Page 100 of Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon, Idaho 4)

Ellie’s shoulders shook as Caroline rubbed her back.

When the video was over, Sam set the phone down and said, “I’ll have a car pick up Kyle Jenner at his home.”

Tears burned Caroline’s own eyes. “You have to release Gabe.”

Sam held up his hand. “Once I have Kyle in custody, I’ll release Moriarty.”

“Fine,” Caroline said, handing him the packet her father had given her.

“What’s this?

“Leverage, in case he’s uncooperative.”

GABE SAT UP on the cot, waiting. He could have sworn he heard Caroline shouting, but it must have been his imagination. Wishful thinking.

What do you expect, man? You cut her off. You deserve it if she lets you rot.

Maybe he had overreacted to her taking off on him, but he hadn’t been wrong about the gravity of her sister’s accusations. Whatever her reasons, Ellie had ruined any chance he had for getting his business off the ground here. People wouldn’t trust him, even if Caroline got her to admit she lied. And even then, Caroline likely wouldn’t take his side over her sister’s.

It shouldn’t surprise him that the minute he tasted a moment of happiness, it was yanked away.

Karma still must have a hold of his short hairs.

“THIS IS BULLSHIT!” Kyle yelled from the interrogation room. “I want my lawyer.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Sa

m said, standing up. Caroline stood on the other side of the mirrored window, watching Kyle twist. It would have been sweeter if Sam had left the cuffs on him, but since he’d been cooperative, Sam hadn’t felt the need.

As Sam came out the door, Caroline said, “I want to talk to him.”

“He asked for a lawyer, Caroline, so we’re just going to let him stew for a minute.”

“I’m not a cop, Sam. I can talk to him all I want,” Caroline said, trying to walk past him.

“There are procedures and rules,” Sam argued.

“I just need some time to get him talking. He’s an arrogant son of a bitch, and I know, if I can just get him riled, he’ll hang himself,” Caroline said, touching his arm. “If he had hurt your sister or wife, what would you tell her?”

Sam blustered for half a second before grumbling, “One minute.”

“Thank you.”

Before he could change his mind, she stepped into the room, her stomach tied up in knots. Kyle looked up at her, shock written all over his face.

“Kyle,” she said before she sat down across from him.

“I don’t understand.” Kyle tugged at his tie. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to make sure you never leave the Idaho prison system.”

“Oh yeah?” Kyle said, sitting back in his chair. “And how are you going to do that?”

“Well, it’s funny,” Caroline said. “Did you know that there’s no statute of limitations for rape in the state of Idaho?”

“Of course I do,” he said warily.

“So, if at any time, even if it’s not for another twenty years, I wanted to walk into a police station and say, ‘Kyle Jenner raped me in one of his guest rooms when I was fifteen,’ I can do that.”

---