A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 10)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  I looked at Carter, hoping he’d have some input. He’d remained quiet for most of the discussion and I was dying to hear his thoughts. “Do you have any ideas?”

  He pursed his lips in concentration. “What we need to focus on here is not an attempted murder on Meagan but the murder of Graham Taylor. If we’re sure that he was the guy in Cliff’s car, then I think it’s safe to assume that Cliff killed him because of the blackmail.”

  “What blackmail?” Meagan asked.

  “We believe that Graham threatened to release a sex video unless Cliff paid him money,” I said. “Looks like Cliff wasn’t in the mood to negotiate.”

  Meagan’s eyes popped. “A sex video of whom?”

  “Graham and Cliff, together. According to Graham’s sister, he gave blow jobs to a certain guy in return for drugs.”

  “Where’s the video?” Meagan asked, her expression taking on a whole new kind of anxiety. “We need to find it.”

  I shrugged. “It hasn’t surfaced and the sister doesn’t have it, either. It’s possible the only digital copy made was on his cell phone and, either Cliff has it, or he’s destroyed it.”

  Meagan covered her eyes with shaking hands. “What am I going to do?”

  “Look,” I said. “Just because we don’t have the video, doesn’t mean we still can’t use it against him. Maybe he’ll call our bluff and maybe he won’t.”

  She brought her hands down and looked at me. “What do you mean?”

  An idea had been brewing in my mind but I didn’t want to voice it just yet. “Let me think about it some more. There must be a way we can get this guy.”

  Carter cleared his throat and addressed her. “What about Mark? Can we tell him that you’re okay? He’s been worried sick.”

  “No,” Meagan said. “Not yet. I don’t want him to get mixed up in this mess. If anything happens to him, I’d never forgive myself.”

  “Would you be willing to give a statement to Detective James? Carter and I know him personally and he can be trusted.”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. Not until we have more proof.”

  Carter said, “Regardless of what we find, you’ll need to testify. Believe it or not, the fact that you were witness to Graham’s presence in Cliff’s car will hold a lot of weight.”

  “Maybe,” she said, “but if it doesn’t, then Cliff remains a free man. If he finds out that I’m alive, he might find a way to get rid of me for good so that I don’t testify against him.”

  “We won’t let him touch you,” Carter said with confidence. “I’ll personally make sure of that.”

  Meagan smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks. “So you’re really going to help me?”

  “Technically, Mark is our client,” I said. “And we really should let him know that you’re okay; but yes, we’ll do whatever we can.”

  Meagan wiped her eyes. “Thank you so much. I’ll discuss this with Lizzy and Neal tonight. They’ve been so wonderful and they deserve to get back to their normal lives. I’m afraid Neal has taken this whole thing very hard. He’s resorted to drinking and it’s all my fault. I never should have asked them to help me.”

  “That’s what best friends do,” I said. “They help.”

  “In a way I’m glad my dad isn’t well enough to understand what’s going on. This would have crushed him. At least I get to spend time with him and I hope and pray his condition improves, although it’s unlikely it will.”

  “I’m sorry about your dad,” I said. “But right now, let’s focus on your safety, okay?”

  “Okay.” Meagan shook both of our hands affectionately. “You can call me at Lizzy’s if you need to speak with me.”

  Chapter 16

  “Have you ever worked on a case this bizarre?” I asked Carter as we drove home from the library.

  “No. I’m still having a hard time believing Meagan’s transformation. It’s the best disguise I’ve ever seen.”

  “Do you really think Cliff believes she’s been dead this whole time? Wouldn’t he have expected her body to be found by now?”

  Carter shrugged. “Maybe not. Some people drown and are never found. Her body could have gone out with the tide, a feast for the sharks.”

  “That’s a nice thought,” I said, giving him a frown.

  “So what are we gonna do about Cliff. I know you have an idea so spill it.”

  I chuckled. Carter could obviously read my mind. “Let’s call his office and make another appointment to see him first thing tomorrow morning. If I tell him we have news about Meagan, he’ll certainly clear his schedule, don’t you think?”

  “Probably.”

  “Okay, so we show up at his office and tell him we know about Graham and the video. Sure, he might deny it but he’ll know we’re on to him.”

  Carter gave me a narrowed look. “That still won’t compel him to confess to anything. I’m sure he’s thought of all the angles.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.”

  When we got back to my apartment, it was getting close to 6:00 and I needed food. I remembered a frozen pizza in my freezer.

  “Would you like to come up for a beer and frozen pizza?” I asked. “We could talk about the case some more.”

  He glanced at the dashboard clock and didn’t say anything for a few seconds. In fact, he seemed a little nervous. “You think that’s a good idea?” he finally said.

  I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that. Was he concerned that Max might show up and things would get awkward? “Don’t worry,” I teased. “I’m not gonna jump your bones, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

  “No,” he said with a straight face. “But I’m afraid I might jump yours.”

  I looked at him in astonishment. It was the first time he’d ever said anything remotely flirty to me. I could feel my face getting hot along with other parts of my body I’d rather not mention. The moment was so intense, all I could manage to do was laugh nervously.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked, still struggling to remain deadpan. The corners of his mouth were twitching and I knew he wanted to crack a smile.

  Once I was able to control my giggles, I said, “I’m sorry. It’s just that, well, I’m not sure how to act around you. I don’t know what’s going on between us.”

  He looked into my eyes. “What would you like to go on between us?”

  I swallowed. “I don’t know. Maybe we should go on a proper date sometime.”

  “Like dinner and a movie?” he said, amused.

  “Sure. Something that doesn’t involve work. We’ve never really done that before. I want to get to know you better. Not the private eye Carter that I already know but the real Carter you keep hidden.”

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you out to dinner. Where do you want to go?”

  “Doesn’t matter where we go, just as long as we can take things slowly.”

  “I’m glad you said that,” he said. “Because I don’t want to rush you. I can tell you’re not ready.”

  “You can? How?”

  He took my hand and held it firmly. “Don’t worry about this, Sarah. Let’s just let things happen as they will. Besides, I’ve become an expert in patience. I’m just happy to spend time with you, whatever that means. No pressure, okay?”

  I exhaled a sigh of relief and felt gratitude for Carter’s insightfulness. I knew I still had feelings for Max and I needed time to let those feelings dissolve. How long would that take? I had no idea but Carter understood and he was okay with it.

  “You want me to call Cliff’s office and set up the appointment?” he said, letting go of my hand.

  “Allow me. It will be my distinct pleasure.”

  As usual, Carter waited by the curb until I was safely inside my apartment. I waved to him from the window and he waved back before driving off.

  Chapter 17

  The next morning we went straight to the police station and met Detective James. I took a moment to consider how I would explain everything without sacrificing Meag
an’s request to keep her secret safe. “I have some information about Graham Taylor.”

  His arched an eyebrow. “Really? What is it?”

  “Do you know a guy named Cliff Collins? He has a small law practice in town.”

  “Of course I do. His uncle is a State Trooper.”

  “So you’ve met Cliff Collins?”

  “A few times. He seems like a decent guy, as far as lawyers go. Why?”

  “We have reason to believe that he might have killed Graham Taylor for trying to blackmail him.”

  Detective James blinked at me. “Come again?”

  “Graham’s sister told us that her brother was trading sexual favors with someone in return for drugs. It had to be Cliff. I don’t know if Cliff is secretly gay or what but, if his fiancée ever found out, his very wealthy family connections would be destroyed, along with his career, I’m sure. Cliff had motive to kill Graham.”

  His eyes grew wide in disbelief. “Where did you come up with a theory like that?”

  “Because I spoke to someone recently who claims they saw Graham in the back seat of Cliff’s Porsche the day before his sister reported him missing.”

  “Would you mind telling me who this person is?”

  I took a deep breath and blew it out. “You see, here’s the problem. Cliff Collins has contacts within the police department, so this witness is afraid that if she comes forward, her life might be in danger. So I need to know that I can trust you.”

  The look he gave me was incredulous. “You know you can. Just tell me.”

  “What if I told you that we found Meagan?”

  Detective James sat up straight. “I’m listening.”

  “What if I told you that Cliff Collins is the guy who went to her house the night of April third and attempted to kill her?”

  “She told you this herself?”

  I proceeded to tell him about Meagan’s fender bender and the young man she saw lying in the back seat of Cliff’s car. “Meagan had no idea who the guy was at the time but, after I showed her the photo of Graham, she’s positive it was him.”

  “So you’re telling me that he wanted to kill her so she wouldn’t confess to seeing a body in his car.”

  “Exactly,” I said.

  “You really expect me to believe that?”

  “Think about it, Cliff lied to us about everything. He told us that Meagan came to him for a consultation about getting a restraining order, which was bogus. Meagan never invited him back to her house. He had the insurance card she gave him after the accident and that’s how he knew where she lived.”

  The detective took his time to absorb the information. Finally, he said, “Where is Meagan right now?”

  “She doesn’t want me to tell anyone where she is. Not yet. Not until we can prove that Cliff is responsible for Graham’s death.”

  “How did you find her?”

  “Meagan sent an email to her ex-boyfriend, Mark Gillespie. In the email, she asked him to stop looking for her because she was afraid he might be in danger but Mark showed it to us anyway. Carter and I traced the email, found her address and went to talk to her.”

  Detective James leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. “So, let me get this straight; she’s been hiding for three months? Why didn’t she just come in to the station and tell me all this herself that night?”

  “She was going to and then she saw Cliff hanging out with one of the cops in front of the police station. They looked like they were friends. In any case, she didn’t know who she could trust.”

  “So she thinks all cops are corrupt?” he asked, half jokingly.

  “Why not? Some of them are.”

  The detective gave me a dirty look for that one. “What do you want me to do? I already told you that unless Meagan comes in …”

  “Can you search his Porsche? Maybe Graham’s fingerprints or DNA are still present in the backseat.”

  The detective shook his head. “We don’t have enough evidence right now to issue a warrant to search his car or anything else. You say there’s a sex video but you don’t even know for sure if it ever existed. If Meagan came in and made a statement, then we might be able to work something out.”

  “That’s not good enough,” I said. “She needs protection and, if I’m not mistaken, you can’t put her in protective custody unless there’s a trial and she’s a key witness.”

  The detective raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “My hands are tied unless Meagan comes in to talk to me.”

  “What if I got a confession?”

  He looked at me sharply. “A confession from whom?”

  “Cliff.”

  “You’ve lost me, Sarah.”

  “What if I found a way to get him to admit to something, could we use it?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “What the hell are you and Carter up to?”

  “Cliff is a lawyer. He’s probably figured out all the angles to ensure he won’t go down for this but I don’t think he’s really worried about being implicated in an attempted murder. What he’s really concerned about is that video getting leaked.”

  Detective James sighed heavily. “Okay, Sarah. Tell you what, if you find the video, we can use it as motive. With Meagan’s testimony, we might have enough to arrest him. That’s all I can do for now.”

  “Okay, then I guess I’ll just have to get creative.”

  Chapter 18

  “Are you sure you want to do this? I won’t be upset if you want to back out.” Carter said.

  “This was my idea, remember?”

  “I know; but I should be the one who talks to Cliff in case he decides to get violent.”

  “Yeah, right. As much as I’d love to see you carrying this purse with a hidden camera, somehow it just doesn’t seem like a good idea.” I held his hand. “I’ll be fine. As long as I know you’ll be nearby, we’re gonna get this guy. Just wait and see.”

  And then, Carter leaned over and kissed me on the lips. The move was so quick that I barely had time to register what was happening. My heart beat so fast, I thought I might explode. When he pulled away, he brushed a hand across my cheek and smiled wickedly. “Sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t help myself.”

  With my finger, I gently traced the outline of his soft lips. I wanted to drown in this moment. I wracked my brain for something to say but no words could quite describe what I was feeling. Finally, I uttered, “That was nice. I hope there’s more where that came from.”

  He chuckled. “Sarah, you have no idea.”

  I wanted to feel his lips on me again, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. I was glad it happened because I felt a surge of adrenaline rush through me. We had work to do and now I was fully ready to kick some ass.

  Cliff invited me into his office and offered me a seat in one of his expensive leather chairs opposite his desk. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked all smiles.

  “No thanks.” I surreptitiously glanced around the office. “Where is your secretary today?”

  Once he was comfortably seated in his own chair behind his desk, he said, “I told her to run some errands. She won’t be back for a few hours. I’m curious what you might have found out about Meagan’s abduction.”

  I leaned back in my chair and looked at him, trying hard to keep the smile off my face. I mentally prepared myself for what I was about to do. “Before I get to that, I’d like to talk to you about a video. It came into my possession yesterday and, I have to say, it’s quite disturbing.”

  He raised his eyebrows, genuinely intrigued. “A video of what?”

  I strategically placed my purse on the edge of his desk. The fact that Carter was listening via the recording device hidden in the buckle of my purse, made me feel more secure.

  “A video of you and Graham Taylor.” I shook my head in dismay. “Yikes, no wonder you killed him. If he ever released that video, social media would have a field day and your future in politics with your rich fiancée’s fam
ily? Kiss it all good-bye.”

  His face turned a deep shade of red, no doubt a mixture of embarrassment and fury. I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears. His nostrils flared as his eyes came up to meet mine. “Who gave you the recording?”

  “Just relax,” I said, waving a hand. “As long as you do exactly what I say, nobody else has to see that video.”

  He clenched his teeth, the muscles working in his jaw. “What do you want?”

  “I want money, of course. I’m thinking a hundred grand would suffice.”

  He fumed for a few long seconds before he finally said, “I don’t have that kind of cash lying around. It might take me awhile.”

  “You could sell your Porsche.”

  “I’ll pay you your money,” he said, “but you have to tell me how you got the video. Was it Graham’s sister?”

  “First, you have to tell me what you did with Graham’s body.”

  He stared at me, eyebrows cinched together. Finally he must have realized what this all meant. “So, she’s alive. I guess I should have made sure she was dead before I threw her in the river.”

  “That’s right,” I said. “She’s very much alive and she told us everything; about the fender bender and seeing Graham in the back seat of your car. You must have gotten rid of his body before you went to Meagan’s house.”

  He shook his head and started to laugh. “You have no idea who you’re fucking with, do you? I’m not an idiot. Someone put you up to this. Open your shirt and show me the wire.”

  “You think I’m working with the cops on this? Hell no. I just want the money.”

  He abruptly stood up from his desk and moved toward me like a thunderbolt. He grabbed my shirt and yanked hard on the collar before I could even react. My shirt ripped open, revealing my bra and, of course, he could plainly see that no recording devices were attached to me.

  “Are you satisfied?” I said, trying to remain calm even though my knees were shaking. I slapped his hand away as if I was only slightly annoyed at his outburst. “I told you, I’m not with the cops.”