The Marshal's Justice (Appaloosa Pass Ranch 4) (7 page)

Mercy, that didn’t help the sickening chill she was trying to stave off. Just hearing Crossman’s voice had been bad enough, but if Malcolm did indeed work for him, then that meant Crossman had had “eyes” on her for two months. And one of his thugs had been way too close to Bailey that whole time.

“I’ll ask Jericho to see what he can find out about Malcolm.” Chase fired off a text to his brother.

April thanked him and tried to rein in her fear. Hard to do, though, with Crossman still a threat. Maybe Malcolm was one, too. Having Bailey in her arms helped some, but once again, April found herself fighting back tears.

Tears that caused Chase to scowl again.

“Sorry.” April wiped them away as fast as she could. “The last thing you need right now is a crying woman. Especially a woman who’s caused you nothing but trouble.”

His gaze stayed fixed on her, and by degrees the scowl softened. Chase gave a heavy sigh, reached out and touched her arm. Not a hug, but it still gave her far more comfort than it should have.

“You’ve caused trouble, yes,” he said, “but you don’t deserve what’s happening to you. Neither does Bailey.”

No, her baby didn’t deserve it. “I’m afraid this will be her life. Hiding out in safe houses. Having to learn to look over her shoulder and not trusting anyone.”

He nodded. “And that’s why I need to go into WITSEC with you. I want to be able to protect her.”

April couldn’t argue with the protection part, but she prayed there would be another way. After all, Bailey wasn’t the only family Chase had, and leaving his life would mean leaving them, too. And being with her. Something that would never sit well with him.

“It was true what I said to Crossman,” she tossed out there. “I didn’t know the cop had been killed when I went to your house that night, and I didn’t go there expecting to land in bed with you. I went because I was upset and wanted to talk to you.”

A muscle flickered in his jaw, and his gaze slowly came back to hers. “You didn’t seduce me. I willingly got into that bed with you.”

True, but even now she could see that he still regretted it. Despite Bailey, Chase always would, and that put the ache right back in her chest.

His phone rang again, and for a moment April thought it was Crossman calling back for another round of taunting. But it wasn’t Crossman this time. It was Jericho. Chase answered it and put it on speaker.

“We found Quentin,” Jericho said the moment he was on the line.

April felt the jolt of relief. Followed by another jolt of fear. Because that wasn’t a good news kind of tone from Jericho.

“Quentin’s in the Appaloosa Pass Hospital,” Jericho explained. “He walked in and admitted himself about fifteen minutes ago.”

“Is he all right?” April asked.

“He’s hurt, a gunshot wound to the arm, but he’ll live. He wants to see you now, but I told him that’s not going to happen. Not until we have plenty of security in place.”

“Why does he want to see April?” There was plenty of mistrust and skepticism in Chase’s expression and voice.

“I’ll tell you what he told me. You can decide if it’s the truth or not. He won’t spill anything to me, but Quentin claims he knows who’s trying to kill April and you.”

Chapter Seven

Chase figured visiting Quentin in the hospital wasn’t a smart thing to do, but he’d also known right from the start that he stood no chance of nixing the idea. Despite the kidnapping, attack and the mess that Quentin had caused, April had every intention of seeing her brother.

But that didn’t mean Chase was going to allow Bailey to be put in danger.

His brother Levi and Deputy Mack Parkman had come to the safe house to stay with the baby while Chase and April ventured into Appaloosa Pass to see Quentin. And they wouldn’t make that visit alone. Jax was meeting them there. As far as Chase was concerned, he was treating Quentin just as he would any other dangerous criminal who crossed his path.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Chase said to April as he took the final turn toward town. “You can always call your brother and demand to know what information he has.”

“He won’t tell me unless I’m there,” April insisted.

And to her credit, she had tried to get that info from Quentin over the phone. But Quentin had only restated his demand that she come to see him in person. Still, Quentin might change his tune if April flat out refused—especially if he did indeed want to save her life.

However, Chase wasn’t so sure that was the case. Quentin might not care if his sister was in danger. Especially since he’d already been hurt. Chase still didn’t know the details of how Quentin had been shot, but it was one of the questions Chase intended to ask the man.

“I don’t trust Quentin,” she said, surprising him. She’d always been so defensive when it came to her kid brother. “But I want to see his face when he tells me what he wants me to hear.”

Chase gave that some thought. “You think Quentin could have been involved in the kidnapping?”

“I don’t want to believe it.” She sighed, leaned her head against the truck window. “But he goes through money like water and he has a penchant for getting involved with the worst kind of people. I believe he could have gotten himself into some kind of bind and needs money desperately enough to have possibly done something like this.
Possibly
,” April emphasized.

Chase had to admit it was a
possibly
for him, too. Quentin was a scumbag, no doubt about that, but Crossman and Renée were still their top suspects, with Crossman occupying the number one slot on that very short list.

His phone rang, causing April to practically snap to attention. No doubt because she was worried about something going wrong at the safe house. But it wasn’t Levi or Mack. It was Jericho.

“I just got the background check on Malcolm Knox,” Jericho said the moment Chase answered. Chase put the call on speaker since he knew this was something April would want to hear. “He’s rich. Worth millions. He’s a cattleman and also owns a very high-end security company. Thirty-nine and never been married. No criminal record, not even a parking ticket. So, you want to tell me why you needed a check on him?”

“Because Crossman warned April about him,” Chase answered.

“And you believe Crossman?”

“No.” Chase didn’t even have to give that any thought. “But I want to know if there’s a connection. It’s possible Crossman used Malcolm to spy on April while she was in WITSEC.”

April didn’t nod exactly, but he saw the agreement in her eyes. And the chill that went through her. She’d said she hadn’t exactly trusted Malcolm, but it had to make her sick to think that one of Crossman’s henchmen could have been so close to her at such a vulnerable time.

“I didn’t find any obvious connection to Crossman,” Jericho said. “But there’s something about this guy that’s just not right. Perfect credit, perfect driving record. Hell, he even had a perfect grade point average in college. Everything in his background lines up in
perfect
detail.”

Normally, a good clean record didn’t bother Chase, but it did in this case. “You think he’s living under a created identity?”

“Maybe. But if so, he’s not in WITSEC, and he’s not an undercover cop or in any other form of law enforcement that I can find. That means if he’s living under a false identity, he’s likely doing it for his own reasons.”

And Chase figured those reasons probably weren’t good ones. “Were you able to get his financials?”

“Some. Lots of money in and out of his accounts. Hard to tell if he’s getting regular payouts from someone like Crossman. But I’ll do some more digging.”

“Thanks,” Chase told him, and he took the final turn to the hospital. “Anything new with the prisoner this morning?” Not that he expected Gene Rooks to start blabbing, but Chase could hope the man had had a change of heart.

“Nothing yet, but Rooks is with his lawyer now. And no, I can’t trace the lawyer back to Crossman or Renée. Already tried.” Jericho paused. “The lab called on that blood they found in Quentin’s house. It wasn’t his, and it’s not a match to anybody in the system.”

April shook her head. “But Quentin was shot.”

“Not there at his place. Or if it was there, he didn’t leave any blood behind. I questioned Quentin about his injury, but he’s being very vague. If you get answers from him, I want to hear them.”

“Of course. Any news about Renée?”

“She’s still at large. Still nothing on those bugs and cameras the CSIs gathered from your house. There were no prints or trace on them, but they’re trying to find the location where the images and recordings were being sent.”

“They can do that?” Chase asked.

“They can try. Don’t get your hopes up. I think our best bet at finding out who’s behind this is to get what you can from Quentin.”

Chase believed that as well, and he ended the call when he pulled into the hospital parking lot. He spotted Jax right away under the awning at the drop-off area, and Jax motioned for him to park right by the door. Good. Because Chase didn’t want April out in the open any longer than necessary.

“How’s Quentin?” April immediately asked him.

Jax didn’t answer right away and didn’t waste any time near the door. Firing glances all around, he got them moving out of the reception area and up the hall. “He’s fine. The doc said he’ll be released this afternoon.”

April didn’t seem relieved about that, and Chase knew why. Being released could mean Quentin would be in even more danger since they weren’t sure yet if they could trust the marshals.

“Who’ll be protecting him?” April pressed.

Jax seemed annoyed, not with the question exactly but with the answer. “Me. The other deputies weren’t exactly jumping to volunteer.”

Chase didn’t blame them. Quentin had been business partners with a cop killer. That wouldn’t put the man on any popularity lists with law enforcement.

“Thank you,” April said as they made their way down the hall.

“No need for thanks. I’m hoping Quentin will lead us to some information about who kidnapped Bailey.” Which meant Jax thought Quentin might have played a part in that, too.

Chase didn’t have to guess which room Quentin was in because the uniformed hospital security guard was posted outside the door. He opened it for them, and Jax went in ahead of April. Probably to make sure the area was still safe. It was. Only Quentin was there, and he was in the bed hooked up to an IV.

April didn’t rush toward him, but Chase did get her inside the room so he could shut the door. He could have sworn the temperature in the room dropped with the frosty looks April and Quentin were giving each other. Seeing that was a first for Chase. April had always jumped to defend her brother and had always acted like a mother hen whenever she was around him.

“I’m glad you came,” Quentin greeted, his attention going straight to her stomach. “I heard you had the baby.”

“Who told you?” she snapped.

Quentin’s frost intensified. “It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry someone tried to kidnap her.”

“They didn’t try. They succeeded. Chase and I just got her back last night.” She glanced away from him. “Deanne’s dead.”

“Yes, I found out about that, too.” Something flickered through Quentin’s eyes. Grief maybe? Or it could be fake grief. “Who killed her?”

“We don’t have an ID on him yet, but he was working with a man named Gene Rooks,” Chase answered. “Do you know him?”

The icy look he’d given his sister was a drop in the bucket compared with the one Quentin gave Chase. “Are you accusing me of something?”

“I’m only asking a question. You have a guilty conscience?”

Quentin growled out some profanity under his breath. “No, I just know how you are. You’ve been on a vendetta to get me for years.”

Chase tapped his badge. “Just doing my job. I’m funny like that.”

His attempt at smart-mouthed humor didn’t soften Quentin’s glare one bit. And it wasn’t moving this conversation in a direction it needed to go. “Did you have anything to do with the kidnapping and attack on April and me that took place yesterday?”

“Of course not. Why would you think such a thing?” The denial was loud and intense enough. But that didn’t mean Chase was buying it.

“Because you could be broke enough to be desperate.”

Quentin dodged his gaze. Definitely not a good sign. “I do need money, but there’s no way I’d kidnap my own niece to get it.”

The room went completely silent for several moments.

“How’d you even know I’d had the baby?” April asked, taking the question right out of Chase’s mouth. “And while you’re explaining that, tell us how you found out about the kidnapping and that Deanne was dead.”

Quentin huffed. Then, he sighed. “When I was attacked last night, the man said my niece had been taken and that if I didn’t cooperate and pay up, I’d never see her.”

Chase went through each word of that, but there were some huge gaps in the information. Chase tipped his head to Quentin’s bandaged shoulder and went to April’s side. “Who shot you?” he asked Quentin.

“I don’t know. Maybe it was you?” Quentin countered.

That got Quentin a huff from not only just Chase but Jax and April, too. She went closer to the bed and stared down at her brother. “Tell us everything that happened so we can try to prevent any further attacks.”

Quentin held the stare for several moments and then eased his head back onto his pillow. “Someone broke into my house yesterday. A man wearing a ski mask. He told me my niece had been kidnapped and that he would take me to her. I didn’t believe him. We fought, and I’m pretty sure I managed to cut him with a kitchen knife. I couldn’t get to my gun so I ran out the back, and that’s when he shot me.”

That explained the blood on the floor at his house. However, it didn’t mean Quentin was telling the truth. “What happened then?” Chase asked.

“I kept running. I wasn’t sure who to trust so I didn’t call the marshals. I haven’t trusted them right from the start. So, I made my way here, figuring April would be with you.” He paused, glancing at them. Or rather glancing at how close they were standing to each other. “I was right.”

Quentin seemed to be implying there was something going on between April and him. Something more than just Bailey.

And he was right.

The old attraction was indeed still there, and anyone within a hundred yards of them could likely see it. Chase wanted to believe he could keep pushing it away, but it just kept coming back. That’s why he needed to concentrate on the investigation. Because losing focus now could put Bailey right back in danger.

“Tell me about Renée,” Chase insisted.

Quentin blinked as if surprised or just plain uncomfortable by the change in subject. “What does she have to do with this?”

“Maybe everything,” April answered. “She was with Bailey when we found her.”

More than a blink that time. Quentin’s head came off the pillow. “You think she’s the one who kidnapped your baby?”

April shook her head. “We’re not sure what her role was in all this. Tell me about Renée,” she repeated, sounding more like a cop than a sister.

Quentin took a deep breath. “I met her at the bar and we had an affair. A short one because she turned out to be a little too high maintenance for me. I’m talking dozens of calls and texts each day. I know she’s in love with me, but I just don’t feel the same way about her. I haven’t heard from her, though, since I went into WITSEC.”

“Does Renée know Crossman?” Chase asked.

If Quentin was faking the surprise from that question, then he was very good at it. “You don’t believe she’d team up with Crossman?” He cursed, not waiting for the answer. “Renée knows him, all right. She met Crossman at the bar.”

Of course. Crossman spent a lot of time at the bar Quentin owned so it was logical that Renée and he would run into each other. Chase hoped those encounters hadn’t led to some unholy alliance.

Chase glanced at Jax, who was already taking out his phone. “I’m on it,” Jax said, stepping back into the hall and shutting the door behind him.

“On what?” Quentin demanded. “Who’s he calling?”

“The jail,” Chase answered. “If Renée visited Crossman, we can maybe get access to their conversations. It’s possible Crossman put her up to doing the kidnapping.” But then, it was just as possible that Renée was acting on her own. “Was Renée ever pregnant with your child?”

Quentin’s eyes widened. “She said she was. Did Renée have a baby?”

“No.” But that was the only part of the explanation that Chase managed because the door opened again, and when Jax stuck in his head, Chase knew something was wrong.

“Quentin has a visitor,” Jax explained. “The guard’s already frisked him. No gun.” His attention went to Quentin. Then to April. “The guy says his name is Malcolm Knox and that he’s a close friend of yours. He wants to see both Quentin and you now.”

* * *

A
PRIL
SUCKED
IN
her breath and held it a moment. And yes, it was indeed Malcolm who came through the door.

There wasn’t a strand of his sandy-blond hair out of place, and he was wearing one of the pricey black suits that he favored. He was also carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.

“April,” Malcolm said. He smiled at her as if this were a social visit.

Chase wasn’t smiling, though. “Did you know he was coming here?” he asked her.