for Dani to sit. “Come on, tell him your story. He’ll listen and help, I promise. Give him a chance.”
Dani didn’t look like she believed Ron, but took the seat anyway. Simon planted himself on the floor, his back against the wall, eyes darting between his mother and the men.
Ron backed toward the door. “I’ve got to go, but you tell him.” And then he was gone.
Dani looked like she might be ready to bolt.
Adam sat back and tried to look as nonthreatening as possible. “Tell me.”
She exchanged a look with Simon. The child nodded. Dani nodded. She took a deep breath. “Yesterday morning someone tried to kill me. I was at a friend’s house and he shot at me.”
Adam sat up straight, all pretense of relaxing gone. “Shot at you?”
“Yes.”
“What about your friend?”
“She’d gone after her dog who’d gotten loose, she wasn’t in the house. Thank goodness.”
“So why would someone shoot at you?”
“I don’t know that he meant to.” Adam knew his confusion was reflected on his face. She sighed. “Like I said, I was at a friend’s house. He found me there. I’m really not sure if he was after me or mistook me for my friend.”
Summer delivered Simon’s goodies, then disappeared again.
Adam picked up where he’d left off. “Who would want to kill your friend?”
“I have no idea. No one. I don’t think. Maybe he got the wrong house all the way around.”
“Possibly.” He held up a finger and she paused. “What’s your friend’s name and address?”
Dani told him and he picked up the phone. “Hold on a sec.” He dialed David’s number. “Hey, I need you to run a background check on Jenny Cartee.” He provided the information Dani had given him. He hung up. “David will get back to me after he checks her out.” He spun his pen between his fingers. “So the person may not have been after you.”
“Right. But—”
When she hesitated, he pushed. “But?”
“My husband was killed about six months ago,” she blurted.
He remembered the email and nodded, brow creasing. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I am too. Not sorry that I’m free of him, but how it all came about.”
So the marriage hadn’t been a good one.
“When Ron came to the rescue, I was actually running from my brother-in-law, Stuart Harding. Stuart rammed my car because I didn’t anticipate how close he was when I slammed on the brakes. Anyway, Ron rescued me and my son and brought us here.”
“Why not go to the cops?”
She let out such a weary sigh. “Stuart is the cops. He’s an FBI agent.”
Adam blinked and leaned forward. “Okay then. Now I’m getting a better picture of why you’re here.”
“Exactly. If I made a complaint, as soon as Stuart flashed his badge, it would be hands off for them. Whether they believed me or not.” Bitterness glinted at him. “Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way.”
“Depends on the cop,” Adam said, “but I understand your concern about needing to trust the right one.”
“Kurt, my husband, was an evil man.” Dani shifted and narrowedher eyes. “He was evil and also corrupt. No one saw that side of him, though. Ever. Just me.”
Adam leaned forward. “A dirty cop?”
She shot a look at her son. Adam realized he’d almost forgotten the kid was there. He looked back at Dani. “Should he wait outside while you tell me this?”
“No. He’s not under any false illusions about who his father is. Was.” Grief pinched her face and she moved hands, making different shapes with her fingers. He blinked. Looked at Simon. The kid responded in kind.
Adam blinked. “He’s deaf?”
“Yes.”
“I know most of the alphabet and a few words. What’s he saying?”
“That he doesn’t want to leave, he’s staying right here. That he knows his dad was a bad guy—” Her voice choked. “And that everyone is better off with his father dead.” She lifted watery eyes to his. “He wants to know if you’ll put his uncle in jail so he and
Dani didn’t look like she believed Ron, but took the seat anyway. Simon planted himself on the floor, his back against the wall, eyes darting between his mother and the men.
Ron backed toward the door. “I’ve got to go, but you tell him.” And then he was gone.
Dani looked like she might be ready to bolt.
Adam sat back and tried to look as nonthreatening as possible. “Tell me.”
She exchanged a look with Simon. The child nodded. Dani nodded. She took a deep breath. “Yesterday morning someone tried to kill me. I was at a friend’s house and he shot at me.”
Adam sat up straight, all pretense of relaxing gone. “Shot at you?”
“Yes.”
“What about your friend?”
“She’d gone after her dog who’d gotten loose, she wasn’t in the house. Thank goodness.”
“So why would someone shoot at you?”
“I don’t know that he meant to.” Adam knew his confusion was reflected on his face. She sighed. “Like I said, I was at a friend’s house. He found me there. I’m really not sure if he was after me or mistook me for my friend.”
Summer delivered Simon’s goodies, then disappeared again.
Adam picked up where he’d left off. “Who would want to kill your friend?”
“I have no idea. No one. I don’t think. Maybe he got the wrong house all the way around.”
“Possibly.” He held up a finger and she paused. “What’s your friend’s name and address?”
Dani told him and he picked up the phone. “Hold on a sec.” He dialed David’s number. “Hey, I need you to run a background check on Jenny Cartee.” He provided the information Dani had given him. He hung up. “David will get back to me after he checks her out.” He spun his pen between his fingers. “So the person may not have been after you.”
“Right. But—”
When she hesitated, he pushed. “But?”
“My husband was killed about six months ago,” she blurted.
He remembered the email and nodded, brow creasing. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I am too. Not sorry that I’m free of him, but how it all came about.”
So the marriage hadn’t been a good one.
“When Ron came to the rescue, I was actually running from my brother-in-law, Stuart Harding. Stuart rammed my car because I didn’t anticipate how close he was when I slammed on the brakes. Anyway, Ron rescued me and my son and brought us here.”
“Why not go to the cops?”
She let out such a weary sigh. “Stuart is the cops. He’s an FBI agent.”
Adam blinked and leaned forward. “Okay then. Now I’m getting a better picture of why you’re here.”
“Exactly. If I made a complaint, as soon as Stuart flashed his badge, it would be hands off for them. Whether they believed me or not.” Bitterness glinted at him. “Trust me, I’ve learned that the hard way.”
“Depends on the cop,” Adam said, “but I understand your concern about needing to trust the right one.”
“Kurt, my husband, was an evil man.” Dani shifted and narrowedher eyes. “He was evil and also corrupt. No one saw that side of him, though. Ever. Just me.”
Adam leaned forward. “A dirty cop?”
She shot a look at her son. Adam realized he’d almost forgotten the kid was there. He looked back at Dani. “Should he wait outside while you tell me this?”
“No. He’s not under any false illusions about who his father is. Was.” Grief pinched her face and she moved hands, making different shapes with her fingers. He blinked. Looked at Simon. The kid responded in kind.
Adam blinked. “He’s deaf?”
“Yes.”
“I know most of the alphabet and a few words. What’s he saying?”
“That he doesn’t want to leave, he’s staying right here. That he knows his dad was a bad guy—” Her voice choked. “And that everyone is better off with his father dead.” She lifted watery eyes to his. “He wants to know if you’ll put his uncle in jail so he and
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