Thread of Suspicion

by Susan Sleeman

  “You look like the cat that ate the canary,” he whispered.

  “Um, I feel like a contented cat. I think I might purr.”

  He laughed and pulled her close. “So when do you want to tell your family about our engagement?”

  She swiveled to look up at him. “After dinner?”

  “Why wait?”

  “I want to see if any of my trained siblings notice the ring or my smitten look.”

  He trailed his finger along her jaw, sending her nerve endings firing. “Not a one of them can possibly miss the smitten look.”

  She smiled up at him. “I’m guessing it’s much like yours.”

  He clutched her hands between his. “Let’s tell them now. I can’t wait until after dinner.”

  “Okay.” She grinned. “I’ll just gather everyone together.”

  Before she could move, Ethan came into the room and clapped his hands. “Can everyone come in here, please? I have an announcement to make.

  Dani looked up at Luke. “He doesn’t know, does he?”

  “No. Your siblings may be good investigators, but there’s no way he knows. I told no one but Natalie and Derrick and swore them to secrecy.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past Derrick to tell.”

  Luke laughed. “C’mon. You know we’ve buried the hatchet and are good buds now.”

  “Yeah, until he realizes I said yes and you’re taking me away from him permanently.”

  Luke circled an arm around her shoulder. “He knows I support the whole Wonder Twins power thing and acknowledge that you two have a special bond.”

  Ethan kept needling everyone to join them in the family room, and Dani turned her attention to the family. Jennie slipped under Ethan’s arm, and he smiled down on her. The radiance of his smile made Dani hopeful that her relationship with Luke would be as satisfying.

  Mitch guided Kat into the room, his hand on her lower back as it often was. Though Kat loved being in control, she’d become a pushover when it came to Mitch. They stopped next to Derrick, who watched Ethan with interest. Cole slipped quietly into the room holding his stepdaughter, Brianna, in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, the blond curls looking soft against his rough five-o’clock shadow. Alyssa stood next to him, her hands planted on her son Riley’s shoulders. Sitting in the corner, Mitch’s sister, Angie, chatted with Natalie.

  A warm feeling of contentment slid over Dani, and she snuggled even closer to Luke. She couldn’t wait until they were married and he and Natalie were an official part of the Justice family.

  Ethan cleared his throat. “It’s with great pleasure that I announce Jennie and I are expecting our first child this summer.”

  A wave of surprise and happiness floated over the room. Alyssa started clapping and everyone joined in. Her siblings rushed over to Ethan and either hugged him or pumped his hand in congratulations.

  Jubilant for her brother and Jennie, Dani looked up at Luke. “I think it’s a good idea to keep our announcement for another day. I wouldn’t want to spoil this moment for them.”

  Luke smiled down on her. “Timing, my dearest Dani. It’s all about God’s timing, and I know He would want us to wait to share. But I’m also certain He doesn’t want us to push back the wedding day.”

  She grinned from ear to ear. “Definitely not. We’ll be married before you know it.”

  Luke swept her into his arms, and as his head lowered, she knew their relationship would fulfill them both in ways neither of them could have imagined.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE RELUCTANT WITNESS by Kathleen Tailer.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Dani and Luke’s story. I really enjoyed writing the fourth story in the Justice Agency series, as I’m a lot like Luke in that I like to plan things in life and—yes, I’ll admit it—control things.

  I’d like to say I trust in God’s timing in my life, but I wonder how often I miss His best by seeing things only from my perspective and not considering the bigger picture. This is true, even though I have seen over and over again in my life that things I wanted to have happen at a certain time were far better in God’s timing than in mine.

  I hope you’ve enjoyed all the books in this series. I love to hear from readers. You can reach me through my website, www.SusanSleeman.com, or in care of Love Inspired Books at 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

  Susan Sleeman

  Questions for Discussion

  Luke loves to control his world. Do you try to control your life, and if so, in what areas?

  Has trying to control your life helped or hurt? After reading the book, do you think there are ways you can ease up?

  Dani believed she trusted in God’s timing in her life, but it turns out she didn’t. Why do you think it took her so long to realize this?

  Dani feels an overwhelming need to prove herself to her family, even if it means putting herself in danger. Are there areas in your life where you’ve felt the same need? What did you do?

  Luke has lost people he cared about and is terrified of loving again. Have you ever felt this way after a relationship ended? If so, how did you work through it?

  Luke’s father was a controlling man and Luke, though he disliked this about his father, has the same tendencies. How about you? Is there something one of your parents did that you thought you’d never do?

  When Dani realizes she isn’t fair to Luke by comparing him to Paul, she keeps silent. Have you ever been unfair to someone and not rectified it? How has that made you feel?

  Luke feels guilty for things that were beyond his control. Do you or have you felt guilty in similar situations? If so, how have you handled it or could you handle it in the future?

  Luke brings Dani’s family into the picture without consulting her first. Do you think what he did was justified, or should he have talked to her first?

  When Luke’s mother, sister and his friend Hawk died, Luke turned away from God. Have you ever had anything in your life that made you turn away? How did you come back from it?

  Which character in the story do you relate most to, and why?

  Is there a particular scene in the book that you can especially relate to?

  After finishing the fourth book in the Justice Agency series, I have really come to like all the Justices and the way they care for each other. Yet it often causes problems for them. What about your family? Have you had similar problems, and how have you handled them?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

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  ONE

  The first bullet whizzed by his head and ricocheted off the rock behind him. The second caught him square in the shoulder and burned like fire immediately upon impact. Pain shot down his arm, and he could feel the blood dampening his shirt as it pooled around the wound.

  FBI agent Jack Mitchell took a fortifying breath, then cast a quick look around the tree and returned fire
. A shootout was the last thing he’d expected when he’d come to the isolated cabin looking for a lead in his current case. But while he hadn’t been expecting the gunmen, they had clearly been expecting him.

  As best he could tell, there were at least two men out there shooting at him. He fired again and heard a moan as one of his bullets struck home, eliminating one of his enemies. He took cover again behind the tree and patted his pocket to assess his ammunition stock. He still had one full clip of fifteen cartridges left. He hoped it was enough. The remaining gunman was still shooting at him, and bits of bark and leaves flew like fireworks as the bullets decimated the surrounding forest.

  The shooting stopped abruptly, and Jack guessed that his opponent was reloading or changing his position. He looked quickly around the tree and saw no movement, but he knew the remaining shooter was still out there somewhere. He bent and looked carefully around the surrounding area. It was time for him to move, too—he just needed to decide which direction was safest. He grimaced as pain from his shoulder intensified and he shifted to ease the throbbing. With a short prayer, he headed up toward a boulder to his right.

  He never made it.

  Another bullet caught him in the thigh and he fell hard, way short of his destination. He struggled to stand again and make it to cover as agonizing pain radiated through his leg, but he could barely do more than shift himself forward. The pain on its own was nearly debilitating, and it didn’t help that he was losing blood fast.

  Suddenly he heard a noise from directly in front of him and realized there was a weapon pointed straight at his chest. He glanced up to lock eyes with the man holding the gun and saw a coldness there that chilled him right to the bone. He’d known Brett Stevens since they’d gone to the academy together. They had been partners for almost five years, yet he had never suspected the man of being dirty. Stevens had hid it well. And the gun he held on Jack with no hint of regret made it clear that he planned to hide it awhile longer.

  Dread washed over him. He was going to die, right here on the forest floor. Regrets flashed through his head. He wasn’t ready to die. He was only thirty years old, and the rising star in the Bureau’s local field office. There were still plenty of things he was planning to do with his life. Apparently, he wasn’t going to get the chance.

  “You shouldn’t have come out here, Mitchell,” Stevens said, his voice grating like gravel. “Put your gun down now.”

  Another gunman joined them in the clearing and Jack realized that there had been more men out in the woods than he had originally thought. With three guns against him he had been outmaneuvered from the beginning. He glanced at the new man, but once he realized that the guy was a stranger, Jack ignored him and focused on Stevens. Maybe he had a chance of convincing his partner that murder wasn’t the answer.

  “This can all be worked out, Brett. If you give yourself up now, we can still fix this. Don’t throw your life away.”

  “My life? My life has been over ever since my team lost the Super Bowl. I have debts, Jack. Colby offered me a chance to make the cash to pay what I owe. It was all working out just fine...until you decided to start digging. You brought this on yourself.” He motioned slightly with his gun, then brought it back to point at Jack’s midriff. “Besides, Jack, out of all the lives out here, the one you should be worried about is your own.”

  “Don’t do this,” Jack said, shaking his head, his hands up in a motion of surrender. “I’ll help you get back on the right track. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

  Stevens laughed, but it was filled with bitterness. “Nobody can help me. I’m too far down the road to turn back now.” He motioned with his pistol again. “What’s in the bag?”

  Jack glanced down at the satchel he had dropped on the ground. He had found a laptop and quite a few papers in the private investigator’s cabin that he had just searched, but he needed time to analyze everything before he would know the true value of what he had discovered.

  Earlier he’d hoped the laptop and papers would contain the evidence he had been hunting for that would implicate a ring of conspirators operating out of the federal courthouse. Apparently Stevens was also one of the conspirators. The knowledge was a bitter pill for Jack to swallow. He had considered that maybe someone on the FBI payroll was involved, but it had never occurred to him that Stevens would turn on his own. How had he missed that? Why hadn’t he seen the evil lurking right below the surface in this man he had worked with every day for the past five years?

  He glanced up at Stevens, whose familiar eyes now looked dark and sinister. “Just a laptop and some papers,” Jack hedged, hoping that if he somehow survived this encounter he could still use the evidence to break the case.

  Stevens aimed and shook his head. “Goodbye, Mitchell.”

  Jack tried to dive behind a tree to escape, but it was an exercise in futility. The impact from the bullet caught him hard and spun his body around as it ripped into the flesh on his side. He was still falling when the second shot caught him in the head. For the moment, gravity had saved his life, giving him enough momentum that the bullet sliced a trail across his forehead rather than passing straight through to his brain. But how long would it take before blood loss—or another bullet from Stevens—finished the job?

  His body hit the ground hard. Pain enveloped him and he struggled to stay conscious. He felt Stevens kick his ribs, but he had enough presence of mind to try to remain as still as possible. He felt another kick, and it took everything inside him not to react to the agony that radiated up his side and around the assortment of bullet wounds. He heard the other man take a few steps toward him and holster his weapon.

  “Now what? This partner of yours was a pretty good shot. He managed to kill Milo down on the ridge. Now we’ve got two bodies to dispose of.”

  “Let’s take care of Milo’s body first.” Stevens shifted and Jack could hear his partner’s shoes rustling the leaves as he started to pace.

  His partner had always had a creative side. Jack guessed Stevens was already devising a plan in his mind to explain what had happened this afternoon. The man would probably tell just enough truth to keep him from mixing up the story if he ever got interrogated, but he would name Jack as the criminal and would try to get the conspiracy investigation closed as soon as possible. The thought made Jack sick inside.

  A moment passed, then another. Suddenly Stevens stopped and a laugh erupted.

  “What’s so funny?” the other gunman snarled, his voice gruff. “I don’t see anything to laugh about in two dead bodies that might somehow come back and bite me.”

  Stevens secured his weapon and snapped the holster shut. “Let’s put Milo in Jack’s trunk and park his car back at his apartment. It’ll throw the local cops off our trail, and Jack won’t be around to defend himself or point the finger at us. That should keep the heat off and make such a huge stink that nobody will even think to look in our direction. After we dump Milo, we can come back up here, clean up the scene and bury Jack. My uncle has some property near here that’ll be the perfect place to hide the body. Nobody ever goes over there.”

  “You’re the boss. I’ve got some plastic in my trunk for just such an occasion. We can make it look like he was about to dispose of the body but got interrupted.”

  “Perfect.”

  A wave of nausea swept over Jack as he fought to keep in the here and now. Still, he struggled through the pain and tried to concentrate on their words. He heard Stevens reach down, grab the satchel an
d sift through the contents. A few seconds passed and then the bag closed with a snap.

  “See anything in there that’s a problem?”

  “I don’t know. It’s going to take me some time to sort through it all. I’ll take it along just in case.”

  Jack tried not to tense as he felt Stevens reach over, pat his pockets and pull out his car keys.

  “Aren’t you even gonna check the guy’s pulse? There’s an awful lot of blood, but I’m telling you I don’t want to take any chances.”

  Stevens’s voice took on a menacing tone. “Relax. You worry too much. I know killing Jack wasn’t part of the plan, but I think it can actually work to our advantage if we play our cards right.” He paused. “All right. If it makes you feel better, I’ll check.” Jack felt Stevens reach toward his neck, but suddenly a cell phone ring broke the silence.

  Stevens pulled back and answered the phone. “What? Okay. I’m on my way. Don’t move without me.” The cell phone snapped shut with a click and Stevens stood abruptly.

  “We have to go. Now. Colby has an emergency and needs us downtown. Let’s get Milo’s body and get out of here. We’ll come back and take care of Jack later.”

  Jack heard them retreat and breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive—for now. But his thoughts were getting fuzzy and he could feel the life ebbing from him as his blood soaked into the ground. He tried to move and groaned as another wave of pain swept over him. He paused a moment, then tried again. His limbs felt heavy and nothing seemed to work right. With another groan he succumbed to the blackness, wondering if he would ever see the light of day again.