Chapter 38

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Once at the station, Campbell led Ted into an interrogation room and gestured for him to sit. "The sooner you admit to everything, the sooner we can get you booked."

"I don't know what you think I've done," Ted said as he dropped into the chair, "but it certainly isn't whatever you think it is."

Cam took a seat across from him, fixing Ted with a steely glare. "You forced yourself on her. That's assault. And that's only the beginning in a long list."

Ted scoffed. "I'm not going to sit here and listen to some manufactured list of offenses. I want my lawyer."

"Sure thing." Cam nodded. "But first, tell me something. I'm sure by now you've heard about the trouble Kinley's been having."

Ted tipped his head slightly to one side, apparently unconcerned. "From what I can tell, that was her sister's doing."

Cam's hand clenched into a fist and he forced himself to relax. "Ainsley had nothing to do with it. Her ex attacked Kinley. But that's not what I meant, and we both know it."

Ted's lips tipped tip in a semblance of a smirk. "Do I, though?"

Rage shuddered through Cam. Next to him, Sawyer sat up straighter, prepared to take over, but Cam spoke up before he had the chance. "First there was the incident downtown. The one where she was almost hit by a car. Then the forced entry to her house."

He stretched the truth a bit on that, but he needed to see Ted's reaction to the information. "Then there was the carjacking two nights ago."

Ted's confident expression slipped a bit. "What?"

"Don't play stupid." Cam leaned forward in his chair, pinning the other man with a hard stare. "You really think I believe you showing up at her house today was a coincidence?"

A muscle ticked in Ted's jaw. "I don't have to explain anything to you."

"The hell you don't," Cam snapped. "From where I'm sitting, it looks like a jealous ex-lover trying to target her."

Ted looked away.

"Tell me about the night of the carjacking."

Ted shrugged. "I don't know anything about it. I wasn't there."

"Do you have an alibi?" Campbell asked, leaning forward.

Ted smirked. "Yeah, actually. I was at Joey's Bar with some friends. I'm sure you can check the security footage if you don't believe me."

Campbell noted the confidence in Ted's voice, but he wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "We'll see about that."

He nodded at Sawyer, who left the room to verify the man's information.

In the meantime, do you know anyone who might have a reason to target Kinley?"

Ted's expression shifted slightly, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Campbell snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Hmm…" Ted leaned back in his chair with a smirk. "Interesting."

Cam ground his molars together. "What's interesting?"

Ted laced his fingers together over his stomach and regarded Cam, one insolent eyebrow cocked toward his hairline. "I thought you were besties. Thought Kinley shared everything with you."

"She does." Cam growled. What the hell was this asshole implying? "If you have something to say, say it."

Ted chuckled, a low, mocking sound. "Not sure I want to tell you. After all, if Kinley hasn't mentioned him…"

Him? Every nerve ending went on alert, a prickling awareness spreading through his body. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Kinley's new special friend." Ted arched a brow. "Lance. I'm sure you know him."

Campbell's fists clenched under the table. He knew Ted was trying to get under his skin, but the fact that Kinley hadn't mentioned this Lance person was unsettling. "Who is Lance?"

Ted leaned forward, his smirk widening. "I ran into Kinley at the coffee shop a couple weeks ago. She was there with him then. They looked pretty cozy."

Campbell's mind raced as he processed this new information. Why hadn't Kinley mentioned it? Was she hiding something, or was this just another one of Ted's attempts to stir up trouble?

"You think this Lance is behind the threats and the mugging?" Cam asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Maybe," Ted said with a shrug. "You should probably ask Kinley about it. But you might want to find out more about Lance first. You know, just in case."

Cam's jaw tightened. He didn't trust Ted, but he couldn't ignore the possibility that Lance was involved. He stood up, signaling that the interrogation was over. "Stay available. We might need to talk again."

Ted smirked as he stood. "Whatever you say, Detective."

As Ted was escorted out, Campbell's mind raced. He needed to find out who Lance was and why Kinley hadn't mentioned him.

Cam left the station at a fast clip, his mind a tumult of thoughts as he replayed the conversation he'd just had Ted. The revelation about a man named Lance gnawed at him, leaving him both unsettled and frustrated. Why hadn't Kinley mentioned him before? What else was she hiding?

Determined to get answers, he got into his car and drove to her house, his grip on the steering wheel tightening with every passing mile. At her house, he strode to the front door and knocked hard.

Kinley opened the door just seconds later, as if she'd been watching for him. "Cam? What happened with Ted?"

"Forget about Ted for right now." Cam turned to face her, his expression hard. "Why don't you tell me about Lance?"

Kinley's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to speak, but Cam cut her off. "Ted told me about him. Said he saw you on a date with this guy at the coffee shop."

"I was—kind of. It was just pretend." Kinley stumbled over the explanation. "I saw Ted there with his new girlfriend, and I was going to leave but then this guy—Lance—walked in and pretended to be my boyfriend, and?—"

Cam held up a hand to stall the flow of words. "Who is he?"

"My realtor." Her wide blue eyes peered up at him. "I thought it was so ironic that I ran into him right after you and I talked about selling the house. I didn't think much of it at first, but?—"

Cam's gaze narrowed. "What do you mean, ‘at first'?"

She swallowed hard. "I've run into him more times than I can count. At the coffee shop, at the hardware store, even at the grocery store. It's like he's always around, always watching."

"Jesus, Kins." Cam's voice rose several octaves. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I didn't want to seem paranoid. And honestly, I wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence or if there was something more to it," Kinley admitted, indignation fueling her tone.

Cam blew out a hard breath and paced the room, trying desperately to rein in his temped. "So you think he could be the one responsible for the disturbances here? The missing items, the strange noises?"

Kinley nodded slowly. "It makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, he's had access to the house. He knows the layout. And if he's been following me since the very beginning…"

"Then he's had plenty of opportunities to mess with you," Cam finished, his jaw clenched. "We need to find out more about this guy. If he's involved, we need to know why and what he's planning next."

Kinley's eyes met his, a mix of fear and determination shining through. "What do we do now?"

Cam placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You stay the hell away from him. Don't speak to him, don't take his calls. I'm going to find out whatever I can about him and what his end game is."