Hidden Legacy

Michael’s grin had a taunting edge to it. “She’s the most eligible bachelorette in the county. She’s gorgeous, smart and rich.”

Was Michael trying to push his buttons?

“Of course,” Michael went on, “she’s also funny, kind, has a great personality, and—”

“I get it, Michael.” Jason returned to walking. “She’s a catch.”

Michael smirked. “People assume she is, of course, but given that no one has caught her since college, she’s more like an urban myth.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Michael grabbed a branch and pushed it out of his way. “You know exactly what it means. If you don’t, you’re an idiot.”

How much could Michael possibly know about his past with Caroline? He’d been a grade behind them in school. They’d been friends, played sports together, but he had never confided anything about his feelings for Caroline to anybody.

Jason tried to keep his tone neutral when he replied. “I’m afraid I have no idea what you’re talking about, nor do I see how any of this relates to the case.”

Michael laughed. “I know a dozen guys who’ve tried to get close enough to ask her out. I know only five who succeeded in asking her, and she turned them all down.”

“Your point?”

“You’ve made more progress in twenty-four hours than anyone has. Ever. Makes a guy wonder.”

Michael was like the annoying little brother who wouldn’t stop pestering you until he’d made you mad. “The only progress I’ve made is on this case, and it isn’t much progress at all.”

That wiped the teasing look off Michael’s face. “I disagree that there’s no progress. The problem isn’t that we don’t have anything to go on, it’s that we don’t like where it’s taking us.”

Jason stopped under a pine. From here, he had a decent angle on one of the windows. Could the intruder have watched Caroline from here? The thought made his blood boil. There were a few broken branches, a piece of trash—

He knelt beside the paper. Up close it looked more like a photograph. He pulled a glove from his pocket and used it to pick up the faded page. He tried to keep his voice calm. “What can you tell me about Henry?”

“Not much. I worked the car accident when Steph died. It was...” Michael shook his head like he wanted to shake away the memories. “We went over that car thoroughly. Heidi helped. That was before she and Blake married.” He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Heidi is great, but she has a tendency to assume the worst. She tried to hide it from Caroline, but she was concerned about foul play.”

“Was there any?”

“Not that we could find. It was one of those senseless tragedies you hear about on the news. ‘Mother of young child fatally injured in car wreck on I-26.’ We see it all the time, but I never get used to it.”

Which was one of the reasons he’d always liked Michael. The guy could be annoying, but he had a soft heart. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but we’re going to have to review that case again,” Jason said as he flipped the paper in his hand over. There was no mistaking it. The photo was of Caroline and Henry. Both of their faces were circled. He handed it to Michael.

Michael’s eyes widened.

“Caroline doesn’t have any enemies, and the only skeleton in Stephanie’s closet was her husband. Whatever reason someone has for targeting them has got to do with that man. And that means we need to figure out who the father is. Discreetly. I’ll talk to Caroline about it again tonight. Pick her brain for any details Stephanie might have let slip.” He glanced back at the house. “We won’t be able to do much over the weekend, but we need to get a fresh set of eyes on Stephanie’s accident, just to be sure. All the county offices will be closed, but let’s shoot for having a list of places to call by Monday morning.”

Someone had already tried to kill Caroline and Henry twice in the past twenty-four hours. Was there any chance they could make it through the weekend without someone trying again?

He and Michael returned to the station and spent the next three hours going over everything on Stephanie’s accident. He couldn’t find any fault with the investigation or the conclusions.

“Let’s get out of here,” Jason finally said. “Want to come to the house? With Caroline there, I’m sure Mom has outdone herself for dinner.”

Michael raised his hand. “Sorry, man, I’m picking Cathy up around eight. But call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Jason’s phone rang as he walked through the parking lot. He took one look at the number and declined the call. He slid into the seat of his Explorer, anxiety scratching its way through his mind.

He’d been back in town six months. This was the first night he’d been in a hurry to get home.

* * *

Caroline had a new appreciation for the way the tigers at the zoo must feel. She’d tried to sit but couldn’t keep from fidgeting, so she’d switched to helping Mama Drake in the kitchen.

Henry was having a grand time playing with a huge pot and a wooden spoon, but his joyful cacophony couldn’t drown out the terror pulsing in her heart. She stirred the green beans and kept up a light banter with Mama Drake, but even the lush aroma of pot roast and made-from-scratch biscuits couldn’t settle her nerves.

Jason would be home soon. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her or Henry. She knew that. Well, she knew he would try to keep them safe. Maybe even die trying. What if someone came after her here? What if everybody she loved wound up dead?

All because of her. The thought nauseated her.

Papa Drake had smiled and welcomed her in, but she could sense a level of alertness permeating the air that she’d never experienced in this house. Jason’s home had always been safe. Fun. Light.