Protection

by Linda Rettstatt

  Three hours later, Jake stopped for a much-needed break. He went into the cabin and was assaulted with the softest hint of Shannon’s shampoo. He popped the tab on a can of soda before realizing it was her diet soda, not his Coke. She’d only been here for a little more than a week. How could she still be everywhere?

  He checked the phone to see if Caleb had called the house instead of his cell. But he knew better. Caleb only called his cell. In the living room, he found the little pink stuffed lamb that Bailey liked to cuddle with. She was going to want it. Perhaps he should take it to her, make sure they were okay.

  But he stopped himself. He needed to back off, give her time to get settled on her own. She needed more than he could offer. Hell, for all he knew, once they caught up with Crowley and Jake was called back to testify, he might be put back into the program under yet another identity. If not, he’d be returning to his life as Father Steve Avery.

  He chugged the soda and crushed the can with his hand, tossing it into the recycling bag. He pulled the door shut behind him and returned to the garage. He needed to work with power tools, maybe drill something.

  *

  Shannon rearranged the kitchen cabinets while the tech set up internet service. Since she didn’t have a valid ID, she’d arranged with Abe to get the service added onto the phone with the understanding she’d pay the bill. He was more than happy to do so. She was anxious to get online and check email. She glanced at the phone every five minutes, willing it to ring, expecting Jake to call to see how things were going. He didn’t.

  The technician tapped keys on her laptop. “There you go. You’re connected. I’ve jotted down your web key in case anything happens and you have to log on again. You might want to change it to something you’ll remember.”

  “Thank you. Do I owe you anything?”

  He shook his head. “The charges will be added to your next phone bill. You have a good day.”

  The minute he was out the door, Shannon logged into her Gmail account. A new message from Brooke popped up: Hi, Eve. Mom and I will arrive tomorrow. We’re staying at your second favorite motel. Having a good trip so far. Will talk to you soon? Love, Babs

  Shannon hated that her mother and her best friend got dragged in her mess. But Brooke never took all of her vacation time and her mother was probably enjoying the trip. The clue was too easy—her second favorite motel. Holiday Inn. She preferred the Sheraton when she traveled, which wasn’t that often, but Holiday Inn was always her next choice. She looked up motels in Uniontown, Pennsylvania and found the listing for one Holiday Inn, jotting down the phone number.

  When the phone rang, she startled. She stared at it for a moment before answering as if it might bite her. “H-Hello?”

  “This is Jake’s friend, Caleb. I’m sending someone with the items you requested. I’ll call once I know they’ve been delivered, in case you have any questions.”

  “Caleb? Hello?” But the line was dead.

  Twenty minutes later, footsteps sounded on the stairs and someone knocked on the door. Shannon peered between the blinds. A young man peered back and held up an envelope. Shannon opened the door and unlatched the screen.

  “Delivery for Ms. Chase,” he said.

  “That’s me.” She accepted the envelope. “Thank you.”

  “Have a nice day.” He turned and hurried back down the stairs.

  Shannon locked the doors again and sat at the small dinette table, ripping open the manila envelope. She was astounded at what was inside—birth certificates for herself and the baby as Shannon and Bailey Chase, a social security card, a Washington State driver’s license, a diploma showing she’d graduated from high school in Akron, Ohio and a liberal arts degree from the University of Akron. Birth records showed that Bailey Chase was born at Akron General Medical Center—father ‘unknown.’ Shannon winced at that one.

  She sat back and stared at the table, the papers that made her a legal person. Everything except passports. She could open a bank account, eventually get another job. More importantly, she could apply for health insurance for Bailey. The one thing she’d have trouble doing was to leave the country.

  She went to the phone and called Jake’s cell.

  “Hi, Abe,” he answered.

  “It’s me,” she said. “The phone’s still in Abe’s name. Your friend, Caleb, is a miracle worker. I just got my identity delivered in a manila envelope. Everything Bailey and I need.”

  “Great. I knew he’d come through for you.”

  “Yes, well….” She paused. “I just wanted to thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Oh, Bailey’s stuffed lamb is here. I’ll try to drop it by sometime this week.”

  “I could pick it up. Would you believe Abe gave me keys to his car so I can use it?”

  “Good, because he shouldn’t be driving.”

  This new awkward tension between them was almost worse than the previous sexual tension when they were together.

  “Everything’s okay with the apartment?”

  “It’s great.” She paused. “I won’t keep you. I’m sure you have work to catch up. I’ll call you about dinner soon. I need to see what my schedule will be with Helen.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “Okay, then. Bye.”

  “Goodbye, Shannon.”

  His goodbye sounded much more formal and definite than hers. Maybe Jake had done all he intended for her and now she was truly on her own. And maybe that was for the best. But the thought squeezed at her heart. She liked Jake. She could fall in love with him, but that could not happen.

  The phone jangled, startling her. “Hello?”

  “I trust the papers are all in order?”

  “Yes. Oh, God, yes. Thank you so much.”

  “There is one thing. Do not leave the country. Don’t even try to obtain a passport. It was fortunate you happened to take the name of someone who died without a police record and without leaving much of a trail. This is a temporary fix until your situation is resolved and you can return to your former identity.”

  “I understand.” There went her plans to run to Canada if necessary. “Thank you, again.”

  “No problem. Good luck, Ms. Chase.”

  Luck. Her luck did seem to be turning in her favor. Maybe she’d get through her first night alone in the apartment and tomorrow morning would be a new day, the start of a new life.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Anthony Baker navigated the crowd at Sea-Tac searching for the car rental counters. He could cheerfully strangle his brother-in-law. He knew from the beginning of his sister’s marriage to Mark Hastings that the guy couldn’t keep it in his pants. Anthony had tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. And now he had to clean up Mark’s latest mess.

  It pissed him off. He was nothing more than a janitor. Corinne had always been the golden child. He’d always been the screw up. From the time he was born, he’d been considered a mistake. Corinne was fifteen years his senior and had been the only child until her sophomore year of high school. Then he was born—unexpected and, he always felt, unwanted. His parents’ unhappy accident. No matter how hard he tried to get attention, to prove himself worthy of being a Baker, his efforts gained him nothing. At least not until he tried a different approach—and that gained him a police record and short stint in Juvenile Detention.

  Corinne relied on him to do the dirty work, fearing she couldn’t trust anyone on her own security staff. He should have driven from Jefferson City. That way, he could have brought his own supplies. He wasn’t used to walking around unarmed. How much trouble could a one-hundred-ten pound girl present? He’d try to reason with her and, if that didn’t work, he’d have to resort to Plan B. Or perhaps Plan B would be his best course of action in the first place.

  He signed for the rental and picked up his bag. Once inside the car, he programmed the GPS with the address he’d tracked from the phone call. This should only take a day, maybe two.

  After a stop for lunch, Anthony drove
into Snoqualmie. He located a B&B on the edge of town and secured a room. Then he went for a walk. Time to scope out the community. He found a quaint town with boutiques, cafés, and Native American craft stores lining the streets. People nodded or smiled a welcome as he walked by. The sidewalks were surprisingly crowded. Tourists. Better for him. Unlikely he would be remembered.

  He’d wait until dark to check out the house where Heather Carlson was supposedly staying. He wondered about the guy who’d answered the phone the few times he called. It sure hadn’t taken her long to move on from Mark. Maybe they were two of a kind. He wondered how the new guy felt about taking on another guy’s kid. If things went according to plan, the kid wouldn’t be an issue much longer.

  He ducked into a café for coffee. A smiling waitress approached. She set down a glass of water and handed him a menu. “May I get you something else to drink?”

  He glanced at her name tag. “Thanks, Millie. I’ll have coffee.”

  “Just coffee? We have homemade pie. Today’s specials are blackberry and peach.”

  “Homemade? Did you make them?” He flashed a grin.

  Millie flushed a little. “No. That’s why they’re special. Naomi, the owner, is a master with pies.”

  “Then I should have a slice. Peach. With ice cream.”

  She picked up the menu. “It’ll be just a minute.”

  Anthony browsed the other patrons. At mid-afternoon, the place wasn’t too busy. A few families at tables on the other side of the café, a group of men at the counter enjoying Naomi’s special pies, and one guy sitting by himself in a booth.

  Millie returned with a steaming mug of coffee and huge slice of warm peach pie melting a scoop of vanilla ice cream on its top. “Here you go. Enjoy.”

  “I know I will.” He dug his fork into the pie. She hadn’t lied. It was great. When she returned to warm his coffee, Anthony pulled a photo from his jacket. “Millie, did you ever see this woman around town?”

  She took the photo of Heather Carlson and studied it. “She looks familiar, but….” She glanced toward the guy sitting alone, then carried the photo to him. “Hey, Jake. Check this out. Looks a lot like your friend, Shannon.”

  Jake and Shannon. Bingo.

  Jake looked at the photo, then shook his head. “Nah, it’s not Shannon. Look at the eyes—all wrong. And that’s not her nose, either. Does look a little like her.” He handed the photo back and returned to this lunch.

  Millie handed the picture back to Anthony. “I thought I knew her, but seems I’m mistaken.”

  Anthony tucked the photograph back into his pocket. “No problem. My brother’s daughter. Took off after a family dispute. You know how that happens. Last we heard she was in this area, along with my grand-niece. Cute little thing.”

  Her eyebrows furrowed. “A baby, huh? I hope you find them. You want anything else?”

  “No, just the check.” He pulled a five dollar bill from his wallet. “And this is for you.”

  Anthony watched as Jake left the café. Now he had a face to go with the name of the guy on the phone. The guy who would eventually lead him to Heather. This was his lucky day. He smiled. Maybe he’d spend a few hours at the casino later.

  *

  Jake sat in his truck and watched the café door through his side mirror, waiting for the man to leave. It only took two minutes. The guy was about his height, a little heavier, with short brown hair, probably in his late twenties. He looked like half the guys you’d pass on the street. He wore jeans, a golf shirt and a sports jacket. And he was looking for Shannon. Or, rather, for Heather. Fortunately, she hadn’t spent that much time in town, so few people would recognize her.

  Life had been much simpler when he was only looking over his shoulder for someone out to get him. Now he’d been thrust into the position of protecting Shannon and Bailey. He couldn’t call Caleb for one more thing. If his life continued to attract so much chaos, they’d move him and assign a new identity. He couldn’t go to the local police because all he had on this guy was that he was a stranger in town. Hell, if they arrested all the strangers that came to Snoqualmie, the business district would fold.

  He needed to warn Shannon. He waited until the guy had walked a few blocks in the opposite direction, then pulled his truck away from the curb.

  Shannon was seated on the top step with Bailey in the carrier behind her on the landing. She smiled when she saw Jake. Then her smile faded. “Something’s wrong.”

  He reached the step below her and sat. “There’s a guy showing your picture around town.”

  “Who is he?”

  “I don’t now. About my height, a few more pounds on him, dark brown hair, about thirty, give or take. Nothing remarkable. Sound familiar?”

  “Yeah, like a hundred other guys. Did you talk with him?”

  He shook his head. “No. He was asking Millie at the café. She brought the photo over to me, but I convinced her it wasn’t you, just someone who looks like you. I don’t think that guy’s leaving any time soon, though.”

  She stood. “I have to get out of here.” Tears filled her eyes.

  Jake stood and reached for her hand. “Wait. Give it a day or two. You don’t look at all like that photograph and no one in town will recognize you in the picture.”

  “I can’t be sure of that.” She picked up the carrier and opened the door.

  Jake followed her inside. “If someone tracked you because of that phone call to your mother, they tracked it to my place. You should be safe here. Just don’t go walking the streets of town for a few days. If you need anything, call me.”

  She lifted Bailey from the carrier and the baby spied Jake and grinned. Jake reached for her. “Hey, how’s my girl?”

  Bailey sputtered and snuggled her face under his chin.

  “I can’t live like this, always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for someone to break down the door and take her from me.” Shannon sank down on the sofa.

  Bailey whimpered and Jake sat down beside Shannon so the baby could see her. “Are you going to run forever, always watching to see if they’re behind you?”

  She glared at him. “What do expect me to do? Just hand her over to Mark and his wife? That woman is a modern-day walking version of Cruella de Ville. Even if I’d been inclined toward placing Bailey for adoption, I couldn’t imagine someone like that raising her.”

  “I’m not suggesting you hand her over. I’m only suggesting that you take a stand.”

  “Mark is her biological father. He could have me dragged back to Missouri and file for partial custody. He could even try to get full custody.”

  “Okay, so let’s come up with a better plan. You think about it while I change this one’s diaper. Are her things all in the bedroom?”

  Shannon nodded and let out heavy breath.

  Jake changed the baby and placed her in her crib. “Your mommy and I need to talk. Okay?” He turned on the mobile that hung over the crib.

  Returning to the living room, he found Shannon standing at the window, arms crossed over her chest. He walked to her and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

  She turned to face him. “Why?”

  “Why? Because… Because it’s the right thing to do. Because I care.”

  She stared into his eyes as if searching for the truth. He hoped she saw it there. She took a step forward, leaning against him, her cheek on his chest. Slowly her arms went around him and she held on. Her body began to shake as tears fell. “I’ve never been so scared.”

  He drew her close, the top of her head grazing his chin. “I know.”

  “My best friend got my mother out of town for the week. I arranged a call to them today. It’s so hard. I could hear the fear in my mom’s voice. I convinced her to stay with my aunt for a while. I know she’s only doing it because it’ll make me feel better.”

  Jake gave her a hug, then released her. “Surely they’ll give up on this before long. Wouldn’t you think the Gover
nor’s main interest is in having her husband’s love child out of the picture?”

  “You’d think so, but not if I know Corinne Hastings. She wants revenge. She wants to win at any cost and that means I have to lose. And the only thing I have to lose is Bailey.” She walked away, once again folding her arms in front of her as if for protection. “That man asking about me works for Corinne.”

  “Give him a day or two. He won’t find Heather Carlson here and he’ll move on.”

  She nodded. “I hope you’re right.” She went to the kitchen and opened the oven. “I made lasagna. I want to take some down to Abe and Helen. They eat early. Do you mind staying for minute with Bailey?”

  He sniffed the aroma coming from the pan. “I wouldn’t even mind staying for dinner.”

  “And you’re welcome to. I just need to let this cool a bit before I cut it. Are you hungry now?”

  “No, I had a late lunch.”

  She glanced at the wall clock. “Bailey will be ready for her dinner soon. I’ll have to get a highchair in a week or so. She’s almost ready for cereal and baby food.” She prepared a bottle of the formula and set it aside. Just as she began to cut the lasagna, Bailey could be heard fussing in the bedroom. Shannon went to get her.

  “I guess I’ll feed you before I feed Abe and Helen.”

  “I could feed her,” Jake said.

  “Oh. If you don’t mind.”

  He reached for the baby. “Will you have dinner with me, Mademoiselle?” He picked up the bottle and sat in the rocker. Bailey stared up at him for a moment, then sucked vigorously on her bottle. One hand rested on her tummy, the fingers of the other wrapped around Jake’s little finger. He started to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He smiled up at Shannon. “I think it’s safe for you to go.”

  She grinned. “The way to that girl’s heart is through her stomach.”

  “Yeah? What’s the way to your heart?” At the look on her face, he wished he could erase that last question. But it just hung there between them.