Page 21 of Among the Innocent

“Like the necklace?”

The smile disappeared. “I told you I don’t know anything about that.”

Leah couldn’t get over the impression that Eva might be involved with the same man that Beth was seeing. “Eva, this man is dangerous. If you know who he is, you must tell us.”

“No, you are wrong,” she insisted. “He’s nice—Beth said so.” She became increasingly agitated. “He treated her as if she were special.”

Leah held Eva’s gaze. “Eva, are you seeing this man too?”

The girl jumped to her feet. “You don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to go.” She started for the door.

“Eva, wait.” Leah grabbed her arm. “You’re in danger if you see him again.”

Eva jerked her arm free. “Please leave me alone!” she shouted and ran from the office. Leah followed in time to see the girl race past Dalton and exit the station. She crossed the street, barely escaping an oncoming car. The driver honked. Eva dashed from the road and down the street.

Leah’s heart sank. The interview couldn’t have gone worse. She’d wanted answers for herself and pushed Eva too far when she wasn’t ready to talk.

Dalton stopped beside her. “What happened?”

“I blew it,” she said without looking at him. “I pushed too hard.” A rookie mistake she knew better than to make.

“Don’t count her out yet.”

Leah wasn’t so sure. She turned to Dalton. “I want to stake out her place. If she won’t talk, maybe we can safeguard Eva from herself by keeping watch. The family won’t agree to us being on their property. We’ll have to find a way to set up where we can see the house without alerting Eva or her family to our presence.”

“We can do that.” He smiled at her. “I’ll take the first shift.”

Leah looked away. Dalton Cooper was a handsome distraction she couldn’t afford. She cleared her throat. “I’m coming with you. This is my fight too,” she said when he tried to protest. “I’ll even bring my special coffee.”

His smile disappeared. “Leah, that’s not a good idea. He wants you.”

“And I want to stop him. This is my job, Dalton. I’m a police officer. I don’t want to be treated like a victim,” she said with conviction. She’d lived in the shadow of that night for years, giving the killer far too much power over her life. She wouldn’t live in fear any longer.

Dalton didn’t respond.

“If Eva’s slipping out to meet this man, she won’t be able to do so until after the family has gone to sleep.”

“Like Beth.” His voice was soft.

“And me. I want to be there for her. Like I couldn’t do for my family.” She almost didn’t get the last part out.

“Okay,” he finally agreed. “But I’m not letting you out of my sight for a second. And that’s an order.”

Her heart kicked out an unsteady beat at his protectiveness. Something about him made her wish for a second that she could be normal. “Copy that,” she whispered.

His infectious smile returned, and she bit her bottom lip and tried not to react. He sure had a nice smile.

Leah gave herself a mental shake. She was thinking way too much about the new police chief.

She and Dalton returned to his office, where Leah reclaimed her former seat, feeling a little unsteady.

Dalton leaned back in his chair and pinned her with that piercing gaze. “I need you to tell me what happened on the night Ellis went out on that call.” The unexpected question took her by surprise and sent her back into a vortex of emotion. “I’ve read the report,” he said, anticipating her response. “But there has to be more than the bare details included in the report. Help me understand why Ellis went there alone. The caller indicated shots were fired in the woods near the Amish community.”

She remembered every detail of that evening as if it had happened yesterday. She told Dalton about having dinner with him and Marge when the call came in. Leah had volunteered to go, but Ellis said he’d handle it. She’d always suspected that Ellis’s death was somehow connected to her dark past. Now, the killer had all but confirmed the truth, and she wished more than ever she’d insisted on going.

Dalton was justified in wanting answers, no matter how difficult they might be.

“I later learned the property owner had reported the same thing happening before. Ellis had answered that call as well.”

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