“I’ve put a reserve deputy on Gemma,” Kellan added a moment later, “and I’m heading home right now. Eli and Owen are doing the same.”
Caroline filled in the blanks on what Kellanwasn’tsaying. He couldn’t keep this level of protection going for long. Eli and Owen had jobs to do along with their families to protect. Their attacker could just wait them out. Maybe wait even long enough until their guards were down and then go after them when they didn’t expect it.
Mercy.
They had to do something, now, to put an end to it so they could all get on with their lives. Especially Owen and Eli, since their families included babies who needed protecting.
“I’ve been mulling over a plan,” Caroline said.
As she’d expected, her comment caused some concern followed by anger to flash in Jack’s eyes. She figured that if she could see Kellan, he’d have a similar expression. That meant she was going to have to do a hard sell to convince them that what she had in mind could work.
Probably.
But she would keep the wordprobablyto herself. They’d have enough doubts without her adding more.
“Both of you know we need to do something to go ahead and draw out this person,” Caroline continued. “Our attacker seems to believe that I know something. Something that would incriminate him or her. So why not put it out there that I’m remembering more details of what Eric said when he kidnapped me? I could be bait.”
That, of course, didn’t go over well. Jack cursed and shook his head. Kellan grumbled some of the same profanity.
“Just let me finish,” she said, speaking over them. “Word could get out that I’m going to the Serenity Inn to meet with a therapist or counselor. Someone who can help me use the place to recall those final details that will help us figure out who Eric actually called that night and what he said to him or her.”
“The killer won’t go for that,” Jack concluded, but she knew that he’d said that more out of worry for her than any doubt over the workability of the plan.
“He or she will, if word gets out,” Caroline argued. “And we can use Grace to do that.”
Jack huffed again. “Grace won’t even answer her phone.”
“No, but I’m pretty sure she’ll read a text. We can ask her to leak that I’ll be at the Serenity Inn. Tonight,” she added, though Caroline cast an uneasy glance at the window. “If Grace is in on the plan to murder us, then she’ll get the info to the right person. To the person who wants us dead. If she’s innocent, then she can help us with the leak so we can lure out the killer.”
The curtains and blinds were closed, but she could hear the rain battering against the glass. It wouldn’t exactly be a good night to go to the old, abandoned hotel, but enduring the weather would be the least of their problems.
No huff from Jack this time, but he gave her a very flat look. “Our attacker could just send another hired thug.”
Caroline nodded, knowing that was a strong possibility. The proof of that was the now dead gunman.
“We weren’t expecting the other attacks,” she explained, “but if we know this one is coming, we can be ready for it. Instead of killing any henchman who shows up, we can take him alive. Maybe shoot him with a tranquilizer gun instead of bullets. After we have him, we can make some kind of deal to get him to talk.”
Jack certainly didn’t jump on that, either, but she was hoping that once he got over his emotional objection, he would see it could work.
“What makes you think you can trust Grace?” Jack demanded. “What if she shows up and tries to kill you?”
“I’m not sure I can trust her, not completely, but that doesn’t matter. If it’s Grace who comes to the inn, then you can take her into custody and get her to tell you what she knows aboutScotty’s death.” She paused. “But if she gets out the word, then the real killer or his hired gun might show up. It’s worth a try.”
Judging from the swear words that poured out of him, Jack didn’t agree with her. “I don’t want you at the inn,” he snapped.
Caroline nodded, knowing he would say that. “I don’t especially want to be there, either.” Not with all the horrible things that had happened to her. There was the possibility of flashbacks. Heck, there was also the risk of a full-blown panic attack that would pretty much put her out of commission in a fight. “But we can’t let this danger and the attacks go on.”
“She’s right about that,” Kellan said before Jack could spout what would have almost certainly been more arguments. “It’s dangerous for too many people. I can’t protect everyone that this snake might target. He or she is desperate. That’s obvious. Maybe because we’re getting close to finding out what really happened that night Dad was murdered. A plan like this could be the tipping point to get us that truth.”
“Yeah, and it could be the tipping point to getting Caroline shot,” Jack fired back. But then he groaned.
Caroline went to him, looked him straight in the eyes. “This could end the danger in just a few hours,” she reminded him. Then, she played dirty by adding, “We’d be able to get on with our lives.”
Of course, Jack was ready for that to happen. Ready for them to be a couple again. To not have to look over their shoulders to make sure a hired gun didn’t have them in his sight.
“Option two,” she went on when Jack and Kellan didn’t say anything. “I leave Longview Ridge. I disappear. Not through WITSEC or any other way that my location can be hacked or traced. And once I’m gone, none of you will be in danger.”
Oh, that brought the storm straight back to Jack’s narrowed eyes. “No,” he said through clenched teeth. “I’m not losing you again.”
