Page 56 of Rescuing Ryder

Claire raised her head as tears fell. Ryder handed her a tissue and shifted away, forcing Chase to move.

“I’ll notify you immediately. I promise,” she assured them.

“Good,” Leo stated. “Now, who did you speak with at the police department?

“I spoke with Detective Stewart and Captain Greene,” she informed them.

Matthew glanced at Leo making Claire nervous.

“What’s the matter? I deserve to know,” she insisted.

Ryder shook his head at the men.

“Hey, you don’t speak for me. If I’m required to keep you informed of anything suspicious, no matter how trivial, it goes both ways,” she demanded.

Leo frowned. “Detective Stewart was killed two nights ago during a home invasion. Captain Greene suffered a heart attack and was pronounced dead at the scene this morning.”

“It’s too coincidental,” Matthew stated. “Did Mr. Kilner say anything to you? Think back to when he first arrived and tell us everything he said.”

“He wanted his file. He said we couldn’t leave until I gave it to him. He didn’t threaten anyone until I refused,” she recalled.

“Why did he want your file on him? I read the court documents and you weren’t the lead expert. Did you add something else?” Matthew asked.

She shook her head. “No. I collaborated with Dr. Klein and the prosecuting attorney. I completed my internship with his clinic. When Dr. Klein’s mother fell ill, he gave my name to the prosecutor to take his place. Of course, we collaborated by phone since he led the initial interviews, and I never worked in a court case.”

“Why didn’t David Kilner threaten Dr. Klein?” Taco asked.

Claire shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know if he didn’t. Dr. Klein’s mom suffers from late-stage dementia, and he visits heroften. I spoke with him earlier and he recently returned home after admitting her to a facility. We don’t know exactly when he escaped. If he watched me enough to know where I moved, maybe he knew Dr. Klein left town.”

“It seems plausible. Chase mentioned you took the day off to testify against Kilner to keep him from getting released early. Did Dr. Klein testify as well?”

“Yes. We went before the board. They ruled against him receiving an early release. There wasn’t anyone to speak for his wife and her mother.”

Leo nodded. “I’m assuming you hid the file. Can we see it?”

Claire shook her head. “No. I’ll comb through it and see if anything stands out. Dr. Klein and I kept meticulous notes.”

“Good. Someone knew Kilner escaped. We need to figure out who. Did you talk to Captain Greene first or Detective Stewart?” Leo asked.

“I spoke with the detective first. When he stopped returning my calls, I went up the ladder. The captain assured me they confirmed Kilner remained there.”

“We’ll let you rest. If you think of anything or need something, call us,” Chase reminded her as he nodded for the team to leave. Each man gave her a chin lift, a wink, or a nod as they went, letting her know they protected her back.

Ryder placeddinner before her and watched as she picked at her food.

“Do ya wanna talk about it, Claire Bear? You seem awfully engrossed in the chicken pot pie,” he asked.

She glanced in his direction before continuing to play with her food. “I want to read the file and I know you’ll give me grief.”

“Yep.” He shoveled more food in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “After your appointment, if the Doc agrees, I will oblige.”

She sighed, disappointed. “I’m bored.”

He put his fork down and placed his hand on his knee. “Let’s play a game,” he suggested.

“I don’t want to play a game,” she pouted.

“I know. I’ll run down to the hardware store and pick up a couple of brushes and a few cans of paint. We can get a head start on the trim.”

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