Free Person of Interest by Debby Giusti

the interstate north of here.”
    Thick forest spread out on each side of the road and made her anxious. Glancing down at the baby, asleep in the car seat, brought a wave of sadness.
    Lord, I haven’t prayed for years, but I’m concerned about this sweet baby. Keep her safe.
    Keep me safe, too.
    “You okay?” Everett stared at her from the rearview mirror.
    She might as well be forthright about her concerns. “I’m trying to decide if you led someone to me.”
    He let out a stiff breath and shook his head, as if frustrated by her statement. “No one followed me, Natalie.”
    “Then how did he find me?”
    “You’re convinced it was Mason?”
    She glanced out the window and into the shadowed recesses of the wooded landscape.
    “The two deaths could be coincidental,” he added when she failed to respond. “They may not be related.”
    “Since when did someone in law enforcement put stock in coincidence? From everything I’ve read, seen on television or heard when working with the CID, there are no coincidences. If things seem random, they’re not. Any patterns need to be recognized as significant.” She stared at the back of Everett’s head. “Isn’t that true?”
    “Things can be coincidental, but it’s often a red flag that needs to be investigated.”
    She nodded. “A red flag. That’s how I feel about the shooter in the woods. That’s why I think you led him to me. I’m not sure if it was planned or accidental.”
    “I’m not the bad guy.” He stared at her in the mirror for a long moment. Then he shrugged and returned his gaze to the road. “Everything will work out. We’ll meet Wanda and reunite Sofia with her mother.”
    “And then?”
    He glanced back at her. “Then I’ll let you decide where you want to go.”
    Not back to Fort Rickman, which she’d already mentioned.
    “You heard me mention a CID buddy who transferred to Vilseck some months ago,” Everett continued. “I asked him to reopen Paula Conway’s stairway death case.”
    “But I told you the German police handled the investigation.”
    “I know. The CID will contact them and ask for any evidence they gathered. The polizei may or may not have interviewed neighbors. There could have been witnesses.”
    “What about Mason’s neighbors in the housing area at Fort Rickman? You said he might not have been home when his wife died. Does he have an alibi?”
    “MPs went door-to-door. One neighbor saw a car parked behind the Yateses’ quarters, but he didn’t know the make or model. Mason claimed to have been running on the track in the training area.”
    “Were there video cameras?”
    “They weren’t working.”
    She huffed. “Well, that’s convenient.”
    “Investigations require a lot of tedious checking and rechecking. Some leads pan out. Others don’t.”
    “You’re telling me to be patient.”
    “I’m trying to explain that Frank is on top of the investigation. He’ll check every clue and won’t leave any shred of evidence uncovered.”
    Although she was somewhat relieved that Paula’s death was being reviewed, Natalie wasn’t optimistic about the outcome. Memories clouded with time, and she doubted the CID would uncover anything that would incriminate Mason.
    Everett glanced at the rearview mirror, but his gaze wasn’t on her this time. It was on the road behind them.
    She turned, seeing headlights. “We’re being followed.”
    “Keep your head down.”
    They crested a small hill, and on the downward side, Everett made a sharp turn off the roadway, onto a narrow dirt path.
    Her heart hammered in her chest. “What are you doing?”
    “Taking cover. We’ll hide out in the thick underbrush.”
    It’s Mason. She didn’t give voice to her suspicion. Everett had heard her before and had ignored her. She doubted anything would convince him of the truth.
    Braking to a stop behind a thick stand of trees, he killed the engine, opened the driver’s door and held up his hand. “Stay here. I won’t be