Lone Defender (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Shirlee McCoy

  “I spoke with a manager while you were gone. He said Redmond worked here for several months. That he was a good employee. I wanted to confirm that.”

  “You spoke with Rick?”

  “I think that was his name.”

  “Good manager. Knows his job, so whatever he told you, you can take it to the bank.”

  “I’d like your opinion, anyway.”

  “You and every cop in town.” She smoothed her hair, and it sprang up again. “Look, Redmond did his job. He showed up for work on time. He didn’t cause trouble. In my opinion, that’s a winning combination.”

  “Lots of people do their jobs and show up for work on time. That doesn’t make them good employees,” Jonas said, and Shelby turned her attention to him.

  “You’re Jonas Sampson, right? Saw a news story about you when I moved to town a few years back.”

  “That’s a long time to remember a name.” He frowned, and Skylar shot him a look she hoped would keep him from throwing out a bunch of questions that might close down the interview before it even began.

  “I’ve got a good memory.” She shrugged. “You’re right, though, about Dan. All those qualities combined don’t make a good employee, and I wouldn’t say Dan was one. He did what he had to. Nothing more.”

  “You know a body was found behind his house, right?” Skylar tossed the line, hoping to reel in some information they could use.

  “How could I not? Half of yesterday’s customers told me about it.”

  “There’s a good possibility the deceased is Redmond.”

  “I figured that, what with the police showing up at the diner. Look, I have a busy day ahead of me, and I don’t have a lot of time to waste talking about a guy I barely knew. If you don’t have anything else to ask, I need to go back to work.”

  “We want to know who murdered him, Shelby, and we were hoping you might have some idea.”

  “I really haven’t given it much thought, but, the way I see it, you mess with the big dogs and you’re going to get bit,” she said as she stood, and Skylar’s heart jumped.

  “Big dogs?”

  “I’ll tell you what I told the police, and then I have to go. Dan hung with a tough crowd. Not people I’d trust to have my back.”

  “Who?”

  “You ever heard of the New Day Militia?”

  “They have a compound twenty miles north of here, right?” Jonas asked, and Shelby nodded.

  “That’s right. They’re big on independence, believe the government is out to get them. Redmond hooked up with a couple of brothers who are part of the group. Gerald and Mark Clovis. They used to come in here during off hours. Late at night. Really early in the morning. Any time they thought the dining room would be empty.”

  “Used to?”

  “They got into an argument with another patron. Nearly came to blows. I asked them not to come back.”

  “Do you know where we can find the Clovis brothers?” Skylar pulled a paper napkin from the holder, fished a pen from her purse and got ready to write. This was the first she’d heard of Redmond’s connection to a militia group, and she was ready to run with the information.

  “Easiest way to find them is to go out to the compound, but I wouldn’t recommend it. They’re not nice people.”

  “Are they murderers?”

  “They’re bigoted rebels who believe they’re a law unto themselves. Whether or not they’re murderers, I couldn’t say.”

  “But they were friends with Redmond?”

  “If people like that can claim to have friends, then, yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to finish prepping for the breakfast rush.”

  “Before you go, there’s one more thing. The police found a body out in the desert last night.”

  “Good old Josiah Stanley. I saw it on the news. It’s too bad. He was harmless enough.”

  “Did you ever see him hanging around with Redmond?”

  “Hanging with Dan? I don’t think—” She frowned. “Actually, now that I think about it, I did see them together once. I was heading home, and I saw Dan hanging around near the alley beside the diner. I thought he was alone, but then I realized Josiah was there. I figured maybe Dan was giving him something from the kitchen.”

  “Did you ask?”

  “I didn’t care enough to. Feeding one old man isn’t going to break my business. Now I really do have to get back to work. Enjoy your meal. It’s on the house.” She walked away, not giving Skylar time to ask more questions.

  That was fine.

  She’d learned plenty.

  And she planned to find out more.

  She shoved her plate away and stood. “We need to go out to New Day.”

  “No.” Jonas rose, too.

  “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

  “Exactly what I said. We’re not going out there.”

  “We just got the lead we’ve been searching for. Are you telling me that we shouldn’t follow up on it?”

  “I’m telling you that we’re not the police. We don’t have their authority, or their manpower. If what Shelby said is right, heading to the compound without either of those things would be foolish.”

  “So, we’re just supposed to sit around hoping the police are doing their jobs?”

  “We’re supposed to make sure the police have all the information we do, and we will. Shelby said herself that she told the police about the connection between Redmond and the Clovis brothers. Mitchell is a good cop, and he’s thorough. There’s no doubt in my mind, if he already has the information, he’s following up on it.”

  “Mitchell is a good cop? You’re not including the sheriff in that?”

  “No, because I’m not sure what the sheriff’s priorities are. After Deputy Williams’s comment about it being an election year, I’m wondering how focused the sheriff is on the case. Come on. Let’s get out of here. We’ll call Mitchell on the way back to my place and tell him about the connection to Josiah Stanley. Didn’t seem like Shelby told the police about that. We’ll see what he has to say.”

  “If Shelby knew about Redmond’s connections to New Day, other people must have. It’s strange that no one mentioned it to me before now.”

  “Fear is a powerful enemy. New Day has been around for a few decades, and they’ve earned a reputation for brutal retaliation against anyone who crosses them. Several members have been accused of murder. No one has ever been convicted.” Jonas pulled onto the road and tossed his cell phone into Skylar’s lap. “Go ahead and call Mitchell.”

  She did, leaving a message on his voice mail, her mind spinning with possibilities. “They’ve been accused of murder, so it’s possible they’ve committed it. That makes it even more likely they were involved in Redmond’s death.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I still think we should pay them a visit.”

  “Even if we did, which we won’t, it’s unlikely we’d make it onto the compound. The group is closed to the public. They exist under the guise of a religious sect that abhors the trappings of modern life.”

  “Like the Amish?”

  “Hardly. They’re preparing the way for a new messiah, and they say he’s going to be born into their numbers. They control everything that comes in with the express purpose of keeping what they call the new order from being tainted. At least, that’s what their followers are told.”

  “You know a lot about the group, Jonas.”

  “I should. One of my jobs as border patrol agent was to keep illegal firearms from being brought into the country. We suspected that New Day was one of the prime destinations for anything that made it through, but we weren’t able to prove it.”

  “It’s hard to believe a group like that doesn’t get more press.”

  “They’ve had their share, but only locally. Their prime objective is to overthrow the government, but they aren’t advertising that. Staying under the radar by working within the law is how they’ve kept going for so long. The crimes they do commit, they commit secretly. In othe
r words, they pay their taxes and their bills, they act civil and don’t cause problems.”

  “That matches what happened to Redmond. His body being buried where it would never have been found if I hadn’t started them looking, then the accidental way I was supposed to die. Commit the crime, but make sure to keep it hidden.”

  “Exactly. Just because the group hasn’t been convicted of crimes doesn’t mean they haven’t committed plenty of them. The more they commit, the more likely it is they’ll get caught. If I remember correctly, at least a few of the members have been arrested. None of the charges have stuck, but there’s always a first time.”

  “Let’s hope this is it.”

  “Hoping is great, but we’re not going to try to take them down ourselves.” He pulled up in front of his house, reaching over and rubbing a thumb along the corner of her mouth. “Maple syrup.”

  “What?” She blinked, tried to focus, but every thought was gone, wiped away by one gentle touch of his thumb.

  “You have maple syrup on your face.”

  “Oh.” She reached up and rubbed the spot, trying to rub away the heat that was turning her insides to mush.

  Not possible, though.

  Not possible to move, either, as he leaned forward, his lips brushing hers, settling there. And she was lost again, her dreams welling up and filling her heart until she had to break away.

  She reached for the door, blindly opening it and jumping out.

  “Sky, wait!” Jonas got out of the truck and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop at the threshold of the apartment.

  He nudged her into the house, closed the door, crowding her into the tiny living room and taking up more than his fair share of space.

  It should have bothered her that he seemed to steal her thoughts and her breath without effort. That having him close made her forget all the reasons why she shouldn’t take chances with her heart.

  Should have bothered her, but it didn’t.

  Because it was Jonas doing those things, and she thought that maybe he needed her around just as much as she needed him. His loss, his guilt, his need to protect his heart were all things she understood. She looked into his eyes, studied his face, her heart opening in a way it hadn’t in a very long time.

  “If you’re going to apologize, don’t. The kiss was a mutual thing, and I’m not sorry for it. I just…need some space.”

  “Good to know, but I wasn’t going to apologize.”

  “Then, what is it?”

  “Sunday.”

  “What?”

  “It’s Sunday. I thought you might like to come to church with me.”

  “I’m not sure I have anything to wear. I didn’t think I’d be in town for more than a couple of days, so I didn’t plan for Sunday service.”

  “You look perfect in what you’re wearing.”

  “Jeans and a T-shirt?”

  “You’d look good in a gunnysack, Grady. I’ll be ready in thirty. Keep the door locked and the alarm set until I knock,” he said, walking out before she could offer more excuses.

  And maybe she didn’t need more.

  Because it was Jonas she was going to church with. Aside from God, she’d never believed in much, but she did believe in him.

  It wasn’t forever.

  But it was a start.

  SIXTEEN

  She should have said no.

  Skylar scowled at the small pile of clothes on the bed. Jeans and T-shirts. Mostly faded and worn. One pair of black slacks, black heels and a square-necked sweater that she hated because it showed too many scars and she had only packed it because it happened to be clean.

  A motley assortment.

  She couldn’t go to church wearing any of it.

  Not that God cared. She knew He didn’t. He met people where they were, how they were, but Skylar had spent too many years going to church in holey clothes and broken shoes to want to wear anything but her best when she attended. Too caught up in their addictions to care, her parents hadn’t even made Skylar or Tessa brush their hair or wash their faces before they left the house. It had been Mrs. Peach who had taught them to take care of their appearances and who had brought them to church, insisting she needed an escort to walk her there.

  Mrs. Peach.

  The name was enough to make Skylar smile.

  Widowed and lonely and looking for someone to pour herself into, the elderly woman had taken on the task of raising two little girls who were raising themselves. She’d been Skylar’s safety net until she’d passed away. And she’d been Skylar’s first taste of loss. In memory of her friend, Skylar had trudged to church by herself from the time she was ten and Tessa had quit going until she’d finally escaped the mean little neighborhood she’d grown up in.

  Mrs. Peach would be happy to know Skylar had found faith in the run-down church they’d attended together.

  She wouldn’t be pleased that Skylar was standing over a perfectly good pile of clothes bemoaning her limited choices.

  She frowned, grabbing the slacks and sweater, throwing them on and shoving her feet into the heels.

  “Be honest with yourself, Sky. You’re more worried about what Jonas will think of your outfit than you are about wearing it to church,” she muttered as she stared in the mirror, hitched up her sweater to cover the scars a little more, loosened her hair and let it fall around her shoulders. Too many curls, but there wasn’t much she could do about them, so she let them be. Slicked on gloss and a little mascara. Frowned at her reflection again.

  A soft knock sounded on the door, and her time was up.

  She grabbed her Bible, hurried into the living room as the door opened and Jonas walked in, punched in the alarm code and smiled.

  He made slacks and a button-up shirt look good, his dark hair brushed back from his face, his eyes burning with interest as they followed Skylar across the room.

  “You clean up good, Grady.”

  “So do you.” He smelled good, too. Soap and aftershave and something indefinable and masculine.

  “Looks like you have more than one scar to show for your partner’s betrayal.” His finger touched the purple circle beside her collarbone, and she shivered.

  “Like I said, I was shot three times. Twice in the chest. Once in the stomach.”

  “I wish your partner was still alive, so I could have a…chat with him.” The coldness in his words, the anger in his gaze left no doubt about how serious he was.

  “Then I’m glad he’s not. I wouldn’t want you to go to prison for beating up pond scum.” She offered a shaky smile. Unsure. Sure. All the things she wanted wrapped up in the hope that she could make this thing that had never worked before work; make this idea, this dream of a real family she’d had since she was a little girl listening to her parents scream obscenities at one another, become a reality.

  It was a big risk, and she still wasn’t sure she should be taking it.

  “You look sad.” His traced a path from the scar to her jaw, tilting her head, looking down into her eyes.

  “I just don’t want to put too much hope in this, Jonas. I don’t want to start believing in it, and then find out it was just a moment in time, a blip on the radar. I want more than that.”

  “If by this you mean us, then you can stop worrying. We’re not just a moment or a blip. I don’t know where we’re heading, but I’m not going anywhere until we find out.”

  “Isn’t that what every guy says when a new couple is starting out?”

  “Then you admit we’re a couple? I thought it would take you at least another day to get to that point.” He chucked her under the chin, opened the door. “Come on. We need to get moving or we’ll be late. I don’t want to have to explain why to Debby.”

  “I thought you said she was one of the most understanding people you’d ever met.”

  “She’s also one of the biggest tyrants.”

  “I don’t believe you. She seemed sweet as pie when we met.”

  “She’s sweet, all right. Until you
cross her, then, she’s a tyrant. I know this for fact since I crossed her more than one time when I was a teen.” He smiled and led her to the truck, opening the door and waiting for her to get in.

  It took less than ten minutes to drive to the church Jonas attended. Modest and small, it boasted a filled-to-overflowing parking lot and one too many sets of eyes watching as Jonas and Skylar made their way across it.

  “People are staring,” she whispered as they approached the front door.

  “You’re a beautiful woman, so why wouldn’t they?”

  “That’s not it, and you know it.”

  “Maybe they’re just surprised to see me with someone. More than one of them has tried to set me up on a date.”

  “So, you’re the eligible bachelor of the congregation?”

  “I was. Your visit should change my status.” He pressed his hand to her lower back, urging her into the sanctuary.

  “Hidden motives, Jonas?”

  “My only motive is you.” His words shivered through her as they walked down the center aisle.

  Gleaming wood floors and old stained-glass windows added beauty to what might have been a plain building. Several dozen people sat in the pews, their eyes tracking Skylar and Jonas as they made their way to the front.

  “Jonas! Skylar! I’m so glad you could make it.” Debby waved from the front pew, her face glowing with excitement as she gestured for them to join her.

  “I’m here every week, Debby, so I’m assuming it’s not me you’re excited about seeing.” Jonas dropped a kiss on her cheek and offered his father a brief nod.

  “I’m always excited to see you, but I have to admit, having a celebrity sitting in our pew is doing wonders for my reputation. Every lady in my Bible study is going to be begging to hear all the details of your experience. No worries, though, I’ll remind them that it’s your business to share.”

  “And act like she shared it all with you?” Richard asked, and she smiled.

  “Of course. Come sit beside me, Skylar. Tell me how you’re doing.”