Blind Trust

by Laura Scott

  Pete would be home soon, putting an end to her babysitting duties. Oh, she’d still help out, especially on the nights he had to work twenty-four hours, but it wouldn’t be the same. These past few days had only shown her what her diagnosis was taking from her.

  Not just her sight, which was bad enough, but no one would want to risk starting a family with her given the chances of passing retinitis pigmentosa on to her children. Besides, remaining independent even after she’d lost her vision was important. She refused to be a burden to anyone.

  Especially not to Finn Gallagher.

  So this was it. She’d move on with her life alone. The best she could do was to continue helping Pete with Mikey as needed.

  It would have to be enough.

  Easing off the mattress, Eva left Mikey sleeping. Abernathy lifted his head, his tail thumping against the bed. She reached over to pet the dog’s silky head, silently encouraging him to stay with the little boy for a while longer.

  Abernathy set his head back down on the mattress and closed his eyes. She smiled and took a quick picture with her phone of Mikey and the K-9.

  She returned downstairs to find Finn still working on his computer. She dropped into a chair next to him. “Mikey’s asleep.”

  Finn nodded, his gaze searching hers. “I’m sticking around until Pete returns home. I don’t want you to be upset, but it’s important I ask him a few questions.”

  “About what?” She frowned, not liking where this was going. “You can’t seriously believe that Pete hired Roach and the stinky guy. Why would he?”

  “I don’t believe anything, but as part of the investigation, I need to rule everyone in or out.” His gaze bored into hers. “To rule Pete out once and for all, I need to talk to him. Get more detailed information from him.”

  She sighed heavily and glanced away. Finn wasn’t going to let it go, so there was no point in arguing. “Fine, but the poor guy is going to be exhausted by the time he gets home,” Eva said. “You might want to give him a chance to rest up before you begin interrogating him.”

  “It won’t be an interrogation,” Finn said in a mild tone. “And the sooner he answers my questions, the sooner he can get back to his normal routine.”

  A wave of panic hit hard. “You’re going to keep a cop stationed here until the stinky guy is caught, right?”

  “Yes. Don’t worry, Mikey will be safe.”

  “Good.” She put her hand over her heart, willing it to slow down. Those moments when she’d realized Mikey had been kidnapped would be forever etched in her memory.

  “What about you?” Finn asked. “Are you staying here tonight?”

  “Oh, I don’t think that’s necessary.” The thought of going back to the house she shared with her college roommates wasn’t appealing, especially since she’d encouraged them both to stay in a hotel for a few days. Which hadn’t gone over well, since Alecia owned the place and hadn’t liked being moved out of her home. On the other hand, she couldn’t help thinking that Mikey would be safer once she was gone.

  “I think it is,” Finn countered. “At least for tonight. Tomorrow we’ll have a chance to work something out with Roach, and we should have your stinky guy in custody by the end of the day.”

  She nodded slowly, considering his point. What was one more night? No reason not to sleep on the sofa. “Okay, as long as Pete doesn’t mind.”

  “Why would he?”

  She shrugged. “You said yourself that I’m a potential target. By now, the stinky guy must know we’ve searched the house up and down without finding the stupid package. And he still has Cocoa.”

  “Yeah, but if the guy was smart, he’d return the puppy and get out of town. He must know we have Roach in custody. Why not save himself?”

  His theory made sense. “I hope you’re right. I’ve been praying to get Cocoa back safe and sound.”

  “I’m glad to hear you’re leaning on your faith,” Finn said in a low, husky tone.

  She ducked her head, hoping he wouldn’t notice her blush. “Thanks to you, Finn.”

  Their gazes caught and held, awareness simmering between them. The kitchen shrank in size, creating a cozy atmosphere as if they were alone in the world.

  “Eva?” The way Finn said her name in that deep, husky tone made her shiver. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his, and when he slowly stood, her heart thudded wildly with anticipation.

  “We shouldn’t,” she whispered as he drew her to her feet.

  “Why not? What’s wrong with one kiss?”

  The only thing wrong with one kiss was that it made her long for two kisses. Three. And more. Yet she couldn’t find the strength to push him away. Finn pulled her close gently, and she willingly wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him toward her.

  “Yes,” she whispered as he stared at her for a long moment. “One kiss.”

  His mouth caressed her lips, and she knew in that moment that one kiss would never be enough. Clinging to Finn’s broad shoulders, she reveled in the kiss, memorizing his touch, his taste, his musky aftershave.

  The sound of a car door slamming outside startled them both. Instantly Finn lifted his head, reaching for the weapon on his hip with his right hand while pushing her behind him with the other.

  She heard the jangle of keys and put her hand on Finn’s arm. “It’s Pete.”

  Finn didn’t lower his weapon as he cautiously approached the door to peek through the window. Eva ran her fingers through her hair, hoping Pete wouldn’t notice what he’d interrupted even as she tried to understand Finn’s motive behind the kiss.

  * * *

  Pete’s timing was awful, but Finn told himself to get over it. Still, it wasn’t easy to focus with his head full of Eva’s citrusy scent.

  Abernathy appeared next to Finn. The K-9 must have heard the sound of Pete’s arrival and had come down from the master bedroom in response.

  “Heel,” Finn commanded as he holstered his weapon. Abernathy sat on his haunches and looked up at Finn, waiting for the next command. “Stay.”

  The door swung open, revealing a tall, dark-haired twenty-eight-year-old man standing there. Pete looked surprised to see them as he crossed the threshold.

  “What’s going on?” Pete demanded. “Did something happen with Mikey since we last spoke?”

  “No, everything is fine.” Eva’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Finn wondered if she thought that Pete held her responsible for Mikey’s kidnapping.

  “Thanks. It’s good to be home.” Pete dropped his carry-on duffel bag on the floor and eyed Finn curiously. “And you are?”

  “Officer Finn Gallagher. This is my partner, Abernathy.” Finn didn’t offer his hand as he gestured toward the kitchen table. “Take a seat. I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

  Pete frowned and rubbed his hand over his lower jaw. “Now?”

  “It won’t take long and then I’ll be on my way.” Finn’s tone was firm.

  There was a long pause as the two men stared at each other. Finn could tell Pete wanted to tell him to shove off, but managed to maintain his cool.

  “Fine. Give me a minute to check on my son.” Pete brushed past Finn on his way toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

  “He’s in your bedroom,” Eva called after him.

  Pete raised a hand, indicating he’d heard.

  She rounded on Finn, her blue eyes flashing with anger as if the amazing kiss they’d shared hadn’t happened. “I told you to give him some time.”

  “And I need to do my job.” He tried not to take her verbal attack personally. As a cop he knew what needed to be done, and if Eva didn’t understand that, then maybe their kiss had been a mistake.

  An uncomfortable silence hung between them, and he tried to think of a way to ease the tension. He was about to apologize, for what he wasn’t sure, wh
en he heard the sound of Pete’s footsteps.

  “Mikey seems fine,” Pete said, his voice husky with emotion. “I owe you both a debt of gratitude for finding him so quickly.”

  “Oh, Pete.” Eva rushed over to give her brother-in-law a quick hug. “Finn and Abernathy get the credit for finding Mikey. I just hope you’ll forgive me.”

  “I told you, it’s not your fault.” Pete returned her hug awkwardly, patting her back before breaking away to face Finn. He crossed his arms over his chest and asked, “What do you want to know?”

  “Please, take a seat.” Finn didn’t want to conduct his interview under hostile circumstances. When Pete reluctantly sat, Finn took a chair beside him. Eva was on Pete’s other side, and again he had to ignore the flash of hurt. “I need to understand what you know about your wife’s activities before she died.”

  “I don’t know anything about what she was doing.” Pete stared blindly off in the distance. “I guess I should have noticed the signs—her emotions were all over the place. One minute she’d be furious, then a few hours later she’d act happy and full of enthusiasm.” Pete shrugged. “It was so bad that I was constantly on guard, never sure which Malina would walk through the door.”

  “And you don’t know anything about a package?” Finn pressed.

  “Nothing.” Pete spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “Ever since Eva mentioned it, I’ve been racking my brains trying to figure out if I saw anything that could have been a hidden package.”

  “Do you have a safe-deposit box?”

  Finn’s question caught Pete off guard and he frowned. “Not that I know of.”

  “Do you know where Malina’s keys are?” Finn wasn’t going to let it drop. A safe-deposit box was the only other place he could imagine where Malina might have put a package.

  “Uh, I don’t know, maybe in her purse?”

  “I’ll get it,” Eva offered, getting up from the table.

  Finn was glad to have a few minutes alone with Pete. “You’re telling me that you didn’t once suspect your wife was using drugs?”

  “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Why would I suspect Malina of doing something like that?” Anger flashed in Pete’s dark eyes. “Sure, it’s easy to look back now and see the signs, but at the time, I thought she was struggling with losing her eyesight. Her vision had got dramatically worse in those last few months before...” His voice trailed off.

  “Before she was killed,” Finn finished. “I’ve officially requested to reopen the investigation on her death. I’m not convinced it was an accident.”

  The blood drained from Pete’s face and Finn knew he was truly shocked. “You—you think she was murdered?”

  Finn wasn’t sure how much to tell him. “I think it was meant to be a warning—return the package or else. Only they didn’t realize how bad her vision was. She didn’t react in time to jump out of the way and was killed rather than getting a little banged up.”

  Pete dropped his head into his hands, his body slumped as if he didn’t possess an ounce of energy. Finn actually found himself feeling bad for the man.

  “It’s all so surreal. Finding out that Malina was using drugs and was killed over some stupid package that she stole.” Pete lifted his head, his expression full of angst. “She had abdominal surgery five months ago, her appendix burst so they had to open her up. It’s possible that’s when she got hooked on painkillers, but to steal from her suppliers? Why on earth would she do that? Why?”

  Finn remained silent, unable to provide an answer to Pete’s questions. The guy appeared sincerely distraught and, as much as he’d hoped to get key information, Finn sensed he was wasting his time.

  Pete hadn’t known anything about what he suspected was Malina’s apparent drug use or her activities. As sad as it was, the spouse was sometimes the last to know.

  Eva returned to the kitchen carrying the purse she’d discovered during their earlier search. “Found the keys.” She tossed the key ring on the table.

  Finn picked it up before Pete could to examine each of the three keys. “Which one is the house key?”

  “This one.” Eva pointed at the dark brass key. “And this one is to the back door.”

  “And the third?” Finn held that one up.

  Eva frowned. “That looks like it might be for the guide dog training center. I’ll get my keys so we can compare.”

  The training center? Finn found it curious that Malina would have a key after being fired. Wouldn’t Wade have asked for it back?

  Eva returned and offered her key in comparison. They were a match. Finn nodded and took the keys. “I’ll need to borrow these for a little while, then I’ll get them back to you.”

  “Whatever.”

  Eva snapped her fingers. “Oh, by the way, you should know I found this cash, too.” She set the five crisp one-hundred-dollar bills on the table in front of her brother-in-law.

  “Five hundred dollars?” Pete stared at the cash as if it were a snake that would lash out and bite him. “Drug money?”

  Finn exchanged a knowing glance with Eva. That was exactly what they’d thought, but there was no reason to add to Pete’s distress. “We don’t know that it’s drug money. It could be from something else.”

  “Yeah? Like what?” Pete roughly pushed the bills toward Finn. “Take it away. I don’t want it.” He stood abruptly and moved to the other side of the room. “I’m finished answering your questions. I need some time alone.”

  “Pete, please...” Eva reached out to touch his arm, but he moved away.

  “Not now, Eva. I need some peace and quiet. Time alone with Mikey. I have the next few days off work, and I’d like to spend that time with my son.”

  “I understand.” Finn rose to his feet. “But you need to remember to stay inside for the next few days. I’ll keep a squad posted outside your home, but until we get the guy who dognapped Cocoa, you and Mikey are still in danger. And so is Eva. I’d like her to stay here tonight.”

  Pete looked through the window at the police car that was parked in his driveway. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  “I can head home,” Eva interjected. “I think Pete and Mikey have been through enough. They deserve time alone.”

  “I don’t like that idea,” Finn protested. “If you insist on leaving, then you need to stay in a hotel.”

  “I’ll figure something out.”

  Finn wasn’t sure he trusted that she’d actually go to the hotel, although he did see that she had her own suitcase packed and ready to go. “I’ll drive you.”

  She looked as if she wanted to argue, but he held up the keys. “We’ll make a stop at the training center first, if you don’t mind.”

  She looked relieved and nodded. “Sure.”

  Pete turned from the window. “There’s no reason to leave, Eva. I didn’t intend to make you feel unwelcome. The sofa is yours for as long as you want it.”

  “Thanks, Pete, but I think you and Mikey deserve some quality father-son time. He’s missed you.” She gave Pete’s arm a gentle squeeze, then retrieved her purse and looked at Finn expectantly. “Ready?”

  Finn nodded and picked up Abernathy’s food and water dishes, along with her duffel bag.

  As they headed outside to his SUV, he hoped taking Eva with him to search the guide dog training center wasn’t a mistake.

  FOURTEEN

  The training center looked different at night with only one light shining through the front window. It was well after eleven o’clock, so Eva knew none of the caretakers for the puppies would be around. As Finn parked his SUV and got out, she followed suit, feeling nervous for some reason, as if they were doing something wrong. They weren’t, since Finn had taken a good hour to jump through the hoops to obtain a warrant, but still it felt deceitful for some reason.

  Finn let Abernathy out of the back, and together the t
hree of them approached the front entrance.

  Malina’s key, which looked shiny and new compared to hers, unlocked the front door. Since finding Malina’s key, she’d tried to understand why her sister would have made a copy for herself. Why would Malina have needed access to the training center after being let go? Eva had no clue. Using this place as a hiding spot for the package was risky. There were plenty of people who went in and out of the training center. Too many to make sure you could get in and out without being noticed.

  Unless of course Malina had done exactly what they were doing. Going inside at night.

  As they entered, the puppies in the back kennel began to bark. She wanted to go there to reassure them but followed Finn and Abernathy into the office area.

  “We’re searching for the missing package,” he told her. “Nothing more.”

  She nodded. “I can look through the drawers in the reception area.”

  “Thanks.”

  Leaving Finn to look through Wade’s office, something she’d rather not do anyway, Eva went through the small reception area. There weren’t many hiding places in general, and she found nothing in any of the drawers located along the right-hand side of the desk.

  The dogs’ barking was getting on her nerves, so after verifying there was no sign of the mysterious package, she went back to the kennel area.

  “It’s okay,” she crooned. “It’s just me.”

  The dogs continued to bark, wanting out of their kennels. She didn’t blame them. Seeing them like this was always difficult for her. The puppies stayed alone in the kennels during their basic training, starting when they are eight weeks old, until they were twelve weeks old. Once that was finished, they went with trainers to be fostered for almost a year before returning to the center for formal training. Still, it wasn’t easy to turn her back on them.

  “Find anything?” she asked, returning to the office area.

  “Just another bit of white powder.” Finn held up an evidence bag. Eva squinted at it and saw a few grains of what might be cocaine.

  “No package?”