Colleen brightened. ‘Does this mean you won’t arrest me?’
Not on your life. Or on Meredith’s life. Or on the life of the John Doe whose body had grown cold on the floor of the crime scene. ‘No.’
Her mouth fell open again. ‘But you said . . . That’s not fair!’
Adam shrugged. ‘What can I say? Life’s a bitch.’
‘He’ll kill me,’ she said with all certainty.
Adam leaned in. ‘I believe that you believe that. Tell me how you know and I’ll be more likely to believe you too.’
She turned away. ‘I’m a loose end, just like you said.’
‘He had your personal cell phone number,’ Adam commented.
Her gaze rocketed back to his. She truly seemed terrified. ‘I don’t know how.’
She still hadn’t lawyered up, despite being terrified of spending a night in jail. ‘You are entitled to an attorney, you know,’ he said, testing the waters.
She blanched. ‘No. I don’t want one. I don’t want an attorney.’
‘You not having an attorney won’t keep you out of court,’ Deacon said quietly.
She dropped her chin to her chest with a moan, rocking in the chair to which she was cuffed. ‘I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead.’
Adam pushed to his feet. ‘I’ll be back.’ He went to the observation room and closed the door. ‘The only truth she’s told is this right here. The fear that she’s going to be killed.’
‘Agreed,’ Isenberg said. ‘She’s more afraid of “him” than of us. Recommendations?’
‘Let her go with a tail and let “him” find her,’ Scarlett said bluntly. ‘Use her as bait.’
‘Or . . .’ Adam said, giving Scarlett a look of mild reproach, ‘we can put her in a high security lockup and monitor anyone who comes close. That way she’s protected bait.’
Isenberg nodded. ‘Do it. Scarlett and Deacon can do the paperwork.’
Adam checked his phone. ‘Thanks, because I still have to meet Trip and pay a visit to Broderick Voss. I want to know if he has a deep, gravelly voice.’ He handed the folder with the police report to Scarlett, who looked decidedly unhappy.
‘I like my way better,’ Scarlett muttered, touching her jaw gingerly. ‘Goddamn bitch in combat boots.’
Adam patted her back. ‘You can make up an awesome story to tell when people ask you where you got the bruise. Like you were fighting off ninjas. It’s way better than admitting you got kicked by a skinny girl with combat boots.’
Her lip curled in a sneer, but then her lips twitched. ‘I can get behind ninjas. But you gotta promise to back me up.’
‘Deal.’ Adam returned to the interview room where Colleen was still curled into herself, rocking on the chair, and he wondered if her fear was that acute or if she was trying to get a psych placement. He figured it was the second one.
‘We’re going to put you in protective custody, Miss Martel,’ Adam told her.
The rocking abruptly stopped and Colleen looked up, eyes narrowed. ‘What does that mean?’
‘It means you’re under arrest, but we aren’t going to put you with the general population. You’ll be held in a secure area. In return, we expect your cooperation.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like participating in a vocal lineup. We’re going to want you to identify the voice you heard on the phone.’
She looked wary. ‘I think I can do that.’
‘Good.’ Adam motioned for Deacon to follow him into the hallway. They shut the door on Colleen and Adam said, ‘Scarlett’s got the paperwork. You’re both to escort her to a high security lockup.’
‘Where are you off to?’ Deacon asked.
‘To see this guy.’ Adam showed Deacon the surveillance photographs of Broderick Voss, and explained who he was.
‘You want me to go with you?’ Deacon asked.
‘No, but thanks. Trip’s meeting me here in a few. I’ll let you know how it goes.’
Cincinnati, Ohio,
Saturday 19 December, 8.50 P.M.
‘Meredith!’ Kendra called from the front door. ‘I found something of yours.’
Meredith and Diesel hurried from the kitchen to the living room, where Kendra and her grandfather stood glaring at one another. Kendra carried several take-out bags in her hands. Her grandfather was wearing his heavy coat and boots.
‘Papa?’ Meredith asked tentatively. ‘I thought you were taking a nap.’
‘Slippery dog,’ Diesel drawled with amused respect. ‘You snuck out the back.’
‘Which was far too easy to do,’ Clarke said. ‘You have a blind spot along the back of your house, Merry. Anyone can get in the basement door.’
Kendra’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. ‘He really is your grandfather?’
‘Yes, of course. Who did you think he was?’
‘Some asshole trying to hurt you. I caught him lurking out back.’
Clarke looked at Kendra with suspicion. ‘She says she’s a cop.’
‘She is,’ Meredith said.
‘Told you,’ Kendra muttered to Clarke.
‘Well, how was I supposed to know she was telling the truth?’ Clarke said, his tone sulky. ‘She also said she was Wendi’s sister!’
‘She is,’ Meredith said again, then popped a light smack on Diesel’s arm because he was snickering. ‘Not funny.’
‘Totally funny.’ Diesel laughed and Meredith found herself smiling because it was a little funny. Wendi was tiny and vampirishly pale. Kendra was nearly six feet tall in her stocking feet, with ebony skin.
‘They were foster sisters,’ Meredith told her grandfather. ‘They were adopted by the same lovely lady.’ Who continued to take foster kids, giving them the best of homes.
Diesel shook his head. ‘She has to be one hell of a lady to put up with you two.’ He pretended to be afraid of Kendra’s scowl. ‘Hell, Kenny, you know it’s true.’
‘It’s fair,’ Kendra allowed, then nudged Clarke into the house. ‘Freezing my ass off here. And could someone take these bags? My fingers are frozen too. Don’t want my trigger finger to crack off.’
‘Gross,’ Meredith said, taking the bags and peeking inside. ‘Yum. My favorites.’ Skyline chili and Graeter’s ice cream. ‘Thanks, Kenny.’
‘There should be enough cheese coneys for six or seven people,’ Kendra said. ‘So enough for the two of us and these two bruisers.’ She stomped the snow off her boots on Meredith’s welcome mat, then kicked them off and went into the living room. ‘Glad I got the Graeter’s. It was the only thing that convinced Gramps here that I really knew you.’
‘Only a crazy person would buy ice cream in this weather,’ Clarke declared, still a little sulky.
‘Only a crazy person would go for a walk in this weather,’ Kendra countered.
Pausing midway to the kitchen, Meredith looked over her shoulder. ‘Why were you outside, Papa?’
Clarke huffed. ‘I was checking the security around your house. It sucks ass, Merry. Luckily, you have two unmarked cars watching over you.’
Meredith turned, fully facing them. ‘I do? Kendra, did you know about this?’
Kendra nodded. ‘One car has a pair of CPD detectives. The other’s got two Feds. I guess Isenberg and Zimmerman are sharing resources. Now that I know there’s a blind spot in the back, I’ll ask one of the cars to sit on the next street over in case your shooter tries to sneak in through the basement. Kimble set it up. Didn’t he tell you?’
‘No. He didn’t.’ She’d have to add it to the list of things he needed to explain. ‘Should we at least offer the officers some hot coffee? They have to be freezing out there.’
‘I offered already,’ Clarke said. ‘They have a thermos, but might take a refill later.’
Kendra stared at him. ‘You talked to them? Really? They’re unmarked for a reason.’
‘Which I did not know because they were unmarked,’ Clarke said, giving her a warning glare. ‘I see two strange cars on this street, each with two guys, I’m gonna check it out. They could have been waiting for Meredith to come outside so that they could finish what they started today.’
Kendra didn’t back down. ‘If they had been, they would have dropped you where you stood. Whoever did this has demonstrated they have no regard for the lives of innocent bystanders.’