Page 40 of Secret Stalker

“Not exactly. But I was there, too, spoke to him more than you in those early days, since you wouldn’t let me visit you. I figured out what he was doing even if he was too gruff and stubborn to explain his actions.” He shook his head. “He’s never been one to explain himself. But I’ve worked with him since I graduated. Aside from odd jobs on farms and mowing yards, being a cop in Destiny is the only real job I’ve ever had. So I’ve had plenty of time to get to know him. He’s a good man, Bex. Locking you up wasn’t out of meanness or because he really thought you’d killed Bobby. Believe it or not, he cared what happened to you.”

She stared past him, through the windows to the dark backyard, illuminated only by moonlight. Max might be able to see some good in Thornton. But she’d never experienced anything but the harsh reality of a policeman who did things by the book and wouldn’t help her no matter how many times she pleaded for him to stop the stalking. And then the moment something happened to Bobby, he’d locked her up. She’d never forgive him for that.

“You think Robert Caldwell Senior hired those men to go after me?” she asked, refusing to discuss Thornton anymore.

He let out a deep sigh. “I think it’s possible, highly likely. But while some of the other guys track down that lead and talk to Mr. Caldwell, I’m here to talk to you. Bex—”

“You want me to tell you about that night.”

He nodded. “Your mother, God rest her soul, thought she was protecting you by not letting you talk to the police back then. But the problem is that it only makes you look guilty. Bobby’s father has built this up in his mind for years, convinced that because you left town, you must have been guilty.”

“I didn’t leave until two weeks later. It’s not like I just disappeared overnight.”

“Doesn’t make much difference. You never gave a statement. The investigation stagnated because of it. In Caldwell’s eyes, you’re guilty. Period. And he’s gone ten years without someone paying for his son’s death. You show up in town, he hears about it and bam, gunmen raid the store when you’re there and go searching for you, paid by some anonymous guy.”

“Anonymous?”

He nodded. “One of the gunmen in the hospital wanted to cut a deal. But the deal was to give us the identity of whoever hired him and the others to go after you. He couldn’t give us his identity.”

“How much money are we talking?”

“Ten thousand dollars. Each.”

“Wow. Fifty thousand dollars is more than the average person could afford. But ten thousand apiece wasn’t exactly making those guys rich. I wouldn’t risk my freedom for a penny less than a million,” she joked.

“I didn’t say they were smart.”

She smiled. “What exactly do you need from me? Do you want me to say I didn’t do it? That I didn’t kill Bobby?”

“That would be a good place to start.”

The silence stretched out between them.

“Bex—”

“You need to leave.”

His brows raised. “Back up. What just happened here?”

“Nothing happened. It’s late and I’m exhausted. I need to get some sleep. So do you.” Holding the afghan around her like a robe, she stood and headed into the kitchen.

Max followed her. She could hear him close and lock the door to the sunroom behind him. By the time he caught up to her, she had the front door standing wide-open.

His gaze flicked to the door, then to her. “What time do you get up in the morning? I’ll bring breakfast and then we can continue with our conversation.”

She shook her head. “I’m not answering any more questions. Don’t bother stopping by.”

His brows lowered in a deep slash. “I’m trying to help you, Bex.”

“No. You’re trying to solve a case and you think that by dredging up the past you’ll find some clue. Well, you can do that all you want, but you’ll have to do it without me.”

He stepped closer, looking down at her with a deep frown wrinkling his brow. “I could arrest you for obstructing a police investigation.”

“Go ahead. Then you and Thornton can share some stories over a couple of beers about how you both threw me in jail.”

His eyes narrowed, but not before she saw the flash of hurt in them.

Her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, Max. I shouldn’t have said—”

He stepped through the door without another word.

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