Risk Everything. Janie Crouch

of others who might have the knowledge were in prison, including Jared Ellis, Marilyn’s husband, who worked in construction.

      Ronnie sat back in the chair across from Tanner’s desk, two files balancing on his leg crossed at the knee. “If our perp isn’t someone associated with New Journeys, could it be someone coming after Bree? She was the only one who had to be taken to the hospital. Granted, most of the Organization is behind bars, but after what happened in Atlanta—”

      Ronnie was about to say something else when the phone on Tanner’s desk rang.

      “Hold that thought.” Although there damn well better not be anyone coming after Bree again. He picked up the phone. “Tanner Dempsey speaking.”

      “Captain Dempsey, this is Conrad Parnam with the Denver County Warrants and Bonding Office.” The man’s voice was sort of distant and breathy, like the phone wasn’t directly next to his mouth. Or like he was bored with the conversation before it even started.

      “What can I do for you, Mr. Parnam?”

      “I’m trying to reach a Mrs. Marilyn Ellis at a facility called New Journeys but I’m having difficulty. Do you have a way to get in touch with her?”

      “I do.” He had a sinking suspicion he knew where this was going and wasn’t going to like it.

      “Because of the restraining order against Mrs. Ellis’s husband, Jared Ellis, we wanted to let her know that he was released on bail.”

      Yep, he didn’t like it. This already bad day just got worse. “Earlier today?”

      He could hear Parnam shuffling through papers. “Actually, no. Mr. Ellis was released three days ago.”

       Chapter Five

      Tanner fought not to roar into the phone. Jared Ellis was released from a Denver county jail three days ago and no one had told Marilyn?

      He forced himself to speak reasonably, even though he had a white-knuckled grip on the phone. “Three days ago? Why wasn’t Mrs. Ellis notified immediately? Jared Ellis is considered to be a threat to both her and her children.”

      “You know how it is. Things sometimes fall through the cracks.” There was no apology in Parnam’s tone.

      Tanner wrote the word Noah on the notepad and spun it around so Ronnie could see it. Ronnie nodded and Tanner tapped the phone in his hand to indicate Ronnie needed to tell Noah about Jared Ellis’s release. Ronnie already had his phone in hand as he walked out of the office.

      This was definitely a police matter, but when it came to protecting Marilyn and those kids, it was a personal matter also. Noah would want to know.

      “I’m going to need the details about Ellis’s release,” he said into the phone.

      “Is there some sort of problem?” Finally something else took the place of boredom in Parnam’s tone: irritation. But Tanner didn’t give a damn if Parnam was perturbed that he would have to actually do his job.

      “Yes, there’s a problem. We have a woman in our care here who was damn near beaten to death by her husband. So finding out he’s been out on bail for three days and nobody saw fit to notify either her or my office is very much a problem.”

      “Look, I just run the paperwork for whoever the judge tells me to and make the calls that come across my desk. Nothing more or less than that. But hang on a minute and let me see what I can find out.” Irritation still painted the other man’s tone, but at least Tanner could hear the clicking of his fingers on the keyboard. “Judge doesn’t usually let violent offenders out on bail.” More clicking. “Well, that explains it. Oscar Stobbart. He’s a very high-end defense attorney—has a great record of getting people out on bail, and honestly, getting them reduced sentencing. Ellis must have a ton of money to hire someone like him.”

      Tanner was now frustrated with himself that he didn’t know more about Jared Ellis. But he honestly hadn’t thought there would be much he needed to know since the man was behind bars. Did he have money? Tanner didn’t know.

      But he was out. And more important, had been out of jail within the window for setting the detonator for the fire. “Do you at least have his last known address?” They would definitely be paying a visit to Jared as soon as possible.

      “Actually, I can do a little better than an address. As part of Mr. Ellis’s bail, he was placed on a GPS tracking monitor. That was probably why it wasn’t a priority for me to call Mrs. Ellis or your office. Jared Ellis is required to stay within a two-mile radius of his listed home address, which is in downtown Denver.”

      An ankle monitor was good news. “So you can tell where he’s been at any particular hour? What happens if he leaves the two-mile radius?”

      “Yep, there’s a log that keeps record of exactly where he is at any given time. And if Ellis leaves the radius for which the monitor is set, it automatically sets up an alarm with the Denver marshals. They’ll be at his house in minutes. Plus, it’s completely unhackable.”

      “So if I wanted to know where he was two nights ago, you could get that for me.” If there was some sort of glitch in this “unhackable” system, Tanner wanted to know about it.

      Parnam gave a long-suffering sigh. “How about if I just send you the entire log of Ellis’s whereabouts since the moment he was released. That will save us a number of different calls and emails, don’t you think?”

      And would require a lot less work from Parnam.

      “Fine. I’ll expect it in an email within the next hour.”

      Tanner hung up without waiting for a response. The fact that Ellis had been released without notifying Marilyn would be addressed within the system.

      But right now, until they could confirm exactly where Jared Ellis was, he needed to get security on Marilyn and her kids.

      He had Ronnie start the paperwork for protective surveillance, even though Tanner knew the approval was a long shot unless a direct threat to Marilyn and the kids could be proved—which hopefully it would be as soon as they checked Ellis’s whereabouts on the night of the fire.

      He was also going to request the live data from Parnam’s office. Knowing where Jared had been afterward wasn’t good enough. They needed to know his current whereabouts. Not that Tanner didn’t trust the Denver marshal’s office to do their job. But all it would take was Jared tricking the system one time and he could attack Marilyn. And as long as that was a possibility—until Jared’s trial when he went away long-term—Tanner wanted to be multiple steps ahead of the other man.

      Right now that included making sure Marilyn knew her ex was out of jail.

      His cell phone buzzed on his belt with a call from Noah before Tanner even made it out of the office.

      “Ronnie said Jared Ellis was released on bail?” His brother didn’t even waste time with a greeting.

      Neither did Tanner. “Affirmative.”

      Noah’s curse was foul. “Does the sheriff’s office have money to put surveillance on Marilyn and the kids?”

      “I’ve already got the process started, but I’ll be honest, unless we get proof that Ellis is a threat to her or was anywhere in the area of the fire, then I don’t have much of a legal leg to stand on.”

      “I’m on my way into town. If we can’t get a uniform on her, then I’ll take up watch duty myself. It’s very suspicious that there was a fire at New Journeys at the same time Ellis got out on bail.”

      Tanner began walking down the block toward the old New Journeys building. It would be quicker than driving. “Especially since it looks like someone started it deliberately.” He explained what the fire inspector had found.

      Noah