Safe Harbor

by Hope White

  “Miller, 10-23, over,” the trooper said.

  An altercation with the trooper wasn’t what Alex wanted but he didn’t see that he had much choice. Yet he didn’t want the cop to see his face or else they could accuse Alex of tampering with evidence.

  Alex held his breath and waited. Sensing the deputy closing in, Alex shifted to the backside of the boxes and peered around to see the deputy walking in the other direction.

  Alex lunged at the trooper’s back, wrapping his arm around his neck. The gun flew out of the trooper’s hand and he dug his fingers into Alex’s arm to release the pressure on his windpipe. The hold was an effective move that rendered the victim unconscious without serious side affects.

  If only the guy would surrender.

  Instead, he kicked and thrashed, shoving Alex up against the wall. Alex applied more pressure and the trooper fell unconscious. Alex lowered him to the floor.

  The sound of car doors slamming outside indicated backup had arrived. Instead of making a run for it, Alex pulled out his badge and kneeled beside Deputy Miller.

  Two more deputies rushed into the lab. “Hands up!”

  Alex flashed his badge over his shoulder. “Waverly Harbor P.D. We got a tip someone was going to break into the lab. When I got here the door was open and the deputy was on the ground.”

  He hoped the guy remained unconscious long enough for Alex to talk his way out of here.

  The deputies holstered their firearms and one went to check Miller’s pulse.

  “He’s okay,” Alex said. He stood and pulled out his cell. “I can’t get bars in here. I need to call in.” He headed for the door.

  The second deputy blocked him.

  Alex maintained a passive expression, although his insides were whirling like a tornado ripping through an Oklahoma cornfield.

  “You think this has something to do with the Edward Lange homicide?” the trooper asked.

  “That would be my guess. Can you check to make sure they didn’t take off with the evidence box? I didn’t have time.” Alex nodded over his shoulder. “Was worried about the deputy.”

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  With a curt nod, Alex walked out of the building, glanced once over his shoulder...

  And took off, hoping they didn’t come looking for him. In seconds he reached the car and jumped into the backseat. Nicole wasn’t there, neither was his brother.

  “Where are they?” he asked Billy.

  “He went to get Nicole.”

  Alex jerked open the door in time to see Quinn pulling Nicole toward the car. Alex motioned for them to hurry. “Get in, quick.”

  She yanked away from Quinn, fisted her hands and glared at Alex. “Don’t you ever—”

  Alex pulled her close and kissed her, partly to keep her quiet, but mostly because he wanted to. He needed to.

  “I thought we were in a hurry,” Quinn said.

  Alex released Nicole, who gazed up at him in shock.

  “You can read me the riot act later. We’ve got to get out of here, okay?” he said.

  With a nod, she climbed into the backseat and he slid in beside her. He closed the door and reached for her hand. Interlacing his fingers with hers, he said, “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  Nicole woke up with a start and looked around to get her bearings. She’d fallen asleep on the couch in Quinn’s great room. Quinn was sleeping in a recliner in the corner and she assumed Billy had gone back to her house. Nicole wrapped a plaid throw around her shoulders and went to find Alex.

  When she noticed light streaming through the bottom of the kitchen door she pushed it open and found Billy sound asleep, her head resting on folded arms on the kitchen counter. Nicole quietly backed out and continued her search. As she padded through the first floor, the glow of a computer screen illuminated the office off the main hallway.

  She stepped up to the doorway and watched Alex for a few seconds before announcing her presence. If he’d been arrested last night or hurt in any way... Her stomach tangled in knots at the thought.

  What she was feeling was not transference. It was deeper, more intense, and he felt it too or he wouldn’t have kissed her.

  “Hey,” she said softly.

  He swiveled in the office chair, leveling her with bloodshot, blue eyes.

  “You don’t look so good.” She wandered closer and ran her fingers through his hair.

  He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, reveling in her touch. “Mmm,” he moaned.

  “What time is it?”

  “Three something.” He opened his eyes. “Why are you up? Does my brother snore?”

  “No, I just... I guess I knew you were up.”

  “Well, go back to sleep. I’m fine,” he said.

  “I want to help.”

  “You need to sleep.” Holding her hand, he walked her back into the great room.

  “I don’t think I can,” she whispered as they crossed the threshold, not wanting to wake Quinn. “Would you sit with me for a while?”

  “Sure.” Alex flopped down on the sofa and pulled Nicole beside him.

  She curled her legs beneath her and leaned against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. She hoped he didn’t figure out her ulterior motive: to make him get a few hours of sleep so he didn’t look so beaten.

  “I love this,” she whispered.

  He held her tighter.

  “I wish you could hold me like this forever,” she added.

  She traced her fingers across his chest, dreaming about a life with Alex. For once, there was potential for something greater than a lonely existence eating frozen dinners in front of the television.

  She nuzzled his chest and drifted, imagining long walks along the harbor, laughter with friends and dinners at the chief’s house.

  There was no doubt in her mind. She had fallen in love.

  * * *

  Nicole’s plan had worked. She’d awakened four hours later in Alex’s arms on the sofa. She’d never felt more comfortable or more safe. But they didn’t stay like that for long.

  They got up, ate breakfast and spent the better part of the day going through Edward’s personal files, sifting for clues. Alex had borrowed dress slacks and a button-down shirt from Quinn, so different from Alex’s usual jeans, cotton shirt and leather jacket ensemble.

  Luckily, Billy was about Nicole’s size so she loaned Nicole jeans and a blouse. Quinn had gone to deal with a work crisis and Billy went back to her place.

  “What do you think these initials stand for?” Alex asked her as they analyzed Edward’s calendar.

  “Saturday is TR, that stands for training. But who did he have on Friday?” She flipped the calendar backward and stared at the initials SR.

  “I spoke with the Seattle detective. He finally caught up with the two suspects from Lange Enterprises, but they both have alibis.”

  “SR, SR,” she whispered. “He had his own language sometimes. It’s not initials, it’s...” She looked at him. “Alex, it stands for ‘sister.’”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, check this out.” She pushed him aside and scrolled backward through Edward’s calendar. “SR is on July 10, which was the company’s 10 year anniversary. I helped Ruby plan this big celebration, but Edward was late because of a meeting with his sister.”

  “Abigail Woods,” he said pensively.

  “But I heard a man arguing with Edward at the lake house.”

  “Abigail could have hired someone.”

  “I guess, but the argument sounded personal and why would she kill her own brother? They seemed to have a pretty good relationship.”

  “Well.” He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “There’s the obvious reason.”

 
“Money?”

  He nodded. “Do you think she’d want to run Lange Industries? Or possibly sell it?”

  “I don’t know her that well, sorry.”

  “Let’s do a little research.” He typed Abigail’s name into a search engine and her photo popped up along with news stories about Edward.

  “And she pointed the finger at me,” Nicole grumbled.

  “It’s a good distraction, as is putting up the reward. It makes her seem like a loving sister.”

  She slid a chair next to him and they spent another hour going through articles about Abigail Woods, encompassing everything from biographies about her upbringing, to notices about her volunteer work for Seattle Children’s Hospital. They scanned her business profile and social networking pages, trying to find something, anything that could give them a clue as to motive. There were plenty of photos of Edward with his sister supporting her altruistic projects.

  “They seemed to genuinely care about each other,” Nicole said.

  “Unlike me and my brother,” Alex muttered.

  “Hey, you two care about each other. You’re just very different people. You have to know that Quinn would do anything for his big brother.”

  “We must not be talking about the same guy.” He pulled out his phone.

  “Who are you calling?”

  “The chief. He needs to know about Abigail.”

  He held the phone to his ear. “Huh, it went right to voice mail.”

  “Do you think his injury was more serious than it looked?”

  “I’ll try the house.” He made the call and glanced up at Nicole with worry in his eyes. “Hello, Gayle, it’s Alex. I need to... What? When? That makes no sense. They have no cause for... I’m sure he’ll be fine. He hasn’t done anything wrong.... Okay. Have him call me when he gets home. Thanks.”

  Alex slowly lowered the phone.

  “What happened?” Nicole said.

  He glanced up with a confused expression. “The Feds brought the chief in for questioning.”

  “What? Why?”

  “It’s got to be a power play. The Feds want this case, they want you, and if they accuse the chief of impropriety and Waverly P.D. is off the case, it leaves no one in charge, giving the FBI the opportunity to take over.”

  “But he didn’t do anything wrong. He was shot!”

  The front door slammed, sending a vibration through the wall between the hallway and the office.

  Quinn rushed into the office doorway with a panicked look on his face.

  Alex stood. “What is it?”

  “They put out a bulletin on you claiming you kidnapped Nicole.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she said.

  “It’s good strategy to find us.” Alex motioned with his hand. “Quinn, give me your car keys and we’ll get out of here.”

  “And go where?” Quinn said.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “Forget it, no.”

  “I don’t want you involved in this.”

  “I’m already involved.” Quinn walked away.

  “Quinn!” Alex said sternly. He started after him and hesitated in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder at Nicole.

  “Go,” she said. “I’ll keep surfing the Net for stuff on Abigail Woods.”

  He disappeared into the hallway in search of his brother, and Nicole settled in the chair. Too much was happening, and it was happening too fast. The chief had been detained, and the cops were after Alex for kidnapping Nicole? She couldn’t stand that her predicament was putting good people in jeopardy like Alex and Quinn.

  But knowledge was power, and if she could find solid evidence implicating Abigail Woods, that could put an end to the threat on Nicole’s life. Which made her wonder...why was Abigail’s henchman still after Nicole? Did they want her dead because they thought she knew something that could implicate Abigail?

  With renewed energy she scanned through Edward’s smartphone, hoping to find something that would explain Abigail’s motivation for killing her brother.

  She scanned through photos of Edward with his business manager and Edward with his brainstorming team on the Tech-Link project. She zoomed in on their faces. They all looked happy, which meant the photo must have been taken at the launch party. She scrolled through photo after photo, and landed on a photo of David Woods with his arm around Edward. Abigail stood in the background with a scowl on her face.

  “She doesn’t look happy,” Nic whispered.

  Suddenly the intercom buzzed, startling Nicole. She went into the hallway as Alex and Quinn approached the intercom. Quinn pressed a button and Agent Trotter’s face popped up on the screen.

  “FBI.” He flashed his badge into the camera. “We have a warrant to search the premises.”

  THIRTEEN

  “They’re looking for me,” Nicole said, guilt ripping through her.

  “For us,” Alex corrected. “So they can lock me up and interrogate you.”

  “Won’t they try to find Lange’s killer?” Quinn asked.

  “Their priority is their investigation of Edward Lange. If they discover the killer in the process that’s an added bonus.” He took her hands in his. “You’re not safe until we find the killer.”

  The intercom buzzed again, making Nicole’s shoulders jerk.

  Alex glanced at Quinn. “I can’t protect her if I’m locked up. What’s out back? Could we take a boat out of here?”

  “No, they’ll hear you. I have another idea.” He motioned them into his office and moved a large Queen Anne chair away from the wall.

  “This is no time to redecorate, Quinn.”

  “You’re hilarious.”

  Quinn kneeled down, peeled the rug off the floor and popped out a large floorboard. He looked over his shoulder at Alex and Nicole. “Should be room enough for two. It’ll be a tight squeeze but somehow I don’t think you’ll mind,” he said with a wry smile.

  “What’s it for?” Alex said, with suspicion in his voice.

  “Nothing illegal. Come on, stop arguing and get down there.”

  Alex climbed down the small ladder, then Nicole followed. Alex’s hands gripped her waist to steady her as she descended into the storage chamber.

  The intercom buzzed again.

  “There’s a camping light to your right,” Quinn pointed.

  Alex hesitated.

  “They won’t be able to see the light once I put the carpeting over the floorboards,” Quinn said.

  Quinn slid the hardwood board back in place. Light peered through the cracks in the wood. Quinn replaced the throw rug, bathing them in darkness. They heard Quinn call for Billy, who was in the kitchen.

  Alex clicked on the light and they studied the boxes, each marked with their contents. One was marked Alex’s Accomplishments.

  “I had no idea,” he whispered.

  The thump of the chair above them made Nicole duck.

  “It’s okay.” Alex held her against his chest and stroked her hair.

  Nicole realized she was hiding much like she hid her brother and sister when they were little. Back then Nic had been terrified, cowering in her own closet, waiting for the monster to pull out the belt and teach her a lesson.

  Yet right now in Alex’s arms she wasn’t terrified, she was determined—determined to protect herself and Alex.

  The sound of footsteps echoed above them. The agents had entered the office.

  “If they weren’t here, why do you have pictures of the Woodses on your computer?” Agent Trotter asked.

  Nicole hugged Alex tighter, berating herself for not hitting the escape key.

  “I’m researching business investors,” Quinn said. “I figured Abigail Woods is going to come into a lot of money.”

 
“Man, you are cold,” Agent Trotter said.

  “So I’ve been told more than once by my brother.”

  “Ya know what I think? I think he was here and he told you where he’s going next.”

  “I wouldn’t know. We’re not exactly close.”

  “You followed him out to the church where Artie Walker was killed.”

  “Alex owes me money,” Quinn joked. “It was time he paid up.”

  Nicole clung to Alex fearing his little brother’s attitude was going to get him into trouble.

  Scuffling echoed through the floorboards.

  “I found her in the kitchen,” another voice said.

  “Let her go,” Quinn demanded.

  More scuffling was followed by a crash.

  “Don’t!” Billy cried.

  A thud. Then nothing.

  Footsteps pounded across the office.

  A door slammed.

  Silence.

  Did they leave? If so, why hadn’t Quinn removed the carpet and floorboard so Nicole and Alex could climb out?

  Then she had the grim thought that the agents took Quinn and Billy and perhaps left other agents in the house just in case she and Alex showed up. Which meant she and Alex could be down here for a long time.

  Seconds stretched like hours. Alex gently stroked her hair. She wasn’t sure how he could remain so calm considering the chaos that had raged above them.

  “Should we get out?” she whispered.

  “Let’s give it a few minutes. Just to be safe.”

  Light peeked through the floorboards. Someone had removed the carpet. Nicole took a slow, deep breath. She was done being afraid, and if a federal agent was the one to pop off the floorboard, then so be it.

  Instead, Billy shifted the floorboard off the opening and motioned them out. Nicole went first.

  “What happened?” Nicole asked.

  Billy hugged herself. “They took Quinn.”

  “Why?” Alex said, climbing out and shoving the board back in place.

  “He did it for me,” Billy whispered.

  “Shh,” Nicole said, stroking her arm. “Tell us what happened.”

  “He picked a fight with the agent to distract him from me.”

  “Why would he need to distract them from you?” Alex asked.