From the Amazon Bestseller Debra Burroughs, topping the charts in Romantic Suspense and Women Sleuths, comes another exciting and entertaining short story, The Edge of Lies. This is a bridge short story between Books 2 and 3 in the bestselling series, The Paradise Valley Mysteries. This story takes you back to Evan and Emily in the early years.
Praise for Debra Burroughs’ romantic suspense novels…
“From page one… I was hooked. I have enjoyed every one of the books in this series. If you have followed Emily and Colin’s story, then you don’t want to miss this novel at all. I hope there is a book five!”
~ Reenie Diva
Amazon Reviewer
“Loved this book. Great suspense and kept you on the edge of your seat. Would definitely read this author again.”
~ Gloria Wilhite
Amazon Reviewer
“The characters are so real, I would have them as friends. The plot is very unpredictable. It held my interest from cover to cover. This author has made her characters and stories very real and believable. I have made this author my most favorite.
~ Judy 4 Eyes
Amazon Reviewer
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Afterword
Other Works by Debra Burroughs
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Table of Contents
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
~ Sir Walter Scott
Chapter 1
“Oh, Emily, I was eight months pregnant, lookin’ like I was tryin’ to hide a basketball under my weddin’ gown, with my ankles so swollen they looked like they belonged on an elephant.” Maggie Sullivan swept her long blonde waves over her shoulder. “Yes, I was one lovely bride.”
Emily stifled a giggle. “That does sound like quite a sight, Maggie, but I’m sure you were still beautiful.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but you know I love tellin’ a good story.” Maggie paused and appeared to be studying Emily’s face. “But why all the questions, Em? What’s goin’ on in that pretty little head?”
It was almost ten o’clock at night and Emily Parker was sitting in her Volvo sedan with her friend Maggie, staking out a parked car that belonged to a supposedly wayward husband. His wife had hired Emily, a private investigator in the small town of Paradise Valley, to find evidence that her spouse had been cheating on her so she would have the goods to shatter their pre-nup.
The man had claimed to be working late more nights than the wife believed, she had said, and she was certain he was having an affair with a coworker. While Emily knew that her situation had been different, cases like this always brought thoughts of spouses keeping secrets to the forefront of her mind.
Sitting in the darkened vehicle, parked a row away from the suspect’s car, the two women chatted as they waited for the money shot. Emily’s camera sat perched on the dash, within easy reach, poised to snap photos of the man getting dropped off at his car by his lady friend.
Emily fidgeted with the steering wheel. “The truth is, Maggie, I’ve been thinking about my own wedding…and about Evan.”
Almost a year earlier, Emily’s life took a sudden and unexpected turn when her husband was murdered. The police detective, who had no prior experience investigating a murder in the quiet little town of Paradise Valley, was unable to solve the crime.
“I thought you had moved past that.” Maggie reached over and grasped Emily’s hand. “Why are you thinkin’ about it now?”
Emily took a long, slow breath. “I still have so many unanswered questions, you know? So many things that don’t make sense.”
“Like what?”
“I know he loved me, Maggie, but I always had this sneaking suspicion that he was hiding things from me. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for him, keeping all those lies straight.”
“Lies, lies, lies.” Maggie shook her head. “My mama used to always say that tellin’ lies is like a barn cat standin’ on the edge of a cliff.”
Emily raised her eyebrows, waiting for Maggie to give the meaning behind her mother’s colorful turn of phrase. “And?”
“It means that if you’re gonna tell one lie, you’re gonna have to tell a bunch, and that means you better be ready to jump right off the edge of those lies and hope you land on your feet.”
Emily smiled and nodded. Maggie had her own unique way of saying things, but inside those words there was always a kernel of truth.
“Evan chose to jump off the edge rather than tell you the truth.” Maggie shrugged. “I suppose he didn’t have enough barn cat in him.”
“Huh?”
“He didn’t land on his feet, Em.” Maggie rolled her eyes as if the meaning should have been obvious to Emily.
“But what if I could find the truth?” Emily asked. “The whole truth.”
“Now, how on earth could you? It’s not like Evan is around to ask him. I think you need to let this go, Em. Leave the past where it belongs.”
Tears rose to Emily’s eyes and she blinked them away.
“Some things are not meant to be known.” Maggie placed a hand on Emily’s arm.
“But that’s just it.” Emily twisted in her seat toward her friend. “I think maybe I was meant to know.”
Maggie’s blue eyes reflected confusion. “You’re gonna have to give me more than that.”
“All right, all right. But you can’t say anything.”
Maggie nodded.
“I found something. A journal. Evan’s journal.”
“What? Where?”
“Under the gazebo, of all places. I was sitting out there the other day, thinking, and I noticed something between the boards below my feet. I used the flashlight on my cell phone to get a better look and saw it was a manila envelope in a plastic bag, taped to the bottom of the gazebo.”
Maggie gasped, raising her hand to her mouth. “Oh m’ goodness. Did you read it?”
Emily glanced at her purse, where the journal was stashed, then back at her friend. “I didn’t read the whole thing, but I peeked inside.”
It had been almost six years since Emily had married Evan, and almost one year since he had been tragically murdered. He had been a private investigator, and Emily couldn’t help but wonder if his death had somehow been connected to one of his cases.
After a period of grieving, Emily had begun to recover and she had gained strength from her circle of friends. In time, she’d decided to take over her husband’s business and become a private investigator, determined to find out who killed him.
She was not totally without skills. She had helped Evan on some of his cases, but he had not wanted that widely known, for her own protection. He had made sure she knew how to handle a gun and had taught her how to read people. Over time, Emily had become an adept investigator in her own right, bringing her to why she was sitting in her car in a dark parking lot.
“What are you gonna do, Em?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” Emily reached into her purse and felt the hard spine of the journal, just as Maggie shook her shoulder.
“Emily! It’s him, isn’t it?”
Emily released the journal, grabbed her camera, and began snapping photos. Sure enough, the man was with another woman. As he leaned in to kiss the woman in the car, all of Emily’s attention was focused on the task at hand—gathering evidence that would tear a family apart.
Within minutes, both cars had driven off, leaving Emily and Maggie sitting in the Volvo, letting their adrenaline seep away.
Maggie finally broke the silence. “Well
, I bet your client never saw this vision on her weddin’ day.”
“No, probably not. But then, who does?”
Emily’s thoughts flew to her own wedding day. She was so young and naïve back then, totally and blissfully in love—it seemed like a lifetime ago.
A vision of Evan’s handsome face filled her mind—his sandy blond hair, piercing blue eyes, his crooked, sexy smile. She grinned at the thought of him. He would be proud of the strong woman she had become.
“I’ve made up my mind,” Emily announced.
Maggie turned toward her, anticipation written all over her face. “Well? Are you gonna tell me or not?”
Chapter 2
Emily dropped Maggie off at her house, and then she drove home, thinking about the journal and her five-year marriage to Evan.
Maggie was right, of course, when she had told Emily to move on. But first, she had some reading to do.
Once home, she kicked her shoes off and padded barefoot into the kitchen to make herself a small pot of tea and grab a yogurt from the fridge. Then, foregoing a shower, she climbed onto her bed and hugged a pillow into her arms as she closed her eyes, letting her mind drift back to her wedding to Evan.
~*~
Distant organ music spilled into the room as the door creaked open, allowing the scent of cherry blossoms to waft in.
“Is Evan here yet?” Emily asked, turning away from the window. She refused to consider that he would stand her up, leave her waiting at the altar.
Her sister stepped into the cramped bride’s room of the little stone chapel. “No, I’m afraid he’s not.” Susan crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure he’s coming, Emily?”
Susan had only met the groom-to-be at the rehearsal dinner a few nights ago, before he was suddenly called away on business. She wasn’t shy about telling Emily that he wasn’t at all what she had expected.
“Of course, he’s coming.” Emily caught herself crossing her fingers as she stood in her wedding gown, nervously waiting. Feeling foolish, she uncrossed them and folded her arms instead.
As a specialist for a global security company, Evan often took off on a moment’s notice to places all over the world. Emily knew this, and she was okay with it, but this was their wedding day. Couldn’t he have said no this time?
“What kind of business takes precedence over his own wedding?” Susan shook her head in disgust. “Is he out chasing bad guys or something?”
“I don’t think he chases bad guys, Sis. He protects people—high-powered people.”
“You two haven’t been dating that long. What do you really know about this guy?”
“Don’t be silly, I know plenty. Evan is a good man and he loves me. You’ve been watching too many spy movies.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Susan breathed a laugh, “but you can’t deny that martini-drinking playboy in those movies is drop-dead sexy.”
Emily smiled at the thought. “I can’t argue with you there.”
Susan’s voice turned serious. “Honey, are you sure you’re ready for a man like Evan. You’re still so young.”
“I’m already twenty-two. It’s not like I’m a kid.”
“In some ways, maybe.”
“Don’t worry, Sis, I’m plenty old enough to be getting married, and I’m sure Evan will be here. Brian told me he saw a dark sedan on the side of the road on his way out here. It was probably an airport limo with a groom-to-be sitting in the back seat, struggling with his bowtie.” Emily put her hand on her sister’s elbow and urged her toward the door. “I just need you to go out there and stall. Please.”
Susan grimaced at her sister for a moment. “If that man stands you up…”
Emily turned back to the window and gazed out over the expansive lawn that was surrounded by a beautiful stand of cherry trees in full bloom. Her eyes drifted farther, trying to get a glimpse of the distant road, hoping for a flash of black against the blue horizon.
She sighed. “He won’t. I’m sure of it.”
~*~
With her honey-blonde hair neatly coifed into a sophisticated chignon, accented with a pearl-encrusted comb, Emily stood pensively in the vestibule of the charming little stone chapel. Her strapless gown flowed softly to the floor with several layers of white chiffon. She grasped firmly onto her brother-in-law’s arm with one hand, a bouquet of red Gerber daisies in the other, anxiously waiting for the wedding to begin.
“Where is Susan?” Emily asked. She hadn’t seen her sister since she’d begged her to stall. “It’s past time to start.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’s here someplace,” Brian replied, patting her hand as it hugged his arm. “Probably giving someone orders, somewhere in the church.”
As the matron of honor, Susan had to go in first. Where could she be? The music was playing and, no doubt, the guests were getting restless.
Emily hoped when the doors opened that she would find Evan standing at the front with the minister and his best man. “Can you take a peek inside, Brian? See if Evan is there?”
“Sure.” He opened the door a crack and peered in. “Sorry, not even the minister is down front.”
“Maybe he’s in the back room with them, waiting for the signal to begin.” Panic began to creep up Emily’s neck.
The sound of heels clicking on the wood floor drew Emily’s and Brian’s attention to the left hall. In a flurry of soft yellow organza, with Emily’s cell phone in her hand, Susan came rushing down the hallway toward them. Her face looked flushed and panicked.
“This doesn’t look good,” Emily muttered.
“I was passing the bride’s room,” Susan said, looking more serious than usual, “and I heard your phone ringing, Em. I answered it, thinking it might be about Evan.”
“He’s still not here?” Emily’s heart sank.
“No, but the woman on the phone says she’s from his office and she needs to speak to you right away—only you.” Susan held the phone out and Emily snatched it eagerly.
“Hello, this is Emily.”
“I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but Evan has gone missing. We lost—”
“What?” Emily widened her eyes and flashed a glance at Susan, who was gesturing frantically, looking impatient to find out the news too.
“He didn’t make his connecting flight. But knowing Evan—”
“What happened? Where is he?” Now, panic was settling deep into Emily’s chest. She knew Evan did dangerous work, and it was all very hush-hush, but today, on their wedding day of all days, he goes missing.
This couldn’t be happening.
“We have no idea where he is or what could have happened. But don’t worry, we’re on top of it.”
Don’t worry?
Emily gave her head a shake. “Where was he the last time you heard from him?”
“Well, the nature of our business prohibits me from giving you specifics. He does check in regularly, but he missed his check-in before the connecting flight back to DC, and he’s not answering his phone. I’m sure it’s nothing, but we’ll—”
“How can it be nothing? Evan is missing. What’s being done to find him?”
“I assure you, we’re doing everything we can. Just sit tight and we’ll be in contact as soon as…”
The rest of what the woman said fell on deaf ears. She wasn’t going to tell Emily anything of substance. She handed the phone to her sister—Susan could handle her good-byes. Emily slowly meandered down the hall, back to the bride’s room, her bouquet hanging limply by her side.
She went to the window again, this time with tears of fear and disappointment streaming down her cheeks. Was Evan all right? Was he even alive?
The woman on the phone was useless, in spite of her Spanish accent, Emily understood that much, and she felt powerless to do anything to help find Evan. Even if she knew where he was when he’d last checked in, what could she do? She was a waitress with a history degree.
Emily whirled around at the sound
of a soft knock on the door.
Her sister poked her head in. “You okay?”
“What do you think?” Emily dabbed her tears with a tissue.
Susan stepped inside and closed the door. “Brian went to tell the minister that Evan couldn’t make it, then he’s going to send the guests home.”
“What if something terrible has happened to him?” Emily sank down on a chair at the vanity table.
“Or maybe he’s fine, but…”
Emily narrowed her eyes at her sister. “But what? Don’t hold back now, Susan. Say what you’re really thinking.”
Susan looked directly at Emily, quirking one side of her mouth. “You have to consider that he might have gotten cold feet and put that woman up to calling you.”
Emily shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.”
“I know, I know. He loves you. He’s a great guy. Yadda yadda.”
“You don’t know him, Susan. And right now, I don’t really need your sarcasm.”
“You’re right, I don’t know him. All I know is what I see—a man who runs off just days before his wedding, and doesn’t even bother to call or show up when it’s most important.”
“He’d be here if he could,” Emily said, confident in Evan’s love. “Something must have happened beyond his control.”
“If you say so.” Susan shrugged. “I was thinking I should go help Brian see all the guests out. At least there aren’t that many.”
The guest list had consisted of some of Emily’s friends from college and a couple of people from the diner where she worked. Evan had invited a few people he worked with as well, including his best man, Roger, whom he described as someone he trusted with his life.
Missing from the guest list were her mom and dad. Emily wished her parents could have been there for her special day—her mom helping her into her wedding gown and her dad walking her down the aisle—but it wasn’t to be. Her mother had died several years before, and her father had been recently checked into an Alzheimer facility. He no longer remembered her or her sister. The only family Emily had left was Susan, and she lived in Maine with Brian and their kids.
Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 02.5 - The Edge of Lies Page 1