Page 132 of Montana Manhunt

“Oh, yeah.” He chuckled. “I can’t wait for the rest of our teammates to see their interaction. I think something more is going on between them than Grant or Rayne will admit. Should be fun to watch.”

Noah held out his hand. “Sit with me for a while.” When she slipped her hand into his, he led Violet to the couch and tugged her down to sit beside him.

“You don’t want to confront Jeff Hanson tonight, do you?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her against his side, and kissed her temple. “I meant what I said to Melanie Raines. We’re not leaving Morrison until Camilla’s killer is behind bars or six feet under the ground. We have time for you to rest and regroup. Tomorrow will be difficult, so tonight I want you to take the time you need to grieve and build up your strength. If Hanson is guilty and runs, we’ll find him.”

Violet leaned her head against Noah’s shoulder. “I don’t know what to think about Jeff. I was so sure the killer was a cop.”

“I feel the same way, but we have no proof, only Lauren’s belief it’s a cop. Either a lawyer involved in the case or a cop withaccess to the records could have leaked the information to the killer. We need proof or a confession.”

“What does your gut say?”

“It’s interesting that the Hansons keep popping up in our inquiries.”

“And the chief is very involved with Rosalie.”

“That is a complication.” He looked down at her upturned face. “If Chief Hanson is involved in the deaths of these women, including Camilla, people may accuse you of targeting him to get back at your aunt for the way she treated you and your sister.”

“Most people think Rosalie was an angel for taking in two orphans and raising them without financial help. They wouldn’t have heard anything different from Cami. She was careful not to bad mouth Rosalie.”

“You remember Mrs. White is part of the quilting circle.”

She blinked. “So?”

“Their reputation as the center of the grapevine is based on truth.”

Violet stared at him a moment, then sighed. “Ugh. I didn’t think about that. Mrs. White is one of our staunchest defenders.”

“Which means she wouldn’t let Rosalie’s lies go unchallenged. She loves you, babe.”

“You’re right. Camilla and I wouldn’t have made it on our own without her. If anyone paid attention to us in the past, they know she’s one of the most important people in my life. I don’t want the killer to target her.”

“I don’t think you need to worry. If the killer sticks to his pattern, he’ll choose young, beautiful women. While Mrs. White is gorgeous, she doesn’t fit the profile.”

“The sooner we identify him, the better I’ll feel.”

They sat in silence for a while. Noah enjoyed holding his future wife. “You’re tired, Violet. You need to sleep.”

“Will I disturb you if I stay out here?”

His heart squeezed. “Of course not.” Noah snatched up the blanket and pillow Violet used the night before and urged her to stretch out on the sofa. He covered her with the blanket and kissed her gently. “Sleep. I’ll be close if you need me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Research.”

“On what?”

“If it pans out, I’ll tell you in the morning.” He might need some help from the Fortress tech squad to run down alibis on the murder dates, though. His information search would cover a lot of ground in the few hours he’d be on shift. Perhaps Grant could finish the research.

“I love you, Noah,” Violet murmured.

“Love you, too, sweetheart.” After giving her another brief kiss, Noah picked up his laptop, sat at the breakfast bar, and dove into his work.

At two o’clock, Grant walked into the sitting room. When he saw Violet asleep on the sofa, his eyebrows rose. “She okay?” he whispered.

Noah nodded. “Didn’t want to sleep in the other room. Come look at this,” he murmured.

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