Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Dare pushed from his chair and moved to the glass wall surrounding his office, his gaze sweeping the bullpen. He caught Cam’s gaze and tipped his head, indicating for the lieutenant to join him.

He settled behind the desk just as Cam entered the office, and Dare gestured toward the door. Brows drawn, Cam did as requested and closed the door before dropping into the seat across from him. “What’s up?”

“Any news on the murder from the park?”

“Not yet.” He shook his head. “We’re still waiting on the lab results, and no one has identified her yet.”

“Keep running down leads.” Dare glanced at the woman’s picture pinned to the whiteboard. “Someone has to know who she is. Autopsy is scheduled for 2:00. I’ll have Doc Seidel send dental impressions to the lab, see if we can ID her that way.”

Cam ran a hand over his dark blond hair. “I’ll see what I can find in the meantime. I’m going to call around, see if anyone has missing persons matching her description.”

“Do that.” Dare rested a hip on the corner of his desk. “Where are we on the incident from yesterday?”

“They were able to retrieve a slug from the drug store. It came from a 9mm.”

That was promising, at least. “Anything in the system?”

“Not yet.” Cam ran a hand through his hair. “We got the footage this morning, too, but it’s a clusterfuck.”

Dare lifted a brow, and the lieutenant continued, “You described the car in the parking lot as a late-model beige Chevy sedan. The plate on the car is registered to a white BMW.”

Dare scowled. It didn’t surprise him that the perp had swapped plates, but it made their job that much harder. “Owner?”

“Diana Morris. According to the system the vehicle hasn’t been reported as damaged or stolen, so Reed and Forester are on the way to her house as we speak.”

“Keep me posted.”

“You got it.” Cam eyed him shrewdly. “Anything else?”

Dare mulled over his request for a moment before speaking. “I have a favor to ask.”

Cam nodded readily. “Shoot.”

Dare shot him a look. “This stays between us.”

Cam’s expression turned wary. “Okay?”

The anger Dare felt yesterday had only compounded over the past twenty-four hours. He was certain Ainsley’s ex had something to do with the shooting yesterday morning. He wanted to find the man and nail his ass to the wall, rip him limb from limb for ever daring to lay a hand on Ainsley in the first place.

Dare steepled his fingers as he regarded his lieutenant. “What do you know about Ainsley?”

Cam’s wary expression turned blank as he stared at Dare. “What do you mean?”

A scowl pulled at Dare’s lips. “Now’s not the time to play dumb. I need to know where she’s been the last few years.”

“I don’t think I ever heard. If Kinley knows, she never said anything. I know she never went to visit her, and Ainsley rarely came home.” Cam shrugged. “Apparently she was busy with school or work or whatever and never made it a priority to visit.”

The anger simmering in his gut rolled to a boil. “I don’t think that’s what happened.”

Cam’s gaze narrowed. “Why?”

“None of this leaves this office,” Dare repeated. At Cam’s terse nod, he continued. “Ainsley doesn’t know, but while we were at the hospital yesterday, I came back to the room just as she was changing. Her back and ribs are covered in cuts and bruises. I initially figured they were from the fall, but these look like they’re half-healed.”

Cam’s expression turned lethal as understanding dawned. “You think he hit her.”

It was a statement rather than a question, but Dare nodded regardless. “She showed up at my place just after dawn a few days ago, like she’d literally fled in the middle of the night. She brought almost nothing with her, flinches every time you so much as raise your voice…” He shook his head. “And then she just happened to be shot at yesterday? That’s not a coincidence.”

“Goddamn it.” Cam scrubbed one hand over his face. “Have you asked her about him?”

“No.” Dare shook his head. “I worry she’ll try to leave if I push too hard.”

He told Cam what he’d discovered about the car she’d shown up in and that fact that Ainsley had basically been a ghost for the past few years. “Can you find out where she was living or who she was dating? See if Kinley knows, and I’ll work on Ainsley.”

Cam’s jaw tightened. “If it really is her ex, he might target her family members to get back at her. I don’t want Kinley involved in any of this shit.”

“I get that.” Dare ran a hand through his hair. “Is she seeing anyone at the moment?”

“Not since she broke things off with that tool, Ted.”

“What about you? You’re with her enough to keep an eye on her, right?”

“Maybe.” Cam shot him an unreadable look. “What about you? You gonna take care of Ainsley?”

Dare went rigid. “She’s safe enough at my place until we find this guy.”

“Uh huh.” Cam nodded slowly. “I think we both know that’s not what I meant.”

A prickling sensation swept up the back of Dare’s neck. He knew exactly what his lieutenant was implying. As if it weren’t the same thing that had crossed his mind every minute of the past two days. If Ainsley were his...

He shook the thought from his head. Ainsley wasn’t his, and she never would be. She’d been through far too much, and she didn’t need the added pressure of attraction. “She has nothing to worry about.”

His voice was gruff, and Cam pushed to his feet with a little nod. “Shame,” he said, pausing next to the door. “Seems like she deserves someone solid after everything she’s been through.”

He was gone a moment later, the door closing softly in his wake, and Dare dropped his head back. Cam was assuming a lot—like the fact that Ainsley would want to date again, let alone someone like Dare. If he were in her shoes, he probably wouldn’t want to get close to anyone again, either.