Primary Suspect

by Laura Scott

  Noah flashed a cheeky grin and then shut the door. Mike didn’t stick around, but eased into traffic.

  No one spoke for a good fifteen minutes. Mike’s phone broke into the silence and he pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Dana since Mitch was in the back seat. She hit the speaker button. “Hello?”

  “It’s me,” Noah said. “I have the SUV and the shoe box with the Glock is still beneath the seat. I’ll catch up with you guys soon.”

  “Great, thanks for letting us know.” Dana disconnected from the call and handed the phone back to Mitch’s brother. “I’m relieved the gun is still there.”

  “Me, too.” Mitch reached for her hand and she savored the way his fingers cradled hers. Then he rested his head against the cushion and closed his eyes.

  The ride to Stilton took almost an hour, partially because they hit the height of rush hour going through downtown Milwaukee. When Dana saw the billboard advertising The Sandpiper Motel, she gently shook Mitch awake.

  “We’ll be there soon,” she said, when he groggily looked at her.

  “Okay.” He grimaced and put a hand over his stomach.

  She frowned. “Do you feel sick?”

  “A little. Could be the meds.”

  “Or the fact that we haven’t eaten anything since breakfast and it’s dinnertime.” Dana caught Mike’s gaze in the mirror. “Can we stop for something to eat?”

  “Of course. What are you in the mood for?”

  Mitch shrugged. “Nothing heavy, that’s for sure. Maybe soup and toast.”

  “Karen’s Kitchen is our best option,” Dana said.

  Mike nodded. “Seems reasonable. I’ll let Noah know where we are.”

  When Mike parked at the restaurant, Mitch was able to get out of the car without help. She hoped that he’d feel even better once he’d gotten something to eat.

  The three of them sat in a booth, Mitch and Dana on one side, with Mike across from them. The place was busy, but the servers did a good job of keeping up. Within five minutes they were given water and had their orders placed.

  Mike made the call to Noah letting him know where they were. Noah was stuck in the same traffic they’d been in, only worse because of a car accident shutting down the interstate.

  When their food arrived, Dana looked at Mitch, then instinctively bowed her head for his mealtime prayer.

  “Dear Lord, thank You for providing this food we are about to eat,” Mitch began. “Please continue to guide us on Your chosen path as we seek justice against those who have harmed others. We ask this in Your holy name. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Dana and Mike echoed.

  “And we ask that You continue to keep Dana and Mitch safe, as well,” Mike added. “Amen.”

  Dana was startled at how Mike included her and realized that both Callahan brothers were treating her as family, the same way they’d welcomed Noah.

  She suddenly understood that it wasn’t a structure that made a home, but having people who cared about you.

  And now that she’d experienced what her life could be like, she had no intention of going back to the dull, listless way she’d existed before.

  * * *

  Mitch ate gingerly, taking a few sips of chicken noodle soup along with a bite of toast. His stomach didn’t rebel, which he took as a good sign.

  “Doing okay?” Dana asked, her green eyes full of concern.

  “Yeah.” He reached over and gently squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”

  Her gaze dropped. “I’m the one who needs to thank you for saving my life.”

  “Hey.” He brought her hand up to lightly brush a kiss against her knuckles. “We’re in this together, okay?”

  She attempted a smile. “I know. It’s just...we don’t know much more than when we first escaped the knife guy at the hospital.”

  “True.” He couldn’t deny that they didn’t have much to show for all their investigating.

  “Not true,” Mike countered. “We know your former partner, Jeff, was paid off by Shelton, Inc. to deem the fires on their properties due to natural causes. We know that Mitch has been targeted because he made it clear the fire was the result of arson, so he needed to be discredited.”

  “Those are theories, not facts,” Mitch pointed out.

  “Okay, maybe you’re right. However, your being framed for murder is a fact and the only reason that makes sense is because you took over Jeff’s cases after his death. And Jeff’s notes show that he investigated several fires belonging to Shelton, Inc., and they were all determined to be accidental.”

  He couldn’t disagree with Mike’s point. “So why is Dana in danger?”

  Mike took a bite of his burger, chewed and swallowed. “I don’t know. But I sense that once we answer that million-dollar question, we’ll know who’s ultimately behind all of this.”

  After they finished eating, Mike paid the bill and they headed back outside. When they arrived at the motel, Mitch went inside to request the same two rooms they used previously.

  Suzy, the young college student behind the counter, remembered him, and gave him the keys in exchange for cash without a fuss.

  “Drive around back,” Mitch said.

  Mike did as instructed, pulling up in front of the door to the room Mitch had used earlier. He gave Dana her key, and within minutes they met at the connecting door.

  “Noah will be here shortly,” Mike said, slipping his phone into his pocket. “Anything else you need before we go?”

  He swept a gaze over the familiar room. “Assuming Jeff’s notes are still in the SUV, along with the laptop computer, nothing I can think of.”

  Mike nodded and took up a position near the window so he could see the parking lot. Mitch stretched out on the bed, grateful for a chance to rest. The events of the day were catching up with him, and he wasn’t 100 percent sure that the drugs were fully flushed from his system, either.

  The minutes passed by slowly until Mike abruptly straightened. “He’s here.”

  Mitch swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. Dana watched him intently, as if expecting him to pass out at her feet. The room spun for a moment and he focused on staying upright, proving her wrong.

  “I think this is everything,” Mike said, dropping the laptop on the table along with the file folder of notes. Noah brought in the shoe box containing the Glock.

  “Thanks.” Mitch was grateful his brothers had his back.

  “Hold on.” Mike snagged Noah’s arm. “It might be better for us to hang on to the murder weapon.”

  Mitch scowled. “Why? I was considering picking up ammo for it, just in case we’re ambushed again.”

  “If you need a weapon, I’ll let you borrow mine,” Noah said. “Using the Glock will only add to the evidence against you.”

  “He’s right,” Mike said. “I’d feel better if you weren’t connected to the Glock at all.”

  “I’m not connected to it,” Mitch said, with a flash of irritation. “The stupid thing was planted in my closet by the real killer.”

  “All the more reason you shouldn’t have it in your possession,” Mike said calmly. “Noah, you can’t give up your service weapon. If Mitch has to use it, you could lose your job.”

  Mitch grimaced. He didn’t want to put his brother-in-law’s career in jeopardy any more than he had already. “Mike’s right. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  “You can borrow mine.” Mike lifted his pant leg, showing his ankle holster. He removed the small thirty-eight and holster, handing them both over to Mitch. “Don’t use it unless you absolutely have to.”

  “I won’t,” Mitch promised, bending over to strap the holster to his own ankle. Truthfully, he hated the idea of using the weapon, but after the near miss with the tranquilizer gun, he wasn’t going to take any chances.

  “We’ll call you if we
learn anything more,” Noah said as he and Mike turned toward the door. “Stay safe.”

  “Will do.” Mitch pushed himself to his feet, so he could lock the door behind them. Then he dropped into the seat at the table and booted up the computer.

  “This isn’t the time for that, you need some rest,” Dana protested.

  She was right, but he didn’t move, unable to get rid of the nagging feeling that he was missing something.

  Something obvious.

  But what?

  He searched again on Shelton, Inc. The same sites came up that he’d looked at before. The words blurred on the screen and he rubbed his palms over his eyes in an attempt to clear them. It didn’t help.

  Reluctantly, he was forced to admit that no matter how much he wanted to keep working, his body needed rest.

  “I’ll look at this later,” he said, closing the computer. “After a quick power nap.”

  “You’d better take your antibiotic.” Dana opened the small white bag the ER nurse had given them. “And I’d like to take a peek at your incision.”

  He downed the antibiotic horse pill and chased it with water, hoping it wasn’t what had made him feel sick. He turned his head to the right so that Dana could peer at his neck incision. Her lilac scent washed over him, bringing a stab of guilt.

  “I’m sorry,” he said in a low tone. “I should have sent Mike and Noah to Simon’s apartment building. Instead, I risked your life. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Oh, Mitch.” Dana bent over and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. “Of course. After all, you saved my life by taking the dart intended for me.”

  “You returned the favor by staying nearby until Mike could rescue us.” He wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her properly.

  Maybe his longing was evident in his eyes, because Dana slowly bent forward a second time, this time lightly brushing her mouth against his. Once. Twice.

  “Dana,” he groaned and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

  She tasted like summer, sweetness and rain. He didn’t want to let her go, but eventually needed to breathe. This time, Dana didn’t immediately move away, but gulped air, too, letting him know she enjoyed the kiss as much as he had.

  He wanted to see her again, once this nightmare was over, but it occurred to him that even if they found a suspect, it still might take months to clear his name.

  And he had no right to ask any woman, least of all Dana, to wait for him. Especially since, for all he knew, he didn’t even have a job any longer. Or a life outside of prison.

  “I—um, need some sleep,” he said, inching away from her. “Thanks, Dana.”

  She looked confused, then embarrassed. “Of course. Let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Dana.” He caught her hand before she could bolt away. “I care about you. If we get caught, I’ll do everything in my power to protect your name and reputation.”

  “And I’ll do everything in my power to prove your innocence,” she countered. “So let’s just not get caught, okay?”

  He couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

  Dana edged around him to head through the connecting door. Mitch once again stretched out on the bed and closed his eyes, relaxing into the mattress with relief.

  Just an hour, he thought as he drifted to sleep.

  The muffled thud of a car door had him bolting upright, all senses on high alert. The sun was low in the sky, which meant he’d slept longer than he’d planned.

  “Is someone out there?” Dana whispered.

  He moved toward the window to scan the parking lot. When he caught a glimpse of the guy’s profile, he recoiled from the window.

  “I think it’s the same guy who was sitting and watching my house,” he whispered.

  “What should we do?”

  “You take cover in your room.” Mitch considered the gun on his ankle for a nanosecond, then discarded the idea. Instead he picked up one of the heavy wooden chairs and stood behind the door. “Hurry,” he hissed.

  Dana looked indecisive for a moment, but then they heard the sound of the key card being used to unlock his motel room door. The guy must have convinced Suzy to give him a duplicate.

  Dana melted back behind the connecting door, swinging it closed at the same time the guy entered the room, gun held at the ready.

  Mitch waited one beat, then another. The guy took another step farther into the room and that’s when he made his move, bringing the chair down hard on the intruder’s head and outstretched arm.

  The man pitched forward, crumpling to the floor.

  The motel room door shut with a loud click.

  Dana ran forward, kicking the weapon away from the guy’s outstretched hand. Then she bent down to feel for a pulse.

  “He’s still alive,” she said in relief.

  “Let’s get out of here, but through your room, not mine.” He grabbed the computer, file folder and car keys from the table. Stepping over the prone figure on the floor, he crossed the threshold into Dana’s room.

  “Wait...” Dana protested. At first he thought she was going to continue to offer first aid to the guy, but then smiled in grim approval as she picked up his gun, holding it gingerly by the barrel as if she didn’t trust herself not to shoot it off by accident. “Okay, got it.”

  He cracked the door of her room and scanned the parking lot to see if anyone else might be lurking outside.

  There! A second man, wearing a baseball hat pulled low over his brow, was approaching Mitch’s motel room door. Knife guy? Did he have a key, too? Mitch had to assume so. Yes. The moment the guy accessed the motel room, stepping inside, he urged Dana forward.

  “Run,” he whispered.

  They bolted for the SUV. The guy inside the motel room came running back out, shooting wildly.

  What was with these guys? “Keep your head down,” he said, stomping on the gas. The SUV shot forward, and he drove as fast as he dared, putting distance between them and the motel.

  It wasn’t until they were far from the motel that he wondered how in the world they’d been found at The Sandpiper.

  Was there anywhere they could go to stay safe?

  FOURTEEN

  Clutching the gun in her lap, Dana took deep breaths in an attempt to slow her racing heart.

  How had the two gunmen found them?

  She felt guilty for leaving an injured man behind, but hoped the second man would get the hurt man the help he needed.

  “Call Mike,” Mitch said, tossing her the cell phone. “Let him know The Sandpiper has been compromised.”

  She carefully put the gun in the glove compartment, then picked up the phone. Her fingers shook with adrenaline as she made the call using the speaker function so Mitch could hear. The phone rang for what seemed like forever before Mike picked up. “Hello?”

  “It’s Dana and Mitch. Two gunmen found us at the motel.”

  “What?” Mike sounded incredulous. “How?”

  “That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” Mitch said. “One of the guys looked familiar, I think he was the cop sitting outside my house and the second guy was wearing a baseball cap just like the guy who’d attempted to stab me in the ER. The knife guy must be working with the cop. Noah ran the license plate number for me.”

  “I remember,” Mike agreed. “He told me the number came back as belonging to a guy named Calvin Towne who works for the MPD.”

  “Were they there to arrest Mitch?” Dana asked.

  “No. The normal arrest routine doesn’t include two men approaching a fugitive on their own.” Mike was silent for a moment. “I’ll ask Noah to dig further into that license plate.”

  “Thanks.” Mitch’s expression was grim. “I’ll find a new place for us to stay.”

  “Listen, Mitch, don’t tell anyone where you end up, okay?�
� Mike’s tone was serious. “Including me and Noah.”

  Dana frowned. “Why not?”

  “Somehow we must have slipped up along the way.” Mike was silent for a long moment. “I’m not sure how, but there’s no other explanation.”

  A shiver of fear rippled down her spine. How would they find a way out of this mess without Mike and Noah’s help?

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Mitch said. “Could be Suzy the college student recognized me from a news story and decided to call it in to the MPD.”

  “Maybe, but not likely. If the MPD knew where you were, they would have come with a full team since you’re considered armed and dangerous.”

  Dana’s stomach knotted at the idea of a full SWAT team arriving at the motel. She didn’t have personal experience, just the stuff she saw on TV, but she knew there was always the possibility a cop might shoot first and ask questions later.

  “Stay safe,” Mike said. “I’ll let you know if we come up with anything on the license plate.”

  “Thanks,” Mitch said.

  Dana ended the call and set Mitch’s phone in the cup holder in the center console. Outside it was full-on dark, and the bright lights of oncoming traffic from the other side of the highway made her look away.

  “Keep your eyes out for another place to stay,” Mitch said in a terse voice.

  “All right.” She could tell Mitch was upset, and she didn’t blame him. They’d managed to escape several times now, but how long could they evade the men searching for them?

  “I’d drop you off at the nearest police station if I could,” he said. “But you’re in danger, too. And I don’t know who we can trust.”

  “I trust you.” The words were instinctive and true. “We’ll get through this, Mitch, you’ll see.”

  He nodded, but didn’t say anything more. They drove for miles and miles until they passed by the small town of Kearney. She caught a glimpse of a neon vacancy sign. “Did you see that?” she asked. “We just passed a motel.”

  Mitch nodded, and made several turns, doubling back to the small motel. It was off the beaten track, which she thought was probably good. The vacancy sign had caught her eye mostly because she was looking for a place, and there hadn’t been any billboards advertising it, either.