by Laura Scott
“I have no idea,” Miles replied, scrubbing a hand wearily over his face. He had been trying to figure that out for himself, too. The timing being so close to Jason’s death and the gunfire at Paige’s place made him think that everything was related, especially since he’d been working his father’s case for months and hadn’t even gotten any clues to go on.
“Work stuff?” Mitch asked.
“No. I don’t bring much of that home, and thankfully I had my computer.”
“Do you want us to clean the place up for you?” Mitch asked.
“No need to bother. I’ll take care of it, later.” He opened the passenger-side door for Paige, assuming that carrying Abby around must be exhausting. Her citrusy scent clouded his mind, making him want things he’d planned to avoid, like home and family. “Why don’t you sit down? We’ll leave in a minute or so.”
When Paige couldn’t seem to get up, he put his hands around her waist and lifted her, setting her on the seat. Then he went around to the trunk to grab the duffel bag and computer.
“There’s a hotel about five miles away, called the American Lodge. The owner is related to a firefighter I trained with and I already smoothed the way for you. They’ll take cash, no questions asked.”
“Great, thanks.” Miles slapped his brother on the back. “I owe you.”
“Nah, this is what family is for, right?”
Miles nodded, then tossed his brother the keys to his car. “Don’t use it for long, leave it at my place.”
“I will. Mike is going to pick me up there, after we take another look through, make sure there isn’t anything that was missed.”
Miles highly doubted that the people who’d searched his home left anything behind, but he understood his brother’s desire to help out. “Thanks, bro. I’ll be in touch.”
The ride to the American Lodge didn’t take long, and he was surprised to see there was a church located nearby. For the first time since Dawn’s death he found he was interested in actually attending a service.
But not until he knew for certain they’d be safe.
* * *
The motel room seemed larger to Paige than the one they’d stayed in the previous night, although having additional space didn’t matter much, not when Abby still clung to her, as if afraid to let go.
She eased down on the edge of the bed. “Look around, sweetie, isn’t it nice here?”
Abby didn’t answer, not even by shaking her head.
She lifted her troubled gaze to Miles. “She’s been through so much.”
“I know.” Regret shimmered in his blue eyes and she liked the way he seemed to care about her daughter’s well-being.
“I’d like to take her to a child psychologist, but it doesn’t seem like an option at the moment.”
“I’m sorry, but we can’t do that. Not yet.”
Although she hated it, she understood. “Would you like to watch a movie?” Paige nodded toward the television and Miles brought the remote over for her. But when she turned on the television and found the kid’s channel, Abby didn’t even look at the screen.
Paige swallowed hard, trying to figure out what to do to get through to her daughter. After turning off the television, she gently rubbed her hand down Abby’s back.
“Let’s pray, okay, Abby?”
“Good idea.” To her surprise, Miles came over and sat down beside her. He placed one hand at her waist and the other hand on Abby’s back. “Dear Lord, we thank You for protecting us today,” he said.
It took her a minute to pick up the thread of the prayer. “We ask You, Lord, to continue looking after us, keeping us safe from harm.”
“We ask this in Your name, Christ the Lord, Amen.”
“Amen,” Paige echoed, humbled by how willing Miles was to pray with her, even if only for Abby’s sake. Something Travis had refused to do.
When Abby turned her head and looked toward Miles, Paige hoped that she was finally ready to talk, but instead her daughter reached out and patted Miles on the arm, as if thanking him for being there.
Tears burned her eyes, and she quickly tried to blink them away before Miles could see them.
He picked up Abby’s hand and gave it a brief kiss. “I promise to protect you and your mom, okay?”
This time Abby nodded.
“Will you watch a movie with your mom?”
Abby nodded again, and Paige let out a little sigh of relief. Her daughter still wasn’t talking, but at least she was responding.
To Miles.
She turned the television back on and Abby finally relaxed her grip. Paige plumped up the pillows and eased Abby against them, making sure that Ellie was nearby.
Amazing that Ellie had made it this far, considering everything they’d been through.
“Do you want to make a list of things you need from your house?” Miles asked in a hushed voice. “As I mentioned before, I’ll ask one of my brothers to head over there to pick up whatever you need.”
While she wasn’t thrilled with the thought of some strange man going through her personal things, she desperately wanted a change of clothes and more toys for Abby. Keeping a child occupied in a hotel room wasn’t easy. “That would be nice, thanks.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Miles said with a frown. “I feel terrible that those guys managed to trace my car.”
“It’s not your fault,” she protested. Taking the paper and pen from the desk, she quickly wrote out a list of items that she’d love to have. “Here you go.”
Miles took the list. “As soon as the disposable phones are charged and ready to go, I’ll call my brother, Mike. He’s a private investigator, and I’m sure he’ll be able to get in and out of your place without anyone detecting him.”
“Speaking of phones, I’d like to call my boss,” Paige said. “I normally work from home, and he’ll wonder why I’m not logged in to my email.”
Miles lifted a brow. “What type of work?”
She straightened her glasses and suppressed a sigh. There was no getting around the fact that her job was dull and boring. “I’m an accountant.”
“Nice, I’m impressed,” Miles said, admiration clear in his tone. His smile of approval warmed her heart. “Numbers aren’t my strength.”
“Numbers make sense, at least most of the time.”
“What company? It’s nice that your boss lets you work from home.”
“I work for Larson and Avery, they’re a group that supports several small businesses.” She dragged her fingers through her hair, thinking about what to say to convince her boss to give her a few unplanned vacation days. “I like it a lot better there than Sci-Tech.”
“What?” Miles snapped his head around to stare at her in shock. “You used to work at Sci-Tech as an accountant?”
“Yes. Why?” she replied, confused by his reaction. “It was several years ago. I left shortly before my divorce, knowing I needed a more flexible schedule, and Sci-Tech made it clear that working from home wasn’t an option.”
“Did you have access to sensitive information while you were employed there?” Miles pressed. “Something that would cause them to come after you?”
It took a minute for her to figure out what he meant. “Not at all. I handled their purchasing and accounts receivables, nothing related to payroll or anything like that.” She couldn’t believe Miles would think that the gunmen had come after her because of her old job.
“What sort of supplies did they purchase?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Nothing exciting, trust me. Lots of computer parts, mostly, some robotics. I only handled the smaller accounts...my boss handled the bigger clients.”
“Do you know if Sci-Tech had any government contracts?”
“If they did, my old boss, Steve Kane, would have
been the one who worked on them, not me.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“This,” she waved her hand in the air, “isn’t related to my work at Sci-Tech. Why would it be? I’ve been gone for a long time. There’s no reason for anyone there to worry about what I might have stumbled across, especially now.”
“You’re probably right,” Miles agreed. “I was just surprised to find out you once worked there.” He was silent for a moment before asking, “You’re sure you didn’t know Jason Whitfield?”
She slowly shook her head, thinking back to the time when she’d been employed at Sci-Tech. “I’m sure. I didn’t associate with the tech team who worked for Travis. Our marriage was rocky even back then, so I avoided contacting him at work. I’m sorry. I wish I could help.”
“It’s okay. I just needed to be sure.”
She nodded, wondering again about Travis. She wanted to ask Miles about her ex but hated to bring up the subject in front of Abby. Especially since her daughter was finally relaxed enough to watch a movie.
Was Travis still missing? Or was he simply off somewhere with his latest girlfriend? She hoped the latter, because Abby had been through enough and losing her father might send her over the edge.
The phones took almost an hour to charge and activate. Miles handed her one phone, keeping the other for himself. “I programmed my number into your phone and vice versa.”
“Thanks.” She moved to the opposite side of the room, hoping to minimize the background noise as she made the call to her boss. Greg wasn’t happy about the fact that she needed a few days off work, but in the end he gave in.
She disconnected from the call, feeling relieved to have that task finished. Slipping the phone into her pocket, she climbed up on the bed beside Abby, listening as Miles contacted his brother, giving Michael the list of things she’d requested from the house.
Miles opened his laptop computer, turning it so that the screen wasn’t facing Abby. Paige watched him work for several minutes, admiring his handsome profile.
Don’t, she warned herself, dragging her gaze away and giving herself a mental shake. Miles was her self-appointed protector, nothing more. He was a nice guy who’d gone out of his way to connect with her daughter. Truthfully, she was glad Abby wasn’t afraid of him.
He treated her daughter better than her own father did.
She closed her eyes, ashamed of her thoughts. Travis tried to be a good father, even if he didn’t spend as much time with Abby as he should.
But she highly doubted he’d ever prayed with Abby, the way Miles had.
Enough. Once Miles found Travis and figured out who had been shooting at her house, and why, she’d never see Miles again. Which was fine with her.
She wasn’t beautiful, not like the women Travis went out with. And she absolutely didn’t need a man in her life. Taking care of Abby, personally and financially, was already a full-time job.
Her daughter was her life. She refused to do anything to disrupt that.
Miles let out a low whistle, breaking into her thoughts. “What? Did you find something?” she asked.
He nodded, staring at the computer screen.
She slid off the bed and crossed over to look at what he’d found. The words Sci-Tech, Inc. were on the screen.
“I don’t understand,” she said with a frown.
“I looked up the license plate of the black sedan from the restaurant,” Miles said, his expression grim. “The sedan is registered to Sci-Tech.”
She sucked in a harsh breath as the reality of what she was seeing sank into her brain. “They sent gunmen after us?” she asked in a strained whisper.
“Yeah, that’s what it looks like.”
She shivered. If the gunmen were employed by Sci-Tech, then it was no small leap to assume Travis was in danger, too.
If he was even still alive.
FIVE
The color drained from Paige’s face, causing Miles to mentally kick himself for sharing this with her. “Sit down,” he said in a gruff voice, tugging her arm toward the chair beside him. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Travis,” she whispered. “They’re after me because of him, aren’t they?”
“I think so, yes.” He reached over and cradled her icy hands in his. “I’m sorry.”
She gripped his hands tightly. “You have to find him, before it’s too late.”
He didn’t want to point out that it might already be too late. Whatever Abby had seen on the tablet had frightened her to the point she wouldn’t speak. Had Travis told her to keep quiet? Or had she seen something horrible? He found himself hoping for the first option, but feared the latter.
“I’m not sure where to look for Travis,” he admitted. “There’s no way to know where he’d go to hide if he thought he was in danger.”
“Did you give the police the list of names I gave you?” Paige asked. “I know they’re only a few names, but...” Her voice trailed off as if she knew how impossible it would be to find any of Travis’s girlfriends.
“I’ve been searching on their names, especially Sasha, since it’s not as common as the others, but I haven’t found anything yet.” He hated having to disappoint her. “At least we have another link to Sci-Tech. No wonder they were stonewalling me.”
Paige nibbled on her lower lip. “I might be able to get inside the building,” she offered.
“No.” His knee-jerk reaction surprised him, and he tried to backpedal. “I mean, if they’re the ones behind this, then it’s not safe for you to go there. Besides, how would you get in?”
She lifted her uncertain gaze to his. “I know a couple of the security guards pretty well. If I waited until after hours, when there’s only one security guard manning the desk, I might be able to convince them to let me in.”
“I know you want to help, but it’s not worth the risk.” He couldn’t stand the idea of Paige walking into the equivalent of the lion’s den. “You don’t know for sure which security guard would be on duty. And, besides, if anything happened—Abby would be lost without you.”
She blinked, and he thought he saw the glint of tears. “Logically, I know you’re right, but it’s hard to sit back and do nothing, without even trying.”
“I’ll find a way to do something, while keeping you and Abby safe.” He couldn’t stand the thought of her worrying about things she couldn’t change. He’d protect her, no matter what. “However, there is one thing you can do.”
She lifted her gaze to his. “What’s that?”
He stared at her for a moment, struck by her wholesome beauty. She wasn’t striking in the way some women were, but he liked the way she didn’t wear much makeup and he thought she looked cute in her glasses.
He pulled himself away from that train of thought, knowing it would lead nowhere good, and forced himself to let go of her hands. “Tell me what you know about Sci-Tech’s competitors.” The black sedan being registered to them had given him an idea. “There must be other companies that are working on similar projects.”
“ACE Intelligence, Inc.,” she said without hesitation. “They’ve been in the market for at least ten years, maybe longer, and I know that Sci-Tech was hoping to bring some new technology to market before they did.”
“Where are they located?” Miles was already typing the company name into the search engine of his computer.
“North of Chicago. ACE are initials of the owner, Aaron Connor Eastham.”
He found the location of the competition; it was only fifty miles from Milwaukee. “Do you think anyone from Sci-Tech used to work at ACE?”
“I have no idea,” Paige said with a resigned sigh. “I worked in a cubicle located near the other business offices. I was about as far from the real work being done there as you could get.”
He stared at th
e computer screen, his thoughts whirling. He tried to think back over what Jason had talked about the last time they’d been together, but he couldn’t remember anything specific. His buddy had been stressed—Miles remembered there had been a tic near the corner of Jason’s left eye that had never been there before. But when he’d pressed the other man for more information, he’d only mentioned that his boss, Travis Olson, was making life miserable at work.
Miles couldn’t remember Jason mentioning anything about ACE Intelligence or any other competing company causing concern.
His phone rang, and he warily answered. “Callahan.”
“It’s me,” Mike said. “I have the stuff from the Olson house and I’m here in the parking lot. I didn’t want to cause alarm by knocking.”
“We’re in room 7. I’ll unlock the door.” Miles rose to his feet and flipped the dead bolt back, then unhooked the chain. When he opened the door, he could see his brother walking across the parking lot, rolling a medium-sized suitcase.
“Moving in?” Miles asked dryly, as he took the suitcase from his brother and set it inside the doorway.
“Hey, I only brought what you asked for.” Mike smiled at Paige. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Olson.”
“Call me Paige.” She gave his hand a brief shake, then glanced over at her daughter. Abby’s gaze was still glued to the movie and Miles wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. “That’s my daughter, Abby.”
“Cute kid.” Mike gestured to the suitcase. “Most of the stuff in there is for her.”
“I know, thanks.”
Miles watched as Paige took the suitcase over to the bed and began to unpack.
“I located the spot where the shooter at the Olson’s was standing,” Mike said in a low voice. “I found several scrapes on the bark between two trees and I also found a twenty-two shell casing that the uniforms must have missed.”
Miles couldn’t quite visualize the area. “Which trees?”
“The ones separating her property from the neighbor behind her. Best place to keep an eye on the rear of the house.”