One Little Lie

by Colleen Coble

  She grabbed her keys. “Let’s head to Mobile.”

  Her phone rang before she’d taken two steps, and her gut clenched when Lisa’s name appeared on the screen. “Good morning, Mayor.”

  “I just spoke to Paul. Is it true you’re refusing to arrest your father?”

  Jane swallowed at the hard note in Lisa’s voice. “We haven’t checked out his alibi, Lisa. This is not how I conduct a case. We don’t have all the evidence in.”

  “I’m suspending you, Jane. I’m sorry, but we can’t have the public perception be that we are shielding your father because he was the former police chief. And get rid of Reid Dixon as quickly as you can. This documentary is done as well. Clean out your office and vacate the premises as quickly as possible.”

  “But—” She was speaking to dead air. Lisa had hung up.

  Will and Reid were both wide-eyed. “She suspended me.” She jerked open the lap drawer on her desk. “I’ve got to get my stuff and get out.”

  “That snake in the grass,” Reid ground out. He turned toward the door.

  “Don’t. It won’t help.” She went to the closet and rummaged until she found a box she’d used to transfer her things when she moved in. It was probably the shortest police chief stint in history. She dumped her belongings back into the box.

  “What are you going to do?” Reid asked.

  “Find out who killed Dawson. It might be my dad, and I have to be ready to accept it. But it might be someone else, and I won’t rest until I find out. Fanny’s life might be depending on it.”

  “Any news from the senator? Wasn’t she supposed to get a ransom demand on Saturday night? That was three days ago.”

  “I’ve heard nothing. The case belongs to the state boys.” She went back to her desk and pulled out a USB drive from the drawer to insert into her computer. “I’ll take the files with me and any other cases Dad had investigated. There might be something in them.”

  “How will you do that without resources?”

  “Brian won’t shut me out of the investigation, and I can still ask questions.” She stared at him and felt a pang that he’d likely walk away without a documentary to work on. “Lisa wants you gone too.”

  He lifted a brow. “Lisa isn’t my boss. I’m not going anywhere. I have some contacts with the state police from a documentary I did a couple of years ago. I’ll help you.”

  He held her gaze for a long moment, and her traitorous heart did a quick blip. Was he remembering last night too? She could still taste him on her lips.

  She finally looked away before he could read the yearning in her face. “That will help. I want to talk to Elizabeth first. I can’t believe she’d throw Dad under the bus.”

  Reid didn’t answer, and she knew he was wondering if her dad was the one who’d lied. Only finding a tape from Sunday with them on it would prove whether or not he’d told them the truth.

  She had her work cut out for her. Warmth ran up her neck at Reid’s offer of help. This wasn’t his fight, and he could walk away if he wanted. The fact he didn’t meant more than he’d ever know. At least she wasn’t facing this mountain alone.

  She could do this. On Easter Sunday she’d realized she was stronger than she thought. Nothing would make her go back on the promise to herself.

  Twenty-Nine

  Reid squinted in the sunlight as they emerged from the police department and walked across the parking lot to his SUV. Jane wouldn’t have a vehicle here since she’d been suspended. He slanted a glance her way and saw her set, determined expression. This wouldn’t deter her from finding out the truth. Parker walked close beside her as if he sensed her churning emotions.

  A big man in a suit and tie got out of a Mercedes. He shook his head when he saw Jane. “I knew you weren’t up to the job. Now that Paul is in charge, we might see some results on these murders.”

  Jane’s chin rose. “Nice to hear your vote of confidence, Victor.”

  She strode away, and Reid jogged to catch up with her. “Who was that rude guy?”

  “Victor Armstrong. He voted against me on the council. He predicted a small woman like me could never manage the job.”

  Reid curled his hands into fists. “What a jerk.”

  “He’s not worth my time.”

  A male voice spoke behind him. “Reid Dixon?”

  Reid turned to see a man in his early twenties rushing to catch him. “Yes?”

  The man slapped an envelope in his hand. “You’ve been served, sir.” He pivoted and walked away.

  Reid’s gut clenched as he looked at the official return address. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the papers. It was all he could do not to crumple the sheets and toss them to the street.

  Will stepped to his side. “What is it, Dad?”

  “Lauren is suing for custody just like she threatened.” He glanced at Jane, who stopped beside them. “Is there anything I can do to avoid having to go to court?”

  Jane held out her hand. “Can I see?”

  He handed the papers to her, and she perused the order. “You’ll get a summons in a few days that will tell you when you have to appear. You should definitely hire an attorney. I know some good family law attorneys in town. This won’t be resolved overnight, though.”

  “If it’s going to take time, I’m surprised she’s doing this.”

  “She might not stay in town the whole time. She’ll find out when she has to appear as well. You’ll have time to gather your facts, and so will she.”

  This wasn’t something he wanted to deal with—especially not when Jane needed him.

  Will folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not going with her, and they can’t make me.”

  “The judge actually can.” Jane handed the papers back to Reid. “But you’re old enough that the court will most likely listen to your desires. You don’t know her and don’t seem to want to know her, so this might be more of a nuisance than anything.” She looked at Reid. “Plus, you have the proof that she was trying to blackmail you. You could press charges for that.”

  He straightened. “That’s a great idea! I could tell her she has twenty-four hours to withdraw her complaint, or I’ll file criminal charges.”

  “I think you should just file the charges,” Jane said. “She doesn’t seem the type to listen to anything but what she wants. It’s usually better to just do what you know you need to and get on with it. Talking to someone with a vendetta shows them they’ve gotten your goat. If she’s after power, you’ll play into her hand.”

  Reid hated the thought of filing charges and spending more time in court, but maybe Jane was right. He needed to do whatever he could to protect Will.

  He examined the papers. “I’ve probably got a couple of weeks before the hearing at least?” He waited until Jane nodded. “Who would you suggest?”

  “Scott Foster is a longtime friend, and he’ll be at the jail when they bring in my dad. You could talk to him after that. And I suppose he might even say you should talk to her and try to come to an agreement, but that wouldn’t be my choice if I were in your shoes. It’s your call, though.”

  He could sense her impatience to get on the road to talk to Elizabeth, and he was just as eager. This couldn’t have come at a worse time.

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.” He squinted in the sun. “I think that’s Lauren across the street. You think it’s a sign I should talk to her?”

  “I’m not into signs,” Jane said.

  “Do it, Dad. I just want this over.”

  “Maybe I can get her to see sense.” He started for the street and paused to let traffic pass.

  Will came after him. “I’m going with you. I’ll tell her I’m not going.”

  Not that Lauren would listen to Will. She wanted what she wanted, and she wasn’t the kind to be easily deterred.

  Lauren’s gaze locked with Reid’s, and her triumphant smile needled him. She waited for them under the coffee shop awning. Her gaze dropped to the paper in his hand. “I see you got
your papers. I warned you.”

  He stopped in front of her. “And I’m warning you. I’ve got evidence you were trying to blackmail me, and I’m going to file charges. You brought this on yourself.”

  Her smile faltered. “You have no proof.” She tossed her head, and her golden hair rippled. “Our conversation was private.”

  “It doesn’t matter what you do, I’m not going anywhere with you,” Will said.

  She narrowed her eyes at Will. “Then tell your dad to pay up, or you won’t like the outcome either.”

  What a piece of work. Talking to her son like that. What kind of person did that?

  Reid pulled out his phone and clicked on the recording. Her voice came through the speakers, and Lauren’s face paled.

  “You can’t use that. I didn’t know I was being recorded.”

  “Wrong. This is a one-party state, which means since I was part of the conversation, I can legally record it and use it.”

  “You should have told me you had it.” She took a step forward on her impossibly high red heels and snatched the phone from his hands.

  He grabbed at it, but she took a step back, then slammed it to the ground where it shattered. “There’s your evidence.” Her sneer turned to a predatory grin.

  “It’s backed up on the cloud. You did nothing except open yourself up to another charge of vandalism.”

  Her green eyes widened, and she turned to stalk away. The next move was hers.

  * * *

  Any contact with her dad could play against him in court. Since Jane couldn’t ask him where to find Elizabeth, she asked Brian. After stopping to buy a new phone and download his backup file, Reid drove her around to Plash Island, where she found Elizabeth working in the yard of a small waterfront cottage near a shrimping operation that sent its briny odor out onto the wind.

  Dressed in a long-sleeve shirt and pants, Elizabeth looked up from under the brim of her straw hat when they pulled into the drive. Her face was expressionless, and she swatted the small flies swarming her.

  Jane got out and forced a smile. “Flies are bad this morning.” Reid got out, too, but Will stayed in the backseat with the dog.

  “I hope you have on repellant.”

  Jane shrugged away the fake concern. “They’re arresting Dad today.”

  Elizabeth gazed back at her with a calm, still manner. “Is that why you’re here?”

  “Why’d you leave, Elizabeth? You guys have been together a long time. I thought we were close, and you never even called.”

  “I didn’t want to harm your relationship with your dad.”

  “He says he was with you the Sunday Dawson died. You say he wasn’t. He told us where he was, and I’m going to look for video proving it today. Do you want to amend your statement? I’d hate to have to arrest you for making a false one.”

  “You’ll never believe anything bad about your dad, will you? When it all comes out, you’re going to be so hurt, Jane. I hate it.”

  “When what comes out?” Something in Elizabeth’s manner made Jane think her words had nothing to do with the accusations against her father.

  Elizabeth finally looked away. “I’m not going to be the one to tell you.”

  “You’re not making any sense. What’s he done that could cause you to turn against him like this?”

  “Did you want me to lie about Sunday?”

  “What? Of course not! But why would Dad say he was shopping for a rug and tell us exactly where to look for video if he was lying?”

  Her brown eyes flickered with what looked like fear. “I don’t know why Charles does what he does.”

  “You sound like you hate him. What happened?”

  “I got tired of his lies.”

  Jane glimpsed the pain in Elizabeth’s face. “Was he seeing someone else?”

  Elizabeth pressed her lips together. “You’ll have to ask him that question. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get these flowers planted before the sun kills them. I’m done talking.” She turned her back and bent to her task.

  Jane frowned. She was sure Elizabeth would open up to her, that there had to be a good reason she’d lied about Dad’s whereabouts. This felt unfinished and confusing.

  Reid touched her arm and jerked his head toward his SUV. She hunched her shoulders but followed him back to the vehicle.

  He turned the air on high. “She knows something, but you won’t get it out of her.”

  “I think she’s lying. But why would she do that, especially knowing I might be able to prove it? She looked afraid for a moment. I wonder if someone is forcing her to lie or she’ll go back to jail.” Did she fear Dad for some reason? Surely he would never lift a hand her way.

  “That’s what we have to find out. She seemed familiar, but I’m not sure where I might have seen her.” He dropped the SUV into Drive. “Where to now?”

  “Mobile. You think you could contact your friend with the state police? The stores won’t let me view any videos since I don’t have any credentials.”

  He put his foot on the brake and stopped before he pulled onto the road. “I’ll text him.” He slipped out his phone and tapped the screen. “We’ll see what he says.”

  She buckled up and stared out the window at the clouds beginning to gather in the blue sky. Discouragement clutched her in a death grip. What if she never got her job back? Could she even get another job in law enforcement without a recommendation from Lisa? The even bigger worry was her father. If she wasn’t able to prove what happened, her dad would spend the rest of his life in jail. Even worse, he could be executed. Alabama had the highest capital punishment convictions in the nation. If he lived that long. Officers of the law had a rough time in prison. The thought of seeing her dad in an orange jumpsuit was a gut punch.

  Her phone had a message, and it was from her dad.

  Cops are here to arrest me, but I’m not opening the door yet. I need to talk to you.

  “Change of plans. Dad wants to talk to me.”

  “Can you do that before they arrest him?”

  “They’re there now, but he hasn’t answered the door yet.” She shot him a quick text.

  Open the door. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Don’t make this worse with a resisting arrest charge.

  She could only pray he listened to her. He was already in a world of trouble.

  “Let’s head back to his house. Even though I told him to open the door, I’m not sure he will, and I don’t want him in more trouble. Maybe Brian will tell me what’s going on, and if they have more evidence.”

  Someone had to know what was going on.

  Thirty

  Two squad cars, one local and one from the state police, were parked with bubble lights strobing in front of her dad’s house. Brian and Paul were both on the front porch, but the door was closed. The two state guys were at the bottom of the steps.

  Jane closed her eyes for a brief moment. She’d hoped he wasn’t holed up in there, but he hadn’t taken her advice. For all she knew, he was loading an AK-47 inside and wouldn’t come out without a blazing gun. She’d like to think he wouldn’t be that stupid, but he hadn’t behaved in a normal manner for days.

  “Looks like you were right,” Reid said. “He isn’t coming out. I’ll stay out of the way with Will and Parker.”

  She got out the passenger side and called to the officers. “Let me get him.”

  Paul turned and scowled. “We’ve got this, and you’re not even a police officer any longer, let alone in charge.”

  “I realize that, but if you want him in custody, I can bring him out, and you can arrest him.” She kept her tone even and reasonable.

  “She’s right,” Brian said. “It will be at least an hour before we get any more help from the state. It would be suicide to break down the door and go in with guns. We need a SWAT team.”

  Paul’s scowl deepened, and he clenched his fists before he grudgingly moved out of the way. “Make it quick or I’m calling in more help.”

 
Which would likely mean bloodshed. Her dad had an arsenal worthy of a small army on the property. There was an underground tunnel to the bunker, and if he reached it, he could be holed up in there for days. Weeks or months even.

  She pushed past Paul and Brian and used her key to unlock the dead bolt, then pushed open the door. “Dad, I’m coming in.”

  “Go back!” Dad’s voice sounded as though it was coming from the kitchen near the stairs to the basement. He was likely about to head for the tunnel.

  She stepped inside and closed the door behind her as Paul made a move to come after her. She threw the dead bolt again. The last thing she needed was Paul stirring the pot. “Stay back, I’ll bring him out!”

  She walked toward the back of the house. “I’m alone, Dad.”

  The basement door was open, and she started down the steps. “Dad?” The mildewy odor made her wrinkle her nose. A distant door clicked, and she picked up the pace. “Dad?”

  She reached the basement floor and stepped behind a shelving unit containing home-canned goods. As she expected, the door to the bunker was closed. She tried to open it. Locked. It was only a delay since she had a key, but what was Dad up to? She dug out her key and unlocked the door, then opened it to a pitch-black space.

  She flipped on the light and illuminated a two-foot-by-five-foot tunnel. “Dad?”

  Since she was short, she only had to duck a little to make her way along the cold, dank space. It grew narrower the farther away from the house it got, and she felt breathless by the time it widened again. Drawing in a relieved breath, she burst through the last door into the entry to the bunker, which was brightly lit with LED lights. She shut the tunnel door behind her and threw the dead bolt on the six-inch metal door designed to withstand an attack. If he’d wanted to do the same to keep her out he could have, so he must have wanted her to follow.

  The door to the outside was cracked open a bit. Had he gone into the bunker or had he left the building? Intuition drew her to the heavy exterior door, also thick metal, and it creaked as she opened it the rest of the way. She caught the faint roar of a four-wheeler.