important.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, the door swung open. He swept his gaze over the four of them. “I’m sorry to keep you guys waiting. We had one of the relatives of the victims arrive and…” He cleared his throat. “Anyway, I want to run something by you.” He focused on Mac and Adeline now, his expression dark.
“No.” There was no give in that one word as Mac subtly stepped half in front of Adeline, as if protecting her from something.
She touched his forearm gently. “He hasn’t even said what he wants.”
“I can tell I’m not going to like it.”
Dylan groaned and shoved up from the table, looking younger than normal as he pushed his messy hair out of his face. “I’m ready to get home.”
“Your rental home,” Lincoln clarified, no room for argument in his tone.
Mac simply nodded because yeah, that was where they were going.
“Can I finish?” Lincoln gave Mac a sharp look.
Mac just nodded.
“I have an idea for setting Harlan up,” he started. “One that will not put you in any danger. But it will involve you on the fringes as we bait him.”
“Nope,” Mac snarled, moving in front of her lightning fast, fully blocking her.
She blinked, surprised by how quickly he’d shifted from his casual pose to completely blocking her view of the sheriff. She placed a hand on his back but he didn’t move. Tension vibrated through him, all his muscles taut. “Mac, let’s at least listen to him.”
“We’re not going to be bait. Adeline is not going to be bait.”
“Look,” Lincoln snapped, “I’ve got two dead bodies and no doubt that the count is just going to go up. So listen until I’m done. It’s not a stretch to think you and Adeline are a couple. I was thinking that you could stop at a few shops tomorrow—today—show your faces around town and then drop the information to some friends that you’re going to be getting away to one of the cabins over at that RV park. You know the one, it’s got cabin rentals up there now. You wouldn’t actually be doing that, just telling people that you are. There’s a good chance this will get back to Harlan, and if he takes the bait, we’ll be waiting for him—with you two nowhere nearby. Not even in the same zip code. I just need you to help spread the gossip in an organic way so he believes it.” Lincoln was silent for a long moment when they didn’t respond. “He may figure out that it’s a lie but it’s a good plan. One I can’t pull off without your help.”
“What the hell?” Mac finally growled. “I don’t like any of this.” He shifted slightly, as if trying to block her again as he did that protective stance thing.
“He’s not going to attack us in the middle of town,” she said. She didn’t like it either, but it was a really good plan. “He’s not going to be in the middle of town on a Saturday. He’s hiding right now. There’s a warrant out for his arrest and he knows it. Right?” She looked around him at Lincoln who simply nodded.
Mac’s expression remained grim.
“I’m not just going to leave you guys alone to your own devices. I’ll have all my people watching you, but covertly. You could stop at Bianca’s coffee shop, maybe the quilt shop, and one other place. Just talk casually to a couple friends and then word will spread fast. Let’s make the third stop the diner. Everyone will know about you guys after that. And I’ll have people at each store already in place so you’re never not protected.”
“It’s not a terrible idea,” she murmured, which just earned her a growl from Mac.
“I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this so quickly.”
“It’s a good idea—a damn good one,” Lincoln said, drawing Mac’s attention back to him. “And we’ve had two murders within days of each other. Harlan isn’t stopping. He’s going to kill as many people as he can before he’s arrested. And I’m not going to let that happen. We’re a small town with small resources, and if I can actually bait him into coming to me… I can’t lose any more people.”
“Fine,” Mac snapped out. “We’ll work out the details later. Right now, we’re going to get some sleep. One of us will call you in the morning…if you answer,” he added testily, glaring at Lincoln.
Adeline figured he was only agreeing but didn’t actually plan to go through with it. He was too keyed up, too…something. Mac motioned to his brothers and then tucked her up against him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders tight.
She actually liked Lincoln’s idea and she didn’t think he’d ever put her in danger. But Mac wasn’t thinking about any of that right now. He was very likely thinking about the body he’d found earlier.
Sighing, she leaned into him as he hustled her out. He was so warm, smelled so good, and she was so damn tired. For five minutes she was going to not worry about what tomorrow would bring.
“I’ll call you around eight,” Lincoln called out.
Mac simply grunted in response.
Chapter 26
“What are you doing here?” Chief of Police Robert Hayward frowned at Lincoln, his gaze trailing past him to the trio of sheriff’s deputies lining the walkway up to his two-story Craftsman-style house.
“I’ve got a warrant to search your house.” Lincoln held it up, handed him a copy and waited for the man to scan it. Hayward was more than familiar with these, but Lincoln was trying to show him some courtesy even if the guy didn’t deserve it. “As you can see, we’re searching for your son and—”
“I know what the hell this says! You could’ve just asked. You didn’t need a damn warrant,” he spat.
Lincoln could see the rage burning in the man’s eyes, and knew that if it had just been the two of them, Hayward would have decked him. Or attempted to, anyway. The guy was softer since the last time Lincoln had seen him, not as in-shape as he’d once been. Though he was still built like a bull, his shoulders broad and his arms muscular. His hair had gone fully gray now and it peppered his short beard as well.
“I’m just following procedure.” Lincoln kept his voice neutral, wanting the situation to remain as calm as possible. “We’re simply looking for your son.” He held up a hand, motioned for his deputies to head inside.
“Well, just wait a minute, my wife is having breakfast—”
“One of my deputies will escort her outside.” He motioned to Marisol, who kept walking right past both of them.
“I bet you just love this, don’t you?” Hayward growled.
“Why would I love this?” He stared at the older man. “I hate doing this. Hate being here. Hate everything about this. But your son is wanted for at least two murders. And I’m not going to let him kill anyone else. If you know where he is, you need to tell me before he hurts someone else. Because he is absolutely not done killing,” Lincoln snapped.
“My son didn’t do anything,” Hayward snarled, but it was clear he didn’t believe his own words.
