And she knew she loved him. In fact, Liz was beginning to discover she had a huge capacity to love Alex.
Someone jostled her. “Oh, excuse me.” With her thoughts interrupted, Liz realized she was blocking the entrance. A stream of people was walking towards the front door, dressed in their finery. Olivia must have invited the whole town to come celebrate her soft opening.
Crossing the threshold, the hostess at the front desk greeted her, then invited her into the dining room. Ordinarily, parties would be seated separately, but for this evening’s celebration they’d left the tables open. Able to stand, walk around, and mingle, people were happily taking advantage of the freedom.
Liz felt Alex’s eyes on her before she saw him. He was standing next to a massive stone fireplace, and her pulse jumped in response to his heated gaze.
Then she noticed who was standing next to him.
Who could mistake the polished gleam of blonde hair? Liz watched as Cynthia leaned closer to say something to him, placing a hand on his arm. She scowled right as the other woman turned to follow Alex’s gaze towards her.
Cynthia’s small smile morphed into a cruel twist and she shifted her body closer. Then Alex bent down and said something that wiped the expression off her face. He extricated himself from her grasp and began to walk towards Liz.
Trust and triumph surged in her chest as Liz watched him make his way across the room. “Hello, handsome.”
Alex took her by the waist and gave her a kiss. “You look stunning.” Liz had donned a racy little black dress that accented her lean curves to perfection. Hell, she had barely recognized herself in the mirror with her carefully applied makeup and her pixie haircut styled into a sleek side part, let alone the fact that she was wearing heels!
“Thank you.” She smoothed his shirt with her hand. Not because he needed it – he looked impeccable – but because she savored being able to do so. “The place looks amazing.”
“Why don’t I give you a tour?”
Alex walked her around the room, pointing out the various bits of interest, including the original beams from the barn, the fireplace, and the antique wooden bar they had salvaged from another restaurant that went out of business. There were brass fixtures and Italian glass pendants hanging over the tables. They walked to the far wall that was filled with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the cliff.
Olivia had timed the event to perfectly coincide with the sunset, naturally showcasing the beauty of the location. Liz stood and looked out over the water, admiring the way the vivid oranges and hot pinks painted the horizon and were reflected in the water below. It was like watching two sunsets at once.
“Wow,” she said. “I’d want to eat here every day.”
Whatever Alex was going to say was interrupted by her sister. “Oh, thank goodness you’re here! I need your help.”
Liz turned. She recognized Olivia’s stress, lurking under the surface. “Sure, Livvy. Whatever you need.”
“Actually, I need to steal Alex away from you for a moment.” She turned to him. “Can you head down to the basement and bring up a couple more cases of champagne for me?” Olivia looked down at her chef’s coat, currently splattered with food. “There’s been an incident in the kitchen, and I’ve just been informed that a food critic from the Portland Herald is here. I need to go change!”
“Of course.” Alex dropped a kiss on Liz’s cheek and handed her his glass. “Duty calls. I’ll be right back.”
Olivia rushed off to change, and Liz found herself standing alone in the middle of the room with a drink in each hand. She wove her way through the crowd, stopping to say hello to a few familiar faces on the way to the bar. She smiled at Mrs. Crowley and Mr. Hamilton, canoodling like a couple of young lovebirds in one of the corner booths. They might be in their eighties, but that hadn’t stopped them from dating over the past winter. It had been the biggest topic in the local rumor mill up until Liz’s ordeal.
As she was dropping her glasses off, a conversation near the bar caught her attention. The police chief was holding court with a couple of the local businessmen. Frank from the hardware store on Main Street patted him on the back.
“Don’t worry about it, Mike. We know you were just doing your job and following the leads the case gave you. Although, if you’d asked me, I would have told you there was no way our Liz could have done it.” Liz was relieved to see a number of heads bob in agreement around the police chief. Grateful that the group hadn’t spotted her yet, she turned slightly away and strained to hear more of the conversation.
Frank continued. “Look, this drug stuff is an ugly business. We all know you’ve been doing your best with limited resources. I never thought we’d see the day when our small town had to deal with this kind of nonsense.”
“Well, Frank, I appreciate it. It means a lot. But, I assure you, we’re gonna handle the mattah. Whatever it takes.”
Her head shot up. Cold dread and certainty speared through her heart. Just then, Mike Hamilton, the freaking chief of police, looked up. Their gazes locked before Liz could wipe the horror from her face. She quickly shifted her attention to across the room, hoping he hadn’t seen the knowledge in her eyes.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. The CHIEF?
It felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She needed to get her pulse under control. Not bothering to wait for her drink, Liz made a beeline towards the bathroom. Diving through the door, she was grateful when the place appeared empty.
She couldn’t catch her breath. She was going to hyperventilate. Liz faced her reflection in the mirror and tried to talk herself down. Was it possible she was jumping to conclusions? The phrase wasn’t that uncommon, was it?
Liz turned the faucet on and quickly splashed cold water in her face. Maybe this was all just a product of her overactive imagination. Even as she debated with herself, she knew better. It was confirmed a moment later when he entered the bathroom.
She turned as the stocky man stepped further into the room, making the spacious restroom suddenly feel cramped. He pushed the trashcan in front of the door, then glanced towards the stalls before focusing on Liz.
Liz was desperate to maintain an air of civility, despite the growing evidence that something was seriously wrong. “Chief Hamilton? What’s going on? You’re not planning on questioning me again here, are you?”
“No need, since I have all the answers. Although I imagine you’re still harboring a few questions.” He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and leaned against the wall. “You know, one of the things I’ve learned over the years is you can never leave loose ends. You’d be surprised. Half the bad guys I’ve caught were taken down by the smallest of details.”
“L-l-loose ends?” Liz glanced around, but the counter was clear. There was nothing she could use as an impromptu weapon. Even the soap dispensers were attached to the wall.
He sighed and paused, as if she’d said something deeply meaningful. “Loose ends. They have a way of unraveling, like a thread on a sweater. If you pluck it long enough, the whole thing falls apart.”
“And you’re implying I’m a loose end how, exactly?”
He gave a dark chuckle and shook his head. “Liz. I appreciate you playing the clueless act, but I think we both know why you’re a loose end in this scenario. I was hoping it wouldn’t come down to this, but I think it’s time you and I go for a walk.” The gun he revealed from his coat pocket belied his conversational tone.
Liz gulped. Up until that point, there hadn’t been anything overtly threatening about his behavior other than being in the wrong bathroom. She’d been desperately hoping he didn’t know she had overheard his conversation, or that she had managed to connect the most dangerous dot to the overall puzzle.
“Come, we’re going outside. If anybody asks, just tell them we’ll be right back.”
Liz stiffly walked towards the door and, at his urging, moved the trashcan aside. The hallway led to Olivia’s office, the basement, and an emergency exit.
The door led out to the backside of the restaurant and overlooked the lawn. A path meandered across the slope. Outside, the dusk air was warm and inviting, filled with the scent of phlox and sun-warmed grass. The restaurant windows glowed on the hillside. Every once in a while, a trill of laughter could be heard floating on the breeze.
“You were the person on the other end of the phone call that night, weren’t you?” She gulped back her fear. “You were the one who overdosed Paul.”
“Ah, see? There’s the straightforward talk that I’ve come to expect from you. Playing dumb doesn’t suit you, Liz.”
“Look. I don’t have any evidence. Hell, I barely even had a suspicion until you walked into the bathroom. Why don’t I promise not to say anything and we can just sweep what’s left of this situation under the rug?”
Even as she said it, Liz knew she wouldn’t be able to do that. But, if she could somehow convince him that she would, it was worth a try. Liz attempted to look back at him, but was prodded by the barrel of his gun. “Keep walking.”
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she asked, “Where are we going?”
“Just keep following the path towards the cliffs.”
That word – cliffs – struck a note of dread in Liz. She had to do everything she could to make sure they never made it there. “You mentioned loose ends, but I can’t possibly be the one you’re worried about. What’s to stop Josh from entering a plea bargain and giving you up?”
“It’s already being taken care of.”
The statement stopped Liz in her tracks. It was only after the Chief bumped into her that she started moving again. “What do you mean ‘being taken care of’?”
“Do you know how dangerous it is for a police officer to be thrown in jail? They aren’t exactly the most popular people in any prison. That’s why they tend to be kept in isolation. But if there’s a mix-up, perhaps an oversight in paperwork, they may find themselves in with the general population. At that point, anything could happen.”
Holy shit, Liz thought. Did he just admit to having Josh set up to be murdered in prison? Before she could remark on the horror of that, he continued. “As far as your offer to stay quiet, I can’t take the risk you wouldn’t fold at some point. All it would take is for your integrity and sense of honor to creep up on you one night, and you’d be spurred into action. That’s assuming you weren’t planning on double-crossing me the minute I let you go.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but that’s not something I can afford to have hanging over my head.”
The tone of regret in his voice disgusted her. She doubted he felt any true sense of remorse. Instead, Liz tried to appeal to his logical, pragmatic side. “Isn’t this also a large risk you’re taking? Especially here, with all these people around?”
“A bit, yes. But it’s better to pick my own time and place than to wait for you to surprise me. Besides, if I do this right, nobody will suspect a thing other than you had a horrible accident.”
“You can’t possibly think it will be that easy,” Liz said. “What about Paul? He’s made a full recovery and has already filed a report with the police.”
“True,” Chief Hamilton paused, “but l took special precautions with him. He never knew who I was. Even when I was injecting him, I had my mask and gloves on. There’s no way he’d be able to identify me. Plus, he was so messed up, it would be easy to question his memory. I doubt his testimony will be considered valid.”
Liz couldn’t believe the nerve of this guy. She wondered if his talking conversationally and pretending to be nice was just his way of mitigating guilt over her death.
The evening sky deepened as the cliffs drew nearer. Water lapping against the rocks below grew louder. Liz realized that she’d never make it if Mike forced her over the edge. If she was going to get away from him, she’d have to make her move soon.
Doing the first thing that came to mind, she tripped and fell to her knees. She didn’t have to fake her moan of pain as she hit the rough gravel.
Mike growled. “Get up! NOW!” The menace in his voice caused her stomach to heave. “If you’re not standing in two seconds, I’m shooting you in the head right here.”
Liz rose from the ground slowly. In the deepening twilight, she hoped he didn’t notice she was no longer wearing one of her shoes. Instead, her body tilted slightly away so her hand wasn’t visible from his angle.
Liz held her body gingerly, sucking in a breath as if in great pain.
“Did you seriously just hurt yourself walking?” He gripped the gun more firmly and let out a sound of disgust.
“It’s not like I’m used to walking around in heels, y’know. Especially out in the dark and on gravel.” Liz was balanced mainly on her left foot, her shoe held in her right hand with the heel facing outwards. Her left hand held a fistful of pebbles and dirt. As far as weapons go, they were woefully inadequate, especially against a gun. Still, a shoe was better than nothing.
Liz sidled a half step closer to him and pretended to limp a little. “I’ve never understood why people wear these things.” The hand holding the gun dipped lower. She was only going to get one chance at this.
With as much force as she could muster, she flung the rocks into his eyes and lunged to the left. Roaring in anger, he jerked his weapon up and brandished it towards her face.
Liz swung the shoe up and buried her heel in the police chief’s shoulder.
Chapter Fifty-One
Cynthia ducked into the stall and locked the door with trembling fingers. There was a slight sheen of sweat on her upper lip and she wiped it off with her sleeve before digging into her bag. The glasses case rattled in her hand as she opened it. Inside was a small vial of white powder, a syringe, a cotton ball, a small spoon, a lighter, and a straw.
She looked at the syringe longingly, but knew there were too many people around for her to be that incapacitated. Injections were best left for evenings at home. For now, she just needed a little bump to tide her over and even out the edges. Cynthia pulled the straw and vial out.
Next she pulled her credit card out of her wallet and knocked a bit of the off-white powder onto the back of the toilet. By that point, her jaw was beginning to ache from clenching her teeth so tight. She’d just begun to cut the powder with her card when the door to the bathroom slammed open.
Cynthia froze. Dammit.
She climbed onto the toilet as quietly as she could and pulled her feet up. Leaning slightly to one side, she peered through the crack in the door. Her heart dropped when she saw Liz splashing water on her face and muttering to her reflection in the mirror.
Of all the people.
Cynthia swallowed back a groan of frustration. Liz was becoming a constant source of irritation. In fact, it was being rebuffed by Alex earlier that had put her on such edge and in need of the bump to begin with. At that moment, it had become apparent that she was never going to get back together with him.
It was hard to believe that the gawky little tomboy had grown up to snatch the very person that Cynthia wanted most. She held her breath, praying the other woman wouldn’t realize she was there. The last thing she needed was to have Liz discover her secret. She eyed the small mound of powder on the back of the toilet. With any luck, Liz wouldn’t linger.
Her hopes were dashed the moment she heard a man’s voice fill the bathroom. At first, she wondered if she’d caught Liz in the act of cheating. It soon became apparent that the situation was much, much worse. Discovering it was the chief of police sent a fresh wave of panic through her system. The drugs sitting on the toilet behind her practically screamed, but she didn’t dare move. There was more than just discovery and a drug rap on the line here. Once he threatened Liz and escorted her out, Cynthia’s shakes were stemming from more than withdrawals. Fear skated down her spine, raising the hair on her arms.
She looked down at the case of drug paraphernalia in her hand, and for one brief moment, she hesitated. It would be so easy to do nothing. Not only would she get to keep her drug
supplier, but with Liz gone, she might stand a chance with Alex.
The thought filled her with disgust and self-loathing. Even though she’d been using heroin for years, she’d liked to think she had it under control. After all, wasn’t she a highly successful property manager? And, even though she’d had to make a few concessions, such as allowing Josh temporary access to some of the vacant properties she represented, she prided herself on always being a consummate professional.
Accessory to murder didn’t fit that profile, no matter how you sliced it.
Her mind made up, Cynthia wiped the small pile of powder onto the floor and threw the case into her bag, hurrying out of the room. She wove her way through the crowd, scanning faces for the one person who she knew would help. He was carrying a large box and headed towards the bar. “Alex!”
A part of her cringed when she saw the hesitation in his eyes. “I’m kind of busy right now, Cynthia.”
“Please, this is important. I need to talk to you.”
Alex set the box down behind the counter and nodded towards the bartender before turning back to her. Before she could relay to him what she’d heard in the bathroom, another voice called out from the crowd.
“Alex!”
A tall, lanky man strode through the dining room, leaving a wake of people scattering behind him. Two other men followed right on his heels.
“Agent Hagen, I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”
“Have you seen Chief Hamilton here?”
“Um,” Alex glanced around the room. Fiona was watching their interaction intently and began making her way across the dining room. “No, I haven’t. Why?”
Cynthia stepped forward, craning her neck to make eye contact with the other man. “I have. He has Liz.”
The way she said it caught Alex’s attention. “Okay, someone needs to tell me what’s going on right now. What do you mean ‘has’?”
Agent Hagen ignored him. Cynthia shuddered a little at the way he’d completely focused on her, pinning her with his inscrutable stare. “Do you know where they went?”
Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2) Page 24