Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?

by Shawna Delacorte

  “You know you’ll have to turn it over to me. The ballistics sample you gave me allowed me to make a match, but without the actual weapon is doesn’t carry much weight. What is the other evidence you mentioned? And how does Miss Doyle fit into this?”

  The shock hit Reece quicker than he was able to cover his surprise. “How did you know—”

  “You’ve been leading me on a merry chase. It’s been a long time since someone tested my ability to think outside the box. It was a good refresher course.”

  Reece immediately latched on to the way Joe was avoiding any additional mention of Brandi. Joe had dropped the bomb in letting him know that he had discovered her identity, then abandoned that topic of con versation. He recognized the tactic and grudgingly admired the irony. It was the exact same thing he had done to Joe when he threw in Mitch Mantee’s name just before terminating their phone conversation.

  He decided to play it Joe’s way for the moment. “That tracking bug you slipped inside my car in addition to your cell phone was a clever maneuver.”

  “I thought so, too. But you found it much quicker than I assumed you would. And planting it on a delivery truck rather than destroying it was definitely a stroke of brilliance. Just for future reference, what made you look for something else that soon?”

  “You did. We were supposed to meet inside the grocery store, yet when I pulled up alongside you and told you to get in, you didn’t offer even one word of objection, a moment’s hesitation or even suggest a compromise.”

  “Let’s have the rest of it, Reece. You’ve already been told that you’re withholding information in a crime by continuing to hold on to the Beretta and not divulging any information about who it belongs to and how it came to be in your possession, yet you’re still playing cat and mouse with me. What is so important that you’re willing to risk a return trip to prison?”

  Reece clenched his jaw in determination, but couldn’t stop the frown that wrinkled across his forehead. “What do you know about Brandi, other than having tracked down her identity?”

  “There isn’t anything much to know. Professional photographer of weddings and portraits, pays her bills on time, no unusual indebtedness, no apparent bad habits, no known unsavory associates, absolutely nothing on her in any law enforcement database—not even a traffic ticket. All in all, the type of person who leads a quiet law-abiding life. Other than the fact that she lives and works in Rocky Shores, I can’t find any connection between her and Frank James. So, what does she have to do with a murder weapon, and why would Frank James be stalking her? I don’t see the connection.”

  Reece stared at his coffee cup as he raced through his options. He leveled a steady look at Joe, making and holding eye contact. “All right. Here it is.”

  Joe leaned back in his seat as he expelled a sigh of relief. “Finally. I was afraid you were going to make me wrestle you to the ground in order to force the information out of you. Let’s start with you telling me where Miss Doyle is.”

  “No, let’s don’t start there. I’ll tell you what’s going on, but I’m not going to compromise her location without some guarantees from you regarding her safety, and, of course, she has to agree to accept your offer.”

  “Okay, start talking.”

  “As you noted, Brandi is a professional photographer. But what you don’t know is that in addition to weddings and portraits, she’s spent the past several months doing location photography for a coffee-table-type book of scenic pictures showing the beauty of the state of Washington. It’s two of those pictures that’s the cause of all her trouble, starting with Frank James stalking her.”

  Joe jerked upright, his attention riveted on what Reece was saying. “Photographs…she took a picture of something she wasn’t supposed to? Was she trying to blackmail someone?”

  “Slow down, Joe. You’re jumping to a very wrong conclusion. She didn’t have any idea what she had done, what she had accidentally captured on film. She didn’t know why someone would be stalking her. She didn’t even know the identity of her stalker until after I became involved.”

  Reece unfolded the entire story, giving Joe all the details except the information about his cabin and the name and location of his friend who had the backup evidence. “So, that’s what is going on. A photograph of Frank James in an isolated setting being handed an envelope by Mitch Mantee in what appears to be a payoff. Cindy Thatcher is present in one of the photos, and there’s another man in the other photograph with his back to the camera. I’m assuming he’s one of Mitch’s bodyguards.”

  “And the Beretta came directly from Frank’s hand?”

  “Yep, fingerprints still intact on the pistol and most likely on the cartridges in the magazine. It holds eight shots. One of them went off when we struggled for the pistol, and it caught a piece of Frank. I have his blood on my jacket, and I’m sure there’s some blow-back on the barrel of the pistol. I test-fired two more shots, one for you to check out and the other sent out of state to be held as backup security. There are still five cartridges remaining in the magazine.”

  “I want the pistol and the photographs. Where are they? How and when do I get them?”

  “First, I want some guarantees for Brandi’s safety. She’s being stalked by a rogue cop who went so far as to abduct her. That’s pretty heavy duty, especially since she can identify him. But it’s also only her word against his. And now Mitch Mantee is involved. With that, we’re talking the possibility of a professional hit man…if Mitch is aware of what has happened. I question how much of this Frank has actually conveyed to Mitch. For his own safety, he might be trying to contain it and handle it himself, which would explain the stalking and finally the abduction.”

  “A valid point.”

  “As far as court is concerned, the only thing she can testify to that involves Mitch is that she took the photographs in question but had no knowledge of the significance of what she accidentally caught in the background and did not know the identity of any of the people at the time she took the picture. But Frank abducting her is another matter.”

  Joe nodded his head in agreement. “Yes, that’s a different legal problem.”

  “Don’t bother to tell me all the problems. I already know them and so does Brandi. When she tried to report the stalking, the Rocky Shores police dismissed her story and did not make a report. She never had an opportunity to report the abduction, which means there’s no police report on that, either. She wasn’t taken across a state line so there’s nothing federal there. So, it all comes down to what guarantees you can give for her safety.”

  “At this moment, until I check with the Bureau, the only thing I can give you is my personal guarantee that I will do everything I can to keep her safe.”

  The moment of truth had arrived. Everything came down to whether Reece was willing to put his trust in Joe Hodges. He leveled a steady gaze at Joe, then finally reached his hand across the table. His tone of voice left no confusion about his meaning. “Brandi is very important to me. I’m holding you to that promise.”

  Joe accepted his handshake. “You have my word.”

  Reece picked up the bill for their breakfast and handed it to Joe while flashing a teasing grin. “I haven’t found a job yet, so I guess we’re still on your expense account.”

  “If the cost of breakfast gets me a piece of Mitch Mantee, then it’s well worth it.”

  Reece started to stand up, but Joe stopped him. “Hold on. We’re not finished. Where and when do I get the Beretta, the pictures and a formal introduction to Miss Doyle so that she and I can have a for-the-record conversation?”

  “You haven’t told me how you intend to protect Brandi. None of this goes down unless she agrees to trust your word.”

  “As far as the federal case against Mitch Mantee, we’ll take her deposition about the photographs. That should be enough so that she won’t be required to testify in court. The other situation with Frank James is a local matter. However, by being able to tie Frank to Mitch Mantee
, we can extend protection to her. I can put her in a safe house until Frank’s trial.”

  Joe stared at Reece, obviously sorting something through his mind. “You said you struggled with Frank and he caught a piece of a bullet before you took the pistol away from him, that you have his blood on your jacket.”

  “Yes, that’s what happened.”

  “Where did it happen?”

  “Inside Brandi’s house. We had gone there to search through her files to determine what else was missing other than the negatives and prints originally stolen from her files. Frank must have been watching her house in case we returned to complete what we had started the previous night, when he had almost caught us. He entered the house as we were preparing to leave. I struggled with him in her living room. If the wound was a through-and-through, the slug is still somewhere in her house along with his blood.”

  “That ties it all together very neatly…photograph of Frank with Mitch, Brandi’s claim of stalking and abduction by Frank verified by his blood inside her house, the Beretta tied to Frank by more than just your testimony and his fingerprints on the weapon. The recovery of the bullet from her house will verify that. Lots of forensic evidence.”

  “I’ll give you a call after I’ve had an opportunity to discuss all of this with Brandi. I’ll let you know if she agrees to your offer of a safe house and making herself available to you. Either way, I’ll deliver the photographs and the Beretta to you later today.”

  “Agreed.”

  Reece stood up, then paused before leaving. “It really doesn’t seem fair, does it?”

  “What?”

  “Brandi is the innocent bystander who, through no fault of her own, became embroiled in the middle of a nightmare involving a dirty cop and a crime boss, yet she’s the one who will be confined while the bad guys are walking around free. You know something? I’m not so sure she’ll go for that, and speaking for myself, I couldn’t blame her.”

  “You’re right. It’s not fair. I see a lot of things that are not fair in my daily routine.”

  “Don’t worry…you’ll get your evidence. I’ll turn over the Beretta and the pictures either way, but I can’t speak for Brandi.”

  Reece left the coffee shop. Even though he and Joe had come to an agreement, he still didn’t want to be tracked to his cabin. He wanted the location to remain hidden. He pulled the meter from his pocket and checked his vehicle for any tracking devices. When he was satisfied that it was clean, he headed back to his cabin. He kept a watchful eye on his rearview mirror, just in case.

  As soon as he arrived, he sat down with Brandi and related the details of his meeting with Joe. “That’s the deal. Until Joe checks with the Bureau he can’t offer you anything official, but he has given his personal word to see that you’re protected until Frank’s trial. Joe didn’t specifically say so, but I got the impression from him that your involvement in anything having to do directly with Mitch Mantee would be minimal. He indicated that he didn’t believe you would be in any danger from mob reprisal after the fact and that protec tion before the trial would be a formality rather than a necessity.”

  He brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “What do you think? I told Joe I’d call him this afternoon and let him know what you want to do about a safe house.”

  “The only thing that’s really up in the air is whether I present myself, give them a deposition about the photographs and agree to testify if they need me to?”

  “Yes, as far as Mitch Mantee is concerned. Turning over the photographs and the pistol are no longer in question. That has to be done and I agreed to it.” He pulled her into his embrace. “But Frank James is a different matter. The abduction charges, if the prosecution chooses to go ahead with that part of the case, would rely solely on your testimony.”

  She searched his face, finally settling on his eyes. “Do you trust Joe’s word? He did manage to identify me very quickly from nothing more than my first name and having seen me once. Do you think he already knows where this cabin is?”

  “It’s possible…anything is possible. It’s also possible that Frank James has managed to stumble across this, too. As far as trusting Joe, I’ve never known him to go back on his word when it’s been accompanied by his handshake.”

  She took in a deep breath, held it for several seconds, then slowly exhaled. “Apparently our little adventure has come to its conclusion. Call Joe and tell him we’ll both be there. However—” she sucked in a deep breath to settle her rattled nerves “—I won’t be locked away in some safe house where I’ll feel like I’m the one in prison. I can’t live my life that way.”

  “Are you sure? This has to be your decision. I’m willing to testify to my involvement and what I discovered, but this is too critical for me to make the decision for you.”

  She extended a confident smile. “I’m sure. Call Joe.”

  “You won’t be alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  His reassuring words about being with her sent a warm sensation washing through her body. The end was insight, a positive conclusion to a nightmare that was unlike anything she had ever imagined being involved in.

  And the beginning of a new life that included Reece Covington? That was something still to be determined, a subject that she knew she couldn’t broach until everything else was resolved. She watched as he dialed Joe’s number.

  “Joe…Brandi has agreed to do whatever needs to be done, but refused to be shut away in some safe house. We’ll meet you…” He glanced at his watch. It was only eleven o’clock, not even noon yet. He didn’t want to meet with Joe until close to dinner time. “At five o’clock at the same grocery store in Bellevue. I’ll have the pistol and photographs with me.” By waiting until a time when people were going home from work, stopping at the store, the activity level would be higher than mid-afternoon. Should anything go wrong, they would have a better chance of disappearing in a crowd.

  FRANK JAMES PUNCHED THE speed dial button on his phone. The excitement surged through his veins. His words came out machine-gun fast. “I’ve found it. There’s a cabin in the Cascade Mountains, an hour or two from here. The title shows Reece’s mother’s maiden name. Same with the utilities. The only problem with that is that his mother died ten years ago. That has to be where he’s hiding and where he has the Doyle woman. In fact, that’s probably the connection between them. The cabin is very close to where she escaped from my car.”

  “Whoa…slow down, Frank. You’re talking faster than I can keep up with it. You’ve located a cabin a couple of hours from here that appears to actually be owned by Reece regardless of the name on the title and the deed?”

  “Right. That’s got to be where he’s been hiding and where he’s got the Doyle woman stashed. Let’s go get her.”

  “Calm down, Frank. We’re not going to storm the cabin without doing a little reconnaissance first. We have to verify that he’s there. Requisition a police helicopter. Use the excuse that you’re checking a tip from an informant about a drug deal. I’ll meet you at the hangar in an hour. We’ll do a flyover of the area and see if we can spot his vehicle and determine if the cabin is occupied.”

  “I have a map of the area. There’s a fire road directly behind the cabin with easy access to the paved road through that section.”

  “Good. That will give us a place to set down if it comes to that. My preference is to take a couple of your men and quietly sneak in by car rather than the noise of a copter.”

  “I’ll see you in an hour.” Frank disconnected the call, then made arrangements for the helicopter. As soon as everything was arranged, he forced his attention to the report he had been working on. He needed to finish it up before going to the hangar. He worked for a few minutes, but it was no good. He couldn’t focus his attention anywhere other than the possibility of being able to handle Reece Covington again. Resolving his problem with Brandi and her photographs was almost incidental at the moment. The nervous energy took its toll on his composure.

&
nbsp; He had been working almost nonstop on the problem of locating Reece. One way or the other, his nemesis was not going to come out of this alive. Without Reece, the question of his confiscated Beretta wouldn’t come to light. And the last thing he needed was for anyone to know about that little fiasco.

  Especially Mitch Mantee.

  Frank left the police station and drove to the hangar. He checked with the pilot and indicated on the map where the area was that they wanted to check. Then he nervously paced up and down as he waited.

  He looked up to see the man walking through the door. “It’s about time. Let’s go.”

  The two men climbed into the helicopter along with the pilot. A minute later they were in the air and headed toward the mountains. They followed the fire road in from the paved road until Frank pointed toward the ground. “There…that has to be it.”

  He turned toward the pilot. “Can you get around to a place where we can see inside that carport to check it for a vehicle?”

  “I think so, Lieutenant.” He maneuvered to the other side of the cabin, being ever mindful of the tall trees as he descended to a level where the inside of the carport was visible.

  A surge of excitement grabbed Frank James. There it was, the SUV he had finally been able to trace to Reece Covington. “Look…his vehicle in the carport and smoke coming from the chimney.” Mindful of the pilot’s presence, he was careful with his words. “This confirms our tip. Let’s head back.”

  After they landed, the pilot went to the hangar office to fill in his log book. Frank and his most important colleague went to the parking lot, where they could talk in private.

  “Nice job, Frank. Get two of your most trusted men and meet me—” he pointed to a specific coordinate on the map close to Reece’s cabin “—right here at two-thirty. You’ll need to hurry. It’s almost noon now. That doesn’t give you much time.”