Bewitching: His Secret Agenda

by Carla Neggers

  “Bingo. She argued Sarah acted in self-defense, as the boyfriend had a history of abuse. Halfway through the trial, the D.A. offered a deal. Sarah spent a few years in medium-security lockup, got clean and earned her high-school diploma. I wasn’t sure you were right about this,” Nolan admitted. “But if we can find a reasonable motive as to why Allison Martin would defend Addison, only to turn around and help his wife and kid run off, we might be able to blow this thing wide open.”

  Dean viciously kicked his duffel bag across the room. Why did he have to be right? Why couldn’t Allie have been clueless about Lynne and Jon’s whereabouts?

  I had to make things right. That’s what Allie had said after she’d told him she’d realized Addison had been guilty. Helping his wife escape was obviously her way of making things right.

  But did she know where they were now? Or had she given them enough money to get by, and then left them to their own devices?

  He tipped his head back and blew out a breath. He could tell Nolan he hadn’t found a motive or a connection that proved Allie had helped Lynne. He might even be able to convince his partner that the information he’d discovered about Sarah Lambert was a coincidence. If Dean kept what he knew to himself, he could leave. Pack up and be gone before he got even more involved with Allie. He could put something else before the job and just...walk away.

  After all, from what Allie had told him and from the information they had from Robin, who’s to say Allie hadn’t been right to help Lynne get away from her husband?

  “Hey, you still there?” Nolan asked.

  Dean sighed. “Yeah. Sorry. I think we lost the signal for a minute.”

  Nolan grunted. “I’ll be glad when this case is over. I can appreciate Robin wanting to see her daughter and grandson again, but the way she keeps breathing down my neck, it’s like she’s inside my shirt. Lucky for me, you’re the one who’s going to have to give her an update Saturday.”

  “What?”

  “She wants to meet with you face-to-face, and since we told her you were following leads in Cincy, you get a chance to play coddle the client.”

  “Damn it, I don’t have time for this, Nolan. Not when I’m finally getting somewhere.”

  “You’re getting somewhere?”

  “I found Allie’s motive,” Dean said slowly. He filled Nolan in on what she had told him. “Her empty bank accounts and the fact that she had to get a loan to buy The Summit make sense now. I’m guessing she gave money to the Addisons, since they had no way of getting cash on their own.”

  “I’m on the red-eye to New York tonight,” Nolan said. “I’ll talk to Sarah, play up how she could be busted for lying to the cops, interfering with an investigation... the works.”

  Dean’s stomach tightened. “Yeah, that’s what I’d do, too. If she played a part in helping them disappear, she might get nervous.”

  “Exactly. And people who are nervous often screw up. Who knows? She might lead us right to Lynne and Jon.”

  “At the very least, maybe she’ll contact Allie. Either way, I’m going to stick close to Allison.” He clenched his hand as he remembered just how close he’d been to her not twenty minutes ago.

  * * *

  SATURDAY, DEAN PAID the cabbie and stepped out into the brisk wind. His brain was turning after a sleepless night and an early morning drive into Syracuse so he could catch the flight to Cincinnati for his 10:00 a.m. meeting with Robin Hawley. And the information he’d discovered about Miles Addison.

  Mainly that there had been rumors of Addison abusing boys in both Boston, where he’d lived before moving to New York, and his hometown of Chicago. The cops who investigated told Dean they’d found evidence money had exchanged hands between Miles and the victims’ family, but no formal charges were ever filed.

  Seemed the prick really had a system down. From what Dean gathered, Addison targeted underprivileged boys without strong father figures. He earned their trust simply by paying attention to them, taking them places and buying them things.

  The detectives Dean spoke with who’d investigated Addison in Boston and Chicago had wanted to take the case to trial. Unfortunately, without the victims’ testimony, they didn’t have a shot of getting a conviction.

  Too bad. If there was someone who deserved to be behind bars, it was Miles Addison.

  Dean entered the crowded coffee shop. He couldn’t believe he’d let Nolan talk him into meeting Robin Hawley, but as his partner had pointed out, if Dean didn’t meet with her, she might call the investigation off.

  Dean spotted her at a corner table in the back of the large, noisy room. She looked the same as the day she’d come to their office in Dallas to hire them, tidy as a preacher’s wife at Sunday services. Her silver hair was shorter than Dean’s, but instead of looking mannish, the style complemented Robin’s softly lined features.

  She lifted a hand in greeting as he approached, the sleeve of her subdued pink blouse sliding back to reveal a slim, expensive-looking silver watch.

  “Thank you for meeting with me,” Robin said when Dean reached the table. She gestured to the empty seat across from her. “Can I get you something? Coffee?”

  “No, thank you, ma’am,” he said as he sat down. “I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”

  “I understand, and I appreciate how dedicated you and Mr. Winchester are to your job.”

  Her eyes welled with tears and Dean shifted uncomfortably. Please don’t let her start crying. That was the last thing he needed. This was Nolan’s job, not his. Dean was the one who infiltrated people’s lives, tracked down leads and sifted through the lies until he found the truth.

  He wasn’t cut out for customer care.

  Robin shook her head. “I’m sorry. I just miss them both so much.” She opened her purse and took out some photos, handing them to Dean. “I wasn’t sure if you needed more pictures. That one,” she said, pointing to the top picture, “was taken a few months before the trial.”

  Dean glanced down at the picture of Robin and Lynne dressed up in front of some sort of fancy fountain. Both women were holding champagne glasses and smiling.

  Dean flipped to the next photo, in which Robin knelt next to Jon, her arm around his shoulders. The boy wearing a backpack that was at least as big as he was, didn’t look as thrilled as she did.

  “That was Jonny’s first day of kindergarten,” Robin said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m not sure who was more nervous, him or Lynne. Once he got to his classroom, he was fine—he’s such an easygoing, friendly boy.” She laughed sadly. “But poor Lynne was such a wreck. She stood in the hallway for two hours just to make sure he was really all right.”

  “We’re doing everything possible to find your daughter and grandson, Mrs. Hawley,” Dean said, tapping the edge of the photos against the table.

  She sipped her coffee. “Mr. Winchester said you might have a new lead?”

  “We’re following up on several possibilities,” he told her, trying to make it sound as if he wasn’t hedging. He and Nolan had learned early on that while it was important to keep clients informed, too much information in the wrong hands could shoot a case all to hell. “We’re positive Lynne and Jon lived right here in Cincinnati until a few months ago.”

  He then filled her in as much as he could while keeping Allie’s possible connection—and his work in Serenity Springs—to himself.

  “You’ve gotten much further than the other three firms I tried,” she said, sounding hopeful. “Maybe this time I’ll really find them.”

  “Like I said, we’ll do our best.”

  She sat up straighter in her chair. “That’s all I can ask, isn’t it? I know you’re in a hurry, so I won’t keep you any longer, but I just want to reiterate the condition that if you find Lynne, you don’t mention my involvement.” She tore at her paper napkin. “I need to
face her myself and if she finds out I’m looking for her, she may run away again before I apologize. I was so wrong to testify at the trial, but at the time, I honestly thought I was doing the right thing. What Lynne wanted.”

  “You believed your son-in-law was innocent?”

  “Of course. Everyone did, even Lynne.”

  “What changed your mind?”

  Her lips thinned. “Actually, I’m not convinced he was guilty. All I know is that Lynne left him for a reason and didn’t feel she could come to me for help. Whether Miles is guilty or not, the end result is the same. My daughter and grandson are out there somewhere and I may never see them again.” She swallowed. “I may never get the chance to apologize.” Her eyes beseeched him. “All I want is my family back.”

  He nodded. Yeah, he could relate. He stood and tucked the pictures in his pocket. “I appreciate the photos. We’ll be in touch, but if you have any questions, just call Nolan. He’s easier to get ahold of than I am,” he lied, having no qualms about throwing his best friend under the bus.

  Dean made his way back to the door, thinking about the similarities between what had happened with him and his family and Robin and her daughter. Once outside, he went to the curb to hail a cab back to the airport. His family crap wasn’t important. What mattered was getting this job done. If they didn’t, Robin would hire someone else, that much was a given. And if she did, that other PI might discover Allie’s involvement with the case. She could be accused of aiding and abetting a child abduction

  No. This was Dean’s job. He’d find Lynne, reunite her with her mother and help Allie get rid of the guilt she’d been carrying around these past two years.

  He’d help her get on with her life.

  Once she realizes I’m not going to force Lynne to go back to her bastard of a husband, Allie might even be grateful to have my help.

  If she ever forgave him for lying to her.

  * * *

  ALLIE HAD NEVER HAD A MAN ignore her for three days before.

  Actually, she’d never had a man ignore her for as much as three minutes. She couldn’t say she liked it.

  She smiled distractedly at the two couples she’d just taken drink orders from, and lifted her full tray. She wove her way back through the crowd. Kelsey’s Speed Date Your Way Through Valentine’s Day was a hit. The Summit had been packed since the event started at eight, and though there were only two ten-minute sessions left, it didn’t look as if the event was losing any steam.

  She went behind the bar and set the tray down. Noreen was picking up empty glasses and bottles by the pool table, while Kelsey worked the right side. Since this was Kelsey’s baby, Allie had left her in charge of all the setup logistics, keeping time for the dates and planning the mix-and-mingle periods.

  She glanced at Dean, who was filling drink orders at the other end of the bar.

  She just didn’t get it. Ever since he’d left her house Thursday morning, he’d managed to pretend she didn’t exist. She tossed an empty into the recycling bin with a loud clang. He’d speak to her if she asked him a direct question, but he didn’t meet her eye. And as soon as he’d answered her, he’d find some task that needed his immediate attention.

  The way he was acting, you’d think he’d been the one left standing practically naked in the kitchen.

  “Would you stop?” Kelsey asked as she came up beside her.

  Allie looked away from Dean’s strong profile and frowned. “Stop what?”

  Her sister-in-law added a shot of rum to a glass and then topped it off with cola. “Stop mooning over your bartender. It’s pathetic, so knock it off.”

  Allie’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me,” she said haughtily, “but I’ve never mooned over a man in my life.”

  “You’ve never had to moon over a man before.” Kelsey stuck a stir straw in the glass and gave Allie a knowing look. “Most guys go gaga over you and generally make asses of themselves trying to get you to notice them. So, even though I wish you’d set your sights somewhere else, I’m glad he’s smart enough not to give you the time of day.”

  Allie narrowed her eyes as Kelsey handed the drink to a customer. When she came back from ringing up the sale and taking another order, Allie said, “You’re supposed to be on my side. And I haven’t set my sights on Dean.” She lowered her voice. “We had a...moment the other day—”

  “Crap,” Kelsey said, opening a bottle of beer and setting it on the bar. “You slept with him.”

  The guy waiting for his drinks grinned. Allie’s face heated.

  “I did not sleep with him,” she hissed, turning her back to the bar. “I’m just wondering what’s going on with him.”

  Kelsey opened another beer and, after the customer left, pulled Allie to the back of the bar. “You want to know why he’s ignoring you after your shared moment—in which no sex was involved. Is that about right?”

  “I want to make sure he’s okay, that’s all. He’s been acting strangely and—”

  “You only met the guy a week ago,” Kelsey said. “How do you know if he’s acting strangely or not?”

  “I just know.”

  “Why must I do everything?” Kelsey muttered to no one in particular. Then she strode toward Dean. Not liking the look in her eyes, Allie followed. When Kelsey glanced back at her, she turned and stuck her hands in the sink, as if her intention all along had been to wash dishes.

  “How’s it going?” Kelsey asked him.

  He didn’t even look up from the beer he was pouring. “Other than that damn air horn blasting every ten minutes and a line five deep because you chat more than you pour drinks, it’s going great.”

  “Hey, that air horn is the cue for people to move on to the next date. And there are only two left, so you’ll just have to deal. And I wouldn’t have to stop and chat if you hadn’t had a moment with your boss the other day and are now determined to ignore her.”

  He gaped at Allie, his hand still on the beer tap. “You told her?”

  She clenched her teeth. What did he think, that she’d told Kelsey he’d given her a mind-blowing orgasm in the middle of her kitchen?

  “I didn’t tell her anything because there was nothing to tell,” Allie stated. She nodded at the overflowing glass in his hand. “And you’re wasting beer.”

  He looked down and cursed. Turning off the tap, he carried the beer to his waiting customer.

  “And just for the record,” she said to her sister-in-law, rinsing a glass, “I don’t appreciate you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

  “I was only trying to help.” Kelsey tried but failed to pull off an innocent expression. “I butt in because I care.”

  Allie knew that. But it didn’t make her any less angry. “Well, I’ll handle things from here.” She pointed a wet finger to the lineup of thirsty people. “Now would you please get back to work before you force me to fire your skinny ass?”

  “Killjoy.” Kelsey pouted.

  Within fifteen minutes, another ten-minute dating session had started and the line had died down enough for Allie to have cleaned most of the glasses. She’d had enough time to think a few things through. The other day Dean had asked her when she was going to stop allowing her fear of making another mistake rule her actions. She hadn’t realized until this moment exactly how much she’d changed. If a man had run off on her two years ago, she would’ve tracked him down and demanded an explanation. But now, all she did was wait around like some timid schoolgirl with her first crush.

  Somewhere along the line, she’d lost her faith in herself. And she wanted it back.

  She waited until Dean had a break, then told Kelsey to cover the bar before following him into the kitchen. “You’ve been avoiding me,” she said, as she entered the room.

  “I haven’t been—”

  “Bull. I know why you�
�re doing it, just as I know why you walked away from me the other day.”

  He seemed leery, as if she’d guessed some big, dark secret. “You do?”

  She nodded. “You didn’t want to take advantage of me. Which is sweet—” His laughter cut her off. She frowned. “What?”

  “Oh, I wanted to take advantage,” he said with a sexy grin. “Believe me.”

  She cleared her throat. “Well, be that as it may, you didn’t. Uh, take advantage of my...weak moment. And I want you to know, since I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time, I appreciate your restraint and good judgment.”

  He turned the water bottle in his hands. “So, you’re glad we didn’t go any further?”

  Hell, no. “Yes. I am. Just because we’re...attracted...to each other doesn’t mean we can’t control our baser instincts. We’re not animals.”

  “Speak for yourself,” he mumbled.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing.”

  “So, we’re both in agreement that nothing...irreversible happened between us. There’s no reason for you to avoid me. We can get back to being what we were before...”

  “You mean, boss and employer?”

  “Yes, but I think we can be more than that. Friends.”

  He seemed less than thrilled by the idea. “Don’t you have enough of those?”

  “There’s always room for one more,” she told him with a wink. Then she walked away. And for the first time since she’d moved back to Serenity Springs, she felt like her old self.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  HALF AN HOUR LATER the speed dating thing had ended—and Dean had tossed the air horn in the Dumpster out back. He mixed what had to be his sixtieth cosmopolitan of the night and wondered about the allure of pink drinks. The ladies in The Summit sure couldn’t get enough of them.

  Probably because Allie had made all red and pink drinks half price in honor of Valentine’s Day.

  After finishing the order, he dunked a fresh cloth in cleaning solution. He heard the unmistakable sound of Allie’s laughter, which was crazy seeing as the noise level in the room was off the charts. Wringing out the cloth, he raised his head as he searched the crowd for her.