Rains of Remorse

by Christy Barritt

  Instead, he remained at the window watching and waiting. Based on the way the man was dressed, he was some kind of official. But Levi had no idea who.

  Was it the life insurance salesman? Was all of this about the insurance payout? Or was this about her baby? He could barely stomach the thought of it.

  He skipped his coffee and checked his messages while keeping an eye on the house. Finally, after an hour, the man left. Now Levi needed to figure out a way to subtly ask her some questions without raising her suspicions. But he wasn’t quite sure how to do that.

  To his surprise, he saw her walk from her house and cross the lawn between their places. The next instant, Rebecca knocked on his door.

  Levi breathed a sigh of relief. That had been easier than he had thought. He had to admit that Rebecca touched something inside him that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He still planned on investigating this case, but his perspective had been changed since he arrived in town and met Rebecca.

  Stay on guard, he reminded himself. Don’t make the same mistake twice.

  He drew in a deep breath. Was Rebecca a wolf in sheep’s clothing? He didn’t want to believe it. But he did need to be careful.

  He opened the door and quickly observed Rebecca’s demeanor. She looked ashen and her hands trembled. Not a good sign.

  Levi stepped toward her and took her arm. “Rebecca?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry to come over here so early, I just didn’t know who else to talk to.”

  “Come on in.” He led her to the couch and waited until she was seated to release her arm. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Well, I’m not fine, but I don’t need any coffee. I’m already wired enough.”

  “What’s going on?” He lowered himself a comfortable distance away on the couch, though his desire was to sit close in case she needed him.

  “I don’t know why I’m coming over here to tell you this. Maybe it’s because you’ll leave this island one day and if this turns out to be a disaster, I’ll never have to see you again.”

  For some reason, the thought of never seeing her again did something strange to his heart. Would he be able to walk away from this assignment one day, acting as if he’d never met her? He wasn’t sure. That would be a question for another day.

  “I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener. So what’s going on? You look shaken.” As Levi said the words, he glanced at her arms. They trembled uncontrollably. And her breaths came quickly. Probably too quickly.

  She ran a hand over the top of her blonde hair, leaving her ponytail lopsided. “I know how this is going to sound. The people here on the island might even think less of me if they find out. But I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Rebecca, what’s going on?” He tried to put the pieces together, but he had no idea.

  “A man stopped by my house this morning. He’s with the FBI.”

  His eyes widened. He should have known. But why were they involved in this? This wasn’t their territory. “Why would the FBI stop by your house?”

  “That’s what I asked when the agent first arrived. He went on to tell me that he believes my late husband was involved in a weapons-smuggling operation. Isn’t that the craziest thing you have ever heard?”

  “A weapons-smuggling operation? That sounds like something straight from Hollywood.” Levi kept the surprise in his voice, even though he knew it was the truth.

  It killed him to say that, to act like this. He could answer so many questions for her. Yet if he did that, Rebecca would know the truth about who he was and why he was here. He might not ever find out any answers then and know if she was truly innocent or guilty—although he thought he already knew the truth.

  Rebecca went on to tell him about how one of the properties that she represented was believed to have been used for storing smuggled weapons. Levi had also heard that.

  “So they think that you’re involved in this?” Levi leaned closer, anxious to hear what else she had to say.

  Rebecca buried her face, her breath escaping in a rush of emotion. “Apparently, they do. They’ve been keeping their eye on me for a while. I just don’t understand. I would never do something like that. I know money has been tight, so that means I’ve just been working harder. It doesn’t mean I’ve turned to anything illegal.”

  He licked his lips and chose his words carefully. “What about your late husband? Could you see him getting mixed up in something like that?”

  Rebecca hesitated, which was an answer within itself. “I don’t want to think that Jim would ever do something like that. But the truth is, in the past year or so, I didn’t even feel like I knew him. And what did he do when he left here? What if this is all true?”

  He leaned forward and squeezed her hand. “Rebecca, even if it is true, you’re going to get through this.”

  “Not if they think I’m involved! If they think that I had any part in this, I’m going to jail. Who’s going to take care of my baby?” She wiped more moisture from her face.

  “Did you tell them about the threats against you? That should prove you’re a victim instead of a perpetrator.”

  “I told him. I’m not sure what he thought about it. He was hard to read.”

  Levi hesitated a moment before saying, “Maybe I can help somehow.”

  She stared at him, doubt in her gaze. “I appreciate that offer, but I’m not really sure what an engineer is going to be able to do to help out in this situation.”

  She had a good point. Then again, she didn’t know the whole truth either. “I know I’m just an engineer. But I’m pretty good at doing my homework. I’ve always been told I have an eye for detail. Maybe I can help do something.”

  “I would love it if you could. But I don’t want to put you in the middle of a bad situation. I know I need to tell Cassidy—or Chief Chambers to you. But I’m just so afraid word of this is going to leak on the island.”

  “Do you think the chief is going to tell people?”

  “It’s not that I think she’ll tell people. But if she starts investigating, people are going to start to talk. If my reputation is ruined, then my career will be done. I can’t risk that.”

  Levi’s jaw twitched. Rebecca told the truth. He couldn’t deny that. In her line of work, reputation was everything. “Let me see what I can do for you. Do you have this FBI agent’s name or number?”

  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. “This is what he gave me.”

  Levi stared at the business card a moment before nodding. “Okay, this would be a great place to start. In the meantime, why don’t you put your feet up and relax for a little while? Let me do some of the heavy lifting for a few minutes.”

  After a moment of hesitation, Rebecca nodded.

  Levi stood. Maybe he’d finally figure out some answers.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Letting somebody else take care of her was hard for Rebecca. Even though it was what she secretly craved sometimes, she’d been on her own for long enough now that she’d learned to do things for herself. The fact that Levi was bringing her drinks and food and insisting that she lie down felt foreign to her.

  Cassidy had already stopped by and taken her statement. The chief was also going to look into what was going on. She’d promised discretion, and Rebecca trusted her enough to believe that she would act on her promise.

  Meanwhile, Levi had been on Rebecca’s computer, and he appeared to be looking some things up. She’d given him permission to look at whatever he needed as he tried to find answers.

  Rebecca thought it was very sweet that he believed he could help. But she didn’t know who could help her out in this situation. Sometimes, it felt too big for even local law enforcement. For goodness sake, the FBI had come to her house!

  She thought she’d had trouble before, but now the pressure on her felt tripled. She must be desperate if she was relying on the stranger next door to help her out. But Rebecca didn’t kn
ow who else she could turn to.

  Levi appeared back in the living room, a grim look on his face as he held her laptop.

  “What? What is it?” She pushed herself up, trying to look entirely more composed than she felt.

  He pointed to the screen. “I searched your computer, including the junk mail, and I found an email from a bank.”

  “Okay? Most of them are scams. They want you to click and give your information, just so they can steal your money.”

  He sat down beside her and showed her the email. “I think this one is legit. It says there’s a new bank account set up for you.”

  She sucked in a breath as his words settled on her. “What? That’s ridiculous. I didn’t set up a new bank account.”

  Levi gave her a look, a mix of compassion and concern. “I believe you didn’t. But what if someone else did?”

  It took Rebecca a moment to understand what he was implying. “You think Jim did?”

  “I think it’s a possibility.”

  She didn’t even know what to think. Wouldn’t he have told her that? Wouldn’t the bank have informed her? Did they even do that via email? Rebecca probably wouldn’t have believed the news if the bank had called her.

  She tried to formulate a response, but she had nothing. Jim had set up that life insurance policy without telling her . . .

  Maybe everything boiled down to this money.

  Money that he could have potentially stolen from Ron.

  She didn’t want to believe it was true, but she had to consider that possibility.

  Her phone buzzed, reminding her of an upcoming appointment. She put her feet on the floor and stood, weariness pressing down on her again. “Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to do more research later. Unfortunately, I’ve got a showing that I need to do now.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Concern ricocheted through Levi’s voice, and he narrowed his eyes.

  Rebecca smoothed the wrinkles from her black slacks and straightened her sweater. “I can’t afford to miss out on any deals.”

  “Do you need me to go with you?” Levi stood also and started to reach for her but dropped his hand.

  The idea was sweet, but how professional would it look if Rebecca had a friend along with her as she showed houses today? As long as she paid attention to things around her, she should be okay.

  “No, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I met this guy last week. He is an investor who already has eight other properties under his belt across the country. I think I should be fine.”

  “I don’t mind . . .”

  It was awful sweet of Levi, but she’d already imposed enough. “Thanks again, but I’ll be careful.”

  “If you have a chance, check in later. Please.”

  She smiled. “Thanks. I will.”

  Levi chomped down so hard that his jaw began to ache. He didn’t think it was a good idea for Rebecca to go anywhere by herself right now. He wished he could have thought of a way to convince her not to, but his hands were tied.

  At least, she knew the truth about her husband now. Certainly, it hadn’t been easy to hear the facts, but it was important that Rebecca have a better idea of what she might be up against. Because that was what this was all about, wasn’t it?

  Her late husband had gotten himself involved in some dirty business. That’s where he had made his money and also where he had found his trouble—trouble he’d passed on to Rebecca.

  Levi needed to figure out his next play. He’d poked around on Rebecca’s computer, but he hadn’t found any evidence there. Jim obviously hadn’t used it for any of his “business.”

  Besides that, Levi couldn’t pretend to have discovered too many facts. That in itself would be suspicious. Rebecca already seemed skeptical that an engineer could help her get to the bottom of this. She was right to be doubtful. That combination would have been weird.

  He wanted to visit that home on Coastal Shores to see if the FBI had found anything there. But if he showed up, it would look too suspicious. Besides, certainly the FBI had checked out the house before talking to Rebecca. They’d already collected any evidence there.

  That was the first Levi had heard about that particular house. How had the FBI found out before he did? Didn’t they know that this was Homeland Security’s case, not the FBI’s? He was going to need to talk to Ed about this.

  But Levi just couldn’t get his mind off Rebecca being out there alone. Even if she trusted this man whom she was showing houses to, that didn’t mean she would be safe out there in public. What if the man who’d broken into her place found her again? Until Levi had a face to go with the name, he was dealing with an unseen enemy.

  Making a final choice, he grabbed his keys. He waited until he saw Rebecca emerge from her house. She was dressed in some nice slacks, a blouse, and a winter coat. She headed to her SUV, now looking put together, like nothing had happened.

  After she climbed into her SUV and backed out of the driveway, Levi climbed into his own car and began following a safe distance behind her. He didn’t want her to know that he was tailing her. But he wanted to be close in case something happened.

  She pulled up to an oceanfront house. The three-story property probably cost at least a half million. A car was already in the driveway. A Mercedes.

  Levi slowed and pulled into a carport two houses down, where Rebecca would be less likely to see him. He climbed out just long enough to take a picture of the man’s license plate.

  He would run it and see exactly who they were dealing with. Most likely, it was no one, but Levi wanted to be safe. At least they hadn’t ridden together. That was a good thing.

  He waited outside his car, listening for any signs of trouble. Right now, Rebecca greeted the man with a big smile, her professional persona shining brightly. If Levi hadn’t seen her looking so upset earlier, he would never believe the emotional turmoil that was going on inside her right now.

  Maybe she was a better actress than Levi had thought. The theory didn’t settle well with him, though. He wanted to believe she was as trustworthy as the girl next door.

  He continued to watch. Did he recognize that man? He didn’t think so. Then again, this gang of weapons smugglers was deep. There was no way he could memorize or recognize all the faces involved. But he didn’t like this. These guys were trouble.

  Just then, a car pulled up behind him. Levi looked over, and his eyes widened.

  Chief Chambers stepped out, her gaze narrowed with accusation.

  Levi’s stomach tightened. Based on the look in her eyes, Chief Chambers was on to him. How was he going to explain this?

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rebecca unlocked the door to the oceanside mansion and opened it wide. “Sorry it’s so cold in here, but the heat is turned down to fifty-five during the off-season.”

  The man, Roger Jenkins, rubbed his hands together and smiled. “It’s no problem. I completely understand.”

  Jenkins appeared to be a businessman. She would guess him to be in his early sixties, and he carried himself like someone with money. She couldn’t pinpoint what that reason was exactly. But he walked with confidence and spoke concisely.

  She waited for him to slip past. Rebecca could hardly wait to see his face when he saw the view from the deck. It never got old watching the awe and wonder on people’s faces when they saw the ocean views.

  His gaze scanned the interior of the place. “This is fantastic.”

  “I know. I think so too. Anyone would be fortunate to have this house, and it has a great rental history. Large families love to come here.”

  “I can see why.”

  “I’ll be happy to show you the rental history. For now, why don’t you take a look around, and I’ll meet you back here when you’re done?”

  “That sounds good.” He offered a curt nod.

  As soon as he walked away, Rebecca released the breath she held and her shoulders relaxed. When she was showing houses, she felt like she needed to be “on.” She had to put
her best foot forward and become a salesman.

  But, despite the façade she wore now, her thoughts kept going back to everything that had happened. She was usually very private, and it took a lot for her to share things with people. But it was like she had told Levi—knowing that she may not ever see him again in another month gave her just enough courage to open up. It also made her strangely sad.

  As she waited for Mr. Jenkins to return, she remained in the foyer and quickly checked her messages on her phone. There was nothing of interest, including no updates from the bank.

  Her mind reviewed what she knew already, however.

  The FBI was investigating her husband about a potential weapons-smuggling operation. Apparently, there was a lot of money involved. Did Jim make the wrong person mad? Was that person coming after her now? Rebecca shuddered at the thought.

  First, there was the initial break-in. Then her money disappeared from her bank account, and she’d gotten that threatening text. Then someone chased her down the road, followed by a second break-in. What a nightmare.

  She hoped she could make a sale. It would take a lot of pressure off her for the coming months. Selling a house like this would take care of her for the rest of the winter. It would be an answer to prayer.

  Something on the floor caught her eye. A paper. It must have fallen out of Mr. Jenkins’s pocket when he’d pulled his phone out earlier.

  When she reached down to pick it up, her breath caught.

  It was a picture. Her picture.

  Fear tightened her muscles. Who was this man she was in the house with?

  “Do you care to explain to me what you’re doing here?” Chief Chambers had a fearless look in her eyes that proved she meant business. They remained in the stranger’s driveway, both staring the other down.

  Don’t stare her down, Levi reminded himself. It would only seem suspicious.

  Levi quickly considered his responses. “I was worried about Rebecca after everything that happened. So I thought I should come out here and keep an eye on her.”