Apparently, his journey here to find her hadn’t either.

  That was the only upside in all this. She was so damned glad he was dead. It was as if a steel cage had been removed from around her...except a glimmer of danger still lingered close by. It was impossible to fully understand the threat until the person who killed Adam was found.

  “I’m certain you don’t need an attorney,” Gibbons said, drawing her back to the moment. “It is your right, however.”

  “Let’s move on,” Grace suggested. It was late, and she had no desire to drag this out any longer than necessary. “I would ask you to sit down, but I’m hoping this won’t take that long.”

  “You’ve been here for two years,” he said. “The deputy confirmed as much. On the plane I googled the inn and you, but oddly I found no photos of you or your son.”

  “I’ve been careful about that.” She was only too happy for photos of the inn to be snapped but never with her or Liam in the frame. Even when she’d been given awards by the community leaders, she had been careful not to be in a photo.

  She had learned the hard way that the internet was forever.

  “Where were you before coming here?” Gibbons asked.

  “If you want to know if Adam’s been in contact with me, just ask.” She refused to go into detail about where she was before finding this inn and starting her new life. “Where I’ve been is irrelevant to your investigation, I believe.”

  “I agree,” Rob said. “The murder occurred here. I can’t see how where she was prior to two years ago would have any bearing on the murder.”

  Grace pressed her lips together to hold back a smile. It was really nice to have someone on her side this time. Last time her father had just died, and all the people she’d thought were friends were suddenly gone. Busy. Unavailable. Not that she blamed a single one of them.

  Bottom line, she had been on her own.

  “Was he in contact with you at any time since you left California?” Gibbons asked. He watched her carefully over the top of his glasses as he waited for her to respond.

  The glasses were new. She didn’t recall seeing him with glasses last time. Looking at him more closely now, she noticed the light scattering of gray in his hair and in the stubble on his jaw.

  “No. I was very careful. No one from my old life had any idea where I was or where I was going. After my father’s death, there was nothing left in California for me.”

  “You had no reason to believe he was aware of your whereabouts now?”

  “None at all.” She thought of the visit to her porch. She felt confident Rob had already told him about this. “The first inkling I had that he might be in the area was when my son discovered a man walking around the house the other night. The man came onto the porch and looked into the window. I had no idea who he was, but my son said he had blue eyes. I have to admit that rattled me. But I assumed Adam was still in jail. It wasn’t until the next day that I googled him and learned he’d been released.”

  “I would have warned you,” Gibbons said, “had I known how to reach you.”

  Anger stirred deep in her belly. “You’re well aware why you didn’t know my location.”

  He glared at her, his own anger making an appearance. “We did what we thought was right.”

  “I’m sure you did,” Grace replied. “But you did so with no care about the cost to me and my child.”

  “He was already on to us,” Gibbons argued. “When we reached his office, he was gone—as you well know. Obviously he’d gotten a heads-up somehow.”

  On some level she understood that the police—Gibbons in particular—had thought that perhaps she had gotten cold feet and warned her husband they were coming. But that could not be farther from the truth. “He was on vacation. The call into work was an emergency. Did it not occur to you that he might return home before the end of his usual workday?” She shook her head. “Whatever you were thinking, rather than warn me that he was on the run or come to where I was—which was the most likely place he would go—you went into the house without a proper warrant.”

  “We had exigent circumstances since we believed you might be in danger,” he argued. “Or that there could be a victim hidden in another secret room of the house.”

  Grace laughed. “Except I wasn’t there and you knew I wasn’t there. As for another victim, I never said there was another one.” Thinking about the risk he took with her life and her son’s infuriated her even now.

  He shrugged. “We couldn’t be sure of anything—not even your statement.”

  “Let’s get this over with,” she suggested. “Do your interview and then do your job. My son’s life is at stake, and just like last time, I’m not going to stand around here and wait for you to provide the protection he needs.”

  Gibbons stared at the floor a moment before lifting his gaze back to hers. “We did what we thought was right.”

  “You said that already,” she reminded him.

  “I won’t let you down this time, Gi—Grace,” he promised.

  “I’ll be taking care of Grace and Liam’s security,” Rob countered.

  Grace would never be able to thank this man enough.

  “I do not want her leaving this property,” Gibbons warned. “We lost track of her last time, and I don’t want that to happen again until we finish this.”

  “No promises,” Rob argued. “This could take weeks or months to sort out on your end. We will do whatever is best for our citizens on this end.”

  For the first time since she was a kid growing up in the woods well beyond the tourist setting of Lake Tahoe, Grace felt as if she belonged. She would never be able to thank Rob enough.

  “The medical examiner provided me with a preliminary time of death,” Gibbons was saying. “Between midnight and six this morning.”

  That would mean he’d been murdered only six to twelve hours after coming here and looking at Liam through the window. Her heart shuddered. Had someone been with him or following him even then? She shuddered at the idea.

  “He’ll be able to pinpoint the time more closely as soon as he’s completed the autopsy,” Rob added.

  Gibbons nodded. “I’m familiar with the routine.” He shifted his attention to Grace. “Can you verify where you were during that time frame?”

  She had expected the question. “I was here. Asleep with my son until about five and then I got up and started baking. My chef can confirm that I was in the kitchen elbow deep in dough when she arrived at five thirty.”

  No matter that she understood his questions were necessary, it still angered her that she was considered a suspect. Not that she hadn’t dreamed of killing the bastard. It was the only way her son would ever be free. But she couldn’t risk him losing his mother. She was no murderer, and the odds that she wouldn’t get caught were not in her favor.

  “Can anyone confirm you were here prior to Ms. Franks’s arrival?”

  She thought about that for a moment. There hadn’t been any guests and Liam had been asleep. “No. I suppose not.”

  “Actually,” Rob said, “I can vouch for her. A deputy was stationed outside the inn until Diane Franks arrived. Grace never left.”

  Grace stared up at him in a kind of shock. Why would he cover for her? He had to know Gibbons would attempt to confirm his statement. Whatever the case, she appreciated the effort.

  “You had eyes on her vehicle all night?”

  “Her SUV was in the garage and it never left.”

  “But she could have walked. It’s less than two miles to the Cashion residence, where the murder occurred.”

  Now he was reaching.

  “I would not have left my son alone,” she argued.

  “It was snowing,” Rob stated. “And it was about twenty degrees. So no, that’s not feasible.”

  “But you suspected Adam was here,” Gibbons countered, his point directed at her. “How could you sleep knowing it was possible?”

  “I couldn’t be certain.” This was not entirely true. She had found the necklace. She’d known that at the very least one of his followers was close by.

  She should have given the damned locket to Rob... She shouldn’t have pretended it didn’t matter. Now if she told Gibbons about it, Rob would see it as her having hidden a perhaps important piece of evidence from him.

  She really, really had to get her head on straight here.

  Cutting herself some slack, she had sort of talked herself into believing it could be someone else. She’d come up with all sorts of other scenarios. The truth was, she hadn’t been sure until she’d done that Google search the next day. “You can check my computer. Why would I have looked for information about him online if I’d known he was here and I had already killed him?”

  “I suppose you wouldn’t have,” Gibbons admitted, “unless you’d done it to strengthen your alibi.”

  “Enough,” Rob warned.

  Grace jumped at his tone. Though he’d startled her, she was grateful he’d intervened.

  “You are here—in my jurisdiction—and this is getting us nowhere,” Rob warned him. “Unless you plan to carry out some sort of constructive investigation, then you should be on your way and allow us to do our jobs.”

  Gibbons held his glare with one of his own for a beat or two. Then his eyes pierced Grace. “He came here for a reason,” he charged. “He wanted you back or he wanted his son and you dead. Whatever it was, if he brought help along, for some reason that helper turned on him. We need to know why that happened.”

  “I’m glad he’s dead,” Grace confessed. “I’m not going to lie. But I didn’t kill him, and like you said, if he brought someone with him who did, then what’s the motive? Does this other person want my son—his son—or just revenge for someone else?”

  “So far,” Rob pointed out, “you’ve talked about Locke having maybe brought a follower or a friend with him. Maybe this was a family member of one of his victims who’s been posing as a follower, waiting for the right opportunity to take his revenge. Or one who learned of his impending release and then followed him here. He or she may be long gone now that the job is done.”

  Grace hadn’t considered that option, but Rob was right. It was possible.

  “We need to find whatever vehicle they were using,” Gibbons suggested. “We started trying to track Locke as soon as he was released. He vanished before we could come up with other charges against him—at least to hold him until the original investigation was reopened. He didn’t use public transportation, which would mean he likely drove or the person with him drove.”

  “So we’re looking for a new arrival in town,” Rob said. “One who came from the West Coast.”

  Grace thought of the two guests currently registered right here at the inn. One from California, the other from Seattle.

  Rob’s gaze collided with hers. “We’re going to need to wake up your guests.”

  That was the last thing she wanted to do. Involving her guests was the worst possible scenario, but Rob was right—they fit the profile, so to speak. “I’ll talk to them,” Grace said. “In the morning. I will not disturb them tonight.”

  “I can’t risk one or both disappearing when the police presence here tonight is gone,” Gibbons countered.

  “The police presence isn’t going anywhere,” Rob assured him. “I and one of my deputies will be here all night.”

  Gibbons straightened. “Well, I suppose under the circumstances I’ll need to take a room as well. I’m not booked anywhere else.” He turned to Grace. “I would think the multijurisdictional police presence would give you comfort.”

  How could she debate the statement? Gibbons knew Adam Locke better than anyone—maybe better than Grace.

  Though she didn’t find his presence here the least bit comforting, if his being on hand was in any way helpful in keeping Liam safe, she could deal with it.

  Her son’s safety was all that mattered.

  “All right. Follow me and I’ll get you registered.”

  He followed her to the registration desk, where she selected a key to one of the cabins. She could tolerate his presence but some distance was necessary.

  “You’re in cabin 15.” She placed the key on the counter. “I’ll fill in the necessary information. Your stay will be on the house. We appreciate all that law enforcement does to keep the community safe.”

  He picked up the key, his gaze searching hers for a moment. “Very well.”

  “I’ll show you the way to the cabins,” Rob suggested, saving Grace the trouble.

  She’d have to remember to thank him later.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, Grace,” Gibbons said before turning away.

  She would see him. Only because she had no other choice.

  Chapter Seven

  It was well past midnight when Grace returned to her room. She found Diane and Cara pacing the floor. She peeked in on Liam, who remained fast asleep. Grace closed the door quietly and joined the others in her small parlor.

  Rob had said he would check in with her once he’d walked the perimeter of the property and updated Reynolds. Grace felt immensely better with those two close by. She couldn’t name what she felt with Gibbons in one of her cabins. She felt...uneasy. Restless. Like she needed to run as far and as fast as she could.

  Stay calm. Focus on the necessary steps.

  “This is insane,” Diane insisted. “This guy cannot believe you killed that—that—”

  “Monster,” Cara said. She settled on the sofa and pulled her knees to her chest. “You saw the things we found on the internet,” she said to Diane. Her attention shifted to Grace then. “I don’t know how you survived.”

  Flashes of scrambling through the snow with him right behind her zoomed through her brain.

  “I was lucky.”

  “You’re also strong,” Diane said. “Only someone with incredible courage could have gone through what you did and still be standing.” She dropped into a chair. “My God, look at what you’ve accomplished here. You’ve built a great new life for you and Liam. It’s amazing what you’ve done.”

  “Thank you.” Grace dredged up a smile. “I’ll just be thankful if we get through this and then move on with the rest of our lives.”

  She had to keep reminding herself that Adam was dead. It didn’t feel real. No one was more grateful than her that he was gone, but it hadn’t completely sunk in yet. She kept asking herself how she would deal with him, only to abruptly remember that she never had to deal with him again.

  He was dead. Done. Gone. He was never coming back.

  Except he’d likely brought someone with him, and that person could still be here. That person could be watching from a distance at this very moment.

  She had an obligation to warn her employees. Just one more nightmare to add to the mix.

  “There’s a strong possibility he didn’t come here alone.”

  “I read about him having followers,” Cara said. “Does the detective from San Francisco feel someone like that may have come with him?”

  “He does. Worse, there’s a strong possibility that person may be a killer as well. May have killed Adam.” At least, that was how Grace felt. “Until we know more, it’s really important that both of you be very careful. I’ll be having this same conversation with Paula and Karl.”

  “What about the guests?” Diane asked. “Are they in danger?”

  Grace felt sick with the burden of this unholy mess. “The best way to look at this is that anyone close to me could be in danger.”

  Cara’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no. Liam.” She shook her head, her face a study in worry. “You should let me take him to my grandmother’s cabin. We’d be safe there. Trust me, no one would ever find that cabin.”

  The offer gave Grace pause. “You know, I might have to take you up on that.”

  “The kid certainly adores Cara,” Diane pointed out. “It could work.”

  The thought of not having Liam close was nearly more than Grace could bear. They had never been apart. Never separated by anything other than a wall. But this time there might not be a choice. His safety had to be her absolute top priority. No matter how painful to her mothering instincts.

  Grace looked from one woman to the other. “Thank you. Both of you. I am so glad to have you in my life. Liam and I would be lost right now without you.”

  “I’m just sorry you didn’t feel you could share this with us before,” Cara said, the sadness in her tone tugging at Grace.

  “You really can trust us,” Diane chimed in.

  “I know and I’m sorry,” Grace confessed. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

  “Anyway,” Diane said with a shake of her head, “we’re here and so is Rob. The man obviously has a serious crush on you.”

  Grace laughed off the suggestion. “He’s a very nice man but—”

  “Don’t even go there,” Cara interrupted. “The guy likes you and you should give him a chance. A little time for just the two of you would be a good thing. All the more reason to let me take Liam to the cabin.”

  “You could be right,” Grace acknowledged. “And I promise to keep your offer in mind.”

  A soft rap at the door had Grace’s heart rising into her throat. Rob opened the door and stepped in. “Ladies, if you’re ready to go home, Deputy Reynolds will follow you and make sure you get inside safely. You live the nearest, Diane, so they’ll go to your place first.”

  She hopped up. “Sounds good.” She flashed Rob a big smile. “I always appreciate a man showing his gentlemanly side.”

  “I second that,” Cara said as she joined Diane.

  Grace hugged one and then the other. “See you in the morning.”

  Rob said, “I’ll be back in a bit.”