Surrendering to the Sheriff (13 page)

“For Kendall’s kidnapping.” Carla sucked in her breath, making a hiccuping sound. And there were tears on her cheeks.

A gun and tears were never a good combination.

“Just why would I set you up?” Palmer asked. Butter wouldn’t melt in that mouth.

Aiden could think of a reason or two for a setup, but his mother voiced it first. “Because you hate me and my family. Because you’d like to see Whitt’s killer walk. Because you’re on the side of the McKinnons.”

Palmer shrugged. “That doesn’t mean I’d obstruct justice to get those things.”

Yes, it did, but there wasn’t any proof of it—yet—and even if there had been, the more immediate concern was disarming Carla.

“Hand me the gun, Mom,” Aiden demanded.

Carla’s hand started to shake. More tears came. But she lowered the gun, then gave it to him.

The safety was on, Aiden noticed right off. Maybe that meant she hadn’t planned on doing bodily harm after all.

“The rest of you can clear out,” Aiden said to the bystanders. “The three of us are talking,” he added to Palmer and Carla.

Normally, Aiden would already have taken this chat back to his office, but he really didn’t want to cram Palmer and his mother into the cruiser with Kendall. Of course, they’d eventually have to be brought in to make a statement and in his mother’s case, an arrest, so he motioned for Leland. When his deputy stepped out of the cruiser, Aiden instructed him to call Sarah to come to the scene so she could escort Carla to the station.

His mother wiped at the tears that just kept coming. Aiden fished out his handkerchief, handed it to her and looked at Palmer, hoping the man would get started with an explanation about this that would make some sense.

“Your mother accused me of setting up some kind of bank account in her name,” Palmer said. “An account that supposedly someone used to hire those men who kidnapped Kendall.”

Interesting. “Did you?” he asked Palmer.

“Of course not. Why would I?”

“For all those reasons Carla just mentioned,” Aiden pointed out.

Palmer cocked his head to the side. “Really? If I’d wanted to get back at Carla, I could think of a better way.”

Since that sounded like a threat, Aiden mimicked his cocky head tilt. “What way?”

“One that wouldn’t involve hurting Kendall,” Palmer said.

“Yet you think I’d do something to hurt my own son?” Carla snarled.

Palmer shrugged again. “Maybe that wasn’t your plan. Maybe you thought you could get Kendall arrested and jailed for a long time for setting up her own kidnapping and destroying evidence. Then you could raise the Braddock baby she’s carrying. All without putting your son in danger.”

Too bad it was indeed the kind of plan a sick mind could come up with. A mind filled with hate and the need for revenge.

Like his mother’s.

But Palmer’s mind was equally sick.

From the corner of his eye, Aiden saw Sarah pull up in a patrol car, so he motioned for Carla and Palmer to follow him. Leland got out of the cruiser. So did Kendall.

“I know Palmer set up that account,” Carla mumbled.

“You have proof?” Aiden asked.

“No,” she admitted after several long moments.

“Because there is no proof,” Palmer argued. “If I’d wanted to set her up, I wouldn’t have used a bank account. It leaves too many trails. I would have just hired some lowlifes and told them they were working for Carla. Then I would have arranged for them to go to the cops with that news.”

True. Bank accounts were messy. And there had indeed been such an account, as Shelby had seen it. So why would his mother risk that?

“I’m betting Carla probably didn’t think a bank account leaves all kinds of telltale signs, even when it’s erased. Follow the money trail,” Palmer insisted, pointing his finger at Aiden. “It’ll lead to your mother.”

Carla spun around and would have launched herself at Palmer if Aiden hadn’t grabbed her. Palmer laughed. And Kendall got there in time to step between Aiden and the idiot that Aiden wanted to punch. He wouldn’t have done it, of course, but he sure wanted to wipe that smirk off Palmer’s face.

“I told you Carla was crazy,” Palmer went on. “She needs to be locked away in the loony bin
again
.”

Aiden froze. So did Carla. And Palmer got that gleam in his eye.

“You didn’t know.” Palmer didn’t laugh, but it was close enough. “Tell him, Carla, or I will.”

Oh, man.

Aiden was a thousand percent sure he wasn’t going to like this.

He especially didn’t like it when Palmer’s gaze shifted to Kendall. “Or maybe it’d be better if Aiden heard it from you.”

Kendall didn’t answer, though Aiden was certain she knew what Palmer was talking about.

“I was in an institution,” Carla muttered. “It happened a long time ago, before I even married your father.”

Judging from the way Kendall dodged Aiden’s gaze, she knew something more about this than she’d already told him.

“Does this have anything to do with the elderly woman you were telling me about?” Aiden asked her.

She nodded, eventually. “After I pressed Jewell for anything I could use to help her, she gave me the name of the psychiatrist that Carla saw all those years ago. He’s long been dead, but I tracked down the nurse who worked for him.” Kendall’s voice was as ragged as his mother’s. “But I didn’t know that your mother had actually been in the institution.”

Kendall’s comment put some flames in Carla’s eyes. “Whitt must have told Jewell about the psychiatrist,” Carla said.

“Why were you in an institution?” Aiden demanded.

More flames popped into her eyes, directed at both Palmer and Kendall. She aimed something considerably worse at Aiden.

“I’m not saying another word until I speak to my lawyer,” Carla snapped. And she stormed off toward Sarah, getting into the cruiser with the deputy.

Even though Aiden wanted answers, he didn’t go after her. He also didn’t leave Kendall standing out in the open any longer. He hurried her back to the car with Leland, but the moment they were inside, Aiden snapped toward her.

“Start talking,” he demanded. “And, Leland, get us back to the office.”

Leland pulled away from the building, but Kendall sure didn’t start talking. It seemed to take her several moments just to gather her breath. Or maybe she was trying to figure out the best spin she could put on this. However, there was no good spin to something she’d obviously kept from him.

“I wasn’t even sure it was true,” she finally started. “Whitt told Jewell that Carla had needed psychiatric help when she was a teenager.”

Not exactly ideal pillow talk, spilling secrets about your wife to your lover. “Why was Carla there? And why am I just now hearing about this after all these years?”

Kendall shook her head. “There are no records of it. I know because I looked for them.”

Yes, so that Kendall could try to pin his father’s murder on anyone but her precious sister. Aiden tried not to be riled to the core about that, but it was hard to do.

“Tell me everything that Whitt told Jewell,” he demanded. “And everything the nurse told you.”

Another nod, followed by another long pause. “I didn’t get much of anything from the nurse, just a confirmation that the doctor she worked for had treated your mother. No details.”

Aiden studied her expression. “But Jewell got some details from Whitt, didn’t she?”

“Details that Jewell wasn’t even sure were true,” Kendall added.

He stared at her. “Details that I want to hear right now.”

Kendall swallowed hard. Nodded. “According to what Whitt told Jewell, your mother tried to murder someone.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Aiden was pacing across his office while he talked on the phone, something he’d been doing for at least an hour since they had arrived back at the station.

For this latest call, he hadn’t put the phone on speaker, so Kendall could only guess what was going on. Of course, she didn’t need to hear the other half of the conversation to know that things weren’t going well. Aiden was scowling. The muscles in his face were tight. And he had a crushing grip on the phone.

Kendall knew he was talking yet again to his sister Shelby, but she had no idea how much longer this particular call would go on. Probably until Aiden got the information he wanted.

Information he hadn’t gotten from Carla.

His mother was sitting in an interview room, waiting for her lawyer to show up, and she’d made it crystal clear that she wasn’t talking to her son or his deputy. Of course, she hadn’t talked to Kendall, either, though she had glared at her every chance she got. Kendall tried not to glare back, but it was hard. After all, Carla might be responsible for the kidnapping and the attacks, and if so, that meant Aiden’s mom had put the baby in serious danger.

If Carla had truly done that, Kendall would never forgive her.

However, the jury was still out on the woman’s guilt.

It would take time to prove if she had any involvement with the kidnappers. She would be charged for the altercation with Palmer, of course, and endangering the public, but as there’d been no shots fired, Kendall was betting the woman would be released on bail.

“What else haven’t you told me?” Aiden growled to his sister. A question he would no doubt repeat to Kendall once he had the chance.

Again, she couldn’t hear Shelby’s answer, but despite his obvious anger, Aiden motioned for Kendall to eat. It was yet another meal he’d had delivered from the café. This time a pasta salad and more milk. Because she didn’t want to add to his misery, Kendall nibbled at it.

Aiden’s conversation went on with his sister for at least another minute before he snarled, “Don’t you dare withhold anything else.” And he jabbed the end call button with far more force than necessary.

Before turning to her.

He didn’t glare at her, not exactly. But it was close enough. Then he groaned and cursed.

Kendall decided it was best if she just got this out in the open.

“I didn’t know your mother had actually been in an institution. I swear. Jewell never said. Heck, she probably doesn’t even know. We only knew that Carla had seen a psychiatrist.” Kendall paused. “But Shelby knew?”

He nodded, eventually. Cursed some more.

“How did she find out?” Kendall asked. “Because I tried, and every call, email and question was nothing but a roadblock.”

“Shelby’s a little too good at getting past roadblocks,” he mumbled.

Probably because she was an investigative reporter and had plenty of connections. Or maybe Carla had even told her.

“My mother wasn’t raised around here,” Aiden said, dropping down in the chair across from her. “That’s why no one knew. Well, no one except for my father and her folks, who’ve now passed away. As you said, the records no longer exist, but Shelby managed to track down some employees who worked at the facility.”

Kendall didn’t press with another question. She just waited until Aiden was ready to continue.

“When she was eighteen, Carla apparently met Lee Palmer,” Aiden finally went on. “He was twenty, a broke rodeo rider, and he was engaged to a very wealthy woman. Carla’s family had money, too, so they ran in the same social circles as Palmer’s fiancée. Depending on whose side you believe, Carla had an affair with Palmer. Or else she became obsessed with him and wanted him to break off the engagement. When he didn’t do that, she tried to run him over with her car.”

“Sweet heaven.” Kendall was glad she was sitting down. “But why hasn’t Palmer said anything about it? This would have been the perfect information to get the DA and cops to look at someone other than Jewell for your father’s murder.

“Sorry,” she added. That was probably something Aiden didn’t need to hear her say.

Though he no doubt had already thought about it.

He waved off her apology and had a long sip of water, probably wishing it was something a lot stronger. “Shelby only has bits and pieces, but apparently Palmer agreed to drop the charges against Carla for a sealed settlement and the agreement that she’d go to the institution for help.”

It all became clear. For his silence, Palmer no doubt got a boatload of money from Carla’s wealthy family, and if he’d indeed had an affair with her, then the sealed settlement might have prevented his fiancée from finding out about his cheating. Also, Carla’s family could have a nondisclosure clause for Palmer himself. That way, if Palmer had indeed discussed it with anybody, he could have lost the settlement money.

And that brought Kendall to consider something else.

“If Carla and Palmer had this bad history, how did they end up living so close to each other?” she asked.

“The Braddocks have lived around here for six generations. Palmer moved here not long after my parents got married.”

Good grief.
Palmer had no doubt used the settlement money to start his own cattle empire. Right under Carla’s nose. And the bad blood had just continued with Palmer’s constant presence stirring the pot.

“I’ll have to tell the DA all this,” Aiden grumbled.

Yes, and while it might end up helping Jewell’s case, Kendall knew that Jewell wouldn’t want to be helped at the expense of someone else. Not even Carla.

This was tearing Aiden apart. She could see it. Feel it. So she stood and went to him. He got up as well, and his expression had a
back off
vibe to it. Kendall ignored it and put her arms around him. Too bad her stitches brushed against his shirtsleeve, causing her to wince.

And causing Aiden to curse.

He pulled her back, lifted the bandage and had a look. There was still no relief on his face, though. “You didn’t pop a stitch, but you need to be more careful.”

True. So, when she reached for him a second time, she put only her unstitched right arm around him.

Their gazes met. For some very long moments. Before his gaze dropped to her mouth, a place it usually went when they were within a half mile of each other. Kendall knew, because she was looking at his mouth, too.

“You need to be more careful,” he repeated.

Since they were no longer talking about stitches, Kendall eked out a smile. And kissed him. Like their other kisses, this one had all the fire, and it slid right through her. But also like with all the others, the guilt came.

Especially now.

With this news about his mother, it almost felt as if they were on different sides again. Of course, with the baby and the attraction pulling them right back together, it seemed as if they could overcome even this latest wrinkle.

Almost.

“We can’t keep skirting around this,” he said.

That rid her of any trace of a smile. Because he also slid his hand between them and put it over her stomach. Definitely no smiling matter.

“You want shared custody.” Kendall moved away from him. “But for that to work, we’d need to live fairly close to each other. Especially when he’s still a baby. That means one of us living in a place where we won’t exactly be comfortable.”

She was fairly sure that Aiden would want her to be that
one of us
. After all, he was grounded in place as the county sheriff, and she could live anywhere in the state. However, that was why Kendall had made plans to move—so that she wouldn’t be in the middle of his family feud.

“In addition to a move
for one of us
, you’d also need a nanny,” she went on. “And you’d have to make sure that your family doesn’t despise the baby so much that it could be traumatic for him.”

Aiden stayed quiet a moment. “You’ve given this some thought.”

“Plenty.”

“And you don’t think it can work,” he concluded.

Kendall huffed. “I hadn’t thought it would work from the beginning. That’s why I was planning to leave.” Now she paused. “I guess my feelings have changed a little about that, though.”

“Because we keep kissing.”

Aiden certainly had a way of cutting right to the heart of the matter. Of course it was because of those kisses. Even now, it was because her body was still humming from having been in his arms.

“Nobody in my family will despise this child,” he said with absolute authority. “And if they do, they won’t be in my life for long.”

It was the right thing to say to make her feel better. But the wrong thing to muddle her mind even more. Kendall still had no idea how they were going to fix this.

“Come on,” Aiden said, taking her by the hand. “Even when my mother’s lawyer shows up, I shouldn’t be the one who does the interview. I’ll take you back to your place so you can get some rest. Sarah can follow us.”

Kendall didn’t say no to that. They’d been at the sheriff’s office most of the day, and it wouldn’t be long before it was dark. Now that both her attackers were dead, the prison guard, too, she could breathe a little easier, but there’d be no relaxing until the person who’d hired them was behind bars.

And maybe that would soon happen.

But it probably wouldn’t happen tonight unless they got a confession from Carla or one of their other suspects.

When they stepped out of Aiden’s office, Kendall spotted Carla seated at one of the interview tables. Her back was board straight. Her eyes, focused on the drab gray wall.

“Leland will be doing your interview when your lawyer arrives,” Aiden told his mother.

Carla’s mouth tightened, though she still didn’t look directly at them. Nor did she speak. Which might have been for the best. There wasn’t much she could have said that would make this situation better.

Aiden got Kendall outside and in his truck, and with Sarah in a cruiser right behind them, they headed to Kendall’s house in Sweetwater Springs. The place had been her home for a long time, but since the attacks, it felt more like a holding cell.

“You’re probably sick of sleeping on the floor,” she said. Then she winced. It sounded like an invitation for him to share the bed with her.

He smiled that half smile. The one that had no doubt seduced many women. Of course, Aiden didn’t have to smile to seduce her. He did that just by breathing.

“I’m not leaving until we’re sure the danger has passed,” he insisted. “The floor’s optional.” He paused a heartbeat. Then cursed. “Except we both know that’s a bad idea.”

Yes, they did. Sleeping together again would just cloud their minds and get in the way of working out a custody decision. Of course, it might ease some of this tension between them.

Kendall mentally repeated that rationalization and groaned.

Oh, yes. She had a bad case of Aiden Braddock all right.

“Twenty minutes,” he said when he pulled into her driveway. He checked the time on the dashboard clock. “If I move to the east side of Clay Ridge, I’d still be close enough to work, and I’d be close enough to you and the baby.” He dropped a quick, unexpected kiss on her mouth. “Just give it some thought.”

Kendall would. Especially since he’d included her in that and not just the baby. That kiss helped, too.

The fantasy wheel started again. Of her, Aiden and the baby being a family. Definitely not something she should have on her mind, since she’d be sharing a bedroom with Aiden again.

Sarah got out of the cruiser, waiting for them to go in, so Aiden and she hurried to the porch. Kendall unlocked the door, and she immediately turned to the keypad on the interior wall so she could disarm the security system.

But it wasn’t armed.

There was no beeping sound, and the lights were off on the keypad.

“Something’s wrong,” Kendall whispered.

And then she heard the footsteps.

*

E
VERYTHING
SEEMED
TO
happen at once. The porch light blinked off, and Aiden drew his gun when he saw a blur of motion to his left.

Right behind Kendall.

She made a muffled sound of surprise, and it took Aiden a split second to realize that it was muffled because someone had grabbed her from behind and had slapped his hand over her mouth.

That someone put a gun to her head.

From what Aiden could see, it appeared to be a man wearing a ski mask, similar to the ones that the other kidnappers had used.

Hell.

This was another thug coming after Kendall again.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah called out, and from the corner of his eye, Aiden saw the deputy making her way to the house.

“Tell her to stay back,” the masked guy warned Aiden. He took his hand from Kendall’s mouth so he could hook his arm around her neck. “And put down your gun.”

Aiden did the first, motioning for Sarah to stay put. He didn’t want this moron shooting her. Didn’t want him hurting Kendall, either, so that meant he had to figure out how to diffuse the situation.

Fast.

“How’d you get in here?” Kendall demanded, sounding more defiant than strong. Maybe because like Aiden, she was fed up with these attacks.

“Hacked into your security system,” he said, and in the same breath he tipped his head to Aiden’s gun. “I said drop it.”

The last time Aiden had refused to do that, Kendall had been shot in the arm. Still, if he didn’t have a weapon, there was nothing to stop this guy from just shooting him and taking off with Kendall.

“What do you want?” Aiden snapped.

“To take her out of this house. Soon, someone will contact you about what you need to do to get her back.”

So this was indeed another kidnapping attempt. Probably another attempt at getting him to obstruct justice or destroy evidence.

Or to make it look that way.

“Just do as you’re told,” the man added, “and Miss O’Neal will be okay.”

Kendall shook her head a little, obviously not believing him. Aiden wasn’t buying it, either. But there was something about this situation that told him loads. If the guy had wanted to shoot Aiden, he could have already done it. He could have pulled the trigger the moment that Aiden stepped inside.