Up to that point, Alex had nearly convinced himself that things would be okay. Now, her words dropped tension into the pit of his stomach. The heavy weight of stress he’d been feeling the last few days landed firmly back onto his shoulders.
There was only one place she could be referring to, and he had left Liz there a few hours ago standing in the kitchen.
Chapter Thirty
“Mind if I sit here?”
Mason looked up from his sandwich, and kept looking up. Matt Hagen was so tall that he stood out no matter where he was, which was saying something, considering Mason wasn’t exactly a small guy.
He gestured to the empty seat across from him. “Sure. If you can get your legs to fit under the table.”
After making himself as comfortable as possible, Matt folded his hands on the table. He watched as Mason took a bite of his sandwich. “I suppose you know why I’m here.”
Mason nodded and swallowed. “To be honest, I thought I would be seeing you sooner or later, although I’ve been staying out of the investigation as you asked. What’s on your mind, Agent Hagen?”
“Please, call me Matt.”
“Okay. What can I help you with, Matt?”
The agent looked around the dining room at the other tables. “So, this is the café that was burned to the ground?” His attention shifted back to Mason. “The one Olivia used to own?”
Mason wiped his hands and leaned back in his seat. He took a sip from his drink. “There have been a few changes, like the name, and Jackie and Tom own it now.” He paused. “But you already knew that.”
Matt nodded. “Seems like everybody has made a full recovery from this past winter.”
“Not quite, but we’re close. Once Olivia’s new restaurant is opened, we’ll be able to put the rest of it behind us. We’re all eager to move forward.”
“Recovering from something like that must have cost quite a bit.” Matt watched as the other man’s expression hardened.
“What are you trying to imply? If you want to look into our financials, all you have to do is ask. All you’ll find is that the money came from insurance, savings, and a small loan from my family trust fund.”
Actually, Matt had already looked into it, but he’d wanted to gauge Mason’s reaction. “I walked through the crime scene, and checked out Liz’s apartment.”
“Oh yeah?” Mason leaned forward and began eating his sandwich again. “I’m guessing you didn’t find more than a few pairs of grease-stained jeans and a couple of beers in the fridge.”
Matt had to hand it to him – that wasn’t altogether inaccurate. He decided to play it straight. “That’s about right. I have to admit, it’s difficult for me to pin down why someone like Liz would get into the illegal drug business. Unless, of course, she got tipped off that her garage was under investigation and cleared out anything indicating otherwise. The captain tells me you knew about that.”
Mason’s right eyebrow winged up at that last statement, but he kept chewing. The only other indication that he was offended by Matt’s insinuation was the way his jaw tightened and his eyes turned frosty. “I know it may be hard for you to believe, but I didn’t mention it to her, much to Olivia’s dismay. Trust me, when she found out I was keeping something like that from her, I had to do some heavy-duty groveling. I have a feeling I’ll be in the doghouse for quite a while over that.”
Matt would have responded, but Mason continued. “Look, man. I know you don’t have any reason to believe me, but you’re wasting your time if you think Liz had anything to do with those drugs.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“You know that the Harper sisters lost their parents a few years back?”
“Yeah, I’ve read something about that. It was a car accident, right?”
Mason nodded. “Yes. The other driver involved was hopped up on a combination of alcohol and pain meds – OxyContin. Granted, the poor road conditions were also a contributing factor, but the fact remains that none of those girls would touch something like heroin, given the events surrounding their parents’ death.”
“Ah. Hmm, I didn’t realize that. Thank you for the insight.” Matt sat back in his seat and mulled over this new piece of information for a moment. “So, who do you think is behind all of this?”
Matt could tell the question caught the other man off-guard. Mason watched him for a moment, carefully weighing his words. “You need to understand something about Liz. She’s a very pragmatic, methodical type of person. She would need to have a very good reason not to come in to the police station, especially since she knows I have every intention of becoming her future brother-in-law. You should be asking yourself why running from the cops looked like a better option.”
“Now look who’s doing the implying.” Matt narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying that it was an officer that broke into her shop?”
Mason set his empty plate aside, his face carefully devoid of any expression. “Not without proof, I’m not.” He threaded his fingers and leaned over the table. “But it bears looking into. I think you might be surprised by what you find regarding the first officer on the scene.”
“Did she tell you it was Officer Carver when you talked to her?”
A flash of defiance and frustration crossed Mason’s face before he regained control of his features. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Matt gave him a knowing look. “I’m sure you don’t.” He got up from the booth. “Well, I hope for her sake as well as yours that you’re telling the truth. If I find out that you’ve been aiding and abetting a wanted person, I will come after you. I’ve looked through your files, Mason. You’re a damn good detective. I’d hate to see it all thrown away over something like this.
Mason had grown very still at Matt’s warning. He leaned back and put his arm on the back of the booth, appearing as calm and confident as ever. Matt would have bought it, too, if it hadn’t been for that split second where his shoulders had tensed up. “I can promise you that I have not seen Liz and I don’t know where she is. You will be the first to know if I find out.”
“See that I am.” Matt walked towards the door. Damn, he hated working in small towns. Everybody was connected with everybody else. The sooner he could solve the case, the sooner he would be out of there.
Chapter Thirty-One
Feeling at odds with herself after Alex left, Liz cast about for a way to keep herself occupied. It didn’t take her long to finish straightening up the cabin. The few dishes from breakfast were already washed, dried, and placed back in the cupboard. Moving into the bedroom, she grimaced at the gaudy sweatshirt in her hands before quickly folding it and placing it in a drawer. That done, she began to cast about for something else to do.
Less than half an hour later, she set the book she’d been attempting to read aside in disgust. Pacing the living room created more tension than it eased. Being idle was going to drive her nuts. Vacations had never held much allure for her, and this was a far cry from a vacation. She’d much rather work nine or ten hour days than deal with this terrible waiting.
Liz remembered coming across a toolbox in the basement while doing the laundry and headed downstairs. She could use this time to fix that leak in the kitchen faucet. The sound of a car door slamming startled her as she lugged the box back upstairs.
Was Alex back so soon?
She nearly flung the front door open before coming to her senses. Deciding to play it safe, she drew a small part of the curtain aside. An unfamiliar silver luxury car sat in the driveway.
Shit!
The toolbox she was carrying fell to the floor. Her hands became clammy as panic thrummed through her veins. For a moment, indecision kept her planted in the entryway while her mind quickly inventoried every item that indicated her presence in the cabin. There was nothing to be done about it now. Hopefully nobody would be able to connect any of it back to her.
Liz slipped out the backdoor just as she heard the key turning in the front door. There�
�d been no time to hide the toolbox sitting on the floor. Racing across the backyard, she hoped nobody would spot her through the kitchen window. Rough bark scratched the palm of her hand as she ducked behind a tree. Who could possibly be in the house right now? What were the odds that somebody would just show up?
Her heart raced as her thoughts turned sinister. Had she been caught? How had they been able to trace her to this location? Did Alex have something to do with this? Was it possible he had turned her in? Could he have been playing her this whole time?
She shied away from that thought. No. If so, why did it take him so long to report her? He could have done it when he’d gone grocery shopping. Liz shook her head. She couldn’t afford to jump to conclusions.
Gradually, the deep-seated, animalistic fight-or-flight instinct eased, and her mind turned towards observation and logic. There weren’t any sirens in the distance, no flashing lights. In fact, no indication of any police presence at all. If Josh had found her, would he report her to the police or – more likely – the drug ring he was working for? On the other hand, if Josh had discovered their location, would he be bold enough to park in the driveway?
A shadow crossed the kitchen window, and Liz instinctively crouched a little lower. Somebody was definitely in the house. Then she remembered. During breakfast, Alex had mentioned borrowing a sedan from his dad. He could be in there wondering what had happened to her.
Feeling like a fool, Liz was just about to make her way to the door when she heard a high trill of laughter. Of all the people Liz had been prepared to see, Cynthia hadn’t been even a remote possibility. And yet, there was no denying the shining gleam of her blonde hair reflecting the afternoon sun as she stepped out the door.
A complicated twist of regret, mistrust, and what felt disturbingly like envy lodged in her chest. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard Alex’s deep voice respond to a question Cynthia had posed. She watched from the shadows of the trees as he turned and locked the door.
Cynthia stood with her head tilted up towards the sun in what she must have felt was an attractive pose. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she snaked her arm through his, leaned close and smiled up at him before walking back towards the car. Alex took a few steps with her before extricating himself from her grasp. He paused and scanned the backyard. It was obvious he was looking for her, but Liz was too stunned to give him a signal. In fact, it took her a few minutes after they drove away to gather her wits and head inside.
She was glad she’d taken the time to do her laundry and put her meager belongings into the dresser. It only took her a couple of minutes to grab everything and stuff them into a plastic grocery bag. Yet, as she reached for the doorknob, her complicated reality reared its ugly head.
Where was she supposed to go?
And how was she going to get there?
Going back to her family wasn’t an option. Relying on Paul wasn’t an option. Who else could she turn to? Pride and necessity waged a battle in her mind and left her feeling impotent.
The practical little voice in her mind whispered that Alex hadn’t betrayed her. Neither one of them had discussed the kisses they’d shared earlier, nor was there any real commitment between them.
In fact, continued that sobering voice, he had already gone above and beyond what any normal person could be expected to do, given the situation. He’d helped her escape and stayed with her, even when they’d discovered his name hadn’t been reported. This despite the fact that his father was ailing and dependent on him.
Wasn’t it her bruised pride and ego making her want to leave now? Wasn’t she smarter than that?
Liz sighed and put her pathetic plastic bag down. Logically, she knew that staying was the best thing to do, but she still felt apprehensive. Once again, she found herself pacing back and forth in the living room, filled with a restless energy. Her eyes alighted on the toolbox, still sitting by the front door.
Well, if nothing else, the kitchen faucet would get fixed.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Alex didn’t think the afternoon could drag on any longer. From the moment he’d followed Cynthia through the front door of the lakeside rental, he’d been on edge. Relief at not finding Liz in the house or on the property had been fleeting. He only hoped she was out on a walk and nothing bad had happened to her.
During their walk-through, he had practically squirmed at all the evidence that the house had been recently occupied. None of the dust covers were on the furniture in the living room. The air in the bathroom felt faintly humid from his shower that morning, and the kitchen still smelled like coffee.
As they reached the back door, Alex hazarded a look at Cynthia to see if she was noticing any of the details that were screaming at him. She seemed mercifully oblivious. Standing in the yard, he began to hope that he’d dodged a bullet with her, but then she turned and he noticed her expression had grown dark.
She sighed and pulled out her phone, her lips pursed in irritation. “I swear, this new cleaning company is just as bad as the last one.” Covering the phone with one hand, she sent him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about the state of the house. I promise I will make sure it’s up to standard by the time I put it up for rent.”
Shit, he was going to get people fired if he didn’t say something. “Wait.” Alex put a hand on her elbow, urging her to pull the phone down from her ear. “The truth is, I’ve been staying here. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”
One of her carefully plucked eyebrows winged up. Before she could say anything, Alex continued, “Look, I know I probably should have said something earlier, but I didn’t want my dad to feel guiltier than he already does. The truth is, I’m happy to be able to take care of him. But every once and a while, I need to get away and unwind.”
Cynthia’s expression softened. For a brief moment, Alex could see the young girl he had once dated. She stepped closer, placing a hand on his chest. “I know it’s been hard. You don’t have to go through this alone, you know.”
Alex stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. Here was the tricky part. He didn’t want to piss her off, but he also didn’t want her to think there was any chance of them getting back together.
He headed back to the car. They’d both put their seatbelts on when she sniffled, then let out a huge sneeze. He was thankful that it broke a potentially awkward moment between them. “It looks like your cold is getting worse. Why don’t we skip the last two property tours? It’s obvious you aren’t feeling well, and I’m afraid I’ve already taken a large portion of your day.”
“Oh, that’s very kind of you, but I promise you I’m fine. If you’re not up to seeing the last two properties today, maybe we could just stop for a late lunch or something. We could go over a few more details…” She reached across the console and placed her hand on his knee. “Or, we could just unwind after a long day of work.”
Alex coughed and shifted a little more towards the door, dislodging her hold on him. “No, I’m sorry. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day, but I actually had a few other things planned before Dad roped me into this.”
Cynthia moved to grip the steering wheel with both hands and he wondered if he’d just offended her. He remembered that up until the cottage, they’d actually been getting along fine. He grimaced and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, I didn’t mean for that to sound…”
She shot him a huge, painfully fake grin and shook her head. “Nope, no need to apologize. I’m glad we could put your father’s mind at ease. Hopefully I’ve managed to convince you that everything is under control, recent events notwithstanding.”
Her voice had cooled considerably and there was a barely concealed edge in the undertone. The least he could do was reassure her of her job. “You have, Cynthia, and I appreciate it. It’s a relief to know it was just a fluke. Obviously, you know your stuff. In fact, you have me thinking I may be jumping the gun by insisting Dad should consider selling his properties.”
Her next
smile seemed to be a little more genuine as she pulled up to the curb in front of his father’s house. “I’m glad to hear it. I know it must be tough watching his health decline, but I hope you reconsider your stance. It wouldn’t be too much work for you to manage these properties, especially with me here.”
Alex pinched the nose of his bridge and closed his eyes for a moment. It didn’t help knowing other people were noticing his father’s health declining and could see the way things were going. “I have to admit, it was never my plan to stay in Bath permanently, but lately it hasn’t been as hard picturing myself settling down here. I’m not sure this is as temporary a move as I’d originally thought.”
He didn’t notice the satisfied gleam that entered Cynthia’s eyes at his announcement. “I’m glad to hear that I may be able to convince you to stay in town longer.”
The implication of her words had Alex feeling cramped. Suddenly the front seat of her car felt too small and intimate. He’d been thinking about Liz as the reason why he’d started to think about establishing a life here in Maine, not implying Cynthia had anything to do with it. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any way to clarify what he meant without making the conversation more difficult than it already was. He couldn’t reveal the fact that he wanted a relationship with the Bath police department’s “person of interest.”
Suddenly, it felt imperative that he get back to her.
Alex reached for the door and exited with hardly a glance in her direction. “Thanks again for taking me to see the properties. I’ll discuss things with my father and see you later.” He barely heard Cynthia say good-bye before he closed the door and was sprinting up to the house.
*
The shadows were already stretching across the street by the time he’d settled his father in for the evening. He was relieved when he was finally able to pull his father’s sedan into the garage and make his way up the front path to the lake house.
Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2) Page 16