Forever Hers by Walters, Ednah (top 50 books to read txt) 📕

earlier were gone. Her natural hair was pulled back in a ponytail. “We were discussing your two friends parked outside Nolan Reither’s home. I specifically told Ms. Kincaid you should stop interfering in an FBI investigation.”

“You haven’t given us a reason to believe your investigation is producing results, Agent Ross,” Eddie said calmly. “You pulled a gun on a defenseless woman without identifying yourself first. I will need both your names, badge numbers, field office and supervisor’s name.”

“Who the hell are you?” she snapped.

“Detective Eddie Fitzgerald.”

She glanced at her partner, who walked to a table with a laptop, sat and started typing. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before. Richmond P.D.?”

“L.A.P.D., and when your friend is done, I will need to verify that you’re legit.”

“You’re a long way from home, detective.” Her partner turned the laptop around and Agent Ross peered at the screen. “Suspended without pay for assaulting a decorated officer and the D.A. Do you have problem with authority, Detective Fitzgerald?”

Eddie shoved his hands in the front pocket of his pants and smirked. “Absolutely. Now’s my turn.”  He indicated the laptop. The other agent glanced at Agent Ross, who nodded, then slid the laptop toward Eddie. Eddie sat and typed fbi.gov then found ‘Contact Us’ and clicked on ‘Local FBI Offices.’ “Your badge numbers, please.”

“Okay, you’ve made your point,” Agent Ross. “I should have identified myself to Ms. Kincaid.” She leaned forward and studied him. “Since you’re not allowed to carry a weapon, why are you packing?”

She was good. His gun was strapped to his ankle. “My gun’s not government issued, if that’s what you’re asking. Can we stop playing games and get to work? After all, we want the same thing—Reither behind bars.”

The two agents exchanged a glance then Agent Ross nodded. “Okay. Ms. Kincaid said you have evidence that could put Nolan away for good. We want it.”

“No, I think you misunderstood her. We know of evidence that could put Reither away for good. He keeps mementos from important events in his life. The ring he removed from Amy Kincaid’s finger the night he shot her fiancé for instance. The cell phone he took from her house after using it to call the police and reported a break-in. Her car keys. House keys. I’m sure he collected something from Penelope Digger’s place the night he killed her too. All you have to do is get the box.”

“Where’s the box?” the two agents asked at the same time.

“In the back of his car, wrapped up and hidden inside his camping gears. Don’t ask how I know.” Eddie paused and grinned. “Let’s just say my surveillance team is better than yours.”

The two agents looked at each other and the guy got up and left the room, already punching the numbers on his cell phone.

“My people saw him remove two boxes from a storage facility,” Agent Ross explained. “We visited it and found nothing incriminating. We checked the boxes and found pictures of Ms. Kincaid, hardly a smoking gun.”

“Depends on where and when they were taken. If they were taken recently or after their divorce, they can prove he was stalking Amy.”

Agent Ross sighed. “They had no dates, but we’ll check the backgrounds.”

“How long have you been on this case?”

“About six weeks. We were digging deeper into his background while combing the state and the neighboring ones for the bodies of Ms. Kincaid and her daughter. We believed he’d killed them both. How long have you guys been on the case?”

Eddie smiled. “Two weeks. It started with robberies in a little town in northern Idaho.”

***

Amy piled pillows behind her and reached for her laptop, her eyes going to the clock by the bed. Eddie left thirty minutes ago, yet it seemed like forever. The waiting was going to kill her. Her gaze drifted to the bed across from theirs. Raelynn was fast asleep, a peaceful expression on her face.

Amy checked her e-mail first. There were three messages from her mother. They all had ‘urgent’ on the subject line.

Heart pounding, Amy clicked on the first one, read it and reached for her cell phone. Her father had a heart attack. She punched in the numbers with shaking hands as she read the second message, hoping to find the name of the hospital.

The phone was picked up after one ring. “Amy?”

“Mom, where are you? How bad is Dad?”

“Don’t come here, Amy. Run as far—”

There was a thud and a sharp cry from her mother followed by her father yelling something in the background, “Leave her alone. Amy, we’re so—”

Amy’s stomach dropped. Nolan. How had he escaped from his place with Rod and Hailey standing guard?

“You son of a bitch, leave them alone,” Amy snarled into the phone.

“Amy, you know I hate it when you swear,” Nolan said in a censoring tone.

“What do you want?” Amy turned on the bedside light and ran to the closet to find pants and a top, then grabbed a coat and slipped it on.

“You know what I want.” His voice became soft. “You. It’s always been you, Amy. I tried to replace you, but no one can ever take your place. Come home, Amy. Come to me.”

Nausea squeezed her stomach. She wanted to call him a liar, maybe mention Penelope, but she bit her tongue. Instead, she put on her shoes, snatched up her purse and the hotel key card then pressed a kiss on Raelynn’s forehead and crept out of the room.

“My parents have been nice to you, Nolan,” she whispered. “They’ve treated you like a son. Why would you hurt them?”

“They wouldn’t tell me the truth. I asked them nicely if they’d talked to you, if they knew you were in town,” he retorted then his voice changed and became whiny. “They forced my hand, Amy. I didn’t mean to hurt your father. You are right. He’s been good to me. And your mother...” His voice trailed off followed by sniffles.

Amy’s stomach hollowed out. Before, he’d threaten to blow his