Cody clenched his fists, ire rising again. He couldn’t remain calm in this room. Waving at Travis, he nodded toward the door to indicate his intentions, then headed outside.
The May sunshine warmed his face. Cody inhaled long and deep. He walked down the street at a brisk pace, heading for his sister’s café. As it was midafternoon, her restaurant wasn’t crowded. He went straight to the back where he knew she’d be working.
Cassie smiled when she saw him. “Howdy, big brother. What brings you here?”
“Your husband is questioning his prisoner.”
Understanding flashed over her face. “Ah. You couldn’t stay there, could you?”
“Nope. He was going to kidnap Ella, Cass. That was the final piece of his plan.”
“His plan?” Her brow furrowed. “What was his motive?”
Cody sank into a chair, his shoulders slumping. “He claims he doesn’t know who hired him. My guess is he’s one of those shady folks who’ll do anything for a price. And if Mountbatten or Howard are behind this, they probably paid good money to get Ella back.”
“Drink this.” Cassie put a mug of coffee in front of him. Cody thanked her and took a sip. She sat across from him. “So we still don’t know who’s actually behind the attacks.”
“No.” His stomach clenched. “What if they send someone else? This might not be over.”
“Or maybe they’ll give up now that Jacobson’s been caught?”
The hope in Cassie’s voice produced the first genuine smile Cody had since coming to town. “I pray you’re right.”
Half an hour later, Travis found them. He accepted a cup of coffee from his wife and sipped it as he stood. “Jacobson sang like a bird. It seems the threat of the noose worked wonders.”
“Noose?” Cassie frowned. “Hanging isn’t allowed here.”
“He didn’t know that.”
Her lips curled into a smile. “Smart man.”
“Thanks.” Travis planted a kiss on her head. He turned to Cody. “He’s agreed to wire Boston with an update to his source about the barn fire in exchange for a lighter sentence. We’ll send that this afternoon.”
Unease swam through Cody’s gut. “It’s been several days. He was supposed to send them the day after an attack. Wouldn’t that raise suspicion?”
“It might, but we’ll come up with an explanation for it.”
“What about the other planned incidents?”
Travis took another sip of his drink. “I’m going to wire my friend on the Boston force, ask him to monitor wires to and from Harmony Springs. Maybe he’ll be able to track where they end up.”
Cody squeezed his mug. “Doesn’t he need a warrant for that?”
“Yeah, but with the information Jacobson gave us, he might be able to get one. It’s worth a try.” Travis downed the contents of his cup. “You want to come with me?”
“Sure.” Cody hugged Cassie goodbye and followed Travis. All the while, his instincts buzzed with fear that something was about to go terribly wrong.
CHAPTER 23
Cody’s unease persisted into the next week. On the surface, everything seemed fine, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the lapse between the fire and the wire would tip off Ella’s father. Or former fiancé. He couldn’t decide who was more likely behind Jacobson’s presence in Harmony Springs. If he had to guess, he’d say Ella’s father since the man had come to town and threatened them, sending Blackwell to do the same. But why? Why was the man so determined to have Ella back in Boston? Was it wounded pride…or something more sinister?
He drummed his fingers against the parlor windowpane, watching rain pour from the sky. The dreary weather matched his mood.
Arms came around him from behind. Cody detected orange blossoms. He smiled, finding one of Ella’s hands where they rested on his stomach. “Hey, darlin’. Tired this morning?”
“Mmhmm.” She nestled closer and yawned. “I just couldn’t convince myself to get up on time.”
“Must be the weather. The kids are still asleep too.”
