Page 106 of Ice Cold Liar

But he continued, “I think that Ivan and Hudson and Clark wereallworking together.Hudson was not some good guy in this story.He hurt Naomi.He took away her seizure meds and replaced them with something else.Hudson hurt her.She had to fight him in order to survive on her wedding night.”

Her breath came faster.

“I thought he was my friend,” Eb added, voice grim.“But I didn’t know him at all.”

“Sometimes, we don’t really know anyone.”She tucked a lock of hair behind her left ear.“But to me, it only makes sense for the detective to go after Naomi if he believed she knew something that could implicate him.Otherwise, why not just leave her at the safe house?Why risk pulling a gun with you right there?”

Eb could only shake his head.He didn’t get what factor had pushed Clark into taking such a drastic step.“Desperate people do desperate things.”So what had made the detective desperate?What had finally made him decide he had to kill Naomi?

“What does Naomi know?”Madeline asked him.

Again, Eb shook his head.

“Come on, Eb.”She reached out and touched his hand.“You seduced her.You gained her trust.Naomi must have told you every secret that she possessed.Did she say something that would make Clark think she had to die?”

His gaze cut to the one-way mirror.

“She’s not behind the glass.”Madeline sounded tired.“She’s down the hallway, with Colson Reid.He’s keeping an eye on her.At this point, I don’t know if there are other dirty cops in the department or not, but giving her a guard seemed like a good plan.”

His focus shifted back to Madeline.

“What else does Naomi know?”she asked again.She seemed so weary.The faint lines near her mouth cut deeper.Lines he had never seen before.“You told me that Hudson took away her seizure medicine.That he hurt her on her wedding night.That’s intel I didn’t have until now.Tell me more.”

“She stabbed him twice on their wedding night.”

Madeline leaned forward.

“Naomi didnotkill him.She got away.Henry dragged her to safety.When Naomi came back to the guesthouse…”

“Yes?What did she see when she came back?”

“Hudson was dead.Naomi never saw the killer.”

Madeline didn’t move.

Eb raked a hand over his face.“But you said Brock confessed, so she didn’t have to see him, did she?We know the identity of Hudson’s killer now.”

Her shoulders slumped a bit.“No, she didn’t have to see him.We have the evidence that we need.Hudson’s murder investigation will be closed.And as far as Detective Clark Anderson…well, I think the investigation into the corruption in this department may just be starting.”

“If Hunter hadn’t fired his weapon at the detective, I’d be dead now.”

Her lips thinned.“The detective should never have gone after you.No one hurts my agents.”

“I’m not an agent any longer.”

One eyebrow lifted.“That debt you owe isn’t quite paid in full.And once Naomi goes back to her old life in Vegas, I think you’ll find that you want to keep busy.”She rose.Stretched a little.“You’ll know where to find me then.”

He rose, too.“So can I leave this damn room?Because when I opened the door before, two uniformed cops told me to stay put.”Fighting them had been tempting, but, in light of what had already gone down that day, probably not the best plan.

“A detective is dead.Try playing nicely for a bit while I straighten things out, will you?Dirty or clean, Clark was still one of their own.We need to make sure we’re handling everything here just right.No sense in making unnecessary enemies.”She rubbed her forehead once more.“Damn headache.”Madeline turned away.“I’ll go check on Naomi.And Hunter.Just try to not attack anyone while I’m gone, would you?I’d really appreciate that.”She made her way to the door.

“Who was the serial killer?”

Her hand froze mid-air as she reached for the doorknob.“Excuse me?”Madeline didn’t look back.

“The serial killer.Memphis thought it was Hudson.You said Memphis had it all wrong.But you told me that Hudson had stopped the real perp.Who was it?Was the killer Hudson’s father?”

She turned her head.Just a few inches.Met his gaze.“Yes.”

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