Millionaire's Last Stand

He was lying. One look at his defensive brown eyes and the now even redder cheeks, and Jamie knew that Gideon was hiding something. She wondered why Finn hadn’t seen it when he’d interviewed the man.

“Why would Mr. Donovan say he saw you?” Jamie asked in a matter-of-fact tone.

Gideon rolled his eyes. “Because he’s a killer, and he needs an alibi.”

“You believe he killed his ex-wife then?”

“Of course he did.”

“Do you have any proof of that, or is it just your own personal belief?”

His brown eyes flashed. “No, I don’t got no proof. But everyone knows he did it. He attacked her outside Sully’s, then followed her home to finish the job.”

Jamie put on an unaffected mask, all the while marveling over how facts could get so distorted in the small-town grapevine. Eyewitnesses had grudgingly admitted to seeing Teresa attack Cole. Now it was the other way around, apparently.

The distrust coursing through her blood made it difficult to keep a professional distance. Gideon was lying—either about his claim that he hadn’t seen Cole that night, or about something else entirely. Either way, the man wasn’t telling her the whole truth.

Don’t push him.

She heeded the advice, relying on the instincts she’d learned to trust after ten years in law enforcement. Gideon wasn’t budging on his story, not today, anyway, and forcing the subject right now would only cause him to clam up. So despite the reluctance seizing her body, she pasted a smile on her face and leaned forward to shut off the tape recorder.

“Okay, then. Thanks for your time, Mr. Gideon.” Rising from the sofa, she extended a hand, trying not to cringe when Gideon’s beefy hand gripped hers, his dirty fingernails digging into her palm.

“So you’re sending the bastard to jail, right?” Gideon muttered as he walked her to the front door.

“We’re still investigating,” she corrected. “And I may want to speak with you again, if that’s all right with you.”

His shoulders stiffened. “Why?”

“Just in case I need some more details, you know, about Mr. Donovan’s reputation around town, or to answer any other questions that arise.”

“I’d be happy to help,” Gideon said.

A satisfied gleam entered his eyes, and she knew she’d played her cards right. She had to make him think she needed his help to railroad Cole, which Gideon seemed intent on doing. But the defensive flicker of mistruth she’d glimpsed on his face during the interview refused to leave her mind. He’d lied to her about something.

And she was determined to find out what he was hiding.

Chapter 4

As Jamie drove away from Gideon’s property, she switched on the Bluetooth nestled in her ear and instructed it to call Finn. He came on the line a second later, with an eager “Well?”

She steered the car onto the road that led back to town and said, “He didn’t budge.”

Finn sounded oddly triumphant. “I told you he wouldn’t change his story. I guess Donovan made it all up then.”

Her lips tightened. “I said Gideon didn’t budge, not that he was telling the truth.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means he’s lying,” she said with a sigh. “I think he saw Cole that night, and he’s lying about it because he believes this will give him some misguided revenge. He really hates Cole.”

There was a long silence, and then Finn spoke again, annoyance in his voice. “Why are you so certain Donovan isn’t the killer? How can you ignore all the evidence against him?”

“What evidence?” she returned. “An alibi that I think is real. An argument with his ex-wife. An upcoming court case regarding a prenuptial agreement. It’s all circumstantial, Finn. Give me hard facts. Give me the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it. Give me premeditation.” She let out a breath. “You don’t have a solid case against him—any lawyer will get this thrown out of court.”

Finn’s heavy sigh echoed in her ear. “You’re right. It’s not enough.”

A familiar cluster of trees came into view. Jamie involuntarily eased up on the gas pedal, realizing that the turnoff onto Cole’s property was up ahead. Her gaze flitted to the upcoming fork, then back on the road. Maybe she ought to stop by Cole’s, just to tell him the bad news about Gideon sticking to his story.

Phones exist for a reason.

She ignored the snarky voice and found herself slowing down even more.

“Jamie, you there?”

“What? Sorry, I’m here,” she said. “What did you say?”

“I said that maybe we should reinterview some of the witnesses who were at Sully’s bar the night of the argument.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” she answered absently.

Fine, so maybe she could just call him, but wasn’t this the kind of news someone would want to hear in person? She was already in the area. Wouldn’t be a hassle to pop in and—

She yanked on the steering wheel at the last second, turning onto the dirt road that led to Cole’s house.

“Let me give you a call later and we can talk more about the case,” she chirped to Finn. “Gotta go. I’m getting another call.”

She flicked off the Bluetooth before he could object, ignoring the sliver of guilt that pierced into her skin. She shouldn’t have lied to Finn, but she hadn’t wanted to tell him she was going to see Cole. Finn’s feelings about the millionaire were no secret. He probably wouldn’t even think to update Cole about any developments—or lack of—in the case.

Right, because that’s why you’re here, to give him an update.

She reached the tall front gate and stopped the car, trying valiantly not to question her own actions. This was a courtesy call. She was being courteous.

Coming here had nothing to do with the fact that her heart had done those funny little flips whenever Cole was around.

And fine, so maybe his deep voice sent shivers up her spine and his mouth fascinated her a little too much. Wasn’t like she would get involved with the man. He was still a person of interest in this case, which meant that she couldn’t—

A clap of thunder snapped her right out of her inner debate, making her jump. The loud boom was followed by the sound of rain slapping against the windshield.

Jamie stared out in shock. She’d been so wrapped up in thinking of reasons why she shouldn’t like Cole Donovan that she’d been completely oblivious to the fact that the sky had turned an ominous shade of gray. Thick black clouds rolled in from the distance, releasing sharp drops of rain that tapped against the roof of the car.

Looked like the storm Cole had predicted was making an appearance.

Biting her bottom lip, she sat in the car and glanced over at the rustic house beyond the steel gate. The shutters were rattling, and the wind chimes hanging from the porch roof swung in the breeze. Okay, she definitely needed to leave, before the storm got worse and driving became dangerous.

She was just reaching for the gearshift when another crash of thunder echoed from outside, a streak of white lit up the dark sky and the rain began to fall in earnest. It looked like a waterfall cascading over her car, and Jamie realized in growing dismay that there was no way she could outdrive this thing.

Cursing softly, she took a breath, rolled down the window, and pressed the intercom button on the electronic panel on the gate.