Wanted (FBI Heat Book 3) by Marissa Garner

this is CHP Officer Wilson. We spoke yesterday about the car accident involving Ms. MacKenzie.”
    “Good morning, Officer Wilson. Do you have an update?” Dillon sat at his desk Wednesday morning, drinking his third cup of java. After unsuccessfully attacking the Diablo Beach computer system until two a.m., he needed an extra jolt of caffeine. Of course, the caffeine didn’t help his already on-edge nerves. Trying to hack into a nuclear power plant’s computer system could have that effect on a person.
    “Unfortunately, I’ve got more than that.”
    His muscles tensed. He set his mug down carefully. “What’s up?”
    “First, our examination of the tires of the victim’s Civic confirms they were shot out. That conclusion is supported by the slug I found buried in the embankment near the crash site. Couldn’t find the second one there or lodged in the car.”
    “Damn.”
    “It gets worse.”
    Instinctively, dread tightened his chest. “Worse than someone shooting at her car?”
    “Yeah. I got a call from the Oceanside PD that a guy tried to break into Ms. MacKenzie’s house last night while she was asleep.”
    The bottom fell out of his stomach. “Holy shit! Is she all right?”
    “Yeah. Not physically hurt, but plenty shook up. The MacKenzie woman’s smart though. She told the responding officer about her car accident. That’s why he contacted me. She must be thinking there’s a connection even though she doesn’t even know yet what happened to her tires. I’m gonna call her but thought I’d touch base with you first.”
    Feral protectiveness filled him, a feeling he remembered well from when Kat was his. She wasn’t his woman now, wasn’t going to be his wife, but apparently that didn’t mean he couldn’t still feel the primal need to protect her. Especially when he’d admitted to himself last night that he was still in love with her. Well, shit. How would she react to him inserting himself into her life even if it was for a positive reason like protection?
    “Thanks for calling me first, Officer Wilson.”
    “No problem. You know yet whether the car incident is related to your investigation? If so, we may have three connected cases.”
    “And when considered together, it looks a lot more serious than any single incident.”
    “Right.”
    “Wish I could say we’ve connected the dots, but we haven’t. I’d appreciate being kept in the loop though.”
    Wilson hesitated. “Assuming you’ll do the same.”
    “Definitely.” Lying was a frequent necessity in his line of work.
    “Fine. I’ll send you a copy of both reports after I get the one from OPD.”
    “Appreciate it. Good-bye—”
    “One more thing…,” the officer said and then hesitated.
    “Yeah?”
    “Um, I don’t know if there’s any connection whatsoever, but I recalled another accident not long ago in that same area, southbound on I-5 though. I looked it up to be sure I was remembering correctly. A Ford Escort slammed into a concrete overpass pillar. Killed the driver.”
    “Fatal auto accidents are pretty common on our freeways,” Dillon said noncommittally, hoping to avoid a long conversation.
    “True, but in addition to being in the same general vicinity, the guy—Stevens—was on his way to work the night shift at the power plant.”
    Not good. Not good at all.
    As soon as Dillon got off the phone, he rounded up Conrad, and they marched into Rex’s office together. Once they all sat at the table, Dillon updated them on Wilson’s call about the attempted break-in, the new info on the tires, and the other I-5 accident.
    “I believe both attacks on Ms. MacKenzie are related to her concerns about the irregularities at Diablo Beach. The Stevens accident could also have a connection to the plant since he worked there. Unfortunately, Wilson didn’t mention the guy’s position.”
    “Ask Ms. MacKenzie if she knew him.” Rex directed the order to Conrad.
    “Understood.”
    “Any word from ASAIC Carter about