Page 100 of Montana Manhunt

“Violet and Rayne interviewed Charity Bradshaw, Lauren’s friend, until fifteen minutes before we arrived here.”

“Where were you and Grant?”

“In the lobby of Westbrook Marketing, waiting for the women.”

A frown. “Why didn’t you interview Gilmore with them?”

“We thought Charity would be more comfortable talking to Violet and Rayne without us present. We thought Charity was a rape victim. Turns out she wasn’t.”

“Buddy, all I can say is the detectives are going to have a time sorting out all these facts.”

“It’s complicated,” Noah admitted.

“How long were you on the job?”

“Ten years. Grant, too. We were on the same detective squad.”

Hardin shoved his notepad and pen into his pocket and glanced at the other officers. “Come with me.”

Noah joined Violet, wrapping his arms around her. She sighed and melted against his chest. “You okay?”

“We’re at another dead end, aren’t we?”

He wasn’t so sure about that. Before he could answer, an unmarked police car arrived and two men in suits exited the vehicle. The detectives had arrived.

The men talked to Hardin, then the rest of the officers, before turning to Noah.

He sighed. Let the fun begin.

Over the next two hours, Noah and his teammates repeated their story multiple times, including Camilla’s death and their investigation, which had done little to point a finger at the man who killed Violet’s sister and the rest of the stabbing victims.

Detective Reyes said, “You’re free to go for now. Don’t leave the area without checking with us first. We might have further questions for you.”

Noah handed Reyes his business card. “If you need us, call the main number for Fortress. They’ll get me a message. We’re not scheduled to be deployed for a few more days. We won’t leave until after Camilla Trevelyan is laid to rest.” And perhaps not even then, depending on where things stood in their investigation.

“Call me if you come across anything that might help in this investigation.”

Noah gave a curt nod. The operatives picked up their many weapons and slid them back into their sheaths, then Noah threaded his fingers through Violet’s and followed Grant and Rayne to their SUV.

Grant climbed behind the wheel and drove away from Lauren’s home. “What’s up, Noah?”

“Our perp may be a cop.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

VIOLET STARED ATNoah. “A cop? How did you come to that conclusion?” What had she missed in the interviews with Charity and Lauren that pointed Noah at one of his brothers in blue?

“Do you remember what Lauren said just before the ambulance arrived?”

She thought for a moment. “Something about the perp knowing too much information about the fake rape charges.”

“Lauren said her attacker knew details not released to the public. So how did he learn those details?”

Rayne twisted in the front passenger seat to look at them. “One woman might have talked about it.”

Violet frowned. “I don’t think so. The impression I got from Charity was that she and Lauren wanted to forget the incident ever happened. I can’t see either of them talking about the fake charges. It would have been embarrassing for them.”

“They could have ended up in jail where they belonged,” Grant muttered.

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