Wrongly Accused

by Laura Scott

  “But it’s broad daylight,” Noelle protested.

  “I know, but I made sure I wasn’t followed here,” Declan said. “And my place has an attached garage so if you hide on the floor, no one will be able to see you. Especially if you stay hidden on the floor until we’re safely inside the garage.”

  “Let’s go, then,” Caleb said, anxious to get moving. He couldn’t help feeling as if the minute anyone saw his face they’d start shouting for the police to arrest him.

  “I’m parked right in front of the motel,” Declan assured him. “And I’m ready if you are.”

  Noelle looked worried, but she gathered up the bag when he lifted Kaitlin in his arms. Moving swiftly, they slipped outside and headed for Declan’s SUV.

  He gestured for Noelle to get in the front seat. She put the bag on the seat and then crouched down on the floor of the car, keeping her head low and using the plastic bag for additional cover. He was impressed because he couldn’t see her unless he was right next to the passenger door.

  “We’re going to play a hide-and-seek game, Katydid,” he said as he set his daughter down in the back. “Can you crouch down on the floor of the car like this?” He demonstrated what he wanted his daughter to do.

  “You’re too big to fit, Daddy.” She giggled as she crouched down behind the driver’s seat. “I’m a better hider.”

  “That you are,” Caleb agreed.

  As soon as they were safely inside, Declan put the car in gear and backed out of the parking lot. Caleb didn’t like the fact that he couldn’t see where they were going, but he knew he had to trust Declan.

  His life, as well as Noelle’s and Kaitlin’s, depended on it.

  For a moment he wondered if he should turn himself in to the police. Declan would be able to keep Noelle and Kaitlin safe, and maybe playing by the rules would work for him instead of against him.

  But as soon as the thought formed, he rejected it. Too much had happened to turn himself in now. Especially since he didn’t know how much evidence they’d fabricated against him.

  The car swayed as Deck took several twists and turns, no doubt taking the extra-long way home.

  “I don’t wanna play this game anymore, Daddy,” Kaitlin whined. “I want to sit up on the seat.”

  “Not yet, let’s just stay down here a little longer, okay?” He reached over to take his daughter’s hand, willing her to stay put. He didn’t want to have to hold her down there against her will.

  “We’re almost there,” Declan called from the front seat.

  A few minutes later, Caleb heard the garage door going up. “There, see?” he said to Kaitlin. “Very soon we’ll be able to get out.”

  “Is there a swing set?” Kaitlin asked.

  He fought a wave of guilt. “I don’t think so,” he said.

  Kaitlin thrust out her lower lip. “A swimming pool?”

  “No, I’m afraid not.” He wanted to give his daughter something to look forward to, but Declan was a bachelor and likely didn’t have any toys lying around.

  “I don’t wanna stay here.” Kaitlin pouted. “I wanna go back to the motel.”

  Declan pulled into the garage and they stayed where they were until the garage door shut behind them.

  No one spoke until they were inside the house. The minute the door closed behind them, Declan turned toward Kaitlin. “Would you like to play with a dollhouse, Kaitlin?”

  Caleb gaped at his friend. “Why on earth do you have a dollhouse?”

  “I have twin nieces that I babysit for once in a while,” Delcan said with a shrug. “I found out that having a dollhouse made for much nicer visits, at least for me.”

  “Yes! I wanna see the dollhouse!” Kaitlin literally danced from one foot to the other. “Where is it, Unca Deck! Where’s the dollhouse?”

  “In the spare bedroom. Come on, I’ll show you.” Declan took Kaitlin by the hand and took her upstairs.

  “I bet she’d go with a stranger if they held out a dollhouse,” Caleb said darkly as he followed Kaitlin’s departure.

  “I don’t think so,” Noelle said. “I think deep down she remembers Declan, the same way she remembered you. Besides, we’re lucky Declan has nieces or this little adventure would be much worse.”

  That much was true. He’d panicked when Kaitlin asked for a swing set and a swimming pool. He could only hope the dollhouse would keep her occupied at least for a while.

  “We’ll need to stay away from the living room window,” he said, trying to think through their plan. “And once the sun goes down, we’ll have to remember not to put on any lights. We absolutely have to make sure that it looks as if Declan is living here alone.”

  “I understand.” Noelle glanced around the small kitchen. “At least we can cook our meals rather than wasting our money on fast food.”

  “Yeah, but right now, I’d like to see the news.” There was a small radio under the counter. “Or at least listen to it.”

  He fiddled with the dial, finding the sports station easy enough, but that wasn’t what he needed. He turned the dial again until he finally found a talk show. Noelle sat down and he took the chair across from her.

  Declan came back into the room and joined them at the table. “We have to talk while Kaitlin is occupied upstairs.”

  Caleb stood and turned down the volume on the radio. “What happened?”

  “When I heard the APB put out for you, I asked a few questions. They found Jack’s body and your fingerprints were at the scene of the crime.”

  Caleb curled his fingers into helpless fists. “So what? He was my lawyer. How big of a stretch is it to believe I was at his house at some point in time?”

  “On the murder weapon?” Declan asked.

  The murder weapon? He thought back, trying to imagine the crime scene. There was a lot of blood and the awful smell. He didn’t remember seeing a weapon, but then again, he hadn’t searched the place looking for it, either. He shook his head. “So where was the gun found?”

  Declan frowned, his gaze narrowing with suspicion. “How did you know Owens was killed with a gun?”

  For a moment he stared at his friend in horror. What was going on? Did Deck really suspect him after all?

  Had he brought Noelle and Kaitlin here for safety, only to be turned in to the authorities by the man he’d once believed was his best friend?

  NINE

  “Because he saw the bullet wound, that’s how!” Noelle shouted, jumping to her feet and glaring at Declan. She wanted to smack him for being so suspicious. “What are you saying? That you really believe Caleb is capable of cold-blooded murder?”

  “I didn’t say that...” Declan started but she wasn’t in the mood to listen.

  “How dare you bring us here as if you’re willing to help, only to accuse him of killing his lawyer. Are the police on their way here right now? Is that what this is about?” Noelle was so mad her entire body was trembling and she barely registered the fact that Caleb had risen to his feet and put a reassuring arm around her waist.

  “Calm down!” Declan said, holding up his hands as if he might need to defend himself. “I never accused Caleb of anything. I just thought it was odd that he knew about the gun.”

  “Noelle is only stating what I already thought,” Caleb said reasonably. “And she’s right about one thing. This isn’t going to work without trust.”

  “Okay, okay.” Declan jammed his fingers through his hair and sat back in his seat with a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have sounded as if I believed that you had anything to do with murdering Owens. I know you wouldn’t do that, Caleb. I just...lost my head for a moment.”

  Caleb’s arm around her waist proved to be a distraction, helped ground her so that her anger faded as quickly as it had ignited. She wanted so
badly to lean on Caleb but this wasn’t the time to show any weakness.

  Could they really afford to trust Declan?

  “Apology accepted,” Caleb said, giving her a slight squeeze. “Right, Noelle?”

  “I don’t know,” she muttered half under her breath. She allowed herself to lean against Caleb at least a little. “Maybe.”

  Caleb brushed a soft kiss against her temple and for a moment she forgot Declan was even there. She hadn’t let any man get close to her for so long. Why did being with Caleb feel so right? She knew logically she should move away, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  “Thanks for sticking up for me,” he whispered.

  She couldn’t help but smile. “You’re welcome.”

  Declan cleared his throat loudly and when she glanced over at him, she thought there was a flash of envy in his gaze. “I hate to interrupt, but we need to get to work if we’re going to make any headway in this investigation.”

  Reluctantly she moved away from Caleb, missing his warmth as she dropped back onto the chair she’d vacated. Every one of her senses was tuned in to Caleb as he sat beside her.

  “I’m listening,” Caleb said.

  “As I was saying, the murder weapon was found in the Dumpster outside the condo with your fingerprints on the handle of the gun.”

  Noelle rolled her eyes. “I’m not a cop and even I think that’s ridiculous. Why would an experienced former SWAT team member be so stupid as to leave the gun right outside the scene of the crime?”

  “Yeah, I hear you, but obviously someone believes it or there wouldn’t be a warrant out for Caleb’s arrest,” Declan said dryly.

  “Any idea who found the body?” Caleb asked. He reached over to take her hand in his, once again distracting her from the conversation. She didn’t know why he kept touching her, and she sternly told herself not to read too much into his small, subconscious gestures.

  “A neighbor reported a bad smell coming from Jack’s condo. The Milwaukee police went in and found him.”

  “So now the MPD is working with the sheriff’s department?” Caleb mused.

  Declan snorted. “Yeah, not likely. You can be sure the sheriff will take over the case from MPD.”

  “And Sheriff Cramer never liked me much,” Caleb said with a sigh. “I shouldn’t be surprised at the way he chose to believe the worst.”

  “Cramer doesn’t like me, either,” Declan pointed out. “Don’t read too much into that. It’s likely Captain Royce fed him an earful about you. Remember how he called us hotshots after we rescued that kid? As if we did that just for the media exposure? The guy’s a jerk.”

  Noelle frowned. “So what do Sheriff Cramer and Captain Royce think about your buddy Marc Brickner?” Noelle asked, dragging her attention back to the conversation.

  The two men exchanged a knowing glance and she knew that couldn’t be good.

  “Well?” she demanded.

  “Brickner is Royce’s protégé,” Caleb admitted. “And since Royce was promoted by Sheriff Cramer, it’s likely they both think Brickner is the best guy on the team.”

  “Great. Just great.” Could the scenario get any worse? “Any chance that Sheriff Cramer knew about Brickner’s affair with Heather?” she asked.

  Caleb shrugged. “No way to tell, but even if he did know about it, I don’t think Cramer would suspect Brickner of murder.”

  Of course he wouldn’t. That would be too easy. She glanced between the two men. “So what’s our next step? Where do we go from here?”

  “Maybe we should try to follow Brickner during his off-duty time, see what he’s up to?” Declan suggested. “He’s not scheduled to work tonight.”

  “We’d only find something if Brickner is doing his own dirty work, which right now, isn’t a good assumption,” Caleb said. “Why would he do anything suspicious now? There’s a warrant out for my arrest. You can bet he’ll sit back and wait for the system to work.”

  The thought was far too depressing. “What if Heather was involved in something illegal?” she asked.

  Both Caleb and Declan stared at her as if she’d lost her marbles.

  “What makes you think that?” Declan asked.

  “Look, everything started with Heather’s murder, right?” Both men nodded in agreement. “What’s the motive? Jealousy? It seems like this cover-up is a bit extreme for something so simple.”

  “Heather was a model,” Caleb protested. “Hardly illegal.”

  “Or maybe her modeling was a cover for something else,” Declan mused. “Noelle could be on to something. We have to consider all angles.”

  Caleb removed his hand from hers and she knew that she’d upset him. She sent him an imploring look, understanding where he was coming from. It was one thing to know your wife was having an affair, or even more than one affair. But to think that the mother of your child was involved in something illegal was entirely different. Especially since Caleb was a cop, sworn to uphold the law.

  She didn’t blame him for not wanting to assume the worst about his deceased wife.

  * * *

  Caleb stared at Declan, trying to fight the natural instinct to defend Heather. If he were honest, he would admit that what Declan and Noelle were suggesting wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. “She did bring in a lot of money,” Caleb finally said. “But what kind of illegal activity could she have been involved with? Drugs?”

  And then it hit him. What else would explain why she was seen with more than one man?

  “Prostitution?” He forced the horrible word past his constricted throat.

  “We don’t have to jump to conclusions,” Noelle interjected, looking distressed. “Drugs could be the answer.”

  He shook his head, appreciating the fact that Noelle cared enough to try and spare his feelings. “I think there would have been some evidence if this was about drugs. Her autopsy showed she was clean. The D.A.’s office used the fact that she wasn’t drugged as evidence that she likely knew her murderer.”

  “So what? That doesn’t mean she wasn’t some sort of drug runner,” Noelle repeated stubbornly.

  “Heather was far too noticeable to be a mule,” Declan said. “She attracted attention everywhere she went.”

  “There’s no point in speculating.” Caleb glanced at his friend. “We could spend hours going through different scenarios, but without proof we’re stuck. Deck, is there anything else you can tell me from the police report of Heather’s murder?”

  “No, there wasn’t much evidence at the crime scene,” Declan mused. “The eyewitness testimony played a big role in your arrest.”

  No kidding. “No murder weapon was ever found?” he pressed.

  “Nope.” Deck shook his head. “They had nothing else to use to pin it on you.”

  “Interesting, considering the gun used to kill Jack was found nearby,” Caleb murmured. “Why didn’t they use a similar ruse back then for Heather’s murder?”

  “Good question,” Deck admitted. “Maybe it was a crime of passion, that whoever killed her didn’t really plan it. And when he did, it was too late to plant the gun.”

  He had to admit, Deck’s theory made sense. Ironic that Brickner had spouted off about Caleb’s temper when Brickner’s was far worse. He could easily imagine Brickner losing control and killing Heather in a fit of rage.

  Too bad he needed a way to prove it. “Could I borrow your computer for a while?” he asked Deck.

  “Sure.” If Deck was curious as to what he was searching for, he didn’t let on. Declan pulled the laptop out of its case and handed it over to Caleb. “Do you need any help?”

  “No, just give me some time, okay?” He didn’t want Declan or Noelle, for that matter, to watch over his shoulder. “Would you mind checking on Kaitlin?” he asked.

  Noe
lle hesitated, but then nodded. “Sure.”

  Caleb waited until both Deck and Noelle left the kitchen, before he began his search. There was something niggling at him from the back of his mind. A website that he’d stumbled across by accident, shortly before he’d moved out of the house. At the time he hadn’t thought much about it.

  He tried several different combinations of words before he found what he was looking for.

  Eileen’s Elite Escort Services.

  Caleb closed his eyes for a moment, dreading what he was about to find. But hiding from the truth wasn’t going to help him clear his name. So he took a deep breath and entered the website, which required the viewers to be eighteen in order to move through the various screens. The meager attempt to prevent minors from going in was laughable.

  It didn’t take him long to find Heather’s photograph, although he was a bit surprised that it was still on the site, considering she’d died fourteen months ago. Maybe they kept it for marketing reasons? She was beautiful, dressed in a sexy, scanty outfit that made him feel sick to his stomach. And he found it interesting to note that the name under her photograph was Hannah, not Heather.

  A fake name? Why not?

  He closed the laptop with a wave of disgust. His wife had been a paid escort. And what exactly did her services entail? He wasn’t so sure he wanted to know. Considering the types of photographs he saw, he imagined the worst.

  The only good thing to come out of this latest clue that he could see was that it was another possible motive for her murder.

  * * *

  Caleb didn’t tell Declan or Noelle what he’d found, at least not right away. Partially because he was humiliated.

  But more so because the site was probably just another dead end. Other than giving a clue as to another potential motive for murder, what could they do with the information?

  While Noelle made lunch, Kaitlin chattered on and on about the dollhouse and the various dress-up dolls she’d found. He was grateful Deck had something to keep Kaitlin entertained.

  “When do you work next?” he asked Deck.