Two Reasons to Run

by Colleen Coble

  She poked her head into the conference room and found him staring at his computer screen. “Hey, I have to run out for a bit.”

  “Okay. I have that appointment with my lawyer anyway.”

  “Good luck. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

  “Sounds good.”

  A pain hit her heart that she was leaving him. What was wrong with her?

  * * *

  The last thing Reid wanted to do on a Saturday morning was talk about Lauren.

  Though Scott Foster’s office was designed to put people at ease with its comfortable seating and tasteful ocean art, Reid shifted restlessly in the armchair by the fireplace. The vanilla-scented candle was overly sweet and cloying, and it felt wrong that he had to be dealing with more of Lauren’s ridiculous behavior.

  The door opened and Scott entered. In his sixties he was as thin as a stork. According to Jane his reddish-brown hair had once been as bright as a cardinal, and his golden-brown eyes were intelligent and alert. Reid’s anxiety faded as Scott moved to his desk and had a seat.

  Scott turned on his computer. “How are you holding up, Reid? Any more demands from Lauren?”

  “She’s still around. I saw her two days ago. I really thought she’d disappear when she found out she can’t get anything from me.”

  Scott leaned forward. “Well, that’s the thing, Reid. I don’t think you’re going to get out of this totally unscathed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I did some digging, and you owned a house together when she disappeared. Her name was on the title. She also owned life insurance that you collected. Is that correct?”

  “Well, yes, but what’s that got to do with anything? She’s been declared dead. I think she disappeared on purpose and hid her tracks.”

  “You were residents in the state of Nevada, correct?”

  Reid nodded. “Yes.”

  “Nevada has an interesting law about death in absentia. If the person who’s declared dead turns up within a year of the declaration, he or she is entitled to have their property restored. According to my records she showed up just under the wire. She owned half the equity in the house at the time of her disappearance.”

  Reid tried to take in a breath and couldn’t find any oxygen. “You have to be kidding.”

  “I’m afraid not. As near as I can tell, the house was worth a hundred thousand dollars eight years ago.”

  “Fifty thousand. I owe her fifty thousand dollars.” It took his breath away. “What about the insurance?”

  “The insurance companies don’t often go after the money when the death in absentia was done in good faith. If they do go after it, they might target her instead of you since she vanished of her free will.”

  “At least I don’t have to pay that back. And it might deter her from pursuing this. I collected fifty thousand dollars from insurance.”

  “What is in dispute here now is her access to Will. He doesn’t want to see her, but she is his legal mother.”

  “She mistreated him.”

  “Your word against hers. You have anyone else who saw her shove him away or neglect him?”

  “No.” He forced the answer out. This was a catastrophe. “Do you think she knows about this?”

  “I’m sure her attorney has told her.”

  “I’m surprised she hasn’t brought it up.” He stopped and remembered the gleam in her eyes when he saw her last. “She did say there was new information in the case. This is probably what she meant.”

  He felt sick. Just as he and Jane seemed to be getting past what he’d done, he was going to have to deal with this. And coming up with fifty thousand dollars would wipe out his savings, money he’d been squirreling away as a cushion for travel to the location of his documentaries. It would make things tight, very tight.

  “If I give her the money, does that mean all this is over?”

  “I doubt it. There’s still the custody issue.”

  “Does the fact that she cleaned out every bit of our money before she took off matter at all?”

  Scott frowned. “It might mitigate the amount you owe her if we take it in front of a judge. The insurance company could sue her for fraud. How much did she take?”

  “Twenty thousand dollars.”

  And how much would attorney and court fees cost? It might quickly eat up any savings he might get from taking it to court. He wanted this over so Will wasn’t constantly faced with the pain of Lauren’s behavior.

  He leaned back in the chair. “What about the fact that Will’s real mother is in the picture now? Jane is very involved.”

  Scott rubbed his chin. “I’m sure the court will take that into account. Will doesn’t want to see Lauren, and I doubt they will make him. Her attorney has certainly told her that. And I’ll be honest. Trying to get that twenty grand she took deducted from what you owe would probably cost more than that.”

  “She will want more than she’s due from the sale of the house. She’s trying to say she helped me establish the business and wants part of it too. Can she get it?” It would be a nightmare to separate that.

  “Maybe. How much was it worth eight years ago?”

  “Not much. I was in debt to my eyeballs.”

  Scott straightened and smiled. “She should have to assume half the debt if her name was on the business papers too. Was it?”

  “No. I formed a corporation only in my name.”

  “Then I’m sorry to say that won’t mitigate your obligation.”

  “What’s the next step?”

  “We could draw up paperwork to pay it back in installments,” Scott offered. “But if you have the money and offer it in one lump sum, she’d be more apt to sign off on the custody issue.”

  “She’s vindictive. I’m not sure what she’ll do.”

  “I’ve spoken with her attorney. He’s a good guy, and while he can’t tell me outright, he let it slip that she is most concerned about the money. I think she’ll go for it.”

  Reid sighed and rubbed his head. “Then I’ll get the money together. You write up something for her to sign, and maybe this can be over.”

  Eighteen

  For an hour they’d circled the house Sara Wells rented. Jane had gone to the door each time, even though there was never a vehicle in the driveway.

  “We’ll try one more time before we give up.” She slowed her SUV as they turned the corner. “There’s a car in the drive now. She must be here.”

  Parking behind Sara’s vehicle would prevent her from jumping into it and running. Jane had a feeling the woman wouldn’t be pleased to see them. Jackson leaped from the passenger seat and started around the front of the SUV.

  “Stay behind me,” Jane said.

  He looked chastened but fell back behind her. “I’m a good shot.”

  “And a little overeager. I hope there’s no need to draw a gun today.”

  “Sorry,” he muttered.

  He’d learn. The first time he had to shoot his gun, he’d find out how awful it was.

  She pressed her finger to the doorbell. When there was no answer, she rapped her knuckles on the door. Hard.

  “I’m coming. I’m coming.” Footsteps sounded on hard floors from inside, and the door opened.

  Jane immediately recognized the shape of her head from the video. Sara’s wet hair was piled on top of her head with a clip as if she was getting ready to blow-dry it. She wore a terry cloth robe, and her feet were bare. Jane guessed her to be in her midtwenties. One eyelid had taupe shadow on it, and the other was bare.

  Jane smiled. “Sara Wells? I’m Chief of Police Jane Hardy. I’d like to ask you a few questions about Keith McDonald.”

  Wariness sprang into the woman’s brown eyes. “I don’t know anything about his murder.”

  “How did you know he was murdered?”

  Sara’s eyes shifted to the left. “I-I heard something about it in town. And I mean, you show up here on my doorstep asking about him, so I assume what I heard was the truth.�
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  Small-town life. “Can we come in? We have just a few questions.”

  “I guess, but you’ll have to make it snappy. I have a date with a sexy fireman.” Sara stepped out of the way, leaving behind the aroma of herbal shampoo.

  Her house was a small ranch built in the seventies. The carpet was probably new at that time. The small living room held a worn tweed sofa and one end table. There wasn’t enough room for all of them to sit, so Jane stood near the sofa and took out her notepad.

  “Did you know Keith well?”

  Sara chewed on a thumbnail, then shrugged and dropped her hand back to her side. “As well as anyone else. We workers are tight. You can’t escape from the platform, so you might as well make the most of it.”

  “You and Keith date at all? I heard he’d broken up with his girlfriend.”

  “A time or two. Just some laughs and drinks. It wasn’t serious. We weren’t exclusive or anything.”

  “Did he ever talk to you about his suspicions about an attack on the oil platform?”

  “A little, just one night, when he’d had too much to drink.” Sara put her hand over her mouth, then jerked it away. “I mean, he was concerned, of course. I was, too, but I didn’t think it was a real threat.”

  “What did he say about it?”

  “He said a terrorist attack was planned.”

  “Terrorists as in jihadists?”

  “I don’t think it was religious. He seemed to think it might be a group wanting to shut down the oil platform.”

  “Do you know who he overheard?”

  Sara shook her head. “He never said, but it was two guys who’d been paid to lower cybersecurity. Keith didn’t think they knew more than that.”

  “You were there when Reid Dixon was filming his documentary. The video caught you eavesdropping on him. What did you want to find out?”

  Sara shrugged. “I cared about Keith. I wanted to know if anyone was going to mention him. He was supposed to meet me at noon on Sunday, and he never showed. He was the kind of guy who never broke a date or his word, you know? One of the good ones.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “I hope you find out what happened to him.”

  Her answers were too pat, and Jane didn’t like the way she didn’t make eye contact. “I think you know something you’re not telling me, Sara. Why don’t you get it off your chest and help me find out who did this to Keith? I found his body. He’d been tied to the girders under the platform and left to drown.”

  Sara flinched at the brutal words, and the tears flowed down her cheeks. “I’m afraid.”

  “You think someone will come after you?”

  Sara met Jane’s gaze for the first time. “Yes. I don’t want to end up at the bottom of the ocean like Keith.”

  “Then tell me! I can arrest him.”

  “I don’t think you can. He’s too powerful.”

  “Give me a name.”

  A wall came down in Sara’s eyes. “I want you to go now. I have to finish getting ready for my date.”

  Jane pulled out a card and tried to give it to Sara, but she pulled her hands back. “Call me if you want to talk. It’s the only way to be safe, Sara.” Jane set it on the end table and motioned for Jackson to follow her.

  As they reached her SUV, a pickup truck pulled into her drive. Finn Presley, a local firefighter. His muscles would fall into the hunky category. Jane waved at him as they got into her SUV.

  She glanced at Jackson. “Too powerful. Could she be talking about Steve?”

  “Guess we’d better find out, Boss.”

  * * *

  Reid glanced at Jane’s set face as they stepped into the pub. The interview must not have gone well.

  Either that or she was really regretting the way they’d talked last night. Patience was hard when he wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how he felt about her—how he’d always felt.

  But did he even have that right? When this was over with Lauren, any money he’d saved would be gone. He wouldn’t even have enough left for a wedding and decent honeymoon. Sheesh, was he dreaming or what? Like she’d ever agree to marry him. He was letting a few gentle words go to his head.

  Mac’s Irish Pub wasn’t busy yet at eleven thirty. They settled at a small table in the corner and put in their order. He studied the dollar bills attached to the walls and ceiling. “A lot of money stuck up here.”

  “Over a hundred thousand dollars. Or at least that’s what rumors say.”

  “How’d it go this morning?”

  Her hazel eyes traveled back to his face. “Okay.”

  “I think I’ll get the motor home after lunch. You still want to drive to Kentucky tomorrow?”

  She nodded, and the wariness in her expression eased. “You can put the motor home in Dad’s barn, and when we’re ready to go next weekend, we can hustle Will into it without anyone knowing he’s left the compound. I think he’s starting to get a little stir-crazy.”

  Just the three of them off on an adventure together like a real family. It sounded idyllic, so why did she seem so far away?

  He took a sip of his homemade root beer as the server brought their shepherd’s pie. The aroma of garlic, potatoes, and beef wafting off the cheesy top made his mouth water.

  His gaze wandered to the window. “Hey, there’s Henry Williamson again. Looks like he’s coming in for lunch.” He watched the congressional representative’s entourage of two women and a man follow like ducklings. “Does he live here?”

  “His son is with him too. He’s his aide.” She scooped up a bite of shepherd’s pie and blew on it. “No, he’s from Mobile. I’ve seen him around quite a few times though. I think he has a vacation home out on Fort Morgan Road. He’s contributed a lot to the community. When the Deepwater Horizon disaster happened, he was right out there helping clean up wildlife and estuaries. For weeks. His daughter too. She drowned off Fort Morgan a few years ago, and the congressman has been even more devoted to environmental issues in her memory.”

  Williamson followed the hostess through the restaurant. He stopped a couple of times to say hello to other diners.

  His face lit when he saw Jane. “Chief, I want to apologize again for what happened this morning. All we wanted to do was bring understanding to how serious a threat the oil platforms pose to our area. We never want another Deepwater Horizon, but I never expected violence to start.”

  Jane smiled up at him. “It wasn’t your fault, Congressman. Thanks for your help in calming things down.”

  He bent down a bit. “Listen, Chief, I heard through the grapevine that a terrorist attack was suspected on the Zeus oil platform, and a young man might have been killed over it. What can you tell me about that?”

  “Through the grapevine? Did my dad tell you?” He shrugged, but the glint in his eye told her all she needed to know. “I don’t discuss ongoing cases with the public.”

  “I’m not the public.” He went around her and pulled out a chair to join them, then motioned for his staff to go on to their designated table. “I might be able to help.”

  Reid gave a slight nod toward Jane. The congressman would have access to other resources at the federal level she didn’t have.

  Jane took a sip of her root beer. “Keith McDonald sent his mother an email telling her if he came up missing or dead to contact Homeland Security because a terrorist attack was planned.”

  “Yet Homeland Security hasn’t found any credible threat,” Williamson said.

  “You spoke with them?”

  “I did. I’m not so convinced they’re right. Even if they’ve heard no chatter, it doesn’t mean there’s no threat. How credible do you think it is? I’ll do everything in my power to prevent another catastrophe. Ever since 9/11, I’ve been worried about this kind of thing. That’s why I’m so passionate about shutting them down. We’re vulnerable here.”

  “We found Keith’s body. He’d been attached to a steel girder under the oil platform. We’re waiting on the autopsy, but it was clearly murder.”
r />   Williamson winced. “Any leads who might be behind this?”

  Jane bit her lip, and Reid knew she hated to speak until she had proof. “I’m working on figuring that out.”

  “If you have no concrete evidence, why are you so sure the threat is credible?”

  “Someone wants to squelch this investigation so badly they’re willing to threaten a fifteen-year-old boy. Our son.” Jane told him about the threat and the attacks.

  “I could put some pressure on Homeland Security and the FBI to get it off your plate.”

  “They’re already overseeing the investigation now that we have a body, Congressman, but I’m working it too. I’m not one to shirk my duties.”

  “Your reputation proves that, Chief Hardy. I didn’t mean to insinuate you wanted to pass off your duty, but surely you’re concerned for your boy.”

  “We both are,” Reid said. “And our son is in a safe place.”

  Williamson’s blue eyes assessed him. “You’re the boy’s father?”

  “Yes.”

  The congressman’s shrewd gaze returned to Jane. “Let me at least poke around and see if I can find out more information that might help you crack this sooner and put the guy behind bars. I’m sure your son is eager to get back to normal life. I have a son that age, and he’s all about sports and girls.”

  Jane smiled. “That about sums it up. And thank you. Any information you can acquire would be very welcome.”

  Williamson rose and pushed his chair back under the table. “I’ll leave you to your lunch. I think I’ll have what you’re having. I’ll be in touch.”

  Reid watched him rejoin his staff. “You think he can get anywhere with more information?”

  “Probably. I’m sure Will is ready for this to be over. So are we.” She glanced at her watch. “I’m sure he’s upset. His big game started a few minutes ago.”

  Reid winced, hating that his boy was hurting. Sometimes parenting was too hard.

  He dug into his shepherd’s pie. Once this was over and he was home with Will, Reid was going to miss being with her. He intended to make use of every opportunity he had in Jane’s presence.