Page 28 of Dangerous Lies

Douglas’s eyes widened behind his thick frames. “Zeke? Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time. Why are you asking about him?”

Jax hesitated. “He may be connected to the attacks on Megan.”

“Well, that wouldn’t surprise me. Zeke was violent, and a bit unhinged. I only met him once, but that was enough.”

“When did you meet him?”

Douglas took a sip of coffee and grimaced. “You’re not gonna like this story. Zeke threw a chair at Oliver once, left a nasty mark on his back. When Wesley found out, he was furious. We drove to Zeke’s gym to confront him, and let’s just say it got ugly.”

Jax’s pulse kicked up. He’d suspected Wesley had confronted Zeke about hurting Oliver, but this confirmed it.

“Wesley won the fight,” Douglas continued, “but as we were leaving, Zeke swore he’d get even. I was worried, but I should’ve realized a guy like that was more bark than bite. He was a coward and let others—like Oliver—fight his battles for him.” He exhaled, a flicker of regret crossing his face. “After that, I begged Oliver to stop hanging around him. Wesley did too. I wish Oliver had taken our advice. He saved me from bullies when we were kids, and all I ever wanted was to help him.”

Douglas’s gaze grew distant. “I wish he’d listened to us about a lot of things. Going to rehab. Coming back to church. All of it. But you can’t force someone to accept help. They have to want it.”

Jax’s mind whirled as he processed Douglas’s words. Before he could ask another question, Douglas’s phone buzzed with an incoming message—just as Megan separated from her group and walked toward them.

“Shoot.” Douglas’s complexion paled as he read the text. “My mom’s been sick all week, and now she says she’s having trouble breathing. She thinks she needs to go to the hospital. I have to get over there, but I still need to lock up?—”

“We’ll do it.” Megan gestured for the keys clipped to Douglas’s belt loop. “Go take care of your mom.”

Jax wanted to argue. Staying behind to lock up after everyone left would leave them vulnerable, but what other choice did they have? He pulled out his phone to message Tucker, who was on patrol. If he could swing by as they were leaving, it’d give them an added layer of security.

“Megan’s right, Douglas. We’ll handle it.”

Douglas shot them a grateful smile as he passed over the keys. “Thanks.” Then he hurried toward the exit, tossing his coffee and half-donut in the trash on the way.

“I hope his mom’s okay,” Megan said, watching him go, concern tightening her features. “She had pneumonia two months ago and was in the hospital for over a week. She hasn’t fully recovered.”

“Let’s say a prayer for her.”

Megan’s expression softened. “Yes, let’s.” She took Jax’s hand, and together they bowed their heads. “Lord, we ask You to watch over Douglas’s mom. Give her the strength to fight off this illness. May she feel the loving touch of Your healing hands. Amen.”

Jax lifted his head but didn’t let go of Megan’s hand. He wasn’t ready to lose the connection just yet. The conference room had nearly emptied, only a few stragglers lingering near the exit. He glanced at Megan. “Is there anything special we need to do?”

“We need to pack up the pamphlets next to the door.” She gave his hand a small squeeze. “Before we do that, can you tell me what you and Douglas were talking about? It looked serious.”

Jax filled her in on their conversation. By the time he was done, the room was empty. Megan absently pulled out a box from underneath the table for the pamphlets. “I didn’t know Wesley and Zeke had gotten into a fight. That could explain the photograph left at the crime scene.”

Her brow furrowed. “Let’s lay it out. Zeke and Oliver get into an argument. Maybe it turns violent. Oliver calls me to pick him up, and when I do, Zeke runs us off the road in a fit of rage. But later, when he realizes he could be implicated, he goes into hiding. Then his gym gets raided because the police were already investigating him and his brother, Cody, for drug trafficking and the illegal fights.”

Jax picked up a stack of flyers about the 12-step program and placed them in the box. “Zeke lays low, starts over somewhere else. When the investigation stalls, he figures he’s in the clear—until you move back to Knoxville and I reopen Oliver’s case. Now he’s scared the truth will come out. So he targets you.”

“But he also needs a scapegoat,” Megan added. “Wesley is the perfect choice. So Zeke sends me threatening emails before the first attack, setting the stage to point the blame elsewhere. It didn’t go as planned, but he still drops the photograph of Oliver, Wesley, and you, trying to muddy the waters. He knows he’s going to make another attempt, and he needs the police looking in the wrong direction.”

Jax nodded. It fit. Too well.

Megan placed the last of the pamphlets in the box and secured the lid. “But there’s still something that doesn’t add up.”

“What’s that?” Jax took the box from her.

“What were Zeke and Oliver doing together in the woods?” Megan flipped off the lights in the conference room and locked the door. The keys jingled in her hands as they made their way down the hall toward the exit. “Why not meet at the gym?”

No one had ever explained why Oliver had been in the woods that night. His car was found abandoned on the side of the road with a flat tire half a mile from the accident.

“Zeke could have lured him out there intending to kill him,” Jax suggested, his voice low.

Megan’s expression tightened. “That makes sense. Oliver did say someone was trying to kill him when I picked him up. And Zeke is smart enough not to do it at his own gym.”

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