Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Laura Scott (free e reader .TXT) 📕

hallway past a bathroom and two bedrooms. As he entered the master bedroom, a figure pushed a writing desk over, blocking Colt’s path, then scrambled out the window.

“Freeze!” Colt hollered and maneuvered around the desk and clutter on the floor. By the time he climbed out the window, the man was bolting down along the side of the house.

Georgia shrieked, sending Colt into a panic of his own. He raced to the front of the house, and Georgia was a crumpled heap near the truck holding her arm. The guy ran through the woods at the dead end.

“I’m okay,” Georgia called. “Go!”

He took her at her word and chased after the bulky man. Backup was on the way. After ten minutes of trying to find him, Colt realized the effort was futile, and he doubled back to Georgia.

Sheriff’s deputies were on the scene along with his team.

“Did you see him?” Colt asked as he approached Georgia.

“It happened like lightning. I was getting in the truck, so I didn’t see him. He shoved me into the side of it so hard—my shoulder—and then I fell and you were right behind him.”

“Just getting in the truck?” He knelt and touched her shoulder.

She winced. “Well, I may have been debating a few moments about coming in for you. I was worried and freaking out.”

“I’m not the one holding my shoulder.” He rubbed his thumb across her cheek. It could have been so much worse. “You need it looked at?”

“No, it’s gonna bruise like a peach, though. Was it Benard?”

“No. He’s at his kitchen table. Dead.”

SIX

At the station, Mae handed Colt an interview roster. “Jared’s mom and stepdad are here.” Colt hadn’t seen Karen—Jared’s mom—or Mr. Wilcox in forever. Chance Leeway’s interview would follow.

“McCoy?”

Colt spun and Deputy Cody Weinbeck had his mile-wide grin going. He’d always been a ladies’ man in high school, even when dating Tillie. He’d flirted with Georgia several times—until she wrote the article in the school paper about him. Colt had held Georgia’s heart, and it had never made sense to Colt. How he managed to snag the prettiest girl in school was the greatest mystery he’d ever been tasked with and never solved. He’d been nothing but a loser with a drunk for a father and a mom who’d hightailed it out of town and didn’t even think he’d been worth taking with her.

“Weinbeck,” he said as he gave his hello in a chin nod. “How’s life treating you?”

“Not bad.” He glared at Georgia as if his cheating this time was her fault. Of course, Colt hadn’t asked her if she published it in the Magnolia Gazette. Maybe she had. He bit back a chuckle.

“Cody,” Georgia said with what appeared to be cool composure. “How’s Tillie?”

Colt gripped her forearm with light pressure to let her know now was not the time to go picking new fights. Apparently, goading deputies and old classmates wasn’t a trigger for her anxiety.

Cody ran his tongue across his teeth and flared his nostrils but said nothing. He stalked toward the alcove with the vending machine.

“Why?” Colt asked.

“I tried to help it, Colt. I really did.” She pursed her lips and shrugged.

Mae looked puzzled but remained impassive.

Colt shook his head. “Come on. I’ll show you to our case room.”

Inside, they had access to a two-way mirror that allowed them to look right into the small interview room where Jared’s mom and stepdad sat holding hands and looking optimistic. The team didn’t have much uplifting information to offer, and Colt hated unearthing all that they’d worked to heal from and move past. But did one ever move past loss? Their loved ones would always linger, and the emptiness would always be felt. But a new, strange normal would eventually begin and nudge them into a land of living. That’s how he’d grieved his mother leaving and never calling. Not even on a birthday. Colt was aware she’d moved to Phoenix and worked as an office manager for a heating and air company, but he knew nothing personal about her.

They entered the interview room and hugged in place of shaking hands. These people had been family to Colt and to Georgia. It was deeply personal.

Aging hadn’t agreed with either of the Wilcoxes. Wrinkles and exhaustion backdropped the spark of hope in their eager expressions. He’d seen this exact face on nearly every family member of lost loved ones where no justice or answers had been found. No closure.

Gerald helped Karen back into her chair and eased his belly under the table as he situated himself in the seat with a groan. “Colt. We weren’t sure what to think when we got the call from one of your unit members. Have you found something concrete to bring justice to our boy?” He held on to Karen’s hand like a lifeline, and Karen sniffed. Georgia handed her a tissue from the box on the table.

Something concrete? No. Just a serious gut instinct that the killer had and still did reside in Magnolia. Someone Gerald could have sold a car to and Karen might have even given a haircut—could even be a regular at her salon.

“We’ve reopened the case based on new facts, which is promising. Now we can test the old evidence with new technology. The truth will present itself.”

“New facts? Not concrete evidence?” Karen asked.

“It’s enough to pursue.”

“It better be, Colt. If you’re gonna drag us through this again.” Gerald’s tone demanded they not be put through the wringer again. Karen closed her eyes, and Georgia grasped her free hand.

Colt asked all the same interview questions from fifteen years ago.

Karen was at home. Gerald had worked late at the dealership catching up on invoices and then came home, and he and Karen had made popcorn and watched a movie. They didn’t know who could have killed their son. Jared didn’t seem upset. No one that they knew of had approached him about playing for Ole Magnolia, but Jared had changed his mind two weeks prior to his