CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jace settled back in the driver’s seat of his Range Rover, enjoying the view as Shae strolled across Main Street with purpose. Well, it was technically a determined march with very wide strides. It was evident that she was irritated, but she was the sole person responsible for that fact. He’d done nothing but waste gas all morning long.
The first of September had arrived, but the summer heat still remained to swelter off the asphalt. He’d had to keep his engine running with the air conditioning on for the most part due to the sun beating down on him through the windshield. He was uncomfortable, and she was frustrated when they could both be at his dad’s house enjoying a cold beer and grilled steaks.
“You’re being completely ridiculous,” Shae exclaimed, having fanatically waved her arm around until he took the hint and casually rolled down his window. He wasn’t going to show her that his patience was running thin at all. “I’m trying to have lunch with Julie Brigham. We’re in broad daylight here. I’m as safe as I can possibly be, so go to your father’s house and welcome Mitch home.”
“Not without you.”
Jace used his finger to pull back on the small lever to roll up his window. He feigned changing the station, all the while observing her reaction from his peripheral vision. Yeah, she wasn’t very happy. Well, neither was he.
Shae banged her knuckles on the window twice.
“Yes?” Jace turned the volume down on the radio once more to hear what she had to say. “Have you changed your mind, Doc?”
“You know what your problem is?” Shae asked, not waiting for him to respond. She set her fists on either side of her waist to stress what he apparently had wrong with him. “You’re bored and lonely. You don’t know how to adjust to civilian life, so you’re doing anything and everything to avoid the plans you need to make for the future. I’ve seen it time and time again, and you somehow think latching onto my problems will fill your time until I leave town. I—”
Jace had heard enough, so he calmly turned the key in the ignition until his engine shut off. He then opened the driver’s side door, all the while leaving the window down and all but forcing her to back up on the sidewalk to avoid being hit. He ignored her incensed glare as he looked both ways before crossing the street and entering the diner.
“What are you doing?” Shae tried to get in front of him, but he managed to sidestep her when he spotted Julie sitting in the booth. It appeared they were done with their lunch and enjoying dessert. “Jace, you can’t—”
“Hi, Julie.” Jace reached over the seat where Shae’s purse was located, throwing their old friend a smile. “It’s been a long time. I hear congratulations are in order for you and Billy.”
“Oh, we’re just dating,” Julie clarified, appearing a bit uncomfortable. Jace figured she and Shae had yet to cover that topic, but they would have to save it for another time. “Listen, I need to borrow Shae for the rest of the afternoon. You don’t mind, do you? She’ll give you a call later on this evening to reschedule. After what happened last night, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone here in town. You know, with a serial killer running around on the loose and all.”
“I totally understand.” Julie tried to wave him off when he set a twenty dollar bill down on the table. “You don’t have to do that. I was going to treat Shae to lunch anyway.”
“It’s my fault she has to cut this short, so please let me pick up the tab.” Jace was surprised to find that Shae was no longer standing next to him. The bell jingled above the door to indicate her exit. Damn it. “Shae!”
Jace had done a sweep of the diner before Shae had ever set foot inside the eatery. There were patrons at tables and booths he’d known his entire life, but he was out of time to say hello to any of them. He mumbled his apologies before following in Shae’s footsteps.
“Not one word,” Shae angrily said as she spun around with her index finger pointed his way. “Does this kind of behavior usually work for you? Do the women you hang around with find that type of attitude attractive? No, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know what kind of women you socialize with.”
Jace would have answered had she not walked across the street to his Range Rover. She yanked open the passenger side door and settled herself inside, leaving him holding her purse. He’d gotten what he’d wanted, and now he would have to live with the consequences.
“Flowers are usually your best option.” Tobias Essinger appeared out of nowhere. He was an older gentleman who Jace recalled had an affinity for westerns. According to the book he was carrying around in his hand, that was still the case. “Judith always forgave me after receiving a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. That might work for you.”
“I’ll take that under advisement, Tobias.”
Jace highly doubted that flowers were going to fix his problem. Shae was independent to the nth degree, which he highly respected. She was doing what she felt was right for her, while he was left behind to deal with his own concerns that the killer might very well take what independence she had away by cold-blooded murder.
There was no doubt she’d struck a nerve about the whole civilian thing. She’d taken a potshot at an obvious weakness. He mulled over her accusation as he walked across the street. It was a low ball, even for her by referring to her experience with returning veterans. Given her profession, she understood it wasn’t easy to acclimate to civilian life and had played that knowledge to wound him.
“I would absolutely love to spend the next few weeks moving into my new place given to me by my overly generous parents, take my time renovating the barn before the weather turns, all the while spending time with my family while deciding on what I’d like to do with my future,” Jace shared with her after settling in behind the steering wheel. He set her purse down on her side of the floorboard before continuing when she normally would have interrupted. “My brothers are adjusting to being home, just like I will, given time and forbearance of the good people of our hometown. Unfortunately, fate has other plans for me at the moment. My main concern is that you don’t end up dead like Whitney Bell and that you don’t antagonize a vicious killer, regardless that it might very well be your intention. Which, for the record, is exceedingly foolish even with that revolver in your purse. As for my attraction to you? Well, that’s a totally separate issue that I’d like to explore at a later time, if you’re still alive. So please, don’t confuse the two.”
Jace turned over the engine, and it wasn’t long before he was driving them toward his dad’s homestead. He’d had his say, and exchanging arguments over two separate issues wouldn’t make this afternoon any more pleasant.
“I apologize for what I said.” Shae’s words came out as soft as the breeze coming in through the window. The two things almost blended together. “I know you’re worried about me, Jace, but I’ve waited too long for answers. I’ll go with you to your dad’s place, but you’re taking me back to town afterward. I’ll give Detective Kendrick a call to tell him that I’ll take him up on his offer to have an officer trail me for the next few days. That will solve both our problems.”
Jace figured his best course of action was to remain silent. Her solution wouldn’t solve anyone’s problems, but she didn’t want to hear the truth. She’d all but admitted twice now that she would do whatever was needed to draw out this killer. It was as if she were determined to be the next victim.
Well, he would do whatever was necessary to keep her from fulfilling her death wish.
*
“Let me guess,” Shae remarked wryly to Mitch as he took the seat next to her, “Jace sent you over here to talk some sense into me.”
Mitch was the oldest of the Kendall siblings, and his dominant aura said as much. Physically, he resembled all his brothers and sisters. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes, and very attractive features. There was no denying that the Kendalls were blessed with gorgeous physical attributes, but they were also fortunate with the endless compassion they all seemed to possess. And while there was something in all of them that broadcasted they were born to lead, Mitch had that quality in spades.
“I wasn’t here when Emma went missing.” Mitch crossed an ankle over his knee, indicating he didn’t mind how long this conversation took. He certainly got straight to the point, though. “I would never assume to imagine the anger and grief your family went through twelve years ago, but your parents don’t deserve to lose another daughter because she was too headstrong to listen to sound advice.”
They’d all gotten the pleasantries out of the way hours ago, even eating grilled steaks and potatoes larger than her head—not that she ate after having done so with Julie moments before they’d arrived at Gus’ residence. It was a welcoming home unlike any she’d ever witnessed before. She’d once heard Brynn refer to the Kendalls as the Waltons. She hadn’t been exaggerating in the least bit.
She’d been out to the Kendall residence once or twice for a birthday party here and there during her teenage years. She recalled that Mary Kendall loved lilacs, honeysuckle, and tea roses. The former two were out of season, but the tea roses were still in full bloom and giving off the most beautiful scented fragrance.
Unfortunately, Mitch took that pleasure away from her by driving his point home in a very emotional manner. No parent deserved to go through the grief her parents had experienced back then, and now she was tempting fate.
“You always were a straight shooter.” Shae regretted not getting a ride back into town with Brynn. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted to have right now. “I would never want my parents to go through that grief again, regardless of what you might think. With that said, I’m not a naïve young girl who isn’t prepared to defend herself. I’m a grown woman who is taking precautions while I seek to find the answers I’ve been searching for over the course of the last decade.”
Shae didn’t want to have this discussion with Mitch or Jace. She wanted more than anything to put down her glass of sweet iced tea and demand Jace take her back into town so that she could retrieve her car. She had things to do, and the Kendall clan had a private family celebration to enjoy.
Mitch had been in the service for sixteen years, and he was finally returning home after sustaining an injury that forced an early retirement. He deserved this time with his family. He shouldn’t be worried about her wellbeing. It made her sad to know his homecoming was overshadowed by an evil that had haunted Blyth Lake for far too long.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors around town, but the board voted me in today as the pro-tem sheriff of Blyth Lake.” Mitch wasn’t the easiest man to read, and she wasn’t sure that trait was a good thing or a bad thing, given his assignment as the town’s newest public servant. His expression remained neutral as he continued talking. “In around an hour, I’m heading into town to meet with Deputy Warner, Deputy Foster, and Deputy Perling. Finding Whitney Bell’s killer will be our top priority for those who stay under my command.”
Shea could only imagine the changes Mitch would implement to the sheriff’s department. Glenn Percy hadn’t exactly run the tightest ship. The only reason that office had remained afloat or sustained its credibility was because of Patty. That woman certainly had a handle on those deputies.
“You and I both know that whoever killed Whitney is responsible for Emma’s disappearance, as well as all those other girls.” Shae hated that she had to keep referring to her sister’s tragedy as an abduction. They had all accepted Emma’s death a long time ago. “I can help you, Mitch.”
“By opening yourself up to attack and making yourself a sacrificial lamb?” Mitch had already begun shaking his head well before she ever finished speaking. He didn’t seem to care that the killer had reached out to her, basically opening a dialogue of conversation. “Coming back to town to take over the reins as sheriff was never my intention, Shae. But I can’t in good conscience allow my hometown of Blyth Lake to turn into ruins because no one wanted a thankless job cleaning up after years of neglect. I can’t stop you from talking to old friends and neighbors. That’s up to you. But don’t you think for a second I won’t step in if I believe you’re putting your life in danger. I’ll put your ass in a cell if you start acting foolish.”
Shae didn’t miss the shared look between Mitch and Jace. They were doing their best to look out for her, but she wasn’t their responsibility—not even the new sheriff’s responsibility. In the end, it wouldn’t matter what any one of them wanted to see as an outcome. Whoever was murdering those young girls had been in control for over twelve years, and she didn’t see that changing anytime soon.
“Mitch, whoever took Emma understood exactly what he was doing by leaving those boots in that apartment over the bar. All of you believe we know the killer, as do I. And I have no doubt that the sick bastard thought I would either crumble in my grief or be scared enough to leave town.” Shae was willing to make concessions, as proven by her phone call to Detective Kendrick earlier. But she wasn’t leaving town. “I’m a professional. I’ve treated the criminally disturbed in my practice. I can provide insights into his behavior, as well as expand on the profile that you have undoubtedly received from the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit at Quantico. I grew up here and have a unique appreciation of the people living in this town. You’d be an idiot not to use my expertise. And I’m willing to continue to stay at Jace’s house, but I won’t stop visiting those people on my list who I believe may know something that could help us uncover who the killer is pretending to be in the interim.”
Mitch nodded his consent, though she wasn’t looking for his approval. Something told her that he would be perfectly okay with her leaving town tonight and returning to Lansing, Michigan.
“I’m meeting Detective Kendrick later this afternoon to go over all the evidence collected up to this point. You and I both know that he can’t afford the manpower to have someone follow you around twenty-four-seven. We can all see the state police cruiser at the end of the driveway, but he’ll be gone by tonight. I think staying at Jace’s house is for the best until we obtain more information on who left those boots for you at your other accommodations. Besides, I know that you and Jace were friends back in the day. Having that kind of friendship and support is invaluable.”
Shae was relieved to know that Jace hadn’t said a word about what happened this morning to Mitch. Not that they had a personal relationship other than an old friendship Jace now mistook for something more because she’d told him the truth. One kiss didn’t change anything. A glance his way had her rethinking that belief, as she caught him studying her from afar.
After their heated argument from earlier, it was a wonder the electricity traveling between the two of them wasn’t visible to everyone.
Jace was standing on the sidewalk in front of the porch saying goodbye to Lance, who was heading into Gus’ workshop. Well, technically the workspace was used by both of them now that it was a father and son business. Lance was more interested in the fact that Gus had opened the screen door, leaving her to believe that Jace’s interest in her discussion with Mitch was for his own self-interest.
She wasn’t ready for a man like him. He was everything an alpha male was supposed to be, according to her training.
What made her think she could have handled him as a teenager?
She liked structure. Strike that, because so did Jace. She craved easygoing. Yes, that was a better description of what she desired from a man. She didn’t need someone who constantly kept her off balance. Case in point—Jace’s reaction earlier this afternoon. That was totally unacceptable, despite how it warmed her from the inside out to know he truly cared what happened to her.
“Shae?” Mitch calling her name for probably the umpteenth time just proved that Jace upset her equilibrium. She gave him an apologetic smile as she tried to focus on the conversation at hand. “Who else would you like to speak with while you’re in town? I’d really like a look at that list, if at all possible.”
“Mitch, could I see you in the kitchen?”
For a brief moment, Shae thought Mitch was going to refuse his father’s request.
“Of course,” Mitch answered, lowering the black boot on his right foot as he prepared to stand. He was sporting a white dress shirt rolled up at the forearms. His darker shade of jeans fit his personality, but all in all, his attire reminded her that he hadn’t been home for more than four hours. He had a long evening ahead of him if he were to take over role as sheriff. “Shae, please supply me with that list so that I can compare them to who was at the Cavern last night.”
Shae could have answered him immediately, but Mitch was already following his father inside the house. Everyone on her list had been inside the bar at one time or another last night. It was still hard to fathom that someone they all had trusted had absolutely no hold on their sanity.
Motion from where Jace and Lance were standing told her that she was about to have company. Lance seemed to have changed his mind about work and joined Noah and Reese on the other side of the porch, who’d given Mitch time alone with Shae. She wasn’t surprised to find Jace joining her, but she was stunned by his admission.
“I’m sorry I caused a scene at the diner. It wasn’t fair to you, and I made both of us look ridiculous.” Jace leaned forward to rest both of his forearms on his knees. She wanted to tell him to stop, that she didn’t need an apology. They were both at fault, because they were both very headstrong. “What I’m not sorry about is worrying about your safety.”
“Jace, I’ll stay at your place until I decide to return back to Lansing.” Shae needed him to understand something first, because she wasn’t emotionally capable of handling anything more than what was already on her plate. “As friends, though. Nothing more.”