Page 393 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

They weren’t going to put up with her for long if she stuck her nose in what they thought was their business.

She had her own cases to work, and someone targeting her. “Whoever set that fire”—she glanced out the front window—“they knew what Jake and I went through. They knew exactly what triggers to pull.”

Russ glanced over.

“And there’s a killer in town. He’s been operating for years, working on his skills. Figuring out how to cover it up. Escalating. Learning.”

Not that Russ didn’t already know all that. She’d walked him through a lot of it when he visited her office. Still, maybe she needed to remind herself. Even though she’d nearly been run off the road, there were things to do. She wasn’t going to let some guy with an agenda to hurt her and maybe Jacob also, distract her from doing what she’d been brought here to do.

Especiallyif that was his intention.

“You think it’s the same person?”

“It would be a serious coincidence, but I’m not about to rule it out.”

“Good.” Russ lifted his chin. “If you need a hand with all those files, I’m happy to. Just as soon as I talk to Mona.”

“What’s up with Mona?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Gotta pick her up from school. She got suspended this morning, but I made her wait when I heard you were hurt. So we need to swing by the school.”

Addie blew out a breath. “What happened?”

“Punched the head cheerleader. But they’ve been beefing for a while, so…”

“Let’s go get her.”

He frowned. “I’ll do it after I drop you off. You need to work.”

Addie shook her head. “I can go in later. This is important.”

It had been clear from the outset there was a reason she was here. Maybe more than one now that she’d been here for a minute. Sure, she had at least a dozen cases to read, but Monawas her little sister. It didn’t matter what was happening at work, her family needed to come first.

Addie hadn’t been here for years.

But she was here now.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Jacob could feel the simmering rage behind him. He didn’t turn, and the cop at his back didn’t shove him into the room.

But it was close. “In here.”

Jacob was surprised they didn’t shackle him to be paraded through the police station like the criminal half the cops in Benson thought he was. Didn’t matter which precinct they took him to, the reception would be the same. But they used the main station downtown—the building with headquarters upstairs.

The one with Addie’s office at the front, across the hall from the police reception desk.

Too bad they brought him in the back entrance so he couldn’t see it. Was she still at his studio? None of them had told him, and Hank didn’t get in the car.

Jacob looked back at the hall but didn’t see his friend.

Captain McCauley paused in the doorway. “Detective Maxwell won’t be conducting this interview.” An officer handed him a paper file and McCauley shut the door. “Take a seat.”

Jacob was tempted to lean against the wall and not sit, just to be contrary. Instead, he pulled out the chair and settled across from the captain.

He wasn’t interested in Hank getting in the middle of this. His friend didn’t need to have his career marred by an association with Jacob. At least not any more than it already was.

Still, a little solidarity wouldn’t have been a bad thing.

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