Page 36 of Now or Never
Jax said, “If they intended to kill him, why harass him beforehand? Seems like no one would’ve tied them to the incident if they’d left him alone.”
“That doesn’t mean they aren’t the perpetrators,” Herron said. “It just means they left evidence and they have motive to want him dead. It’s just a tragedy that innocent people were harmed in the process. These women killedchildren.”
“That’s also a reason I don’t believe they did it.” Kenna couldn’t imagine risking that kind of collateral damage. “There are easier ways to take out a political player. As we all saw months ago.”
“You’re referring to the deaths of the president and the CIA director?” Herron glanced between them. “You believe this is connected to that incident?”
Kenna shrugged one shoulder.
“Everything is connected,” Jax said. “You. Us. Open cases on your boss’s desk. An unsolved murder in Boston. So many things that it would be impossible to piece it all together and come up with a master plan. You’d go crazy trying to figure out how it all connects.”
“Is this just a theory, or do you actually have evidence?”
Kenna figured it was a fair question. “Call it personal experience.”
Herron stared at her.
“Speaking of theories,” Kenna said, “what if this whole thing is a setup? The same people who threatened your family want these people shut down. They brought you in with the rest of the taskforce and set up Hann, Anthony & Associates as the scapegoats for an assassination attempt, but it was all orchestrated by someone else wanting to take out two birds with one stone, as it were.”
“Find me evidence to the contrary and I’ll look at it.” Agent Herron pulled out her phone. “I have to get back to work.” She leaned forward. “I’d like to say it was good to see you guys, but my life is generally a lot quieter if you’re not around.”
Agent Herron said her goodbyes and took off out of the coffee shop.
“Maizie should be in that package by now.” Kenna checked her phone but had no new notifications.
If she wanted to, she could look at an app on her home screen and see the location of everyone in their family, even Amara and Bruce. That was the one thing she’d asked of them after her rescue. She could look whenever she wanted to and see where Zeyla and Ramon, Maizie, or Stairns and his wife were. Just an added peace of mind to help her try and keep it together.
Jax got up. “While we’re waiting for her to get through the packet, or figure out what that code meant, we have an appointment.”
She frowned, but followed him to the door of the coffee shop. “Where?”
“You’ll see.” He held her hand all the way down the busy sidewalk to the car. “I thought about a psychologist, but didn’t think you’d want to see a doctor you didn’t know.”
“You think I need therapy?”
“We all need therapy.” He smiled endearingly at her, as if he thought her objection was adorable, and parked the car. After driving a couple of miles, they’d reached the community outreach center.
She wasn’t mad, because he was right. She did need an impartial person to talk to. Someone she could be completely honest with. “What is it?”
“There’s a guy here that I trust, and you need some outside perspective. So I made us an appointment, even though he doesn’t usually do that kind of thing.”
Jax held the door for her, and she looked down the long hall.
The murmur of conversation got louder as they approached the main room of this center, passing a noticeboard on the way with a huge sign for free Thanksgiving dinner.
A group of young guys played pool at one of two tables. Several pairs of older men played chess or checkers at tables to one side. A long metal counter to the left was bare now, withpeople in white aprons and hairnets cleaning up behind the opening.
A man in a wheelchair backed up from the table where he’d been talking to someone and pushed on the wheels of his chair, heading toward them. He had a shaved head, a tattoo on the left side of his neck, as well as sleeves on both forearms, and no legs below his knees.
“Oliver!” The guy smiled wide.
Jax held out his hand.
They clasped each other’s forearm and followed up with a back-slapping hug.
“Good to see you, buddy.” Jax straightened. “Jesse Lee Peterson, this is my wife.” He grinned. “Kenna Banbury.”
“Nice to meet you.” She shook his hand. “How do you guys know each other?”
