The Betrayal of Lies

by Debra Burroughs

  Colin ordered Patrick Murphy to stay put. He stood and peered out the cabin’s front window. The noise died down as the vehicles pulled up the long dirt driveway. The ambulance was first, followed by two police cruisers. Ernie hopped out of one of the cars and Colin watched as he bounded up the steps and rapped on the door.

  Colin opened it to him. “You made good time.”

  “Oh, God,” Ernie moaned, spotting Elise first, then his gaze shifted to Jake, blood soaking his light blue shirt and the towels that Emily held on the wound.

  “The medical examiner and body retrieval unit will be along shortly.” Ernie turned back and stepped in the frame of the open door, motioning to the paramedics with a quick hand gesture to hurry.

  Two men in crisp white shirts and navy pants hoisted a steel gurney up onto the porch and into the small cabin. “What are we dealing with?” one of them asked.

  “GSW to the abdomen,” Emily replied, her stomach roiling. She took the opportunity to step outside and catch some fresh air while the EMTs tended to Jake.

  Emily wandered over to one of the cruisers and leaned against the front fender. Her gaze drifted over the tall evergreen trees as she thought about Elise. Emily had seen dead bodies before, gunshot victims, but this was personal. She knew this woman. They were becoming friends.

  It was obvious she was shot by one of the two men in the cabin, but which one? Not knowing was driving her crazy. There had to be a way to find out.

  If Jake died, Patrick’s attorney would certainly try to pin the murder on him. With his connections and without Jake being able to defend himself, it would certainly stick.

  What if Patrick was telling the truth? What if he had found out where Elise was being held and he was trying to save her, but Jake had shot her moments before Patrick arrived on the scene. It was possible.

  Although, it was awfully coincidental that he raced up the mountain not long after Emily told him Colin was closing in on Jake and Elise. Had her ploy to flush him out worked?

  The sound of male voices cut into her thoughts. The paramedics trundled Jake through the door on the gurney, laboring to navigate the front steps, before lifting him into the ambulance.

  Ernie followed behind them with a firm grip on Patrick’s tethered arm, meeting the other policeman at the foot of the steps. Colin was next to emerge from the cabin, glancing around.

  Emily waved to him as she pushed away from the police car, watching as the officers and their suspect approached.

  Patrick stopped by the other cruiser and looked directly at Emily. “I did not shoot my wife.”

  Emily raised her eyebrows in question. She wanted to think time would tell, but would it?

  Ernie opened the door to the back seat. “Watch your head,” he said as he helped Murphy into the car.

  Colin descended the steps and strode up beside her. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her away, out of their suspect’s earshot. “I searched the cabin. Looks like someone has been staying here for a little while. Food in the fridge, leftovers in the trash.”

  “Elise had the same clothes on she was wearing Wednesday, when she was taken,” Emily noted.

  “I saw that, however, I found a backpack with a change of clothes for her,” he replied, “including underwear, shoes, and makeup.”

  “That makes it look like she might have been in on it after all.” Emily shook her head sadly, expelling a breath of exasperation. “So why would Jake shoot Elise?” Her throat tightened with emotion. “If they were planning on running away together—it just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Good question.” Colin pulled her closer and she buried her face in his shoulder. She felt his head pivot in the direction of the ambulance as it pulled away. “I hope we’ll be able to ask him.”

  Not long after the ambulance turned onto the road, firing up the lights and the siren, the rest of the crew showed up—the medical examiner, the CSI unit, and the body retrieval team.

  Emily stepped away from Colin and wiped the moisture from under her eyes. She sucked in a quick breath and turned toward the elderly medical examiner as he climbed out of his car.

  “Hello, Ms. Parker,” Dr. Walters greeted, then nodded in Colin’s direction. “Detective.”

  “Hey, Doc,” Colin replied. “The body’s in the cabin.” He led the way, followed by the doctor, Emily, and the equipment-laden CSI team.

  The medical examiner stopped abruptly in the doorway when he caught sight of the body. “My God, Elise.”

  “You know her?” Colin asked.

  “Yes, Elise Murphy. She and my wife volunteer for several of the same charities.” Dr. Walters approached the body, still gagged and tied to the chair. “I had no idea.”

  “She was still warm when we got here.” Emily shuddered. “A little over an hour ago.”

  “Well, I’ll take a liver temp and give you her time of death,” Doc said, bending down on one knee beside the body, examining her hands and nails. “I’ll know more after I get her back to my lab.”

  Chapter 13

  “Let me take you home, Babe,” Colin offered. “It’s getting dark and it’s a long way down these winding roads.”

  Emily nodded despondently, her eyes glistening.

  Colin asked one of the other officers to drive Emily’s car down to the police station. Her shoulders slumped and, from the downcast expression on her face, he could tell that finding her friend dead had been very traumatic, especially when she may have been just minutes away from saving her.

  As they drove down the mountain, Colin glanced over at Emily occasionally. She was unusually quiet, staring out the window, seemingly lost in thought. He reached over and took her hand, hoping it would offer some comfort.

  She smiled at him weakly, then returned to looking out the window.

  “Do you think Patrick Murphy really was there to rescue Elise?” Colin asked.

  He thought they might discuss the case as they drove back to Paradise Valley, exchanging thoughts and where to go from here. That was their usual way, working through the case together, talking over possibilities and strategies.

  “I don’t know.” Emily leaned her elbow on the car door and raked her fingers through her loose blonde curls.

  “Any gut feelings? Theories?”

  “Can we not talk about it right now?” She turned back to the window and wiped her hand over her damp cheek.

  This wasn’t like her, so affected by a dead body. Perhaps it was because this was someone she knew. Since the race was no longer on to find Elise before something tragic happened to her, Colin decided to give her some space. She would talk when she was ready.

  ~*~

  As Emily gazed out the window into the dark forest, she couldn’t help but remember the night she’d found her late husband Evan, laying on the floor of his office, a gunshot to the head, blood matting his sandy blond hair.

  Seeing Elise murdered in the same way dredged up the feelings of shock, grief and helplessness. No wonder it all seemed so surreal, so déjà vu. Sure, Evan hadn’t been bound and gagged in a chair, but the bloody head, the gaping hole, a bullet in the head to end their lives—it was all too painfully similar.

  She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window, hoping Colin wouldn’t ask her any more questions. She needed time to process it, to distance herself from overwhelming emotions.

  ~*~

  “Here we are,” Colin said, turning into Emily’s driveway.

  She hadn’t said more than a handful of words to him all the way home. He wanted to ask her why, but maybe it would be better if he left it alone for now.

  He hopped out of the Jeep and sprinted around the vehicle to open her door.

  “Thanks,” she said, looking up into his eyes as she climbed out, giving him a hint of a smile.

  He took her hand and walked her to the door. She looked so sad, he hated to leave her. But he needed to get down to the station and make sure Patrick Murphy was being held for questioning. Then he would
check with the hospital to see how Jake Mitchell was doing.

  He wanted to call the CSI unit and remind them to make sure they contacted him the minute they found anything of value. A couple of tow trucks were on their way up the mountain to retrieve Murphy’s and Mitchell’s vehicles for inspection.

  Because of the late hour, Colin assumed Dr. Walters wouldn’t be doing the autopsy on Elise until the morning. Doc would let him and Emily know—he shook his head—not Emily, she had taken herself off the case.

  She slipped her key in the lock. “Want to come in?” She lifted her head and gazed at him, her blue-green eyes pleading for him to stay.

  “Okay, but only for a few minutes. I’ve still got a mountain of work to do tonight.”

  Colin followed her inside and flipped on the living room lights while she kicked off her shoes by the front door. He pulled her into his arms and held her. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed softly.

  “What is it, Babe? Elise?”

  She nodded.

  “I didn’t think you knew her that well.”

  Emily tipped her head back and looked up at him. “I didn’t. It just…” She took a long breath and sighed as she laid her head against him again.

  He waited for her to finish her thought, feeling her arms tighten around his waist. He stroked her back lightly and kissed the side of her head.

  “It just reminded me of…of when I saw Evan, shot in the head in his office. It was a shock to my senses, you know? It’s hard to explain, like something thick and dark clouding my brain. I couldn’t fight it. Then it sank in and settled in my chest. It was so heavy I could hardly breathe.”

  Colin knew exactly what she was talking about—the immense sadness, the brain fog, the nausea, the racing heartbeat. Whenever Emily’s life was in danger because of one of the cases she was investigating, the raw and painful feelings he experienced the night his late fiancée Miranda was killed came rushing to the surface, just like that.

  “I’m here, Babe.” He gently stroked her hair.

  They stood silently holding each other for a long time. Then Colin began to sway and hum a song—their song.

  Emily lifted her head and Colin kissed her softly.

  “You remembered,” she said, a contented smile spreading across her lips. She pressed her cheek to his chest once more.

  Colin was humming the melody to “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” by Frankie Valli. It was the song they had chosen to dance to at their engagement party. He hoped it would lift her spirits, and he was right.

  She hummed along with him as their bodies swayed together in unison. He put a couple of fingers under her chin and slowly lifted her head. He kissed her again, slow and long.

  “Are you sure you can’t stay?” she whispered when their lips finally parted.

  “I can’t.” He wanted to, desperately, but hours of work were waiting for him. “I’ll be by in the morning and we can go to the hospital and check on Jake Mitchell together.”

  “Assuming he’s still alive by then.”

  “I’ll call the hospital after I leave and see how he’s doing, maybe drop by there tonight.”

  “I want to go, too.” Her eyes were begging, but the usual impish sparkle in them was gone.

  Colin studied her face for a moment. He could see she was exhausted, the day had been emotionally taxing for her. “Not tonight, Babe.”

  ~*~

  Emily took a long hot bath and went to bed early. Drifting in and out of unsettling dreams, she sat up in bed with a start. “Camille.”

  Certainly the news media had caught wind of the events at the cabin the night before. She didn’t want Camille to hear about Elise on the news. She and Elise were more than colleagues, they had become friends.

  Emily ripped the covers back and hopped out of bed and into the shower. Before long she was dressed and ready to go. Coming out of the bathroom, she glanced over at her bedroom windows. Odd that it’s still awfully dark outside.

  She checked the clock on her nightstand. It was only five thirty. She shrugged. At least now she would have time for breakfast she resolved, trying to make the best of the situation. She padded into the kitchen in her bare feet, hoping the milk in her refrigerator hadn’t gone bad.

  Opening the cupboard, Emily grabbed a box of cereal, along with a bowl and spoon and set them on the table. She took the half gallon of milk from the refrigerator and sniffed it to make sure it was not sour yet.

  She sat down at the table and ate, thinking about Colin. It was too early to phone him. Poor guy had probably been up half the night working on this case. A twinge of guilt tugged at her at having requested to be taken off the case.

  She was only a consultant, after all. But, on the other hand, if she hadn’t taken herself off the case, she wouldn’t have put a tracker on Patrick’s car and followed him up to the cabin and located Elise. If Patrick was lying about who shot his wife, who knows how long it would have been before the cabin was found. There might have been two dead bodies to bury.

  Somehow Colin had to find out who the real killer was—Jake or Patrick. Police consultant or not, she could still be of some help to him.

  Everything pointed to Jake as the kidnapper, until the husband was found with two victims of gunshot wounds. The key was talking to Jake, finding out his side of the story. It was early, but she could drop by the hospital, see if Jake pulled through his surgery. She’d have a better chance of gathering information in person than if she simply phoned the hospital.

  Emily glanced at her laptop as it sat open on the table. She opened the copy of the security video from the ATM and played it again, hoping to see something she had missed before. Over and over she played it.

  She was about to close it when something jumped out at her—Elise’s necklace, a beautiful red garnet surrounded by little diamonds, suspended on a fine silver chain. It occurred to her that when they had found her, Elise had been wearing the same dress when she was killed as she had on in the video, but Emily couldn’t recall seeing the necklace. Perhaps with Elise’s head fallen forward, it obscured the necklace. It was probably nothing, but she’d have to remember to ask Colin if Dr. Walters found it on the body.

  Emily quickly finished her breakfast and headed out. Stepping onto her porch, she shaded her eyes at the sun peeking over the mountains, casting a beautiful golden light over the valley. After locking her front door, she bounded down the steps to the walkway.

  She froze in her tracks. “Where’s my car?”

  Chapter 14

  Momentarily startled to find her Volvo not sitting in her driveway, it came to her that one of the officers had driven it down the mountain and left it at the station for her the night before. Rather than phoning Colin, because of the early hour, she decided to walk the six blocks to the police station.

  By the time she reached it, it was almost seven o’clock. She had hoped to see Stella, the day receptionist, but the night shift was still on until eight, so she wasn’t sure who she would encounter.

  “Hello,” Emily greeted as she approached the counter. “I’m Emily Parker.” She didn’t recognize the attractive young woman. “Detective Andrews doesn’t happen to be in yet, does he?” She figured if he had a late night at work, he would still be at home, sound asleep.

  “Emily Parker?” the young woman said, twisting a strand of long espresso-colored hair behind her ear. “Colin’s fiancée?”

  The girl had heard of Emily. “Yes, that’s right—and, on occasion, a consultant for the department.”

  “I’m Cindy.” The girl offered her hand over the counter and Emily shook it. “We haven’t met yet—I’m new—but Stella told me all about you. You’re one lucky lady. That Colin, I mean Detective Andrews, he’s a total doll.” There was a glimmer of a crush in her warm brown eyes.

  “Uh, yes,” Emily replied, uncomfortable at the realization. “I am very lucky. But he’s not here yet, is he?”

  “No, not yet. Were you supposed to meet him?”

&
nbsp; “Actually, I’m looking for the key to my car. One of the officers brought it down here last night for me, and I forgot to pick it up. You don’t happen to know where it is, do you?”

  “Key?” Cindy scanned her desk then opened the drawer. She pulled a key with a black fob out of it and held it up. “Is this it?”

  “Yes,” Emily said, relieved, taking the key from her. “Thanks, Cindy.” She turned and headed to the door. “Nice to meet you,” she called out over her shoulder, grinning to herself at the way the girl swooned at the mention of Colin’s name. Yes, Emily was a lucky lady indeed.

  She slid behind the wheel of her car and headed to the hospital to check on Jake Mitchell, hoping he had pulled through.

  ~*~

  After checking with the information desk in the hospital’s lobby, Emily rode the elevator to the fourth floor. The elevator doors swept open and Emily stepped out, finding herself in front of the nurse’s station.

  “Excuse me,” Emily said, moving to the raised counter and resting an arm there. “Can you tell me what room Jake Mitchell is in, please?”

  The stout charge nurse raised her gaze from the papers on her desk, looking over her reading glasses. “Are you family?”

  “No, I’m with the Paradise Valley Police.” Even though she wasn’t technically on the case in that capacity at the moment, this nurse didn’t know that.

  “Can I see some ID?”

  “I’m a consultant, not a cop or a detective. They don’t give out IDs for consultants.”

  “Hmm, maybe they should.”

  “I’ll suggest that to them, but for now, may I please see Jake Mitchell?”

  “Tell you what, there’s an officer posted at Mr. Mitchell’s door. If he’ll vouch for you, I’ll let you in. Fair?”

  That should work, assuming it was a Paradise Valley Police officer and not a Sheriff’s deputy. “Fair enough.”

  Emily followed the nurse as she waddled down the hallway, stopping at the Intensive Care Unit where a wall of windows allowed the patients to be seen at all times. Emily looked in the window as she approached the officer and saw Jake laying in one of the hospital beds, tubes and wires connected to different parts of his body, machines all around him constantly monitoring his vitals.