There was a long pause. Finally, Darbie let out a loud huff. “You’re right. Hang that stupid professor! So I went out on my date with Logan. As it turns out, he has absolutely zero interest in dating me.”
“I’m sorry.” Chloe stopped. “Wait a minute—if he didn’t have any interest in dating you then why did he ask you out?”
“Here’s where it gets freaky. He said he asked me out because of my earrings.”
“Your earrings?”
“Yeah, I was wearing the earrings that Garrett gave you. Logan seems to think that those earrings were part of a jewelry set that was stolen from a home in Park City. One of the Ghost Thefts.”
The blood drained from Chloe’s face. “What?”
“That’s what Logan said. Anyway, I tried to find the earrings, but they’re not here.”
“Are you sure?”
She let out a dry chuckle. “Believe me—I’m sure. I’ve turned this place upside down, looking for them. Anyway, it gets even weirder. Logan says that Hank is a reformed jewel thief. He’s been working with this detective—Flores—who believes that Hank’s still doing the thefts. I’m sorry, Chloe. I know this all sounds crazy, but I’ve been doing some research … and well … I hate to say it … but I believe he’s right. Chloe, are you there?”
Darbie’s words seemed to be coming from far away. Chloe’s mind whirled as she tried to make sense of what she was hearing. Hank touched her arm, his eyes radiating concern. All she could hear was her own blood pulsing in her ears. “I’m sorry, I can’t hear you.”
“I can hear you just fine. Chloe! We need to talk about this—”
“I’m going to have to call you back when we have a better connection.” Chloe ended the call. For a split second, it went through her mind that she was on a trip—alone with a man who had a dangerous past. Was he telling her the truth? Had he put his life of theft behind him? Then she remembered that Garrett was the one who’d given her the earrings, not Hank. Could Garrett be the thief? Her mind raced, trying to connect the dots. Garrett had gone on all of those real estate trips. He was a wild card. She looked at Hank and realized that he was speaking to her.
“What’s wrong?” he implored. “Why was Darbie asking about your safety?” His jaw was set in a firm, hard line as he searched her face.
She was rattled to the bone and knew it was written all over her face.
“This is about me, isn’t it?” There was a world of sadness in his words.
She nodded.
“Darbie found out about my past.”
“Yes.”
He rubbed a hand across his jaw, regret simmering in his eyes. “I knew it was bound to happen … eventually. I’m so sorry that you have to live with my stigma. No matter what I do, I can never escape it. What’s going to happen when your mom finds out? She’s worried about you going off with me as it is. What will she think when she learns the truth?” He rubbed his neck, a tortured look in his eyes. “I can’t put you through this. This is never going to work.”
“Stop it!” she demanded, giving him a hard look. “You’re not putting me through anything. It’s my choice to be here—with you. And yes, my mother will most likely blow a pipe when she realizes who you are, but we’ll deal with that when it comes. I’m not worried about my mother right now. We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think we’d better sit down.”
Caution settled into his eyes as he nodded. They found a comfortable spot on the sand. Chloe turned to Hank, hating that she had to tell him this—hating what it would do to him. But there was no other option.
“Whatever it is—you can tell me.” He took her hands in his.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Garrett gave me a pair of earrings. An expensive pair of earrings, which are very distinctive. They have these red jewels at the top that are encircled with bright diamonds. Large, milky-white pearls hang underneath. Anyway, Darbie wore them to class, and her professor recognized them as being part of a set that was stolen from a doctor’s wife in Park City.”
Hank’s face went a shade darker, and he swore under his breath.
“Is it possible … um … have you ever considered that it might’ve been Garrett who was the thief?” It was about that time that she realized that Hank didn’t look surprised by anything she was telling him. He was frustrated and mad, but not surprised. “How long have you known?”
“I’ve suspected it for some time.”
“I’m sorry.”
He nodded.
She thought of something. “But you didn’t say anything to Detective Flores. With a single word you could’ve removed yourself from suspicion.”
“And implicate my brother?”
“I see.”
A haunted look came over him. “Do you think I’m a terrible person for not coming forward?”
“No, I think you were doing what any good brother would do under the circumstance.” The conversation lapsed into silence. “I’m afraid there’s more.” She winced at the pain emanating from his eyes and felt a burst of anger over the entire situation. It wasn’t enough for him to have to deal with Garrett’s death. Now he had to also deal with the fact that Garrett had become the very thing he’d been trying to distance himself from. The whole thing reminded her of Dan and how she’d had to deal with the double whammy of his death and betrayal.
“What else?” he muttered darkly.
“Darbie’s professor has been working with Detective Flores.”
Hank let out a humorless laugh. “This just keeps getting better and better.”
“Darbie tried to show the earrings to her professor, but she couldn’t find them. She searched the house, and they’re nowhere to be found.”
His eyes met hers. “Do you have them with you?”
She shuddered. “Goodness, no! I never wanted the things to begin with. The earrings were Garrett’s poor attempt to try and buy my affection.”
“Then where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
He shook his head. “I’m so sorry you got caught up in this sordid mess. I just can’t believe that Garrett was stupid enough to give you a pair of earrings from a heist. He must’ve been really desperate to win you over.”
She gave him a knowing look. “Yes, he was. He was smart enough to realize that I was falling for someone else.”
He gave her a faint smile.
“What’re we going to do about this?”
“I don’t know.”
She nestled into the curve of his shoulder, and he put an arm around her, pulling her close. They turned their attention to the ocean, letting their minds get lost in the commotion of the waves crashing aimlessly into the shore.
* * *
Chloe gave the cottage one last look. She was leaning against Hank’s SUV, and he was putting the last suitcase in the back. “This is such an amazing place. I’m sad to leave it too.”
“We’ll come back soon.”
They looked up to see an elderly man waving and walking toward them. He was tall and lanky with silver hair that was thinning on top.
“Bradford,” Hank said warmly. “How are you?”
“Well, considering my age, I guess I’m doing fairly well.” The man smiled at Chloe. “And who might this lovely young lady be?”
“This is Chloe. Chloe, this is Bradford Polk. He lives in the house next door.”
Bradford gave her a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you.” He looked at Hank. “How’s Glory doing? I haven’t seen her in ages.”
Hank smiled. “As feisty as ever. She had a little scare recently—a mini stroke.”
Bradford’s face fell. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“The doctors are expecting her to make a full recovery.”
“I’m so glad. It sure is good to see you. This is a record, I believe.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, Garrett was here last week, and now you’re here.”
/>
Hank jerked like he’d been punched. Chloe was about to tell the man that Garrett was dead, but the warning look on Hank’s face stopped her.
“When did you see Garrett?” Hank asked carefully.
Bradford scratched his head. “Let’s see—it was the first of last week. No, it was the middle of the week. Wednesday, I believe. Yeah, it was Wednesday. I remember because I had a repairman to come out and take a look at my heating and air unit. Garrett arrived later that night.”
“Are you sure it was Wednesday?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Suspicion filled his eyes. “Why?”
“Did you talk to him?”
“No, I didn’t get a chance. He got here in the evening, just before dusk. I was out watering my plants when I saw him.”
Hank gave Bradford a firm look. “And you’re sure it was Garrett?”
“Yeah, of course it was Garrett.” He looked back and forth between Hank and Chloe. “What’s going on here?”
“How long did he stay?”
“A couple of days. Is there something going on that I should know about?”
Hank forced a smile. “No, I just didn’t realize that he’d come into town.”
Bradford looked unconvinced.
“It’s good to see you,” Hank said, curtly. “We’ve got a long drive ahead of us and need to be getting on the road.”
“Okay … well … it was good to see you.” He gave them a parting wave before shuffling off.
* * *
When they got into the SUV, Hank turned to Chloe. “What do you make of that? Do you think Bradford was confused?”
She felt cold and hot at the same time. A shaking started in her knees and worked its way up to her hands. She clenched them into fists in her lap. Suddenly, it all made sense! “No, I don’t think Bradford was confused.”
“But how can you be so sure?”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “Because I saw Garrett too.”
He rocked back, stunned, and then he frowned. “What?”
“The night before we came here, I saw him at my window.”
Shock registered on his face, followed by anger. “Then why didn’t you say anything?”
She let out a humorless laugh. “Because I thought I’d dreamt the whole thing.”
He shook his head, speechless, so she continued. “I felt something touch my lips, and it woke me up. I sat up in bed and looked around, and I saw Beasty, sitting in the chair.”
“Beasty?” he said dubiously.
“My cat.”
“Oh.”
“Anyway, Beasty was looking at something in the window. I followed his gaze and saw Garrett. I let out a scream, and Darbie came running. She and I both thought that I was having a nightmare.”
He rubbed his neck. “Do you often have such vivid nightmares that you have a hard time distinguishing between dreams and reality?”
She felt her throat close, and she swallowed hard. The familiar fear clutched her in a vice grip as she slowly nodded.
Compassion came into his eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s because of Dan, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
He put a fist to his mouth. “But this was no dream. You said you felt something.”
Heat rose up her neck. “Yes, it felt like a kiss.”
Rage twisted over him. “He kissed you!”
“Yes, I believe he must have. That’s what woke me up.”
“Why was he in your room?”
The answer came to them at once as they blurted it out. “The earrings!”
Hank let out a disgusted smirk. “Of course, Garrett needs the money. He got in over his head with Sam and his goons, so he faked his death. He’ll sell the earrings for the cash—cash that he needs to disappear.”
“What do you mean? Was Garrett in trouble?”
“Garrett was—is—a compulsive gambler. He racked up a debt he couldn’t repay. Death was a convenient way out,” he finished bitterly.
The whole thing seemed surreal, like something out of a movie. Chloe didn’t know what to think.
“I need to see your room.”
“What?”
“Your room, I need to see it. Was there anything else that Garrett might’ve wanted?”
She thought for a minute. “I don’t think so.” Then it came to her like a bolt of lighting. “Yes, there was one other thing—a chair. Do you remember that hideous chair that Garrett made Glory keep in her house?”
He scowled. “I hate that chair.”
“Well, I have it.”
“You do?”
“Yes, Glory gave it to me. I’ve been storing it in my room until I can have it recovered. The night I saw Garrett, I’d left my laptop on the chair when I went to sleep. When I awoke, Beasty was on the chair, and the laptop was on the desk.” Her eyes grew large. “Do you think Garrett was hiding something in the chair?”
Hank’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, I’d be willing to bet on it.”
26
Chapter 26
“Darbie, hello, we’re back.” Chloe dumped her purse and bags on the floor and motioned to Hank. “Come on in.”
He followed behind, her suitcase in hand. He placed it next to her bags.
“Darbie’s not here.”
Beasty sauntered into the room and froze mid tracks when he saw Hank. He gave him a cautious look.
“Hey, Beasty, come here,” Chloe cooed.
For a second, he looked like he might come to her side, but then he lifted his nose in the air and walked past her. He jumped onto the sofa and curled up, not taking his eyes off Hank.
“So, that’s Beasty, huh?”
“Yeah, he’s not the most affectionate cat on the planet.” She stuck out her tongue at Beasty, but he just kept sitting there, staring at Hank. She waved her arm. “This way.”
When they entered her room, Hank went directly to the chair. He felt along the curved back and in the crevice between the back and seat cushion. Then he turned it around, inspecting the back. A moment later, he’d found the hidden compartment. It was located on the side where the seams of the fabric came together. He sat down on Chloe’s bed, and she sat beside him.
She could tell from the hard look on his face that he was doing some deep thinking. “What now?”
He blew out a breath. “Garrett is still out there—somewhere. I’m assuming that he stashed jewels or money … maybe even fake IDs. Sam and his guys are determined to collect his debt. They believe Garrett is dead and are therefore coming after me.”
Fear seized her. “What? You never told me that.”
He rubbed his neck. “I didn’t want to burden you with it.” His voice sounded flat and devoid of emotion.
“Burden me?” Her voice rose. “Your life is in danger, and you didn’t want to burden me?”
“Calm down. Freaking out isn’t going to help.”
“You’ve got to go to the police.” She grabbed his arm. “Hank, you’ve got to! You’ve got to tell them about Garrett and Sam!” She couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening to Hank. “Please.” Her eyes misted as they locked with his. “Do it for me.”
“You’re right,” he finally said. “I’ve thought about this a hundred different ways and going to the police is the only answer. I’ll call Detective Flores on my way home.”
This made her feel a little better. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” he said, but she could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn’t believe her.
* * *
Chloe was unpacking her suitcase when she heard the doorbell. She paused, wondering if Hank had returned for some reason. She put down her clothes and went to answer it. She looked through the peephole and saw a pizza delivery guy standing outside. Had Darbie ordered a pizza? If so, why was she not here to get it? Half of the things Darbie did made no sense. Chloe let out a frustrated huff. She would have to pay for it and hope that Darbie reimbursed her. Who was she kidding? She would never see the money. Well, at least she would hav
e something to eat for dinner. She opened the door. “Hey.”
“I have a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese,” the man said in a bored tone.
“Sure, what’s the total?”
“$14.75.”
“Okay, hold on. I’ll get my wallet.”
She took two steps toward her purse when she heard the door close. She whirled around. The burly man had dropped the pizza box to the floor and was coming toward her. His bland expression had become macabre, and a feverish light came into his eyes. Terror overtook her, and she had the sensation of not being able to move. She let out a scream when he grabbed her. Beasty jumped into action and clawed him on the arm. He let out a yelp and threw Beasty across the room.
Tears sprang to Chloe’s eyes as she fought like mad to get away. “Help! Help!” Arms of steel encircled her. She felt a cloth being pressed to her nose. Then came a rush of dizziness before everything went black.
* * *
Hank sat at the kitchen counter, turning Detective Flores’s card over and over in his hands. Once he made the call, there would be no going back. His emotions vacillated between a heady relief that Garrett was still alive and a searing anger that he’d put him through this. Finally, he picked up his phone and punched in the number.
“Hello … Jared Flores here.”
“Jared, this is Hank Singleton.”
There was a momentary hesitation. “Uh … yes … Hank. Logan McDonald said you might be calling. I take it you’ve heard about the earrings.” There was a hint of triumph in his voice.
Hank cut to the heart of the matter. “We need to talk.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Hank’s doorbell rang. His blood ran cold when he saw Sam standing there. All evening long he’d been thinking about what he would do if he got ahold of Sam and here he was. He stepped back from the door and went to retrieve the pistol he kept in a hidden safe in the bedroom. He tucked it into the back of his pants. The doorbell was ringing insistently when he returned. He opened the door.
When Darkness Falls Page 27