Undercover Protector

by Melinda Di Lorenzo

  He squinted. “Where?”

  “Here.” She didn’t let his hand go as she pulled him farther in.

  Though he couldn’t see what she was doing, he did hear the click right before the six-by-six room filled with a yellow light. Sure enough, a thin piece of brown string hung down from a single ceiling-mounted bulb. It held his attention for only a moment, though, because of Nadine’s sharply indrawn breath.

  “That’s it,” she said, her gaze fixed on one corner of the room.

  He lifted his eyes to follow her stare. A smallish box sat on the floor, its polished wood exterior eerily catching the light. Nadine’s fingers tightened around his hand.

  “Hey,” he said gently. “Your brother left it here for you to find. That’s a good thing.”

  Her exhale bounced off the metal walls. “You think so?”

  “I know so.”

  “Should we open it?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Okay.”

  It was his turn to give her a little tug, and after the briefest stall, she walked with him to the jewelry box.

  “You have the envelope?” she asked.

  “Yep.” He released her to dig into his pocket so he could hand it over.

  She smiled, then sat on the concrete floor and pulled the box into her lap. Anderson crouched down beside her, watching as she opened the lid, then lifted a false bottom and tilted it so he could see the keyhole in the bottom. It wasn’t a particularly clever or secretive design, and he couldn’t help but wonder why her father would use it in the first place and why her brother would continue.

  “The box is wood on the outside, but metal on the inside,” Nadine explained, clearly reading his doubtful expression. “Steel encased in blown plastic, actually.”

  “Like a safe.”

  “Yes. The same stuff they use to make the little fireproof home safes. For important documents. My dad told me that when he gave it to me. I thought it was cool. A little funny. But it never occurred to me that it might be all that important.”

  “Well, I guess we’re about to find out just how important it really is.”

  “Yes.”

  She turned her attention back to the jewelry box. She slid the key free from the envelope, then fit it into the lock. A firm turn made the mechanism inside click, and the false bottom popped up. Nadine pulled it open the rest of the way and pulled out something small and rectangular.

  “It’s a USB stick.”

  She held it out and Anderson took it. He frowned. For some reason, he’d been expecting some conclusive piece of evidence. A USB stick could hold anything. Photos. Files. Personal notes.

  “I know it’s stating the obvious,” he said, “but we’re going to need a computer.”

  Nadine didn’t acknowledge his words; instead, she spoke in a slightly strained voice. “There’s something else in here, Anderson.”

  She made no move to pick up whatever it was, so he put his own hand in the box. What he drew out was a folded piece of note card addressed to Nadine.

  “That’s my brother’s handwriting,” she told him.

  “Do you want me to read it aloud?”

  “Please.”

  Anderson lifted the top half of the card. “It says, ‘If you’re reading this, the news for me is probably bad. I wanted to keep you safe. Always. You’re on your own now, so you’ll have to use the pictures on this stick to do it yourself. Love, T.’”

  Nadine inhaled and nodded. “You’re right.”

  “About what?”

  “We need a computer.” She pushed to her feet. “I’ve got one at my apartment, but I guess it’s probably not safe to go there. So we’ll have to buy a new one. Of course, there aren’t any big-box stores in town. Oh. But there’s a guy who has an electronics repair shop that sells refurbished stuff. The only problem is that it’s on Main Street. Not exactly an unobtrusive location.”

  He stood up, too. “Nadine.”

  “Yes?”

  “Just hang on for a second. We can talk about this.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about. We really do need to figure out what’s on that USB stick.” She turned toward the door.

  He took her by the elbow and spun her back. “The note.”

  “I can’t change anything in it,” she said.

  “I need you to know something.”

  “What?”

  “Your brother was wrong.”

  “He was?”

  “Definitely, sweetheart. He said you were alone. But I promise you, you’re not. And you won’t ever be, so long as I have anything to say about it.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me,” Anderson said back. “It’s as selfish as it is selfless. Because I’m the one who’s going to keep you company.”

  “Stalking me again?” she joked.

  “Maybe a little.”

  She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. “Good. Should we go?”

  “Yeah.”

  Anderson waited until they’d rolled the door back into place, thanked Hank Henderson for his time and pulled back out onto the road before speaking again. He knew Nadine wouldn’t like what he had to say.

  “Spit it out,” she ordered as soon as he’d brought the truck up to the speed limit.

  “What?”

  “I can tell you’re trying to work up to saying something. So you might as well just say it.”

  He sighed. “I think I should probably make the computer pickup on my own.”

  “Didn’t you just say I’d never be alone again?” she countered.

  “I didn’t mean that literally. And if you’re trying to goad me into taking you with me, it won’t work. No matter how hard you try.”

  “So what’s your plan, then? You’re going to dump me off at the hotel and hope Garibaldi’s men don’t figure out that I’m there?”

  “No. That’s not any better than parking on Main Street and strolling into the computer place together.”

  He strummed the steering wheel with his thumbs. Truthfully, he didn’t have a concrete plan yet. They needed the computer, but he needed her to stay safe even more.

  They drove on for a few more blocks before Nadine spoke up. “There’s a pie place.”

  “A what?”

  “A pie place. It’s a tourist hot spot. Even when the season’s just starting, like it is now, it’s packed full of people. It’s a block over from Main Street. Parking is behind a private fence.”

  “Very public.”

  “Too public to do anything violent without drawing a lot of attention.”

  He considered it for a second. She’d be close. A one-minute walk. And she was right—the shield of a crowd would likely keep Garibaldi and his men at bay. He and his partners were sure that in spite of the man’s various criminal enterprises, he was doing his damnedest to fly under the radar. Garibaldi had something bigger to protect.

  “It might not be ideal,” Nadine added, interrupting his thoughts. “But I think it’s the only thing that’ll make both of us happy.”

  Anderson grunted. “I’m not sure happy is the right word in this case.”

  “Adequately satisfied?”

  “How about inadequately satisfied?”

  “How about a compromise both of us can live with?”

  He sighed. “Okay. I’ll agree to that last one. But only because I can’t get away with winding you up in bubble wrap and stashing you away somewhere.”

  “Funny.”

  “Whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

  “Short of bubble wrap.”

  “Exactly.”

  He slid his hand from the steering wheel to her thigh, and he gave her a squeeze. “I do like these pants better than plastic.”

  “Anderson?”

  “Ye
ah?”

  “You may want to rewatch some of those romantic movies you like so much. Because that is the worst compliment I’ve ever received.”

  He laughed and pressed his fingers to her thigh again before bringing his hand back to the steering wheel. For a few seconds, his mood stayed light. The closer they got to Main Street, though, the more it darkened. And by the time they’d reached the pie shop, he was just about ready to pull the plug.

  He angled the truck into the last gravel parking space and turned to Nadine without unlocking the doors. “Maybe we can find a different way to retrieve the pictures from the USB stick.”

  “Like what? Have it couriered to your guy—Harley?—and wait for him to get back to us? That would take at least two days.”

  “That’s not unreasonable.”

  “Yes. It is. I don’t want to wait. I don’t think we should wait. And on top of that...the pictures are mine. They’re the only link I have left to my brother and my dad.”

  “They’re a blackmail bargaining chip, Nadine. Not a legacy.”

  “It’s the same thing in this case,” she argued. “And even if you don’t agree, the time factor’s just too much of a risk. I don’t want to spend the next two days hiding out while we wait.”

  “It might not be all bad.” He shot her his best suggestive smile.

  It earned him a laugh. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be. But I’m still not willing to wait. I’ll see you in a few minutes, okay?”

  She leaned over and gave him the quickest kiss in the world, then jumped out and ran up to the crowded little café. Anderson watched her disappear, apprehension growing the moment he couldn’t see her anymore. Suppressing a frustrated growl, he swung open his own door and resolved to be the fastest computer purchaser in the world.

  Chapter 10

  Nadine forced herself not to turn around and look at Anderson as she stepped into the pie shop. She could feel his eyes on her, and she didn’t trust herself to meet his gaze. She was afraid that if she did, her resolve would crumble. She’d dive straight into his arms, hand over the USB stick and agree to stay locked in the honeymoon suite for as long it took for someone else to retrieve the pictures.

  Not all bad, he’d said.

  But the heat that flowed through her when she thought about being alone with him in the room at the lodge told her that “not bad” wouldn’t even come close. Between the oversize spa tub, the huge bed and the potential for chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne, they’d have more than enough to distract them from everything else. Which was an even bigger reason not to give in to the urge. She wanted to focus on the case. She knew Anderson did, too.

  Of course, two days isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, pointed out a little voice in her head.

  She made her feet stay planted. Anderson hadn’t spent the last fifteen years hunting Garibaldi just to turn his back on it now. Not even in the short term. She refused to be the reason for letting that happen. She’d get a coffee. A slice of pie. And then she’d dive back into helping him get what they both wanted—to see the man answer for his past crimes and be barred from committing more in the future.

  Resolve in place once more, she moved a little farther into the café. But she no sooner got into the line than a tap on the shoulder just about made her jump.

  “Nadine Spencer, right?”

  She took a steadying breath and turned slowly to face the questioner, a forced smile on her face as she corrected, “Nadine Stuart.”

  A plump brunette about her own age smiled back. “Right! Sorry. I’ve got a million things going on, but I still should’ve got that right.”

  “Have we met?”

  “Yes. Or, no, I guess. Not officially. I’m Tegan’s mom. She’s in third grade at Whispering Woods Elementary, so I was at the meeting a few weeks back when the principal introduced you.”

  “Well. It’s nice to meet you, Tegan’s mom.”

  The brunette laughed. “Oh. Sorry. Bad habit. I’ve been introducing myself that way for eight years. I’m Liz Redford. In addition to being Tegan’s mom, I’m also a person. That last bit is a reminder for me, not you.”

  Nadine couldn’t help but laugh. “Doubly nice to meet you, then. It’s nice to talk to other humans now and then.”

  “Speaking of which...” The other woman nodded forward. “I think it’s your turn.”

  Nadine smiled again and turned her attention to the kid behind the counter. “Two slices of the cherry. To go, please.”

  “Eight-fifty,” said the kid.

  It wasn’t until she reached for her purse that she realized she had a problem. No purse. No money. With her face already flaming, she glanced around. There were at least five people within hearing distance.

  Just another thing to draw unwanted attention.

  But as she opened her mouth to mumble a retraction of the order, Liz Redford piped up again.

  “Here,” the other woman said. “My treat. To welcome you to Whispering Woods Elementary.”

  Nadine didn’t argue. “Thank you.”

  She moved aside as Liz paid for her order and gave her own. Shooting the brunette another grateful look and another mumble of thanks, she excused herself and tried to sneak away. The other woman followed, still smiling.

  “So...” she said. “Cherry pie from the Pie Shack. Who can resist it?”

  “No one in their right mind.” Nadine scanned the parking lot for Anderson while trying not to look obvious. “It’s one of the things I missed the whole time I was away from Whispering Woods.”

  “It’s one of the reasons I’m glad I moved here.”

  “You’re new in town?”

  “A year now. Sometimes it feels like forever. Especially with the amount of work I’ve had to put in at the store. Thank goodness for Jesse Garibaldi. I don’t know where I’d be without him.”

  Nadine’s eyes jerked to the other woman. “What?”

  “He’s my landlord. For both work and home. My daughter and I live in that row of houses with the converted main floors? My store is downstairs and our apartment is above. I lease the whole thing from Jesse Garibaldi. The man is practically a saint. He gave me a huge break on the first few months’ rent while I did the renovations.”

  “What did Garibaldi ask you for?” Nadine replied before she could stop herself.

  Liz blinked. “What?”

  Nadine tried to smile again, but it felt wooden. “That sounded different than I meant it. I just heard from a friend that Garibaldi exchanges favors.”

  “Oh. I don’t know if I’d call it a favor, but Jesse did ask me to stock some high-priced art for him.”

  “Art?”

  “Mmm. That’s what I sell at my store. Handmade items, mostly. But I don’t mind the bigger pieces from Jesse. He has regular buyers and just takes the standard commission. So if it is a favor, I’m guessing it benefits me more than him.”

  “That’s great for you, then, right?”

  “Keeps me in business anyway.”

  Nadine frowned. She felt like there was something significant in what the other woman had just said. But whatever it was, it was just out of reach. Like the buried memories from the day her dad died.

  “What about you?” Liz asked. “You’re out for pie. Does that mean you’re back in business, too?”

  “Um.”

  “The principal sent around an email about the car accident. I can’t imagine how terrible that must’ve been.”

  Nadine started to say that she was fine, then stopped herself as her mind leaped from one thing to another. Her accident was public knowledge. So was her stay in the care facility. People who saw her would naturally ask how she was and when she’d been released. But she hadn’t been released. In fact, she’d disappeared completely. And right in the middle of an evacuation, as well.

  Shouldn’t th
at have triggered an investigation of some kind? Or at least a phone call?

  She didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to her before. Or why it hadn’t occurred to Anderson.

  Dammit.

  “Ms. Stuart? Are you all right?” Liz Redford placed a gentle hand on her elbow. “Do you need to sit down?”

  Nadine cleared her throat. “No. I’m fine. Really.”

  “Sorry for prying.”

  “It’s all right. You’re not prying. If I wanted to stay incognito, I should’ve worn a disguise,” she said as lightly as she could manage.

  But her eyes flicked nervously around the pie shop.

  How many people would know her by sight? Until the accident that killed Officer Delta, she’d been very careful to keep her knowledge about Garibaldi’s illegal activity a secret. All of the amateur investigating she’d done—before figuring out that Reggie Frost and Brayden Maxwell were on the right side—had been done covertly. Under the cover of night and from behind a black hoodie. During the day, she’d just been an old resident, returning home to take a job. A smiling schoolteacher whose reasons for being in Whispering Woods were fully explainable. Now, though, she couldn’t walk around like she knew nothing.

  Coming into a public place was a mistake.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?” Liz asked.

  “Yes. I’m—” Relief flooded through her as she spied Anderson outside. “I’m sorry. My ride is here. I’ve gotta get going. It’s always nice to meet a parent.”

  “Nice to meet you, too. Come by the shop sometime. Liz’s Lovely Things.”

  “Thanks. I’ll check it out.”

  Nadine clutched the pie tightly and hurried out to Anderson.

  * * *

  Anderson could tell something was wrong the second Nadine stepped out of the pie shop. Her face was pale, and she was all but crushing the white box she held in her hands.

  “Hey,” he greeted. “Is everything—”

  “Let’s just get back to the hotel.” She brushed by him and moved toward the truck, then swung open the door and climbed in. “You coming?”

  He eyed the café for a second before turning his attention back to Nadine.

  “Please,” she said.