by Ruth Langan
“What about dinner?”
“Sorry. I’m afraid I’ve lost my…taste for food.”
“You?” He laughed. “Now that’s hard to believe. What’s going on, Hannah?”
“There’s been an…incident.” She tried to keep the drama from her voice as she told him what had happened. His tone went from warm to frigid in the blink of an eye.
“Dear God. I’ve been so busy I didn’t even realize you were gone. I should have been there with you.”
“Don’t be silly. There was no time to tell you what had happened. I’m just leaving my sister’s clinic, and she’s already given me something for pain and something to help me sleep.”
“I hate to think of you alone out there. I could come by later with the boys. Just to make sure you’re all right.”
“Don’t worry, Ethan. The police chief is coming by to make his report.”
“The police chief?”
“Yes. And Emily has already enlisted the aid of my entire family. Bert and Poppie will be spending the night. I’ll see you in the morning.”
There was a long pause, and when he spoke his voice was little more than a whisper. “I wish I could be the one spending the night with you.”
“So do I.” Hearing a voice in the background, she paused. “Is Selena still there?”
“Yeah. She said she’ll need at least one more day to finalize the contracts. But she wants you to know that you were right. She loves her accommodations at the Harbor House.”
“I’m glad.” She closed her eyes and fought a wave of exhaustion. The painkiller had muddled her brain. “Good night, Ethan. Kiss Danny and T.J. for me.”
“I will.”
“And one for you.” She knew that Martin could overhear everything, but somehow it didn’t seem to matter anymore. She didn’t care if the re town knew that she was involved with Ethan Harrison.
Involved. Her fingers closed around her cell phone. The word didn’t do justice to the things she felt for Ethan. She loved him. Desperately. And loved those two dear little boys just as much.
There. She took a deep breath. That hadn’t hurt a bit. She had always been more comfortable with the truth than with dancing around it. She was as involved as a woman in love could be. And she was equally certain that the object of her affection shared those feelings.
Despite Martin’s truck jostling over bumps and ruts, she fell asleep with a smile on her lips before they were halfway to her place.
Chapter 15
“Anything else you can think of, Hannah?” Police Chief Boyd Thompson looked up after making notes in his report.
Boyd was a big, beefy man who had come by his love of law enforcement naturally. His father had been police chief of Devil’s Cove when Hannah was a little girl. Boyd had looked up to his father, and now took the badge and the responsibility that came with wearing it, seriously.
Hannah struggled to stay focused. The painkiller seemed to have numbed her brain as well as her body. With Bert seated on one side of her and Poppie on the other, both watching her with quiet concern, she felt as she had when she’d been ten and had taken a tumble from a friend’s horse. On her father’s orders, a different family member had been assigned to wake her every hour to be certain she hadn’t suffered a concussion. But her grandparents had forsaken a night’s sleep to stay with her around the clock.
This was far more important than a tumble from a horse.
“It’s hard to think, Boyd. But I haven’t fired any employees, and I can’t think of any former employees who carry a grudge.”
“Somebody went to a lot of trouble, Hannah. Now the intention might have been to kill you, or it might have been meant as a warning.” He gave her a steady look. “The Devil’s Cove grapevine is alive and well. And word around town is that you’re involved with a man who’s a prime suspect in his wife’s death.”
She gave him an indignant look. “Ethan didn’t do this.”
“So you say.” Boyd’s gaze locked on hers. “My homicide files are filled with the names of women who trusted some good-looking guy with murder on his mind.”
Hannah looked down to find her grandfather’s hand covering hers. Her own was cold. So cold. She closed her other hand on his, grateful for his support.
“It wasn’t Ethan.” She said the words with quiet conviction. “I know that sounds foolish to a man of the law. But I know in my heart it wasn’t him.”
“All right. Give me the name of anybody, no matter how impossible it might seem to you, who doesn’t like you.” He held up a hand when he saw her open her mouth to protest. “I know this is a small town and you don want to get anyone in trouble. I can promise you I’ll be discreet. I’m not interested in idle gossip, now, or a simple misunderstanding. This had the potential to turn deadly. I want the names of anybody who has given you bad vibes lately.” Again that steady look as he said, “Come on, Hannah. Help me out here.”
His words, spoken in that stern, commanding voice, had the desired effect. As long as she was being truthful, she needed to face one more fact. Whether the intention had been to bring her serious harm or simply to frighten her, anyone who would do such a thing was dangerous. Though Ethan had defended Selena as a loyal friend, the most obvious suspect in Hannah’s mind was the woman in Ethan’s home. In Ethan’s business. In Ethan’s life. The woman his own wife had considered obsessed.
It hit Hannah with such force, she moaned aloud before saying softly, “There is one person. I hope I’m wrong.” She turned to her grandfather, and her eyes filled. “Oh, Poppie, I hope I’m wrong because she means a great deal to Ethan.”
“Give me a name, Hannah.” Boyd’s voice brought her attention back to him.
She met his eyes. “Ethan Harrison’s business partner, Selena Crain.”
Hannah’s dreams were dark and vivid. A sleek jungle cat with feral eyes sat on a branch over her head, watching as she approached on horseback. Just as she passed beneath, the cat sprang, sending her horse into a frenzy, rearing and bucking while she clung frantically to the saddle. Once she was thrown to the ground, she was helpless to evade those lethal claws and deadly teeth.
She awoke with a start and lay very still. When her heartbeat gradually returned to normal, she became aware of subdued voices on the balcony. She sat up and was delighted to see Ethan sipping tea and talking quietly with her grandparents.
“Ethan?”
At the sound of her voice he turned and walked to the bed. “I’m sorry. I know you need your sleep.” He was staring at her with such hunger, she felt her heart actually leap in her chest. “But I couldn’t stay away.”
“I’m glad you came. I really needed to see you.”
“But now I woke you, Hannah.”
“No. I had a dream.”
“Not a very good one from the looks of it.”
She nodded.
He sat on the edge of her bed and touched a hand to her cheek. “I’m something of an expert on bad dreams.”
She caught his hand and pressed a kiss to the palm. “I know. And I’m sorry you’ve had to go through so much pain. My dream is gone and forgotten now that you’re here.”
“Maybe this will make it go away for good.” He handed her a small, beribboned box. “The boys and I bought this at your sister’s gift shop.”
Hannah looked up at him. “She never mentioned it.”
“I swore her to secrecy.” He smiled. “I’ve been saving it for a time to give it to you.”
When Hannah merely stared at it he said, “Go ahead. Open it.”
Hannah lifted the lid and found, nestled in tissue, a whimsical enameled lapel pin of a beautiful angel watering some pansies.
“The moment we saw it, we all thought of you. Danny calls it his garden angel. He thought it was the one he prayed to at night. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that was a guardian angel. Anyway, he said it reminds him of you. So you’re now his garden angel.”
“Thank you.” Hannah closed her hand around the pin. �
�I love it.”
“I’m glad. The boys have been nagging me to give it to you.”
Hannah glanced toward the balcony, expecting to see Danny and T.J. playing with the cats. “Where are they?”
“I left them at home in their beds. Selena offered to stay with them while I visited with you.”
“Selena?” Hannah had a quick moment of panic before sitting up and tossing aside the covers.
“What are you doing? You need to rest.” Ethan looked toward her grandparents, hoping they would help calm her.
Instead they stood at the foot of the bed, looking as alarmed as their granddaughter.
Frank Brennan cleared his throat. “Police Chief Thompson is convinced that what happened to Hannah was no accident. When he asked for the name of anyone who might want to harm her, there was only one name that Hannah could think of. Your business partner.”
“Selena?” Ethan was shaking his head. “Look, I know that she’s been less than friendly, Hannah. But that’s just her style. She stood by me throughout the loss of my wife and the subsequent publicity. What could she possibly gain by hurting you?”
“You said yourself that Elizabeth considered Selena to be obsessed with you, Ethan. And obsession can be a dangerous thing.” Hannah handed Ethan her cell phone. “Call your house.”
For a minute he stared at her blankly.
“Please, Ethan. Call home.”
At her pleading, he dialed the phone and listened to it ring on and on.
He seemed perplexed. “Maybe Selena stepped out onto the deck.”
“Maybe. But I have a terrible feeling about this. Oh, Ethan.” Hannah got to her feet and waited for the weakness to pass. “Call Mason at the guardhouse. Ask if Selena was seen leaving.”
“Leaving?” He went pale before dialing again.
“Mason? Ethan Harrison.” His tone deepened. “Did you happen to see Ms. Crain leave?”
He listened in grim silence. His tone went flat. “Did you happen to notice if my boys were in the car?”
Another silence before he said, “How long ago?”
He rang off before glancing at Hannah and her grandparents. “She left nearly fifteen minutes ago the boys.”
Hannah reached for the phone, and when he handed it over, she dialed, listened, then said, “Boyd, this is Hannah Brennan. Selena Crain was seen by the guard at Ethan Harrison’s complex driving away with his sons.” She handed the phone to Ethan.
Boyd’s voice could be heard booming over the line. “I went to the Harbor House hoping to interview Selena Crain. I was told she had checked out. Did she have your permission to take your sons?”
“Of course not. I left them asleep in their beds. She had agreed to stay with them until I returned.”
“Then it’s kidnapping.” Boyd’s words were clipped. “She’s probably headed for the interstate. Give me a description of her car.”
Ethan shook his head, struggling to think. “It’s a rental.”
“Good. There’s only one rental agency in town. They’ll have the license number. Now give me a number where you can be reached. I’ll call you as soon as her car is spotted.”
“I can’t just sit here. I need to be out looking for my sons.” Ethan was fighting a rising sense of panic.
“I know you do.” Boyd’s tone was calm and deliberate. “I have kids of my own, Mr. Harrison. I understand how you feel. But you’ll just be in the way. Better to stay put until we contact you.” He noted the number. “You’re at Hannah’s place?”
“That’s right.”
“Stay there. Let the guard at your complex know that I’m sending an officer to your home to have a look around. I’ll also alert the state police. Trust me. This woman won’t get far. As soon as she’s spotted, you’ll be the first to know.”
When Boyd rang off, Ethan started to pace, overcome with guilt and grief. “What was I thinking? Why didn’t I see this coming?”
Hannah wanted to say something comforting, but her mind was in such turmoil all she could do was lay a hand on his arm.
He spoke in a fierce whisper, almost to himself. “All day Selena has been nagging me to agree to come back with her to Fair Harbor. She kept insisting that it was the only way we could make the Davis Corporation happy. When I refused, she became adamant. They’re our biggest client. Their contract alone is worth several million a year. Without that, we’d be forced to cut back on services to other clients.”
“What did she suggest you do about the boys?”
He clenched his teeth. “That was the sticking point. She had the name of a very reputable live-in nanny with excellent recommendations. I told her Danny and T.J. weren’t ready for a nanny yet. And neither was I.”
“I can’t imagine that made her very happy.”
He shook his head, and there was an edge of panic in his voice. “Come to think of it, she was furious. Then she became enraged when I said I was going to wake the boys and take them with me to your place. But a minute later she seemed to be over it, and even offered to stay with them so I wouldn’t have to disturb their sleep.” He ran his fingers through his hair and turned away to pace again. “This is all my fault. I didn’t listen to Elizabeth when she voiced her fears, and it cost her her life. Look what was done to you today. And now…my sons.”
Hannah tried to calm him. “You said yourself that your detectives could find no flaw in Selena’s alibi. Why would you suspect her when they’d cleared her?”
“Because a husband and father should have better instincts.”
“Ethan, you can’t blame yourself for this.” Hannah looked to her grandparents, who stood by helplessly.
Hannah took her grandmother’s hand. “You two should go home and try to get some rest.”
Bert shook her head. “We’ll sleep later. Right now we’re staying until this is resolved.”
“But this could last…” Hannah’s head came up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs.
She turned just as the door opened. Standing in the doorway was Selena. She seemed as calm, as composed as though she’d just stopped by for a friendly visit. Except that in her hand was a very small, very lethal-looking gun.
Chapter 16
“Selena.” Ethan started toward her. “Where are my sons?”
She waved the gun menacingly. “Get back.”
“Not until you tell me…”
She took careful aim. “I said step back, Ethan. Stand over there with your lover. Let’s see if she brings you any comfort now.”
He put a hand protectively on Hannah’s arm.
“Is Hannah the reason for this madness?”
Selena’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits. “You call it madness? How dare you demean what I feel.”
Hannah’s voice was oddly calm in the midst of this volatile storm. “What do you feel, Selena?”
“Ethan and I are soul mates. I knew that the moment we met. He was the first man I’d ever known who was smarter than me. Our friends, our classmates, even our professors were in awe of his mind. When my family learned that I was forsaking them to join forces with Ethan on his fledgling business, they were horrified, until they met him. Then they understood. They agreed that we were the perfect team.”
She turned to Ethan. “But then you had to go and spoil it all. Elizabeth wasn’t worthy of you, Ethan. She was a distraction, keeping you from your life’s work. I thought I could simply drive her away. I knew if I managed that, you’d turn to me for solace and realize how perfect we were together. But the fool wouldn’t run. Instead she had a baby, and then another, and thought she could hide behind security alarms and even a gun.”
“It was you?” A look of complete disbelief crossed Ethan’s face. “My detecves checked your alibi, Selena. They said you were clear across town when Elizabeth was shot. There was no way you could have had time to drive to my house, kill Elizabeth and return to the client’s office.”
Selena actually smiled, feeling in control again. “You aren’t the only genius on th
is team, Ethan. I’d spent weeks calculating every minute I would need. I drove the route between your house and our client’s office dozens of times until I’d found every shortcut, every back alley that would shave time. I even allowed for traffic jams, accidents, unexpected incidents that might slow things down.
“I chose a day when I knew Elizabeth would be alone, and I told her I needed to drop off some documents for you to read. Once inside, I calmly drew my gun and told her that I’d come there to kill her and her sons.” Selena pursed her lips. “From everything I’ve read, I know that a new mother is often overwrought. With T.J. only weeks old, I expected Elizabeth to still be weak. I certainly never expected her to calmly stand her ground the way she did. Instead of hysteria, she said she’d always known I was her rival. Then she slipped a pistol from her pocket and told me the minute she’d seen my car, she’d become suspicious. Further, she told me, if I didn’t leave, she wouldn’t be the only one dead.”
Ethan’s voice trembled with fury. “Did you really expect a loving mother to calmly step aside and allow you to harm her children?”
“I didn’t see that she had any choice.”
Ethan’s entire body was shaking with rage. “How did you get her to go to the garage?”
“Elizabeth heard Danny calling from upstairs, where he’d been napping. She ordered me at gun-point to leave through the garage door, thinking he wouldn’t have time to see me and be afraid. As she was following me, I stepped aside and pulled her off balance. She stumbled, causing the gun to fall from her hand. I saw it as the perfect opportunity. Instead of my own gun, I used hers.” Selena puffed with pride. “I thought that was a touch of genius. Now it wasn’t simply an unexplained murder, but rather a mystery. Was poor Elizabeth the victim of a crime or simply an overwrought new mother suffering from postpartum depression? Even the authorities couldn’t agree.”
Ethan paled as the truth of his wife’s horrible death dawned. “You even robbed her of her dignity. Instead of letting the world know that she’d sacrificed her life for her sons, she was being thought of as a tragic figure. Weak and fragile and unable to cope with her life.”