Deception Read Online Free Page A

frazzled. And after his experience in Texas, he resolved to look at the facts and only the facts. He couldn’t go on gut feelings alone.
    Jewel’s experience and what she’d seen could be based entirely on her emotional state. But this was Jewel Caraway. Writing her off wasn’t something he was willing to do. Colin would take her seriously. If someone truly had tried to kill her, then he would do everything he could to make sure she was safe.
    He frowned. “Was the person you saw male or female?”
    â€œI couldn’t tell.” She looked up at him again. “You do believe me, don’t you?”
    â€œOf course.” He believed she wasn’t deliberately lying, but could her memory be faulty? Eyewitness stories almost always conflicted. Everyone had his or her own perspective. Had Jewel really seen someone? And had that person pushed her?
    â€œDid you see anyone else on the trail during your hike?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI’ll need to question your sister and her husband.” He wouldn’t divvy this out to his officers. No. This investigation belonged to Colin.
    â€œOf course. They’re waiting out there. I’m surprised you didn’t already meet and question them. They are still out there, aren’t they?”
    Colin let out a slow breath. Would she be disappointed if he told her they had already gone? A fact he found strange. What was more important to them than Jewel’s well-being?
    â€œOh, wait. Meral wasn’t feeling well.” Disappointment edged her voice. “Maybe Buck wanted to get her home. Maybe they decided not to wait for me to get dressed.”
    Colin’s throat tightened. Nice guy. “I’ll take you home, Jewel. Don’t worry. Now can you think of any reason why someone would try to kill you?” Maybe this wasn’t a random act, though he couldn’t think of a single enemy she would have made. She was kind and generous, and her guests always raved about their experience at the B and B. But if he’d learned anything as a twenty-five-year police veteran, it was that everyone had dry bones buried in the backyard. As hard as it was to believe, Jewel would be no exception.
    â€œI almost wish I did. Then it would be easy to find out who pushed me.”
    Colin agreed. “In that case, I don’t want you to be alone until we figure this out. Do you understand?”
    â€œThat should be easy enough to comply with. After all, my sister is here now for a short visit.”
    Colin didn’t bring up that she was supposed to be with her sister when someone had tried to kill her—Meral hadn’t been any protection for her then. At any rate, maybe her sister and husband would stay until this investigation was closed. “Come on. I’ll give you that ride home now. Doc give you some scripts?”
    â€œYeah, painkillers and an antibiotic, I think.”
    â€œFine. I’ll get you home first, then I’ll run those over to the pharmacy for you.”
    Jewel stood, ready to leave, her confusion over the day’s events evident, mingling with exhaustion from the strain on her beaten body. Colin was glad to be the one to see her safely home. If it was actually even safe. He’d determine that when he arrived.
    He pursed his lips, envisioning what he wanted to do to her attacker or attackers once he got his hands on them, and before he put them in a jail cell. But that was all it was—a vain imagining.
    He opened the door and assisted her out to the waiting room, where they found Tracy with David. Tracy said she had encouraged Meral to go back to the B and B, seeing that she wasn’t feeling well, reassuring them that she and David would get Jewel home. Colin could see the relief in Jewel’s eyes that she hadn’t been abandoned, but all Colin could think was Tracy and David were behaving more like family to her than Meral and Buck. While Jewel thanked Tracy for finding