Sullivan knocked on the door and poked his head in the conference room. “Deputy, your son is on line one. He said he needs a permission slip signed, but your mother forgot.”

Tugging her ear, Bennett nodded. “I’ll get working on that press conference. Excuse me.”

As Macy watched Bennett leave, she was struck by the anxiety rippling through the deputy’s body. Her demeanor could be explained as a case of nerves. Many local officers mistrusted FBI until they proved their worth. But it was more than that with Bennett. Whatever was chewing on her ran deep.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Monday, November 18, 2:30 p.m.

As Bennett’s determined footsteps drifted down the hallway, Macy felt Nevada’s scrutiny shift from the case to her. An insect under a microscope would have felt less noticed.

“You’ve shifted in your seat several times. Are you in pain?” he asked.

“The leg always aches. One of the many odd souvenirs I collected in Texas.”

“What other keepsakes did you bring back?” he asked.

“An identical twin sister.”

“Seems surreal to know there’s another you running around.”

Nevada’s description didn’t begin to encompass the insanity of her life. The only thing that really made sense these days was work. “Tell me about it.”

“How are you processing what you discovered in Texas?” he asked.

“You mean, how am I squaring with the fact that I’m half-monster?”

Nevada met her gaze head-on. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

Bitterness saturated her tone. “Ramsey asked me the same question, but in a different way.”

“I know it has to be a lot to process.”

Pressure built in her chest as it always did when she discussed Texas. “I won’t lie. It’s hard to wrap my head around it at times.”

“Just for the record, the planet’s a better place for having you in it,” Nevada said.

That prompted a sour smile. “A girl made a terrible sacrifice so that I could exist. I owe her the scalps of as many of these bastards as I can collect.”

“Scalps won’t bring her back.”

“They’ll make me feel better.”

Nevada looked skeptical. “Will they?”

“I’ll let you know when I catch this one.” She resented the sadness tiptoeing around her words. She uncrossed her legs and rubbed her hand over her thigh. “Why are you in Deep Run? I’d have bet a few paychecks you’d never end up here.”

He shifted his weight slightly. “I like the slower pace.”

She leaned forward, lowering her voice. “I know you. Communing with nature in solitude was never your thing. There’s more perking behind those steely eyes.”

He tapped a finger on the conference table. “What can I say? Living out of a suitcase got real old.”

She wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t press. They both were better off not knowing. “You said Ellis Carter is a cousin.”

“She’s my first cousin. Her mother and my mother were sisters. We grew up together. When I found out about the untested kits and launched my bid for sheriff, she confessed she was one of the victims.”

“You never knew?”

“She made Greene and her mother keep it a secret.”

That piece connected several portions of the puzzle. If anything, Nevada was loyal. “You must have been pissed.”

“An understatement. I visited with Sheriff Greene about the kits. He blamed it on a lack of budget. I offered to get federal funding, and he basically blew me off.”

“How high did your stack blow?” she asked.

“Through the roof. I left his office and went directly to the courthouse and filed my intention to run for office.”

Nevada had never been the kind of guy to walk away. “How’s Ms. Carter doing?”

“She’s doing well. She said counseling helped a lot, and she’s moved on with her life.”

“But she won’t really until this guy is caught.”

His hand closed slowly into a fist. “She thinks he called her about five years ago.”

She jotted a note on her legal pad. “What did he say?”

“He said, ‘I remember you.’”

“And she’s sure it’s him?”

“She’s not positive.”

Macy rubbed her hands together. “If he did call her, it tells me he feeds off fear.”

“I know.” Pain and anger vibrated around him.

“You want this as much as I do.”

He dropped his gaze for only a moment, telling her the on-point assessment struck a nerve. “Yes,” he said quietly.

Bennett appeared in the doorway. “Ellis Carter is here,” she said.

They both rose. Macy tugged the sleeves of her blazer down. Nevada shifted his stance and forced himself to relax his shoulders.

Macy’s work with human trafficking victims had driven home many lessons. The first was simple. Time didn’t heal all wounds. Counseling certainly helped glue the broken pieces back together, but mended cracks remained vulnerable forever.

However, Ellis Carter appeared to have no weaknesses. At thirty, she was slim and fit with dark hair as black as Nevada’s. She wore no makeup to accentuate her clear, tanned skin, but frankly she didn’t need it. She made faded jeans, a red pullover sweatshirt, and well-worn hiking boots look fashionable.

Ellis smiled at Nevada and hugged him. “Mike. How goes the renovation?”

Nevada’s face warmed in a way that Macy found out of character and attractive. His gaze always possessed an edge when he looked at her. “If I never hold a paintbrush again, it’ll be too soon.”

“Rumor has it you’re dragging your grandfather’s place into this century,” Ellis said.

“It’s fighting me every step of the way, but it’s coming around. How’s the business?”

“We’re wrapping up our fall hikes and winding down for the holiday season. You’re still coming to my place for Thanksgiving, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“It’ll be a gathering of misfits and should be very fun.”

“You know how I love misfits,” he said dryly.

Ellis laughed. “Ass. You’re going to love this group.”

Macy envied their easy banter. When she thought about the holidays, she pictured her Frankenstein family trying to make conversation at the dinner table. “So, your birth mother was held captive when?”

Ellis turned to Macy and extended her hand. “Ellis Carter.”

Macy accepted it, offering her best official welcome. “I’m Special Agent Macy Crow. Thank you for coming in today.”

All traces of humor vanished. “When I saw Mike, I almost forgot why I was here.”

“I didn’t mean to ruin the reunion,” Macy said.

“No, it’s your job. And I’m glad you’re here. It does my heart good to know you’re all taking a second look at my case.”

Bennett pulled out a chair for Ellis but took a seat at the opposite end of the table. Macy retook her seat, and Nevada planted himself right next to his cousin. He wasn’t a naturally warm person, but he was fiercely protective.

“Ellie,” Nevada said, “as I told you a few months ago, we received a grant so that we could test DNA from a backlog of cases. The samples from your case were among those tested.”

Ellis shifted in her seat and pursed her lips into a grim line. “It never occurred to me that it hadn’t been tested all those years ago.”

“There were budget problems,” Nevada said.

“Never figured justice would have a price tag, but I guess everything does,” Ellis countered.

Until Macy understood the reasons behind Greene’s inaction, she would keep her complaints about his work to herself. “Can I ask you about the night you were attacked?”

Nevada shot Macy a warning as if to say, Tread real lightly.

“Don’t let my cousin’s grim stare put you off,” Ellis said. “I’m not made of china.”

“I can see that.” However, Macy didn’t accept the comment at face value. She, too, had mastered the art of projecting confidence even when she was saddled with worry and guilt. “Can you tell me about that night?”

“Where do I start?” Ellis asked.

“The first time you were aware of your assailant,” Macy offered.

“I was sleeping in my own bed,” she said. “It had taken me hours to fall asleep. My parents were getting a divorce, and I was still dealing with that. Anyway, after several hours I drifted off, but it wasn’t a deep sleep. You know how your brain skims under the sleep, ready to pop to the surface?”

“I’ve had many nights like that,” Macy said.

“I guess I never reached REM sleep because I woke up when I heard my bedroom door close. I sat up and saw him standing by the door.” She drew in a breath and went silent for a moment.

Bennett rose, grabbed the box of tissues from the credenza. With a slight, almost apologetic smile to Ellis, she placed them on the conference table.

“Thanks. I was hoping I wouldn’t need those.” Absently, Ellis tugged at a loose thread on her sweater. “I think I startled him because he turned quickly and in a flash was across the room and on top of me. He shoved a rag in my mouth and put a knife to my throat.”

“Did you see his face?” Macy asked.

“No. He wore a ski mask. It was black with red trim around the eyes and mouth.” Ellis suddenly blinked back tears, plucked a tissue from the box, and dabbed it to her eyes. Nervous laughter bubbled. “You’d think after all this time that I wouldn’t tear up.”