Page 20 of Ranger Bravery

Kylie stepped back. Nineteen, with a rail thin figure and acne scars, she was dressed in sweatpants two sizes too big and a cropped T-shirt. A green-and-yellow bruise marred the curve of her chin. A fresher mark, deep purple and painful looking, marched down her left arm. Judging from the shape and size, a man had grabbed her. Hard.

Jackson glanced at Piper. He could tell by the way her lips flattened that she’d seen the marks on Kylie too. The young woman’s eyes were also puffy and red, as if she’d been sobbing as hard as the baby when they knocked on the door. The little one wailed, the bow in her thin hair bouncing with the force of her cries.

He crossed over the threshold, careful to look behind the door at his blind spot. No sound emanated from the rear of the house. The space was tiny, a living room and kitchen area connected by a small dining table. It smelled of burned coffee, even though a window in the kitchen was wide open. Dirty dishes piled on the counter.

“Is anyone home with you, ma’am?” Jackson asked.

“No. My mom is at work.” She hitched the baby higher on her hip and reached for a pacifier on an end table.

Piper shut the door. She smiled sympathetically at Kylie, even as her gaze discreetly scanned the surroundings, just like Jackson. “How old is she? Six months?”

“Seven.” Kylie worked the pacifier into the baby’s mouth as she sat on a threadbare couch covered in piles of clothes. The child quieted, laying her head down on Kylie’s shoulder. “Jennifer is teething and it’s made for a lot of sleepless nights.” She sighed heavily and more tears leaked from her eyes. She wiped them away. “I heard about what happened to Elena yesterday from a neighbor. I still can’t believe it. Was she really murdered?”

Piper gently pushed aside a pile of clothing and sat on the edge of the couch. “I’m afraid so. How well did you know Elena?”

“Since we were kids. We grew up together. She is…” Kylie bit her lip. “Was my best friend.”

Jackson positioned himself against the wall, with a view of the hallway leading to the bedrooms, the kitchen, and the front door. No noise emanated from the rear of the house. Kylie was likely telling the truth about being home alone. But he wouldn’t let down his guard. Someone had put those marks on the young woman and any man willing to do that… well, he was volatile and dangerous.

“Elena was the sweetest person.” Kylie swiped at another tear as it trailed down her cheek. “Why would anyone want to hurt her?”

“We were hoping you could tell us.”

She blew out a breath. “Elena never did anything she wasn’t supposed to. I was the rebel. Parties and skipping school and all that nonsense. Got myself pregnant at eighteen.” She adjusted her hold on the baby. Grief thickened her voice and new tears welled. “I used to make fun of Elena for being such a stick-in-the-mud, but she’s the one who really came to my rescue when I got pregnant. She helped me get a job at the grocery store. When all my party friends bailed on me and Jennifer’s father didn’t want to help, it was Elena who stuck by my side.”

Jackson had learned a long time ago to keep his own emotions in check when interviewing a witness or a victim. But there were times when it was hard. “It sounds like she was a very good friend to you.”

“She was.”

“Do you know if Elena was dating anyone?”

Kylie swiped at her cheeks and worried her bottom lip. “She had a boyfriend for a while, but they broke up. She never told me his name. I got the sense it was new, and she didn’t want to introduce him to her friends before she’d decided if he was a keeper. Elena was pretty picky about the guys she would date. She was also private. I assumed he was someone who attended college with her.”

Or it was someone she had to keep secret. Like Shawn, who was a married man. If Elena grew tired of being the other woman, and threatened to expose the affair, Shawn would be embarrassed, and his wife humiliated. Townsfolk would talk.

Jackson kept his posture relaxed and his tone even. “Do you know when they broke up?”

“No. I was dealing with my own drama and didn’t pry into hers. I knew she’d tell me when she was ready.”

Piper gestured to the marks on Kylie’s arm. Her tone was gentle. “Is that the drama you’re talking about?”

Kylie glanced at the bruises and her gaze skittered across the living room. “I left him. For good this time. Living with my mom isn’t easy, but Jennifer and I are better off here.”

“You can press charges.”

She jerked her head and clung to her baby. “It’s Jennifer’s father. I won’t do that unless it becomes necessary. So far, he’s left us alone. That’s good enough for me.” Her eyes widened. “Oh…” Kylie’s hand flew up to cover her mouth.

“What?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing…”

“Why don’t you tell me anyway,” Piper kept her tone reassuring and her demeanor nonjudgmental, but there was a tilt to her posture indicating she knew whatever Kylie was about to say was important. “I can decide if it matters or not.”

Kylie was quiet for a long moment. She hugged her daughter closer. “Elena helped me leave my ex. She snuck over while he was at work and watched the baby while I loaded my stuff into her car.” She swallowed hard. “But I don’t think he would do anything to hurt her. I mean… I’m the one he’d be mad at, right?”

Jackson wasn’t convinced of that. He’d seen abusers attack people who assisted the victim escape. Isolation was important in order to maintain control. A friend or family member willing to step up… that was a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Men had killed for less. A lot less.

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