“They aren’t here,” Tabitha called out as she closed the distance.
“Where the fuck are they? Sarah said something about an offsite meeting. Craig is being stalked, for fuck’s sake. He needs to be—”
“Craig has Major and a deputy with him. I can send him your way when he returns?”
“Fine.” Craven slunk off, kicking at rocks as he went.
Tabitha returned to her own trailer to wait. Shewished she were at the station with Major. If they had already exchanged mating bites, they would most likely be able to speak with their minds the way some of the other couples could. Since they hadn’t and they couldn’t, Tabitha had to be patient. She texted Mason, informing him she would no longer be needed by Trista after she dropped her at the airport and why, then she kicked back and called Cailín. It was odd she hadn’t at least received a text from her friend.
“’Sup?” Cailín answered.
“That’s what I want to know. You don’t call. You don’t write,” Tabitha joked.
“Because I was hoping you were getting hot and heavy with your hottie.”
“Right. Since we’re both on a job, we have so much time together. Are you on a job?”
“No. I was hoping you were calling to have me spell you.”
“I won’t even have this job after tomorrow.” Tabitha filled Cailín in on the latest details.
“Good for Trista. I mean, not good she’s having to shell out a shit-ton of money to break her contract, but good for her standing up for herself.” Cailín released a long sigh. “I think I met my mate.”
Tabitha did an ab curl, dropping her feet to the floor. “What? Who?”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. I hugged Elle at the celebration and felt like I was going to toss my snickerdoodles. Since she’s Tony’s mate, we know it’s not her. And there were dozens of people at Lilly’s house who could have and probably did hug Elle, so I figure I was getting their residual scent. The thing is that everyone at the house is someonewe all know, and if I were going to feel something, I would have before now.”
“Aw, Boo, I’m sorry. You’ll figure it out.” Tabitha’s phone buzzed with a text. “Hang on a sec. Harlow’s texting.”
Harlow:Major and Craig were under attack leaving the building. They’re safe now. Everett has the shooters in custody. Incoming email.
Shooters? What the actual fuck? Tabitha scrambled off the sofa to open her laptop. “Dammit. Major and Craig were shot at leaving the police station. Harlow assured me they’re safe, but she’s sending me an encrypted email.”
“Read it to me. Please. Get my mind off my woes.”
Tabitha didn’t make fun of her friend because mate issues were no joke. “She wrote,‘Major is relocating Craig to a safehouse. Coordinates will be at the end of this message. We knew about Brad and the Mixon brothers being in foster care together. There was also a female, Carmen Lawrence, who kept in touch with them after they all aged out of the system. Carmen was found dead after a welfare check when she didn’t show up for work after three days. There was a suicide note naming Craig as the father of her unborn baby. Toby Mixon is the one who came forward, adamant she didn’t kill herself. She was a social worker who advocated against drugs since her hooker mother died of an overdose, thus landing Carmen in foster care. That note was the reason Everett wanted to question Craig. Everett called Mason and filled him in on what happened at the police station. Major voiced Craig, and he denies knowing Carmen. Craig’s wife assured Everett that Craig was home at the time of the murder, stating she could prove it with in-home security cameras.
Major and Everett believe that Brad went after Craig because of the note, thinking he killed her to keep hisillegitimate love child a secret. Since Major voiced him, we know Craig is innocent. Major thinks it was Daniel posing as Craig, but until he can be questioned, that’s just speculation.’”
Daniel had left Talmet because he got someone pregnant, so it wasn’t that far of a stretch to believe he’d done it again, but did he hate his brother enough to steal his identity? Since Cailín didn’t know about the brothers’ past, Tabitha filled her in before she finished reading the email.
“The one thing about all of this I still don’t get is why Brad isn’t talking. Why hasn’t he defended himself by mentioning the fact that Carmen detested drugs, and he knew she wouldn’t kill herself? It’s not as though he’s protecting her by remaining silent. It’s the opposite, actually.” Her phone vibrated again. “Major’s calling. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
“Yep. If you need me, I’ll be there.”
“Thanks.” Tabitha switched over. “Hey, Hottie. I hear you had an adventure without me.”
Major chuckled. “I did, but I’m glad you weren’t there. I don’t want you anywhere near flying bullets.”
“I can’t say I want to be near them either. Harlow filled me in. How’s the safehouse?”
“It’s a two-story farmhouse situated well off the road with no surrounding trees. Perfect to notice anyone trying to approach.”
Tabitha was thankful for that instead of the last safehouse she’d had to use. It had been a boring parsonage behind a dilapidated church. “I have to drive Trista and Marilyn to the airport in the morning. I could head your way after.”
“Mason mentioned that, and he said he would keepyou on standby. Since Murdock wants me to question Brad to find out why he isn’t talking, you should be the one to come sit with Craig.”
“Speaking of Everett, Harlow said he handled the shooters. Do you know if he interrogated them?”
