Page 91 of One Final Target

“Why don’t you tell me what’s got you so riled up?”

“Something jogged my memory. What if Tara Corson is the one helping Collins?” She explained her concern.

“Corson?” George stood, frowning. “She was on Sam’s list as well. We found nothing. Are you sure you’re not just reading too much into a memory?”

She held her hands up. “How can I be sure of anything? All I know is what is possible. Sam was assigned to work with Tara. If it is her, and she gets ahold of him... Did he tell you he thought he was being followed? He changed rental cars because someone was following him.”

“No, he didn’t mention a tail. I did tell him he could be a target.”

“See? Let’s go.”

“Why would Sam be in danger right this minute?”

“If it is Tara, she might think his guard is down because Ian is in custody.”

While this felt completely plausible to Jodie, George did not appear to feel the same urgency.

“I can’t explain it any better than I have a bad feeling Sam is in danger. If I’m wrong, we can apologize to him and come right back.”

He looked as if he were going to object. He studied her for a moment, then said, “Okay, let me get my shoes.”

Glad she got his attention, Jodie threw on a sweatshirt and grabbed her jacket.

George not only got his shoes, but his gun as well. “Going off your hunch, there’s a chance we’re being lured there as well.”

Jodie grabbed her own gun and her phone and charger.

George had a late-model pickup truck with four-wheel drive, and in no time at all they were on their way.

“Tell me more about why you think Tara would want you dead, and by association, Sam also. I thought she was a friend.” George turned onto Highway18.

Jodie plugged her charger into the port in George’s truck. “Tara and I were never friends; we were always competitors. Even in the academy, she made everything a competition. She’d say stuff like ‘I’m going to beat you this time’ but never did. She’s a good cop—don’t misunderstand me. I was just always better. I tried to tell her I grew up idolizing my uncle. I knew a lot about police work before the academy, while for her it was all new.”

“She took it personal?”

“I guess. I was only competing with myself and the guys. I tried to help her. I wanted her to do well. There weren’t many women on the PD. Her success would be a good thing. I thought she had the potential to be a good cop.” Jodie shrugged, remembering all the times she didn’t understand why Tara was so hostile, so competitive. “Maybe I’m grasping at straws and being less than charitable to Tara, but after three attempts on my life, I’m a little sensitive.”Maybe I’m missing something.Jodie felt a cold sweat start again. Missing something would get people killed.

“I understand. What happened after the academy?”

“We went our separate ways. She stayed in patrol longer than I did. I never heard anything bad about her. You know how a PD is when it comes to bad gossip.”

George nodded. “It spreads like wildfire.”

“When I passed the sergeant’s exam, I found out how much others gossip. Tara believed the test was fixed—it was all over thestation. She thought I was promoted because I was related to Mike. I ignored it, concentrated on my job. I wanted to think we were past these petty squabbles.”

They were traveling up Green Valley Lake Road now.

“Have you been up here before?”

“Not to Sam’s house, but to Green Valley Lake. Mike, Gus, Estella, Levi, and I used to come up here a lot. Jonah had a home at the end of Angeles Street. It backed up to the forest. We’d come up in the summertime and hike, fish, ride dirt bikes everywhere. Jonah had a bunch of recreational equipment. He also had a boat on Lake Arrowhead.”

“Had? He doesn’t have the cabin or the boat anymore?”

“I don’t know about the boat, but he sold the house after Jason died. I don’t think Jonah comes up here much at all anymore. At one time he talked about closing his real estate office on the mountain.” She frowned. “Jason’s death changed so much.”

“What is it?”

“I guess it took a lot for Jonah to buy a lot for the memorial. It’s located at the end of Green Valley Lake Road.” Jodie bit her bottom lip. So much dread hung over her. She hoped she wasn’t overreacting, she wasn’t too late.

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