Free Baby Breakout by Lisa Childs

been a convenient patsy to take the murder rap?
Rowe sighed. “So this is literally a dead end then, man.”
“Marcus was paid off.”
He never would have been able to afford that historic building if he hadn’t been—not with the limited case load he’d had. There hadn’t been many files in those drawers, and Jed doubted the killer had taken anyone else’s.
“Probably with the money that was embezzled from my old accounting firm. Track down that money, Rowe.”
Jed had wanted to go through those records himself, but Marcus had claimed that he couldn’t get permission to bring them in to Blackwoods. Given how corrupt the warden had been, Jed hadn’t questioned him. But he should have because Marcus had probably lied about that, too. He just hadn’t wanted Jed to track that money down himself because it would have led to Marcus’s own wallet.
“During your trial, court-appointed accountants went through those ledgers and bank statements,” Rowe said, sharing what he’d learned from the transcripts. “No one was able to figure out where the money had gone. They figured you had secret accounts.”
“I didn’t.” He had never seen any of that money. “But the killer must have. Try to track down the payments that were made to Leighton for throwing my trial.”
“What about Erica Towsley?” Rowe asked, seemingly out of the blue. “Who is she?”
Jed chuckled. Rowe had kept interrupting him to keep Jed on the phone long enough to trace the call this time. “Check that angle, too.”
“For the money?”
“Follow the money.” Jed pulled the van into the alley behind Erica’s building.
He doubted it would lead back to her, though. Her vehicle was a piece of junk that looked as if it had more knocks and rattles than a demolition-derby car. And the building where she lived was old, as had been all the furnishings inside her drafty apartment. If she’d been paid off, her payments hadn’t been as generous as Leighton’s.
“What angle?” Erica whispered.
He shook his head. “And if you can’t figure it out, I’ll go over the ledgers and statements when I meet up with you.”
“If court-appointed accountants couldn’t figure it out, I doubt I will be able to,” Rowe said.
“Then concentrate on the witnesses,” Jed said. “I bet you’ll find they were paid off just like Leighton was. Track them down. And I’ll track down the money.”
“I’ll bring the ledgers to you,” Rowe offered. “I know where to find you.”
Even though the DEA agent couldn’t see him, Jed grinned at the man’s persistence. “Don’t waste your time. I would be gone by the time you got here.”
“I could send the police ahead to detain you,” Rowe warned him.
“You wouldn’t risk it,” Jed said with absolute certainty. “You wouldn’t risk my life.”
Or Macy would probably take Rowe’s—no matter how much she loved him. He didn’t trust that Erica wouldn’t risk his life, though, since she had already almost reported him.
He caught her as she reached for the door handle. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“Damn it, Jed—”
He clicked off the cell without explaining to Rowe that he hadn’t been talking to him.
“Let me go,” Erica demanded, her voice rising with panic as she tugged at her arm.
“No. I can’t let you go…”
* * *
     
H IS WORDS , SPOKEN SO matter-of-factly, chilled Erica’s skin so that goose bumps lifted beneath her heavy clothes.
“I’ll scream,” she threatened.
“Then I’ll have to shut you up.” He leaned closer.
Erica closed her eyes, flinching even before he struck her. But he didn’t hit her. Instead his gloved fingers slid along her jaw, tipping up her chin. Then his mouth covered hers.
She expected cruelty—for his mouth to punish. But instead his lips slid lightly across hers, brushing gently back and forth. Her breath caught and then escaped in a gasp.
And he deepened the kiss, pressing his mouth tighter against hers until her lips parted. Not for breath.
She