Sealed with Justice, page 3
Thankfully, he hadn’t suffered either phenomenon. Hudd figured he’d gotten almost four hours of sleep, which wasn’t bad. The moment he’d heard movement coming from Kendra’s father’s room, he’d bolted upright, folded the blanket, and tucked it with the pillow in the linen closet. He and Echo slipped out the front door before her father knew he’d been there.
As he walked back to the shack, he glanced at Echo. The dog had slept well, maybe because of the warmth of the cozy house rather than being in the shack.
Now that at least two people, Kendra and the shooter, knew he was in town, Hudd realized he should probably check out the closest motel. If there was one that allowed dogs.
The shack was isolated from town, which wouldn’t be helpful if the gunman made another attempt to harm Kendra. He needed to figure out a way to convince her to head back to Portland.
As soon as possible.
When he headed down the dirt road leading to his childhood home, he slowed his pace, listening intently. He was armed with his 9mm Sig Sauer, and his MK 3 knife, both preferred weapons of the SEAL teams. He raked his good eye over the terrain, searching for any sign of an intruder. Two-legged or four, although he was far more apprehensive about the two-legged variety.
In his experience, man was more lethal than beast.
To his surprise, he didn’t find anything amiss. He entered the shack, ignoring the musty dilapidated sight, and quickly fed Echo. Then he went around to the side of the structure to examine his Jeep. That, too, appeared untouched.
It didn’t take him long to pack up his things. He didn’t have much, and what mattered was the dog dishes, food, and toys for Echo.
He’d been training the German shepherd ever since he’d been discharged from the hospital. He and the rest of his teammates had all been given dogs by Lillian, the woman who dedicated her life to rescuing animals. They’d named their dogs after the Greek alphabet used by the navy. Echo responded extremely well to his commands and probably would have made an awesome police dog.
Hudson was thankful to have Echo with him. He’d gone off-grid, feeling like a wounded animal needing time and space to lick his wounds. Being around his teammates had been difficult. But that wasn’t the case with Echo.
The dog was a great companion. Every time he awoke from a night terror, Echo was there, licking his face or nudging him with his nose. When he couldn’t get up due to the debilitating migraines, Echo stayed right by his side, crowding close as if to offer comfort.
“You’re a good boy,” he murmured, scratching the dog behind his ears.
Those large ears flickered a few seconds before Hudson heard the rumble of a car engine. Without hesitation, he went into hunter mode, pulling his weapon from its holster and sliding to the side of the door. He gave Echo the hand signal to stay.
In the distance, he caught a hint of movement through the bare trees, which were just beginning to show signs of springtime buds. He swiftly considered his options.
Wait there and confront the intruder at gunpoint or head out the back with Echo, disappearing from sight. The latter would mean leaving his Jeep, and he didn’t much care for that plan. Especially since Echo’s things were packed inside.
He waited, frowning when a small bright red sedan bounced into view. It took a moment to recognize Kendra was behind the wheel.
Why had she come here? He grimaced, realizing he shouldn’t have told her where he was staying. Yet, deep down, he was happy to see her. Which only proved he had several screws loose in the old brain.
He holstered his gun and opened the warped door. He stepped out onto the sagging porch to wait for her.
“Hey.” She smiled as she slid out from behind the wheel.
“What are you doing here?” His question sounded harsher than he intended. He blamed it on the fact that he wasn’t used to talking this much.
“I—was hoping you would come with me to the police department.” He kicked himself for the flash of hurt in her brown eyes.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound gruff.” He tried to smile. “Haven’t had any coffee yet.”
“Oh, I picked some up on the way!” She immediately brightened and rounded the front of the vehicle to the passenger side. She pulled out a to-go container with two coffee cups. “I wasn’t sure how you liked it, so I brought extra creamers and sugars.”
“I—thanks.” He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had done something so simple as to buy him coffee. He walked forward to take the container from her hands. “I drink mine black.”
“Me too.” Her smile widened. “Cream and sugar ruins the taste.”
His preference had been born out of necessity; black coffee was all you could get while being deployed overseas. “I’d offer for you to come in, but there isn’t anywhere to sit.”
“Have you been sleeping on the floor?” She looked appalled. “That can’t be comfortable.”
He almost pointed out that life was never easy but managed to hold his tongue. The SEAL mantra was that the only easy day was yesterday. They stood awkwardly, sipping from their coffees, until Kendra gestured toward her cheery red car. “We can sit inside, where it’s warmer.”
He immediately glanced at Echo. “Let’s go to my Jeep. There’s a crate area for Echo in the back.”
“You have a Jeep?”
He wasn’t sure why she was so shocked. Then again, he supposed she was still thinking he was some poor homeless guy without any money to stay at a motel. “Come, Echo.” He turned and used the key fob in his pocket to unlock the doors. He opened the passenger door for Kendra, then put Echo in the back. He sat in the driver’s seat and glanced at her. “I’m not broke.”
“Sorry.” Her cheeks went pink. “It’s just difficult for me to understand why you would choose to stay here.”
He didn’t have a good answer for that, so he sipped his coffee.
“I really would like you to come to the police station with me.” She turned in her seat to face him. “You’re a witness to both attempts, Hudson. Besides, this should help back up your story that you didn’t kill Zoey.”
He scowled. “Maybe.”
“It will! And if I’m being totally honest, I would like your support.” She hesitated, then added, “I know I don’t deserve it after the way I treated you.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve had worse insults hurtled at me.” He managed another smile. “Some of my COs could really lay it on thick.”
“CO?”
“Commanding Officer.” He took another sip of his coffee. “I’ll gladly go with you to the police station, Kendra. I doubt they can arrest me after all these years.”
Her jaw dropped. “I hadn’t thought of that! Is that why you’re staying way out here? So no one knows you’re back in town?”
He nodded. “Figure the cat is out of the bag now.”
She chewed her lower lip in a way that made him think of kissing her to make her stop. “I don’t know, Hudson. It’s not good that Andrew Barkley is the current chief of police. What if he does decide to have his cops toss you in jail?”
He was touched by her concern for his welfare. “They won’t. Besides, as you said, we were together when the shooting happened and when the car tried to run you off the road.”
“I guess.” She frowned. “But I don’t know who we can trust. I couldn’t sleep last night, going through all the possible suspects. Not just students, but adults too. Like Mark, the grocery store manager who Zoey often complained about. He was always leering at the pretty girls, making them uncomfortable. And what if the killer isn’t a man but a woman? Maybe Zoey was killed out of jealousy?”
“There are a lot of possible suspects that were never seriously considered,” Hudd agreed.
“Yeah, because everyone just assumed it was you.” She huffed in disgust. “If they’d tried harder to consider other suspects, they may have found the real culprit.”
Those were the exact words he’d tossed at George Barkley twenty years ago. But the chief of police had sneered at him that they already had the right guy, and that was Hudson.
It was then that he’d known it was time to get out of town before someone got desperate enough to frame him for the murder.
Even though that meant leaving his mother behind.
Oh, he’d tried to convince her to move to San Diego to be near the naval base. She’d flat-out refused. And then she’d gotten drunk and passed out.
Over the years, Hudd had sent her money each month to help support her. Until she’d died. Then he’d paid to have her buried in the cemetery where his grandparents had been laid to rest.
He hadn’t come back, until now.
He downed the rest of his coffee and started the Jeep. “Let’s do this.”
“I can drive,” she protested.
He ignored her. “We’re already here, and it’s better for Echo.”
She nodded, clicking her seat belt into place. The drive to the police station didn’t take long. Hudd wasn’t surprised to note the place hadn’t changed much in the years he’d been gone. He left the windows open for Echo, although he could also remotely start the car to provide heat for his companion if needed.
As they walked up the steps to the front door, the back of his neck tingled. He stopped and turned toward his blind side, then locked gazes with his former nemesis, Andrew Barkley. Hudd easily recognized him, despite the balding hair and paunchy gut.
It was clear in Andrew’s icy gaze that he recognized Hudd too. The sheer hatred in the current police chief’s eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Hudd might have come home, but he wasn’t welcome.
Forcing him to admit it was very possible he was the intended target of the gunfire and the near-miss crash after all.
Chapter Three
When Hudson’s body tensed, Kendra followed his gaze to Andrew Barkley. Seeing the glimmer of hate reflected in the chief’s eyes concerned her.
She grabbed Hudson’s arm. “Let’s go, no reason to do this.”
“No.” Hudson’s one-word responses were driving her batty. Had he always been like that? To her shame, she hadn’t bothered to talk to him much twenty years ago.
Fine. She quickly changed her plan. “Andrew!” She smiled and waved. “It’s great to see you again! So nice to hear you followed in your father’s footsteps.”
“Kendra, I heard you’d come home for a few weeks.” Andrew’s smile didn’t reach his narrow eyes. “I find it interesting you’re so chummy with Foster after what happened to my sister and your best friend.”
“Oh, well, you wouldn’t believe what we’ve been through!” Kendra continued as if she hadn’t noticed the animosity seething between the two men. “We were at the creek, and someone fired a gun at us! Then when Hudson was walking me home, a car tried to run us off the road!” She kept her gaze on Andrew, gauging his reaction.
“Oh yeah?” The police chief’s expression was full of doubt. “Were there any witnesses? Did you call the police?”
“That’s why we’re here now, to file a police report.” She couldn’t tell what Andrew was thinking.
“We’d both like to provide our statements,” Hudson said, breaking his silence. “These events need to be on record in case something happens again.”
For a moment, it looked as if Andrew might snap at Hudson, but then he turned away. “Fine with me. The officer at the front desk will take your complaint.”
Once Andrew was gone, she glanced up at Hudson. “That wasn’t nice. I feel terrible dragging you down here.”
“Don’t. I’m fine.” Hudson rested his hand in the small of her back. “Let’s do this.”
The warmth of his hand made it difficult to concentrate. This weird awareness of Hudson had to stop. Neither one of them would be in Eagle for long before they went back to their respective lives.
Yet, deep down, she could admit how she’d never felt this way with Don. She’d admired him as a resident, a guy who actually listened to the nurse’s opinion. And she’d been impressed by his skill. He’d been sweet when they’d first gotten married and grateful for her help in supporting him through those difficult residency years.
Then his ego had gotten blown way out of proportion, turning him into someone she didn’t recognize. Easy to see now she was better off without him. And maybe this odd response to Hudson was a reaction to being alone for so long. Dating hadn’t interested her in the least after losing Olivia.
Why was she thinking about it now?
Hudson opened the door for her. They entered the police station and walked up to the counter. She’d expected the officer there to be aware of why they were there, but clearly Andrew hadn’t bothered to stay anything.
Officer Aaron Campbell agreed to take their statements. He seemed earnest enough, expressing concern over gunfire happening in their small town.
“You should interview the residents living along the creek,” Hudson said. “They’ll have heard something.”
“Oh yes, of course,” Campbell agreed.
From the corner of Kendra’s eye, she could see Andrew standing off to the side, speaking to one of his officers. They were smiling and laughing as if a serious crime hadn’t just happened under their nose.
In that moment, Andrew reminded her very much of Don. Full of himself and unwilling to be bothered by the small stuff.
Not that gunfire and being run off the road should be considered minor crimes. Just the opposite.
After they left the police station, Hudson gestured toward the Corner Café. “Breakfast?”
“Sure.” She’d had a bowl of oatmeal earlier but doubted there was any food in the shack where Hudson had stayed. And she wasn’t ready to end her time with him either.
“I need to check on Echo first.” Hudson went over to the Jeep and opened the back. Echo jumped down, wagging his tail with excitement.
“I hate the thought of him being stuck in the car,” she said. “Bring him along.”
He raised a brow. “Dogs aren’t allowed in restaurants.”
“They are if they’re service dogs. Trust me, we see service dogs in the hospital all the time. If you tell them he’s a service dog, they can’t kick him out unless, of course, he lunges at someone or tries to bite the staff.”
“He won’t.” Hudson reached into the back of the Jeep and pulled out a leash. “You really have service dogs in the hospital?”
“All the time.” She grinned. “I was the charge nurse one day and had to kick one lady’s dog out when the little yappy thing bit a nurse’s finger. You should have seen that woman, ripping the EKG wires off her chest, crying out in a dramatic way that if her dog had to go, then she was going too.”
The corner of Hudson’s mouth tipped up in a smile. “Did you let her go?”
“Yep.” She fell into step beside him. “True service dogs don’t bite.”
“Echo would never do that unless, of course, I told him to attack.”
She eyed the large shepherd. “I’d back off if I saw Echo coming after me.”
“Exactly.”
The restaurant was more than half full. Kendra could feel dozens of curious gazes watching as the hostess escorted them to a booth in the corner. She figured the entire town would know she’d had breakfast with Hudson Foster before noon.
“Down,” Hudson told Echo. Obediently, the dog stretched out on the floor beneath the table.
Their server, who looked all of twenty years old, brought two waters and poured coffee. “My name is Jeanie, do you need a few minutes or are you ready to order?”
“Ah, a few minutes, please.” Kendra glanced at Hudson who simply nodded.
“Okay, take your time.” Jeanie hurried off.
“Lots of new faces around town.”
Hudson raised a brow. “We are twenty years older. I’m sure the town has changed more than it has stayed the same.”
“I know.” She tried to focus on the menu, but she was still troubled by Andrew Barkley’s attitude. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “We really need to figure out who killed Zoey. That will clear your name once and for all.”
“Kendra.” He said her name on a sigh. “The only thing you’re going to do is drive back to Portland.”
She shook her head but didn’t want to argue about it here. Not when they were already drawing all kinds of attention. Maybe having breakfast at the most popular café in town wasn’t the best idea in the world.
After they placed their orders, yogurt parfait for her and a meat-lovers omelet for Hudson, she sipped her coffee and stared out the window at the town she once called home. Strange, really, that she’d always thought this was the perfect place to grow up. That being outside of the big city covered them with a safety net.
Zoey’s murder had changed that, and more.
“Evil can lurk anywhere,” Hudson said, reading her thoughts.
“I know.” Working trauma had shown her what people were capable of, shooting each other with guns, stabbing with knives. She’d even cared for some horrific physical assault victims who were beaten within an inch of their life. “I’ve seen it more than I care to.”
Hudson frowned. “As a nurse?”
“Yes.” She grimaced. “I work trauma, remember? Lots of victims of violence.”
“I can imagine.” He looked upset at this news, and for some reason, that made her want to hug him. “You’ve become quite an amazing woman, Kendra.”
“And you’re a great guy.” She had to force herself to look away, lest she drown in his large blue gaze. “We’ll need to discuss our next steps.”
His frown deepened. “We aren’t taking any.”
Oh yes, they were. But she didn’t speak her thoughts out loud because Jeanie arrived with their meals. Kendra clasped her hands in her lap, bowed her head, and silently thanked God for their food and asked that He continue to protect them as they searched for the truth.
When she finished, she found Hudson watching her curiously. “What? You never saw anyone pray before eating a meal?”
