Page 35 of Protecting the Newborn

There was a knock at the door, and Ruston steeled himself. But it wasn’t Allie. It was Woodrow. “There’s a cop here to see you. Detective Charla Burke.”

Ruston groaned. They didn’t need this now. “What does she want?”

“She wouldn’t say. Only said it was important.”

Ruston connected with Gracelyn’s gaze, and even though she didn’t look any happier about this intrusion than he was, she nodded. “Let’s give her five minutes.”

Ruston turned back to Woodrow. “Bring her back here.”

That way, Charla wouldn’t be in the front of the building when and if Allie came in. After seeing Allie on that surveillance footage, Charla would almost certainly recognize her, and he didn’t want the cop trying to question, or intimidate, Gracelyn’s sister.

“Duncan probably told you we’re expecting another visitor,” Ruston commented.

Woodrow nodded. “Allie Wallace. Duncan is keeping an eye out for her.”

Good. That was just as they’d planned it since Duncan hadn’t wanted Gracelyn in the front of the building either. The windows were bullet resistant, but if the sniper targeted her and used a powerful enough weapon, he might be able to get a shot through. The interview rooms were the only places in the sheriff’s office without windows.

“If Allie comes in while Charla is still here, make sure the women’s paths don’t cross,” Ruston spelled out.

“Will do,” Woodrow assured him, and he walked away. It didn’t take him long to return with Charla.

One look at her face, and Ruston knew she was riled to the bone.

“Make this quick,” Ruston immediately told her.

“Quick,” Charla snarled like profanity. “Because you’re busy trying to ruin Tony’s career.”

“No.” Ruston stretched that out a few syllables. “I’m trying to find out the truth as to why someone has been murdering people. And shooting at Gracelyn, me and you. I know you didn’t forget about the sniper.”

No way, but it was possible she knew the sniper wasn’t an actual threat to her because he was working for her.

“What Internal Affairs is investigating has nothing to do with that,” Charla snapped. “It’s about some discrepancy in his finances.”

“Which could in turn be linked to the attacks and murders,” Gracelyn was quick to say. She huffed. “You’re a cop, Charla. You know how this works. If there are funds that Tony can’t account for, then that opens the door for an investigation into all aspects of his life. Internal Affairs might not find anything.”

The anger, and worry, flashed across Charla’s face again. “And if they do, it won’t have anything to do with murders or attacks.”

Yes, but the funds could still be illegal, and that in turn could indeed cost Tony his career.

“I think someone’s setting him up,” Charla muttered. She fired glances at both Gracelyn and him. “And it sure as hell better not be either of you.”

“Or you,” Ruston suggested.

Charla practically snapped to attention. “What does that mean?”

Since time was of the essence, Ruston went with a simple response. “Terry Zimmer.”

For a couple of seconds, Charla just looked puzzled. Then she put on her cop’s face. “What about him?”

“When we showed Tony and you Zimmer’s picture, Tony owned up to knowing him,” Ruston spelled out. “You didn’t.”

“Because I—” She stopped, groaned and pinched her eyes together for a second. “I didn’t say anything because Zimmer was a confidential informant. And if I’d admitted that, you would have assumed the worst because of the photograph of Zimmer at the baby farm.”

“I did assume the worst,” Ruston confirmed. “I wouldn’t have necessarily done that if you’d been up-front.” That was possibly true. Either way, he would have kept Charla on the suspect lists, but she’d made herself look darn guilty by not owning up to knowing Zimmer.

“I swear, I didn’t know Zimmer had any connection to the baby farm,” Charla insisted.

“But he did,” Ruston argued, “and he has a connection to you.”

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