Wyatt scoffed. “Hell no. Ted’s not the issue. I want you in on the conversation about what happened last night. You were there. You were one of the few people that knew who and what was being negotiated behind closed doors. I think you could offer a helpful perspective.”
He only had to consider the request a moment to know he would help his brother however he could. That’s what he did. How he’d always operated. He took care of his family. He jolted then, realizing that was exactly what had driven Jules to pursue Chase Hamilton with such fervor. A love for her sister andcompelling need to fulfill her duty to protect her closest family member when their parents had failed.
He set aside his conclusion for the moment, knowing he’d want to address it later.
“Cal? You still there?”
“Yeah, sorry. Sure, I’ll go with you. What time?” Cal swung his legs out of bed and checked his bedside clock. It was almost 9:00 a.m.
“About eleven? That work for you?”
“Hmm, sure. I want to go by the Rogers’ first and give them the news about Hamilton in person. His name hasn’t been in the news coverage, has it?”
“Not yet. I know you drove Matti’s car to the emergency room when she rode with the boy in the ambulance, so you weren’t there when the media circus arrived. Local stations showed up at the police station twenty minutes after the shooting, demanding details. Heard about it on their damn police scanners,” Wyatt groused. “Bismarck TV station even sent someone, probably because an officer was involved. Media loves a police shooting.”
Cal rolled his eyes, dismissing his brother’s familiar grumpiness and complaints about reporters. They finalized plans to meet at city hall and arrive at the mayor’s office together, and Cal hustled to the shower in time to help Jules…wash her back.
Jules accompanied Cal to the Rogers’ house, wanting to be present to offer her support to the family when they learned the emotionally charged news of the shooting and Hamilton’s death. While she was relieved to have the threat to her sister eliminated, she was also riddled with a sense of guilt, as if she’d been party to his death and Officer Rutledge’s injury. How couldshe rejoice over the end of Abby’s worries, when it came at such a high price?
Zoey Rogers could easily have similar conflicted feelings.
Cal did an admirable job breaking the news gently, but the shock and muted relief the family expressed were largely what Jules expected.
“He was offered a plea deal?” Zoey asked. “On what charges? Stalking me? Breaking into our house?”
“Zoey,” Cal said, his tone soothing, “you are not to blame for anything that happened. Don’t go there even for a minute.”
Jules appreciated his attempt to ameliorate any strife for the teenager, but Jules heard a different truth in the girl’s questions. She’d lived with the same feelings for too long not to recognize the sense of betrayal behind Zoey’s inquiry.
“I know it doesn’t seem fair,” she said, placing a hand over the teenager’s, “but the police needed his help on a case with bigger stakes and further-reaching consequences.”
“So what he did, the way he scared me and violated our home, doesn’t matter?” Zoey asked, her anger rising.
“Of course it matters. The way he terrorized my sister matters, too.” Jules squeezed Zoey’s fingers. “They mattered enough to be useful in the big picture. The plea deal had more weight because of the numerous charges the police had accumulated against Hamilton. Not an ideal solution for either of our families, but one that was meant to be of greater benefit to the community in the long run.”
“The important thing is he’s not a problem anymore, honey. You’re safe now,” Mrs. Rogers said, her tone clearly meant to buoy her daughter’s mood.
She and Cal left soon after that, driving directly to the Red Grove city hall, where Cal and Wyatt were meeting with Ted Barrett.
Jules reflected on the Colton family party earlier in the month, when she and Ted had been teammates for several rousing rounds of volleyball, and she grinned. As Cal parked and climbed out of his Jeep, she said, “Tell Ted I said ‘hi’ and that I’ve been working on my spikes. I’m ready for the next volleyball match.”
“Will do. I shouldn’t be too long. Cup of Joe is just down the block, if you want to get a coffee while you wait. Their iced latte is the best in town.”
“Good to know. I’ll meet you there,” Jules said, eyeing the other shops along the small-town-vibe thoroughfare. When was the last time she’d shopped for new clothes? Shoes? Too long ago, she decided, savoring a buzz of excitement that she hadn’t felt the freedom to enjoy while the question of Chase Hamilton hung over her. Her gaze followed Cal as he squared his shoulders as if marching off to do battle, then set off with her own mission to find a new sundress and sandals.
“Before we see Ted, I want to talk to you about something,” Cal said as he and Wyatt took the stairs in city hall.
“About Jules?” Wyatt asked.
Cal pulled a face. “No. Will you stop about Jules?”
“Sorry. It’s just obvious to everyone around you she makes you happy, and we don’t want to see you mess it up.”
“How would I mess it—” Cal shook his head and raised a hand to cut off that conversation. “Never mind that. What I mean is… I’m wondering how the shooter even knew Hamilton was at the police station. If we’re working on the assumption the shooting was a targeted assassination to take Hamilton out before he named names or as retribution if he’d already named names, how did the news get to the drug traffickers so fast? My God, the man hadn’t even left the police station!”
Wyatt frowned. “That’s bugged me, too. I can name the people who knew about his arrest and the plea deal on two hands and have fingers left over.”
“So there’s a leak within the inner circle of the task force?” Cal asked, but it could have been a statement instead of a query. Wyatt’s expression confirmed his belief.
