Luke tapped his pen against his pad. “You told the sheriff you were secretly in love with Franny and you were angry she didn’t love you back.”
He blew out a breath. “I had to come up with some reason for killing her, and it was the only one that made any sense. But I lied. We had friend-zoned each other early on. There was never anything romantic between us.”
“June told Megan she’d uncovered evidence proving your innocence. Any idea what that could be?”
“It’s possible she found Franny’s journals. As far as I know, they disappeared on the day of her death.” Wade pulled on his shirt. “Listen, I told Megan and June to stay out of it for a reason. Whoever is behind this will do anything to keep it a secret.”
“Like that?” Luke pointed at the slice on Wade’s cheek. “What happened?”
Wade’s gaze jumped to Grace, and she nodded. “Tell them. Your sister will find out anyway.”
He sighed. “I was jumped at breakfast. Some guy tried to stab me with a homemade knife.”
“Someone didn’t want you talking to us.”
Wade nodded. “It’s never happened before so my guess would be yes.”
How many people had that kind of influence in a prison? Luke wanted to say the list was short, but it could be simply about finding the right prison guard or inmate for the correct price.
All of the attacks had been well planned out. The killer had prepared far in advance for contingencies but bided his time to avoid drawing attention. Whatever June had stumbled upon set things in motion. The cleanup had begun, and Luke was five steps behind.
“I’m moving you into protective custody until we have a handle on what’s going on,” he said.
“Forget about the evidence, Luke. I don’t care about me. I just want you to protect Megan and June.”
“Well, I do care about the evidence and you. Unfortunately, I can’t offer any guarantees in that regards.” Luke leaned forward and locked eyes with Wade. “But here’s one you can take to the bank. No one will touch your family. I can promise you that.”
The interview room was cold, and Megan hugged her arms around her waist. She stared at her brother. She wanted to simultaneously hug Wade and shake him until his teeth rattled.
“What were you thinking?” she asked. “Didn’t you think the truth would come out at some point?”
“No. The blackmailer promised not to touch you or June as long as I confessed.” Wade scrubbed his hands over his face. “Why couldn’t the two of you leave things alone?”
“Because we love you.”
Her throat clogged. Eight years separated them, and he’d only been six when their parents died. June’s job had long hours and an erratic schedule. Megan had been the one to get Wade up for school, cook him dinner, take him to baseball practice. She’d raised him, and it had nearly killed her when he went to prison.
Wade sagged in the chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands. “How bad is June?”
“She’s strong and a fighter.” She crouched down, placing a hand on his arm. “She’ll pull through.”
“You need to let Luke handle this, Megs. I don’t want you involved.”
“Too bad. This is bigger than you now, Wade. The killer went after June. Hank was injured today. You don’t get to dictate the terms anymore.”
She wasn’t sure why she’d allowed him to in the first place. June either for that matter. Megan didn’t consider herself weak, but she’d permitted her family to determine her involvement. That stopped right this minute.
A knock on the door preceded a trooper opening it. “Time’s up. We’ve got to go.”
Her brother stood. Megan rose on her tiptoes and hugged him. Tears pricked her eyes. “Stay safe, little brother.”
“You too.” He squeezed her tight. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
They separated. Megan winced as the cuffs clinked closed over her brother’s wrists. In the hall, Grace wrapped an arm around her waist and they watched, together, as Wade was escorted from the building.
“Thank you for getting him to sign the attorney/client agreement this morning.” Megan swiped at the dampness on her cheeks. “Wade’s made some bad choices. He shouldn’t have fled Franny’s house without calling the police, but he doesn’t deserve to spend the rest of his life in prison.”
“No, but you shouldn’t investigate this by yourself. It would be better if you and Luke teamed up.”
As much as Megan didn’t want to admit it, Grace and Wade had a point. A killer had targeted her family. She didn’t want to be foolish about the risks.
“Where is Luke?”
“In the office over there with Weston.” Grace gestured down the hall, her bracelets rattling. “Stay safe, hon, and call me if you need anything.”
The two women hugged, and Grace left. Megan took a deep breath, pausing outside the office to square her shoulders and lift her chin. She rounded the corner, limping slightly from the pain in her knee. Luke and Weston stopped midconversation when she entered the room.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“Uhhh, I’ll give you two a few minutes,” Weston said, darting for the exit, surprisingly agile for a person the size of a mountain. The door clicked behind him.
Megan raised her brows. “Well?”
“He’s provided no corroborating evidence, Wade’s known to lie in the past, and his story has holes big enough I could drive a tractor through.” Luke’s gaze snagged hers. “But I believe him.”
She let out the breath she was holding in a whoosh. “I want to work the investigation together.”
“You aren’t a law enforcement officer.”
“I’m a member of Wade’s defense team and that gives me access to anything you uncover.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I also refuse to be left in the dark this time.”
Last night had given her a lot of time to think, and Megan realized she’d been running. Away from Wade’s conviction. From Luke’s decision to hide her brother’s drinking. From her own pain. It was time to stop and face things head-on.
“You
