Fugitive Pursuit

  He shrugged. “Yeah. I’ll fill you in on my good road trip after dinner.”

  “All right, then. We’ll call you when the food’s ready.” She turned and walked to the kitchen.

  Greta had already started picking up the random pieces of cereal dropped on the table. “The stuffed shells are almost done.”

  Jamie grabbed silverware from the drawer by the oven. “Good. I’m hungry.”

  As she wiped off and set the table, her niece’s laughter drifted down the hallway. Again, she smiled. “Charlotte’s teaching Zack how to color in the lines.”

  “Sounds like they’re having fun.” Greta grabbed plates out of the dishwasher.

  “With all Charlotte’s been through, I was a little worried about introducing them.” She began setting the table. “But he’s turning out to be a good influence.”

  “For both Charlotte and you.” Greta bumped her shoulder.

  “Don’t start, Greta.”

  Her friend walked to the oven. “Okay, but consider one more thing and then I’ll leave you alone.” No, she wouldn’t. Jamie rolled her eyes. Greta was like a puppy with a new toy. She didn’t know when to let go.

  “Yes?” Jamie waited until her friend served the cheesy pasta, then took two of the plates to the table.

  Greta set the other two down on the place mats. “What if you’re exactly what he needs, too?” She gave Jamie’s elbow a gentle squeeze as she slid by and wandered down the hall.

  Could she be? There was no denying she enjoyed the times with him when they spoke of real life instead of Drew. Plus, she loved laughing with him and learning whatever she could about him. And she couldn’t forget the kiss. She wrapped her arms around herself and brought back the memory of how his mouth felt covering hers, how much comfort and adventure she tasted in his lips.

  So many wishes and hopes, some from when she was a little girl, rushed through her head. As she’d thought before, Zack Owen might be her protector, her partner, but she wanted him for so much more.

  “Crazy thoughts,” she whispered.

  But were they? Zack had become a special part of her life in such a short time, and their connection intensified each day. Was Zack’s presence in her life to let her know God had finally forgiven her for not being there for Erin? Did He deem her worthy of His blessing again now that she fought to protect Charlotte and bring Drew down?

  Her niece’s laughter rushed down the hallway along with Greta and Zack’s conversation.

  After a stop in the bathroom to wash their hands, her niece guided Zack to a chair at the table. Once everyone was seated, Charlotte asked, “Greta, can I say grace?”

  “Sure can, kiddo.”

  Her niece prayed? Jamie glanced at Greta, who shrugged sheepishly. “We’ve been worried about you.”

  Charlotte grabbed Jamie’s hand and then Zack’s. Greta joined in the hand-holding. “Dear God, thank You for bringing my auntie back even if it’s just for a little while. Thank You, too, for Zack, who’s doing a great job helping Auntie Jamie.”

  As Charlotte continued her prayer, Jamie peeked over her niece’s head at Zack. He winked at her and his smile broadened. They sat there, quiet, together, strengthening a bond she’d never expected to share.

  Was she good enough?

  “And don’t forget my daddy. He needs Your love more than any of us. Okay, that’s all for now. Amen.”

  “Sweetie, you pray for your father?” Jamie would pray he got shot during a fight with a criminal, or he ran into traffic when he chased a fugitive.

  “Uh-huh.” Charlotte brushed her bangs from her forehead. “Even though he’s mean sometimes, he still deserves God’s love.”

  Silence engulfed the room as all the adults stilled. The man had ruined part of Charlotte’s life, yet she remained positive about him. Tears stung the corners of Jamie’s eyes as she leaned down and kissed her niece on the cheek. “You are such a special little girl.”

  “I know.” She sat up straight and grinned.

  “Let’s eat!” Zack slapped his hands together before diving into his meal.

  * * *

  Once they’d finished supper, Charlotte helped Greta clean up while Zack sat with Jamie on the living room couch. The excited chatter of the six-year-old blended in with the sound of the flowing water and the clanking of dishes. Jamie grabbed a pen and the journal from her backpack.

  “Okay, what can you tell me?” Jamie’s determined, all-business, fugitive expression replaced the playful, carefree aunt one.

  To be truthful, Zack mourned the loss.

  “Zack?” Jamie waved her hand in front of his face. “You with me?”

  “Yeah.” He shifted forward and draped his forearms over his thighs. “Copeland was a great help. He claims the amount of crystal meth he was arrested for having was way more than he actually had.”

  “Which means someone’s lying.”

  Zack nodded slowly. “He was quick to add the arresting lawmen gave him a choice. He could basically become their gopher, doing whatever they needed whenever they needed it.”

  “Or?”

  “Go to jail.”

  She tapped the pen against the cover of the journal. “Who arrested him?”

  “Want to take a guess?” From the tightness in her jaw, he was pretty sure she already knew.

  Jamie tossed up both hands. “Drew and George?”

  “Bingo. Copeland went on to say when he refused the side job, Linden planted a lot more of the drug and set the wheels in motion for Copeland to be sent to prison for possession with intent to sell. Once I—”

  Jamie held her palm up. “Hold on.”

  Zack remained quiet while Jamie jotted notes on a new page of the journal. “Okay, continue,” she directed.

  “Once I left the prison, I started thinking about how we could get this corroborated. So I called Jessa to get one of my partners to look into Copeland. In the meantime, Parker went to interview the family of a different guy on the list your sister left you. He called me back as soon as he left the apartment. He asked point-blank how much of a drug addict the man had been. The widow said she was surprised when the deputies stated how little meth was in his car. She said he’d been an addict most of his life and she knew the amount of meth the deputy claimed he had wouldn’t have done much for him.”

  “Who arrested him?”

  “Linden. The guy was released and, get this, Timmins became like a mentor to him until the day he died...of a drug overdose.”

  Jamie tapped the pen on her lips as she thought. The air conditioner kicked on. “So drugs were placed in Beth’s car, all ten men on Erin’s list were either arrested for drug possession or are involved in drug-free programs.” She drew little boxes on the edge of the journal page.

  “Don’t forget the warehouse.” Where he’d been helpless to stop Timmins from hurting her.

  Let it go.

  “Right.” She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Just like Charlotte did. With a hint of a smile, Zack glanced toward the kitchen, where the little girl continued talking. Poor Greta must be exhausted.

  Jamie covered her face with her hands as a yawn passed through her. “I wish I could find something besides circumstantial evidence to connect Drew to all of this illegal activity. Then we’d have enough to go straight to the state police.”

  “Let’s look at the pictures again. We have a lot more information.” While she searched her backpack, he shifted Greta’s Bible and one of Charlotte’s dolls to the side of the coffee table. “Maybe something else will jump out at us.”

  She handed half the pile of photographs to him. “Some of my personal pictures might be mixed in with Erin and Beth’s since we’ve had everything in my backpack. Just put them on the side.” As she sifted through her own handful, she set some in a pile and the rest she laid out one by one on the table.


  The faucet in the kitchen turned off. Although he couldn’t make out Greta’s words, he could hear her speaking to Charlotte.

  Most of the photos were of Jamie’s brother-in-law with various men, some who looked familiar and some he’d never seen before. Zack stilled when he came to the next photo. Jamie and Charlotte had on fancy, flowery dresses. Waves crashed behind them. The wind lifted Jamie’s hair, which was several inches longer than it was now. She kept hold of her niece’s hand and they both had wide, carefree smiles. To say she looked beautiful would be an understatement. “Wow.”

  “What?” She inched closer, her thigh bumping his. “Did you find an incriminating one?” She leaned over and tugged on the picture. “Oh, I forgot I had this one. We were down on Blue Shutters Beach. It was Mother’s Day two years ago. I took Erin and Charlotte out for lunch.”

  He almost thought to tuck the photograph away in his pocket when she wasn’t looking. Going back to business, Jamie set several other personal pictures in the pile on the table. “Do you think it was Beth or your sister who took all the pictures in their investigation?”

  “Beth, for sure. Erin wouldn’t have had the courage to spy this closely on Drew.” Sadness covered her face. “I never knew my sister had relied on Beth for so much.” Her hand shook as she brushed her fingertips across another photo with Charlotte and Erin. “Maybe I could’ve...” Tears dripped down Jamie’s cheeks.

  Zack wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You did what you could for her and you’re protecting her daughter. No one can ask for more.”

  “If I had answered the call instead of sitting there laughing and joking with my friends, she could still be alive.”

  A lightbulb went on his head. So guilt was the cause of her fierce determination. Now he understood. But the guilt had no right to rip her apart from inside. He cupped her chin and brushed another set of tears away. “Jamie, you are not responsible for your sister’s death. Timmins is.”

  “But I turned my back on her.” She sniffled and dropped a few more tears.

  The crying cut into his heart. “No, you didn’t. You took a vacation with friends. Erin wouldn’t want you to blame yourself.” He pressed his mouth to hers and tasted the salty mixture of her tears. “You need to find a way to forgive yourself.”

  “I don’t know, Zack.” She shook her head.

  “Jamie, you’re beautiful, you’re kindhearted, you’re selfless and you deserve your own happiness as much as anyone else.” He bent his head and covered her mouth with his own. The tenderness of her lips ignited his insides and opened one of the last chinks of chain link he’d wrapped around his heart. Time stood still. Her fingers drifted down his neck and settled on his chest. He caressed the back of her head. Yes, they’d kissed before, but this one was different. Longer, more intense, desperate, a shift in their relationship. Hopefully as much for her as for him.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement. Greta cleared her throat. “Guys.”

  As though guilty of wrongdoing, Jamie pulled out of his hold and swiped her fingers over her face. Zack didn’t care if Greta caught him kissing Jamie. She needed solace and he wanted to be there for her.

  Okay, maybe he hadn’t needed to kiss her. Twice.

  Greta smiled. Yep, the woman had witnessed at least the end of the kiss. “Charlotte’s getting a drink, then she’ll be in here with you. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Got it.” As her cheeks grew red, Jamie kept her gaze glued to the coffee table.

  While Greta walked down the hall, Charlotte skipped into the living room with a juice box in one hand and the ever-faithful elephant in the other. “Whatcha doing?”

  “Looking at pictures,” Zack explained as the little one snuggled in between him and Jamie. The scent of generic kiddie shampoo drifted up to his nose.

  She glanced at the next picture Jamie set down, one of Hampton Waterfront Complex. “Ooh!” Charlotte’s eyes grew wide as saucers. The biggest smile he’d seen on her took over her face. “Can we go back there? It was fun.”

  Jamie frowned. “In here?” She pointed to the warehouse she and Zack had broken into. In this picture, Timmins and another man stood by the door.

  “No, silly. We went to the park across the water. I remember ’cause the scary ride is right there.” She pointed to the roller-coaster tracks in the right corner of the photo. “Daddy didn’t make me go on the scary rides.” Suddenly her mouth curved into an O. Uneasiness crept into her face. “Uh-oh.”

  “What’s wrong, sweet pea?” Zack asked.

  She sucked on the straw of her juice box. “I’m not supposed to tell.”

  Jamie and Zack locked gazes. “If he hurt her...” she said barely above a whisper.

  Zack held up his hand, then shifted so his face was in front of Charlotte. “Sweet pea, your dad has made a lot of bad choices. Telling you to keep secrets is one of them. Your aunt and I need you to be honest more today than any other day so far in your life.”

  She refused to look at him. Her grip on the elephant tightened.

  Zack tucked a finger under her chin and made her meet his gaze. “Charlotte, what would your mom say?”

  “Mommy would say listen to you because you’re friends with my auntie, who knows everything.”

  “Well, maybe not everything.” Zack smiled as he looked over the kid’s head to catch Jamie’s reaction.

  She pursed her lips but couldn’t hold the look. She, too, grinned. “Go on, Charlotte.”

  “Daddy took me to the park one day. But we had to stop at that building first. I stayed in the car. Daddy and Mr. George took something out of the trunk. It was big because they’re really strong and it took both of them to lift.”

  Jamie took the little girl’s hands in her own. “Did you see what it was?”

  “No.” Her pigtails bounced with the shake of her head.

  “What did they do with it?” He kept his voice casual.

  “Daddy had told me not to move from my seat, but I turned around and saw they put it on the ground on this side of this building.” She pointed to the same area he and Jamie had parked in. “Then there was a big splash in the water. Mr. George got mad and yelled at Daddy, then Daddy came back in the car. He made me promise not to tell we came here. It was scary. His eyes got really little and his voice sounded mean. I promised. Then he took me to the park.”

  A secret stop. Linden arguing with Timmins. A big, heavy item they lifted from the trunk and dumped in Narragansett Bay. He sat up straight. “Do you think we’ve figured out what happened to Beth?”

  “I need to go back to the waterfront.” Jamie hastily gathered the pictures she’d spread out between them on the table.

  “No, we don’t. We need to let the state police handle everything from here on out.”

  She stopped cold with the pictures clenched in her hands. “This could be the nail in the coffin for Drew.”

  Charlotte scratched her head. “Aren’t coffins for dead people?”

  “Yes, sweet pea.”

  “If we’re right, this is proof he’s not fit to be a parent, let alone the sheriff. I need to find the evidence.” When she spoke, she almost spit nails. Once she opened her backpack, she shoved the pictures inside.

  “How do you expect to find it? Are you planning to jump in the bay and swim down to find what the men dropped in the water?”

  “I don’t know. We could search for any other clues around the premises to prove Drew’s involvement with the crates. We could see if anyone from the neighboring businesses has anything to say, maybe about what they might’ve seen.”

  “It’s nighttime. They’re closed.”

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “Jamie...” In this discussion, it wasn’t hard for him to remain professional. His direction was based on common sense, which she had clearly lost.

 
“Then we could investigate ourselves, see if Drew or any of his men are there tonight getting busy with their second job.” As though she’d decided her next move, she nodded.

  Tension simmered between them. Why was she being difficult all of a sudden? Was she overwhelmed? Feeling the overload of guilt? He tried to keep his voice calm. “Let the police handle it.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she stood.

  He stood up next to her. “Do you remember what happened the first time we went? Don’t be reckless.” Wasn’t it his job to keep her from doing something she’d regret? He had to keep her safe. “You won’t be able to do anything until tomorrow.”

  “Then what about your family? Will they go down there?”

  “Tonight? No.” Good grief. “What’s happened to your brain?”

  Charlotte stepped back. Greta appeared at the hallway entrance. She remained quiet. Worry filled her and the kid’s expressions.

  Jamie pressed her palm over her heart. “I’m going down there.” Her voice grew louder.

  When she turned to leave the room, he grabbed her wrist. “No, you’re not.”

  “Let go of me.” She pulled her hand, but he tightened his hold.

  “Nothing’s going to change through the night. Tomorrow morning is soon enough.”

  “Zack.” She tugged her wrist harder. “Remove your hand. You’re hurting me.”

  “No.” But he did loosen his hold immediately.

  Charlotte barged forward and pounded her tiny fists against Zack’s thigh and arm. “Let Auntie Jamie go!” Her pigtails did their own kind of dance. “Don’t you be mean to her!”

  What in the world? Zack released Jamie. Raising his arms, he stared down at the pint-size person.

  Jamie pulled her niece away from him and wrapped her arms around the kid. “It’s okay, sweetie. I’m all right.”

  Of course. The kid had been traumatized by watching her father argue with and abuse her mother for years. Zack should’ve remembered that. But they knew he’d never hurt Jamie. Right? “Yeah, you’re okay. It’s me. Now let your niece go and sit back down so I can finish telling you why you’re wrong.” He reached forward.