Harlequin Intrigue July 2021--Box Set 2 of 2

by Carol Ericson

  He led her into the dark, vast backyard. They slunk up the stairs leading to the deck. Samantha held Gregory tighter as they crept alongside the brick wall, then paused at the edge of sliding glass doors. A set of semisheer white curtains partially covered them.

  “Can you see anything?” she whispered.

  Gregory turned to her and held his finger to his lips, signaling her silence. She nodded her head, then cringed at the sound of more yelling.

  “Just sign the damn papers, Wentworth!”

  “What is going on in there?” she mouthed.

  Gregory took a slight step to the side and peered through the glass. She peeked past him and peered through the curtain.

  “What the...”

  In the dim light, she saw Mayor Elliot standing over Chief Wentworth with a knife to his throat. The chief was tied to a chair, his distorted expression twisted in terror.

  “Sign them! Now!” the mayor shouted as he shoved a stack of papers in the chief’s face.

  Samantha quickly stepped away from the door. Every one of her limbs trembled as she processed what they were witnessing.

  “I’m not signing a damn thing!” Chief Wentworth shot back. “You killed my son, and you think I’m gonna take the blame for it? You’re out of your mind!”

  “What is happening right now?” Samantha whimpered, shaking her head in utter confusion.

  “Your son was a loose cannon, Walter!” the mayor spewed. “He was getting out of control. Killing the townspeople with his deadly drug experiments. But after he savagely beat Hudson, who just so happens to be the district attorney’s stepson? That was the last straw.”

  Samantha and Gregory turned to one another, gasping in unison after hearing the information about Hudson.

  “Collin would never—” Chief Wentworth began. He was abruptly silenced when Mayor Elliot pressed the knife into his throat.

  “That’s your problem!” the mayor yelled. “You raised your son to be a punk! Thanks to you, he never paid for any of his wrongdoings. And now? He’s right where he belongs, and you’re going to take the blame for him almost taking my entire drug operation down.”

  Samantha and Gregory both froze. Mayor Elliot was involved in Gattenburg’s drug ring.

  When Chief Wentworth cried out in pain, Samantha turned to Gregory.

  “You have got to do something! Now!”

  Without saying a word, the detective used the butt of his gun to break the lock on the door. He threw it open and aimed the weapon at Mayor Elliot.

  “Drop the knife!” he yelled.

  Chief Wentworth let out a sigh of relief when he laid eyes on Gregory and Samantha. The mayor, however, appeared stunned. But his mouth quickly twisted into a shrewd smirk.

  “So how much did you two hear?” he asked condescendingly.

  “Enough to know that you’re running a drug ring and killed Collin,” Gregory shot back. “Now drop the knife and step away from Chief Wentworth.”

  “Aww, how sweet,” Mayor Elliot said. “Look, everybody, it’s the new kid on the block, trying to be a hero. Listen, you and your little fake journalist friend here need to get the hell out of my house. Trust me, you don’t wanna get involved in this.”

  “Don’t listen to him,” Chief Wentworth pleaded. “Help me. The mayor’s trying to force me to sign a statement confessing that I’m involved in his drug operation and responsible for the murders of Jacob and Collin—”

  “Shut up!” Mayor Elliot yelled, slicing the chief’s jaw with the knife.

  “Ahh!” Chief Wentworth hollered in agony. “Shoot him, Harris. Shoot him!”

  “Drop the weapon, Elliot!” Gregory once again insisted. “I’m not going to ask you again.”

  Smirking, the mayor tossed the knife across the room. When Gregory turned to retrieve it, Mayor Elliot fled the room.

  “Untie him,” Gregory yelled to Samantha, nodding toward the chief before running after the mayor.

  Samantha swooped in and began tugging at the knots restraining Chief Wentworth.

  “Are you okay?” she asked him.

  “My boy is dead,” the chief whimpered. “He’s dead!”

  “I’m so sorry,” she replied while frantically untying him. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here and call for backup.”

  Samantha bent down and wrapped Chief Wentworth’s arm around her shoulders, helping him out of the chair. He leaned into her, his hefty frame causing her to stumble. She swiftly regained her footing and led him out the door toward the front of the house. On the way there, she managed to grab hold of her cell phone and dial 9-1-1, spitting out the information about what was going on and telling the dispatcher she didn’t need to stay on the line.

  “I can’t believe my boy is gone,” Wentworth mumbled. He fell against the side of the house, sobbing into the palms of his hands.

  Samantha bent down and wrapped her arm around the chief.

  “I mean—I knew Collin was trouble,” he continued. “But I had no idea he was into all this. It’s my fault. I should’ve disciplined him more. I shouldn’t have let him get away with all that I did over the years.”

  Samantha grabbed a tissue from her coat pocket and held it to the chief’s jaw. She couldn’t ignore his pain, despite his connection to the harm that’d been done to so many.

  “Collin chose this life,” Chief Wentworth declared. “But he just didn’t have it in him to walk the straight and narrow. I hope you know I had nothing to do with any of this.”

  “Collin kept a drug ledger that implicated you.”

  The chief nodded his head solemnly, the corners of his damp eyes crinkling with sadness. “I know. I just found out about all this from Officer Barris. He confided in me while we were down at city hall this afternoon.”

  “Wait, Officer Barris knew about the drug ring?”

  “Yes. He did. He’d just recently found out about it after Officers Baxter and Miller tried to recruit him into Guzman’s crime syndicate. Guzman and Mayor Elliot are behind all this. And they’ve been paying off several Gattenburg police officers to turn a blind eye and keep quiet.”

  “I knew those two were somehow involved. That’s why they blew off the vandalism investigation at my house. They’ve been working against my cause to get justice for Jacob Jennings all along.”

  “Barris also found out that Guzman is the anonymous owner of Westman’s Automotive Factory. He registered the ownership under a different name so that it wouldn’t be affiliated with him.”

  “And so he could use it produce illegal drugs,” Samantha added. “Without it being traced to him.”

  “Exactly. Those drugs that Collin was formulating were so potent. And deadly. Some concoction he was trying to perfect called TKO is what killed the three Westman’s workers. They were testing it out one night inside the factory. After they OD’d, Guzman ordered my son to dump their bodies in the woods somewhere outside Gattenburg. And Collin did it.”

  He paused, his voice cracking as he began to sob uncontrollably. Samantha wrapped her arm around him, patting his back until he gathered himself.

  “And poor Jacob,” the chief continued, his distorted words practically inaudible. “He was just trying to find out what happened to his coworkers when he went to talk to Collin. But Collin made the mistake of telling Guzman, who turned around and killed Jacob with a deadly overdose in order to silence him.”

  Samantha blinked back tears, thinking of how Ava would take the news.

  “I’m in shock right now,” Chief Wentworth muttered, staring straight ahead as if he were in a daze. “I came here thinking Mayor Elliot would help me apprehend my son’s killer. Instead he attacks me, and I find out he’s in on the whole operation. He’s the one who convinced Collin to list my name in the drug ledger so that if it were ever confiscated, I’d be implicated and forced to cover for them.”

&n
bsp; “I’m so sorry, Chief. I, um—I actually have Collin’s drug ledger in my possession.”

  “You do? How did you get ahold of it?”

  “It’s complicated,” Samantha said just as she heard yelling come from inside the house.

  “Drop the gun, Elliot! Now!”

  Bang. Bang. Bang.

  Samantha inhaled sharply, immobilized by the thought of Gregory being shot.

  “Let’s go!” Chief Wentworth yelled. He pulled her up and led her toward the street. They crouched down behind Gregory’s car.

  Samantha stared out at the mayor’s house. Come out, Gregory, please come out.

  “I’ve gotta get in there!” she insisted, jumping up. “I need to make sure Gregory’s okay...”

  “Samantha, no!” Chief Wentworth grabbed hold of her. “Detective Harris is well trained and knows how to handle himself. You might endanger him if you go in. Help is on the way.”

  As soon as he spoke those words, sirens blared in the distance. Samantha spun around and saw flashing lights heading their way. She jumped up and waved her arms in the air. Officer Barris was the first one to pull up and jump out of his car.

  “Detective Harris is inside the house and Mayor Elliot is trying to kill him!” she yelled.

  “Got it!” the officer called out, leading a trail of officers through the front yard. They broke down the door and barreled inside.

  She couldn’t wait any longer and started rushing toward the door herself.

  Before she got far, Gregory came limping through the front door with policemen on either side of him, his left leg covered in blood.

  Samantha ran to the detective at full speed.

  “Are you okay?” she managed to say, her voice choked.

  “I will be,” Gregory muttered through clenched teeth. “Mayor Elliot shot me. It just grazed me. Officer Barris stopped the bleeding.”

  Samantha knew he was downplaying his injury for her sake. As he spoke, she saw him wince in pain.

  “We need to get you to the hospital, Detective Harris,” Officer Barris told him. “The ambulance is waiting.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Samantha insisted. “There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight.”

  “I don’t want you to...”

  As the group headed toward the ambulance, they stopped to check on Chief Wentworth. He was leaning against a squad car now, holding a fresh handkerchief against his wounded jaw.

  “Detective Harris,” the chief said, “I can’t thank you and Samantha enough for what you did tonight. You two saved my life.”

  “I was just doing my job, sir,” Gregory replied. “With the help of the best criminal journalist in town. Samantha was crucial in getting to the bottom of all this.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered, a smile of appreciation spreading across her face.

  “Well, you two make a great team,” Chief Wentworth said. “Now get out of here. Get to the hospital and have them stitch up that leg.”

  “Will do, sir. And you have my condolences. I’m really sorry about what happened to Collin.”

  Chief Wentworth nodded silently, his lips tightening as he blinked back tears. “Hey, before you go, Detective, I have something I want to share with you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “After tonight, I’ll be retiring. And I’m going to recommend you as my replacement. I had my eye on you for this slot when I hired you.”

  Gregory stared at Chief Wentworth in disbelief. “Wow. I...I don’t know what to say, sir. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s well deserved. We’ll talk more about it later. For now, get to the hospital. And while you’re there, start thinking about the capital murder, aggravated kidnapping and drug trafficking charges that need to be brought against Elliot and Guzman.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The group said their goodbyes, and the EMTs came over and helped Gregory inside the ambulance. Samantha climbed in behind him and took a seat next to the stretcher.

  “Congratulations, Chief Harris,” she said.

  “Hmm, thanks. That has a nice ring to it...”

  The detective tried to shift his body but froze, wincing from the pain of the gunshot wound.

  “Are you okay?” Samantha asked, moving in closer to the stretcher.

  “I’ll survive.”

  Samantha reached out and covered his hand with hers. “I cannot believe this night. And I really can’t believe Mayor Elliot is in cahoots with Axel Guzman and at the helm of the drug ring. I had a chance to speak with Chief Wentworth while you were inside the house. I’ve got a lot to catch you up on.”

  Gregory rested his head against the back of the stretcher and closed his eyes. “I can imagine. Hey, can you do me a favor and check my phone? It’s been buzzing like crazy. I don’t have the energy to do it myself.”

  “Of course. Where is it?”

  “Inside my coat pocket.”

  Samantha grabbed the phone and tapped the notifications. “There’s a message here from Officer Barris. Ooh! Things are moving fast. It says that Axel Guzman was caught down in the drug lab at Westman’s. Both he and Mayor Elliot are currently under arrest, along with Officers Baxter and Miller. Collin’s boys are being questioned right now, and they’re cooperating with the police.”

  “That is great news. I still can’t believe I left Chicago thinking life would be slower and easier for me here in Gattenburg. Oh, how wrong I was...”

  “Yeah, well, at least we’re finally getting justice for this town. You should be glad you came and proud of all your hard work. None of this would’ve been resolved had it not been for you.”

  “And you.”

  Samantha tightened her grip on Gregory’s hand. “Thank you. After all this, I can’t wait to get back to blogging and follow up on this crazy, twisted case. You know what else, Chief Harris?”

  “What’s up?” he chuckled.

  “Tonight just reaffirmed that life is short. I have to go after my dreams. So, with that being said, I’ve decided to quit my job with the women’s journal and focus on my Someone Knows Something brand full-time. I’m talking launching a podcast, creating a cold case web series, developing partnerships and sponsorships, the works. I’m about to go global.”

  Gregory opened his eyes and turned to her. “I think that sounds amazing. You know, what’s interesting is that tonight showed me I need to go after what I want, too.”

  “Oh really? And what is it that you’re ready to pursue?”

  “You.”

  Samantha paused, feeling as if everything around her had come to a complete stop.

  “What do you think of that?” he asked.

  “I think you should go for it...”

  Just as the ambulance turned into the hospital’s driveway, Gregory wrapped his arm around the small of her back and pulled her in close. He held her chin in his hand and kissed her passionately.

  Samantha leaned into him, relishing the feeling of his full, supple lips. She felt every word they hadn’t spoken in that kiss. Their shared triumph in solving the Gattenburg murders, how they’d come out of the ordeal unscathed, the love they shared for one another—it was all there.

  When the ambulance came to a stop, she gradually pulled away from him.

  “Mmm,” Gregory sighed. “That was nice.”

  “Yes, it was,” she murmured, her lips still tingling from his touch.

  “I’m so glad I don’t have to hide my feelings for you anymore.”

  “So am I. Because it was becoming quite the struggle.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?” he quipped just as the EMTs opened the back door. Gregory took Samantha’s hand in his. “You and I have a lot to discuss. And I’m hoping part of that conversation will be about us building a life together.”

  “It most certainly will.”<
br />
  She watched as the paramedics pulled him from the vehicle. He stared back at her. There was an unspoken, unbreakable bond in their gaze.

  And in that moment, Samantha knew that Gregory was the man she would spend the rest of her life with.

  * * * * *

  WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM

  Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

  Dive into action-packed stories that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Solve the crime and deliver justice at all costs.

  6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!

  Love Harlequin romance?

  DISCOVER.

  Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!

  Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks

  Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks

  Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks

  Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks

  ReaderService.com

  EXPLORE.

  Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at

  TryHarlequin.com

  CONNECT.

  Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!

  Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection

  ISBN-13: 9780369709028

  Cold Case True Crime

  Copyright © 2021 by Denise N. Wheatley

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at CustomerService@Harlequin.com.

  Harlequin Enterprises ULC

  22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor

  Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada