Find Me (24 page)

The Pope girl Sarah could check out tonight. The innkeeper, she could talk to most anytime. The minister— considering he'd discovered Alicia's body—wasn't likely taking visitors. That had never stopped Sarah from showing up.

The man would be extremely distraught. Particularly vulnerable to interrogation. Worked for Sarah. All she had to do was get past his Nazi wife.

Living Word Church
, 9:29 A.M.

Sarah swerved into the church parking area and braked hard.

An SUV, a police cruiser, and a sedan were parked in front of the reverend's home. The sedan was a rental.

Lex August.

Anger, hatred, and a couple other emotions Sarah couldn't readily define erupted inside her.

He was here already. Interviewing the man who'd discovered the body.

Dammit.

She wouldn't be getting anywhere near the house at this point. A deputy was stationed outside. Sarah's name definitely wouldn't be on his access list.

Surveying the street, she didn't see any sign of Conner's Jeep which meant he wasn't here. Had he been ordered off the investigation as well? That would make learning the facts a hell of a lot harder.

"Shit."

Fine. She shut off the engine and got out of the car. Waiting hadn't gone out of style. Neither had badgering. She knew how to do both.

Leaning against her rental, she crossed her arms over her chest and waited. What she would give for a cigarette right now. The nagging need fueled her frustration.

When Lex came out she would demand answers. She wouldn't get them but maybe a confrontation would cause him to screw up and let something slip. She could hope. That strategy had worked for her before.

If it didn't, there was always bribery.

Ten minutes. Twenty, then thirty passed. She didn't care if it took all day. She wasn't going anywhere.

Snow and ice crunching beneath tires drew her attention to the lot behind her. Conner's Jeep pulled into a parking slot. He jumped out and headed her way.

No surprise there. He was back on babysitting detail. Well, he could forget about it. She wasn't about to be distracted by him a second longer. Heat stirred deep in her belly as images from last night nudged their way into her thoughts.

He'd given her a couple of orgasms. So what? He wasn't the first, probably wouldn't be the last. She owed him nothing. The same as he owed her.

She banished the little voice that balked at her conclusions. This assignment, this man, was no different from any other. More determination was required to exile the denial that sprang instantly in reaction to that concept.

Stupid, Sarah. Really stupid.

"Sarah, we need to talk." That dark gaze plowed into hers. "Now."

"Maybe later, Conner." She turned her attention back to the Mahaney home. "I'm busy right now."

That didn't put Conner off. "You need to come with me. The chief is talking about a restraining order and I can—"

The front door of the reverend's home opened and the chief stepped out.

Sarah straightened. "It'll have to wait." Let the chief take out a restraining order against her. There were ways around that scenario, too.
Truth Magazine
had dozens of attorneys.

She stared at the door. Willed Lex to exit before the chief spotted her.

"Sarah—"

The door opened wide again, cutting off Kale. Her breath evacuated her lungs.

Special Agent Lex August strolled onto the stoop and down the steps, the black trench coat unwrinkled and gleaming like he'd only just pulled it off the rack at Nordstrom's.

As if he'd sensed her presence, he turned from the chief and settled his gaze on her. Even across the distance of the small yard and broader parking lot, she felt the impact of his stare.

"Hello to you, too," she mumbled.
You bastard
.

"Sarah," Conner said, trying once more but failing to draw her attention. "You should come with me."

"Not a chance." Her gaze didn't waver from the man now striding her way. "Bring it on, hotshot," she added under her breath. She'd waited three years, six months, and eleven days for this moment. Nothing was going to get in her way.

Evidently deciding that he wanted no part in this, the chief opted to wait with his deputy. Just as well. This was between Sarah and Lex.

"Well, well," Lex announced as he overtook her position. "If it isn't the truth seeker." He surveyed her up and down, blatantly displayed his abject disapproval. "How are you these days, Sarah? Still seeing that same shrink?"

"Fuck you, Lex," she snarled. He laughed.
Don't let him bait you
. She reined in her emotions.
Stay in control
.

"I'd hoped you had grown a sense of humor by now. I guess that isn't the case." He adjusted the striped tie that scrupulously matched his crisp navy suit. Not a dark hair out of place. Walking, talking perfection, total attention to every single detail.

Too bad he was all show and no tell.

Sarah made a sound that was nowhere near a laugh. "A sense of humor would be wasted on me," she tossed back, "just like that puny set of balls is on you."

Fury ignited in the jerk's hazel eyes. "What do you want, Sarah? The chief doesn't want you involved in this investigation anymore." He glanced at Conner. "You should go along with your babysitter and play nice." The fury cleared and arrogance took its place. "I'm sure you remember how to do that."

That was when she lost her cool. She got in his face. Let him see the sheer hatred in her eyes. "I remember a lot of things, Lex. Some I'm sure you'd rather I not recall. Shall we play this that way?" She could take him all the way down. Seriously fuck up his glorious reputation.

He chuckled, a dry, thoroughly unamused sound. "You just can't get beyond the past, can you, Sarah? You're scared to death you'll end up just like your mother."

Sarah fisted her fingers. She wanted to slap his smug face more than she'd ever wanted anything in her life. But she wouldn't give him that. That was what he wanted. Something else to release to the paparazzi, to draw attention to her flaws. "I'm here about the case. My mother has nothing to do with this."

"Ah, but she does." Lex stared at her mouth, made her want to puke, before meeting her eyes once more. "Your whole life is about the past. Hasn't your shrink told you that over and over again?"

"What's your problem?" Conner stepped into the mix.

Sarah blinked, glanced at the man who was suddenly at her side looking ready to tear into Lex. Great. She was sick to death of Conner's insatiable need to take care of her. She could damned well take care of herself. She didn't need him or anyone else to do the job.

"Back off, Conner."

"I see you're up to your old tricks," Lex said with a pointed glance at Conner. "There are other ways of gleaning information, Sarah. You don't always have to do it on your back."

Conner had him by the lapels before Sarah could react. "What the fuck does that mean, asshole?"

"I said back off, Conner." This was expressly why she should learn to appreciate vibrators. Men sucked when the testosterone kicked in.

"Kale!" Chief Willard rushed in their direction. "Let go of Agent August, Kale." The out-of-shape chief of police huffed and puffed in an effort to catch his breath. "I don't think the two of you have been introduced."

Conner gave Lex a little push as he released him. "I don't need a formal introduction to know an asshole when I meet one."

Sarah wanted everyone to back the fuck off so she and Lex could finish this. "Chief," she said as calmly as possible, "we're having a private conversation here."

"From where I was standing," Willard shot back, "it didn't exactly sound private."

"Why don't we tell them what the real problem is?" Lex suggested.

"That would be nice," Conner growled, leaning in even closer to the guy.

What the hell? Sarah glowered from one man to the other. This was her battle.

"Sarah, you should explain to these gentlemen the motive behind your obsession with cases like this." The bastard's eyes dared her to ignore his challenge. "Perhaps then they would better understand your tactics."

All attention was on her then.

"My only motive is finding the truth." It infuriated Sarah all the more that a good deal of the ferocity had gone out of her tone. This son of a bitch knew too much about her. He was twisting the situation to suit his needs. His intent was as transparent as glass. He wanted to make her look like a fool. And it would work. She knew all too well.

"Her mother murdered her father," Lex announced, "and seven of his mistresses over a ten-year period. Each time, little Sarah hid in the closet or under the stairs waiting for Mommy to finish up and find her."

Sarah rammed her fist into his gut. Couldn't help herself.

Lex bent forward. Gagged and coughed. The chief stepped between them. Conner manacled her arm, restraining her from doing further physical harm.

When Lex had recaptured his breath, he glared at her with no mercy. The gloves were off now, he was going for the jugular. "All those years," he taunted, "all those lies. That's what makes the truth so important to you, isn't it, Sarah? You
need
the truth."

His words hit their mark. The rage died a sudden death.

The truth was what it was… and she couldn't deny his charge.

The only thing she needed was out of here.

Sarah walked away.

She'd had enough.

Let them believe what they would. Let them depend on that jerk. It was their mistake to make.

"Sarah!"

"Wait, Kale."

When he would have gone after her, the chief grabbed Kale by the arm. "Let her go."

Kale glared at the man, then at Agent Asshole. "What the hell were you doing? She didn't deserve that." Kale's head was still spinning with the reality of what August had said. Sarah's mother had killed her father… and seven mistresses? Jesus Christ. There had been nothing about that in the background info the chief and the mayor had given him.

Had Sarah overheard her mother's gruesome activities? Seen things a child shouldn't see? No wonder she didn't believe in people. The ones she'd trusted the most had let her down. From her parents all the way down to this jerk—whom she had obviously trusted with her deepest, darkest secrets.

"She played you, Mr. Conner," August informed him with a fleeting glance at Sarah's car as she spun out of the parking lot. "That's what she does. She digs into an investigation and she uses whoever she has to in order to get what she wants. Information."

Kale was going to beat the hell out of this piece of shit. His chest felt ready to explode. His fingers itched to scrape the parking lot with his self-righteous face. "I don't think you know her quite as well as you think you do."

August smirked. "I know every square inch of her."

Rage detonated in Kale's blood. Had the chief let go of him already, Kale would have jumped the guy then and there.

"We don't have time to worry about Sarah Newton, Kale," the chief urged. "We have a murderer to find. That's where we need to focus our attention and our energy."

Kale took a breath, grappled for reason. The chief was right. They had to stop this nightmare. If anyone else disappeared… he couldn't even go there.

There was no time to worry about Sarah right now. Kale shouldn't even waste a second caring about her feelings. After what she'd said to him last night, he should be finished with her. He'd let her get to him… had let her closer than he had anyone in so damned long it wasn't even funny.