by Laura Scott
As if Kaitlin sensed what was going on, she placed both of her palms on either side of his face and peered at him with a serious expression. “We go with you.”
“Ah, well. I don’t think so...” His voice trailed off. He could take them with him and find a hotel in Milwaukee that wouldn’t be too far from Jack’s house. They could stay long enough to warn his lawyer and maybe get some extra money, too. He hadn’t paid for the second night yet. Why not spend one night in Milwaukee? He’d have to be close by if he intended on digging into his wife’s death anyway.
“All right, we’ll all go,” he said with a sigh. “But we have to hurry as it’s almost past checkout time.”
“Thank you,” Noelle murmured. Most of their things were already packed, but she quickly gathered the rest and tucked everything inside the bag.
He tried to tell himself this wasn’t a mistake as they made their way down to the lobby. On one hand, it would be easier to keep both of them safe if they were close by. But the bigger reason he’d agreed was that he needed to be closer to Milwaukee in order to figure out what was going on. And that meant finding a safe place to stay in the city.
Once they’d checked out, he looked at the map and found the directions to the bus station. Their timing was almost perfect as the next bus to Milwaukee left in fifteen minutes.
The bus ride took about an hour and a half, longer than driving in a car but then again, the bus driver didn’t go anywhere near the posted speed limit, which added time to the trip. When they reached the bus station and stood to get off, his gut twisted with nerves.
“Where to?” Noelle asked.
He took a deep breath and pulled himself together. “Jack lives in a condo downtown, but there’s a cheap motel nearby where we’ll stay for tonight.”
“All right,” Noelle agreed.
They walked the two blocks to the inn and went inside. “We need a room for tonight,” he said.
“Sorry, no vacancies right now, but I can put you on a waiting list in case of a cancelation.”
No vacancies? He couldn’t hide his surprise. “Not even one room is available?”
“Not with the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon going on.” The clerk shrugged. “Sorry.”
Caleb put a fake name on the waiting list and headed outside. He wanted to get Noelle and Kaitlin someplace safe before he headed over to Jack’s place. Seeing as it was Sunday, he figured the attorney would be home, rather than at his office.
“Let’s just get a taxi and head over there,” Noelle said. “We’ll stay in the taxi and drive around the block or something while you meet with Jack.”
As if on cue a taxi pulled up. “All right, get in.”
The three of them slid into the backseat, Kaitlin tucked between them. Caleb gave the taxi driver the address and thanks to the marathon, they had to go the long way to get to Jack’s condo.
“Wait here,” he said when the taxi pulled up in front of Jack’s condo.
“I keep the meter running,” the taxi driver warned.
“That’s fine.” Going around the block wasn’t an option as most of the roads were closed anyway. He went inside and buzzed Jack’s doorbell.
No answer. He pushed the buzzer again. A young woman wearing shorts and a T-shirt came out through the main door. He caught the door before it closed. “I’m here to see my friend Jack,” he muttered as he strode past.
The woman shrugged and continued on her way. He took the elevator up to the third floor and walked down the hall to room 303. He rapped on the door, but there was no answer. He turned to leave, but then tried the door handle just in case, surprised to find it unlocked.
“Jack?” he called, taking a hesitant step inside. “Are you home?”
A horrible smell assaulted him as he walked farther into the room, filling him with a sense of dread. He stopped short, not surprised when he saw Jack’s body lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
SEVEN
Noelle tried to wait patiently while Caleb was inside talking to Jack, but it wasn’t easy. She looked out the taxi window at the crowds of people walking along the street getting ready for the marathon. Useless to even attempt to look for anyone out of place.
After what seemed like an hour but was only ten minutes, Caleb came out of the condo. He paused, holding the main door open as he swept the bottom of his T-shirt along the side of the door before stepping back and letting it swing shut behind him.
His expression was tense as he jumped back into the taxi. “Please take us to the bus station,” he told the driver.
Why on earth would they be going back to the bus station? “Did you see Jack?” she asked in a low tone.
Caleb’s lips thinned and he scrubbed his hands wearily over his face. “I’ll fill you in later,” he said.
His grim tone was not at all reassuring. But of course Caleb wouldn’t want to say anything in front of his daughter. And she didn’t blame him, considering Kaitlin’s night terrors.
“Wait, stop here,” Caleb said as they passed a small park.
“Forty-five dollars,” the taxi driver said, after he’d pulled over to the side of the street.
She almost choked at the high fee but Caleb handed the guy some cash and then climbed out from the taxi, pulling out their bag of belongings and then holding the door for her and Kaitlin.
“Look, Noa, a slide!” Kaitlin shouted. She took off running, heading straight toward it.
She and Caleb followed more slowly. “What happened back there, Caleb?” she asked.
He stopped about ten feet from the slide and set the bag down while watching as Kaitlin went up and down the slide with a whoop. “I found Jack dead in his condo. I’m fairly certain he was murdered.”
“What?” She gaped at him in horror. Whatever she expected, it wasn’t this. “How do you know?”
“The bullet hole in his gut was a good clue.”
She put a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back a wave of nausea. “We have to call the police,” she whispered.
“I know. But the fact that I stumbled on the body isn’t going to look good for me,” he said. “I tried to wipe my prints off the doorframe and the door handle, but for all I know, my prints will be found inside somewhere. After all, he was my lawyer.”
And now he was dead.
She shook her head emphatically. “No one will believe you had anything to do with that.”
“Do you think it’s a coincidence that the body of Kenneth James conveniently showed up in Lake Michigan shortly around the time frame that Jack Owens was murdered?” he asked. “Not hardly. And you can bet Jack’s death will be used as another nail in my coffin.”
She didn’t want to believe it, but she could see only too well how this would play out in the media. And if she hadn’t gotten to know Caleb O’Malley over these past few days, the man who would do anything to make his daughter happy, the man who’d gone out of his way to protect her, she likely would have believed he’d done all these horrible deeds.
But he was innocent, of that she was sure. And not just because she secretly admired him.
“We need to do something,” she said helplessly.
“Yeah, well, I’m open for ideas.”
“I’m your alibi, right? We’ve been together since we left my house.”
“Yes, I’ve considered that,” he admitted. “But if I’m being framed, do you think the murderer hasn’t already come up with some sort of plan? I’m worried your name will be dragged through the mud right along with mine.”
“My name? Why?”
Caleb silently watched his daughter play for several long minutes. “Think about the night my wife was murdered. There was an eyewitness, right? Someone who must have been bribed to lie to the police. What’s to prevent the real murderer from planting more lies?
Lies about you and I having some sort of secret affair? Anything to discredit you as a solid alibi.”
She could barely wrap her mind around what he was saying. “No one who knows me would ever believe something like that.”
“Anyone will believe anything with enough evidence,” he said bluntly. “Trust me, I thought the same thing once. I thought for sure proving my innocence was a slam dunk. Instead I spent over a year behind bars.”
“Push me, Daddy,” Kaitlin called out from the swings. “I wanna go higher!”
When Caleb went over to do as his daughter asked, she stayed where she was, his words tumbling over and over through her mind. She didn’t want to believe he was right. That people would actually think the worst about her.
But she couldn’t deny the horror Caleb had lived through for the past fourteen months, either. And now his lawyer was dead. Murdered. Why wouldn’t the real murderer try to frame Caleb for that, too?
Caleb was right. He would be the primary suspect. And so was she, now that her name was linked to his. What could they possibly do to prove their innocence?
* * *
Noelle tried to shrug off the sense of impending doom as they spent the afternoon at the park, eating hot dogs and popcorn from a nearby sidewalk vendor for dinner. They walked a few blocks to the city bus stop and Caleb studied the map for a long moment before deciding on a route.
When the number ten bus pulled up, she was surprised to see Caleb gesture for her and Kaitlin to precede him inside. She knew that one of her preschool teachers came in from the number ten bus and the preschool center wasn’t far from where she lived. Were they heading back toward the scene of the original crime? Why else would Caleb have decided to take this bus? Unless it intersected with another route that would take them far away from the city?
She was about to take a seat near the front, but Caleb urged her to head to the back.
“Where are we headed?” she asked. Kaitlin wanted the window so she let the child climb in first, before taking the aisle seat.
“I know a reasonable place to stay on the outskirts of the city,” he said.
The outskirts of the city? Wasn’t that area under the jurisdiction of the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department, where his former SWAT team worked? She swiveled in her seat to face him. “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “Why would you take us back there?”
His gaze was enigmatic. “Trust me,” he murmured.
She let out a sigh and tried to do that. Caleb must have some sort of plan, right? She closed her eyes and tried to pray. Dear Lord, please guide us on Your path while keeping us safe in Your care. Amen.
Kaitlin seemed to enjoy riding the bus although her eyelids were starting to get heavy by the time they arrived at their destination. They had to walk a few blocks, but soon they were approaching the Forty Winks Motel. Caleb requested another room with two double beds and used a story about getting mugged to avoid handing over his ID. The fact that they were there together acting the part of a family helped and the clerk accepted the cash.
“We need a plan,” she said in a low voice while making sure Kaitlin was preoccupied with watching the Disney Channel.
“I know. I’m thinking of calling my buddy Declan.”
She remembered the photo of Caleb and his teammate standing side by side holding a small child they’d pulled to safety from the creek. “Are you sure you can trust him?” she asked.
“No, I’m not sure of anything right now,” he admitted. “But what choice do I have? We can’t stay on the run forever and we’re going through my cash reserves pretty quickly.”
Her stomach knotted with anxiety especially knowing that this room was pricier than their previous ones. “Maybe I can pull some money out of my bank account. Wouldn’t that be safer than trusting one of your former teammates?”
“And then what? We go on the run for how long?” he asked wearily. “The cops will catch up to us eventually, especially if they put out an APB. The three of us can’t hide forever. No, we need help investigating these murders.”
“And you can trust this guy, Declan?”
“Deck was once my closest friend not to mention the best man at my wedding.” Caleb’s tortured gaze made her want to wrap her arms around him. “If I can’t convince Declan that I’m innocent I won’t be able to convince anyone.”
She didn’t know what to say to that, because she sensed he was right. “What’s the plan?”
“I’d like you to stay here with Kaitlin while I try to get in touch with Declan.”
Instinctively she wanted to protest, but what was the alternative? Kaitlin was already looking sleepy from all the time she spent playing outside. There was no way she could leave Kaitlin alone. And the poor child deserved at least the chance for a good night’s sleep. One that hopefully wouldn’t be disturbed by night terrors.
“All right,” she agreed with a small sigh. “But try to hurry back, okay? I won’t be able to sleep until I know you’re safe.”
“I’ll come back as soon as possible,” he promised with an intense gaze. “I’m lucky to have you.”
She ducked her head, trying to hide a blush. He didn’t mean it the way it sounded and she was stupid to think even for a moment that he had. “That’s not exactly true. I feel like I’m holding you back.”
Caleb reached out to take her hand in his, his grip radiating heat. “Noelle, you’re helping me more than you realize by keeping my daughter safe. And I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess with me. If I’d known...” His voice trailed off.
“You wouldn’t have done anything differently,” she pointed out. “Besides, I’m convinced that God has a plan for us. We’ve managed to get out of tight spots before, haven’t we?”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and she had to resist the urge to throw herself into his arms. “A few weeks ago I might have scoffed at that notion, but now I’m beginning to think you may be right.”
His admission warmed her heart. “I’ll pray for your safety and for Declan to believe in you.”
“I’ll gladly take all the help I can get.” His fingers tightened briefly around hers before he released her and rose to his feet. “Don’t answer the door to anyone but me, okay?”
“I won’t.”
He glanced back at Kaitlin once more as if debating whether to go and give her a hug and a kiss. But he didn’t, maybe because Kaitlin was curled up in the bed, hugging her Giffy, her eyes at half-mast. She knew it wouldn’t be long before Kaitlin was sound asleep and Caleb must have known it, too.
He pocketed one of the room keys and opened the door.
“Be safe,” she whispered. He nodded and then slipped outside before she could say anything more.
After making sure the door was secure, she climbed into the bed beside Kaitlin and settled in to wait.
Please, Lord, keep Caleb safe in Your care.
* * *
Leaving Noelle and Kaitlin was more difficult than he’d anticipated, but he tried not to dwell on it as he silently jogged through the streets of Wauwatosa. He took a zigzag route, more to keep away from prying eyes than any fear of being followed.
He didn’t have much of a plan, other than trying to catch up with Deck at his home. If his buddy was working, he’d be forced to wait until the end of his shift.
As he made his way to the familiar neighborhood of Declan’s place, he mentally went through a few scenarios in his mind, trying to think of a way to convince Deck he was innocent. That is, if Deck even gave him a chance to say anything at all.
He shoved aside the depressing thought and slowed down to a walk as he approached Declan’s modest house.
Darkness hadn’t fallen yet so he couldn’t be sure that Deck was actually home. But then he caught sight of a bluish glow from the television in the living room. Even from this
distance he could tell Declan was watching a baseball game.
For a moment he battled a wave of regret, wishing for simpler times when watching a baseball game was commonplace instead of being completely outside the realm of possibilities. He felt conspicuous as he stood for a moment, trying to garner the courage to face his friend.
A car drove by, spurring him into action. He went up the driveway, bypassing the front of the house to knock at the side door. It took a minute for his buddy to respond and when Declan finally opened the door, the expression of pure shock on his face made his heart sink a bit.
“Hi, Deck, do you have a minute? I need a friend.”
Declan’s mouth opened and then closed again without a word. Caleb was afraid Deck was going to shut the door in his face, but then he pushed it open and stepped back, allowing him room to come in.
“Thanks,” Caleb said. “I know you probably believe the worst, but I swear I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Heather and I certainly didn’t kill anyone else, either.”
Declan stared at him for a long moment. “Give me one reason I should believe you.”
Fair enough. “Because you know how much I love my daughter, Kaitlin, and you know I’d never kill my wife and then leave Kaitlin there alone with her dead mother.”
Declan pursed his lips for a moment and then shrugged. “I never could figure out why you’d kill Heather,” he finally admitted. “But when Ken James came forward stating he saw you, I figured you must have snapped or something.”
“I didn’t snap. I was framed.”
Declan sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a long moment. “Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to like your theory?”
Relieved that Declan hadn’t booted him outside, he chuckled. “Because you’re a smart man, that’s why.”
“You’d better come in, then,” Declan said, gesturing toward the living room. “The Brewers are losing anyway.”
Caleb hovered in the doorway. “I’d rather we talked somewhere private so that no one can see me,” he said. “For your own safety more than mine.”