Page 46 of Laura's Truth
“Unless his tech support is one of the men he killed in Laura’s hotel room, he might have an advantage,” Drew said.
Ross exchanged a look with Laura. “You agree?”
Laura rubbed the handle of her coffee cup, thinking over how best to share what they’d learned and how they wanted to proceed. “Yes, I do. There’s no doubt he dug into my work email and traced my phone. He tried to kidnap and then kill me. Us,” she said. “Now he’s framed me for murder.”
“Serious accusations.”
“Yes. Someone working with him has exceptional access. Drew and I believe it was Hackett who killed the men in my hotel room and aimed the police at me.”
“Not a hired gun?”
“Doubtful. He’s edgy and irritated.” Laura glanced at Drew. “I don’t think he wants to rely on hired help anymore.” She wished she had some good news to report. “Ross, the way he presses an advantage, I’d say he doesn’t seem worried about the consequences. His access is too good, his reach too swift. He had police on us within minutes of leaving the airport.”
“How?”
Laura shrugged, but Eva answered. “I’ll find out.”
The oven timer went off, putting the conversation on hold while Allie removed two large, steaming casseroles. “Almost done,” she said, topping each with a sprinkling of cheese before putting them back in the oven.
“Praise God. I’m famished.” Eva patted her stomach when it rumbled loud enough for all of them to hear.
To Laura’s surprise, Ross didn’t grill Drew about the past over breakfast. Instead, he asked for details about the present situation in Charleston. More shocking, Drew cooperated, answering honestly. The open charm she’d learned signaled a lie was absent. She hadn’t been sure they’d made much progress on the trust issues last night. Maybe the man just opened up over good food.
Or maybe it was the subtle undercurrent of power pulsing through the room. Despite Drew’s understandable reluctance, as she assessed each of the players here she knew she’d been right to insist on seeking help from Ross and his team.
She’d accepted Drew’s story, fully committed to his cause even before he’d handed over the flash drive loaded with the incontrovertible evidence last night. Together they’d make sure Hackett paid for every crime they could pin on him, from murder to petty theft.
Together.
She waited, expecting the word, the concept, to generate something close to fear near her heart. She didn’t really know a ‘together’ beyond the context of Army life and a few close friends. The demands of her job had worn away her trusting nature, eroding it as effectively and persistently as water carving out a riverbed. Her work was her life, essential as air in her lungs, and she did it well. Took pride in it.
Or thought she had until Andrew Garner showed up alive and spoiling for revenge. Had there been anything she might have done differently in that case? With a sigh, she let it go. That was long gone and what she did here and now mattered more. Dealing with the present trouble would be the best chance to make Hackett pay. For Drew as well as for Ross and his team.
She glanced up, feeling Drew’s gaze. Thoughts of work were vaporized by memories of his mouth on hers. This strange, twisting interlude, from the moment he’d grabbed her at the churchyard to the hot kiss they’d shared under the sunrise, marked the most contact she’d had with a man in months. Thirteen months, if she counted precisely.
Desire couldn’t be allowed to cloud her judgment, but she couldn’t help wishing for another opportunity. A chance to explore what might be a mutual passion lurking for her under his tempting kiss. Knowing it couldn’t be long term, would she have the courage to take that chance anyway?
“How do you want to proceed, Laura?”
Carefully, she thought, dragging her thoughts away from Drew to address Ross’s question about the precarious situation. “Are you wondering about an official capacity?”
“Is that an option?”
“No,” she admitted. “Not since I was forced to accept Hackett’s been snooping through official channels. I haven’t even risked reaching out to my boss about my service weapon being at the scene of a double murder while I was supposed to be enjoying a few personal days.”
“He used it, you know,” Drew said, addressing the room at large. “He doesn’t stage something and hope for the best. He used your gun to kill them.”
Heads bobbed in agreement.
“The gun you knocked out of my hand near the churchyard.”
“True.” Drew held his hands up in surrender. “But it wasn’t the right time or place to fire back. I had no idea things would go sideways so fast.”
“Water under the bridge,” she said, with a little smile.
“If you want, I can get you a secure line to your boss,” Eva offered. “Unless you suspect him or her.”
“No,” Laura said. “My guess is Hackett is exploiting a system weakness, not a personal weakness. I’m with a training unit now up at Bragg. We don’t deal with anything sensitive enough to be of interest or profit to Hackett.”