She had to do this. She had to talk to Cat.
Picking up her pace, she hurried to the police station.
She wasn’t betraying Ethan’s trust for the sake of sparing him pain. She was acting out of common sense and her duty as a nurse. If this madman or madmen who were out to find Anna were determined to cast their gruesome net far enough to encompass Ethan and Daisy, Leah had no choice but to take every precaution she could to prevent that from happening.
Adrenaline pumping, she soon hurried through the station parking lot and up the steps into the station.
She approached the desk and the sergeant on duty looked up. “Well, hello, Miss Dixon. What can we do for you this evening?”
“Hi. I need to speak with DI Garrett. It’s urgent.”
He frowned and stood. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. It doesn’t concern me. Well, not directly. I need to speak to her about Ethan James and Anna Holt.”
His eyes showed his recognition of the names. “I see. Wait there. I’ll be straight back.”
Leah paced the small lobby, the flyers pinned to the gray walls and the harsh fluorescent lighting above her blurring and stinging her eyes. She wrapped her arms closely around herself, her gaze darting back and forth from the walls to the front doors as though Ethan might appear at any moment.
A side door opened and Leah turned.
Inspector Garrett stood on the threshold. “Leah, Miss Dixon, won’t you come through?”
Taking a strengthening breath, Leah uncrossed her arms and followed the inspector through the hubbub of the station and into her corner office.
DI Garrett shut the door and gestured for Leah to sit down, before she rounded her desk and took her own seat. “I’m glad to see you. I was becoming concerned you wouldn’t come in to make a statement.”
Tension held Leah stiff on the edge of the chair as she pulled the envelope from her pocket and held it out. “I was on my way here when I opened this. A man left it at the hospital for me early this morning.”
The inspector took the envelope, her gaze on Leah’s. “This morning?”
“Yes. I put it in my pocket and completely forgot about it until the end of my shift. It’s pictures. More pictures. This time of Ethan, his ex-wife and daughter.”
DI Garrett scanned the photos, her brow furrowed. Leah tapped her foot against the floor as she waited.
The inspector looked up. “I’d hazard a guess these were taken on a phone rather than a camera like the previous pictures. I’ll have them checked out, but you need to know that nothing useful was lifted from the other photographs, and I’m not sure we’ll get anything from these, either.” She laid the pictures on her desk and leaned forward. “Have you spoken to either Mr. James or Miss Holt since yesterday?”
Leah’s cheeks grew warm at the realization she had no choice but to confess that Ethan had spent the entire night at her home. She briefly closed her eyes before opening them again. “I’ve seen Mr. James, yes. He...spent the night at my place.”
Surprise flashed in the inspector’s gaze before disappearing. “I see. And you’ve spoken to him since? He knows about the new pictures?”
“No.” Leah’s cheeks burned hotter. “He thinks, with everything else going on in his life right now, that it would be better for us not to see each other for a while.”
“And how do you feel about that?”
“Fine.” She forced a shrug. “All this nastiness is centered around his ex-wife and also involves his daughter. I understand why he wouldn’t want any further complications and I respect his wishes.”
“I agree that distance is for the best, considering it’s clear these people aren’t going to give up until they have certainty of Miss Holt’s silence. How much do you know about what has been going on?”
“Pretty much everything, as far as I know.”
“Do you know Miss Holt chose to leave town this morning?”
Leah frowned. “But Ethan said you found her somewhere safe to stay while she figures out what she wants to do next.”
“I did, but she chose to return to Bristol. I have no authority to keep her here. However, now that we have more pictures, I’ll need to speak with both her and Mr. James again. I’m no longer comfortable with the Bristol constabulary being kept out of this.” She picked up the photographs again, looked at each one in turn before lifting her gaze. “These were delivered to the hospital?”
“Yes.”
“Then we can’t rule out that you could be of interest to this person or persons. Is there somewhere you can stay so you aren’t alone? I’d be happier if you were in company for the time being.”
“Leave my home because of an invisible threat? You know that’s not me. I understand what you’re saying, but—”
“Leah...” The inspector’s green eyes darkened with warning. “This is serious. The people threatening Miss Holt could be exceedingly dangerous. If they’re in the Cove—”
“We don’t know that they are. Someone other than these thugs could’ve delivered that envelope. Anyone desperate enough for money would deliver a few envelopes. They might not even know what’s in them.”
“True, and my first instruction to my team will be to go to the hospital and check the closed-circuit TV to see if we can get a look at whoever delivered them. But I’ll still be happier knowing you aren’t alone. Mr. James’s daughter is at his mother’s, but after receiving this picture of her leaving, I’ll contact Mr. James to ensure everything is okay with his mother and daughter. That’s not going to be a nice call to make, and I’d rather not have you to add to my list of emergencies right now.”
Leah squirmed slightly under the inspector’s glare and the authoritative tone of her voice. She sighed. “I guess I could stay with Tanya for a few nights.”
“Tanya Todd? Good. Why don’t you call her while I give these pictures to a couple of uniformed officers? I don’t want to waste any more time.”
“When will you call Ethan?”
The inspector rose and came around the desk. “The minute I get back. By then, I’ll expect you to have confirmation that you’ll be safely sleeping in Tanya’s spare room tonight.”
DI Garrett left the office and Leah chewed her bottom lip as she stared after her. The people after Anna had cast their net wider, and now Leah had no choice but to drag her best friend’s sister and her fiancé into the equation, too.
She pulled her phone from her bag and dialed Tanya’s number.
“Hi, Leah. What’s up?”
Leah slumped back in her chair. “I need a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Can I sleep in your spare room for a couple of nights?”
“Are you okay?”
“I need a place to stay where DI Garrett can be persuaded that I’m safe.”
“DI Garrett? What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain when I get to your place. Will Liam mind?”
“Of course not. Pack a bag and get yourself over here. I’m meeting Carrie for a drink at the Coast in an hour or so. You can come with us.”
Leah closed her eyes. “A drink sounds great.”
“Good. See you soon.”
Ending the call, Leah opened her eyes and dropped her phone into her bag. How had her already manic life gotten so much crazier so quickly? Her mind filled with Daisy’s pretty face, and tears burned behind her eyelids. The little girl had brought her into the company of one of the nicest and most attractive men she’d ever met, and now they were all separated and no doubt afraid.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
MENTALLY EXHAUSTED, ETHAN shut down his laptop and leaned back in his chair. He’d barely managed more than a thousand words in the last three hours, and he didn’t doubt for a minute those words would be deleted when he reread them in
the morning. He glanced at the calendar pinned to the corkboard above his desk.
Just three weeks remained before his latest book was due for delivery to his editor. Maybe, with everything going on, it would be a good idea to call and ask about the possibility of an extension. The book wasn’t near crisis point yet, but if things weren’t sorted out with Anna as quickly as possible, it soon would be.
Why the hell had she chosen to go back to Bristol instead of cooperating with the police? It may have taken him some time to speak with them, but once he had, he’d accepted that Leah had been right to push him in that direction.
Instead, Anna continued to consider only how the situation affected her. Not for one moment did she give a thought to Daisy.
His doorbell sounded through the house and Ethan looked at his watch. Just past nine. Who would be calling on him at this time of night?
He walked downstairs and flicked on the porch light before opening the door.
“DI Garrett.” His surprise was quickly replaced with concern for Daisy. “Is everything all right?”
Her serious gaze held his as she flicked her dark red hair over her shoulder. “Can I come in?”
Sickness gripped him. “Is it Daisy? Anna?” He swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat. “Leah?”
“Leah is fine. She left the station not long ago. As far as I know, Miss Holt is okay, too, but she isn’t answering her phone. I was hoping you might have spoken to her again since this morning.”
“And Daisy? Please tell me you haven’t had reason to hear from my mother.”
“No. May I come in?”
He stepped back and gestured with a wave for her to enter the house. “I haven’t spoken to Anna since this morning. You know I went to Jordon House?”
“Yes. I called there before coming here. I hoped Anna might have left some clue as to what she was going to do once she returned to Bristol.” She stepped inside. “Unfortunately, she left fewer details with them than she did with me.”
“Once Anna makes her mind up about something, nothing and no one will deter her. Do you want coffee?”
“Thank you.”
With his mind whirling with possible scenarios of what could warrant the inspector coming to his home so late in the evening, Ethan led the way into the kitchen. Walking to the counter, he switched on the kettle. “So, what can I do for you?”
She sat at his kitchen table, her gaze somber. “Leah Dixon came by the station earlier with some more photographs. It seems that the people who wish, at best, to speak with Miss Holt or, at worst, hurt her are in the Cove. Whether they’ll disappear once they realize she’s returned to Bristol remains to be seen, but I’m not willing to wait around doing nothing. I want to be sure there is no danger to the people I have a duty to protect.”
Why hadn’t Leah called him about the pictures? Clearly, she thought he could do nothing to protect her. Yet what had he done to prove otherwise? He’d certainly failed to ensure she didn’t become a target. “What, or who, were the pictures of?”
“They were of you and Miss Holt.” She held his gaze. “One had your face scratched out. And another of you and your daughter entering the train station.”
“What?” Ethan’s dread veered to anger. “They’re taking pictures of my daughter? They’re threatening her?”
“I don’t know, and that’s why I’m here. The pictures are under analysis in the hope we can lift a print or some other DNA, but I need you to check that everything is okay with your mother and daughter. I can get an officer stationed outside your mother’s house, if necessary. Where does she live?”
“St. Marks, which is miles from here.”
“Regardless of the distance, I would rather arrange for a police presence.”
“Of course.” He pushed his hand into his hair. “Damn it, I didn’t want my mother knowing the severity of the situation. All she knows is that Anna turned up here asking for money. I haven’t told her about the threats. She’s keeping Daisy for a few days until I know what Anna is up to. It will send my mother into a panic if she thinks Daisy is in danger.”
“I understand that, but I’m sure she will also agree to whatever it takes to keep her granddaughter safe. You really need to let her know what is going on.”
Ethan couldn’t believe what was happening. He’d never forgive Anna for getting mixed up with these people. He pushed himself away from the counter. “I’ll get my phone.”
He sprinted upstairs and snatched his phone from his desk, punching in his mother’s number as he descended the stairs.
She picked up as he reentered the kitchen. “Hello, sweetheart. This is a surprise.”
“Hi, Mum. I have DI Garrett here. There’s been some...” He met the inspector’s gaze. “...further trouble.”
“The police are with you? Are you hurt? What’s happened?”
He turned his back to the inspector. “I wasn’t entirely straight with you when I said Anna had turned up. She’s in trouble, and it looks as though the trouble has followed her to the Cove.”
“What has the woman done now?”
“She’s gotten herself mixed up with some bad people and witnessed something they want her to keep quiet about.”
“Something like what? A murder?”
“You really need to stop watching so much TV. It’s bad, but not as bad as that. These people are sending photographs of me, Daisy and...Leah. The woman I told you about. Whether they mean to do anything, I don’t know, but I have to know Daisy is safe.”
“Of course. What do you need me to do? Shall I bring her home?”
“No, she needs to stay with you.” He met the inspector’s impatient gaze. “DI Garrett is going to contact the police in St. Marks and get an officer stationed outside your house until these people are under arrest. There’s nothing you need to do but keep Daisy inside and safe.”
“A police officer? Outside my home? Oh, Ethan, I don’t like the sound of this at all.”
“Everything will be all right. Anna has gone back to Bristol. Sooner or later, she’ll have sense and go to the police there, where she can give evidence and be protected. Until she makes the sensible choice, we need to look after ourselves. Okay?”
“Yes. Okay. Fine. Daisy’s fast asleep in my bed. I think I’ll go up and lie right down beside her.”
“You do that. I’ll let you know when an officer is on his way.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Ethan ended the call and put the phone on the counter. He looked at DI Garrett. “Now what?”
“You make the coffee you promised me and I’ll phone St. Marks. After that, I’ll need you to fill me in on your and Miss Holt’s history. Including everything that’s happened since she turned up here a couple of weeks ago.”
“What about Leah Dixon? Does she have an officer stationed outside her home, too?”
The inspector’s gaze softened. “No, but she’s staying with friends. The latest pictures weren’t of her, and I’m quietly confident she isn’t the perpetrators’ focus. You and Daisy are, because you’re so closely connected to Miss Holt. As long as Leah isn’t alone, she’s safe. Let me call the St. Marks police so we can be sure of the same for your mum and daughter. What’s your mother’s address?”
Ethan gave the inspector the information. His inability to take matters into his own hands when he had no idea who these people were, or where to look for them, twisted like a knife inside him. The inspector’s voice could hardly be heard over the roar of blood in his ears as she talked on the phone.
Ethan had known Leah a matter of weeks and now she was mixed up in something that was not her doing. He clenched his jaw. Why should she ever speak to him again?
He had to do something.
He couldn’t just sit at home a
nd let the inspector take care of everything. He had an ex-wife who’d been beaten up, a mother and daughter under police protection, and a onetime lover threatened so seriously that she couldn’t be alone in her own home.
The minute DI Garrett left, he would get in his car and find Leah.
* * *
LEAH SIPPED HER second glass of white wine, enjoying its crispness as it glided down her throat and washed away some of her tension. The Coast Inn was as busy as usual and she welcomed the relative safety of being cocooned in a back booth alongside Tanya and Carrie.
She glanced at her friends as they chatted, longing for the company of her best friend, Sasha, too. The frightening situation she was in would no doubt ignite her kick-ass friend to leap into her usual impulsive action, and Sasha would succeed in ending the invisible threat herself.
Just once, she wished her background had made her strong, like Sasha’s had her. Not willing to stand around, doing nothing when something meant so much to her, Sasha had fought and won her battle to make the town’s fairground hers.
Her friend had taken on adversities that were dangerous and unpredictable, bravely fighting to regain what belonged to her...and only her.
Instead Leah had thrown herself into the false belief that as long as she cared enough, nurtured enough, the people who came into the ER, whom she’d come to know personally, would be happy and safe. That as long as she could do as much as humanly possible, her success or failure would not have a deep, long-lasting, emotional effect on her.
She was a fool. Even with everything she had seen in the ER, situations arose that were out of her control, out of the authorities’ control.
“Hey.” Carrie touched her arm. “You okay?”
Leah blinked and faced her, forcing a smile. “Sure.” She took another sip of her drink. “I’m just thinking about Sasha.”
Tanya frowned, concern shadowing her brown eyes. “Why don’t you call her? Ask if she can hurry up that visit she mentioned? Seems to me you need all the friends you can get around you right now.” She touched Leah’s arm. “I’m worried about you. I’ve never seen you so wrapped up with a guy like this. I’d be happy for you if you’d smiled once since I’ve seen you, but you haven’t.”
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