On the Scent

by Angela Campbell

  Zach felt his temper wane. Hadn’t he crossed the line himself, with Hannah, a little? He’d never had a problem keeping his mind on business when a woman was involved in it, until her. He shook his head. “Just tell me what the address is.”

  Kellan glanced at his phone and shrugged. “It’s a bank.” He named one not far from where Zach lived.

  The patio door slid open and Costello bounced back into the room and over to Zach.

  Heeeey. It’s so good to see you. Will you feed me now?

  Zach knelt and grabbed hold of the dog’s collar. Costello sure did wiggle a lot for such a chunky mutt. It took Zach twice as long to unclasp Costello’s collar as it had taken him to undo Abbott’s.

  “There’s something here too. What is that?” Zach couldn’t make sense of the series of numbers on Costello’s third tag.

  Kellan reached for it. “I bet it’s a security code.”

  “For what?”

  “Safety deposit box. Katie has one at that same bank. I’ve taken her there to put something in it.” He handed the collar back to Zach. “A code like that, I bet it’s used for a box with extremely valuable contents.”

  Hannah had wandered over and was biting her fingernails. “What’s going on?”

  Zach turned toward her. “I think we could have a lead on this case.” He explained about the collars and asked if she was familiar with the bank.

  She shook her head. “That’s not the bank where she had an account. I can check with Mr. Russell and see if he’s familiar with it.”

  “Go give him a call.”

  He found a pen and wrote down the address and code then had Kellan take pictures of both with his phone.

  “You know what this means, don’t you?” Kellan asked.

  Zach nodded. “These people aren’t after the animals. They want whatever’s in that bank.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Ellie told me those extra tags had something to do with their microchips. I’ve never really looked at them. Why would she lie, Zach?”

  And more, what else had she lied about?

  Hannah meant to break the uncomfortable silence between them, but her question seemed to only add to it. Zach’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel, causing a tiny squeak against the vinyl. She hated it when he morphed into Mr. Macho Bodyguard instead of Mr. Grin and Winky Face. It made her…tense.

  Her lawyer had had no record of a bank account at the facility found on Abbot’s collar. When she’d told him that news, Zach had instructed his men to follow a detailed plan.

  Kellan was to stay at the house with the animals, and E.J. was supposed to follow her and Zach to the bank, keeping an eye out for anyone trailing them. Zach hadn’t said much more to her than “I’m sorry, Hannah. I need you to accompany me. Bring a copy of any official papers you have showing you’re the benefactor of Ellie’s will.”

  So she had, secretly thrilled at the idea of having some alone time with the man after what had happened between them yesterday. Did he remember any of it? If he didn’t, should she remind him, or play it cool and see how things played out? Besides that, there was a tickle of excitement in her gut over solving the mystery of what Ellie had kept hidden at the bank. It didn’t seem logical her elderly patient had left behind more money, but then again, Hannah would’ve never expected Ellie to have had ten million in assets either. So many questions and possibilities swam in her mind, it was an effort to keep them from spilling out.

  Zach, on the other hand, was focused, quietly keeping his attention on the road and the vehicles around them. Not one word had come out of his mouth since they’d entered the car.

  “Zach?” He still hadn’t acknowledged her question.

  He shifted in his seat. “She obviously had some secrets.” He took his eyes off the road to glance at her, briefly. “I wouldn’t take it personally, Hannah.”

  He returned his attention to the cars in front of them, so she sighed and did the same.

  They should have been to the bank already, but they’d gotten trapped in lunchtime traffic. Hannah lifted her phone for about the tenth time, saw no missed calls or urgent text messages from Kellan, and tried to relax. Was this how parents felt the first time they left their children alone with a babysitter? It was all she could do not to call Kellan and ask how things were going.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Zach swore beneath his breath. “Maybe we should’ve waited longer.”

  The bank came into view up ahead and Hannah began scanning for available parking. She recognized the building from a news story she’d seen on television. Supposedly the secret formula for Coca-Cola had long been housed here in a vault.

  Zach parked in a garage across the street and Hannah reached for her door handle. “Hold it,” he barked. “Wait on me.”

  He moved out of the car and rounded the front, his gaze intently sizing up the people walking nearby. He opened her door and reached to help her out. “Let’s be quick about this, okay?”

  She nodded and let him guide her through the bank entrance. He kept her close with a hand on her lower back as they maneuvered their way through the doors.

  “Do you know what to do?” His warm breath tickled her ear. Having him so close was a bit distracting.

  “I think so.”

  “Good.” He pressed her forward toward a glass office designating the bank’s manager.

  There was nothing quick about gaining access to Ellie’s safety deposit box. The bank manager refused to accept Ellie’s death certificate or the estate affidavit naming Hannah as the benefactor of her will. The older man also kept looking at Zach as if he expected Zach to produce a gun and yell, “This is a robbery.” The fact that Zach still sported the hint of a bruise near his eye and kept shifting anxiously probably wasn’t helping their case.

  Hannah finally caught the man’s gaze and explained, “Mr. Collins is my private security.”

  The man did not look convinced. “I will have to check our records. If we don’t have a signature card on file for you, I’d advise you to retain a probate attorney to help you gain access to the box.”

  The manager focused on doing a search on his computer. After several minutes, he asked for Hannah’s driver’s license. He glanced at it carefully before returning it to her.

  “We’ve got your signature on file, Miss Dawson. I’ll need the access code now.”

  He had her signature on file? Seriously?

  She jerked her head toward Zach and began to tell him that it was impossible since she’d never entered this bank before today. If his expression hadn’t signaled her to keep her mouth shut, his fingers squeezing hard on her arm would have done it.

  She reached into her purse for the numbers taken from Costello’s collar. If her voice shook while she read them aloud, no one commented about it.

  A genuinely friendly smile lit up the manager’s face for the first time since he’d introduced himself. “Excellent. Follow me.”

  They followed him to a private room and waited while he retrieved the safety deposit box. When he returned, it was much larger than Hannah had been expecting.

  He sat the eleven-by-fourteen box on the table in front of her. “Would you like some privacy?”

  She exchanged looks with Zach. “Yes, please.”

  “I’ll be outside if you need me.”

  The sound of the door clicking shut seemed somehow ominous. Hannah swallowed. What if she found something awful in the box?

  “Tell me, Mr. Psychic Detective. Do you know what’s in there?”

  He shook his head. “Go ahead. Open it.”

  Her fingers trembled a little as she raised the lid. The box did not contain nearly as much as she’d expected. Two black velvet bags tied with string sat in one corner while a leather-bound journal sat on top of a thick large manila envelope.

  Hannah reached for the journal and realized it was a photo album, filled with old pictures. As she flipped quickly through, three people were featured the most�
�a much younger Ellie, slim with long blond hair, a handsome man often touching or holding her hand, and a second man with short-cropped hair and glasses. Hannah stopped when she glimpsed a wedding photo. Ellie and the handsome man, dressed in wedding attire, posed in front of a church.

  “Ellie was married?” She handed the book to Zach. Ellie had never said one word about a husband, ex or otherwise.

  “It appears so.” He nodded to the box. “What’s in that envelope?”

  She quickly tore it open. “Looks like official documents for Eleanor Nichols.” She flipped through the papers. A birth certificate. Social security card. A passport with numerous stamps. And a wedding certificate. “Eleanor Constance Nichols and Caleb James Lightner. August 10, 1953.”

  Lifting all of the papers from the envelope, she heard a rip and carefully tugged out the papers at the back. Paperclipped together were a clump of old newspaper and magazine clippings from the sixties and seventies.

  London jewel theft remains unsolved.

  The Fox steals legendary diamonds—again!

  Sophisticated jewelry heist stumps New York cops.

  There were at least a dozen more with similar headlines, from various cities around the world.

  “Why would Ellie have these?” Hannah whispered more to herself than Zach, but he answered anyway.

  “I think I might have a good idea.”

  Hannah returned her attention to him and saw that he was holding one of the black velvet bags in one hand. A gasp escaped her lips as a large white diamond poured into his other palm.

  Zach’s gut was knotted. They needed to hurry up and get the hell outta there.

  Hannah must have felt the same, because her steps quickened as they rushed to the car. No sooner had Zach started the vehicle than a voice spoke in his ear.

  “Silver Buick with tinted windows parked at the curb. It hasn’t moved, and no one has gotten out of the car. I dunno, man. Seems fishy.” E.J.’s voice was heightened with excitement.

  Zach spotted the vehicle as he directed his car onto the street. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as he lifted a hand to push to talk on his microphone. “I see it.”

  “What do you want me to do?” E.J. asked.

  “Hang back and keep an eye on it. Did you get the license plate?”

  “Yeah. Kellan’s working on it now.”

  “Good work. We’ll meet you back at Hannah’s.”

  He ended the conversation and directed his truck toward the intersection. The Buick pulled out and followed. “Damn.”

  “What’s wrong?” Hannah asked, turning to look behind them.

  He grabbed her shoulder to keep her from turning fully. “I think we have a tail.”

  “What?” Her voice rose higher, and she clutched the shoulder strap of her seatbelt with one hand. “What do we do?”

  He shook his head. “Nothing. They already know where you live. No use in trying to shake them.”

  “But—”

  “Stay calm,” he urged, taking a different route. The car followed their turns, speeding to keep pace.

  Hannah jerked out her phone and started typing.

  “Who are you texting?”

  “Sarah. I want her to know I’m okay. I haven’t talked to her today.”

  Her tone was calm, but he felt the fear she radiated like a punch in the gut.

  “What should I do about those jewels, Zach?” Hannah’s face was painted with panic as her hands gestured wildly. “Should I call the police? The FBI? Who handles jewelry thefts anyway?” She swallowed hard. “I wonder how much of the money in her will was stolen. I bet I’ll have to give that back too.”

  “Whoah, lady. You’re jumping to conclusions.” He cocked a half smile at her. “Let us get home safely before we determine where those jewels came from. For all you know, Ellie bought them and they’re perfectly legit.”

  “Do you believe that?”

  No. Not at all. He shrugged. “Why not? It could be something that simple.” He nodded to the phone in her hand. “Do me a favor and call Kellan. Put him on speakerphone.” She managed to have him connected in a matter of seconds. “How are the animals?” he asked his associate.

  “Curled up asleep. Everything is clear here.” Kellan grew more serious. “The plates on that Buick are stolen. The cops should be catching up with you guys any second now.”

  Zach had expected as much. Blue lights appeared in the rearview behind the Buick. The other car jerked to the left and disappeared down a side road with a police car in hot pursuit. Zach kept his SUV steadily driving ahead.

  He gave Kellan their estimated time of arrival and told Hannah to end the call.

  If Hannah hadn’t been in the car with him, Zach would’ve been bumper to bumper with the police cars. He’d have liked nothing better than to be there when the cops caught up to the guy who had been terrorizing her for weeks.

  He turned his attention to the woman beside him. She was still clutching her phone so tight her knuckles were white. Anxiety radiated from her like heat—or maybe it was because he was so good at reading people that he felt it. He jerked his head sideways, scanning the left side of the road, trying to ignore the insane urge he felt to reach out and cover her hand with his.

  His awareness of her as a woman was becoming a problem. He knew that. He didn’t know what the hell to do about it.

  “Do you think the police will catch them?” She was calm and almost normal again. Thatta girl.

  “Eventually.” That knotted feeling had loosened in his gut, but it was still there. “Don’t worry, Hannah. You’ll be safe soon.”

  “Promise?” Her voice was tinged with laughter, as if she were aiming to lighten the mood. When he glanced in her direction, he caught the shine of the tears she was trying hard to hold back.

  Dammit. There was only so much a man could take. His fingers reached across the seat and covered hers. “Damn straight I do.” He’d see to it, one way or another.

  Hannah managed to hold it together until she excused herself to her bathroom at home. She hated crying. She hadn’t cried at Ellie’s funeral—she’d waited until she was alone at night to weep for her lost friend. She hadn’t cried the night someone had broken into her house and scared the hell out of her. She hadn’t shed a tear when Eric had told her he’d made a mistake and couldn’t marry her. She’d saved all those emotions for when no one was around to see her fall apart.

  All it took this time was for her cat to jump on the counter beside the sink, where she stood trembling and trying to pull it together. Abbott, bless his furry little soul, actually jumped up and put his paws on her shoulders as if he were asking Hey, are you okay?

  Hugging the cat, she collapsed to the floor sobbing. Abbot gave a screech and shot away from her as if his tune had quickly changed to Hey, are you crazy or what? And who could blame him?

  Why had Ellie chosen her? She wasn’t cut out for this. Oh, Lord, Ellie. What if the older woman had somehow stolen those diamonds? What if her entire fortune was a fraud? She felt a sting of betrayal, wondering if she’d even known the sweet elderly lady she’d come to view as a surrogate grandmother. She’d thought they had a special friendship. She’d thought—

  Hannah tried to wipe away the tears, but it was no use. More flooded after them. If she had to give back all of the money, what would that mean for Sarah and her mom, not to mention all of the debt Hannah had managed to escape?

  Costello drove his head against her arm.

  “Don’t worry, Costello.” She sniffed. “No matter what happens, I’ll take care of you. You and Abbott are the only family I have.”

  She buried her face in his fur and sobbed some more. He was such a good dog when he wanted to be.

  And then he ruined the moment by wiggling out of her hold, jumping up, and humping her shoulder.

  “Hannah?”

  Oh, no, no, no. The sound of Zach’s voice was like another stab in the heart. She didn’t want him, of all people, to see her like this. Crying. H
opeless. And being humped by her ridiculous dog.

  “M’okay,” she murmured and pushed her hands against Costello’s fur to jostle him loose. “I need a few minutes please.”

  She heard Zach move but didn’t realize he’d actually stepped into the bathroom until she felt the brush of his body against her side. Strong hands gripped and turned her into him, and she realized he’d actually lowered to the floor beside her. His arm curved around her and pressed her close. She sank her face into his chest and curled her fingers into his shirt with a force that should have torn it from him but didn’t.

  “Go ahead and let it out.” He was so gentle and kind. “You’ve been through a lot, Hannah. You shouldn’t keep it all bottled up inside.”

  “But—”

  “No back talk. You’re scaring the animals. Abbott was a nervous wreck when he came and told me you were—” His sentence was interrupted by an awkward chuckle. “Well, never mind. They love you, you know that, right?”

  She sniffed and glanced to where Abbott paced anxiously, his back arched as he brushed against the cabinet door, his tail stuck straight in the air. “I love them too.”

  “And we’re all gonna get through this.”

  She nodded against him, but the tears refused to stop. She lost track of time as she clung to him and cried, neither of them saying another word. This was so humiliating. Hannah hated herself for falling apart. Pulling away, she sniffed and tried to force a smile. “I’m okay now.”

  The gentle touch of Zach’s thumb wiping away a tear was so tender, it made her heart ache. What would her life be like if she had someone like him in it? Someone to make her laugh, caress away her tears, kiss her?

  Her eyes met his, and she saw unmistakable desire glittering in their cobalt-blue depths. She wanted him closer, needed to feel wanted in return, for a few minutes. She reached up and touched his dark hair, pleased by the silky texture, and wondered if she dared let her fingers trail lower.

  “Hannah.” Her name was a whisper as he leaned closer. She held her breath until his lips met hers. So warm. So soft. With skilled ease, he coaxed her to open for him, exploring her mouth, hot and greedy. Gah, she needed this. It had been so long. Too long.