Vanishing Act

by Liz Johnson

  “Sure thing, Boss.” Heather’s voice was still laced with laughter, and he grumbled to himself as he slammed the phone shut.

  Where on earth would Heather get such a crazy idea about him and Danielle? She didn’t even know Danielle’s name. Their relationship was strictly coincidental. Even after he wrapped up this case, there wouldn’t be anything between them, no matter how cute and funny the mechanic was.

  He sat down hard on the couch in his apartment and leaned his head back against the itchy fabric. He took several long, calming breaths as he ran his fingers through his unusually shaggy hair. But he couldn’t contain his emotions for long. Moments later, his blood started to bubble, and he jumped to his feet, pacing the small living room.

  Why was he suddenly so agitated? Why did he feel like he was breaking a promise?

  He grabbed for his cup of coffee, tilting it back, then spitting it back out. The cold java tasted terrible. It had been cold this morning when he got home, but he’d sucked down an entire mug of the sludge just for the caffeine. He’d had enough then, and there was no need to drink more cold coffee.

  The problem was that he was running on no sleep, and his body was screaming at him.

  Finally he threw himself onto the couch, his feet hanging over the armrest. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, hoping for a shred of sleep. But his mind was still running, jumping back to Heather’s teasing and Danielle’s face.

  Heather had teased him plenty before about women, and it never bothered him the way it did now. So what was different this time?

  He tried not to dwell on thoughts of long-term relationships—or even short-term ones. It wasn’t something he was interested in. The legacy that ran through his veins was something he’d much rather forget, and something he had no desire to continue.

  Nearly sixty-five years before, Jed Andersen had left his wife—Nate’s grandmother—for his young mistress. Ten years later, he left his second wife for an even younger woman. Three wives and a disastrous example of fidelity for his son was all Jed left to his family when he died a few years ago.

  As a child, Nate had revered his dad and thought that he and his mom were happy, living out a fairy-tale life. As a teenager, he knew better. His mother’s sadness permeated every corner of their life in that run-down house in a rough neighborhood of Portland. He’d watched and done nothing as his father’s affairs destroyed their home.

  When he came to know the Lord early in college, Nate had promised himself that he’d never hurt a woman like that. Then he’d met Amber and Georgia at a party their junior year of college. He’d spent a lot of time with the amazing girls, quickly becoming good friends with them both. But Amber was special—everything he’d ever hoped to find in a future wife. He was sure he could make her happy.

  Until he made his intentions clear.

  “What about Georgia?” Amber had said. “Aren’t you in love with her?”

  He’d been so shocked that the willowy girl could have pushed him over with her pinky. “But I’m crazy about you, Amber.”

  The sob behind him made him jump, and there stood Georgia. Her bottom lip quivered, but all he could see was the pain of her heartbreak reflected in deep green eyes. She’d thought he loved her.

  How could he have led her on so unintentionally?

  Because of his mistake, Amber had refused to speak to him. Not only had he hurt Georgia, but he’d also lost his chance with the woman he really wanted.

  Adrift without a rudder, Nate had sought advice from anyone who would offer two cents until his dad had clapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, son. This is what we Andersens do. With a little practice, you’ll get better at keeping the girls from finding out too much.”

  Nate hadn’t been trying to keep anything from anyone, but he’d still managed to wound a girl he genuinely liked. It’s what Andersens did.

  But not if he stayed far enough away from all of them. Since he couldn’t control the legacy, it would end with him.

  His mind refusing to relax, still running through the story that had led him to that choice, Nate hopped off the couch, grabbed his jacket and marched toward the door, refusing to think about why that choice was suddenly bothering him. A long walk might help clear his head of painful memories and unwanted feelings for his mechanic.

  But what he really needed to do was solve the case. Get Nora and the Shadow taken care of. And get back to Portland.

  That would put these pesky feelings right where they should be—two thousand miles away.

  SIX

  Danielle woke with stiff muscles and pounding temples. Her jaw felt like she’d chewed rubber all night long, and piercing pain shot through her neck when she twisted it slightly. She tried to relax, but her muscles had been knotted tightly all through the night, and now she was paying the price.

  This was her own fault.

  Why hadn’t she been able to protect her dad? Why had she had to run away? She had really liked her life in Portland.

  Mostly she really missed her dad. But he wasn’t back in Portland, anyway. Every now and then fond memories of her friends from the grad school program would sneak in. Her mind would wonder to what her classmates were doing these days. They’d have graduated and be working at architecture firms, designing buildings across the country.

  Exactly what she should be doing. Maybe she’d be working on a new hospital building or designing a skyscraper. Or she could be working for individuals, creating homes that her clients would love. Her options had been wide open.

  But when her father died, her choices had been drastically reduced.

  Although her life had taken a different path, she actually liked working at Andy’s Auto…and she was happy here in Crescent City. Until something from her past started following her. It had to be from her old life. Nothing else could bring her so much fear.

  The memory of her front door standing open sent a terrifying tremor down her spine again. Someone had been in her home. What if it had been someone like Ridley Grant?

  Another shudder twitched through her at the mere thought. She didn’t like where her mind was taking her. It was time to get out of bed and think about something else.

  Still lying down, she shook her limbs gently and stretched to work out the kinks from the stressful night of sleep. Chancing a glance at the digital alarm clock to see if she had overslept, she carefully massaged her stiff neck.

  A smile broke across her face when she realized that it was only seven-fifteen. The shop didn’t open until ten on Fridays, so she rolled over and pulled her thick quilt up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she waited for sleep to reclaim her.

  But fifteen minutes later the pain in her shoulders still kept her awake. Maybe a swim in the heated pool at the YMCA would make her feel better. Or a soak in the hot tub. Just the thought of being weightless in the warm water made her grin.

  She gingerly rolled out of bed, got dressed and picked up her gym bag as she headed out the door. She swung through the kitchen and grabbed a banana for breakfast, picking up her keys and eyeing the haphazard stack of papers on her table. The ones that had been on the floor the night before. She took a deep breath and strode straight for the front door, mentally putting the incident behind her. All she could do was her best to stay safe.

  The kitchen chair was still wedged under the front door handle, so she moved it aside and stepped into the early sun. The morning was cooler than she had expected, and she pulled her jacket tighter around her. She double-checked that the door was locked, then pocketed her keys.

  As she approached Andy’s truck, it was leaning to the left. Sure enough the passenger’s side front tire was flat. She huffed and put her hands on her hips.

  “God, why is it always one thing after another?” she asked aloud. She could fix the tire, but it would take too much time. She didn’t particularly want to start her day off fixing a tire, either.

  She checked to see if she could tell why it had gone flat. She didn’t see
any obvious nails or holes. She could just fill it up, but what if it went flat while she was at the gym? Then she’d have to put the spare on and she would still be late getting the shop open.

  Hands still on her hips, she spun around and spied her bicycle locked to the side of the garage. Well, it would have to do.

  Her stomach took a nosedive, and it made her pause for a moment. Was this really a good idea? What if someone had let the air out of her tire, trying to force her to use the bike? Or what if that person was watching her even now, waiting for her to be out in the open so he could make his move?

  Her head snapped side to side, but she didn’t see anyone around.

  Taking a couple deep breaths, she forced herself to relax. Dear Lord, please help me to calm down. This is getting a little bit ridiculous. I’m sure there’s probably nothing to worry about this morning, but…well…please just keep me safe. Amen.

  As she peddled the couple miles into town, the morning sun peeked over the horizon, bathing the town in light. All-in-all the ride to the gym was much nicer than she’d expected. The brisk wind hitting her cheeks made her feel awake and alive. Her legs loosened up after such a tense night of sleep, and her nerves calmed down as she steered her way through residential neighborhoods where moms walked their kids to bus stops and dads took trash cans to the curbs. Having other people around reassured her.

  By the time Danielle arrived at the YMCA, her reason for needing a swim had changed from sore muscles to the chill of the air. Hurrying into the lobby she whipped out her membership card to show the attendant then hustled toward the locker room.

  Teeth chattering she kept her eyes on the floor, her mind only on the thought of the heated pool.

  Suddenly she slammed into someone. Already off balance by the large gym bag on her back, she toppled quickly to the floor.

  “Oh, man. I didn’t see you, Danielle.”

  She looked up to see who she’d collided with and was met by the laughing eyes of Ridley Grant. He held out his hand to help her up.

  She wasn’t quite sure she wanted to touch him, even for a boost from the floor. He gave her the willies. Surreptitiously glancing around, she checked to see if there were other people nearby. The last time they’d been alone together, he’d cornered her in the parking lot.

  She chanced one more quick look to see if perhaps Nate was coming to rescue her again, her hopes lifting.

  Of course he wasn’t there. She was being absurd.

  But there were plenty of other people headed toward the locker rooms, so she gripped his hand and allowed herself to be tugged to her feet.

  “You okay?” Ridley stepped even closer to her, and she took a mirrored step back.

  “Fine, thanks.”

  “You sure? If you’re hurt, you shouldn’t work out. You could skip your swim, and I’ll take you to breakfast.”

  His last words put her senses on immediate alert.

  Taking another careful step back, she asked, “How did you know I was going for a swim?”

  His face looked shocked for a second and then quickly fell back to neutral. His pale eyes registered a strange emotion for just an instant. “I—I just thought you might like to swim. You were headed toward the pool.”

  Just then she heard her name being called. “Danielle! Danielle!” Ivey jogged toward them, waving cheerfully. “I didn’t know you worked out here,” she continued, obviously missing the strain between Danielle and Ridley.

  Danielle tried to smile, but was sure it came off as more of a grimace. “Hi, Ivey. How are you?”

  “I’m great. Are you just getting here? Do you want to head to the locker room?”

  “Yes!” She pounced on the chance to get away from Ridley and practically dragged Ivey down the hall by her arm.

  “I just thought class was so good last night,” Ivey prattled. “I can’t believe how much I’m learning. It’s been so fun! I feel like I should send Jack a thank-you note for leaving.”

  Danielle tuned out the chatty woman, quite certain that she had to have been a cheerleader at some point in her life, and tried to focus on what was going on. Why did she feel like Ridley was stalking her? Could he possibly be tied to her past?

  “Danielle? Danielle?”

  “Oh, what?

  “Did you hear me?” Ivey looked confused and waved her hand in front of Danielle’s face. “I asked if I could come in early to class on Tuesday. I think I need some more help.”

  “Oh, sure. No problem.” Tucking her bag into a locker, Danielle asked, “So how long have you been a member here?”

  Ivey smiled. “Oh, it seems like forever. I can’t believe I’ve never seen you here before.”

  Danielle laughed. “Oh, we probably did see each other before. We just didn’t know each other.”

  “You’re probably right. Well, I’m off to the elliptical. Maybe I’ll see you later.” With that Ivey strode out of the locker room.

  Danielle let herself envy Ivey’s carefree nature for just a moment. Even after her husband’s abandonment, the woman remained cheerful. From all their interactions, Danielle had a gut instinct that Ivey knew how to find the good in every situation and was able to move past the hard things in life.

  But there was no use wasting time on wishful thinking, so she squared her shoulders and turned toward the pool entrance.

  The water of the indoor pool was crystal clear as Danielle dove into the deeper end. The bubbles leaving her nose as she exhaled tickled her face, until her head surfaced and she pulled her arm in an arch over the water and cupped the water again, propelling her forward. She kicked her feet in short bursts, until she was just feet from the wall. Tucking into a quick flip, she shot her feet toward the wall, pushing off with all the power she could muster.

  Every ache and pain that had kept her from going back to sleep that morning disappeared as she sliced through the empty lap lane. She felt light and free, and almost as bouncy as Ivey had looked. She turned her head and sucked in a breath, taking the time to smile.

  Thank You, Father, for this beautiful morning. For the sunshine and this warm water and the way that I feel safe here, now.

  Another swimmer jumped into her lane at the opposite side of the pool, and she had to stamp down her urge to ask him to find another one. There were plenty of other lanes available. Why was someone bothering her peaceful swim?

  As the two swimmers passed in the middle of the pool, Danielle drew a breath and almost swallowed a lung full of chlorine water. She recognized the shaggy hair of Kirk from class. He was the third person from her class that she’d seen just that morning. Did everyone go to the same gym?

  What a strange coincidence.

  Despite the warm water and physical activity, Danielle’s body suddenly began shaking, and she couldn’t break the feeling that it wasn’t just a coincidence that Kirk had chosen her swim lane. She swam to the edge of the pool and hoisted herself onto the ledge, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself.

  Heeding the warning signs about running, she walked quickly toward the locker room, only to be stopped by Kirk’s echoing call, “Yo, teacher!” His voice bounced off the ceiling but didn’t seem to disturb the three other morning swimmers.

  She turned slowly to face Kirk’s curled lip and squinted eyes, as he jumped out of the pool behind her. Inwardly quaking, she put on a brave face. “Well, hello, Kirk. Good to see you. Did you have a nice swim?”

  “Yeah, whatever. Listen, are we going to have an assignment this week? I might have to miss some classes.”

  Her brows furrowed, and he just glared at her. Why did he always look so angry? “I’m sorry that you need to miss some class. If you have an emergency, we can reschedule your time in the shop.”

  His scowl deepened. “I’m going to Vegas with my bros.”

  She almost laughed out loud. “Then you’ll need to get notes from someone else in the class and make up the assignments listed on the syllabus.”

  Kirk shrugged. “That’s not very fair.�
�� There was no stopping the snort that escaped through Danielle’s nose, and hiding the snicker behind her hand didn’t work, either. “I’m serious, man,” he said. “It’s hard to get used to a new class and everything, seeing as how I started late and all.”

  She gave him a pitying smile. The kid really was clueless. “Okay, fine. If you want to get the notes in advance, come in early to class on Tuesday and we’ll look at the next assignments.”

  He shook his head. “Oh, I can’t make class on Tuesday.”

  “Thursday then?”

  “Whatever.”

  “So you’ll be there on Thursday?” Her voice rose more than she was hoping it would, but the guy was infuriating.

  “I just said I would.”

  No, he hadn’t! Instead of yelling at him, she spun and marched toward the door to the locker room. Her peaceful, relaxing swim had been ruined by a knucklehead.

  She skipped the shower, suddenly longing for a hot cup of tea in her own home. Bag in hand, she headed out to her bike, hoping this ride would be as relaxing as the one to the pool.

  Who would have thought that she’d need another relaxer after her workout?

  The wind in her hair, the sun shining on her face as her bike sped down the road, she managed another genuine smile. She liked this feeling almost as much as slicing through the water.

  Just then her front tire hit a small pothole, and it didn’t recover like it should have. The handlebars felt loose, nearly disconnected from the front tire. She squeezed her brake, but nothing happened. She squeezed harder.

  Still nothing.

  She glanced down toward her rear tire, where the brake wires should have been connected. The black rubber tubing waved wildly next to her foot.