Page 3 of Dangerous Lies

He was going to kill her.

TWO

Things were becoming complicated.

Jax twirled a pen between his fingers and studied the emails Megan had left behind. The initial messages were vague, but as time went on, the threats became more specific, as if the sender was spiraling into an obsession.

"I have to take these emails seriously,” Noah said, perching on the edge of Jax’s desk with his long legs stretched out in front of him.

“I know.” Jax leaned back in his chair. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t investigate, but keep an open mind. These messages could have come from anyone—a random guy holed up in his mom’s basement, bored and looking to scare someone, for example. And frankly, I wouldn’t put it past Megan to fake them. She’s a liar.”

Noah was quiet for a moment before he replied, “I find her explanation compelling. Assuming Megan’s version of events is true?—”

“Which version?” Jax interrupted, his tone laced with sarcasm. “The first or the second?”

Noah shot him a warning look. “The second. At the time of the accident, she was a terrified young woman who’d just been run off the road by an unknown assailant. Megan had a criminal history. She’d been arrested a few times for drug possession and those cases were pending. Her relationship with the police wasn’t a good one. I can see why she’d omit certain facts the first time she was questioned.”

“It’s just as likely she lied to protect herself,” Jax countered. “Megan initially told investigators she lost control of the vehicle. Once word got out about the accident, people started blaming her for Oliver’s death. Townsfolk figured Megan was high. Two days later, she fabricates this story about someone chasing them to avoid taking the blame.”

Jax considered this to be the most likely scenario. Addicts were notorious liars. Oliver had been using for nearly a year before their parents discovered the truth. He’d lied, manipulated, and dodged consequences over and over again. Megan had also been skilled at wriggling out of trouble. She’d been arrested on drug charges and shoplifting, but only received a slap on the wrist.

It’d been ten years since the accident, and from everything Jax had learned about Megan, she’d turned her life completely around. She worked as a therapist, ran the local Narcotics Anonymous meetings, took care of her elderly grandparents and regularly attended church. Deep down, he admired the changes she’d made. But getting sober and helping others didn’t erase the past. Some mistakes had lifelong repercussions.

“You said it yourself,” Jax continued. “There’s no physical evidence anyone was on the road with them that night. No skid marks other than Megan’s. No broken taillight fragments on the road or scrapes of paint on her bumper. Her story doesn’t check out.”

Noah frowned. “Her vehicle was damaged after going over the embankment. The crime scene photos are terrible, and there aren’t any pictures of her car after it was towed. I can’t say with certainty she wasn’t run off the road. As for the assumption she was high at the time of the crash… there’s no evidence of that either. She tested negative for drugs and alcohol at the hospital.”

“Those tests were done over twelve hours after the accident,” Jax pointed out. Megan’s car was found by a farmer heading to his fields the morning after the crash. “Depending on what she’d taken, it may not have shown up on a tox screen.”

“Come on, Jax. You know as well as I do that oxy and meth stay in the system for days. Oliver tested positive for both. If they’d been using together, like they’d done in the past, it would have shown up in her bloodwork.”

Noah was right, but Megan’s behavior didn’t fit the mold of someone who was innocent. “She left town a week after the accident. Packed up and ran.”

“A reasonable response if she feared retribution from the person who’d run her off the road.”

Frustration and anger simmered in Jax. His jaw tightened. “Seems to me you’ve already made up your mind about the investigation. You don’t believe she’s responsible, do you?”

He sighed. “The investigation was flawed from the beginning. There are missing reports, and the crime scene photographs are shoddy. The only witness statements are Megan’s. I’ve gone over everything more than once, but the result is the same. Based on the evidence we have, Megan hasn’t broken any laws. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth.”

Jax knew Noah was right. Mentally, he understood. But emotionally, he wasn’t ready to let it go. “I don’t believe there’s nothing else we can do. How about interviewing my brother’s friends again?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Or are you ready to end the investigation because of your friendship with Megan?”

Noah stiffened. “Careful, Jax. I understand how important this is to you, and I sympathize with what you’ve been through, but that accusation is insulting. I’d never look the other way if there was proof a crime had been committed.”

Jax took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “You’re right. I’m sorry. That was over the line.”

Wariness settled over him like a wet blanket. The police department was short on staff. He’d been working double shifts for days and then combing over his brother’s case in his free time. The stress and lack of sleep were making him short-tempered and unreasonable. Jax scraped a hand over his jaw. “I know this case puts you in a difficult position.”

“I follow the evidence wherever it leads. Nothing difficult about that.” Noah was quiet for a moment. “But I would like to make a personal observation. Something for you to think about. Drug users do lie, and most people have secrets, but in our line of work, it’s easy to become jaded and suspicious of everyone. Megan made mistakes in her youth, there’s no doubt about that, but the woman I’ve come to know is caring, empathetic, and responsible. I genuinely believe that if she’d caused Oliver’s death, she’d say so and accept the consequences of her actions.”

“Even if it meant prison time?” Jax couldn’t keep the note of disbelief out of his voice.

Noah met his gaze. “Even if it meant prison time.”

There wasn’t a hint of hesitation in Noah’s response. Jax had worked with him long enough to form a deep respect for his skills and ability. Noah wasn’t a fool, nor was he sloppy. If he believed Megan would take accountability for her mistakes, then Jax needed to at least consider his perspective.

“Why do you think that?” he asked.

“From the beginning of this investigation, she’s answered every one of my questions. She’s been forthright and consistent. Read the reports again. Yes, she wasn’t truthful in her initial explanation of the accident, but once she came forward to revise her statement, it remained the same. Honestly, Jax, I believe someone ran her and Oliver off the road that night. I think we need to reevaluate the case from the beginning and look at alternative suspects, starting with anyone who may have wanted your brother dead.”

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