Kingston didn’t go to the deputy. He stayed put and cast glances at both Jack and her. “I gotta say that the two of you don’t make many friends. I was at the diner across the street and saw Lily when she came out. She didn’t seem happy.”
“She wasn’t,” Jack verified. In the same breath he added, “What were you doing at the diner?”
“Waiting on a call that the report was ready. There’s a storm moving in, and I thought I’d go ahead and drive out here while the weather was still clear.” Kingston got that smug look on his face, as if pleased that he’d had a plausible answer.
Gunnar came to the doorway and handed Kingston the report and a pen. “Look that over and let me know if there are any corrections that need to be made.”
Kingston nodded and moved as if to step away, but Jack stopped him. “I just had an interesting conversation with someone you know. Grace Wainwright.”
Like Jack, Caroline was watching Kingston’s face, and she saw it. The flash of concern. “Grace? What did she want? Where is she?”
The last question seemed to only increase his concern. But Caroline didn’t know where that particular emotion of his was aimed. Was he worried about an old friend, or did Kingston think Grace had given them info they could use against him?
“She’s fine,” Jack answered. “Safe.”
Caroline figured that last part was wishful thinking on Jack’s part, along with being bait to see more of Kingston’s reaction.
“Good,” Kingston said, but his expression didn’t mesh with the response. “I was worried about her. Grace tends to champion causes that can get her into trouble.”
Interesting. And Caroline didn’t believe it was her imagination that Kingston had thought carefully about how he was going to say that.
“What causes did Grace recently champion?” Jack asked.
Kingston lifted his shoulder. “I don’t have anything specific, but that’s just the way Grace is.”
Jack stared at him. “Nothing specific, huh? Nothing about the woman missing from New Beginnings?”
“Oh, that.” Kingston dismissed it with his tone. “Yes, I suppose it’s possible Grace would have poked around with that.She would have likely known the woman since they were at New Beginnings together.” He lifted the reports. “I’ll just find someplace quiet to go over this.”
Jack stepped in front of him before he could leave. “Does Lily have any reason to harm Caroline or want to silence her?” Jack asked.
Kingston huffed and shook his head. “I don’t have any details about the sex-trafficking ring. If Lily had a part in that, I don’t have proof.”
“Any other reason you can think of?” Jack pressed. “Something that’s perhaps connected to Eric Lang?”
Again, Kingston shook his head and turned as if to leave, but then he stopped. “Maybe Lily’s still upset about the Crime-Track program that Caroline and Gemma were working on.”
Of all the things Caroline had thought Kingston might say, that wasn’t one of them. “Crime-Track? Why would Lily be upset about that?”
“Lily tried to invest in it,” Kingston calmly said.
Jack immediately looked at her as Caroline said, “I don’t remember that.” And she didn’t. She was sure there hadn’t been a single conversation about Lily when it came to Crime-Track. Unless she truly had gaps in her memory and this one had slipped through.
“I don’t think she advertised her interest in it,” Kingston explained, “but she contacted Gemma. Lily wanted to fund the project, but Gemma turned her down. It might have caused some bad blood between them.”
Jack took out his phone and handed it to Caroline so she could call Gemma. She went to the other side of Kellan’s office while she did that. Not that the distance would give her much privacy, but at least Kingston wouldn’t be able to hear her every word.
Caroline scrolled through the contacts, pressed Gemma’s number and said a quick prayer of thanks when Gemma answered on the first ring.
“Is everything okay?” Gemma quickly asked. “Was there another attack?”
“No. We’re fine,” Caroline assured her, and she felt guilty that she’d caused her friend an obvious moment of terror. Not just because of Jack and her but also because the man Gemma loved could have been in the line of fire.
The breath of relief Gemma took was audible. “Sorry. I’m on edge.”
Caroline was right there with her. Too bad things would stay that way until they made an arrest. This phone call might help with that.
“I have a question about Crime-Track,” Caroline explained. “Did Lily Terrell ever contact you about it?”
