Sins That Haunt

by Lucy Farago

  She knew. He wanted her file. And if Noah didn’t know, it hadn’t been recovered.

  “That slimeball could’ve killed you,” Noah said, getting all worked up. “I’m sorry, when we got word they identified him, I wanted to make sure there weren’t any screwups. How do you feel?” he asked again.

  “Maggie, why don’t you and I go see to Shannon’s release papers?” Christian took his wife by the arm and waited while Maggie received a sign from Shannon.

  “Go,” she said. “Find that doctor so I can leave.” And then they were alone.

  “Did you think I didn’t want to be here?” Noah asked.

  “I didn’t think … I didn’t know what to think. We’re not a couple. We’re not anything really.”

  “No?” he said, taking her hand. “We might not be a couple, but we’re far from not being anything. No matter what, you have to know how I feel about you. A large country between us isn’t going to change that.”

  She was afraid to ask because there was a big fat country between them and there always would be. But she went and did it anyway. “How is that?” And why the hell had he been ignoring her all week?

  “You really have to ask?”

  “I’m not a mind reader.”

  “I thought you would know how I feel about you.”

  “Why would I? Because we spent one night together? Because of what we once meant to each other? I haven’t seen you in thirteen years, Noah. For all I know you turned into a hemorrhoid who likes one-nighters.”

  “Is that what you really think?”

  No, but her hip ached, her temple throbbed, and someone had tried to do her serious harm, so she wasn’t in any mood for games. “Never mind. Thank you for catching who did this. Now could you please get me a nurse to unhook me before I lose it and do it myself?”

  “Shannon—”

  She reached for the IV needle in her left wrist.

  “Okay, I’m going. Don’t,” he warned, “rip off anything that’s attached to something else.”

  She wanted to rip something off all right, only it wasn’t anything poking out of her. She should be grateful to him. He’d brought in the man responsible for nearly killing her. But she couldn’t help it. She’d had a shitty week and it didn’t look like it would get better any time soon. But taking it out on Noah was wrong. She’d apologize later.

  *

  Shannon was fairly certain she’d hurt Noah’s feelings by choosing to ride with Maggie and Christian. And she’d come to remember she didn’t like doing that. She’d once hid her math test score for an entire week, not wanting to upset him with her dismal attempt at being a normal student. It turned out her teacher had already praised him for keeping Shannon out of summer school. The passing grade hadn’t impressed Shannon, but considering how badly she’d been failing, Noah had worn it like a badge of honor. The big dummy.

  Their argument, or whatever it had been, she’d started. She just wasn’t sure why. For now, she’d blame it on her injuries. Wanting what she couldn’t have had nothing to do with it.

  “You okay back there?” Maggie asked.

  “I’m fine. I’m just wondering how we’re going to get to the bank without Noah finding out.” She’d do it now, but he was following them.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to tell him?” Christian asked. “Someone went after you because of that file. It might help the police figure out who.”

  She had been rethinking it and Christian was right. “Let’s tell Horace. If it’s an officer in his department, he needs to know. I just wish I could remember that cop’s name off the top of my head.” But it was the names of the victims who had made the biggest impact on her and it was theirs she kept hearing in her head.

  “I’ll call and have him meet us at the house.” Maggie turned sideways. “What about Noah?”

  “You think I’m making a mistake?” She trusted Maggie’s opinion, but she was the same person who thought she and Noah needed to reconnect.

  “Since you asked, yes. If he believed there was a leak in his office, I can’t see him putting your life at risk.”

  “The operative word being if.”

  “True, but someone knew you had that file. Maybe this was all on your father. But I saw how worried Noah was when the ambulance brought you in. When he left to bring him in, I wasn’t sure there’d be anything left of him to arrest. Even Horace was a little leery of sending him. He made Noah promise he’d bring him back in one piece.”

  “Someone on his team knew you had a file on your father,” Christian said, eyeing her through the rearview mirror. “But the only ones who knew exactly what was in that file were you and your father. If he was killed because of it—and given what happened yesterday, I’d say he was—he pushed the wrong person’s button. If it means keeping quiet until he’s certain it wasn’t someone on his team, I can’t see Noah talking.”

  “I know. I just don’t want to get him in trouble later.”

  “He’s a big boy. Let him handle that.”

  She hated giving Christian the satisfaction, but he had a point. “Okay, let’s go to the bank. I’ll explain everything to Noah when we get there.”

  “I’d like to, but we can’t do that right now.”

  “Why?” Shannon asked.

  “Because Noah isn’t the only one tailing us.”

  *

  Noah accepted the call from Christian on the hands-free. “I see him,” he said, not bothering with hellos. “Is he one of yours?” Noah checked the rearview mirror again. The gray Buick was still behind him.

  “I told him to meet us at the house. You’re closer. Describe the driver.”

  “Male, white, clean-shaven, stupid, and not a local.”

  “You assessed his IQ with a look?”

  “Either he wants us to know he’s tailing us or he’s new to the game and doesn’t know how to be inconspicuous. But I’m going for stupid. Look around you, man. See anyone not wearing shades? It’s almost mandatory in Vegas. Plus, wouldn’t he want to hide his face in case he was spotted?”

  “Then this should be easy. Pull back. Let him get between us.”

  “Not with the women in the car.” He wasn’t going to risk their lives.

  “Tell me he didn’t just say that?” he heard Maggie object.

  “Noah, a smart man wouldn’t piss off my wife.”

  Shannon waved through the back window, only she wasn’t using five fingers.

  “Or Shannon,” Christian added.

  “Fine. Ladies, stay in the car. I don’t need my boss or Cooper handing my ass to me.” Doing as Christian suggested, he slowed and fell back. And, as expected, the car following them took up the position between them. “Now what?”

  “We get off the freeway and try not to spook him. Ladies, how about a round of golf?”

  Noah had seen the signs. They weren’t far from one of the many courses.

  “Take the next exit,” Christian said. “There’ll be signs if you get lost. Stay on Washington and I’ll take the side streets. If we time it right and he’s dumb enough to stop, we have him. Stay on the line if it puts your mind at ease.”

  “How do you know it’s not at ease?”

  “Because if it was Maggie in a car being tailed, I’d be freaking out.”

  He didn’t bother denying it. Shannon was listening. Whatever was going on between them, he wanted her to know he cared about her. He’d almost lost her, for Christ’s sake! He told himself not to think about that now. Now he had to focus on whoever was in that Buick.

  He wasn’t crazy about not having eyes on them, but it was the only way to sandwich this guy between them. He tamped down all the what ifs going through his head. Christian wouldn’t risk the women’s lives, nor was he stupid. He’d been doing shit like this before Noah joined the agency.

  As planned, he spotted Maggie’s SUV pulling out of a side street, the Buick still following.

  “Stay way behind until I stop,” Christian instructed. “You got your running s
hoes on?”

  “All laced up and ready to go.”

  The residential houses disappeared as open greens landscaped the road. Up ahead, Christian stopped in the clubhouse’s parking lot. To the left was an empty practice green. To the right golfers picked up golf carts. The Buick would either park or attempt to turn around. Either way he was trapped between them, but he chose to park an aisle behind, in one of the four empty spots.

  “Ready?” Christian asked.

  Noah slid his car into reserved parking, with a direct line of vision to the driver. “I say he goes left.”

  “A smart guy would go right, use the golfers as a distraction.”

  “A smart guy wouldn’t have let himself get cornered.”

  “True enough. On three?”

  They got out of their respective vehicles at the same time, Christian approaching from the front, Noah from behind. Seeing Christian, the guy got out of his car. Noah got ready to run. As Christian drew closer, the driver hadn’t left himself enough time to bolt right so he’d either stay put and allow himself to get caught or take his chances on the greens. He did neither. He managed a few steps forward, toward Christian, before Noah grabbed him by his jacket and tossed him on the hood of his car.

  By his stunned expression, he hadn’t seen it coming. That made three of them. Both Noah and Christian had expected him to run for it. Instead the man flinched and lifted his hands in surrender.

  “Please don’t hit me. I just need to talk to Shannon Joyce.”

  “Pick up the phone,” Christian said.

  “I wasn’t given her number, just her office. But they said she’d left town so I waited at her condo.”

  “And how do you know where she lives?” Noah asked, ready to punch him regardless of what he said.

  “I have friends. It wasn’t that hard. Look, I just need to talk to her. I tried yesterday, but then she was in that accident.”

  “You saw the accident?”

  He nodded, his hands still drawn protectively up. “I was a few cars back.”

  “Who are you?” Christian said, reaching forward and yanking the guy up by his lapels.

  “Arnold West.”

  “He’s a crooked attorney,” Shannon said.

  “Thought I told you to stay in the car.”

  “Your wife isn’t the only one who doesn’t listen to you.” She flashed her teeth at Christian.

  “You know this guy?” Noah didn’t want her here either, but arguing with her would be pointless.

  “He used to work for JJ.”

  “Still do,” Arnold said.

  “The man’s dead. I’d say you lost a client,” Christian pointed out.

  “I’m the executor of his will.”

  “Why are you still practicing?” Shannon drew closer. “I thought you’d have been disbarred by now.”

  “I gave that up years ago. Do you mind?” he said to Christian, still hanging on to his shirt.

  Christian released him with a not-so-gentle shove into the hood of his car.

  “There’s no need for violence.”

  “There is,” Christian said, “if you have a file that doesn’t belong to you.”

  What file? He was about to ask when he noticed the odd exchange between Shannon and Christian.

  “Can we speed this up?” Maggie said, joining their little party. “Shannon needs to rest.”

  “Mr. West here wasn’t in my file. He’s not someone I’d easily forget. I could get him disbarred in a heartbeat.”

  Were they referring to the file Shannon had accumulated against JJ?

  “I didn’t do anything illegal,” he said in his defense. “Questionable, yes, but not illegal.”

  “Unethical,” Shannon said.

  “That’s your opinion,” he disagreed.

  “You helped JJ draw up bogus papers.”

  They were starting to draw attention as more than one golfer parked a car and stared with curious gazes. Noah guessed this was a private club and someone sooner or later would report the strangers in the parking lot. “Maybe we should do this elsewhere? I can take him in my car.”

  “No. No need to take me anywhere. I just wanted to talk to Shannon.”

  “Then out with it. Why are you following me?”

  “As I said, I’m the executor of your father’s will.”

  “And what? Daddy dearest leave me something too?” she asked, not trying to hide her sarcasm. “I know he left the house to his new wife.”

  “New wife? Your father never remarried.”

  “Then who is Cecilia Lewis?”

  “That’s what I’m here to tell you. He named you guardian.”

  “Guardian of what?”

  Patience had never been one of Shannon’s strong suits and right now Mr. West was on the receiving end of what was left of hers. If not for her injuries, he’d almost pity the guy. Lucky for him, she wasn’t at her finest.

  “Not what. Who. Miss Cecelia Lewis. His daughter.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Shannon blinked. What the hell was he talking about? “What daughter?”

  “Your father’s,” West said, with a disgusted roll of his beady eyes. “Came as a shock to me too. We’d kept in touch over the years and it was the first time I’d heard of her. Out of the blue he tells me he needs to make a will and appoint a guardian to this kid. I knew he couldn’t have been talking about you. And last I’d heard his wife was still nutty and hadn’t recovered from her last flake out.”

  “Dear God.” Shannon swayed, and before she could right herself, Noah was by her side, a steady arm gentle around her waist. “Noah, if it’s true, he fucked up another kid’s life.” She wanted to cry.

  “We don’t know if he’s telling us the truth. Do we?” Christian said, giving West another shove.

  “I’m not lying,” West assured everyone, his shoulders hunched. “He set her up in a fancy boarding school. She didn’t live with him,” he said, surprising Shannon by clearly thinking that was a good thing. Had the man grown scruples?

  “Who’s the mother?” Someone hadn’t been dumb enough to marry him. No, she’d gone and given the worst father of the year a kid.

  “He wouldn’t tell me. Said he had custody and she was out of the picture.”

  “Did you think to check? He wasn’t exactly father material.” Why was she bothering to get upset? He was a crook like her old man. What did he care?

  “Look, don’t get mad at me. It wasn’t my place to figure out his personal life. Here.” He reached into his pocket and handed her an envelope. “If something happened to him, I was to give this to you. It’s a document naming you guardian. He said he’d give me more details later. Then he was shot before he could do that.”

  “When was this supposed will drawn up?” Noah asked.

  “Three months ago, give or take.”

  “Right around the time he contacted you,” Noah said.

  “This doesn’t make sense.” Why would her father blackmail her, then make her his kid’s—her half sister’s—legal guardian?

  “Could be he found out you had money?” West suggested, as if reading her mind. “He told me he needed to move her to a new school and it would cost more cash than he had on hand. You apparently had lots of it. After seeing that place you live in I guess he was right.”

  Noah gave him a not-so-friendly shove. “I have friends who can make you wish you didn’t know that.”

  West put his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I meant what I said. I gave up that way of life. Too many people getting hurt.”

  If he did mean it, then better late than never. So JJ had been using the money she gave him to fund this school? No way could he be that altruistic. West had to be lying. “Where’s the girl now?”

  He shrugged. “I assume at the new school.”

  “Which is?” Noah asked.

  “Don’t know. He didn’t tell me.”

  “Then how are we supposed to find her?” Maggie asked, looking like
she wanted to give the slimy lawyer another friendly shove. “She doesn’t know her father is dead?”

  “Again, I don’t know.”

  “Who else knows about the girl?”

  West shrugged. “I got the impression he wasn’t keen on people finding out.”

  “I don’t understand. He sets me up as guardian but doesn’t tell me how to find her?”

  “I think he was fixing to tell you but never got the chance. Sorry, but my job is done. Can I go now?” he asked.

  “How old is she?” Then, seeing West’s rueful smile, Noah added, “Let me guess: JJ didn’t tell you?”

  “I’m guessing ten, maybe younger. I have her old school’s transcripts. They were forwarded to me after he died, but I haven’t looked at them.”

  Noah exchanged a look with Christian before speaking. “We might have questions for you later.” Meaning we’d better be able to find you if we want to. “And I’m going to check out your story. If I find out this is all bullshit …”

  “I’m telling you the truth. My card is in there. Like I said, I left that life behind. I was never happy to see JJ. But his request seemed legit so I saw no harm in helping out an old friend.”

  The guys allowed Arnold West to leave, but not before Christian had a few private words with him. Judging by the way his complexion paled, they weren’t “nice to meet you and thanks for everything.”

  “What?” He looked at Maggie as West drove away.

  “Did you threaten to kick his ass?” his wife asked.

  “Nope, I simply told him that if he was lying, he wouldn’t appreciate my looking for him. Now let’s get Shannon home. She looks like she’s about to fall down.”

  Considering she’d just been told she had a sister and was now obligated to raise her, he wasn’t that far off.

  *

  They congregated in Maggie’s living room, trying to make sense of what had happened. Shannon hadn’t opened the envelope and wasn’t sure when she would.

  “What did he mean, your mother was still nutty?” Noah took the coffee Christian offered and took a seat beside Shannon on the sofa.

  “A few years back she went off her meds and had to be hospitalized. It was a county hospital. I could afford to pay her insurance, but I didn’t have the money for private care. Not back then. I don’t really know what happened. She just refused her medication. And JJ was listed as next of kin so the hospital wouldn’t tell me anything without her written consent. Which wasn’t happening. Then, on one of her more coherent days, she started her pills again and was released. That’s all I know. A few years after that, I found the place she’s living now. JJ was in and out of the picture so I had to stay away.”