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Authors: Debby Giusti
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the situation. They were exposed and vulnerable.
Again, she glanced over her shoulder at the long stretch of empty roadway behind them. The rising sun hovered low on the horizon and bathed the world in a soft glow that should have brought comfort; instead, she felt a chilling need to run away from whatever and whoever was following them.
Could Denise’s boyfriend be the assailant? Would he have killed Denise and then driven to post to kill Tammy Yates? If so, what would be his motive?
Her insides turned to jelly as realization hit. There was only one way to explain both deaths. Natalie had thought of it before, but now she was even surer of the man tied to both crimes.
Mason!
Everything led back to him.
She shivered, not from the cold, but from fear that she would never be free from his evil manipulation.
“No one’s on our tail,” Everett assured her from the front of the car, as if he recognized her inner struggle.
“Maybe he followed you from post.” Natalie gave voice to a likely explanation of how Mason had tracked her down.
Another thought came to her.
What if the two CID agents were working together and Everett knew Mason was lying in wait until the perfect moment to strike.
She’d awakened once and heard something outside the cabin. Pulling back the curtain, she’d seen Everett staring at the lake. Had he left the house to talk to Mason and plan the morning strike?
Only one bullet had fired, and thankfully both she and the baby had stepped away from the window and the flying shards of glass in time. If the gunshot had been to scare her instead of doing harm, Mason could be playing with her, trying to assert his dominance and control.
Her hands trembled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at Everett. If only she could sort through the confusion that surrounded her. Right now, she wasn’t sure of anything except that someone was after her. Glancing down at Sofia, asleep in her car seat, a swell of determination and resolve filled her.
Whatever happened, she had to protect this precious little one from Mason, from Denise’s killer, and even from Everett, if need be. Bottom line, when it came to Sofia’s safety, she could trust no one.
Gazing out the window at the passing landscape, Natalie remembered words of scripture she’d heard from a street-corner preacher who had tried to bring faith to the chaos of her Detroit neighborhood.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
If only she could.
* * *
Everett’s worst nightmare had come true. Someone had fired a shot through the cabin window that could have struck Natalie and the baby. He hadn’t been vigilant enough to realize the danger. Instead, he’d slipped into a complacency that had almost gotten Natalie killed.
Needing to relay the information to the CID at Fort Rickman, he reached for his cell and punched Frank’s number. His longtime buddy answered on the second ring, sounding groggy with sleep.
“Morning, sunshine. Sorry I woke you.”
“What’s up, Rett?”
“Someone fired a shot through the cabin window this morning.”
“Anyone hurt?”
“Negative. We’re on the road, heading to Atlanta. So far no one’s following us.”
“Did you see the shooter?”
“No sign of him at all.”
“Strange, eh?”
“You’ve got that right.” Everett glanced at Natalie in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were wide, her face drawn. “Did you tell Mason where Natalie was staying?”
“Of course not. You wanted me to keep that close hold, which I did. Even if you hadn’t mentioned your concern, I wouldn’t have provided the information. Mason’s doing everything right, but he’s still the husband in what could be a domestic-violence death. I’m not sharing anything with him. Is that understood?”
“Glad we’re both on the same page. He needs to be questioned, and keep your eye on him. Check that he’s at the Lodge and hasn’t been wandering around a certain fishing cabin.”
“You
Again, she glanced over her shoulder at the long stretch of empty roadway behind them. The rising sun hovered low on the horizon and bathed the world in a soft glow that should have brought comfort; instead, she felt a chilling need to run away from whatever and whoever was following them.
Could Denise’s boyfriend be the assailant? Would he have killed Denise and then driven to post to kill Tammy Yates? If so, what would be his motive?
Her insides turned to jelly as realization hit. There was only one way to explain both deaths. Natalie had thought of it before, but now she was even surer of the man tied to both crimes.
Mason!
Everything led back to him.
She shivered, not from the cold, but from fear that she would never be free from his evil manipulation.
“No one’s on our tail,” Everett assured her from the front of the car, as if he recognized her inner struggle.
“Maybe he followed you from post.” Natalie gave voice to a likely explanation of how Mason had tracked her down.
Another thought came to her.
What if the two CID agents were working together and Everett knew Mason was lying in wait until the perfect moment to strike.
She’d awakened once and heard something outside the cabin. Pulling back the curtain, she’d seen Everett staring at the lake. Had he left the house to talk to Mason and plan the morning strike?
Only one bullet had fired, and thankfully both she and the baby had stepped away from the window and the flying shards of glass in time. If the gunshot had been to scare her instead of doing harm, Mason could be playing with her, trying to assert his dominance and control.
Her hands trembled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stared at Everett. If only she could sort through the confusion that surrounded her. Right now, she wasn’t sure of anything except that someone was after her. Glancing down at Sofia, asleep in her car seat, a swell of determination and resolve filled her.
Whatever happened, she had to protect this precious little one from Mason, from Denise’s killer, and even from Everett, if need be. Bottom line, when it came to Sofia’s safety, she could trust no one.
Gazing out the window at the passing landscape, Natalie remembered words of scripture she’d heard from a street-corner preacher who had tried to bring faith to the chaos of her Detroit neighborhood.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
If only she could.
* * *
Everett’s worst nightmare had come true. Someone had fired a shot through the cabin window that could have struck Natalie and the baby. He hadn’t been vigilant enough to realize the danger. Instead, he’d slipped into a complacency that had almost gotten Natalie killed.
Needing to relay the information to the CID at Fort Rickman, he reached for his cell and punched Frank’s number. His longtime buddy answered on the second ring, sounding groggy with sleep.
“Morning, sunshine. Sorry I woke you.”
“What’s up, Rett?”
“Someone fired a shot through the cabin window this morning.”
“Anyone hurt?”
“Negative. We’re on the road, heading to Atlanta. So far no one’s following us.”
“Did you see the shooter?”
“No sign of him at all.”
“Strange, eh?”
“You’ve got that right.” Everett glanced at Natalie in the rearview mirror. Her eyes were wide, her face drawn. “Did you tell Mason where Natalie was staying?”
“Of course not. You wanted me to keep that close hold, which I did. Even if you hadn’t mentioned your concern, I wouldn’t have provided the information. Mason’s doing everything right, but he’s still the husband in what could be a domestic-violence death. I’m not sharing anything with him. Is that understood?”
“Glad we’re both on the same page. He needs to be questioned, and keep your eye on him. Check that he’s at the Lodge and hasn’t been wandering around a certain fishing cabin.”
“You
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