Rains of Remorse

by Christy Barritt

  Rebecca nodded solemnly and decided to sit down in the chair across from Ron’s desk. Maybe it would relieve some of the pressure on her back. “Thank you. Me too.”

  Ron laced his fingers together, and his gaze turned serious. “So what brings you out this way? I figured you would be at home nesting.”

  “I know this is going to sound weird.” Rebecca licked her lips, which were suddenly dry. “But I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.”

  “Are you thinking about going into the vacation rental management market?” He raised his eyebrows.

  Rebecca let out a chuckle. “No, I’m actually not. But some strange things have been happening lately, and I wonder if they’re somehow tied to Jim.”

  Ron tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m realizing that there’s so much I don’t know about Jim and what he was thinking in the last months before he died. I initially thought his death was an accident and assumed that, before he died, he was having some kind of a midlife crisis. Now I wonder if there’s not more to it.” Rebecca remained tense. Saying the words out loud hadn’t made her feel better. No, it made her feel crazy.

  Ron’s eyes softened. “I’m not really sure what you want to know. Do you suspect him of doing something illegal?”

  “I have no idea. That’s why I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on his activities. I know that things ended poorly between the two of you, but I appreciate the fact that you didn’t press charges.”

  “You still don’t think that he took that money, huh?” Ron’s nose twitched, almost as if he were holding back his true feelings.

  Rebecca glanced at her hands, trying to find a truthful answer. She honestly didn’t know what the truth was anymore. “I don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to believe that the man I fell in love with was capable of doing something like that. But I’m starting to question everything.”

  “He’s clearly the one who was most likely to have taken the money. But I always liked Jim. I didn’t want to believe he could do it either, which was why I never pressed charges. But you understand that I couldn’t let him work here anymore after that trust had been broken.”

  “Yes, I don’t blame you. I would do the same thing in your shoes. I guess I’m just wondering if anything else suspicious happened. I mean, if Jim did take that money, and I’m not saying that he did, I never saw a dime of it. What did he do with it?”

  As soon as she said the words, she remembered the life insurance policy that had been set up for her and the bank account. Jim used that stolen money, hadn’t he? She didn’t want to believe it but . . . it made sense.

  “Jim was acting strange the month before all of that happened.” Ron rubbed the edge of his desk, his gaze jostling with unease. “I didn’t know what was going on with him, if he was just going through a hard time or a midlife crisis. But he wasn’t acting like himself. He was quieter, more distant.”

  “But he never said anything specific?” Rebecca held her breath, hoping for something—anything.

  “No, Jim never said anything specific. I do know that he would disappear for periods of time, and he wouldn’t be at the location where he was supposed to be.”

  Ron’s words caused Rebecca’s spine to tighten. Just where had her husband gone during those times?

  She remembered the accusation she’d learned about yesterday. About a house that she represented being involved.

  Maybe it was finally time Rebecca did her own investigating. If she didn’t find answers, she wasn’t sure what the future would hold. But if she looked for answers, she could also be putting herself and her baby in danger.

  What was she going to do?

  Chapter Twenty

  Rebecca left Ron and went straight to the police station. She knew this wasn’t something she could handle on her own, and she needed to tell Cassidy what was going on.

  Cassidy was in her office when Rebecca arrived, and Paige, the dispatcher/receptionist, waved her in. Cassidy’s face instantly tensed, as if she was expecting bad news.

  “Did something else happen?” Cassidy rushed.

  “No, no. I’m sorry to alarm you.” She paused across from Cassidy’s desk. “Any word on the man you arrested yesterday?”

  Cassidy’s lips tugged down in a frown as she leaned back in her desk chair. “He hasn’t said a word since we arrested him. He refuses to talk.”

  “That’s unfortunate.” Rebecca had been hoping for more. “He hasn’t even called a lawyer?”

  Cassidy crossed her arms and offered a half shrug. “It’s funny that you ask that. Because he didn’t call a lawyer, but one showed up last night.”

  “That’s curious.”

  “Isn’t it, though?”

  “What about the black car whose driver followed me? Any leads?”

  Cassidy shook her head. “I wish there were, but there’s been nothing. I did track down that FBI agent and we had a fairly lengthy conversation. However, he wasn’t very open to telling me all the details.”

  “Can they do that?”

  “Unfortunately, yes.” Cassidy paused. “Is that what has brought you by?”

  Rebecca rubbed her sweaty hands against her slacks, feeling a rush of nerves. “Actually, I’m here because I’m worried that Jim got himself into some trouble before he died. I’ve been in denial for a while that something was amiss. I was just trying so hard to concentrate on my pregnancy that I pushed all my concerns aside, thinking it was better for the baby that way. But now everything is coming to the surface, and I realize I should have dealt with this months earlier instead of sticking my head in the sand.”

  Cassidy tilted her head, her full attention on Rebecca. “What exactly is it that you think is going on?”

  Rebecca lowered herself into one of the chairs across from Cassidy.

  “I don’t know. But I’m starting to wonder if Jim really did take that money from the rental agency when he lost his job.” Rebecca’s voice cracked.

  “Why do you think that?” Cassidy moved to sit in the chair beside Rebecca.

  “Because of this savings account that Jim had set up for me. I have no idea where he got the money, but now it’s making more and more sense that he may have taken it from Ron. Is there a way to track down those funds and follow the money?”

  Cassidy shrugged before shaking her head. “I can look into it and see what I can find out.”

  “If you wouldn’t mind doing that, it would make me feel better. There’s no way I’m going to keep any money that is dirty.” Rebecca felt sick to her stomach at the thought of it.

  Cassidy shifted in her seat, questions brewing in her eyes. “Do you think that’s what all of this has been about over the past few days?”

  “It’s the only thing that makes sense to me. Maybe someone knew that Jim had that money, and they want it.” Rebecca didn’t want her words to be true, but how could she deny the facts that stared her in the face?

  “Wouldn’t that point to Ron as the bad guy, though?” Cassidy tilted her head, as if uncertain she was understanding correctly.

  “I’m not sure. I don’t think Ron is capable of breaking into my house. However, if someone found out Jim stole the money and thinks it’s an easy way to get some capital into their own account . . . I don’t know. It still doesn’t all make sense to me. But I do wonder, if Jim was caught up in something like this, what else he might’ve been involved in . . .” Nausea churned inside her.

  “You mean, you think Jim moved up to Virginia and continued to dig himself into a hole?”

  “Yes.” The words burned Rebecca’s throat. “I hate to even put that theory out there, but it’s the only thing that makes sense to me now.”

  Cassidy offered a compassionate smile. “Thank you for coming forward with this information. I’ll see what I can find out.”

  Rebecca stood. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll let the guys from the FBI know also.”

  “Good idea.”


  Before she reached the door, Cassidy called to her. “Rebecca, there’s one thing I think you should know.”

  Rebecca turned toward her, bracing herself for whatever it was she had to say. “Yes?”

  Cassidy stood in the door and frowned, questions dancing across her eyes. “I did a little digging into your neighbor.”

  “Levi?”

  “Yes, Levi. It was mostly out of curiosity. It turns out there are some very suspicious holes in his past.”

  Everything around Rebecca seemed to turn to a dull buzz as Cassidy’s words washed over her. Certainly, she’d heard wrong. Or misinterpreted. Or . . . something. “What do you mean?”

  Cassidy let out a long breath before saying, “I mean, I can’t be sure, but it appears that his identity has been fabricated. I’m sorry, Rebecca.”

  Rebecca remembered her earlier phone call, the one that said Levi wasn’t who he claimed to be.

  She felt all of the blood leave her face. What if her knight in shining armor was actually the culprit behind this danger?

  Levi heard the car door slam outside. Before he could go to his window to see if Rebecca was back, a knock sounded at the front of his house.

  Anticipation spread through him. He hoped it was Rebecca. He’d been thinking about his quandary all morning, and he’d decided to tell her the truth. Tell her who he really was.

  When he pulled the door open however, Rebecca stood there with Chief Chambers. Neither of them were happy, based on their narrowed eyes and tight body language.

  Apprehension snaked up his spine. They had found out, hadn’t they?

  Levi didn’t bother to fake it. He stepped aside, let them into his home, and shut the door. No one bothered to sit down. Instead, they all stood in the entryway, tension pulled tight between them.

  The look in Rebecca’s eyes was enough to crush him. Accusation. Hurt. Disappointment. All of it was there.

  “Who are you really?” Rebecca demanded, crossing her arms and staring at him.

  Levi wanted to deny that he was anyone but Levi Stoneman, but he respected Rebecca too much to do that. “My name really is Levi. But my last name is Marks. I’m Levi Marks.”

  The chief’s hands went to her hips, and she stepped closer to him. “And where are you from, Levi?”

  “I really am from Pennsylvania, but I sometimes work in DC.”

  “Why are you really here?” Rebecca asked. “Are you the one who’s been the mastermind behind all the bad things that have happened?”

  Levi hated hearing the anger in Rebecca’s voice. He’d been the one trying to protect her. Trying to ensure that her stress level was low for the sake of her pregnancy. But he’d brought all this stress on her himself. He hated that fact.

  “I can explain.” He started to reach for Rebecca but dropped his arm.

  Her frosty disposition made it clear that any touch would be rejected. He couldn’t blame her. Instead, he shoved his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and tried to relax, to put the women at ease. The task seemed impossible.

  Police Chief Chambers continued to stare him down. “Then start talking.”

  “Would you like to have a seat? It’s going to take a minute to explain.”

  “I have no desire to sit down with someone who has been lying to me for the entire time I have known him.” Rebecca’s soft accusation was worse than any that could be screamed. The words packed a punch.

  “It’s not like that.” He raised his hands trying to put everyone’s emotions at ease. “My name is Levi Marks, and I work for the Department of US Homeland Security. I started as an undercover DEA agent before taking this job and using my connections to help track down weapons smugglers.”

  Both of the women stared at him, looking like they didn’t believe him. He knew it probably sounded like a stretch.

  “I was sent here to investigate a gun-running operation. One of the drop-off points appears to be here in Lantern Beach.”

  The chief put her hands on her hips, her narrowed eyes showing she wasn’t happy with his revelation. “If what you’re saying is the truth, then why wasn’t I informed?”

  “Because I’m undercover. That’s what I do. I take on new identities in order to find out information.”

  “And who exactly are you trying to find out information on?” Rebecca’s eyes seemed to stare into his soul.

  A pit formed in his stomach as he leveled his gaze with hers. “You.”

  As soon as Levi said the word, he regretted it. Hurt and betrayal washed over Rebecca’s features. Hurt and betrayal that he wished he could erase.

  “So you were using me this whole time?” Rebecca’s voice sounded just above a whisper, and Cassidy touched her arm, as if worried.

  “No, I wasn’t using you. The things I told you were true. Just not about my job. You’ve got to understand, I wasn’t allowed to share the truth. It was a direct order from my boss that I stay quiet in order to find out information.”

  “And what exactly are you hoping to find out?” The chief glared at him.

  Levi’s eyes met Rebecca’s. “I needed to find out if Rebecca Jarvis was also involved with her husband’s illegal operations.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Levi’s words echoed in Rebecca’s head until it started pounding. “My husband’s illegal gun-running operations?”

  Levi nodded, his eyes sympathetic and pleading as they met hers. But Rebecca couldn’t trust him anymore. Maybe everything had been a big act. She’d been such a fool.

  “We believe that he got mixed up with some people called the Spades,” Levi continued. “Jim probably used his rental company connections to provide locations for storing weapons during transport. We also think he got in too deep and wanted out, but it was too late for him to do that.”

  “So what the FBI said was true?” Rebecca asked.

  He nodded.

  “And you think I was somehow involved?” Rebecca could hardly believe the words had left her mouth. Why in the world would she be involved with something like that? Then again, how could her husband have been involved? Nothing made sense.

  Cassidy turned toward Rebecca, obviously worried about her. “Maybe we should sit down.”

  Rebecca didn’t argue when her friend led her to the dining room table and waited until she was seated. More Braxton Hicks contractions began. Why did they always seem to happen when she was stressed? They were making a bad situation worse.

  She took in a deep breath and released it and then repeated. She’d learned the method to keep the pain—and sometimes her panic—under control.

  “Do we need to get you to the clinic?” Cassidy placed a hand on her shoulder, her wide eyes worried.

  Rebecca shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. I want to hear more. I need to hear more.”

  Levi lowered himself at the table across from her. Her heart pounded with a surprising grief. How could she feel so betrayed by someone she hardly knew? But she understood the answer. Their connection wasn’t common. They had bonded quickly and deeply.

  She could add that to her list of regrets.

  “Rebecca, I never meant to hurt you.” Levi’s eyes pleaded with her. “I didn’t even know who you were when I came here. I just knew that I needed to get information from you so we could track down these guys and stop them. I don’t think you realize who we are up against here.”

  “Why don’t you tell us?” Cassidy said.

  “These men are putting weapons into the hands of dangerous people. Those people are using them on the streets, and innocent lives are being taken. Two more people have been found dead this week because of the actions of this criminal enterprise.”

  Rebecca locked gazes with him. “And the story about your wife? Was it real? And the one about your mother having dementia?”

  She watched Levi carefully. Emotions clouded his gaze, and he looked down at the table before glancing back up at her. “Yes, it was all true. But there were more details that I didn’t tell you. My wife did betr
ay me. She worked for the drug cartel I was trying to bring down. Our relationship was all an act. She was only with me so she could find out information.”

  A weight formed in Rebecca’s heart at the thought of it. Levi may have lied to her about a lot of things, but she felt he was telling the truth right now. She could only imagine the unbearable pain he had gone through.

  But this was still so much to comprehend.

  “We met in the park when she lost her dog,” Levi continued. “I helped her find the poodle, and, before I parted ways, we’d set up a date. I thought she was perfect for me. We were married a year later. But one day, I came home from work early to surprise her. I saw her on my computer. She’d hacked into my work account and was looking at evidence we’d collected. I thought she worked at an art gallery. It turns out, they were using their shipments to hide illegal weapons and sell them.”

  “Where is she now?” Rebecca asked.

  “In jail. For a long time. My testimony put her there.” His voice cracked. “She never loved me. It was all an act.”

  Rebecca didn’t know what to say. She could only imagine what he must have felt. Not only had she been betrayed by her husband, but not long ago she’d trusted the wrong people. She’d tried to help a group called Gilead’s Cove, only to later find out they were a deadly cult. Thankfully, she’d gotten out before getting involved too deeply.

  “What about the FBI?” Cassidy asked. “Why didn’t they know you were here?”

  “There was a miscommunication. It happens more than it should. They didn’t know we were working this case, and I wasn’t at liberty to disclose that information. I shouldn’t even be talking to you two now.”

  “So what’s next?” Cassidy asked, staring him down.

  Levi pressed his lips together in a tight line. “I’m still trying to figure that out. I have a few suspects, but nothing solid yet. All I know is that Rebecca appears to be in danger. Whoever these guys are, they think she’s a threat or that she knows something that she doesn’t. I only want to keep her safe.”