Page 119 of Montana Manhunt

“No,” Lauren whispered. “I wish I did. I’m terrified he’ll come back to finish the job. I wouldn’t recognize him as a threat if I saw him on the street or in this hospital.”

“Talk to your local police. They’ll keep you safe.”

“How can you say that? I think the man who attacked me was a cop. I don’t know who to trust.”

“I’ll contact the detectives working your case. I had a friend of mine look into their backgrounds. They’re good men. You can trust them, Lauren. They weren’t involved in your attack. Will you trust me to talk to them on your behalf and have them assign a couple of officers as your security detail?”

Tears slipped down Lauren’s cheeks. “Thank you. You’ll tell me when the killer is caught, won’t you? I need to know. Please.”

“You won’t be able to miss it, Lauren. The killer’s name will be blasted all over the news.”

Violet patted her hand. “Rest now. We’ll go so you can sleep.”

Noah handed Lauren his business card. “Call me if you think of anything that might help us figure out who’s responsible for the deaths of these women. Someone will always answer the phone. Leave a message for me. Fortress will make sure I have the message within minutes.”

“Will I be safe here?” Lauren asked. “I’m terrified.”

“The detectives will be here soon, or they’ll post an officer outside your door.”

“Thank you.”

“Rest and get better. Leave the worry to the police. This will all be over soon.” With that, Noah escorted Violet from the bay. He waited until he was back in the waiting room to call the detectives working on Lauren’s case. After he explained Lauren’s concerns, the detectives agreed to assign an officer to watch over her.

Noah slid his phone into his pocket. “All set. Lauren will have a cop on her door in a few minutes. We’ll stay until the officer shows up to be sure she’s safe.”

Grant walked to the doorway of the waiting room, leaned a shoulder against the frame, and turned to watch the bay where Lauren was recovering.

“How was Lauren?” Rayne asked.

“Her vitals were good,” Violet said. “She has a long way to go to recuperate, though. She’ll be down for a while.”

“Did she give us anything new?” Grant asked.

“She was a friend of Marin Farmer’s,” Noah said.

Grant straightened and glanced over his shoulder. “Small world.”

“She and Marin worked for the same event planning company. Marin was also one of Camilla’s kids in the foster care system.”

“How is Lauren connected to Camilla?” Rayne asked.

“When Marin went missing, Lauren contacted Camilla. Not long after that, Marin’s body was found.”

Grant groaned. “Camilla started asking questions, didn’t she?”

“Looks like it.”

“And caught the killer’s attention. He’s tying up loose ends.” Rayne shook her head. “Do you think this is what your sister wanted to talk to you about, Violet?”

“Probably.” Her lips curved at the corners. “Along with her relationship with Bradley Melton.”

“Why didn’t she tell you about Bradley sooner?”

“Knowing Cami, she wanted to make sure the relationship would last before she introduced us. My sister didn’t trust easily.” Violet looked at Noah. “Neither do I.”

He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “Persistence and my charming personality won you over.”

She laughed. “You might be right.”

---