“It’s been four hours, but I checked the footage out about thirty minutes after I found you.”
She shook her head, trying to make sense of everything as she lay in the sterile hospital room. “It’s almost like there was someone outside in a van, monitoring the video feed. They would’ve had to erase the footage in real time and replace it with something prerecorded. It’s very difficult.”
Mark leaned closer, seeming more like a friend who was visiting than a detective out to nail her. “Do you know anyone with the capabilities of doing that?”
She ran through a list in her mind. She’d met a lot of really talented people at MIT. They were some of the best in the industry. Sure, they’d all done some stupid stuff in college—just because they could. But would any of them take it this far? Were any of them out to get her? She didn’t think so.
“I don’t know,” she finally said. “I work alone. I don’t have coworkers. But I suppose I’ve met a few people over the years. No one that I think would do this.”
“Was your work...” He shifted as if uncomfortable. “Did it have any elements to it that might make someone dislike you or want to take you out?”
“I...” What could she say? This was always the part of her job that she was bad at. Lying. All those church lessons she’d learned growing up stained her thoughts and made her feel guilty. “I don’t know. It’s hard to say.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?”
She shrugged, trying to appear casual even though everything in her felt on alert. “It’s just that my work is hard to describe. It’s for clients who have confidentiality issues. I’m not always free to speak about these things.”
His jaw flexed as he nodded, obviously unimpressed with her assessment. “We can subpoena your work, if we have to.”
“You could...except my boss isn’t answering his phone.” She frowned and closed her eyes, her headache returning.
I could have died, she reminded herself. She’d come close. She was thankful to still be breathing.
“I’ve noticed that your boss has gone silent.” He tilted his head. “Is that unusual?”
She nodded, remembering how Nicholas was usually very attentive, to the point where she’d wondered at one time if he was interested in her. Day or night, give me a call. You need anything, I’m there. Anything. Do you understand?
They’d had that conversation many, many times. Yet now when she needed him, he was nonexistent.
“It’s very unusual.”
Mark leveled his gaze with her. “We’re going to need to talk to him.”
She nodded. “I know. I’ll give you his personal cell number. And I’ll keep trying. I only want to operate in the confines of my agreement.”
“You do realize that your life is on the line.”
“I do.”
“Just to let you know, I put in a call to your husband’s former commander, as well.”
Her eyes widened with alarm. “Why would you do that? You think Nate is connected?”
“I just want to explore every possibility. I want to make sure this isn’t in any way related to your husband’s time in the service.”
She nodded, everything feeling surreal. “Okay. Please, keep me updated.”
“Of course.” He stepped back as if realizing he’d gotten as much out of her as her current state would allow. “The hospital wants to keep you a little while longer for observation.”
A shudder rippled through her. Staying there. Alone.
Her throat tightened at the thought. She’d always hated being alone, but even more so after what happened with Nate. Fear had overtaken her life for a long time, making her afraid to go out. Yet that same fear had pushed her away from people—people who could pull her out of her isolation. It had been a never-ending cycle.
Those fears hit her again. Would the men come back to finish what they’d started? Would they succeed the next time?
Before she realized what was happening, she reached out and grabbed Mark’s hand. She felt like she’d touched fire and instantly pulled back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. It’s just that... I don’t know...those men.”
“I understand, Laney.”
“What if they...”
“I’ll be stationed right outside or I’ll have one of my men there. No one else will try to get to you. Not under my watch.”
She let out the breath she’d been holding, her heart calming for a moment. “Thank you, Detective.”
“Call me Mark.”
She smiled. “Okay. Mark. Thank you again.”
* * *
Mark leaned back in his chair, which was stationed right outside of Laney’s hospital room. He’d found out that the pills she’d been forced to take were an antipsychotic, usually given to people with extreme mental disorders, and it acted as a sedative.
The amount she was given should have killed her. It would’ve claimed her life if he hadn’t found her when he had. Thankfully, she would be okay, but it would take some time to recover.
Though he was nearly certain that she was a victim and not a suspect, he still wanted to keep his eyes wide-open. When his sister had been abducted, his stepfather had come up with a supposed alibi. He’d gone on air, crying about her disappearance and begging the public for their help. All along, he was behind her disappearance and murder.
Mark had dealt with trust issues ever since. Dating Chrystal hadn’t helped anything. She’d only used him for his position at the police department. When Mark had confronted her about it, she’d fled and never looked back.
Something about Laney seemed different, though. She seemed so sincere. Not like someone wrapped up in pride. In winning. In always being right.
He couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly that gave him that impression. It was just the feeling he was left with when he was with her.
Eyes wide-open, he reminded himself.
Just then his phone rang. It was his partner. Mark had already been informed this morning that the FBI had been called in to help out with this case. As of now, Mark’s only task was to keep an eye on Laney and see if she led him to any answers.
Though he wanted to be on the front lines, he understood his captain’s position in assigning him to Laney. She seemed to trust him. They’d already developed some kind of bond. Besides, the FBI knew what they were doing. The most important thing here was getting Sarah back safe and sound.
“Did some digging,” Jim said. “John Smith doesn’t exist.”
Mark didn’t even flinch at the news. “I figured as much. How about a credit card?”
“He paid in cash.”
Again, it wasn’t really surprising. Whoever was behind this was smart and calculating. The plan had been thought out. “Does the woman at the front desk remember anything?”
“Apparently, the hotel clerk was talking on the phone to her boyfriend as he checked in and doesn’t remember much of anything except her plans for tomorrow evening’s date.”
Mark resisted a sigh. Couldn’t they catch a break? “What about the security footage from when the man checked in?”
“It was also erased.”
“Why don’t you check the footage from the gas station beside the hotel, as well. Maybe it will show a different angle.”
“Will do. But whoever is behind this is really good. Knows what they’re doing. Knows their way around technology. They’ve covered all their bases, so I doubt we’ll find anything.”
“That’s what Laney said too.”
“Laney?” Curiosity dripped from his voice. “Sounds personal.”
Mark fought a frown, the sterile hospital hallway getting to him. “It’s not personal. She is a software programmer, so she knows a little about this.”
“So maybe one of her friends set all of this up. Erased the footage so Laney wouldn’t look guilty. Maybe she’s covering for them.”
Mark’s jaw hardened at Jim’s implications. He knew his partner was right—and Mark had wondered the same things—but it bothered him to hear someone else voice their doubts about Laney out loud.
“If that’s the case, then she set herself up to die tonight,” Mark finally said. “Why would she do that? She had no guarantee that I’d go into the room when I did.”
“How do you know she didn’t take the pills when she heard you at the door? If you’d come to her room in the morning, maybe she would have taken them then.”
Mark shook his head, readying to vehemently deny his claim. He drew in a deep breath in an effort to calm himself down first. Getting prickly wouldn’t do anyone any good. “That’s one theory, I suppose. But I don’t buy it. I saw her. She’s scared. Besides, there were footprints.”
“One member of the cleaning staff is a man. It could have been his. We’re testing the prints against his now.”
He closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the wall in pure exhaustion. This case was taking everything out of him and it was nowhere near being over yet. “Did you discover anything else?”
“No one saw anything—no men in black creeping around. It was the middle of the night. Most people were sleeping. I’ll keep asking around and see if I can find out anything else. Don’t hold your breath, though. What’s next for you?”
“Captain said to keep an eye on Laney. I plan on doing that. I’m not letting her leave my sight, not until I know who’s behind all of this.”
“Glad it’s you and not me. Have fun.”
Mark forced his eyes open and ran a hand over his face. “Yeah, yeah, I hear you.”
“Oh, and by the way, did you say you talked to the commander of the SEAL team Nate Ryan was a part of?”
“That’s right. Commander Rankin. He said there hadn’t been any threats on Nate Ryan’s SEAL team in a couple of years. He said if anything comes to his attention, he’ll let us know.”
“Good to know. I just wanted to double-check.”
He hung up and stared off into the distance a moment as a woman pushed a food cart toward rooms at the end of the hallway.
He had no leads. No clues. No nothing.
The person behind this was really good.
And what about that accent Laney had mentioned hearing on one of the men? How did that fit into this whole mystery?
This whole mystery kept getting more confusing by the moment.
* * *
Laney had begged the doctor to let her go and finally, at 10:00 a.m., he had. Someone had stopped by with her personal belongings from the hotel, which meant she had clean clothes as well as her purse. The effects of the drug seemed to have worn off, and she was feeling much more clearheaded.
Self-consciously, she pushed a hair behind her ear when she spotted Mark outside her door. Her cheeks flushed, the reaction surprising once again. What was that? Relief? Excitement? Gratefulness?
He didn’t look quite as put together as he had yesterday, but he still looked awfully good, all things considered. He must have swung by his home at some point because he wore a gray henley, jeans, boots and his black leather jacket. The look was...it was nice.
She noticed all this more as an observation—it had nothing to do with an interest in him. At least, that’s what she told herself. Besides, an attraction to the man was futile. He thought she was guilty. At least, he thought there was a possibility she was guilty.
He stood, an unreadable expression on his face. “Laney. How are you feeling?”
“Better than yesterday. Thank you for standing guard out here.”
“No problem. I’m just glad you haven’t had any more trouble. You ready to go?”
“I don’t even know where to tell you to take me,” she muttered, hating that he was seeing her in her weakness. But she couldn’t lie. She had no one except her in-laws, but they were both in poor health and lived six hours away. She couldn’t leave the state, as per orders of the police since she was their number-one suspect.
“Your parents? A sister or brother?”
“My dad is unknown. My mom went through a wild period of partying and drug addiction. She gave custody of me over to my grandmother when I was less than a year old and then she disappeared. My grandma died six years ago, and I have no brothers or sisters—that I know of, at least.”
“I see.”
She raised a hand to halt his thoughts. “Don’t feel sorry for me. It’s just life. You do what you have to do to get by.”
“Understood.” He paused a moment. “Speaking of which, I have a friend you could probably stay with.”
Her heart warmed for some unknown reason at his offer. “I couldn’t ask that.”
Compassion made his eyes look soft and kind. “You didn’t. I’m offering. He and his wife are nice. They don’t have any kids. And he’s a former cop.”
She wanted to argue, but she knew she was desperate and out of options. She couldn’t stomach the thought of staying at a hotel again—not after what had happened. She wasn’t sure there was anywhere she’d really feel safe. Not in a hotel surrounded by people. Not in a cabin by herself.
Really, the only scenario where she might feel safe would be with Nate, and Nate was no longer here. That meant her entrenching fear was something she was going to have to learn to live with.
“Thank you. That’s really kind of you. I assume you’ll be leaving me there so you can investigate.” The question felt awkward as it came out of her mouth. But the thought of being stranded at a stranger’s house and being forced to chitchat while so much was on the line made her uncomfortable.
She’d never been a whiz in social situations. She preferred small groups of close friends. Of course, she’d recently secluded herself from the joy of those relationships lately too.
He frowned. “I’ll probably have another officer wait outside to keep an eye on you. I need to get a few hours of shut-eye.”
Guilt flashed through her. “I’m sorry. I should have never asked you to stay last night. It was selfish of me. The drugs...they were messing with my mind. Without them, I would have never imposed like that.”
“I didn’t mind. What you went through was traumatic. I’ll need to get your official statement sometime for a police report.”
They started walking down the hallway. Laney was grateful for his graciousness. Not everyone would be as kind.
“Any word on Sarah?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No. Nothing yet. Everything’s gone quiet. We’re waiting to hear from the kidnappers again.”
Her bottom lip quivered as she thought about her neighbor. “I hope she’s okay. I hate to think about her being scared right now. I’ve been scared. I’ve lived in fear, for that matter. It’s not a fun place to be.”
“You’re right. It’s no way to live. Believe me—the police are doing everything they can to help find her.”
“No more ransom calls?”
He shook his head. “No, not yet.”
“Why not?” she muttered, slowing her steps. Money had to be the end result...right? Wasn’t it always? She would think the men behind this would be anxious to get paid and move on.
“What was that?”
She snapped her head toward Mark. “Why no ransom? Isn’t that usually what kidnappers do? They want money. Does Sol even have that much money?”
“He works at an accounting firm, correct?”
She nodded. “That’s right. I’ve never had the impression that he’s rich. I mean, what other reason do people kidnap if not for money? For leverage maybe?”
“Generally it happens in custody disputes. Random kidnappings by strangers are un
usual. And you’re right—money is usually involved.”
“It just doesn’t make any sense to me.” Her cheeks warmed when she realized he was looking at her. She shoved a hair behind her ear. “What?”
“Either you’re a really good actor or you really aren’t involved in this.”
“I’m not involved. I’ll prove it to you.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What’s that mean? You’re not planning on getting mixed up in this, are you?”
“Planning on it? I’m already mixed up and not by my own choice. No one else is going to take the time to prove my innocence. That’s my job.”
“You don’t know who you could be messing with, Laney. They already tried to kill you once. The best thing you can do is find a good lawyer.”
“I can’t sit around and do nothing. In fact, if you take me to my car, I’ll drive to your friend’s house. At least then I’ll have some transportation.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
At that moment, Mark’s phone rang and he put it to his ear. After a series of grunts, Laney knew it couldn’t be good news. When he hit End, his expression was grim.
“Laney, we won’t be getting your car.”
“Why’s that?”
His gaze was full of compassion. “Your house was set on fire. Your car was destroyed during the blaze. I’m so sorry.”
EIGHT
Laney grabbed the wall before she collapsed on the ground. Her house? On fire?
Mark grasped her elbow and lowered her into a chair. She buckled there, unable to hold herself up any longer.
Why? Why is all this happening?
Mark kneeled beside her. His eyebrows were knit together, as if he were ready to call a doctor if he saw any signs she needed one. His concern appeared genuine and sincere enough that her heart momentarily warmed.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. Her whole world had collapsed in a matter of hours. That’s what it felt like, at least. “I guess. I don’t know what to think or how to feel right now.”
He gave her a few minutes of silence to process the information, time that she appreciated. She couldn’t handle rapid-fire questions right now. Her house had burned down. Her house. Everything she had was gone. Soon her future would also vanish if she didn’t find some answers.
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