Page 73 of Counter Attack

It wasn’t a secret that Mark thought Carson Stone should have picked him as chief deputy or that Harvey was upset that Carson had talked him into taking the chief of staff position that didn’t have nearly the power of his old spot. But Harvey was too lazy and Mark needed seasoning. Nathan doubted that Carson explained his reasons for picking Alexis to either of the men. But maybe he should have.

These first two days had proven she was perfect for the job.Alexis had handled everything thrown at her with the same strength Carson Stone possessed.

What if the killer wasn’t the one making the attempts on Alexis’s life? Nathan hated to think Harvey or Mark would be that underhanded, but he couldn’t dismiss the fact that they both had motive, opportunity, and means.

He wasn’t sure about Harvey, but Mark was a computer genius. He could’ve hacked into Alexis’s operating system and taken control of her SUV. And both times they were fired at, the bullets had gone wide or high. That didn’t sound like someone trying to kill her, especially an expert marksman like Mark. He’d been a sniper in the service before he became a deputy. And Harvey was no slouch when it came to firearm proficiency.

But would they go so far as to kill Trevor Martin? Or Gina Norman? They knew the details about the murders in Chattanooga, including the notes and pawns left behind, so they could easily copy the serial killer.

Was there a note with the bomb? He pulled into his parking space at the police station and took out his phone. His call went to voice mail, and he left a message for Alexis to call him.

Kayla looked up from her computer when Nathan walked into the lobby. “Peggy gone home?”

“About an hour ago.”

She handed him a stack of yellow notes, all neatly squared up. “Those are all about the bomb scare. Is Alex okay?”

Nodding, he flipped through the messages, each stamped with their call time and arranged from first to last. Kayla’s work, since Peggy never went to that trouble. He glanced around the office, noting the absence of clutter. In fact, he’d never seen it so neat. “You do this?” He swept his hand around the room.

“You don’t like it?”

“Of course I like it. I’m just surprised. Thank you.” He turned to enter his office and stopped cold. “My office ... You didn’t—”

She laughed. “Uh, no—I would never go into your office. Should I have?”

“No. Please.” Nathan was neat, but nothing like this. And poor Peggy. It would drive her crazy. She wouldn’t be able to find anything in the morning.

He stepped inside his office, relieved to find his desk the way he left it—the files from Chattanooga stacked on the right side, and the paperwork he hadn’t gotten to before meeting with Alexis in the center.

Nathan settled behind the desk and tackled the paperwork that couldn’t wait. When he finished, he sorted through the files until he found the one marked Phillip Denton. He’d just finished when his phone rang. Alexis.

“Everything okay over that way?”

She chuckled. “Better than it was.”

“How’d your talk with Harvey and Mark go?”

“All right, I guess. They elected to stay and show me some respect.”

“I’m not sure that’s good.”

“What do you mean?”

He relayed his suspicions to her.

“The same thoughts had crossed my mind, but I’d rather have both men where I can keep a check on their activities than not.”

“Good plan. Was there a note with the fake bomb?”

“No. And I’ve been looking at the pawn the bomber placed in the box. It’s like the others, but anyone trying to pull off a copycat would be able to find the same pawns online or at a store in Chattanooga. How about you? Did you learn anything from the files?”

“How good a detective is Todd Madden?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never worked with him—he doesn’t like working with women. Why do you ask?”

“The notes on interviews with the neighbors are skimpy. I’ll ask him about it in the morning. You still going with me?” Maybe Denton’s neighbors would remember something new since the original interviews.

“I’d like to, but after my talk with Harvey and Mark, I’m not sure that would be wise. Let me think about it.” Weariness tinged her voice.

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