by Wendy Davy
“I can’t come back. Not yet. I’m going to be fine. The guy who called you can’t possibly know where I am.” Sierra wrapped up the conversation, praying she was right.
6
Chase stood inside Sierra’s apartment curling his fingers around his cell phone, wanting to smash the equipment against the wall. He should’ve handled the call better. He should’ve handled a lot of things better.
Allie shifted as she fisted the apartment’s keys and crossed her arms. “You don’t think Sierra will be back for her things?”
“If she thinks Eason hired me, she won’t take the risk. From what I can tell, she didn’t leave anything important behind anyway.”
The apartment held generic furniture with sparse decorations. It wasn’t difficult to comb through the few personal items Sierra had left behind. She’d been careful not to leave anything lying around that would indicate where she would run to. He admired her for being cautious, but at the same time it made his task more difficult.
Allie glanced around the apartment as if looking for clues. “Sierra didn’t have time to pack before she took off. I hope she at least has her driver’s license and credit cards.”
“Sierra hasn’t used any credit cards since she left Seattle. She must know they’re easy to track. But, she must’ve had her important things stored somewhere other than here.” Where would she have kept extra clothes and essentials?
His pulse leapt and adrenaline flowed through his veins as he remembered Sierra mentioning the Hope Center’s locker room. If she had known about the lockers, then maybe…”That’s it.”
“What’s it?” Allie lifted her hands as if her patience had worn thin.
“I know where Sierra went or at least where she headed to first.” Chase pulled out a business card. “If she contacts you, call me. And, if anyone else shows up looking for her”—he ran a hand down his face, smoothing rough whiskers—”call 911.”
Grinding his teeth so hard his jaw cramped, Chase sprinted to the Hope Center and searched the various rooms. The office door stood wide open, but Luanne wasn’t there. Two file cabinets flanked the small, scarred oak desk and Chase considered thumbing through the files, but an open three-ring binder caught his attention. The pages held a handwritten log of locker usage.
He traced each line and found Sierra’s name. According to the notes, she had signed up to use locker number twenty-two. He found the locker and checked. The space was empty. His stomach sank and desperation twisted his gut. If he’d only followed his original plan and not made contact with Sierra, she would still be where he could keep a watchful eye. Although he had to protect her from the SUV, he didn’t have to spend time with her. He’d wanted to. He remembered how vulnerable she’d felt in his arms. That same vulnerability made her susceptible to Eason, just like Amber had been.
Chase pushed aside his angst and looked for Luanne. When he couldn’t find her, he strode back to her office. By the time Luanne’s voice echoed down the hallway, Chase’s nerves hummed with anxiety and his tense muscles protested. He faced her when she stepped through the doorway.
Luanne narrowed her eyes. “What do you think you’re doing here?” She planted hands on hips, ready for battle.
Chase figured Luanne could hold her own, but he didn’t want to fight. “I have to find Sierra. Do you know where she is?”
“What makes you think I would tell you? You nearly scared that girl out of her mind.”
Chase’s hopes rose—Luanne had seen Sierra. “She has every reason to be scared. Her ex-boyfriend left Seattle and might be on his way here.” Distaste lingered on his tongue from using the word ‘boyfriend’. Eason could be called many things, but friend wasn’t one of them.
“And?”
“And, he wants to kill her.”
“Is that so? How do I know you’re not the man she should be afraid of?”
Although he preferred to keep his identity a secret, he’d already told Allie, and he had little choice but to let Luanne know too. He produced his ID.
Luanne studied his official badge as if looking for a fake. Precious moments later, she nodded. “Well then, Detective Price, I guess you’ll be wantin’ to know where I took her then?”
“That would be an accurate guess.” Chase shoved his wallet into his coat pocket, stirring layers of dust.
Luanne scribbled an address on a notepad and tore the sheet loose. “Can I give you a little advice?”
Chase slid the note from Luanne’s fingers. “Go ahead.”
“Clean yourself up before you go see her. The way you look, it’d probably take more than a badge to convince her you’re really a cop.”
He rubbed his beard and lifted a lump of too long hair off his forehead. “I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
7
Kevin Eason accepted congratulations from his law partners, Brown and McKinley, with his most engaging smile. He’d let the old codgers think they had something to do with the multi-million dollar settlement he’d acquired for the firm, and now he had them exactly where he wanted them.
Fools.
Within the next year, the firm, and all its assets, would be his. Kevin poured three glasses of brandy and passed one to Brown and one to McKinley. He lifted his own glass and toasted, “To the fine art of knowing what we want and going after it. Gentlemen, we are now officially the most profitable and the most recommended law firm on the Pacific Coast.”
Brown, a slight man with an insatiable appetite for loose women and illegal gambling, threw back his head and downed his drink. McKinley, a conservative man by nature, took languid sips, his erect posture indicating he’d fully expected Kevin to win the high profile case, and would’ve accepted no less.
“Have you handled the press?” McKinley asked in a gravelly voice.
Kevin nodded. “Don’t I always?” He enjoyed that part of his job immensely. Some lawyers barely tolerated the tumultuous aftermath of a profitable, political win, but Kevin thrived on the attention. After all, he did look exceptionally good on camera. He smoothed a hand over his hair and glanced in the mirror—a handsome, dapper man stared back. He understood why women threw themselves at him, offering everything a red-blooded man could desire. But, the woman Kevin had chosen to be his had betrayed him. Bitterness roiled his stomach, and he quelled the emotion. He’d take care of Sierra Malone soon enough. No one rejected him without suffering the consequences.
“I presume the situation with that Malone woman has been resolved.” McKinley eyed Kevin with speculation, as if he’d read his thoughts.
Kevin practiced an easy smile, hiding his underlying rage. He’d worked diligently to repair the damage Sierra had caused with her persistent accusations, and he was tired of defending himself. “It has. I guarantee she’ll never set foot inside this office again.”
Brown set down his empty glass and stood. “I still can’t believe that girl wanted to soil your impeccable reputation with those outrageous lies.”
Kevin tucked his hands into his pockets and did his best to look saddened. “Sierra was fixated on me. I tried to let her down gently, but she just wouldn’t take no for an answer. When she realized I was serious and we had no future together, she mistakenly thought she could exact revenge by damaging my reputation.” He lifted his shoulders in an exaggerated gesture as he conjured up more lies. “Who knows? Maybe she thought she’d even file some kind of harassment charges hoping to squeeze money out of me. She always did have expensive tastes.” That last comment couldn’t be farther from the truth, and Kevin silently congratulated himself for coming up with the fib on short notice. Sierra had been so down-to-earth, he’d had to practically buy her a new wardrobe so he could be seen with her in public. He’d thought she was worth the expense at the time. Too bad he’d been wrong.
“The lengths at which some people will go,” Brown spoke into the room, not looking at anyone in particular, obviously believing Kevin’s words.
Kevin wondered how a man so dense could climb his way t
o the top of an esteemed law firm. He mentally shrugged. As long as the man’s ignorance worked to his advantage he didn’t care.
“You’ve proven yourself Eason.” McKinley stood. “It would take a lot more than some disgruntled employee to tarnish your record. Just make sure she doesn’t come back to haunt us later. We can’t afford any negative publicity.”
“Don’t worry,” Kevin assured him. “She won’t be returning.”
He had no doubts as to his statement’s accuracy. As soon as he secured Sierra’s location, he’d be on the first plane out of Seattle, which reminded him he needed to prepare for a quick departure.
Kevin approached his custom designed executive desk, and picked up his favorite statue of the Eiffel Tower. “It’s been a while since I’ve taken a holiday.” He looked at Brown and McKinley, rolling his shoulders as if the stress and commotion had worn him down. “In celebration of my latest victory, I thought about heading to Paris for a few days. The Louvre has acquired Le Nain’s The Denial of St. Peter. I’m anxious to see it.” Kevin added, knowing McKinley had a certain appreciate for fine art.
McKinley’s brows rose appreciatively. “A splendid 1600’s depiction of man’s weakness and the alarming consequences.” He rocked back on his heels. “You’ve proven to be a man with many hidden talents.”
If you only knew, Kevin thought, hiding a smile.
McKinley turned his approving gaze toward Brown. “I knew we had a good man here when I hired him.”
“You hired him?” Brown adjusted his collar. “I seem to recall being the one who recruited him.”
Brown and McKinley exited Kevin’s office, bickering about who could take credit for his employment. Extremely pleased, he congratulated himself on a job well done. Not only had he won the case, he’d solidified his place in the firm. Now, all he had to do was tie up some loose ends, and his future would be set in stone.
He picked up his office phone and dialed a number he’d committed to memory. It didn’t matter if the authorities checked his phone records. As a lawyer, he used skip tracers often. No one would think twice about him calling Benjamin J. Burke, P.I.
“Yeah.” The man answered on the first ring in his usual clipped tone.
“Do you have it yet?”
“I got a city. No address.”
“That’s not good enough. I’m paying you for details, Burke.”
“This info is better than you’d get from anywhere else.” The man coughed and wheezed, sounding like he’d been battling emphysema for decades. “I should charge you extra.”
“I dare you to try.” Kevin bit his tongue in order to keep from rattling off obscenities. He would never have used this low-life if he’d had better options. “Tell me what you’ve acquired so far.”
Burke was silent for a moment, and then as if deciding earning less money was a better choice than crossing Kevin, quickly gave a name of some Virginia county Kevin had never heard of.
“You’d better be right.” He despised acting on information he couldn’t verify, but in this particular case, he’d make an exception. It was time for Sierra to pay. “I’m heading out. Call me on my cell when you get specifics. I want to know exactly where she is.”
“Will do.”
“And remember, if anyone comes knocking, I never asked you for Malone’s whereabouts. If you rat me out, I’ll kill you myself.” Kevin disconnected.
Within minutes, he’d arranged for transportation. The private jet would cost a small fortune, but it would be worth it. He could already feel Sierra’s tender flesh beneath his fingers. His heart rate accelerated. He was close. He could feel it. Nothing and no one would keep him from Sierra, and this time, there would be no escape.
8
Sierra paced the motel’s threadbare carpet. The damp, stuffy air choked her, and she turned the knob to start the antiquated air conditioning unit. The contraption rattled as it blew out cool air, but at least it worked.
After she’d talked with Piper, Sierra had called Allie, but the voicemail had picked up and she’d had to leave a quick message. Sierra wished she could’ve spoken with her friend in person, after all Allie had intercepted Chase, allowing her to escape.
In a moment of sudden panic, Sierra wondered if Chase had done something to Allie. But, that didn’t make sense. Chase had shown no interest in Allie, other than changing the bakery’s back light, free of charge. Sierra’s racing heart calmed, but more questions arose. If Chase had meant to do harm, why would he go out of his way to install security lights? And, if he had been in Shenandoah Valley almost as long as she had, as Luanne suggested, why hadn’t he approached her sooner?
With a myriad of questions mulling in her mind, acid churned in her stomach. The muffin she’d nibbled on earlier hadn’t filled her, and her belly rumbled, greedy for nourishment. Sierra set aside the curtain and peered across the street. Dale’s Hardware Store, Dr. French’s Veterinarian Center, and Summit Bank comprised the businesses on one street side. A diner named Carl’s occupied the opposite corner. The sign out front claimed homemade country cooking, but when Sierra considered going there her palms broke into a sweat. What if Chase was scouring the area? What if he had contacted Kevin and they were both on the hunt?
A convenience store stood next to the diner with only a few cars in the lot. A quick stop in there would limit her exposure. She gathered a few bills from her satchel, picked up the room key and opened the door. Her skin crawled as if someone had their eyes on her already, and she hadn’t taken a step outside. Shaking off her unease, Sierra darted across the parking lot.
The door chimed as she entered the store. A teenaged clerk mumbled a greeting without peeling his eyes from the newspaper’s sports page, while a country-western tune crooned from overhead speakers. She concentrated on finding something edible. Wilted hot dogs spun in greasy circles in a glass enclosure, looking as if they’d been on the rollers for weeks. Her stomach revolted and she looked over the pre-made sandwiches. A turkey and rye had expired two days ago and the egg salad on wheat looked as if someone had taken a bite out of it before re-wrapping it in cellophane. Disgusted, Sierra perused the remaining choices.
The bell sounded behind her, and Sierra’s first instinct was to turn and look. Had she been found? Customers frequented stores like this all day long, she rationalized. Just because someone came in behind her didn’t mean—
Sensing something wasn’t right, she stilled. A wispy breeze drifted inside and a hint of peppermint brushed past her. Fear tightened Sierra’s chest. She dared glance over her shoulder, but the person had moved out of sight. She drew in a deep breath but didn’t detect the scent this time. The hairs on the back of her neck crawled with uncertainty. Had she imagined Kevin’s scent? Or, had the instincts she’d come to rely on warned her of true danger? Doubting herself, she inhaled again. Nothing.
The peppermint aroma was probably her overactive imagination at work, fed by exhaustion and anxiety. Yet, even as she rationalized her fears, sweat coated her palms and her heart raced. A large security mirror hung above the refrigerated section. She searched the reflection but found no one within range.
She swiped her palms against her jeans, unsure what to do. Even if Chase had alerted Kevin, neither would know where Luanne had taken her and the chances were slim they could locate her so quickly.
Although her mind told her not to worry, blood rushed through her veins. The sounds of someone stepping along the back aisle set her into action. She spun, picked up a bottle of water and grabbed the nearest package of processed food. She hoped the six white powdered donuts would suffice.
She hurried to the counter, peeking down aisles as she passed. She caught a glimpse of someone’s back as they rounded a corner, but she couldn’t make out any distinctive traits.
Sierra attempted to smile as she paid the clerk, but only managed a weak nod. “Keep the change,” she offered before scrambling outside and across the lot. Instead of heading to her room, she circled the motel, peering around corn
ers and perusing the streets for anyone who might be following. Aside from a woman pumping gas at the convenience store, no pedestrians were in sight. Traffic eased by and no cars pulled in or out of the motel’s parking lot.
The sun cast bright rays on the earth, warming pavement and highlighting the surrounding forest. A red-tailed hawk circled above, and maple, birch and mountain laurel trees swayed in the breeze. The peaceful, natural environment made Sierra feel ridiculous slinking around with a package of mini donuts and a bottle of water dangling from her fingertips.
She slipped inside her room and twisted the deadbolt into place. The dim room held shadows and blinding panic seized her breath. What if someone had managed to get inside while she was out? She would’ve just sealed her own fate. She jerked around, looking for danger.
The air conditioner unit continued to rattle and spit out air. The lights remained on. The curtains were still closed, and her satchel lay on the bed, undisturbed. After a quick check of the bathroom, she released a pent up breath and chastised herself. It was bad enough she had two flesh-and-blood men to worry about, she didn’t need to create imaginary complications.
Exhausted, she perched on the bed’s edge, and removed her shoes and socks. She forced the sugary donuts down her dry throat and drank the entire bottled water before curling up on her side and allowing her mind to wander.
How had her life spiraled so far out of control? A few precious months ago she’d thought she had finally found a great job and the perfect man to stand by her side. Kevin had showered her with cozy words and fantastic promises making her believe she’d begun to live a real life fairytale. Now, she lay in a lonely room on the opposite side of the country, fearing the very man she’d considered taking as her husband would succeed in his desire to kill her.
9
A handsome face smiled down from above. A blanket, damp and smelling of fresh green earth lay beneath her. His gentle hand touched her hair in a light caress. “We’ll be dancing in the moonlight. You and me. Forever.”