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.”
“It’s okay,” Macy said. Once Ellis had dried her eyes and appeared a little more in control, Macy added, “Just speak at your own pace.”
Nevada was silent, but she sensed he struggled to hide his rage. Most people didn’t realize that cases of rape rippled through a family, not only affecting the women but the men as well. A man like Nevada would be blaming himself because he’d not been there to help.
“What color were his eyes?” Macy asked.
Ellis clutched the tissue. “Blue.”
“Did he say anything?” Macy asked.
“He whispered to me to be quiet or he would snap my neck like a twig. My heart beat so hard in my chest, and I thought it would explode. Maybe I should have fought him. I’m strong, but I did what he told me to do. I wasn’t human to him, and that scared me the most.”
“You were a frightened fifteen-year-old,” Macy said. “You survived. You had no options.”
“Mother was out for the evening on a date. She warned me over and over to keep the back door locked, but after I took the trash out, I must have forgotten. I never forget anymore.”
“We all make mistakes.”
“Few mistakes are that costly,” Ellis replied.
Macy shifted in her chair. “I was working a case in Texas last year. I went out alone to investigate a lead. The interview went fine. I left and I dialed the Texas Rangers to report what I’d found. Only I wasn’t really paying attention when a truck came out of nowhere and hit me. The guy was actually trying to kill me and nearly did. I should have seen it coming.”
“You would’ve had no way of knowing he was out there,” Ellis offered.
“Sound counsel. Perhaps we should each listen to the other’s advice.”
Ellis studied her a beat, her brows drawing together. “Fair enough.”
“None of this was your fault. None of it.”
“There are days that I believe that.”
Macy leaned forward, needing Ellis to believe her. “You did nothing wrong.”
Ellis’s gaze locked on to Macy as she searched for any reason to doubt. “Anyway, he tied me up.”
“How did he tie you up?” Macy asked.
The question caused Ellis to pause. “He groped under my bed as if he were searching for something.”
“He didn’t bring restraints with him?” she asked.
Ellis cocked her head. “He acted frustrated when he pinned my arms above my head with his hands. Finally, he found a coil of red rope.” She shook her head. “I’d forgotten that detail until now.”
Macy made note of the observation on her pad. “Go on.”
“And then he, well, raped me. That part of the whole thing was quick. He didn’t seem interested in the sex.”
“What interested him?” Macy asked.