She needed to move fast. Jake would receive an alert if she crossed a motion detector. Yes, she needed a ride home, but not from him. Not from the man who lied over and over to her face.
She switched on the light and picked up the phone. No dial tone. Clicking the button a couple of times was useless.
Pain soared through her arm, and she glanced down. An angry gash greeted her. Blood oozed. Lightheaded, Lily crept into the main room in search of the roll of paper towels that were on the counter.
Like a beacon, there they were. Untouched. She ripped off a sheet and applied pressure to her wound as well as to covered the sight of blood. She couldn’t afford to faint now.
A blur of black ran by the front window. Lily gasped not expecting anyone to be strolling about. Instinct warned her to disappear into the shadows. Whoever ran passed came back and inspected the space. The figure dressed in all black head to toe wore a winter ski mask, covering his or her face.
If the culprit went around back, he or she could come in through the broken window. Only one way out. Lily had to climb up. The attic.
Chapter 29
The attic storage space was her escape plan. She’d make her way through to the opening of her shop. Then drop down, pray she didn’t break a leg or other appendage, and call Denis for help. All she needed was the ladder Jake stored against the wall, a clean towel to wrap around her arm, and the flashlight on the shelf next to her head.
The person out front had vanished. Lily stole the ladder from its resting place as silently as possible and opened the legs underneath the entrance to the attic. Metal creaked in violent protest.
A different noise from outside the office startled her. Forget the towel. Lily groaned as she dragged her jacket back over her cut. She slipped the flashlight into her jacket pocket. She had seconds before the person reached her.
Lily hauled herself up the ladder, punched at the jammed wood of the attic’s entrance until the opening gave way, and squeezed through the hole. Someone groaned and made a ruckus in the office. He or she was in.
Lily’s heart thundered against her chest. Her best bet was to knock over the ladder, close the attic door, and hope the culprit wouldn’t realize she was in the attic. Too late now. The sound of the crashing ladder would confirm she was in the shop.
She froze, scared to even breathe. Silence was her friend right now. Maybe he or she would believe Lily had left the way she came in. Her palms grew sweaty and her heart continued to pound into her chest as she slipped the wood door back in place. Her pulse slammed into her ears. Afraid she would hyperventilate, she drew in slow, deep breaths as she strained to listen.
Heavy footsteps pounded the laminate floor. Paint cans knocked off shelves. The person opened and closed the bathroom door. Then nothing. Lily began to shake uncontrollably. Please don’t come up here. Lily clutched the flashlight, prepared to use as a weapon.
The front door opened and banged shut. Seconds turned into minutes. When Lily heard no more noises, she knew she had to make her move now. Staying holed up in the attic the rest of the night and waiting for first light occurred to her, but the chief and Aunt Bee would be consumed with worry. Plus, she might freeze to death. She had no choice but to manage through the tight storage space and find her way through to her section.
She flicked on the flashlight and aimed the beam in front of her. Besides old, rusty crab traps, fishing rods, and boxes that contained unwanted tackle supplies, the only things separating her pretty wedding stuff from decaying fish smell was a thin plywood wall. Not for long if she had her way. This attic space would belong to her family soon enough.
Getting her bearings, she loomed forward and pushed a heavy wilting cardboard box out of her way. Behind the dusty box lay another, and she slid the container across. Expecting to learn another blocked her way, she crouched back on her heels when a newer carton caught her attention. She ran her hand over the flat two by three-foot rectangular plastic surface. No dust. She tilted the light in a one-hundred-eight-degree angle around. A few more square plastic boxes appeared out of place.
In an uncoordinated hold of the flashlight between her chin and neck, she lifted herself up as tall as she could without banging her head on the roof and aimed the light on the rectangular box. A latch with string gave easy access to whatever hid inside. Before she opened it, she knew its contents were unrelated to fishing.
Lily reached in, her stomach in knots, her hands shaking more from raw excitement than the cold. Someone had taken great care to preserve the precious item from water damage. She lifted out a painting protected in bubble wrap. Claire’s painting. The one Sam stole. How did that get here? Only Jake and Claire had access to the attic.
Claire must have killed Sam because he stole her painting. She found and hid the painting, and planned on collecting the insurance. With double the money, she could leave her husband. She killed Haley because she found out. No matter how upset Lily was with Jake, she knew he would never cover up a crime, even for a client. Jake must be in danger too.
The front door thumped open. Lily gasped and almost dropped the painting. She forced herself to remain silent as she collected the flashlight from under her chin. She shut off the light and listened. Someone ran to the office, then searched the bathroom. Lily held her breath.
“Lily! Are you in here?” Jake’s voice echoed through the attic in eeriness.
Lily let out her breath, never so happy to hear from a familiar soul in her life. She rubbed her dirty hands. He lied to her, and yes, she was angry. But fearing for her life trumped pride. No sense wallowing in anger and disappointment.
Cautious, because once again having seen too many crime shows, she wanted to make sure he was alone and someone didn’t have a gun pressed to the back of his head, she turned on the light and crept toward the attic door and peered down. Jake paced back and forth. His phone buzzed, and he clamped the device to his ear.
“She had to be here, Chief. The window in my office is busted, and I found the tire iron from Mary’s car. And Chief, there’s a bloody paper towel. Lily might be hurt. I promise I won’t give up until I find her.” Jake’s words flew out in a New York rush.
“Jake! I’m okay,” Lily called from the ceiling.
Jake’s hand soared to his gun. He directed the weapon and gazed up. “Geez! I could have shot you! Why are you up there? Never mind, I can guess. Are you okay?” A thousand emotions spewed out along with his words.
Lily could hear the chief’s voice shouting through the phone. “Tell him I’m okay. You’ve got to come up here.”
“She’s fine, Chief. I’ll fill you in later.” Jake’s voice sounded stronger and more confidant.
As he climbed up the ladder, Lily pushed boxes out of the way to make room for him. The last step rattled before he filled in the space next to her.
She pointed to the painting. “Look.”
He studied the picture, moving his hands over the wrap to peer at the hidden treasure. “Wow. It was here the whole time.”
“There’s more.” Lily moved the light to show him the other plastic boxes. She gave him the tool so he could see better, then hugged herself for warmth.
“Here.” He tore off his hoodie sweatshirt and handed her the jacket. “Put this on. You must be freezing.”
She didn’t attempt to argue because her chattering teeth would have given her away. The soft fleece squeezed over her thin jacket. Warmth enveloped her, and she sighed with happiness as Jake flipped the covers off the boxes.
“Holy cow. We hit the mother lode.” He showed Lily a glittering red bauble highlighted in a pricy jewel box. “Ruby, I’m guessing. And these must be the matching earrings.” He passed a velvet box to Lily too. Neither one mentioned what Lily knew they were both thinking. The jewels belonged to Haley’s mother.
After a few minutes Jake did a qu
ick inventory, and then they climbed out of the chilly uninsulated attic.
“I found a bloody paper towel.”
Adrenaline had enabled her to forget the gash. “Cut my arm on the window.”
“Let me take a look at your injury.” Jake got the chair from the office for Lily to rest and then he called the chief. As he examined her angry wound, he informed the chief of their find and promised not to leave until he got there. The chief was sending the EMTs for Lily.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t move,” Jake ordered. He flicked on the store lights before he jogged outside to his truck and came back with a blanket, first-aid kit, and a coffee thermos.
He handed her the mug. “Daisy gave the chief and me coffee to go. Dinner got cancelled because of the lighthouse thing, and I went down there to assist. I didn’t have a chance to take a sip, but the coffee’s hot.”
The steaming liquid tasted like nectar as the coffee warmed her inside. She welcomed the black bitterness in spite of her usual selection of cream and a dash of sugar. She sighed. “Ah, thank you.”
Jake grinned at her while he held up her arm and studied her bleeding wound. “You need stitches. I’ll do what I can to clean it up and try to stop the bleeding. The EMTs should be here soon.”
She winced when he applied pressure with clean gauze from the kit. “Sorry,” he said, his voice dropping a sexy octave. Something stirred in her stomach, and it wasn’t the coffee. She bit down on her lip as her body betrayed her mind, and he continued to dress her wound.
“This might sting.” He wiped a disinfectant on the skin around the cut.
Her eyes opened wide at the burning sensation. Much as the contact was painful and couldn’t be avoided, his presence comforted her. Who was she kidding? No matter how angry she was at him, she liked that Jake was taking care of her, and she was happy to see him.
“How did you know I was here?” She gazed up at his handsome face.
“I’m a private investigator. I tracked you.” He grinned broader this time and waited for her reaction. When her bewilderment must have registered on her face, he said, “Actually, I had a hunch.”
She took another sip of the coffee and waited for him to elaborate. As he reached for more gauze from the kit, he went on to say, “The chief had one of his men drive past your house to check on you. Not the same cop as before. The new cop was on patrol and spotted your car across the street where he was told you had parked earlier. Everything looked normal. Later, Mrs. Bailey called the chief and told him you drove Mary home. When you didn’t come back in a reasonable time, she feared something happened.”
Lily nodded, then told him about the car’s breakdown. “Jake, someone tampered with the engine or gas tank. I’m not overreacting, and I know it sounds farfetched, but some maniac stalked me here. I trapped myself in the attic to get away. He must have seen the officer at my house, saw me drive Mary home, and seized the opportunity. While I was taking care of her needs, the creep did something to the car. Would sugar in the gas tank stop the car a few blocks away? Maybe a loose wire?”
“A mechanic will have to check. Here, keep your arm up until the ambulance comes.” He wrapped the blanket around the other half of her, and he sat on the dented, metal folding chair. “You said he. Are you sure the stalker was a he?”
“The person walked like a man.”
“Hmm. Tampering with the car makes sense, but risky. How would he know you’d break down in an area you’d be stranded? If you were close enough to Mary’s, you would have walked back to her house.” Jake leaned in closer and put his hands on her knees.
He continued, “The stash in the attic is worth a ton. That’s got to be what the killer wanted all along. Maybe he thought you or someone close to you knew the location. This guy’s desperate. He wants his loot and is killing anyone who’s getting in his way. You could have been his next victim tonight.”
She swallowed down a lump, and let the meaning of his words sink in. Jake cared for her, she could see that. He had come to her rescue after the horrible things she said to him.
“You didn’t answer my question of how you found me here.” Don’t pull your strong hands away. Their warmth comforts me. Makes me feel safe. She smiled inwardly when he didn’t.
“The chief had to stay at the lighthouse. By the time we arrived, the storm chasers were inebriated, and he arrested several for disorderly conduct. He handed out fines for building a bonfire without a permit. The press filmed the whole thing. He was torn over looking for you or staying there. I wasn’t . . . torn. I promised I wouldn’t rest until I found you.”
Flashing lights outside clued them into the ambulance’s arrival. Jake’s warmth whisked away with him as he rushed to let the EMTs in. As the two guys examined her, Jake answered his phone. “The chief’s delayed, he’ll be here shortly.”
He followed her into the ambulance and held her hand the whole way. “You’re mad and hurt. I shouldn’t have hidden the truth from you. When I found Mary’s abandoned car, it was like a heavyweight champion punched me in the gut. I thought I lost you. I want you in my life, Lily.”
Chapter 30
A light sleeper, Lily heard the front door open and close. Lily staggered out of bed and found a note slipped under her door. Got a lead. Be back in an hour. Don’t leave the house. Patrol car watching the neighborhood. Promise me. Jake.
Lily brushed the curtains away from her bedroom window. Rain pelted the glass. The storm was heading their way. She tore off her PJs, threw on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt, and padded down the hallway to peek in on a snoring Aunt Bee.
If there were roosters around, even they wouldn’t be up and crowing yet. Jake had better be back in an hour. The new designer sent the last of her inventory and the large shipment of gowns was arriving that morning. Alvin, the delivery guy, couldn’t wait a minute for her with the storm about to hit.
Two cups of coffee and an hour later, Jake hadn’t returned and Lily started to pace. She called Jake. No answer. She had to leave. She called the chief and left a message, and she wrote a note for Aunt Bee. Satisfied that everyone knew her location, she drove to her shop.
Lily entered the building through the back door, turned off the alarm, and set the box again bypassing the motion detectors. She’d leave the system on until Alvin showed up.
Lily had déjà vu. Poor Haley. Young woman. Violent death. Incredibly unfair. Lily shuddered. Nothing made sense.
She slipped into her office and placed her bag on her desk. She pulled out her phone. No messages.
She strained her ears and listened for any unusual noise she was sure Leo would have picked up on, but she had left him at home to keep Aunt Bee company. She heard nothing. Even so, she grabbed a pair of scissors.
Armed with the scissors and her phone, Lily crept down the hallway to the main room, grateful the carpet absorbed the clicks of her heels. If anything looked suspicious, she would call the chief back ASAP. A bead of sweat trickled down the length of her back.
She reached the main showroom and scanned its entirety. The darkened room greeted her with silence. Never before had the headless mannequin displays earned anything but joy from her, but this morning she cringed at first glance. Their forms brought an eerie glow as the street lights shone into the storefront windows.
Her hand flew to her mouth, and she squelched back a scream. She blinked as her imagination soared. Did one in the window move? She fixed her gaze. No, they were the same figures. She studied the position of their stances. She released the breath she had sucked in. Nope, she was being ridiculous. She had dressed them herself in the fall line, and they stood as she had placed them. She ran to the wall and flicked on the lights.
The delivery truck’s wheels crunched on the sleek street. She waited until she recognized Alvin before shutting off the alarm and letting him in.
“Howdy, Miss Becker. Glad you’re here because I’m heading back after this. The streets are already flooded. Lucky for me my truck’s high enough to get through.”
As she signed for the packages, he said, “Must be important for you to be out in this storm.”
The wind whipped against the open door. Water sluiced down on her already damp hair as she held the handle and waited for him to bring in the cardboard cartons.
“Yes. Thanks, Alvin. Drive safe.” She shivered as a chill crept through her jacket.
“You be careful too.” He looked around as he placed the last box down. “Is Chrissy here?”
Lily shook her head. How much should she reveal about her sister’s whereabouts? Not much, she decided. “No, Alvin. She’s not. But I’ll be sure to tell her you’ve been asking about her.”
He gave her a sad smile. “Thanks. Appreciate it.”
As he drove off, she locked up, reset the alarm, and grabbed a package. Even though the dresses were packed in protective wrapping, she had to get them out of the wet boxes. In the inventory room, she sliced open one of the packages to reveal a stunning ball gown.
Breathtaking. She started to place the dress on a hanger when she heard someone approach.
“Hello, Lily.”
She gasped and twisted around. Denis blocked the doorway. Confused, she narrowed her eyes. She hadn’t heard the alarm go off. “I didn’t hear you come in. Come look. The rest of the dresses came by special delivery.”
Denis remained still. Sweat trickled down his forehead. She had never seen him sweat like that in all the time he was employed with her. No, Denis was always the cool one.
“I’m sorry.” He pointed a gun at her.
She tightened her grip on the hanger. “What are you doing?” She froze, her eyes fixed on the doorway he blocked, the only escape.
Forever Hold Your Piece (The Becker Sisters Bridal Series Book 1) Page 24