“I’m not—”
“I am a jealous ex-lover.” Herne blew a gusty sigh. “Look at me. I turn fifty this year. My youth is behind me, but not my dreams. Leigh Anne won my heart and gave me hopes for a future with someone I could spend the rest of my life with, then she dumped me.”
“You know—”
“I’m providing motive for killing her?” Herne shook his head. “Yeah, but I couldn’t hurt her, even after she started dating another man at the office.”
“Edward Poole?” Mia held her breath.
Herne snorted. “That fancy pants? No, their fling was over before I asked Leigh Anne out. He was her getting acquainted fling, if you know what I mean.”
Mia frowned, “Who was she dating and breaking up with you?”
“The man I would kill, if I were a violent person. Believe me, that sonofabitch, Thomas Goldman deserves to die.”
Emotions darkened his eyes. His tone, the way he said Leigh Anne’s name, everything about him pointed to his love for ex-model. Why had Leigh Anne turned him away for another man? Why date a man in the same office?
“How long had she been dating Goldman?”
Herne’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know. It was hush-hush. No one in the office knew.”
“How did you find out?”
A sheepish look added color to his face. “Have you ever loved one person so much you felt as if they were a part of you, the missing piece in your life? That’s how I felt about Leigh Anne.”
Mia’s breath hitched. Her heart thumped. She recalled her response to Jake’s kiss. Jake. Herne had described her feelings for Jake. “I-yes, I know that feeling.”
“Then you understand when I say I could read her mind. I knew when Leigh Anne was interested in another man. I knew it was Thomas Goldman.”
Mia held his gaze for long seconds. She liked him. The poor man was devastated by Leigh Anne’s death. Could her instincts be wrong? Could Charles Herne’s emotional words be an act? Had she allowed his blonde haired, blue-eyed, boyish good looks to lead her astray? Was he lying?
After one last look in his tortured eyes, she pushed out of the booth. “Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Herne.”
He reached out and took her hand. “Promise me you’ll find her killer.”
Frowning, Mia glanced to see in anyone had overheard his comment. “I’m a reporter, not police detective.”
Herne leaned close. “You’re looking for more than a human interest story. All the vice presidents are suspicious. How do you think I heard about you? If a reporter snooping around has them this riled up, there must be a reason. Find the truth for me. For Leigh Anne.”
For long seconds, Mia held his gaze. Then, giving a nod, she turned to the patio exit. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Jake at the bar. Would he think she was crazy to trust Herne? What if this was a ploy to throw her off track?
At the exit, Mia glanced over her shoulder at the booth where she’d shared left Herne. He sat there, staring down at his drink. She pushed against the metal bar across the door and stepped out on the patio.
Before she could turn to look at the outdoor diners, someone stepped close to her side. An arm wrapped her in a tight hug and slammed her face against a hard muscled chest. Fleece covered her head, leaving her blind and struggling to breath.
Realizing only her legs were visible, she struggled against the grip trapping her in a vice.
Had Jake used a different exit and beat her to the patio? Was this way of trying to hide her from police? She inhaled. Caught a male scent that wasn’t Jake’s. Panic exploded in her head.
She twisted and shoved, but the bone-crunching grip tightened. A chin crushed down on top of her head, keeping her from twisting free. And all through the struggle, the man holding her moved steadily toward the entrance of the parking garage. Realizing she was in very serious trouble, she tried to scream.
The crushing grip tightened and cut air from her lungs as if the assailant could read her intentions. To prevent her from gaining her footing, the abductor half carried, half dragged her toward the stairs. The brutal grip and the fleece trapped her.
Jake wouldn’t spot her because of the sweat jacket over her head. He would see what appeared to be an entwined couple and search elsewhere for her.
If she was going to get away from her abductor, she had to do it herself.
She tried to push away, and his grip tightened, escalating her fear to a new level.
Was the killer holding her?
He didn’t smell rank or putrid. His aftershave smelled expensive. His clothes were clean. As she twisted in his grip, she caught a glance of his shoes. His white athletic shoes were so spotless they glowed.
Who was this man? Was he the slasher?
Images of the Leigh Anne’s slashed throat filled her head. New fears caused her to fight against the binding grip. She would have bruises tomorrow. If she lived that long.
That thought renewed her energy. She couldn’t die. She refused to let this man rob her of life as he had Leigh Anne Saddler and Pam Foley.
His attempts to silence her made her more determined to reveal the killer. She’d had a warning, the other two women hadn’t. She would not become another victim.
But she was running out of time to escape.
Gouging her fingers furiously into his side, she twisted to loosen his grip, and caught a glimpse of the shallow steps leading to the parking garage. Once they were out of sight of the patio, her assailant could knock her over the head, stow her in the trunk of his car, and no one would realize she was in trouble.
“Mia!”
Jake’s shout rang in her ears and called her back to sanity.
He couldn’t be more than ten feet away. He was worried enough to blow their cover and call her name. She increased her struggle to get free of the man holding her. She couldn’t leave Jake. Not now. She’d just found him. The past few days had taught her more about love than she had learned in a lifetime.
“Mia! Where are you?”
If Jake’s voice could melt her insides, what could his love and attention do? She would never know if she didn’t get away from the madman hauling her away.
Clawing her nails in the man’s back like talons, she heard his grunt. The pressure on top of her head eased, but the ache down her neck and back continued. Pain meant she was alive. For now.
Another twist of her upper body gave her enough freedom from the assailant’s grip to lean over and plant her feet on the ground. And not a second too soon.
Steps to the garage were only a yard away.
Ignoring the urge to scream for Jake, she put every ounce of strength left into a jab with her right fist and aimed at the assailant’s crotch.
The man gasped and lunged forward, dropping his hold on her as he clamped both hands to his crotch. She stumbled. His forward momentum, and the jacket wrapped around her upper body, pulled her to her knees.
Her teeth jarred as her hands hit the brick surface of the patio. Fearing a renewed attack, she went rigid. Did he have a knife? Would he slash her throat right here in public?
Inhaling a sob, she shoved backward, hoping to escape any slash of his blade, and caught sight of his hooded form. Bending double, still clutching his middle, he did a crab-like scramble down the steps and disappeared in the parking garage.
Relief drained the tension out of her limbs, making her fall on the walk with a thump to her butt. She sat there, staring at the spot the man disappeared and gasped for air. She was alive, bruised, scared out of her wits, but unharmed. How had she escaped? If this was the slasher, how…
“Mia? Are you okay?” Reaching her side, Jake leaned over to stare in her face. “Are you hurt? Can you stand?” Taking her hand, he gently pulled her upright. “What happened?”
Pointing to the garage with a shaking finger, she managed trembling words between gasps for air. “A man grabbed me under his sweat jacket and tried to take me away.”
Her words ended in a whi
sper. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She turned into Jake’s embrace and burrowed her head against his chest.
Two minutes earlier, she had been in a similar position with her abductor, but this was different. Jake’s warmth felt safe, not threatening. He smelled different. Clean like the attacker, but without the pricy cologne.
Alarms went off in her head. She wanted to stay, wrapped in the safety of Jake’s arms, but she had come into personal contact with the killer. Every alert in her body told her it was true.
“It was him.” Mia pushed away enough to see Jake’s face. “I know it was him.”
“Did you recognize him?”
Sighing with frustration, she shook her head. “He wrapped his sweat jacket around me before I had a chance to see his face, but it was the killer. I know it was.”
Jake stared into the parking garage. “He’s probably gone by now. He had a head start.”
“I hit him in the crotch, so he wasn’t moving too fast.” Her body quivered, remembering the last few moments in the man’s grip.
“Come on, let’s have a look. I’m not leaving you alone.”
Mia pulled back, a wave of emotions flashed through her head making her feet stick to the ground. The parking garage was shadowy in broad daylight. After this recent attempt on her life, she didn’t have the energy to fight against her fear of the dark and the attacker.
“I can describe him. A navy sweat jacket, tobacco brown cargo pants and new white athletic shoes.”
Jake gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “How do you know the shoes were new?”
“They didn’t have a smudge on them until I stomped on his feet, trying to get away.”
Jake stared back at the garage.
Mia could feel his tension radiating from his hold on her arms and in the rigid set of his shoulders. The muscle along his jaw rippled like a dragon’s back. Jake wanted to chase after her attacker, but he wouldn’t leave her.
She understood his urge to give chase, but her encounter with the bad guy had been too close, too frightening. She wanted Jake’s comfort. She needed to know he was there, protecting her while she recharged her energy.
With another glance at the garage, Jake gave a slow nod of his head. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close to his side.
She melted into his warmth and strength. She was safe with Jake. She didn’t question that, she just knew. Jake wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
If she had been alert when she walked out the patio door, the assailant wouldn’t have grabbed her. If she had waited for Jake, before making her exit, nothing would have happened.
But she’d been focused on Charles Herne’s comments.
Shivering, she snuggled closer to Jake’s side. His arm tightened. She sighed. His chin touched the top of her head. She winced and pulled away.
“What’s wrong?” Jake frowned.
Running her fingers through her hair, she found the tender spot. “He held my head down with his chin. It’s a little sore, but I’m okay.”
“Let me look.” Jake parted the strands of hair and examined her scalp. “No bleeding, but I see a goose egg.”
She sighed. “If that’s all I suffered, I’m lucky.”
Jake stared in her eyes for long seconds, then dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “I think it’s time to call police.”
Chapter 13
“Are you sure? I don’t want to be arrested.”
Holding up a hand, Jake punched a number in the disposable phone.
“Chief? It’s Jake. Any news on the body I found in the courthouse?” His brow furrowed, he listened to the voice on the phone.
Mia studied his strong, handsome face, and then rested her cheek against his chest.
“Chief, I can’t come in. I’m one step away from a murderer.” His free hand clenched her side. Mia could feel the tension in his body as the arm across her back turned to iron.
“I’m not a suspect. I don’t care what the SBI tells you. You know me, Chief. I’m a judge, for crying out loud.” Jake sighed.
Mia wiggled so close their bodies made contact from shoulders to knees. Her mind drifted to a different topic, a place with naked bodies and earth shattering kisses, until his words made her dreams disintegrate like a shattered vase.
“I can’t be your main suspect. Someone is trying to kill me. I’m hiding to stay alive, not to avoid the law. You can tell the SBI that the killer tried to abduct my friend ten minutes ago.”
Mia shuddered. Friend. Was that all she was? A friend? How could he sound so aloof? Pushing out of his arms, she willed her emotions to calm down, but the urge to cry almost overwhelmed her.
“I’m not coming in until you catch this guy. He’s wearing a navy sweat jacket with a hood, mud brown pants and new white tennis shoes.” Jake paused. “Yeah, Chief. I hear you, but I value my life. Catch the killer. He was at Grover’s ten minutes ago.” Jake clicked off the phone. “We have about a five minute head start. Let’s get out of here.”
***
Fifteen minutes later, sitting in Starbucks cradling a tall iced coffee, Jake stared across the table at Mia. “Hope you don’t mind the break. I thought it was a good idea to stay off the road after I called the Chief.”
“You didn’t throw away your phone.”
Jake studied her colorless cheeks, wanting to wring the attacker’s neck. Worse, he wanted to shake the Chief and his SBI buddies until their teeth rattled for adding to Mia’s worries. “I’ll give them a few minutes to trace the call, so they’ll know we were at Grover’s.”
Brow wrinkled, Mia stared over the tall iced coffee cup with wide blue eyes. “Why?”
“If the chief checks, he’ll know I was telling the truth about being in Durham.”
“He can trace us here. Is that what you want?” Mia’s color turned ghostly. “I can’t get arrested, Jake. I’ve done all this to avoid any brush with the law.”
“You risked your life to save your brother. Why?” He held up a hand. “Don’t give me that line about clearing the senator of false claims. I get that. It sounds crazy, but I’ll take your word for it. But you nearly died a few minutes ago and I want to hear the real reason this is so important to you.”
“I’m not a good sister.” Mia stared at passing traffic. “Shouldn’t we hide so we can’t be seen?”
“Hiding in plain view is safer.” Jake lifted a brow. “You were saying?”
Squaring her shoulders, she sighed. “There’s always been competition between us.”
“And that’s bad?” Jake allowed his disbelief to show. “It’s clear that you love him, or you wouldn’t have risked your life.”
“I should have supported him when he went into politics, but I didn’t trust his decisions.”
Jake settled back in the chair. “It couldn’t have been easy, knowing your life is under a microscope because of his choices.”
“Things were tense before that. I realize now that I reacted immaturely, but in my heart I know I’ve always loved him.”
“In other words, you have doubts.” Jake released a loud breath.
“Wouldn’t you? An ex-model claimed he got her pregnant. What am I supposed to believe? That he isn’t susceptible to beauty and sex? One, he’s a man, and worse, he’s a politician.”
“You went to all this risk, doubting your brother’s innocence?” Jake shook his head. “That makes no sense.”
“Would you believe me if I said my mother made me do it?”
Jake met her gaze. “She couldn’t force you, you’re an adult.”
“I did it because I felt guilty.” Mia slammed her cup on the table. “There, are you happy, now?”
Lifting his cup, Jake returned her glare. “It’s time to talk to your brother.”
Mia shook her head. “He doesn’t know about any of this. I can’t tell him. He never makes a move without telling his aides. Details might leak to the media.”
“You’re a reporter. What’s wrong with seeing your
name in the news?” Jake leaned close to catch her response.
“My boss goes rabid when a reporter’s name appears in the news.” She shrugged. “I don’t want to lose my job. I can’t. It’s all I have.”
Holding her gaze, there was more to the story than she was telling, but Jake shook his head. “You need to find out what your brother knows.”
***
Ten minutes later, she called Phil on the disposable phone. “It’s me, how are you?”
“Where the hell are you? Have you read the papers? Your employers are ruining me.” Phil’s voice roared through the speaker.
Her insides still quivering from the near abduction, Mia put all her energy into keeping her tone civil. “I’m fine, thanks for asking.”
“What’s wrong? Why wouldn’t you be okay? Can’t you stop your boss from printing this trash?”
“So the model is dead?” Mia said.
“Ex-model and you know she is. Your paper printed the story. Are you calling to gloat, Mia? I’m to busy to play childish games.”
She blew air past lips she clamped to keep from screaming. “We need to talk.”
“We are talking and you’re wasting my time.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? Everything Leigh Anne Saddler said was true.”
“I’m hanging up, now.”
“I saw her body,” Mia whispered, clenching her fingers around the phone.
Silence followed. She heard the rustle of papers shuffling. Clearing his throat, Phil demanded in a dead sounding voice. “Why are you calling?”
“Someone tried to kill me.”
“When? How?”
Mia gripped the phone for seconds. “We need to talk. No staff. No cameras. No recorders. Just us. Okay?”
“I can’t just waltz out of the office like a normal person. I’m in the middle of organizing a campaign.”
Resisting a very strong urge to stomp the phone, Mia lost the last restraints on her patience. “If you didn’t kill that model, meet me. Convince me.”
***
Flames Of Deceit Page 15