Phillip told them what he knew.
‘Her father sent thugs after her with orders to shoot and kill if she resisted? Now, why would any loving, nurturing father want to do that?’ Niall mused, his voice barely above a whisper.
‘Can we really get ourselves involved in a domestic problem like this?’ Jasper growled. ‘Don’t we have enough to battle trying to capture whoever is left of Smidgley’s gang? If her father did take her home at least she would be safe.’
A couple of the men agreed. Phillip didn’t. ‘Don’t be a fool. If the bastard snatches her off the street and forces her to return home, he is no better than Smidgley. We cannot just hand her over. Kidnap is kidnap. What will we have achieved by killing Smidgley and his gang if we just allow others to do what he has done? Carlotta is three and twenty, of that there should be no doubt. She is therefore old enough to decide for herself where she wants to live, don’t you think?’
Justin, taken aback by Phillip’s vehemence, lifted his brows. His lips twitched as he shared knowing looks with his married colleagues. They all recognised the tenseness and concern of Phillip’s, the need to protect the women in their care no matter what the cost to themselves as men or investigators.
Shaking his head, Justin rose and crossed the room but only to clap Phillip on the shoulder. ‘She cannot stay with us, my friend. She must go to one of the other teams. You are the star witness who has seen this killer. He is the one we must go after now. The local team can look after her while we conclude the Smidgley investigation. They can also speak to this father of hers and make sure he knows the law.’ Justin threw a concerned look at Oliver when he felt the tension that positively thrummed through Phillip.
‘She will hate me,’ Phillip moaned. He knew it was wise to do what his friends suggested but everything within him screamed at him that it was the very last thing he should allow to happen.
‘You have only just met her, Phillip’ Justin warned. ‘Does it really matter what she thinks of you?’
‘She saved me,’ Phillip warned. ‘She didn’t throw me out of the house when she could have. If she had I would have run into that killer and would probably have been murdered myself. When I reached the Cliff House, I found her hiding but also living in fear. Despite all the problems she is facing she was there for me when I thought all of you had died. I knew that if I got back here and found your horses the chances were that you had all been killed. Carlotta was there for me. She made me put one foot in front of the other when I wanted to stop. She made me think logically when I was too stunned to think clearly. I can’t betray her by just handing her over to the last man she wants to see. I just can’t.’
‘Then you both have to stay here, out of sight,’ Aaron replied.
‘I am not going to hide away in here like some frightened rabbit,’ Phillip snapped.
‘She needs protecting. She trusts you,’ Oliver argued. ‘If you want her to stay then she is your responsibility to look after.’
Phillip saw the look Oliver shared with Callum. ‘I am not going to end up like you two.’
Callum grinned. ‘Are you sure about that? You already know that you cannot let her go and that is after just one day. Think what you are going to be like in a week from now.’
Oliver nodded. ‘Just keep her safe and we will deal with her father when or if he arrives. While she is here we need to decide what to do with her in the longer term, though. I mean, none of us can stay here. Our investigation is nearly over. We are all ready to spend a bit of time with our wives and families. We all need to move on, including Carlotta. What you need to focus on is where she should move on to when we leave,’ Oliver warned.
Phillip nodded.
Callum sighed. ‘I can’t wait for a few weeks at home. I don’t know about all of you, but I need to spend a bit of time with my wife before she refuses to allow me back into the house.’
Everyone grinned, except Phillip who gazed thoughtfully into the fire. He didn’t have anybody waiting for him in his rather cold and unwelcoming lodgings in London. As he sat amongst his friends, he had to wonder if it was time that he started to make a few changes in his life as well. After all, from the looks on their faces now, none of them regretted marrying.
‘This investigation has brought us all changes, some good and some bad. We are so close to resolving this investigation that I can almost smell it. But last night we all came too close to losing it all. I, for one, don’t intend to ever allow myself to get caught out like that again,’ Niall announced.
‘Are you planning on retiring, old man?’ Oliver growled with a small frown.
‘No. I just want to spend a bit more time at home. At the time I heard about them being set up I couldn’t see why any of the men would want to join the local teams, but after last night I want to spend more time with my wife. I stared death in the face and barely got out alive,’ Niall murmured. ‘One thing I do know is that I cannot keep chasing around the country after criminals. I have too much to lose at home.’
‘You are going to join a local team?’ Phillip asked. It wasn’t really a question. The certainty was written on Niall’s face.
‘I understand that Sir Hugo is contemplating setting up a new team in Kent. I think it would be nice to live around here. It is not a bad place to be. I know the children would love the beaches and sea.’
‘Children?’ Phillip’s brows shot up.
Niall grinned suddenly; a wide, open grin that made everyone smile and congratulate him.
‘It’s not a bad place to be,’ Phillip agreed. ‘I might join you.’
The men smiled. Some nodded.
‘Look, before we all get too carried away thinking about our wives and children, let’s look at getting this investigation done. Phillip, you are to watch your charge. The rest of us need to go after those thugs now that we have our horses.’
‘Yes, that reminds me. Why in the Hell did you leave them behind?’
Oliver sighed. ‘Because we re-grouped when the thugs retreated and then realised nobody had seen you for an age. We set out on foot to find you, but nobody could. Then we realised that the thugs were gathering on the outskirts of the village and so decided to disappear ourselves. If we had taken the horses, or moved them, we would have been visible. The last thing we could do was risk another gun battle in that village, it has been shot to bits already. We reluctantly made the decision to leave the horses where they were and disappear. We have been scouring the area for you, following trails and the kind to try to find which way you went. Then you turned up.’