Page 151 of Montana Manhunt

She blinked. “The boss is here?”

“He flew in for Camilla’s funeral and arrived in time to defuse the second bomb.”

“What about the Hansons?”

“James was cursing and fighting the officers escorting him out of the woods the last time I saw him. He’s being treated for his injuries and will go to jail when he’s released by the hospital.”

“Jeff?”

Noah squeezed her hand and shook his head. The lawyer had passed away in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

“I’m not. Jeff Hanson stabbed you twice, intending to kill you. You did what you had to do.”

“I still hate that I’m responsible for his death.”

“Jeff’s decision to join his father in murdering women led to his death. You defended yourself. No one blames you for that. You didn’t have another option, Violet. If you’d held back, you would be on a steel slab in the morgue right now. Instead, we have a future together.”

From the corner of his eye, Noah noted the approach of two men dressed in suits. Based on the badges clipped to their belts, these were the detectives in charge of the case. He stood, putting his body between the men and Violet. While he believed James and Jeff Hanson were the only men involved in the murders, Noah would take chances with Violet’s safety.

“Ms. Trevelyan?” the taller of the two men asked. “We need to ask you a few questions.”

Noah scowled. “She just woke up from surgery. Can’t this wait a few hours?”

Violet squeezed his hand again. “It’s all right, Noah. I can talk to them. You know they need to do this.”

Yeah, he did. Still didn’t like it. Without taking his gaze from the detectives, Noah said, “Are you sure, baby?”

“The sooner I talk to them, the better.”

“All right. However, I have two ground rules.”

The detectives frowned. “What are those?” the shorter detective asked.

“I stay with her. I won’t interfere with your interview, but I’m not leaving Violet’s side.”

“All right. Rule number two?”

“If she becomes tired, you stop and let her rest. That’s not negotiable.”

The men exchanged glances, then the taller man nodded. “We can work with that.” The detectives introduced themselves as Nelson and Donnelly to Noah and Violet, and the questions began.

An hour later, Detective Nelson slid his notebook and pen into his pocket. “I think that’s all we need for now. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Detective Donnelly slid his hand into his trouser pockets. “I understand you’re from Tennessee.”

“We both are,” Noah said.

“When do you plan to leave this area?”

“Tomorrow or the day after, if Violet needs more time to recuperate.”

“How can we reach you if we have more questions?” Nelson asked.

“Call the number on our business cards. It’s a central line for Fortress Security. Someone always mans the phones. Whoever is on duty will send us a message. We’ll contact you as soon as it’s safe to do so.”

Nelson’s eyebrows soared. “What do you mean, you’ll contact us when it’s safe? What’s your job at Fortress?”

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