Page 44 of For Rage

"No," Derik said, "it wasn't me, Cross. I don't know who it was."

Morgan turned away. The last thing she needed was another unknown enemy, lurking in the shadows and following her. She couldn't let this pass.

"Cross," Derik said, "you've spent too long chasing shadows and watching behind your back. Now, you think even the people who care about you are your enemy."

Morgan couldn't look at him. Emotion welled inside her chest. Derik was saying he cared about her, even if he did reject her advance before. She wanted to believe in him, but she felt so wounded. Wounded by everything.

"Yeah, well, that's what ten years in prison will get you," she muttered.

"I'm sorry, Morgan." Derik's eyes were earnest. Sincere. "I know what you went through was awful. I know you lost so much. But I'm not the enemy here."

Morgan nodded slowly, still not looking at him. But he was getting through to her. Derik, of all people, should be the one person she could trust.

And yet she still couldn’t, with one hundred percent certainty, say she did trust him.

But he was still her friend, and her partner, and she had no proof itwashim, either.

"I know," she said. "I'm sorry too. I'm just ... I'm so frustrated. I feel like I'm hitting a wall at every turn."

"It's understandable," Derik said. "But you can't let it consume you. You have to take care of yourself."

Morgan finally looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Derik said, "that you need to be careful. You can't go off half-cocked, chasing leads that might not even pan out. You have a lot to lose, Morgan. Your freedom, your job ..."

"I know that," Morgan said, frustration creeping back into her voice. "I'm not stupid, Derik. I'm just trying to find the truth. I feel like I can’t trust anyone. Not even you.”

"I know," Derik said. "But you have to be smart about it. You have to think things through, and you have to be careful who you trust."

Morgan nodded slowly. "I know," she said. "You're right."

Derik reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm here for you, Morgan," he said. "If you need anything, just let me know. I know building trust with me, and everyone else out here, is gonna take time. I get it, really, I do.”

Morgan felt a warmth spread through her chest. She was glad not all had changed between them. “Thanks, Derik. Sorry, again.”

“Don’t worry about it.” He smiled, pulling his hand away.

"Who do you think it was?" Morgan asked, not expecting a real answer.

"I don't know," Derik said, "but maybe be more careful when you use the FBI database. C'mon, let's get back to work."

He left the room, but what he'd said stuck to her mind like glue. She wasn't sure why, but something about it got her mind turning back to the case. The database. There could be more information on Jerry Jameson that she'd missed, or on his business, something that could get them closer to the truth. She wasn't sure if Jerry was truly the guy they were looking for.

And if the killer was still out there, then the risks were too high to stop looking.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Hunched over her computer in her office, Morgan skimmed through Jerry's company’s financial records. There wasn't much to see, considering he mostly got paid in cash. What he did have was just enough to make his business legitimate, but Morgan could tell by the client list that he had a lot more than he let off.

The company had a website, and Morgan checked its login records. Most of the logins traced back to Jerry's sister's house, the IP matching up with the location she'd found him at earlier. But there were a few strange logins from places all over the city. Morgan typed the IPs in, and they showed locations on the city map. Some were from neighborhoods close to where the victims lived. Maybe he had assistants.

But when Morgan checked more into the IPs, she noted that one was at a public library. Another, an internet café. She frowned, leaning back in her chair as she read over the information. If Jerry had assistants, then why would they be logging in from public spaces?

She'd just have to go ask him herself. They were keeping him in the interrogation room for now until they figured out what to do with him. There was a lot of paperwork to be done, but they had a strong enough case to keep Jerry in custody.

Morgan stood up from her chair, grabbing her badge and gun on her way out. She walked down the hallway and toward the interrogation room, her mind swimming with possibilities. If Jerry was innocent, then who was the killer?Could it really be Johnson?

Morgan shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She couldn't jump to conclusions. She needed to talk to Jerry first.

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