Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1

by Margaret Daley

  “No, but if we can prove someone else had a better motive, that’ll be a start. I’d like to go back and talk to Littleton, but I don’t want to leave you.”

  She stepped closer, her scent wafting to him. “I’ll be fine. This place is secure. You can even leave Max to protect me and Uncle Preston. Remember, I’m capable of taking care of myself. I brought my gun with me.”

  “I should have frisked you for weapons,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ll go to the prison on Friday and then check the security at the estate.”

  “You don’t trust Carly’s assessment?”

  “You know I don’t trust easily. I want to see it with my own eyes.”

  She pressed against him, smiling up at him. “But you trust me? Remember before you answer, I have my gun upstairs.”

  Laughing, he gave her a light kiss on the forehead. “I think you know the answer. You’re at the heart of my investigation. Usually my only partner is Max.”

  She moved back. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  *

  On Friday, Selena met Carly in the hallway at her uncle’s town house. Uncle Preston had asked Selena to let his chief of staff know he was on the back porch. After Selena did, she asked, “Had Nicholas arrived at the estate before you left?”

  “No, was he supposed to? I thought he was staying here all the time.”

  “Usually, but he had to interview someone and decided to go look over the security on the way back.”

  “I’m surprised he didn’t have the person he’s interviewing meet him here like Adele and me.”

  “He couldn’t in this case.” Selena removed her cell phone from a pocket and headed down the hall. “I’ll just call him and see where he is.”

  Selena went into the living room before punching in the numbers. With the sheers pulled closed, she stood at the window, a security guard with a dog making his rounds. When Nicholas answered, she asked, “What did Greg say? Anything new that might help us.”

  “Actually, yes. He remembers hearing the sound of a motorcycle when he walked toward the parking garage right before he found Saul’s body. He didn’t think too much about it because he figured the motorcycle was on the street. No one at the apartment complex had a bike.”

  “So a motorcycle shows up again, this time at the crime scene. Interesting. How’s Fiona coming with the list of people at the White House who’ve ridden a bike?”

  “Slowly, but she’s diligently working on it. If the information is out there to find, she’ll find it.”

  “How’s Greg? Holding up?”

  “He says he’s okay, but I don’t think so. I should be back soon. I’m finishing up at the estate. Everything seems all right, but I wish the senator would postpone this fund-raiser until the case is solved.”

  “Which one? Michael’s or Saul’s?”

  “Both. See you in a little while.”

  As she disconnected with Nicholas, she thought she heard a sound in the foyer and turned. When she walked to the entrance into the living room and checked the entry hall, she didn’t see anyone. Maybe it was Max or her imagination?

  She hurried to the porch since her uncle had wanted her to be present as he and Carly were discussing tomorrow night’s party.

  “Oh, good. We can start now,” her uncle said as she took a seat. “I was telling Carly that you’ll be my hostess. Erin usually is, but…” His voice trailed off into silence as he looked away.

  Surprised by the statement, Selena thought she might have heard wrong. “Hostess?”

  He returned his gaze to her. “With all that’s been happening, I’ve forgotten to ask. I hope you will.”

  “Well, sure. What do I need to do?”

  “After we greet everyone who has shown up, I usually move around the room. When it’s for the Eagleton Foundation, I actively solicit donations, but in this case there will be others doing it for the Wounded Heroes Organization, so we won’t be the only ones.”

  “Good, because if I had to depend on working as a saleswoman, I’d probably starve,” Selena said.

  “Me, too,” Carly added.

  For the next hour they discussed the different aspects of the fund-raiser, from the food to the A-listers attending. When they had finished, Nicholas showed up in the doorway to the porch, Max beside him.

  “Did I miss anything?” he said with a smile, his gaze finding Selena’s.

  “I’m playing hostess tomorrow,” Selena said, a part of her uncomfortable taking Erin’s place next to her father. “I’m going to be helping to get donations for Wounded Heroes. I’ll need to read up on the charity so I can answer questions.”

  Nicholas winked at her. “I’ll help. I’m a big supporter of the organization.”

  “Oh, great. You can be my first donor. Bring your checkbook tomorrow night.”

  Carly rose. “How did the security look at the estate?”

  “Good. It will be hard for someone to get inside without being invited.”

  “I’m glad. That’s what I thought.” Carly turned to Selena’s uncle. “I’ll be waiting for you at the estate. See you all tomorrow afternoon.”

  As Nicholas escorted Carly to the front door, her uncle uncrossed his legs and sat forward. “You looked worried about something. I should have asked you to be my hostess in private. That way, you could have declined. I don’t want you to do anything that’ll make you uncomfortable.”

  “I’m fine. I’m used to big receptions. No, I was just thinking Erin should be here doing it.”

  A look of sadness captured her uncle’s expression. “So do I.”

  Feeling as though she’d intruded on her uncle’s grief, Selena peered away and caught sight of Nicholas returning. He believed in Greg’s innocence. It wouldn’t be long before she would convince him Erin was innocent, too. Selena sent him a smile. For all her independence, what would she have done without his help?

  *

  After changing into a royal blue cocktail dress and matching high heels she was wearing to the fund-raiser, Selena descended the stairs to the first floor at her uncle’s mansion fifteen minutes before the guests were to arrive. Although Carly had probably already checked on the food, as the hostess, Selena felt it was her duty to make sure it was what her uncle wanted.

  Handsome in a tuxedo, Nicholas stepped into the large foyer and stared at her as she came downstairs. She gripped the wooden banister to keep from falling because his intense gaze made her self-conscious. Her knees weakened. Dressed as he was, she realized how well he fit into this wealthy environment, whereas she’d had to overcome her nerves and keep repeating that she was good at her job.

  With her gaze glued on him, Selena knew she had to put some distance between them. She was becoming too dependent on Nicholas. She looked forward to seeing him, to what he said. And when he wasn’t around, she missed him. I am not my mother. I don’t need a man to complete me.

  At the bottom of the steps, Nicholas came up to her, letting his attention move down her length slowly before returning to her face. “You look beautiful.”

  Memories of her mother and various men paraded across her mind. She forced a smile and pushed the thoughts away, but she couldn’t totally dismiss them. “Thank you. I needed that. I’m getting nervous. As the White House tour director, I’m usually behind the scenes and very comfortable with that.”

  “It’s your turn to shine and believe me, you will.”

  Maybe she could request someone different than Nicholas to guard her and her uncle. Brooke wouldn’t threaten her piece of mind. Scare her like Nicholas did. She started to say something, when his cell phone rang.

  “It’s Fiona. I’ve got to take this.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll be in the dining room.”

  Did she have any good news for them? Earlier, Fiona had made her way through almost three-fourths of the list that Nicholas had given her and, other than Vincent Geary, she couldn’t find anyone who rode a motorcycle. She knew Vincent had an alibi for the evening she was attack
ed in the parking garage. How about the day her uncle was shot? She knew that Nicholas would check out his alibi for each occasion where a bike was used. But that didn’t mean someone couldn’t have hired a person to do the job. Vincent was on the top of Nicholas’s list for breaking into the general’s office, which made him a prime suspect in her eyes. And the most damaging piece of evidence against him was that he had lied to Nicholas about being able to ride a motorcycle.

  She walked around the buffet layout in the dining room, stopping to make sure there was a serving spoon for the artichoke dip. After the party tonight, she could talk with Nicholas about someone else guarding her. Or better yet, she could persuade her uncle to request Brooke. Chicken. That wasn’t like her, and that scared her even more.

  She spied Nicholas coming toward her, his features set in grim lines. “What did Fiona find out?”

  “Tabitha Miller used to ride a motorcycle in high school and even race off-road. I called Isaac to bring her in to headquarters and interview her.”

  “What about her alibi for Sunday when my uncle was shot?”

  “What if someone else was in her car or she and Vincent Geary worked together. They both work for Congressman Jeffries. They could have known what Michael was working on.” Nicholas glanced at his watch. “I’ll have to worry about this later. Isaac will handle Tabitha. We need to get through this evening without any problems. It’s showtime. Ready?”

  “Yes, Uncle Preston is in the living room. I think the downstairs of my house is smaller than his living room.”

  “Perfect for these kinds of large parties but harder to keep an eye on the whole room at once.” Nicholas offered her his arm and escorted her to her uncle, who stood next to Carly in the foyer just outside the living room.

  Her uncle grinned at her. “Our first guests have arrived. I appreciate your being here.”

  “Good. Just remember that when I insist on you leaving the party before you wear yourself out.”

  Her uncle harrumphed.

  “I owe it to Erin to take care of you.”

  Before he could say anything else, the first guests came into the foyer. For the next hour Selena met hundreds of people, some she knew from her job. Names swirled around in her mind, and she tried to keep everyone straight. Many of them knew Nicholas, and he ended up greeting people while he stood beside her.

  As Carly left, her uncle turned toward her. “Now the fun part starts, persuading these guests to fork over money to a good cause.”

  “I don’t think it will be too hard. They came to the fund-raiser.”

  “We need to split up.” Her uncle headed toward a group of senators.

  She looked at Nicholas. “I want you to stay near him. If you think he’s overdoing it, please let me know. I’m going to talk with General Meyer.”

  Nicholas watched her uncle across the room. “Not without me.”

  “Afraid of what I’ll find out about you?”

  His gaze zeroed in on her. “Yes,” he said in dead seriousness. When he chuckled, his eyes sparkled. “No, I’m afraid of what you’ll tell her.”

  Selena winked at him. “You should be.”

  For an hour she went from one group of guests to the next, pleased by the number of pledges she received for Wounded Heroes. Every once in a while she found her uncle and Nicholas in the crowd. Both were talking to the people around them. She enjoyed watching them.

  When she moved into the dining room to make sure everything was flowing smoothly with the food, Congressman Jeffries approached her.

  “I’ve heard about all the problems you’ve had lately,” he said.

  She didn’t know what to reply. She knew of Nicholas’s suspicions the congressman wasn’t what he appeared to be, but everything she’d heard about him was good. “Nothing like what some wounded soldiers have when returning to the States. I hope you’ll support a good cause,” she chose to say rather than talk about the case.

  He chuckled. “Preston has already hit me up, but I have no problem giving more.” He took out his checkbook and made another generous donation. When he gave the check to Selena, he smiled. “Your uncle and I might disagree on some issues, but I’m glad you’re here to make his life easier.”

  When he left, Selena stared at his retreating back. She could see why the congressman was so popular.

  “Ma’am, I have a note for you,” a waitress said next to her.

  She looked at the woman then took the note. “Who gave this to you?”

  “A man in the living room.”

  “Thanks.” As the waitress disappeared in the crowd, Selena read the message. Meet me in the library. Good news. Nicholas.

  The handwriting looked similar to what little she had seen of his. Maybe the good news was about Isaac’s interrogation of Tabitha Miller. This might be the best time to talk to him about Brooke taking over the protection detail. She headed back into the foyer, looked around for Nicholas, and when she didn’t see him, started down the hallway to the library.

  He wasn’t there, either. She scanned the room again. She began to back into the hallway, when she felt a prick at her neck. Everything twirled before her eyes and darkness fell.

  THIRTEEN

  Nicholas panned the crowd in the dining room where he’d seen Selena heading fifteen minutes ago. When he didn’t find her there, he glanced around the large foyer. Where was she? She wasn’t in the living room. Maybe there had been a problem with the food, and she’d gone to the kitchen. As he made his way there, he asked a couple of security guards if they had seen her.

  A guard near the hallway that led to the den, restrooms, office and library said, “She went down the hall about ten minutes ago.”

  “Do you know where?”

  “She turned at end of the hall, which only leads to the library. Do you want me to look for her?”

  “No, I will. Did anyone else go to the library?”

  “No. Just Miss Barrow.”

  Maybe she needed quiet time. He could certainly understand that. Nicholas strode toward the library. When he went inside, he found an empty room and the window open. His gut clenched.

  He hurried to the window and looked out. When he examined the sill, a royal blue swatch of fabric riveted his attention. Selena wouldn’t leave without letting him know—at least willingly and especially out a window.

  His blood iced. He needed Max.

  He spun around and rushed into the hall, stopping at the end to talk to the guard again. “Are you sure no one else went to the library?”

  “Yes, sir. I note where everyone goes when they walk past me. Right now one woman is in the restroom. That’s all.”

  “Put out an alert that Selena Barrow is missing. I want everyone to be on the lookout for her.”

  Nicholas made his way to General Meyer near the dining room. “Ma’am, I think someone took Selena from the library. I’m going to track her from there and see what I find.”

  “I’ll handle everything here. We’re going to lock down the party and gather everyone into the living room.”

  “Because of all the precautions, if someone took Selena, it probably was one of the guests or staff.”

  “I know. I’ll take care of this end.”

  As General Meyer gathered some of the security guards and began to corral the guests and servers into the main room, Nicholas pushed through the crowd and retrieved Max in the kitchen. He put a leash on the rottweiler then hurried upstairs to get an article of Selena’s clothing. In the library, Max sniffed the blouse she’d worn earlier, found her scent by the door and followed it to the open window.

  Not wanting to damage any evidence on the window, he hastened to the nearest exit and had Max pick up the trail outside below the window. His K-9 tracked Selena’s scent to an empty spot in the parking area. One of the security protocols he’d put into effect before the guests arrived was for the guards to note who parked where.

  Nicholas spied a guard with a clipboard and asked him, “Did you see this car leave?” />
  “No, sir. It was here about fifteen minutes ago.”

  “Who parked here?”

  The guard checked his list. “Carly Jones.”

  “What was the license plate and make and model of the car?” He’d told the guards before everyone arrived to add that information down on their list.

  The man gave him the information.

  Nicholas placed a call to Fiona, who he hoped was still at headquarters. On the fifth ring she picked up.

  “You must have been reading my mind. I finished the last person on the list minutes ago and was going to call you.”

  “This is an emergency. I need you to send out a BOLO on this car and its driver, Carly Jones. I believe she’s kidnapped Selena from the party. Tap into traffic cams in this area. I need to know where she is taking Selena.”

  “It’s not like the city has traffic cams in a lot of places.”

  “I know. I need something to indicate where to find Selena. Anything.” Desperation edged his voice, and he didn’t bother to mask it. He had to find Selena unharmed. He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t.

  *

  Selena slowly felt sensations—the feel of leather against her cheek, a musty smell that roiled her stomach and the sense of moving. Was she in a vehicle? She tried to move. She couldn’t. Rope dug into her wrists, which were tied behind her back, and bound her ankles.

  She inched her eyelids up. Darkness surrounded her, but she could tell she must be in some kind of SUV. Suddenly it went over an obstacle, and she bounced.

  “Sorry about that. The road is getting a little rough.”

  Carly?

  She decided not to say anything, but she continued to try to assess what was happening.

  “Playing possum?” Her uncle’s chief of staff cackled. “I know how long what I gave you would last. I want you to know what’s going to happen to you since you’ve ruined my life. I’ve given your uncle the best years of my life and then you start snooping.”

  “What are you talking about?” Maybe playing clueless would get her some answers.

  “Ah, so you are awake. We’re almost there.”

  Where was there? Selena lifted her head to see what she could make out in the dim light from the dashboard. Another bump sent her to the left, and she hit her head against something she thought was—a stick—no, a handle.