by Grey, Chloe
“Meaghan Connors?” he asked.
“Yes. Is Chase West here?”
“He is. Come on in.”
Meaghan turned into the room. She held her breath as she laid eyes on Chase. In three strides around the table, he was standing in front of her. It didn’t matter that three officers were there. Chase put his arms around her and held her close.
“Meaghan. God, I’m so happy you’re okay,” Chase said, kissing her forehead. “I love you so much.”
She had been holding herself together until then—staying strong in light of the difficult situation. Now, she didn’t have to be strong or alone anymore. Chase held her tight, and the tears came. She leaned into him, sobbing into his chest as he rubbed her back and ran a hand through her hair. She didn’t want that feeling of safety to end.
“Ma’am, this is our on-staff nurse,” one of the plain clothes officers with Chase said to her after a few minutes. “She’s going to make sure you’re okay while we finish up with Mr. West.”
Meaghan pulled away with some hesitation. “Okay.”
The nurse smiled warmly. “Come with me, Miss Connors.” She motioned for Meaghan to follow her.
“I’ll see you soon, Meg. Not to worry,” Chase said as she moved off.
“See you,” she said softly, and slowly followed the nurse out of the room. She couldn’t wait for all of it to be over.
Chapter 9
Chase rested his head on his hands as the two detectives talked to each other. He studied them, wondering how long they’d been trying to get the information he had just provided to them. He could barely get Meaghan off his mind, either. She was safe now, but he sensed it was far from over.
A woman knocked on the door and entered, handing a file to Detective Beam. He looked through it, and passed it to Agent Franks, who reviewed it as well. Finally, they turned back to him.
“All we need you to do now, Chase, is sign this,” Detective Beam said, passing one of the sheets to him.
“What is it?”
“It’s an interim plea agreement. It’s signed by the San Diego District Attorney, and subject to approval by a San Diego judge.”
“Should I have a lawyer with me?”
“You can, but I can’t advise you on whether you need one. I’ll explain what you’re signing, and you can take as much time as you need to read it through. After you read it, let me know if you prefer to have a lawyer.”
“Okay.”
“What you have is an agreement to testify. In exchange, the DA will not press charges against you. The information you’ve given us has been helpful, but you should know that we need more to proceed.”
“What do you mean?”
“We need to make an arrest. Ideally, we’d like the person or people running the theft and drug trafficking ring. If that’s not possible, we’ll go for the employees we find working on that shipment tomorrow.”
“But I told you, I don’t know where it’s happening,” Chase said, confused.
“That’s why we need you to agree to work tomorrow night.”
“What? Won’t they know I’m an informant?”
“No. They were interviewed, just like you were. What we’ll do is release you. You’ll get in touch with David and tell him you want to work tomorrow night. He’ll give you the address. You don’t even have to show up. We’ll have our team go in to make the arrests.”
“You’re asking me to go and be a part of it again? I don’t see how they’d believe I’m not cooperating. By now, they must know Meaghan escaped and was helped by the police.”
“That’s why we’ll have a cover story. You’ll tell them Meaghan take her things from your apartment and you don’t know where she is. On our end, we’ll take her just outside of town with our men. It will look like she’s spoken to the police, not you. You’ll tell them she disappeared last night, took some of her stuff, and isn’t taking your calls anymore. That will be your reason for going back to work with them. She broke up with you, and they’re all you have now. Makes sense?”
“I’m not sure,” Chase answered. “I don’t know if I can pull it off.”
“You’ll have to. It’s the only way,” Beam reiterated. “Look. Don’t get too nervous about it. After we release you, you’ll talk to David. Go by the restaurant where Meaghan worked and ask for her. That will help support your story that you haven’t seen her. If your mother calls, or anyone else, you need to stick to the story and let them know Meaghan’s still missing. Don’t let on that she left you or left town. You don’t know anything, except she took some things from the apartment and isn’t answering your calls. Understood?”
“I think so,” he said as he read the document.
“And you’ll stay at the apartment tonight. We’ll have undercover officers keep watch overnight. After we get you set up today, don’t use you personal phone to contact us, and don’t come back to the station. It’s simple. You can do this.”
“So where will you take Meaghan?”
“Just outside city limits. It’s best if you don’t know the details. She’ll be safe.”
“Okay. I’ll sign it. Just know why I’m doing this. I’m trying to protect Meg. She’s all that matters to me. I don’t care about anything else.”
“You’re making the right decision.” Detective Beam watched as Chase signed the agreement.
Accepting a job at the shop was the worst decision Chase had made. Ever. This was his chance to correct things. He couldn’t risk losing Meaghan over it. And he would never forgive himself if something happened to her.
All Chase could do was hope Detective Beam was right as he was shown out of the interview room. He was given a burner phone and instructions to call the detective once he had the address. He had to leave Meaghan here. They couldn’t be seen together. He left the police station and walked until he could find a bus stop. He glanced back at the building, unable to believe what he was about to do. No buses arrived in the few minutes he had waited, so he walked home. On his way, he phoned David, but it went to voice mail. He would keep trying.
Chapter 10
Meaghan sat alone in one of the interview rooms at the police station. The nurse had cleared her, and given her some fluids to rehydrate. Everything else was okay. Except that now, looking at her hands, they were shaking. When she had seen Chase, it was easy enough for her to push away all the fear she felt. Alone—all the fear came back to the surface.
She didn’t know how to deal with it. She had been held against her will for an entire night. It wasn’t even believable. The whole situation felt like something she would read in the news, or see in a movie. Now she was living someone’s underworld life.
One of the officers with Chase entered her room.
“Hello Ms. Connors,” he said. “I’m Special Agent Franks.”
“Hello,” she mustered.
“You’re safe now. I’ll be working with the SDPD and my FBI team to keep you safe.”
“Thank you. Can I see Chase again?”
“Not at the moment. He’s helping us with something important, but you’ll see him soon.”
“Alright. Is there something you need from me?”
“Yes. Here’s what will happen. You’ll give your statement on what happened last night. After that, you’ll leave with two of our officers, who will take you to a hotel just outside San Diego. You’ll stay there for tonight. And tomorrow, Chase will meet with you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Ma’am, your boyfriend agreed to get us some information. In exchange, we won’t press charged against him, and we’ll put the two of you into WitSec. That’s the short form of what we call witness protection. It’s for your safety.”
“What about our apartment, and our things? What about school?”
“You were kidnapped. And this group of criminals won’t hesitate to go further if they know Chase is helping us. You won’t be safe unless you both get into WitSec.”
“We can’t call our family, can we
?”
“I’m afraid not. Not for a while.”
Meaghan sat silently, trying to let it sink in.
“Do you feel comfortable enough to give your statement?” Agent Franks asked after a few minutes.
“I think so.”
“Okay. I’ll get one of the SDPD officers to come in. By the way, I’m sure the nurse asked, but did Jeff Brewer do anything to hurt you—physically?”
“No, but I had to cut him to get away. I used a broken wine bottle. He’s probably bleeding badly.”
“Well, good for you,” he said. “You did what you had to.”
“Is he going to be arrested?”
“Based on your statement, he will probably be charged with forcible confinement and kidnapping. We won’t go after him right away. We don’t want to do anything to have his people change what they’ve planned for the chop shop over the next few days.”
“Okay. Will someone be able to get my things from the restaurant? I left my purse and ID.”
“No. It’s actually better that you left it behind. The less you take, the harder it will be for them to track you down.”
“That reminds me,” she said, reaching into her jeans pocket. “I have this for you. I don’t know if it’s going to be of any use.”
“What is it?”
“It’s Jeff Brewer’s phone. I grabbed it when I cut him with the broken bottle.”
“We’ll have a look. If we find anything we’ll let you know.” He looked around when the other officer walked in.
“Hello Ms. Connors. I’m Detective Beams. I’ll be taking your statement before Special Agent Franks and his team get you to safety.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I offer you some coffee?”
“Sure.” She answered.
Agent Franks got up and excused himself to speak with someone. Detective Beams looked over at her, and left the room as well. He returned with a blanket and a cup of coffee.
“You must be cold,” he said, placing the cup on the table, then draping the blanket over her shoulders. “Do you feel comfortable to start?”
“Yes,” she answered, taking the coffee in her hands to warm them up.
The detective turned on the video camera and began.
Chapter 11
Chase kept going. There was this voice in the back of his head that wouldn’t stop telling him he was an idiot for talking to the police. He did his best to ignore it. Sighing, he brushed a hand through his hair. That little voice was the fear. The truth was, talking to the police was the best thing he could have done. Meaghan was safe now. And he was one day away from being with her again.
They would have to leave San Diego until whenever it was time to testify, and probably for a while after that. God, this seemed so surreal. He needed to remind himself things could have been much worse. Protective custody was going to change both their lives. They’d have to leave college until the court date at least. But at least they’d have a life. They were bold enough to kidnap Meaghan, and he hadn’t done a thing yet. He couldn’t imagine what they’d do if they found out he had agreed to testify against them.
There were no guarantees they’d ever be able to return to San Diego, especially if the big boss, whoever that was, wasn’t arrested along with everyone else involved. Chase was certain that person would have the resources and the lawyers to insulate themselves from criminal charges—unless someone like David or John Brewer testified. None of that was his concern. He would just do his part, find out the address from David, and leave the rest to the authorities.
With every step he took, he knew he was getting closer to a conversation he really didn’t want to have. He pushed forward, and soon, he was back at the apartment.
The first thing he did was phone David again. He answered right away.
“Hello?” David answered.
“It’s Chase. Can we talk in person?” Chase kept it to a minimum. The less he said on the phone, the better.
“Sure.”
“Where do you want to meet?”
“Same diner as yesterday.”
“Okay. In an hour?”
“Yes,” David answered. “See you then.”
Chase let out a long breath when he hung up. That wasn’t too hard. He looked around the apartment. After tonight, this place would just be a memory. And according to Beam, he couldn’t take anything with him. He and Meaghan were finally getting used to living here.
Before he left, he went to his room and got the necklace he had bought for Meaghan. It was still in the box, hidden in his bottom drawer. He had planned to give it to her that night she was taken. He pulled it out of the box and put it in his pocket. He also found the envelope of cash from his mother. Whatever happened, they could at least get themselves a place, and survive for a while. He could leave everything else behind, but this was for Meaghan.
***
Chase stopped at Rudolfo’s before he went to meet David. This stop was solely to put on a show. He would ask Jeff if he knew where Meaghan was. He would try to speak to Debbie as well, and then leave. He furrowed his brow as he walked in, trying to appear worried. It wasn’t too hard; he really was shaking on the inside.
“Good afternoon. Table for one?” A waitress in her thirties asked him.
“No. I’m looking for Debbie or Jeff.”
“My name is Debbie. Can I help you?”
“Hi. I’m Chase, Meaghan’s boyfriend. I was wondering if you saw her last night, or sometime today?”
“Sorry. I haven’t. You haven’t seen her since yesterday?”
“No. And I’m getting worried. She would have told me if she was leaving. Can I speak to Jeff? Just in case he might have heard from her?”
“Sure thing,” she said. “I’ll be back shortly.”
Jeff came out from the back of the restaurant after a few minutes. He looked horrible. His face was pale and sullen, and he walked as though he was in pain. Inside, Chase was cheering for Meaghan. Whatever she did to get away was probably what made Jeff look this beaten.
“Can I help you?” He asked.
“Hi. I’m not sure if you remember me. I’m Chase, Meaghan’s boyfriend.”
“Oh…yes…hello,” he answered nervously. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you saw Meaghan last night? Or maybe this morning?”
“No. I haven’t seen her,” Jeff answered. “Wait, didn’t you know? Meaghan doesn’t work here anymore.”
“Yes I heard. I haven’t heard from her since yesterday, so I was hoping she might have come by here at some point.”
“Sorry. I haven’t seen her in a couple of days.”
“Oh. Okay. Can you ask her to call me if she stops by? I just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“Of course. I will. I hope she turns up.”
“Thanks,” Chase said.
He turned and left. Jeff was not a good liar. He looked away the whole time, and his voice was so shaky. None if that mattered, though. This step was out of the way, and he was closer to being done with it all.
***
Chase saw David when he walked into the diner. He hoped he could get through this conversation without being made.
“You were with the heat for a long time,” David said without looking up.
Chase sat down. “Yeah. The police kept me for a while. Left me waiting for almost an hour before asking me anything.”
“That’s normal. Did they process you?”
“You mean take fingerprints?” David nodded. “No. But they took my driver’s license. I kept asking what the charge was, and they kept ignoring me.”
“Did they ask about the shop?”
“Yes. I told them I work days. That I never saw anything strange.”
“Did they ask you about me?”
“They wanted to know how I started working there. After I told them my mom is married to the owner, and asked for a lawyer, they didn’t ask me anything else.”
“Smart move.”
“
But there’s a big problem, man.”
“What’s that?”
“Meaghan. I can’t find her. She’s been gone since last night.”
“She left you?”
“I don’t so. Some of her things are missing from the apartment. And she won’t take my calls.”
“That’s tough, Chase,” he said.
“I thought you guys at the shop had something to do with it at first.”
“We didn’t.”
“Yeah. I realized. When I saw her things were gone at the apartment, I figured she’s probably mad at me. And no one’s seen her where she worked either.”
“That must be hard,” David said thoughtfully, “but you know what? You’ll be okay. You’re probably better off without her. Now you can keep working with us, and you won’t get any flack for it.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?”
“Yes. But you’re right. Life will go on. So did you still need me to work that night gig? I could use the money as the shop’s been closed.”
David studied him. “I’ll let you know if we need anyone. We probably could use the extra help, but you’d need to be willing to do anything we need. Got it?”
“Yeah. It’s just work. I’ll do what I have to. Do you think the shop will open again soon?”
“I don’t know. We’ll see.”
“Hmmm. Okay. So where do I need to meet you tomorrow?”
“We’ll keep you posted.” David finished the coffee he was drinking and got up to leave. “I’ll send a text or phone you tomorrow evening.”
“Sounds good,” Chase answered, following him out the front.
“No,” David stopped him as he followed. “You wait here. Leave in about fifteen minutes. We shouldn’t be seen together for a while. You never know who’s watching.”
“Okay. Later, David.”
Chase waited after David walked out the front door. It seemed like their talk had gone well. He ordered a coffee, and after a while, he left. He got on his bike and headed back home. Now, all he had to do was wait.