Forgotten Past by Mary Alford

Chapter Four

“Can I talk to you for a second?” Will asked.

JT could tell from the inflection in his friend’s voice there was something he wanted to tell him in private. “Sure.” He turned to Faith. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she said and closed her eyes. She looked ready to drop. Rehashing the details of her attack had taken its toll.

JT shut the door quietly and followed Will to the kitchen that faced the front of the house along with the great room.

“I didn’t want to say this in front of Faith, but I won’t be able to keep my officers here indefinitely. Let’s hope we can figure out who’s doing this soon, otherwise...” Will threw up his hands. “We’re short-staffed as it is. I heard a little while ago they’ve just upgraded Tropical Storm Tyler to a hurricane and it appears to be heading right for us. If it stays on course, it should reach landfall by late Tuesday evening or possibly Wednesday morning, and we could be facing an all-out evacuation of the island.”

JT let out a low whistle. That meant they had two days to figure out who was stalking Faith before the island became total chaos.

Will concentrated on the activity going on outside the kitchen window. “She hasn’t told us everything. Any police officer worth his badge would have taken a complaint from an assault victim very seriously. Something doesn’t add up.”

JT had thought the same thing. “You’re right. She’s holding something back.”

“She trusts you. You need to get her to open up. Find out what she’s keeping from us.” He rubbed a hand across his face. “This guy’s had a two-year head start on us, and the clock’s ticking. We need to know the whole story and soon.”

JT shrugged. “I’ll do my best. I’ve already asked Declan to check into her past to see what he can find out.” Will shot him a surprised look. “Call it a gut feeling, but when I brought her dog back last night, I could see that she was terrified of something.”

“Good idea. I’ll do what I can to help, but we don’t have much to go on and I can’t tie up the additional manpower for long with what we do have.” Will pointed toward the window. “We’re about done here. I’ve ordered the truck towed to the police impound lot. We’ll continue going over it, but I don’t think we’ll find anything.”

JT clasped his friend’s hand. “Thanks. I know this is the last thing you need right now, but I appreciate your help.”

“No problem. We’ll monitor her cell. Undoubtedly, he’ll keep calling.”

JT groaned when he spotted his sister’s battered, old VW Bug pull into the driveway out front. Liz’s arrival didn’t surprise him much. As a former Hope Island police officer, Liz still monitored most of the calls coming over the police scanner and she was up very early every morning to see her husband Sam, a local fisherman, off to work. His sister had probably been on her second pot of coffee when the call came in.

Will noticed Liz a second later. “You’re in trouble now. She’s found out you’re part of this. She’s going to want to know what’s going on. I think that’s my cue to leave.”

Liz swung open the front door and stepped inside. She located her brother right away and ignored Will’s “Good morning” entirely.

“Are you all right?” she asked as she rushed to his side. At almost six feet tall, blonde and physically fit, Liz had a way of capturing attention whenever she entered a room.

Today, she’d pulled her honey-blond hair up into a makeshift ponytail and thrown a jacket over her gray sweatpants and T-shirt. JT couldn’t help but chuckle at his big sister’s concern, even though at times she made him feel as if he were still ten years old instead of a thirty-three-year-old, successful businessman.

“I’m fine, Liz. What are you doing here?”

Her blue eyes held worry. “I heard the distress call go out for this address. I got in touch with Terry and he told me you called it in. What on earth happened? Are you all right?”

The last thing he needed right now was to try to explain the situation to Liz. “I’m fine. You didn’t need to make a trip over here.”

She arched one perfectly manicured brow at him. Liz always could see right through his bunk. “Don’t be ridiculous, brother. You are not talking to a rookie. Something big happened here this morning. There wouldn’t be this much police presence if it were nothing.”

Will rolled his eyes, waved and stepped outside. JT watched as his friend got into his car and left.

There was a time before Ellie’s birth and his sister’s subsequent decision to quit the force that Liz had been next in line to take over Will’s current position as chief of police. It had been a hard decision, but one Liz had never once regretted. Still, she enjoyed keeping up with the happenings of the island by listening to the police scanner. She probably knew more about the island then JT did.

“Someone took a couple of shots at me.” Liz’s mouth flew open. “But I’m fine,” he quickly reassured her. “Faith, the house’s new tenant, called me when she thought she had a prowler. When I got here, someone started firing shots off. We’re still trying to figure out what’s going on.”

“Good grief. You could have been killed! What kind of trouble is this woman in?”

Close by, someone cleared their throat. JT and Liz both turned and spotted Faith standing in the kitchen doorway. Neither of them had heard her come in. He could only imagine how she’d taken Liz’s comments. His sister at least had the good grace to appear embarrassed. In spite of Liz’s impetuous tongue, she was one of the kindest people he knew.

All the fight went out of Liz and she went over to Faith and extended her hand. “I’m sorry. That was a terrible thing to say and none of my business. JT is always telling me I’m overprotective. I’m Liz Richards, by the way. JT’s sister.”

After a slight hesitation, Faith shook her hand. “Faith McKenzie.”

Liz gave her a sympathetic smile. “JT told me what happened. That must have been terrifying. Do you have any idea who might have done this?”

Just like his sister to cut straight to the heart of the matter. “Liz...” But it didn’t matter, Faith wasn’t listening. She was staring at Liz’s locket.

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

Faith looked as if she’d just seen something frightening before she shook her head. “No, it’s nothing.” Even so, her voice came out strained.

Liz glanced around the enormous kitchen and at the disarray of someone who hadn’t unpacked. “This house is wonderful, isn’t it? I always loved the kitchen, but it’s so big. Are you still settling in okay?”

Faith blushed slightly. “Um, yes, I guess. I’m still trying to find the right place for everything.” Of course, Liz knew Faith had been renting the house for a month. She’d been the one to tell JT about his new neighbor. His sister was picking up on all the same signs he’d noticed the day before.

“I see.” Clearly she didn’t. Liz was all about organization. “Well, if you need any help, I’m available most days. I should warn you, though. I’m good at minimalizing. My poor husband is scared to death I’m going to throw away something he needs one day.”

Faith actually smiled. “Thank you. I might take you up on your offer.”

“Good. Oh, and when you’re ready, I’d be happy to show you around Hope Island. The city council renovated the downtown district a few years back. There are some nice shops and a great seafood restaurant. We could have lunch whenever you want.”

“I’d like that.”

Liz started to say something more when JT interrupted her. “Time to go.” Faith had been through enough without any more of his sister’s interrogations.

“JT,” his sister protested as he ushered her to the door.

“Later, Liz. I promise we’ll talk later.”

◆◆◆

JT closed the door on his sister’s protests and came back to Faith. “Sorry. She means well, but sometimes she doesn’t know when to quit. How are you holding up?”

Truth be told, the reality of what Liz had said brought home the truth and scared her to death. “I’m fine, but she’s right. I had no business calling you. You could have been killed.”

He clasped her hand. “I’m fine and I can take care of myself. Stop worrying.”

The warmth of his touch made it suddenly hard to draw air into her lungs. Her heart hammered her chest as if she’d run a marathon. She could feel her misgivings crumbling.

Something shifted in his eyes as they held hers. “I think I’ll make some more coffee...” he said absently as if it were hard to keep his thoughts together. “Want some?”

At first, the shrilling phone seemed disjointed. Unreal. As if part of the nightmare had found its way into a sweet dream. JT stared at her as unwelcome reality intruded between them.

He abruptly let her go, grabbed the phone from the counter and handed it to her. “Put it on speaker and try to keep him on the line as long as you can.”

Her fingers shook as she took the phone. She did as he asked and the familiar song filled the tense silence of the room. Time slowed to a crawl and then...he spoke.

“You shouldn’t have gone to the police. You made a dreadful mistake. Now you’re going to have to pay. It’s your turn to die.”

The phone slipped from her hand and clattered against the floor. He spoke. Her mind reeled. He’d never uttered a word before. Faith drew in handfuls of air to keep from hyperventilating.

JT retrieved the phone from where it fell. “Hello? Hello, is anyone there?” With no answer, he dropped the phone on the counter. She could tell from his taut expression that the connection hadn’t lasted long enough to trace the call.

He took out his phone and quickly punched in a number. “He just called. Did you get it?” he asked, his eyes glued to Faith. “Right. That’s what I thought. I’ll call you if anything new happens here.” JT disconnected the call.

“It wasn’t long enough, was it?”

“No. My guess is now that he knows the police are involved this will be the last time we hear from him...by phone.” He didn’t say as much but she knew. Her stalker was no longer toying with her.

“What aren’t you telling us, Faith? There has to be more to the story than what you told Will and me earlier.” She started to deny it but he wouldn’t let her. “I need the truth. All of it. And I need it now.” Frustration lent a hard edge to his voice.

Her hand went automatically up to tug at her top in an effort to hide the scar but he stopped her. His fingers gently pulled the collar away to reveal a raised red scar. “Please, just tell me.”

She sank down onto one of the barstools close by. “I was attacked. That much is true, but something else happened that night. Something horrible.” Faith couldn’t read anything from his expression. She took a deep breath and continued. “The night of my assault, two people, my best friend and her father, were murdered.”

Shock filled his eyes. “That’s...terrible. What happened?” JT prompted when it was hard for her to keep going. Every time she thought about that night, what Rachel and Carl must have gone through, the guilt became staggering. Why had she been the one to live while they had to die? What did he want from her?

JT pulled out the stool next to hers. He was waiting for answers and she knew she desperately needed his help, but could she really tell another living soul all those appalling things?

The tenderness she saw in him helped her go on. “I don’t know much about what happened. Just what I was told after the attack.”

“Okay,” he said gently. “Did the police have any idea what happened?”

Her hands shook and she clasped them together in her lap. “The police thought it started as a simple home invasion then something went wrong. He killed Rachel and her father right away. One theory is that I may have been in another part of the house at the time and the killer didn’t realize it...or maybe I tried to get away and he caught me. All I know is two innocent people died that night.”

JT thought about what she’d said. “Something happened to distract him?”

“Maybe. At least that’s what the police believed. What I don’t understand is why Rachel and Carl were killed and I wasn’t. After he committed the murders, the killer set a fire to destroy evidence inside the house, but when the cops found me, I was outside and some distance from the house. I guess that after he attacked me I tried to escape, but if he took the time to set a fire, then why not take care of the only witness left who could place him at the scene?”

The thought of what Rachel’s and Carl’s final moments must have been like haunted her every day she lived and they didn’t.

“You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. Even if something or someone did interrupt him, letting you live was a liability he couldn’t afford. You obviously saw his face. When you said that no one was ever charged with the stalking, I take it no one was ever charged with their murders, either? What about suspects? Did the police like anyone for the murders?”

She had no idea if the police liked anyone for the murders. Every time she asked for information on the case, the police shut her down. They’d been less than forthcoming with the facts as well. It had taken weeks before she’d even learned the details of the fire.

“As far as I know, they never had anyone in mind.”

“So why did the police believe it might have been part of a home invasion?”

“Apparently there had been a string of home invasions around the area at the time.”

“Was anything reported missing from the Jennings’ house?”

“That’s the part that never made sense. If the person responsible for the crime went to such extremes as to take the lives of two people, then why not finish the job and rob the place? But according to Rachel’s cousin, nothing was reported stolen.”

“Rachel’s cousin?” JT prompted.

“Ben Jennings. He’s the one who went through the house once it was cleared and told the police nothing appeared to be missing.”

“Did he live there?”

She remembered Ben had told her once he had an apartment downtown. “No.”

“Then how would he know if anything had been taken?”

“I think he stayed at the ranch quite often. I spoke with him at the hospital. Their deaths were devastating for him.”

“We need to talk to Ben. See what he remembers. He might be able to shed some light on what happened. At least give us another perspective. How well do you know him?”

“We talked several times on the phone, but I never met him in person. I was still in the hospital at the time of Rachel’s and Carl’s funerals. Ben seems very nice and I’m sure he’d be willing to do whatever he could to help solve his family’s murders.” She still remembered those calls as if they were yesterday. Ben had wept over the loss of his family, and his outpouring of grief had left an indelible mark on her. She’d felt so helpless. If only she could remember something.

“Did the police give you any indication as to why they didn’t think the calls were connected to the murders?”

She shook her head. “Like I said, they acted like I made the whole thing up.” She wasn’t being totally upfront with JT. She hated talking about the detectives’ innuendos. At first, they’d only hinted at the possibility of her involvement in what had happened to the Jennings. Later on, those hints had turned into accusations. The only reason they’d let her go was the lack of evidence against her. She’d lost her friends, her memory, her sense of security, and she’d been terrified she would lose her freedom as well.

“I don’t get it. With everything that happened to you, you’d think they would have investigated the calls more thoroughly.” He thought about it for a minute and then asked, “What about Carl Jennings and his daughter? Was there any indication they may have been having trouble with someone prior to their deaths?”

Faith had gone over every possible scenario in her head a thousand times. Researched Rachel and Carl online, yet nothing out of the ordinary appeared to be happening in their lives. Certainly nothing that would have prompted someone to commit murder. “No. Everyone loved them.”

JT ran a jerky hand through his hair. “What about Carl’s business dealings? Anything unusual there?

I’m thinking maybe one of his business deals put him in contact with someone dangerous.”

She didn’t believe it for a second. Everything she’d uncovered about Carl Jennings indicated he was a well-respected businessman.

The most surprising piece of information she’d learned about him had actually come from the police. Even though she couldn’t remember anything about it, they told her she had worked for Carl as his accountant shortly before his death.

Faith struggled to let go of those ugly memories. “Carl was a real estate developer at the time of his death, but his family made a fortune in oil before he sold the business after his son, who was a few years older than Rachel, was killed in an explosion on one of his rigs. At the time, the Jennings family lived in Midland. After Carl quit the oil business, he bought the ranch outside of Austin and started developing commercial real estate a few years later. Carl was responsible for building some of the most desirable shopping centers and hotels in Austin and—”

She stopped midsentence. How did she know about Carl’s son dying? She couldn’t recall the police ever mentioning it. Had Rachel told her about her brother’s death or had she simply read it somewhere? She tried to remember the news reports concerning the Jennings family. There had been something mentioned about Carl’s son, but nothing about how he’d died.

“What is it?” JT had seen her hesitate.

She shook her head. “Nothing.” What if those memories had nothing to do with Carl Jennings’s past? Maybe she’d become so desperate she was conjuring up false memories.

JT covered her hand with his. His calloused thumb stroked over her fingers. She swallowed hard but the lump in her throat just wouldn’t go away.

When she met his eyes she forgot about the danger she faced. The troubled past she couldn’t remember. Awareness sparked between them again and for a second she thought he might kiss her.

He cleared his throat. “Thank you for telling me. I know it must be difficult to rehash those terrible memories, but now that you have, a lot of things make sense. I understand now why you’ve been so terrified.”

She struggled to achieve the same level of calm he’d found. “The doctors kept telling me my memory should return in time. I was even prescribed medication to help, but it didn’t.”

Something she said got his attention. “Wait...what type of medication did they prescribe? Do you still have the bottle?”

“Yes. They’re upstairs in my bathroom. The drug is called Zullin, but I stopped taking the pills last week because they weren’t helping. In fact, they seemed to make things worse. I couldn’t concentrate or think clearly.”

She could tell the name of the drug didn’t ring any bells for him. “Who prescribed them?”

“The doctor who treated me at the hospital, Alex Stephens. Why? Is that important?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure. I’ll check it out. At this point, we can’t afford to dismiss anything. How did you get the prescription refilled when you moved around so much?”

“Online. I ordered the prescription through a website. They arrived in the mail every couple of months.”

“For two years? Wouldn’t the prescription have to be refilled by then? Did you contact the doctor?”

She looked over at him and shrugged. “To be honest, I never really thought about it until now. Dr. Stephens always managed to have the prescription renewed for me before it ran out. I was just grateful that he was being so diligent.”

“That is odd. Most doctors would insist on seeing a patient before they refilled a prescription after so long. At the very least they’d have you check in with a local doctor.”

JT was right—it didn’t make sense. “I’ll go get them for you.” Faith ran upstairs and grabbed the bottle from her medicine cabinet. Less than a handful of the pills remained.

She handed them to JT once she returned to the kitchen.

“Thanks.” He examined the bottle for a second then stuck them in his pocket. “I take it since the night of the attack, nothing from your past has returned?”

She started to answer no, but then bit her lip.

“What is it?” he prompted.

“I’m not sure. It may be nothing, but there was something familiar about the roses and I’ve been trying to figure out what. I think at one time, they may have been my favorite flower, but something changed that. And what I told you about Carl selling the oil business after his son died on one of his rigs? That was never published anywhere. The papers simply mentioned he’d sold a successful business in Midland and started his own real estate development business a few years before his death. Then today, when Liz was here, I noticed the locket she wore around her neck...”

JT appeared lost for a second. “Oh, right. Sam gave her the locket when Ellie was born.”

Faith remembered JT mentioning his niece before. It was easy to see he adored the child. She was drawn to JT’s strong sense of family. For someone with no family connection, she yearned for it.

“When I saw it, I remembered...something. I don’t know if it’s real or just something I’ve imagined.”

“I know this is hard.” His eyes met hers and she forgot what she’d been about to say. His expression grew serious and he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you up to trying something?”

She agreed with a shake of her head because forming words was hard to do.

He smiled gently. “Good. I don’t want you to try to analyze what you’re about to say, just tell me what you remembered.”

She closed her eyes and tried to focus. “I think it was my sixteenth birthday. My father gave me a locket similar to the one Liz wore. It had a photo of my mother in it.”

“Good. That’s good,” JT said, sounding encouraging.

Frustrated, she opened her eyes. “But that’s just it. My parents died when I was a child. That memory couldn’t be mine.”

“That’s a very detailed memory to not have some importance in your life, even if it’s not exactly as you recalled it. It could mean you’re regaining your memory and it’s definitely something to go on. I take it these are the first ones that have come back to you?”

She desperately hoped JT was right. “Yes. Everything else is still blank. You have no idea how frightening not remembering who you are can be.”

“Tell me what it’s been like,” he prodded gently.

Where did she begin? She sighed deeply. “Before the hospital would discharge me, they tried to find a relative or friend, someone who could check in on me from time to time, but there wasn’t anyone. The social worker they assigned was very nice. She took me home and made sure I had food in the apartment.” Her voice shook and she fought back tears of frustration. “I’ll never forget how surreal it felt when I stepped through the door for the first time. I knew this was where I lived, and yet nothing was familiar.”

JT shook his head. “I can’t even imagine. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through this.”

In truth, the unknown had been paralyzing. She couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t leave her apartment. Couldn’t banish the fear no matter how many lights she turned on. She’d become a prisoner to it.

“What was your life like after that?” JT asked.

“I felt as if I lived in a country where I didn’t speak the language. Everything was foreign. There were very few personal items in the apartment for me to get any real sense of what my life was like. I found a couple of photos taken of Rachel and me but little else. It was almost as if I hadn’t existed before.”

“You must have been terrified. And then, a week later, when those phone calls started...” There was a long pause. “You said the guy’s never spoken until tonight?”

“That’s right.”

“Did you recognize his voice?”

If only it were that easy. “No. I’ve never heard it before. His voice sounded muffled on the phone.”

JT’s mouth tightened. “I’m not really surprised. Apparently, he was trying to disguise his voice by holding a cloth over the mouthpiece, which tells me you probably do know him.”

What little bit of hope she’d been holding on to evaporated into thin air when she saw the truth in JT’s eyes. He was a professional. He’d seen dozens of similar cases. She knew she could never run far or fast enough to escape the person stalking her. One way or another, one of them was going to die.

◆◆◆

Bit by bit, as JT listened to Faith’s story, the facts about the case proved his initial theory to be correct. While this might have started as a stalking case, something changed along the way, and then culminated in two murders. What didn’t make sense was why the killer hadn’t taken Faith’s life that night. Perhaps the guy had an infatuation with Faith that prevented him from killing her. Or it could be something else entirely. All JT knew for certain was that, up until now, the stalker had been content to manipulate her through fear into doing his will. This seemed to indicate the perpetrator knew about Faith’s memory loss and wanted to keep it that way.

But JT’s and the police’s involvement had been a game changer. If she regained her memory, she could identify the killer. Still, JT had a feeling there was something more to the story. What piece of information did Faith have locked away in her memory that had cost two people their lives?

He made a mental note to have Declan check into the medication prescribed to Faith. Something about that didn’t add up, either.

Shoving his thoughts aside, he looked into Faith’s troubled blue eyes. “I’ll call Will. Let him know everything you told me. It should be a tremendous help. I’m also calling in my team. They’re the best when it comes to finding information others have missed.” JT’s heart went out to her. She had lived through years of torment and it wasn’t close to being over. He had a feeling they were in for some rough days ahead.

“I’m not sure what good any of this will do,” she told him in a flat tone. “The case is still open and the police haven’t exactly been cooperative. How do you plan to get them to give you key information on an unsolved murder case?”

She was right. It wouldn’t be easy. “Let us worry about that. If anyone can get the information, Will can. I just need you not to give up. This could take some time.”

The hope in her eyes scared him to death. She trusted everything to him. He couldn’t let her down. “I promise, but only if you agree to one thing.”

He was curious. “Anything.”

“If you find out something...no matter what you find out, whether it’s good or bad, you’ll tell me about it.”

He squeezed her hand then pulled her to her feet. “I promise. No matter what I discover, I’ll tell you everything.”

JT decided Faith had been through enough for one day. She needed to rest. “I’m going home for a bit to shower and take care of some business. I’ll let the officers outside know I’m leaving. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to take your phone with me on the off chance he calls again.” JT took out his phone and handed it to her. “Here, keep mine with you. If you need me, call my home number.”

She nodded and walked him to the door. “Lock up behind me.” He leaned close and touched her cheek. “Try not to worry. You’re safe.”

He waited until all three of the locks engaged before heading over to the police car parked a little ways from the house. JT hadn’t wanted her to see, but all his old doubts had resurfaced. What if he’d made her a promise he couldn’t fulfill? He hadn’t been able to save Emily. What made him think he could save Faith?

Dark gray clouds gathered low on the ocean. A light mist had begun to fall and the waves slammed against the shore with renewed anger.

“Everything okay?” JT leaned in the driver’s side window. He knew both officers from his days on the force. Will had chosen two of his best.

“Been quiet out here,” the driver, Officer Samuels, said.

“Good. Let’s hope it stays that way. I’m heading home for a little while. I’ll stop by later this evening.” Samuels gave him a two-finger salute and JT started back behind the house in the direction of the beach.

The late-October breeze held a touch of the coming winter in it. Most of the tourists had left the island already. Before they knew it, snow would blanket the island and then it would be empty of everyone except the people who called Hope Island home. This was his favorite time of year. No traffic jams. No crowded stores. Just a quiet solitude that helped him slow his chaotic life down and catch up on some simple things he loved doing, like fixing up his house.

JT unlocked the door and barely made it inside when Liz called. He wondered how many times she’d tried to reach him before resorting to calling his home phone. He’d put his cell phone on vibrate so that he could concentrate on what Faith said and now she had his phone. His sister must be going out of her mind with worry. He glanced at his watch. He couldn’t believe it was already nine o’clock.

The morning had been a blur.

“What, are you spying on me now?” He tried to infuse some humor into his tone.

Liz’s laugh sounded halfhearted. “No. I’m just worried. Why aren’t you answering your cell?”

Her call didn’t surprise him. After all, he’d given her plenty of reason to worry in the past. “I left it at Faith’s. I’m fine, so stop worrying.”

“I can’t help it, you’re still my baby brother. Have you listened to the weather report lately? The hurricane is definitely coming our way. Sam and I are thinking of taking Ellie to his sister’s for a few days after we get the house storm proofed. You should come with us.”

He loved his sister’s concern, but they both knew he wasn’t going with her. “That’s a good idea. You go. I can’t leave right now.”

“JT...”

“Liz, stop worrying.” Outside, the wind pelted rain against the window.

“Someone tried to kill you today, JT. You don’t even know who or what you’re dealing with. I have a bad feeling about all this. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

She was thinking about Emily’s death. The two had been best friends most of their lives. Liz had been devastated when Emily died. It had made her cling tighter to her brother.

“I’ll be all right. Take Ellie away for a few days and try not to worry about me. When the governor issues the evacuation order, I’ll leave the island.” He knew he was wasting his time telling her not to worry.

Liz groaned loudly. “Okay, but you’d better keep in touch. I want to know you’re safe.”

He chuckled at his sister’s attempt at bullying him. “I promise I’ll do my best. I love you, sis. Take care of Sam and Ellie.”

JT hung up the phone and clicked on the TV. The local station had begun advising residents of nearby islands to evacuate.

“The governor is expected to issue evacuation orders for Hatton and Sophia Island soon with orders for Hope Island expected to follow if the storm remains on its current path. The outer edge of Hurricane Tyler should make landfall at Hatton Island sometime late Monday into early Tuesday morning. The storm is expected to reach Hope Island late Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Here’s what you need to do to be prepared...”

They had roughly two days to figure out who wanted Faith dead before they had to evacuate the island.

JT muted the volume and called Will. “You were right. There is more to Faith’s story than she initially told us. A lot more.” He ran through the details of what he’d found out about the Jennings murders.

“This puts the case in a completely different league. We’re not just dealing with someone who’s unhinged. We’re facing someone who’s unhinged and not afraid to commit murder. Up until this point, he’s kept her alive for a reason. We need to figure out what that reason is.”

“Which won’t be easy.” JT sighed. With Faith unable to remember crucial pieces of what happened the night of the attack, finding out the identity of the killer would be next to impossible.

“I agree.”

It felt as if the perfect storm was in the works with the hurricane bearing down on them and a killer stalking his prey. The only question was how many casualties there would be once it was all said and done.

“How’s Faith holding up?” Will asked.

“Okay, I guess. Considering.” JT hesitated then asked, “Do you have any contacts on the Austin force?”

Will picked up right away on where JT was going with this. “You want me to get the police records of the Jennings case for you.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll make it happen somehow,” Will assured him.

“Thanks. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help with this.”

Will’s lengthy silence had JT thinking he wasn’t going to like what was coming next. “JT, you’re my friend and you know I’ll do anything to help you, but you understand how serious this is, right? This person is very dangerous and until we know who he is, we’re working in the dark. He could be anybody.”

JT understood Will had his best interests at heart. “I realize that, but—”

“Just hear me out for a second,” Will interrupted. “I know how difficult getting through Emily’s death was for you, but it doesn’t matter how many people you try to save, you can’t bring her back.” JT closed his eyes. Of course, his friend was right. After Emily’s death, he’d been plagued by guilt. It had caused him to quit the force completely. He knew if he ever was going to move forward, he had to find a way to deal with the guilt, so he’d formed Hope Island Securities. In a way, he was like Faith. They were both stuck in the past.

“Losing Emily shook your faith in a lot of things—God included—but it’s time you forgave yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

JT swallowed back emotions that were always just below the surface whenever he thought about his late wife. “You’re wrong. I should have been the one to go into the store that night. I should have been the one who died. Instead, I was tired and didn’t want to mess with it.” Nausea roiled in his gut, but he forced the words out. “I let Emily walk into a robbery and I lost my wife because of it. I need to do this, Will. I need to feel like I’m helping save someone’s life to make up for letting Emily down.”

“And what happens if you can’t save Faith? We both know that’s a real possibility. What then?” To that, JT had no answer.

“Is there something more going on between you two?” his friend asked quietly.

The no-holds-barred directness of Will’s question prompted JT to examine his motives closely. He couldn’t deny he was attracted to Faith, but what he felt for her went beyond a physical fascination. Would it lead to anything? He wasn’t sure. Did he want it to? For the first time since Emily’s death, he believed he might be ready to move on.

“I’m just trying to help someone in need, but you’re right about one thing. I did lose faith in a lot of things, including God. I think He put Faith in my life for a reason. Maybe I need her help as much as she needs mine.”

“All right,” Will said at last. “You know what you’re doing. It’s just I haven’t seen you look at a woman the way you look at Faith in a long time.”

Seconds ticked by while JT tried to deny it and couldn’t.

Will chuckled softly. “I guess that answers my question. I’m praying for you. For both of you.”