Chapter 10

10

Gritty smoke greeted Dev as he made a final security check outside the cabin, looking past their two SUVs lined up like soldiers in front of the building, Reid and Ryan standing by. Dev would be lying if he said he didn't have a sense of imminent disaster. Even with four of them on duty, bad things could happen. Very bad if they weren't careful.

"We good?" Colin asked from behind him.

Dev swallowed away his worry for now and nodded. "We're good."

He turned to look at Kinsley. She'd dressed in tightly fitting jeans, short boots, and a pale blue sweater, over which he'd made her put on her Kevlar vest that he insisted she bring from her car. The guys also wore vests just to be sure, but it didn't seem to give her much comfort.

The opposite really. He supposed it emphasized the risk she was facing, and she was chewing on her lower lip, her gaze fluttering around the area. Dev's nervous energy probably didn't help. He was transmitting it, and he needed to let it go to help her take the edge off.

"Just a reminder of the plan," he said. "You'll be riding in the SUV with Colin and me. You'll lie down in the backseat until we get on the road and we're certain we weren't followed. I'm sorry if it's not comfortable, but no sitting up until I tell you."

"I understand, and don't worry about me being uncomfortable. I'll be fine. I'm just so grateful that you all know what to do to offer the best protection possible."

Dev only hoped they lived up to her expectations.

Colin tapped his foot on the floor. "Let's get going."

"Follow me, Kinsley. Colin will be right behind you. Straight into the vehicle and out of sight." Dev stepped out into the smoke-tinged air, moving at a rapid clip and glancing around to be sure no imminent threat lurked in the shadows and that Kinsley had followed him. Ryan and Reid stood between them, alert to any danger. The vehicle door stood open, and Dev stepped out of the way so Kinsley could slide inside.

She gave him a flash of a nervous smile as she passed by, but it went away as quickly as it appeared. He closed the door behind her, then looked each man in the face to be sure they were onboard with the plan. He got a sharp nod from each of them, so he climbed behind the wheel, and Colin took the passenger seat.

Reid and Ryan got into the decoy vehicle parked in front of Dev's SUV and pulled out. Dev glanced at the dashboard clock. Just a minute before three. They were right on time. He was eager to go, but he waited for Reid to get onto the road, heading in the opposite direction from the way Dev would take.

His phone rang, the call from Ryan. Dev answered.

"No tail," Ryan said. "I'll call again when we hit the switchback so you can take off."

"Roger that." Dev ended the call.

Reid was taking a back road that allowed him to circle around and meet up again with Dev in five minutes. Only if he wasn't followed. If they didn't pick up a tail, he and Ryan would serve as extra protection for Kinsley.

Dev tapped his foot, expending his nervous energy as the clock ticked down ten minutes. His phone rang, and he quickly accepted the call from Ryan, who gave them the all clear.

Dev glanced back at Kinsley in his rearview mirror. "So far so good with the other guys, and we're good to go. Colin and I'll be focused at the beginning to look for a tail, so if you could hold off asking anything that isn't urgent until I tell you, that would be great."

She mocked zipping her lips. "I'll be so quiet you'll forget I'm back here."

He was in charge of making sure she got to her apartment alive, and there was no way he'd forget she was in the vehicle. No way he would forget her no matter what.

He put the SUV in gear and passed through the gate to bump onto the road. They hit the pavement, and his pulse kicked up. Took him by surprise. But why? How could it not beat harder? Kinsley was completely exposed now.

They traveled twelve miles, the tires humming on the deserted rural highway. At the switchback he spotted a vehicle's headlights pointing to the road from the turnoff.

Dev glanced at Colin. "Be alert in case it's not Reid."

The vehicle's lights flashed.

"It's Reid," Colin said.

Dev's phone rang from the dashboard. He tapped the screen to accept the call from Ryan.

"Confirming that it was you who just passed us," Ryan said.

"Roger that," Dev said.

"Then we're falling into place behind you." Ryan ended the call.

Dev slowed to allow the vehicle to swing onto the road behind him and catch up. Reid's headlights soon shone through the back window of Dev's SUV. The added protection should help Dev relax, but he remained on full alert, driving and checking his mirrors.

"She should be good to sit up now," Colin said.

"You think so?" Dev asked.

"We've gone what? Like twenty miles at this point with no tail? I can't imagine our shooter hanging out this far away from the property in the event that we might leave in this direction."

"Yeah, you're right." He looked in the rearview mirror. "You can sit up now, Kinsley."

He expected her to offer a sigh of relief or somehow indicate she was glad not to be lying down any longer, but when she got settled her expression was a dazed look of bewilderment.

Didn't she think this was a good idea?

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She rubbed her hands over her arms. "I just feel so vulnerable when I'm sitting up."

"Don't worry," Dev tried to sound convincing. "You're fine until we approach your apartment. Then you'll have to lie down again."

She started rubbing more vigorously. "I don't know how you guys can stay so calm during this. You're in as much danger as I am. If he shoots at me he could easily shoot you."

"We're used to suspects with guns, and we know how to handle it." Hah! Dev had only been fired on once in his days as a deputy, and he wasn't as experienced as he was trying to make her believe. But he did have extensive training, and his competence in that one shooting and the two times Kinsley had come under fire proved that his training kicked in when the gunfire started.

They all fell silent, Dev and Colin keeping a good look around them as the miles rolled under the tires. Kinsley wrapped her arms around her stomach and didn't seem to relax for even a moment, but she, too, kept looking out the windows as if she expected someone to attack them. There was nothing else he could say to comfort her, so he just did his job, making sure she stayed safe for the remaining drive.

As they approached the city, Colin's phone chimed. He picked it up from the console, the screen's glow lighting up his face and allowing Dev to catch his brother frowning.

He swiveled to face Dev. "My algorithm on Luongo has a hit. Looks like the DA who prosecuted him for his wife's murder and failed is trying to bring him up on any charges he can find to make the guy's life outside of prison a living hell."

"Charges like what?"

"Patrol officers are targeting him for any kind of moving violation and any other misdemeanor they can get him on."

Dev glanced in the mirror at Kinsley. "And you're sure he hasn't contacted you regarding your investigation into Luongo or to ask about any new investigation? Like maybe he called and left you a voicemail, but you forgot to call him back?"

She shook her head. "I would've dropped anything I was doing as soon as I saw a message from him and called him right back."

Colin leaned over the seat. "What if he simply threatened to bring Luongo up on charges related to his concrete business, and Luongo believed you would get involved again?"

She lifted her hands and shrugged. "I suppose that could've happened. I honestly doubt he would buy a house on Boulder Lake based on that though. And besides, I don't live there anymore. So wouldn't he want to get back at me in Portland?"

"That makes a lot more sense," Dev said, pinning his focus to the road now as they were coming closer to her apartment.

His phone rang through the vehicle infotainment system and the female voice announced a call from Russ. Dev tapped the button on his steering wheel to answer the call.

"Glad I caught you up so early," Russ said. "I talked to Chief Gibson, and he spoke to the Realtor who's working on the sale of the house Luongo is buying."

"What did he find out?" Dev asked.

"He tried to get an alibi for Luongo without raising any red flags. He wasn't so successful. The Realtor did confirm that Luongo was in town during the shooting. She wasn't with him at the time and didn't know what he was doing then."

Dev shared a pointed look with his brother. "So he could be our shooter."

"Could be," Russ said. "Gibson also asked about the parking lot shooting time, and she couldn't alibi him for that either. However, even though the chief didn't mention the reason for his questions, that one caught her off guard and left her suspicious. So you should be aware that she might blab to Luongo that Gibson inquired about him."

"So he'll be on guard now." Dev slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. "It'll likely make it harder to investigate him, but we'll just have to deal with it."

"I don't know," Russ said. "I think he's used to the police poking into his business and it's possible he might not think twice about it. Since his trial, he's been pulled in by PPB for various violations. Minimum things like speeding that they claim resulted in resisting arrest. But you and I both know he probably wasn't resisting. They're likely trying to punish him for killing his wife and getting away with it in the only way they know how."

Dev shared the discussion he'd just had with his brother, where officers from the Portland Police Bureau had done exactly what Russ suggested. "Someone needs to talk to the detective to see what he's recently communicated with Luongo."

"I'd call him, but he'd tell me it's none of my business," Russ said. "Since this is about Kinsley, and she worked closely with the detective, she's the most likely person to call."

Dev looked in the rearview mirror. "Are you willing to do it?"

"Of course. As soon as I get a chance."

"Maybe these recent questions will cause him not to buy property on the lake, and he won't be living nearby," Colin said. "That would be a positive result of asking for an alibi."

"I don't much like the idea of the guy residing in the area," Russ said. "So yeah, that would be a true blessing."

Dev appreciated the positive take on things, but…"Regardless of what Luongo decides to do on buying property, he still remains on our suspect list."

"He does," Russ said. "And I'll see what else I can find out for you. But Colin, you should keep on with your internet searches to dig into him and the other suspects."

"I won't stop until we have our shooter behind bars," Colin said.

"Make sure you keep me in the loop, and we can swap notes." Russ cleared his throat. "One more thing before I go. When you meet with the detective at Kinsley's apartment, please tell me you plan to tell him you've been there and removed those binders."

Dev didn't want to answer when he still didn't know what he was going to do. As the time got closer and closer, he was leaning nearer to doing the right thing. He'd thought he could lie to the detective, but Dev just wasn't made for lying. Thanks to his parents. To his faith. He had to tell the truth. He could only hope it didn't result in the detective naming him and Colin as his top suspects and somehow hindering their ability to keep Kinsley safe.

"We need to hang up now," Dev said instead of answering. "We're approaching Kinsley's apartment, and we need all eyes on the area."

"You know I'll ask you what you did, so do the right thing. I'll be in touch." Russ disconnected the call.

"Time for me to lie down again?" Kinsley asked.

"Please." Dev gave her a smile in the mirror, but she didn't return it as she disappeared from view.

Dev checked the dashboard clock. Six forty-five. The detective would meet them in fifteen minutes. Perfect. It would give Kinsley a chance to look around her apartment to determine if anything was missing.

He turned the corner. "We're on your street, Kinsley. Be ready to act in case I need you to do something."

Dev scanned the area, his heart hammering. Colin was on full alert, too. Dev looked ahead to her complex. Everything appeared normal. No sign of a shooter. No sign of danger. Just a few sleepy-looking residents, coffee cups in hand, climbing in their cars to go to work.

He turned into the parking lot and glanced in the mirror to make sure Reid followed. He did, and Dev slowed to let him pass. He would go to the apartment first to check things out before Dev would let Kinsley get out of the car.

Dev tailed his boss at a slower speed, but suddenly slammed on the brakes.

"What's wrong?" Colin asked.

"Her apartment door is standing wide open. We secured it on the way out."

"What?" Kinsley's voice raised. "Has someone broken into my place again?"

"It looks like it," Dev said, letting his shock fade so he could think. "But was it the same person, or are we looking for two different suspects?"

Kinsley sucked in a loud breath, the sound carrying to the front seat. "I can hardly stand the thought of one, let alone two people wishing me harm."

Dev hated that, too. Two suspects could mean double the trouble, something he didn't even want to contemplate. Especially not while Kinsley was out in the open and vulnerable.