Matter of fact, hed been a complete ass about it.
I just want to ask her a few questions about the break-in. He intentionally added a gentle tone to his voice, though he was feeling anything but gentle at the moment.
Laneys eyes narrowed again, as if she saw through the pretense. But after a moment, her expression cleared. Ill introduce you.
Hed have preferred to approach the woman alone, away from all her friends, but he couldnt exactly make any demands, could he? It wasnt as if she were the culprit here.
At least, not that he could prove.
He followed Laney across the waiting room floor, ignoring the watchful gazes of the others, though he did spare the slightest glance at Dana Massey, as if his eyes couldnt resist one more quick look to make sure he hadnt been mistaken about the resemblance.
No, still there, the faint but unmistakable traits that had convinced her, on the day of their first meeting, that he was the long-lost half brother shed only recently learned about.
He dragged his gaze forward, grinding his teeth.
Briar?
The dark-haired woman looked up at Laney, then let her gaze slide slowly to Daltons face, her clear gray eyes darkening with recognition. So she already knew who he was. Probably not good news, given the tumble his reputation had taken around the Bitterwood Police Department in the past few weeks.
Mrs. Blackwood, Id like to ask you a few questions about the break-in this evening, he said, not waiting for the unnecessary introduction.
Beside him, Laney released a soft sigh. Briar, this is assistant county prosecutor Dalton Hale.
I know who he is, she said quietly, still holding his gaze. Ive given a statement to the Bitterwood Police Department. Detective Nix is the lead detective. She nodded toward the dark-haired man sitting next to Dana Massey. Walker Nix. Bitterwood detective and Danas significant other. Nix stared back at him, as if daring him to cause a ruckus.
In Briars lap the dark-haired little boy stirred and made a low mewling noise that sounded like a puppy whining. He tightened his little arms around his mothers neck, clinging like a monkey as she rubbed his back and murmured soothing nonsense to him until he settled down.
A painful sensation wriggled in the pit of his stomach. He killed it with ruthless dispatch. I understand that. But I have some questions about the incident that the detective may not have known to ask.
Something shifted in those gunmetal eyes, a flicker of flame warming their wintry depths. Such as?
Ah, he thought, shes curious. That was good. Curiosity was exactly the sort of trait he needed from this woman if he was going to get the answers he sought. Such as, do you believe this most recent break-in could be related to the one that happened a few weeks ago?
Her eyes went from molten steel to flinty ice in a split second. What makes you think Nix wouldnt have asked such an obvious question? Do you have such a low opinion of the police?
Dalton gave himself a mental kick. Once more he was letting his anger at Massey taint everything and everyone connected to him. Of course Nix would have asked the obvious question. Fair enough.
Briar glanced up at Laney. Some communication moved silently between them, for Laney patted Briars arm and walked away, leaving him alone with her.
He sat in the empty chair beside her. You like handling things on your own. Dont you?
She didnt answer.
Youre sitting off here by yourself, away from your friends. You sent Laney away so you could handle my questions alone.
You seem to know something, or think you know something, about the break-in. So spill it. She kept her voice low, her hand still drawing soothing circles around her sons back.
I know your husband died seven months ago.
He was murdered seven months ago, she corrected quietly. Her voice had an oddly detached tone, making him wonder about the state of the relationship at the time of Johnny Blackwoods murder.
You werent a suspect?
Her gaze flicked toward him. I had an alibi.
Work? Shed still been the emergency services night-shift dispatcher at the time of Johnnys death.
She nodded. Plenty of security video to establish my whereabouts.
But you had a motive?
She took a quick, sharp breath through her nose. Is there a point to this line of questioning?
He supposed there wasnt, other than curiosity. He knew the basics about Johnny Blackwoods goings and comings during the months leading up to his murder. It was how hed latched on to Johnny in the first placereading through the case notes and seeing signs of a potential connection to another case he was looking into. But the personal details in the case file were scarce, perhaps because Briar was part of the Bitterwood P.D. family. Personal matters not pertaining to the case would have been minimized and even left out to protect her privacy.
Like the state of the marriage at the time of his death. The cops would have wanted to know if there had been trouble in her relationship with her husband. And Dalton knew that on Johnnys side, at least, there had been trouble to spare.
But did his wife know what Dalton knew?
As he puzzled through how best to ask her such a delicate question, a doctor in a white jacket over green scrubs entered the waiting room. Mrs. Franklins family?
Briars whole body seemed to snap to tautness at the sound of the doctors voice. She stood, clutching her small son more tightly to her, and crossed to meet the doctor halfway.
Dalton trailed behind her, catching up in time to hear the doctor say, Well want to keep her until tomorrow because she lost consciousness, but shes not showing any continuing mental confusion, which is a very good sign. She did sustain a fracture of both bones in her lower right arm, however. Weve reset the bones and applied a fiberglass cast to just above the elbow. Shell need to wear the cast for at least four weeks.
Can I see her? Briar asked.
Check with the nurse at the front desk in the E.R.shell tell you what room shell be in. The doctor smiled, gave Briar a comforting pat on her shoulder and left the waiting room, moving at a clip.
Good news, Dalton murmured.
Briar turned her gaze toward him, her eyes narrowing. Youre still here.
Yes, I am, he said, not taking offense. He knew he was making a nuisance of himself by coming here at this hour of night to bother her, but it couldnt be helped. She might hold the key to his uncertain future without even realizing it.
I have to go check on my aunt. She turned away from him and crossed to where Laney sat, murmuring something before she handed off her son to the other woman.
Dalton watched her straighten her back and leave the waiting room with her shoulders squared and her chin up, like a soldier readied for battle. It struck him, in that brief glimpse of her steel core, that Briar Blackwood was a woman who thrived on challenges that made other people collapse.
Could that trait of hers be useful to him?
As Dalton started out the door after her, Doyle Massey rose from his chair and moved into his path. He was smiling as he did so, in that charming snake-oil salesman way of his, all teeth and beach tan and ulterior motives.
Where are you going? Doyle asked.
Where are you going? Doyle asked.
Thats none of your business. Dalton tried to take a step around him, but Doyle shifted, staying in his path.
I dont know what youre up to or why youve suddenly taken an interest in my newest recruit, but dont drag our bad blood into it.
Dalton couldnt help smiling at the chiefs choice of words. Bad blood, huh?
Dana and I get that you dont want to be part of our family, and you know, we can live with that. But dont think that means well let you screw with our lives and the lives of people around us.
Your faith in my integrity is touching.
I have no faith in you at all, Doyle snapped back, dropping all pretense of friendly civility. What brought you here tonight?
A case. Dalton lifted his chin, daring the chief to start a fight.
Which case is that?
Dalton glanced to his right as Walker Nix rose from his seat and headed for the waiting room door. Off to see after the Blackwood widow and her aunt, he guessed. Maybe take the older womans statement.
Hed wanted to be there for that statement himself, but clearly the chief had other ideas.
Why dont you both try being straight with each other? Laney rose from her chair and moved to turn their tense twosome into a threesome.
They both looked at her, and she lifted her eyebrows in response.
Doyle looked back at Dalton, his eyebrows mimicking his fiancées. Well? What case are we talking about?
Dalton was tempted to just leave without answering. But with so much on the linenot just his own ambitions but the safety of all the people hed sworn justice forhe couldnt afford to let his emotions muck up the works.
Ive been trying to piece together a conspiracy case against the people we suspect were involved in the Wayne Cortland crime network, he said finally, lowering his voice by habit. You know that Blake Culpepper has been fingered as one of the people involved.
And you come here in the middle of the night to a hospital waiting room to ask Blakes distant cousin questions about his criminal activity? Doyle sound unconvinced.
Not about Culpepper. Dalton tamped down a smile at the thought that he actually knew something his know-it-all half brother didnt. I came here to ask her questions about her late husband.
You have questions about Johnny? Why?
Because odds are good he was part of Cortlands organization.
Chapter Two
Briar had never liked hospitals, even before her mothers death from breast cancer. The antiseptic smells, the dim artificial lights, the rhythms of machines that beat like the pulse of some giant predatory beastthey were alien to the life she knew, a life of fresh air, changing seasons, the loamy essence of earth and trees and the feel of wind in her hair.
In the white-sheeted hospital bed, her aunt looked like a thin, sickly child instead of a strong, wiry woman in her late fifties. Her shiny silver-streaked black hair looked dull and brittle beneath the single light shining over her bed, and when Jenny turned her tired gaze to Briar, she looked as if shed aged a decade overnight.
The cast on her right arm was bulky and the color of old paper, not quite white, not quite yellow. Does it hurt? Briar asked, resting her hand on the rough-textured surface of the cast.
Not at the moment.
There was a knock on the door behind her. Then it inched open and Walker Nixs face appeared in the opening. Is it okay to come in?
Briar looked at her aunt. I think Walker wants to ask you some questions about what happened.
Of course. Jenny flashed the detective a wan smile as he entered and came to stand at the foot of her bed.
Howre you feeling? he asked Jenny, briefly squeezing Briars shoulder before dropping his hand to his pocket to pull out a notebook.
Im not feeling much of anything at the moment, Jenny admitted, making Briar smile. I guess you want to know what I remember.
As much as you can.
Briars aunt lifted her left hand to her brow. Id just put Logan to bed when there was a knock on the door. Jennys gaze slanted to meet Briars. I know you say never to answer the door at night, but the person on the other side said he was Doyle Massey, and you know that light on the porch went out night before last.
Briar gave herself a mental kick. I meant to put a new bulb in before I left tonight.
You can imagine what I was thinking. Jenny reached out to Briar, clasping her hand when she offered it. It was your second week on the police force, and here was the chief of police knocking at the door in the middle of the night....
It had been a ruse guaranteed to get Jenny to open the door, which meant the intruders were familiar enough with her life to know it would work, Briar realized with a shudder of dismay.
Did you get a good look at the intruders? Nix asked.
They wore face paint and dark camouflage. One of them had a skull cap kind of hatblack, I think. It was dark and it all happened so fast. His hair was up under the cap, so I couldnt tell you what color it was. I think his eyes were darkthey didnt really give me much time to look at them, to be honest. Just pushed me inside, turned out the lights and started throwing me around.
Anger built like a fire in the pit of Briars gut. Did you fight them?
Jenny shook her head, looking stricken. First blow, they broke my arm. Felt like theyd torn it clear off. Then I guess I hit my head on the hearth, because the next thing I remember is waking up when you came into the bedroom to check on me. I dont even know how I got there.
The intruders had probably dragged her there so they wouldnt have to step over her body while they ransacked the place, Briar thought. The hospital has her clothes. Theyve bagged them up for evidence, she told Nix.
He nodded, his dark eyes reflecting the fire she felt roiling in her gut. Miss Jenny, is there anything else you can remember? Did the men say anything when they were pushing you around?
Jenny reached up and dashed away tears that had welled in her eyes. Im not sureit was all such a blur....
Briar squeezed her aunts hand. You never know what might make sense to someone else.
Jenny gave her hand a little squeeze back. The other man said something about books.
Nix and Briar exchanged glances. What books? Nix asked.
I dont know. Jenny shook her head, wincing as the motion apparently made her headache flare up. He just said something like The books could be anywhere.
What kind of books do you have? Nix asked Briar curiously.
Nothing valuable, she assured him. Some of Logans picture books, all my books from community college, some novels. Johnny didnt do a lot of reading for pleasure, so I dont even know if I have any of his books left. But none of them would be worth breaking into a cabin and beating up a woman for. Believe me.
Jennys eyelids were drooping, Briar noticed, though she was trying not to show her weariness. Turning to Nix, Briar gave a little nod of her head toward the door.
Miss Jenny, thank you for the information. Im going to head out now and let you get some rest. Nix closed up his notebook and put it back in his pocket. You just let me know if you remember anything else.