Chapter 48
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
Emotion slammed into him the moment he pulled to a stop in front of Kinley’s house, the area cordoned off with yellow police tape. Dare had always prided himself on being able to separate work from his personal life, but now it hit him full force. He’d never been so deeply affected before. Then again, he’d never cared so much for any of the victims he’d helped.
He swallowed hard as he stared at the house, memories from this afternoon washing over him. In the passenger seat, Cam was deathly silent, his knee jumping nervously as his fingers drummed a nervous tattoo against the console.
Ainsley and Kinley deserved answers, and it was up to him and Cam to provide them. He reached for the door handle. “Ready?”
Cam didn’t say a word as he slipped from the cruiser, then ducked under the tape and made his way up to the front porch. He paused at the threshold, and Dare settled a hand on his shoulder. “Work it just like it’s a regular scene. You’re one of the best cops I know. You can do this.”
Cam expelled a harsh breath, then nodded.
Duke Turner met them at the doorway, and Dare nodded at the deputy. “Thanks for holding down the fort. What do we know so far?”
Turner pointed at the front door. “No sign of forced entry, so I’m guessing whoever came in the front door probably talked his way in.”
“Parsons,” Cam muttered as he inspected the door knob. “The asshole is smooth enough.”
Dare agreed with his assessment. Not to mention, Wade wasn’t exactly the kind of person Kinley would have invited into her home.
Cam pointed to a discarded clipboard that lay just a few feet away. “What’s that?”
“Appears to be a donation form. Probably how he gained entrance,” Turner replied.
Dare’s gaze moved to the large blood stain saturating the carpet near the front door. The sight made his blood boil, and he clenched his fists, pushing down the rage that threatened to consume him. If they’d just been a little quicker…
He shook the thought away and focused on Turner’s words. “Hines found Parsons’s car parked a few blocks away.”
“Both men must have had eyes on the women to show up here at almost exactly the same time,” Hines said from the doorway that opened into the kitchen. “There’s no sign of forced entry back here, either, but I’m guessing he caught them off guard.”
Markers had been set up next to the evidence, and they carefully skirted them as they moved to the back of the house. As Dare stepped into the room, the memory of walking in on Wade hovering over Ainsley hit him full force, and a chill slithered down his spine.
The bodies had been removed, leaving behind streaks of blood that stood out against the pristine white tile.
He cleared his throat. “Parsons was dead when I got here,” he said, recounting the details of the scene he’d walked in on earlier. “So, we can assume Joel arrived first, incapacitated Kinley, then went after Ainsley.”
Hines nodded. “My guess is Wade came in through the back, shot Parsons, then went after her himself.”
“We found impressions of a footprint outside,” Turner cut in. “We’ll compare it to both men’s shoes to be sure, but I’m guessing from the tread that it was a work boot. Parsons had on dress shoes.”
Dare struggled against the tightness constricting his chest. They would need to get an official statement from the women later to verify, but it sounded feasible enough. “Great job. Let’s get everything wrapped up.”
He would need to hire someone to clean the house while Kinley was in the hospital. The last thing he wanted was for her to come home and have to relive it all over again.
His phone rang, snapping him out of his thoughts. He dug it out of his pocket, his brows pulling together at the sight of the unfamiliar number. He swiped the screen and lifted it to his ear. “Jensen.”
“Dare, this is Garrett Layne. I wanted to let you know that Ainsley’s been cleared for visitors,” the older man said.
Relief coursed through him, and Dare felt a weight lift from his shoulders. “That’s great news. What about Kinley?”
“She’s been scheduled for a CT scan, but Charlene got to see her for a few minutes. Said she woke up briefly, was confused and in some pain.”
“Thanks, Mr. Layne. We’re on our way.”
“What’s wrong with Kinley?”
He hung up and turned to meet Cam’s concerned gaze. “She’s going back for a CT scan shortly, but she was awake and lucid a little while ago.”
Cam’s brows dipped into a severe V-shape. “But she’s okay?”
Head injuries were tricky, they both knew that. Dare wanted to stay positive, but he wasn’t going to lie to him, either.
“I don’t know for sure,” Dare replied quietly. “We’ll have to wait for the results to come back.”
Cam nodded. “Let’s go.”
The drive to the hospital felt interminable, each second stretching longer than the last. When they finally arrived, Dare practically ran through the halls, his heart pounding in his chest.
His gaze swept the waiting room and landed immediately on Brynlee. “Where are they?”
“Mom is with Kinley, and Dad is with Ainsley. I told them I’d wait for you.” She rattled off the room numbers. “Kinley just got back, but she’s exhausted.”
Cam was already gone, striding down the hallway toward Kinley’s room. Dare let out a pent-up breath as he dropped into a chair. He was champing at the bit to see her, but he would give Ainsley’s family time to see her first.
“You love her.”
Dare lifted his gaze to Brynlee. “Yeah. I do.”
“Good.” She smiled. “I was hoping it would work out that way.”
Dare cocked his head in question. “What do you mean?”
She lifted one shoulder. “I had a feeling something was going on. She’d changed so much over the last couple years. She was so closed off… Never smiled anymore.”
Dare’s chest tightened. That smile was one of his favorite things about her, and he hated that it had ever been taken away from her, even for a moment.
Her sister continued, “I just never dreamed this would have happened.”
His stomach twisted violently. “I should have been there for her. I should have known?—”
Brynlee shook her head, cutting Dare off. “That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m saying she was lucky you were there for her. Joel isn’t—wasn’t—healthy. What he did was completely out of your control.”
Dare stared her for a moment. “You’re not upset with me?”
“You saved my sisters,” she said bluntly. “Of course I’m not upset with you.” She leaned forward. “Besides, I was the one who sent Ainsley your way.”
Dare blinked. “Why?”
Brynlee laughed. “Because I had a feeling about the two of you. When I saw your ad…” She shrugged. “Mama’s wanted Ainsley to move home forever. I told her that renting your suite would be perfect.”
Dare let out a little laugh. “Matchmakers, the lot of you.”
Brynlee sat back in her chair with a grin. “You’re not complaining, are you?”
He shook his head. “Not one damn bit.”