The Pursuit of Lies, A Romantic Suspense Novel (Book #4, Paradise Valley Mysteries)

by Debra Burroughs

  “Tell you what,” she said, “why don’t we go to my house to wait for Charlie’s call? It’ll be a lot more comfortable—and private. Sitting on the edge of this bed is making my back hurt.”

  Chapter 19

  Colin and Emily followed Marlene’s voice to the kitchen to let her know he was going with Emily to her house for the evening. They found Marlene sitting at the breakfast table knitting a red scarf with an instruction book laid open on the table.

  “Purl one, knit two. Purl one, knit two.” She was apparently trying to learn to knit from the book and spoke each instruction aloud.

  “Marlene, I’m going over Emily’s, so you don’t need to make dinner for me.”

  “Oops, you messed me up.” She wrinkled up her nose at him.

  “Sorry.”

  “Did you take your medicine?” she asked.

  “Yes, Mother.” Colin bent low and kissed her on her plump cheek.

  “Thank you for lunch, Marlene,” Emily said.

  “You’re welcome, dear. Have a good time.” She waved a hand in the air as they walked out, and she went back to her knitting.

  ~*~

  “Let’s take your shirt off. Then lay down on the sofa and I’ll massage your back.” Emily gestured toward the cushions. On the drive home, she had promised him a back massage and she was happy to deliver.

  He unbuttoned his shirt and she pushed it off his shoulders. Then she helped him off with his t-shirt, gingerly pulling it over the bandages around his torso and up over his head. He threw the shirts on the coffee table, and cupped her face in his hands.

  She smiled up at him and laid one hand over his. “What are you thinking?”

  His eyes were serious and searching. “I love you, Emily Parker.” He lowered his face to hers and kissed her. His hands moved from her face to her back, trapping her hands against his bare chest.

  His lips moved to her neck, grazing, exploring—sending chill bumps over her body. “I’m so sorry, Emily,” he whispered into her ear.

  “Sorry for what?” He was stirring something inside her—she could hardly think.

  “Sorry for putting you through all of this.” His pained voice was barely more than a whisper.

  She pulled back and gazed up at him. “It’s not your fault.”

  “I know, but it is because of something I did, something this maniac is blaming me for. It’s bad enough that someone is coming after me,” Colin said, his eyes becoming moist, “I hate that he’s sucking you into this too. How do I protect you when I can hardly protect myself?”

  She laid her head against his chest. “We’ll figure this out together.”

  “I love you, Emily. No matter what happens, I want you to know that.”

  Emily tilted her head back again and looked into his brooding eyes. “I love you, too.”

  His lips came to meet hers and he kissed her again, this time softly, with a tenderness that made her tremble. Then he pressed his cheek against her temple and began to hum and sway.

  Emily recognized the song and started humming along with him, their bodies moving in tandem. Shutting the whole world out for a few precious moments, she found safety and peace in his arms. “You remembered,” Emily cooed. It was their song they were humming, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”

  “Of course.”

  “It seems like ages ago that we danced like this.” She realized her voice sounded hauntingly sad.

  “I know.” He pulled her closer.

  “It feels good.”

  “I can’t wait to be through with this whole mess so I can marry you, make you my wife.”

  “Mrs. Emily Andrews.” She sighed and closed her eyes as they continued to slow dance to the music they alone heard. “As long as we both shall live.”

  ~*~

  Their intimate moment was cut short by the sound of Colin’s phone ringing. Emily took a reluctant step back as he dug it out of his pants pocket.

  He quickly peeked at the screen before answering. “It’s Charlie.”

  Emily lit up with anticipation.

  “Hello, this is Colin.”

  Emily could hear the caller’s voice emanating from the phone, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying.

  “That’s good,” Colin said with a slight nod.

  She wished she could hear what Charlie Spencer was telling him.

  “He does? When?” Colin paused as the other party spoke, pitching a serious gaze beyond Emily as he listened.

  “I don’t know if I can do that.” He glanced pensively at Emily and their eyes met.

  The caller continued to speak and Colin’s gaze fell to the floor. “Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you back in a little while.” He clicked off the phone and stuffed it back down in his pocket.

  “What’s happening?” Emily’s hands went palms up as she glared at him with anticipation.

  “Charlie said he found Bruce Younger. He started up an online company in the city and claims he checks in every other week with his parole officer.”

  “And?” she pressed.

  “Bruce is willing to talk, but he says he won’t speak to anyone but me…and it has to be in person.”

  “Why can’t Charlie question him? Find out if he could be the one who framed you?”

  “It’s not like he can haul Bruce into the station and interrogate him—Charlie has nothing to do with this case. And as far as the Boise police are concerned, they have their prime suspect so they’re not going to lift a finger to help us try to point at someone else.”

  “Did Charlie at least find out if the guy has an alibi for the night of the murder?”

  “Charlie claims the man won’t say anything until he meets with me.”

  “But you can’t leave the state without jeopardizing your bail.”

  “I know—that’s the problem.”

  “I could go,” she offered. “Maybe take Ernie or Alex with me.”

  Emily stepped toward Colin and he opened his arms to draw her in. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, which was still stripped bare to the waist.

  “No,” he kissed the top of her head and held her close. “Bruce was adamant that he’d only talk to me—in person.”

  “Then we’ll have to make that happen.”

  ~*~

  “How does this look?” Colin asked, standing in front of Emily’s bathroom mirror, pulling a short curly auburn wig down over his own hair.

  She grabbed it near his temples and adjusted it into place. “If we’re going to pull this off, we can’t look like circus clowns.” Handing him a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and a small brown mustache, she looked at his reflection in the mirror. “Not bad. Try on the mustache.”

  Emily had put a long blonde wig on, layered with loose flowing curls and fringe bangs. With all the cameras stationed at every possible place, she didn’t want either of them to be placed outside of the state.

  “What about your car?” Colin asked, pressing the mustache above his top lip. “We can’t have traffic cams picking up your license plate.”

  “I already thought of that. While you ran into your apartment to grab a change of clothes, I phoned Peter. He’s meeting us outside of town at eight, where Robinson Road crosses the highway. We’ll swap cars until we get back.”

  Colin’s head whipped toward her. “Peter knows?”

  “Yes, and Maggie too.” Emily stuck her large gold hoop earrings in her ears.

  “Is that wise?”

  “When you were arrested, he offered to help me with anything I needed in exchange for an exclusive story.” She fluffed her fake hair. “Well, I need his rental car.”

  “You think Maggie will keep this to herself?”

  “She swore she would. She knows telling anyone could get Peter in a lot of trouble, so I think she will.”

  “What about Camille? Won’t she be suspicious too?”

  “I’ll leave that up to Peter. She won’t want to get her brother in any hot water, so if h
e has to tell her, I trust she’ll keep her mouth shut.”

  “And Jonathan?” Colin stroked his mustache and appeared to marvel at it in the mirror.

  “He’s out of town on business.”

  “I get it now—the red wig for me, the long blonde wig for you. We’re Peter and Maggie.” He smiled at his reflection.

  “Very good,” Emily praised as she patted him on the behind before walking back to the closet.

  “Should we tell Alex?” Colin slid the glasses on and studied his reflection.

  “I’m not sure. I know he’ll say not to go, but then there is that attorney-client privilege clause.” Emily noticed Colin admiring his handiwork in the mirror and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. “It’s probably best to leave him out of it for now.”

  Colin turned around and leaned his hips back against the bathroom counter, folding his arms over his chest. “I didn’t know you had all this stuff, Babe.”

  “Well, in my line of work I need a closet full of disguises. Luckily these work.” She dug through the shelves and drawers and came out with a canvas bag full of hats and sunglasses. “We can use these tomorrow.” She pulled the canvas bag open to show him briefly before walking into her bedroom. “Now all I need to do is pack a bag with our change of clothes and we’re ready to go.”

  He pushed off from the counter and followed her into the bedroom. “I’ll need to let Ernie know I won’t be home tonight so he doesn’t come looking for me.”

  Emily got down on her hands and knees and pulled a small piece of luggage out from under her bed. “You can call him from the road.” She laid the suitcase open on the comforter.

  “Who would have known when I first met you at Isabel’s and you had just taken on your first case that it would come to this?” His voice turned melancholy.

  She stepped toward him. “Don’t worry.” Lacing her arms loosely around his waist, being careful of his wound, she peered up into his pensive eyes. “We’ll get through this.”

  He hugged her and she felt him wince.

  “Sometimes I wonder.” His gaze drifted off toward the window. “Whoever it is that set me up for this murder has done a bang up-job of it.”

  “Hey, look at me.” Emily placed her hands on his cheeks and drew his face down until he was looking into her eyes. “We’ll go to San Francisco, stop by your mom and dad’s, then meet with Bruce Younger and your detective friend. We’ll figure out if this Younger guy could be the killer, and you’ll be back here before you’re missed.”

  “What if it’s just another dead end?” Fear glistened in his eyes and his voice was raw. He buried his face in her shoulder and squeezed her tighter.

  The sting of empathy tore through Emily’s heart like a razor. She had wondered how long it would take for her strong and brave man to hit the proverbial wall. The shock of the surprise arrest, his having to fight to survive in jail, and after that, recovering from emergency surgery—they had all seemed to help him keep his mind somewhat distracted from his possible death sentence. When he had discussed the prospective suspects, it was as if it were just another case—not his own life hanging in the balance.

  But now, in this moment, the stark reality of what it meant to face a murder charge and all that came with it, seemed to be sinking in—especially being charged with a crime he swore he didn’t commit.

  And perhaps his medications were wearing off, leaving him with a painfully heightened sense of awareness. She’d have to help him stay positive and make sure he took more meds before they left and packed the rest for the trip.

  Not one to give up, Emily was determined not to let him sink into despair. She grabbed him by the upper arms and pushed him off her shoulder with a shake. “You listen to me, Colin Andrews, we can do this.”

  He tried to look away, but she grabbed him by his chin and forced him to look her in the eyes. “We’re going to find this nefarious Mr. X and prove he’s the murderer—not you—one way or the other. Do you hear me?”

  Chapter 20

  After phoning Ernie and telling him not to wait up for him, Colin and Emily hit the road, meeting Peter as planned. The dark country road was only lit by the highway lights half a mile away, with no cameras in sight. Peter came alone, giving Maggie deniability in case they were found out.

  “You two look like me and Maggie,” Peter laughed.

  “That’s the idea,” Emily replied.

  “When do you plan on being back?” Peter asked.

  “Early Friday morning,” Colin replied. “Just a quick down and back, hopefully before anyone notices we’re gone.”

  “Be safe, you two.” Peter shook Colin’s hand. “Let me know when you return.” He climbed in Emily’s Volvo and drove off.

  Emily slid in behind the wheel of Peter’s rental car, a late model white Honda Accord, not that different from her own automobile. Colin scooted into the passenger seat and strapped his seatbelt on.

  “Ready?” Emily asked, glancing over to him, his face barely lit from the glow of the instrument panel. She would take the first four-hour shift driving while Colin slept off his pain meds.

  “Ready.” He grinned at her, looking so odd in his auburn wig and mustache. He reclined his seat and closed his eyes.

  She started the engine and they were off.

  It would be a long twelve-hour drive, first through the pitch-black desert, then over the dark mountains. Emily estimated they would drop down out of the Sierras, into the Sacramento Valley, about the time the sun would be coming up over California. They should reach his parents’ home about eight a.m., just in time for breakfast.

  They hadn’t dared to call them and let them know their son was coming for a visit in case the Boise police had obtained permission to tap his phone, and maybe even his parents’, to bolster their case. It wasn’t likely, but the possibility was always there and they couldn’t take the chance.

  Colin had even left his cell phone at Emily’s house so he couldn’t be tracked by GPS. It didn’t matter if they tracked Emily’s phone—she wasn’t the one who had been forbidden to leave the state.

  She glanced over at Colin, sleeping with his jacket spread over his chest and arms like a blanket. What a sight they would be when his mom opened the front door—him in his brownish-red wig and mustache and her in the long flowing blonde one. She shook her head at the thought. What a way to be introduced to your prospective in-laws.

  In the middle of nowhere in the Nevada desert, the four-hour mark passed. Emily decided to drive on another hour to the town of Winnemucca before waking Colin to take over. As she pulled into the small city around one a.m., the only signs of life were the handful of gambling casinos that dotted the main street and a well-lit twenty-four-hour gas station with wide bays catering to the many long-distance truckers that traveled that route.

  Emily swung the car into a parking spot at the gas station’s convenience store and turned the engine off.

  “Colin.” She shook his arm lightly. “Colin, wake up.”

  He mumbled something to her and shifted in his seat.

  “Time to switch places.” She shook him again, but he wouldn’t wake up. Her eyes were beginning to get drowsy and she had hoped for some relief, but she figured with his pain meds he was probably in a deep sleep. It wouldn’t be safe for him to drive like that, so she decided she’d continue.

  First, she’d need to make a pit stop in the ladies room and get herself an energy drink, then she’d be good to drive for a few more hours. It was probably best to let him drive the last four hours anyway, since he was familiar with the busy California freeways and driving into San Francisco.

  ~*~

  After being behind the wheel for three more hours, they were now on a highway skirting the north shore of Lake Tahoe. The clock in the dash read four twelve. She could see a gas station brightly lit on a frontage road up ahead and took the next off ramp.

  “Colin.” Emily shook his shoulder. “Colin, wake up.” She pulled up on the shadowy side of the gas stat
ion building that had a small convenience store. “Time to take over the driving.”

  He straightened in his reclined seat and pulled it into an upright position. “Already?” He rubbed his eyes and looked around. “Where are we?”

  “North Lake Tahoe.”

  “You’ve been driving for eight hours?”

  “Nine.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me after four?”

  “I tried but you wouldn’t wake up, so I kept going.”

  “I’m sorry,” Colin said, rubbing his hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to sleep so long.”

  “No worries. You can drive the rest of the way.”

  He peered over at the gas gauge in the dash. “Looks like we’ll need to fill up the car, and I need to take a bathroom break.”

  “You’ll have to watch out for the video cameras,” Emily warned, reaching into her bulky leather purse sitting on the console. She pulled out the faux glasses and handed them to him. “These will help, but try to avoid looking into the cameras anyway.”

  “I think I know the drill.”

  Emily backed the car out of the darkened space beside the building and pulled up to one of the gas pumps. “If you’ll fill the tank, I’ll use the restroom first, then pay for the gas with cash.”

  “See if you can find something for us to eat and drink,” he suggested. “It’s probably best if I stay away from the cameras near the cash register.”

  Before long, they took care of business and were back on the road.

  The sun was breaking over the mountains behind them as they trekked across the Sacramento Valley toward the coast, reaching the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Area freeways just in time for the heavy commuter traffic.

  After a little more than an hour, they pulled up in front of the Andrews’ house, a white stucco two-story over a two-car garage crammed in the middle of a row of similar old homes that lined both sides of the street. Beyond a tall black wrought-iron gate, a long set of covered concrete steps ran up the left side of the garage to the front door. Black shutters flanked the large picture window perched over the garage.

  The clock in the dashboard read eight forty-six. Emily stuck her slim laptop in her oversized handbag before they got out of the car and slowly climbed the stairs to the front door.