Don’t Keep Silent

by Don't Keep Silent (epub)

  “Nobody could know I’m here. No one.” She shook her head in disbelief. “No one except Alan, but he wouldn’t have told anyone.”

  “World Tour? They don’t know?”

  “I didn’t tell them what I was writing about specifically. Or where I would go for research. So, you might want to consider that someone could be following you.”

  He scoffed. “Not hardly.”

  Liam had gone to great lengths to hide his true identity. No social media presence whatsoever. Rae knew him because they’d been more than close. To look at them now, that was hard to believe. Regardless, she would never share his true identity with anyone.

  “You say no one knows you’re here. Where did you go right before you stalked that house in the woods?”

  That heli-skiing place. “You’re right.”

  “The number of people who know you’re here and why you’ve come will grow exponentially with each person you talk to.”

  A few snowflakes danced across her cheeks, and she wiped them away. In the distance, beyond Grand Teton, the sky was finally clearing with the promise of a beautiful day. Memories of her time with Liam suddenly flooded her heart. Good memories that knocked into her at the absolute wrong moment. She wrinkled her forehead as she shoved them away. They were not welcome. Not now.

  She shrugged off the melancholy. Rae had to remain focused on her mission to find Zoey, help her brother, and be the resourceful aunt Callie needed. What did her career in journalism mean if she failed the most important people in her life? She certainly wouldn’t be living up to the standards her father had set.

  She grabbed her purse and camera before locking the car and pushing past Liam to head to the resort. Liam caught up with her and walked beside her. She still wasn’t sure he intended to help. But if she laid it all out for him, how could he say no? And if someone followed her, she definitely wanted him at her side. He was here with her now and that gave her hope.

  “Why did you agree to write a travel article?”

  “I’m using it as my cover while I’m here. You know about covers.”

  “That, I do. But the way covers work is that you’re putting on a persona. You’re not in any way yourself. You’re someone else. You’re not hiding that you’re a reporter, even if you’re pretending to write a travel article. So I’m not sure this is an undercover operation.”

  “I am writing the article.” They neared the door and she stopped. “I guess I’m not really working undercover, then. But if anyone asks, I’m here writing a travel article. Only people I’m questioning will know my true purpose here. Does that work for you?”

  A dimple emerged in his left cheek. How did he do that without truly smiling? But his eyes—oh, they were smiling. And her heart was tripping over itself.

  “Doesn’t matter about me. I just hope it works for you, Rae.” She heard the caring tone in his voice.

  I do too, Liam. I do too.

  As they approached the entrance to the resort, she took one last glance over her shoulder, hoping she’d see who had followed her. Hoping she would see no one.

  Together they pushed through the doors. Warm lighting and caramel-colored wood welcomed them deeper into the rustic facility bursting with western décor, fabulous art, and a homey, comfy feel. She had no idea how they accomplished meshing the styles together, but it was meant to accommodate patrons from all backgrounds and reminded her a bit of Samara Davidson.

  Zoey.

  “Let’s grab something warm to drink at the kiosk and then we can head up to my room. I don’t want anyone overhearing what I have to tell you.”

  With a caramel macchiato and a black coffee in to-go cups, they headed up to her room. At her door when she went to use the key card, he took it from her. “Excuse me,” she said.

  “Someone followed you. I hope I’m being paranoid. But a little caution can’t hurt, especially since I don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into this time.”

  “Nobody can get into my room without a key. Even if they could, there are cameras everywhere.”

  Liam ignored her and removed a weapon from a holster beneath his jacket. Rae hadn’t realized he was carrying, but she should have suspected. More like expected. He pressed the card against the key reader and held the weapon as if he anticipated a threat waiting for them inside.

  Memories rushed back to her. Setting up that meeting with a known human trafficker, pretending to be someone else to find out about Dina. Being taken to be trafficked herself. Her heart pounded. The images and crushing emotions flashed before her in milliseconds.

  She shook them off to concentrate on the muscles in Liam’s back. His coat lay at the entrance, where he’d dropped it.

  He flipped on the lights.

  “Really, Liam.” Rae shook her head. He could be over the top at times.

  “Really, Rae. See for yourself.” He peered into the bathroom to make sure it was clear.

  Rae entered to find her room ransacked. A few heartbeats ticked by, then she gasped. “Wha-what were they searching for?”

  “They weren’t very discreet. Maybe it’s a warning. Nobody knows you’re here, though, remember?”

  “No need to be sarcastic. You already made your point earlier.”

  Alan knows I’m here. Sam knows. Why would she have me followed? Why would she have my room ransacked? Or was this a random break-in, after all?

  Liam pulled out his cell phone. Rae pressed her palms against her temples. What was she going to do now? She needed to focus on finding Zoey. She didn’t have time for this.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “The resort security.”

  She tried to grab his cell. “Wait. Let me think about this.”

  “Think about it? What’s to think about?”

  Rae didn’t want to make a big deal or take the time to mess with it—if a life was on the line. Still, this could somehow be related to Zoey. “I guess you’re right. Okay. Go ahead and call them. But I’m not telling them everything. I don’t want the wrong people to know what I’m up to.”

  Still on his cell, Liam gave her a funny look. Yeah, she understood him loud and clear. Looked like the wrong people already knew. She wasn’t sure how that was even possible.

  And the question racing through her thoughts right now? Who were the wrong people? Did this break-in mean she was on the right track?

  Rae started to gather her items and put them back in the drawers. Liam was right. This wasn’t a theft as much as a warning. Someone wanted her to know they were watching, and they could get to her. Chills crawled over her.

  He pressed his hand against her shoulder. “Don’t touch anything. We want security to see this. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  Rae stopped putting items away. She should have known not to mess with things. For five minutes she and Liam stood in place in the room. With Liam there too, the room seemed to grow smaller with each passing moment. On her cell, she searched through her emails, hoping to find something from Reggie, or even Alan.

  “I need fresh air, even if it’s cold. Can we at least open a window?” She moved in that direction, but he caught her and shook his head. A knock came at the door.

  Liam looked through the peephole, then quickly opened the door to a tall man wearing a resort security jacket. “I’m Greg. You called for security. What’s happened?”

  “See for yourself.” Liam opened the door wide and waved the man in.

  “Someone broke into my room and ransacked it,” Rae said.

  Greg frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Was anyone hurt?”

  Rae shook her head. “No. I wasn’t here at the time.”

  “Is anything missing?” Greg asked.

  Her gaze shot to the desk and her heart skipped a beat. She rushed to where she’d left her laptop. Then she searched the room. “Oh no!”

  “What is it?” Liam asked, concern in his
eyes.

  “My laptop. It’s gone!” Rae covered her mouth. She eased onto the edge of the bed. “My life was on that. Everything. My contacts. My articles.” Information she’d kept about Zoey. She hadn’t noticed it was gone because . . . because . . .

  She looked to Liam. That he could distract her so completely infuriated her.

  Rae quickly got on her cell. “I’m going to find it with the locator app. Find, lock, and . . . no. I’d better not erase.”

  She waited for the app to show her laptop’s location. “Nothing. How can it show nothing at all?”

  “Depends on what software you’re using,” Greg said as his gaze roamed the room. “Or if you only have software and not a tracker on your actual hard drive.”

  Greg. Security guy. Make that security tech guy.

  Her pulse felt as shaky as her limbs. “I should just erase everything.”

  She had stored some of her files on the cloud but had kept more sensitive data only on her laptop. Like her bank information, passwords, and . . . a few articles.

  Secrets.

  Okay, so erase, then. “It’s not letting me hit the erase button.”

  “Your software could require that your laptop be turned on,” Greg said.

  “Calm down, Rae.” Liam now. “There are ways we can track your laptop if someone gets past your log-in and into your files. Like if they access your email account, for one thing, but I don’t have the expertise for all this. You need someone else.”

  “Reggie!” He’d know exactly what to do. She called him, but it went to voicemail. She left him a message with all the information she could regarding locating her laptop. Why didn’t he answer? Maybe he had a life outside of his business as a research editor.

  Deflated, she dropped her cell to her side. My laptop. My notes.

  Liam stared at her, but he looked right through her. What was he thinking? “The entire reason they broke in could have been to get your laptop. Maybe they ransacked the place in a quick search for anything else that could be useful—or for drugs.”

  “What?” Rae stiffened. “I don’t do . . . oh, you mean like prescription opioids?”

  Liam nodded, a contemplative frown growing between his brows.

  “Well I don’t use those either.”

  “As for retrieving information, the thief could know exactly what he’s doing,” Greg said. “By now, he could have removed the hard drive to retrieve your data and ditched the shell of your laptop, in which case you won’t recover anything.”

  “Oh, that’s just great.” Rae squeezed her fists. “You guys make it sound like my laptop might have been brutally murdered.” She plopped onto the bed and tugged her tablet from her bag. “I’m going to change all the passwords I can.”

  “That would be wise,” Greg said.

  She glanced at him. “Any chance your security people can dust for prints?”

  “We work with the local authorities. A report will be filed about the break-in and stolen computer. I’ll give them a call now.”

  If they had to go through the local police anyway, what was the point of calling in the resort security? But she didn’t pose that question to Greg. He seemed like a good guy and was just doing his job. Resorts needed security for a thousand reasons that didn’t have to do with her predicament.

  She met Liam’s gaze. “I’m going to need a new computer. I don’t have time for all this. Zoey . . .” She caught herself. She hadn’t even had a chance to tell Liam what was going on.

  Liam knitted his brows, but the look he gave said he understood her need for privacy about the investigation. “Let’s say this was intentional and not random. What would be on your computer that would make it worth their while to risk security cameras and break into your room?”

  “Why does anyone take a computer?” she asked. “To find out more about the owner. Get bank accounts, though they are in for a big surprise there.” She was barraged by worry that they’d targeted her and taken her computer to find out about much more. “What else could it be?”

  “I think you know, Rae. Let’s go with this thought. Let’s say they want to know more about what you’re investigating. What’s on your computer about this investigation so far?”

  “Whoa. Wait. Who are you two?” Greg tucked his cell away. “The police are on their way. But seriously, what investigation? What am I missing?”

  She’d come here looking into her sister-in-law’s background, hoping that alone would give her an idea as to what had happened in the past and what was happening now. She didn’t want the security guy to know all her secrets and wished he would leave now. Could someone have stolen her laptop because they’d taken Zoey? Or maybe they were looking for her too. Rae’s head was beginning to throb. She was overthinking this. She hadn’t answered Greg and wasn’t sure what to say. Fortunately, someone called him, and he got on his cell again.

  Liam moved to watch out the window. She joined him.

  Her room afforded a spectacular view of the mountain and ski slopes.

  “You’re not staying here tonight.” A statement. No question in there. “You can stay at the Emerald M Ranch. You’ll be safe there.”

  “I want to stay here. I have to experience the resort and the area to write an article. Staying here gives me more opportunity. I don’t want to end up with a giant bill for this room if they think I’m a fraud.” She sounded so crass, given that Zoey was still missing.

  “It gives you more opportunity for trouble.” Liam crossed his arms.

  “I haven’t even told you what’s going on.”

  “Knowing more won’t change my mind.”

  At least his true thoughts were out in the open.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  He knew the instant Rae turned her blue-green eyes on him. “Hey. Don’t talk to me like I don’t have a choice. It’s my decision where I stay.”

  “So make your decision to stay at Emerald M, where it’s safe.” Fueled by remnants of their past, he turned to her and inched closer. “Don’t be stubborn about this and put both our lives in danger.”

  Hurt flashed across her features. He backed off. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. Only to put a little fear in her.

  “Let me think about it,” she said, her voice softening, “but thank you for your offer to stay at the ranch.”

  He couldn’t press her, so he prayed she would see reason and come to his way of thinking on her own.

  She glanced over her shoulder at Greg, who was still on the phone. “I should just file a report about the laptop and be done with it. This is taking too long.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I need to find my sister-in-law. She’s missing.” She rubbed her eyes, exhaustion clearly setting in on top of everything else.

  Evidence was quickly growing cold. “I hear you. Normally I would agree that we should just file a report, but in this case, the person who took your laptop could lead us to your sister-in-law. There’s a risk, too, that it’s not related. Let me find out more from Greg and see if we can at least get a detective in here.”

  Rae had been about to tell him everything, and then he would understand why she’d found him today and asked for his help. He already saw that she needed protection, as well as help with her reporter-style private investigation.

  Liam waited for Greg to finally end his call, but by the sound of the conversation, he knew the security guard was speaking with local authorities again.

  Greg ended the call and tucked his cell away. “The police should be here any moment now. Or, rather, the sheriff’s department. Technically, we’re in the county. I tried to make it sound urgent so you wouldn’t have to wait. The resort’s reputation is important as well, so we want to keep this low key for now. I apologize if that sounds insensitive.”

  “That’s understandable,” Rae said. “I’m in the middle of something and need to hurry. I appreciate you making this happen as fast as possible.” />
  How much of her investigation would she share with the deputy who would show up? Could they even help if she told them?

  “Can your security cameras show us who entered this room?” Liam said.

  Greg nodded. “Yes. We’ll show those to the police.”

  “We’d like to see if Rae recognizes the burglar.”

  “That makes sense. We’ll wait for whoever they’re sending.”

  If Liam took the job Brad had offered, he could one day work a break-in like this himself. “How often do break-ins happen at resorts?”

  “I’ve been working here for three years. Before this, I was over at Teton Village closer to Jackson. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve seen it. Like you said, we’ll see who entered the premises. People know about security cameras, and they serve as a deterrent. I’m surprised this happened.”

  Liam almost snorted. Greg had never dealt with someone like Rae. Determined to find the answers. Expose the truth. And save those in desperate situations.

  Besides being Rae’s sister-in-law, who exactly was this missing woman?

  A knock sounded at the door. Greg opened it, and after a quick exchange, a sheriff’s department deputy entered the room—Deputy Randall Cook. Liam had met the guy after working as a consultant for Bridger County last summer. Though Liam himself didn’t work for the sheriff, Heath did. Liam would use that and any other connection he had to his advantage if that would help Rae find her sister-in-law so she could then leave the valley.

  Liam thrust his hand out to shake the deputy’s.

  Deputy Cook glanced around the room. He pulled out a paper tablet and a pencil, and Rae told him about the break-in.

  Cook tapped his pad with the pencil. “Let’s have a look at the security cameras now.”

  Rae, Liam, and Deputy Cook followed Greg to the elevator, took it down to the resort’s basement, and crowded around a computer screen behind Greg. He quickly found the footage they needed.

  A bouncer-sized man wearing black skiwear and a mask carried skis over his shoulders from the elevator and down the hallway and stopped at Rae’s room. He flashed a key card in front of the reader and entered.