The Hidden

“If you were with her when Candace and Larry Parker were killed, how could she have been in town with Terry Ballantree?” Diego asked.

Charles shook his head. “She wasn’t. She probably just said that because Gwen was getting suspicious. Or to help Terry out because of the key the police found in his room, and she likes him and doesn’t think he’s guilty. Or maybe she hates Gigi and Clark Levin and wanted to cut them off at the knees. I don’t know. I do know that she was with me that night.”

“In that case, do you know where your wife was?” Diego asked him.

“Sleeping through the night. She had to be sleeping, because she took one of those stupid headache pills, and they always knock her out. It’s how I was able to sneak away without her knowing.”

Diego had the feeling that everything was starting to fall into place, he just had to rearrange the pieces a little more.

He’d learned something about people and interrogation over the years, and he was convinced that Charles Barton was telling the truth right now, which meant that he was innocent. Ben and Trisha, he was convinced, were also victims, although the incident with the moose head proved that he’d been right from the beginning. This was indeed an inside job, he just didn’t yet know who the insider was.

He stood suddenly. He needed to get to the Conway Ranch. Linda needed to be questioned, as well.

Lieutenant Ernie Gray was also a descendant of Nathan Kendall, but whether that meant something or not, Diego didn’t know.

He did know that he wanted to be with Scarlet—now. He didn’t want to wait for Gray to get back to the station with her.

He wasn’t even sure he wanted Gray to reach her first.

*

Scarlet’s scream brought Brett and Lara quickly to her side.

But in the split second it took them to reach her, Angus had disappeared and all that remained were the horrible bloodstains dripping down the pane.

“It was Angus. He was hurt, bleeding...” Scarlet said.

“All right, you two stay here. Lock the door and set the alarm behind me,” Brett said. Then, Glock in hand, he was out the door.

*

Diego dialed Brett’s number as he headed to his car.

There was no answer.

He tried Scarlet.

No answer.

Last, he tried Lara.

When he received no answer from her, either, he floored the gas pedal and sped through town, his heart thundering.

*

Scarlet’s phone started to ring in tandem with a thunderous knock at the door. She jumped, startled, and looked over at Lara.

Before either one of them could react, the visitor announced himself. “Scarlet! It’s Lieutenant Gray. I’m here to take you down to the station. Diego knows I’m picking you up. You shouldn’t be out there with just one or two people around. You need to be at the station, surrounded by cops, where you’ll be safe.”

She disarmed the alarm and swung the door open.

Lieutenant Gray was there, looking anxious.

“Diego called Brett to tell us you were coming, but...” She paused. She wanted to tell him about Angus and Brett running out to find him, but then she saw the apparition of Nathan Kendall standing behind Lieutenant Gray and gesturing frantically.

Scarlet saw the danger coming, and something inside her sprang to life. She couldn’t save herself, but Lara was still inside.

She slammed the door behind her.

And then the killer fired.

She screamed and stared at the man standing in front of her and wielding the antique gun that had killed the Parkers, the gun that had just been fired at Lieutenant Ernest Gray, who now lay on the ground with a pool of blood forming beneath him.

Scarlet hunched down instinctively to see if she could help the lieutenant.

She wondered what this man had done to Brett Cody, and she prayed that Lara wouldn’t rush out, fearful for her fiancé.