Free Deception by Elizabeth Goddard Page B

for a while, until he could get this taken care of. She wasn’t safe here. Her friends and family—namely Meral—had promised to stay close. Everyone wanted to protect her, yet he’d found her alone in the attic. Alone. Again .
    And now no one was in the house. Colin would have to check every nook and cranny before he let anyone back inside.
    What if Colin hadn’t been here? Hadn’t been up in the attic with Jewel?
    He slipped his hand around her arm, drew her away from the others and kept his voice low. “You need to leave, Jewel. You can’t stay here anymore.” Colin wasn’t sure he trusted himself to protect her anymore either. He was failing at his job, after all.
    Again...
    He didn’t want to think about the past, but the images drifted through him like shadows all the same.
    â€œThis is my business. My livelihood. I can’t leave. There are guests to take care of. And Meral’s here. You don’t have any idea how much that means to me. I can’t just leave.”
    With Jed’s death it was clear there could be collateral damage—that others around Jewel were in harm’s way. Didn’t she see that? But where could she go that was safe? He’d tried to create a safe house at her B and B.
    Her striking hazel-green eyes were usually so transparent, filled with warmth and care and honesty, but that was all shuttered away from him now. He didn’t like it. Jewel was purposely hiding something from him. Disappointment in her, in the situation, nearly overshadowed Jed’s death.
    But in her gaze he saw something else. What he never expected to see. Never wanted to see. Jewel was disillusioned with his abilities. She wanted him to do his job and catch this guy, felt let down that he hadn’t done so already. He saw in her eyes the lack of trust and faith that he’d seen in the mayor’s eyes, in the city-council members.
    Colin released her arm. Pulled the knife from his heart that Jewel hadn’t even known she’d stabbed into him and twisted.
    He was getting too emotionally involved, more so than would do either of them any good. How did he protect her? Colin wished now that she would call him Chief Winters again, for both their sakes. He needed to ask the hard question, and his emotions stood in the way of that, too, but Jewel would die, others would die—as someone already had—if he didn’t ask.
    â€œWhen I came to you in the hospital, I asked you if you knew who had pushed you into the waterfall. At the time, I thought maybe you were a random victim. Simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. But now I think we both know that’s not the case, and I’m going to ask you again, do you have any idea who would want to kill you? And if not who, then why someone would want to kill you?”
    Jewel hesitated as though considering his questions.
    Cruisers pulled into the B and B drive along with the ambulance that would take Jed’s body. Given the murder of a police officer, Colin would be calling in the Alaska State Troopers on this investigation. Meral and Buck approached Jewel, apparently wanting to protect family. Either that or interfere with his investigation. Colin was running out of time to get answers.
    â€œSomeone died today, Jewel. If you know something that you’re not telling me, I need you to tell me now so I can stop this before someone else dies. Before they come for you again. I’ll put two officers on the house and on you this time, but we’ll be better prepared, better able to face an attack if we know what we’re looking for. I need more information if I’m going to catch this guy.”
    Finding the murderer would be the best way to end this.
    â€œIs everything okay?” Meral put her hand on Jewel’s shoulder and squeezed. Buck hovered just behind.
    Jewel nodded, pressing a hand over her sister’s. To Colin she said, “I don’t know who’s