Page 25 of Dangerous Lies

“Does Zeke have a criminal record?”

“Yep. He’s been arrested for drug possession, assault, and domestic violence. Nothing recent though.” Noah pulled some pages from a pocket on his tablet cover and handed them to Jax.

Megan leaned over to get a look. Her stomach twisted. The first page had a photograph of Zeke, taken when he was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend right before Oliver died. He looked exactly as she remembered—a bloated, meaty face with sunken eyes that spoke of sleepless nights and drug use. The arrest record listed his height as 6’0 and his weight as 240 pounds. Judging by the thickness of his neck and the way his shirtsleeves barely encircled his arms, most of that was muscle.

Her mind flashed back to the first attack, the feel of the attacker’s arm trapping her against the seat. He’d been powerful. Someone who worked out.

Someone like Zeke.

Jax flipped to the last page and frowned. “Zeke’s last arrest happened right before Oliver died and then… nothing for the last ten years? That’s strange. He wasn’t in constant trouble, but there’s an arrest every few years here. I find it hard to believe he miraculously cleaned up his act.”

“We thought that was weird too.” Dawson bent over the coffee table, plucking a Snickerdoodle from the plate of cookies. “It’s possible Zeke is lying low. Or the raid on his gym scared him and he’s living under a fake identity.” He bit into the cookie, eating half of it in one go. After chewing and swallowing, Dawson added, “We questioned some of the Russells’ neighbors, and this is where it gets weird. None of them have seen Zeke or his truck in years.”

Megan’s mind whirled as she tried to figure out how to put the puzzle pieces together. “Let me see if I have this right. Zeke and his older brother, Cody, own a gym together. The sheriff’s department investigates them for drug trafficking and running an illegal fighting ring. One week after Oliver dies, the gym shuts down and Zeke skips town. He receives a monthly disability check, which he collects from his mother, but neither she nor his brother claim to have any idea where he lives. He’s not answering his phone, hasn’t been arrested since Oliver died, and the neighbors haven’t seen him in years.”

Noah nodded. “That sums it up all right.”

Jax rose from the couch and began pacing the room. “So let’s assume Zeke, who was known to have a violent temper, got into an altercation with Oliver. In anger, he runs Oliver and Megan off the road, killing my brother. Afraid he’ll be outed for murder, he goes into hiding, only to have his gym raided by the sheriff’s department a week later. Zeke decides to start over somewhere else, taking on a fake identity to do it. He thinks he’s free and clear, but then I reopen the investigation into Oliver’s accident. Afraid that Megan may put two and two together, he attempts to silence her.”

“It’s a good theory.” Dawson wiped his hands on a napkin. “But there are some holes. Why wait to kill Megan? You reopened the investigation into the accident weeks ago. Not to mention, if Zeke is living under a new identity, what does he care if we start digging into the past?”

Jax stopped pacing. “Because he’s involved in a new criminal enterprise. The sheriff’s office couldn’t prove he was trafficking drugs or running an illegal fighting ring, but we know he was. Chances are, Zeke moved his operation to wherever he’s living now. We find him, we may discover running Oliver off the road was only the tip of the iceberg.” He turned and planted his hands on the back of the armchair. “Zeke doesn’t want us looking for him. He definitely doesn’t want Megan telling us what she knows about his old operation.”

She pressed a hand to her midsection. Her stomach churned, and she regretted eating two cookies earlier. “I don’t know that much.”

“You might know more than you realize. Or Zeke’s just scared. Either way, I think he’s hoping to clean up a loose end.”

She hated this. All of it. But even Megan couldn’t deny Jax had connected the dots in a logical line that led straight to her. She swallowed down the fear threatening to rise up and met Noah’s gaze. “I’ll give you the names of everyone I know who bought from Zeke or was associated with him. I hope it helps.”

For the next hour, she talked.

When she was finished, she slumped against the couch cushions. Her voice was hoarse, and a headache brewed along her temples. Discussing the people she’d done drugs with and the world she’d been a part of dredged up a lot of shame and guilt. Megan wasn’t that person anymore, but it was still painful to remember how she’d once been.

Noah, who’d taken notes, closed his tablet case. “Thank you, Megan. We’ll follow up on all of this information and update you once we know more.” He turned to Jax. “No news on Wesley?”

“No. My parents are still looking for him. As soon as we make contact, we’ll have him call you.”

Megan wrapped her arms around her waist. She wasn’t sure what to think. Was Zeke trying to tie up a loose end, as Jax suspected? Or was Wesley out for revenge? The emails she’d received would suggest the latter, as did the photograph of Oliver and his brothers dropped at the crime scene.

Clearly, Noah was still pursuing the possibility that Wesley was responsible for the attacks.

“I’ll walk you out.” Jax escorted Dawson and Noah outside.

Megan eyed the dirty plates on the coffee table, but didn’t have the strength to clean up yet. Instead, she leaned against the back of the couch and closed her eyes, letting the quiet settle over her. Her headache eased slightly. Still, she felt unmoored, adrift on a sea of past transgressions.

When Jax returned, she didn’t move but opened her eyes. “I know there’s some risk, but do you think I could go to the NA meeting tonight? I asked Douglas to run it, but it would be good for me to attend.”

Jax crossed the room and sat next to her on the couch. Worry creased his features. “Are you…”

“No.” She shook her head to emphasize her words. “I won’t use again. Ever. But talking about my past has brought up a lot of negative feelings. Attending a meeting, being around people who understand what it’s like, helps. It’s a support system and a healthy coping mechanism. Kinda like attending church. That also helps, but there’s no service tonight.”

“What time is the NA meeting?”

“Seven. It’s at the Prince of Peace.” The local church in the center of town had a large conference room. “The meeting is open, so it won’t be just people in recovery. It’ll be friends and family too. Anyone curious about how to support a loved one in recovery is welcome. Normally, we have about 50 people.”

He seemed to calculate something in his head and then nodded. “Okay. I think it’ll be safe to go. I’ll attend the meeting with you. A patrol unit can make rounds before and during the meeting, which will add an extra layer of protection.”

It was a lot of maneuvering just to attend tonight’s meeting, and Megan was momentarily tempted to tell Jax to forget it, but she snuffed out the urge. Surviving these attacks wouldn’t matter if she fell apart at the seams. In times of crisis, it was important to reach out for help from her support system.

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