Page 90 of Target Acquired

Another sigh shuddered through her. “I hate giving in to a bully,” she whispered. “Butler or the guy causing all of the problems. And if they’re one and the same, then . . .”

“I know.” He pulled in a breath and dropped his arm. “How’d you like to go visit Oscar Woodruff?”

“And ask him if he’s working with Butler to get rid of me?”

“Great minds think alike.”

TWENTY-THREE

While Cole drove the rental 4Runner, Kenzie relished the fact that her team had voted for her to stay and stand up to the person trying to force her out. Butler, according to Cole, had scowled and pouted, but hadn’t raised any more objections.

Then Cole had called Oscar and asked to see the man ASAP. He was off duty and visiting with his father at Harmony House, the independent living home the man had moved into two months ago.

They parked and made their way to the recreation room to find Oscar and his father engaged in a game of chess. Kenzie blinked at the sight. When Oscar’s father served as chief of police, she’d had pretty regular interaction with him until he resigned last year. He’d aged ten years since she last saw him. “How old is Oscar’s dad? Same age as mine, right?”

“Not sure. Late fifties, early sixties?”

“And he lives in an independent living home? Interesting.”

“Only requirements to live here are that you’re fifty-five years old and have the money to pay for it.”

She sighed. “I asked Dad about living in a place like this, thought he might be more comfortable, feel more secure, and he nearly bit my head off. Said I was trying to stick him in a home so I didn’t have to deal with him anymore.”

He sucked in a hard breath. “Kenzie, that’s a terrible thing for him to say.”

“Yeah, it was pretty terrible to hear. Especially since it wasn’t true. I was just worried about him being in that house alone so much. Even though Logan still lives with him, he works long hours. The nurse is only there part of the time, and I thought it would be best if Dad could be around other people. He didn’t think so.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. The elder Woodruff moved his queen. “Checkmate, my boy.”

Oscar laughed. “You’re still the champ, Dad.” He glanced up and spotted Cole, then his eyes widened slightly when they landed on Kenzie, but he waved them over. “Dad, you remember Kenzie King and Cole Garrison?”

The man went still for a few seconds, then he narrowed his green gaze on Kenzie. “Ah yes, Kenzie King. Of course I remember you. You look more like your mother every year.” He paused. “In fact, the resemblance is stunning.”

She hoped she concealed her slight flinch. “Thank you.”

“It’s been twenty years and I still can’t believe she’s gone some days.”

“I know the feeling.”

“You know he stole her from me, don’t you?” He laughed.

“What?”

“She and I dated before she fell hard for your dad. It wasn’t anything too serious, just a couple of dates before we realized we weren’t meant to be together. I’d already met my Lydia, Oscar’s mother, so I wasn’t too upset about it. How’s your father doing? Been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“He’s doing as well as can be expected.” Which wasn’t great, now that he thought his wife had been murdered, but she wasn’t about to blurt that out. “I could tell him to come by and see you.”

The man smiled. “That would be nice. I’d like to see him. We were so competitive in our younger years that it would be great to catch up without all of that between us.”

“I’ll let him know.”

Oscar stood, effectively ending the small talk. “Want to walk out to the courtyard and find a place with some privacy? It’s hard to talk around here without listening ears. The ones that can still hear anyway.” He shot a wry smile at his father, and the man rolled his eyes, waving them toward the door.

“I’ve got to head to my physical therapy appointment anyway. Stop by and say goodbye before you leave.” He grasped his walker and pulled himself to his feet, then shuffled away, looking more like a man twenty years his senior than someone in his early sixties.

Oscar led them outside into the warmth of the afternoon sun, but the breeze was brisk and Kenzie shivered, thankful for her long sleeves and vest. “What happened to your dad?” she asked, not yet ready to get to the point of their visit. “I know he took over the position of chief of police when Bernard Jackson was killed and it was a rough transition, but Dad—all of us really—figured he’d be in that job until they forced him out.”