Free Deception by Elizabeth Goddard Page A

thought he would press her for answers. His suggestion was the last thing she’d expected.
    His voice was so gentle, so endearing, Jewel could almost forget he was here on official business. That was why he was here, wasn’t it? A knot twisted in her throat. Calling him by his official title, thinking about him only as the police chief, helped her to protect herself, to keep her resolve to never fall again. If she could fall for anyone, it would be this man.
    But would it be so bad to call him by his name? “Colin... I...”
    â€œThere.” He grinned. “Was that so hard?”
    Her heart tilted. She opened her mouth to speak—
    A woman’s scream broke through the attic.
    * * *
    Jed Turner, the officer Colin had stationed at the B and B today, was facedown in the woods near the house. Colin knelt by Jed and checked for a pulse, though he already knew what he would find. The man was dead.
    Still kneeling by the fallen officer, Colin’s gut churned as he searched the woods that grew thicker in the distance. The murderer was long gone.
    Colin’s heart was a chunk of lead in his chest. Jed was in his late fifties, only a few years away from retiring. He had a wife, Clara, plus two grown kids and three grandchildren. Though Jed’s troubles were over, Colin would now have to face his wife and give her the news, a task he didn’t relish. The absolute worst part of his job.
    What had happened to draw his officer into the woods after Colin had instructed him, after Colin’s own arrival, to leave?
    Colin thought about Buck Cambridge. From the moment they’d met, something about Buck had made Colin think of a venomous, wild creature that would bite if pressured.
    Had that feral creature—a human in this instance—been pressured to bite? Killing a police officer would only up the stakes and bring on a full-out manhunt. Obviously, Jed must have seen something incriminating, discovered something to identify Jewel’s attacker.
    Colin glanced behind him at the others who had gathered, waiting at the edge of the woods. Jewel hugged herself, her face twisted in anguish. Next to her Katy and Tracy, Meral and Buck, hovered and comforted each other over this new development.
    Colin stood, wanting to search the woods, but he wouldn’t leave them alone. He hiked back to his vehicle and called for backup and for the retrieval of Jed’s body.
    Jewel approached him. “I’m so sorry, Colin.”
    He couldn’t begin to convey in words the anger, grief and guilt roiling inside. Add to that hearing his name on her lips again, and he realized he must have been nuts to ask her to say it. It made him all kinds of crazy, and he knew better.
    He knew better.
    Katelyn’s death, her murder, had happened because Colin had been emotionally involved. That should be enough warning for him. He pulled his gaze from Jewel’s torn features. If he looked at her any longer, he’d pull her right into his arms. Not to comfort her but to comfort himself, something he didn’t deserve in the face of Jed’s death.
    â€œFor what, Jewel? This wasn’t your fault.”
    â€œYes, it is. Someone is trying to kill me. To get to me. And now Jed Turner is dead because he was protecting me.”
    His radio squawked and Colin answered, detailing the events to Terry Stratford, who was headed this way. There’d been a skirmish in town, but Terry had settled it. Skirmishes were preferred over murder.
    Colin glanced at Buck Cambridge, who held a crying Meral against him. The man had checked out when Colin had looked into his background. Was clean. No priors. He was a simple businessman. An import-export consultant. Those were the facts, and Colin could only use those, but his gut told him there was more to the man. Something dangerous, sinister.
    He allowed his gaze to fall on Jewel again as she comforted Katy and Tracy. He needed to convince Jewel to leave Mountain Cove