Primary Suspect

by Laura Scott

  Enough. She shook her head and drew in another deep breath. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about romance, love or a future husband. None of those things were part of her plan.

  The only important goal was to help Mitch clear his name.

  Feeling calmer, she emerged from the bathroom to find Mitch back at work on the computer. He glanced over at her, his gaze questioning.

  She forced a smile. “It’s after one thirty. Are you hungry for lunch? I can check the kitchen, see what our possibilities might be.”

  “I could eat,” he admitted. “But if you’d rather go out somewhere, there’s a pizza joint about a mile down the road.”

  The idea of pizza made her mouth water with anticipation. “I’d love a pizza with the works, but we may need to save that option for dinner.”

  He shrugged and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Whatever you’d like is fine with me.”

  She puttered around in the kitchen, finding several cans of thick hearty beef soup along with a package of oyster crackers, which would be enough for a light lunch.

  Afterward, she insisted on checking his neck wound, and was satisfied that it didn’t look infected. From there, the rest of the day passed with excruciating slowness. She kept busy cleaning, figuring it was better to keep her distance. Mitch eventually gave up working on the computer, so they passed the time playing cribbage until they were hungry enough to head out for pizza.

  They returned to the cabin around eight thirty in the evening. The sun was setting, but the summer sky was still too light to conceal an intruder. She was exhausted and wanted to take a nap, but feared if she did Mitch would go off on his own, leaving her behind.

  “We should get some rest,” Mitch said as if reading her mind. “I’ll set an alarm for midnight.”

  She grimaced. “Why? So you can leave without me, while I’m sleeping?”

  He looked hurt. “Dana, I already told you I won’t leave you behind. I wish you would trust me. I haven’t lied to you yet and don’t plan to start now.”

  After a long moment of silence, she acquiesced. “Okay, you’re right. You haven’t given me a reason not to trust you.”

  His expression was still a bit wounded. “I promise to wake you up at midnight.”

  “All right.” Dana went into the bedroom and stretched out fully clothed on the bed.

  Despite her physical exhaustion, random thoughts bounced around in her brain like Ping-Pong balls. Kent, Simon, Mitch, her in-laws, her job—as soon as she shut down one train of thought another popped up.

  Finally she tried to follow Mitch’s example, praying for the first time since Kent’s death.

  And slept.

  * * *

  As a firefighter, Mitch had learned to sleep on a dime, a trick that came in handy since you never knew when you’d have the chance to sleep again.

  However, memories of Dana’s kiss interrupted his sense of peace.

  A restless three hours later, Mitch dragged himself out of bed and padded into the bathroom. Once he finished washing up—he heartily wished he could shower—he lightly rapped on Dana’s door.

  “I’m up,” she responded in a cranky voice.

  He turned away with a smile. Ten minutes later, she was ready to go, so they headed outside. The three-quarter moon was bright and millions of stars winked in the sky. Here at Hawk’s cabin, the stars were far more noticeable than where he lived and he took a few seconds to enjoy the view.

  “It’s so pretty out here,” Dana whispered.

  “It is,” he agreed. “Ready to do this?”

  “Absolutely.”

  The ride into the city didn’t take long because there was little traffic on the highway this time of night. They reached the outskirts of his neighborhood at quarter to one in the morning. He pulled over and considered his options.

  Dana lightly touched his arm. “How are we going in?”

  “For now, I’m just going to drive past the house.” He glanced over at her. “I need you to help me check out the license plates of parked cars anywhere near my place. One or more could belong to the police.”

  She looked nervous but nodded. “Okay.”

  He decided to come in from the east, the opposite direction from where Hawk’s cabin was located. He hoped and prayed that if there was a cop staked out nearby, he’d find him. If the cop was smart, he or she would be hunkered down low, since a guy sitting behind the wheel would likely be noticed.

  He pulled away from the curb and took several side streets so that he approached his house from the east. The first pass he made, he didn’t stop, didn’t even look at his house, but simply rolled by toward the next block.

  From the corner of his eye, he found a midsize sedan, a typical unmarked squad vehicle, parked three houses down from his. He couldn’t see much of the guy’s profile, so he shifted his gaze to the license plate. He only saw the first three letters, JEY.

  “JEY-563, JEY-563, JEY-563,” Dana murmured, repeating the sequence until they were burned into his mind.

  “Got it,” he said. “Thanks.”

  “Now what?” Dana asked.

  He turned the corner and went down the block behind his place, relieved to see there were no parked cars. He fished his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. “I’m calling my brother-in-law, Noah Sinclair. He’s a cop on the force and will run the plate for me.”

  “He must be married to your sister, Maddy,” Dana mused.

  “Yep, and he used to be Matt’s partner, as well.” Mitch rattled off the phone number so Dana could enter them in the phone. “Put the call on speaker, okay?”

  “Of course.” She did as he asked and after three rings, his brother-in-law picked up. “Officer Sinclair.”

  “Noah, it’s Mitch.”

  “Where are you?” Noah’s tone was sharp. “There’s a BOLO out for you. Every cop is being told to Be On The Lookout for Mitch Callahan.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry about that, but I didn’t hurt anyone.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” Noah readily agreed. “But you must know your family is worried. Maddy’s been hounding me for news.”

  “Tell her I’m fine, but right now I need a favor. Run this plate number for me?”

  “Sure.”

  Dana rattled off the letter and number sequence for Noah.

  “Belongs to a MPD officer by the name of Calvin Towne.”

  “Thanks, that’s what I thought.”

  “Be careful, Mitch. There are a lot of cops out there looking for you.”

  “I know, but I’ll be fine. Catch you later.” He gave Dana a quick nod, silently telling her to end the call.

  “Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” she said. “If we get caught...”

  “We won’t.” He drove around the block again, then pulled into the driveway of a home owned by an elderly couple, knowing the vehicle would be less conspicuous there.

  “I’d like to come with you,” Dana said.

  He shook his head. “Not happening.”

  “You need backup. And I’ll just follow you anyway.”

  He sighed, recognizing the stubborn tilt of her chin. “Okay, ready?”

  She nodded and slid out of the passenger seat.

  “Stay behind me,” he whispered, leading the way. He moved quickly, darting between two houses so that he could get into his backyard. The lawns butted up against each other, and the only barrier was a row of lilac bushes. He pushed through them and went up to the back door. Using his key, he entered the house, then stood until his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

  Dana waited patiently beside him. “This way,” he whispered, moving through the kitchen to the hallway where the bedrooms were located. One was his, one was a guest room and the third and farthest bedroom he used as an office.

  He liked keeping paper files alon
g with electronic ones, since he didn’t always trust computers or technology. He found his personal notes beneath the file folder of information he’d gathered about his dad’s murder, then picked up Jeff’s file, tucking them both under his arm. “Let’s go.”

  Dana nodded, following him out into the hallway. Bright headlights shone through the large living room window. Instinctively, he ducked into his bedroom, tugging Dana with him.

  They stood in complete silence for a long moment. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed the doorway to his closet was open. Weird, he normally didn’t do that because the room was small and cramped enough, even when it was closed.

  He moved over to the closet, pulling out his phone and using the screen as a flashlight to see inside. Almost instantly he noticed a shoe box lying on the floor, the lid cocked open.

  What in the world? It wasn’t his. He hadn’t purchased any shoes lately. Using the toe of his boot he lifted the lid.

  Inside the box was a gun. Not just any gun, but a Glock.

  A sick feeling settled in his gut. He had no doubt the weapon was the one used to murder Janice and Simon and that it had been planted there to implicate him.

  EIGHT

  Dana couldn’t believe what she was seeing. There wasn’t a single doubt in her mind that Mitch was being framed for murder, but to see the ugly black gun sitting in a shoe box in his closet was surreal. She’d never seen a gun this close, and it seemed glaringly obvious that it had been planted there.

  Whoever was behind this setup wasn’t playing around.

  “What should we do with it?” she whispered.

  Mitch glanced up at her. “I’m not sure. If I leave it here, it’s only a matter of time until they get a search warrant and find it for themselves. But if I take it, I’ll eventually have to confess to tampering with evidence.”

  “Which is less harmful to you?”

  He looked surprised by her question, then pensive. “Taking it seems to be my best option. The only person who knows it’s here is the one who left it in the first place. On the other hand, leaving it in a shoe box is a total cliché. Anyone with half a brain would put it someplace safer, so maybe it would be better to leave it behind...”

  As a nurse, Dana always trusted her gut, and right now her instincts were screaming, Take the weapon with you. She knelt down, replaced the lid and picked up the box. The gun shifted inside with a dull thud. “We’re not leaving this here where it can be used against you. Better to ask forgiveness later.”

  His lips twitched in a smile. “Stay close,” he warned, then powered off the light.

  She grabbed on to his belt, disconcerted by the abrupt curtain of darkness. Mitch didn’t move for several long moments. There was nothing but silence.

  He took a few steps forward, and she followed, trying not to step on the back of his heels. When they reached the hallway, the moonlight enabled her to see enough that she could let go of Mitch’s belt.

  They made their way into the kitchen. The door leading out to the backyard was so close she could touch it.

  But a sound at the front door made her freeze.

  Someone is out there!

  With wide eyes she stared at Mitch, wondering what they should do. Stay and hide? Or get out of there? Mitch swiftly opened the door and gestured for her to go on ahead.

  She didn’t hesitate, even though she was afraid he’d insist on staying behind. But he didn’t. The minute she was through the door, he was behind her, closing the door softly behind them.

  She retraced their steps, crossing the lawn toward the lilac bushes. They didn’t speak, unwilling to make the slightest noise that might attract attention.

  It wasn’t until they were out on the street with Hawk’s SUV within sight that she felt safe. She ran toward the vehicle, sliding into the front seat at the same moment Mitch crawled in behind the wheel.

  Twin beams of headlights blinded them.

  The police?

  Mitch started the engine and punched the gas. She grabbed her seat belt and jammed it into place. The headlights came straight for them, but Mitch didn’t waver. Her heart was lodged in her throat and she feared they’d crash head-on with the other vehicle.

  At the last possible second Mitch swerved; the two wheels on her side of the vehicle went down into the ditch, making the SUV tilt crazily for a moment. She let out a squeak of fear, bracing herself on the dash. But then Mitch managed to yank the wheel, bringing the vehicle back up to the level road.

  He went straight for several blocks, then turned right, and then left, then right again. She knew he was doing his best to get far away, losing whoever had come upon them.

  But if that was the police back there, she figured it was only a matter of time before they caught up, lights flashing and sirens wailing.

  “Where should we go?” Her fingers were shaking, so she clenched them together so he wouldn’t notice. “Do you think they have Hawk’s license plate number now, too?”

  “Good question.” Mitch’s voice was grim and he kept a vigilant eye on the rearview mirror. “I’m thinking we may want to avoid the cabin for now. A motel might be better. But I don’t think we can use The American Lodge, it’s linked to the Callahan name—not to mention a logical place for a former firefighter to go. We need to find something else. Preferably a small place off the main highway.”

  “I don’t know many hotels or motels,” she admitted. “Just the one located a half mile from Trinity Medical Center. We encourage our patients’ families to stay there and I think the manager offers them a discount.”

  “Nice for the patients, but won’t work. Whoever is looking for us knows you’re a nurse. They’d follow up on any connection to the hospital.”

  “Okay, then maybe we should head farther south or north, since Hawk’s cabin is west of here.”

  “North,” he agreed. “Maybe the Stilton area.”

  “Works for me.”

  Mitch took the long way around, going all the way east to the lakefront before turning and heading north. He stayed off the interstate and had to backtrack a few times because of road construction. Ten miles outside of Stilton, she noticed a billboard advertising The Sandpiper Motel.

  “How about that one?” she asked.

  “Why not?”

  The Sandpiper Motel wasn’t as pretty or delicate as its namesake. The place was rather run-down, but the red vacancy sign was encouraging. Mitch pulled up to the lobby, shut off the car and turned toward her. “Stay here, okay? I’ll get us two rooms.”

  “Adjoining rooms if possible.” She offered a wan smile. “We can work together reviewing your notes.”

  “I’ll see what’s available.” He slid out and slammed the car door behind him.

  She sat back in the seat, fighting an overwhelming surge of exhaustion. Her attempt to nap after dinner had been a complete failure, and she’d been up for more than eighteen hours straight. Peering through her window, she watched as Mitch spoke earnestly to the young woman at the desk in the lobby. He smiled, and Dana felt certain the young woman wouldn’t be able to resist his Callahan charm.

  And she was right. Mitch returned just a few minutes later carrying two key cards tucked in their respective envelopes. “Adjoining rooms located on the back side of the building.”

  “Great.” She figured he was hoping to keep Hawk’s SUV hidden from view back there, just in case the plate number had been tracked down.

  She carried the shoe box with the gun into her room, thinking it was probably better than leaving it in the car. She opened her side of the connecting door, then looked around the room, wondering where to hide the box. She’d just finished tucking it into one of the drawers of the nightstand when Mitch opened his side of the connecting door.

  “I’m going out for a few minutes. I won’t be long.”

  She tensed. “Where are you
going?”

  He hesitated. “I’m going to borrow the motel clerk’s cell phone to leave a message for Mike. I want him to know what happened, in case Hawk gets a visit from the police.”

  She grimaced. “Good point. Do you want me to start reviewing your notes while you’re gone?”

  “Why don’t you try to get some rest? We’ll have plenty of time to review the notes, and besides, Mike might have some additional information that might help us anyway.”

  She glanced past him to see the two file folders sitting on the small desk in his room. Was he afraid of what she might find? Or was he simply being nice?

  Why was she feeling so suspicious all of a sudden? She trusted Mitch, didn’t for one minute believe he’d killed anyone.

  “All right.” She summoned a smile. “Let me know if you find out anything.”

  “I will. But please, try to get some sleep.” The concern in his eyes made her realize how long it had been since anyone cared about how she was doing. Sure, Kent’s parents often hovered over her, but that felt suffocating.

  This was different.

  Mitch stared at her for a long moment before he turned away. She stayed where she was long after the motel door closed behind him.

  Leaving her to wonder how she’d manage to break through the silken web of feelings she had for him.

  * * *

  Suzy, the motel clerk, popped a wad of gum as she handed over her cell phone. He’d slipped her an extra ten bucks to borrow it and she’d jumped at the chance.

  He felt years older than Suzy, a college sophomore who’d explained that she worked nights in the motel lobby because it was a job that provided her plenty of time to study.

  “Thanks again,” he said as he took her phone and dialed Mike’s number. It was two o’clock in the morning, so he wasn’t sure his brother would pick up, but surprisingly he did.

  “Hello?” Mike’s tone was cautious, no doubt because he was calling from Suzy’s number, with an area code different from Milwaukee.

  “It’s Mitch.” He glanced at Suzy, who was pretending to study, so he moved away from the counter. “Sorry to call so late, but I need you to warn Hawk.”