Page 8 of Hunting Justice

He nodded, and she continued her trek toward the smoldering house.

A figure, hunched over in what used to be the manicured front yard of the chief medical examiner, caught her attention. She squinted. Jonah.

Hurrying to his side, she called out. “Jonah.”

He straightened.

She glanced down at what had his attention and sucked in a breath. The explosion had thrown Ken into the yard.

The sheet used to cover the man’s body had been folded back, exposing his torso. The stench of burnt flesh made her eyes water. But it was the bullet hole in his chest that roiled her stomach.

She stepped closer and held out her hand. Jonah clasped it and squeezed. When his gaze met hers, the pain in his eyes ripped her heart to shreds.

“You don’t need to remember him like this.” Noelle prayed he’d listen and walk away from the gruesome scene.

He stared at her with a vulnerability she’d never witnessed before. “I failed him.”

She tilted her head. “How?”

His shoulders sagged, but he held tight to her hand. “He called me, needing my help. You know how I am. I got caught up with work. Lost track of time. I should’ve arrived earlier, but I was late. Maybe I could have saved him.” Jonah’s gaze dropped to Ken.

With her free hand, she not-so-gently gripped his chin and forced him to look at her. “Don’t go there. You are not to blame for this.” When he didn’t attempt to look away, she eased her hold. “Jonah, if you’d left work on time, most likely you’d have been killed too.”

“But what if?—”

“No. We are not playing the what-if game. It’ll get us nowhere.” She softened her tone. “I feel bad about what happened to Ken. He was a great guy. But I will not apologize for the fact that I’m glad you didn’t walk in on whatever happened. Maybe I’m being selfish, but I refuse to be sorry for feeling relieved that you aren’t the one lying there under that sheet.”

Tears pooled in his eyes. “Thank you for coming.”

“Always.” She smiled.

The corner of his mouth lifted for a second, then drooped. He let go, then bent to lift the sheet and cover Ken.

Jonah stood and ran a hand through his hair. “Elle, I need a favor. An investigative one.”

“Name it.” If the man wanted her help, she’d do whatever was necessary.

“I’ll pay you.”

She shook her head. “No way.”

“But—”

Noelle held her palm out, stopping him. “Are we friends?”

The crease on his forehead deepened. “Yes. But I’m not sure why.”

“Excuse me?”

“I beaned you with a softball and gave you a concussion.”

“So? To me it was the start of a wonderful friendship. You took care of me. Made sure I had everything I needed. Kept me company when I was bored out of my mind because I couldn’t work. You know me better than most.”

“Same.”

“And let’s not forget, you know my quirks.” She waggled her eyebrows.

He laughed. A bit forced, but it was a sweet sound.