Her compassion was perhaps greater than her need for a good story. But she needed to end that. There was only one way to make sure that happened. She had to put her emotions—as wishy-washy as they were—aside. She’d collect her facts and then decide what the truth was, based on the evidence she gathered.
Her logic didn’t change the sick feeling that gurgled in her gut, though.
Her dread deepened even more when she saw Zach pull something out of his pocket.
It was a package. As he handed it to Milton, Madelyn snapped a picture. Was this just the evidence she’d been searching for? She stared at the photo on her screen. He certainly looked suspicious in the image. The way his shoulders hunched. How his head was lowered. The secret way he handed Milton the package.
Quickly, she turned her phone off and hurried back upstairs. Now she had to decide what exactly she would do with this.
Because as much as she tried to be tough, she was still having trouble believing the chief was a bad person.
FOURTEEN
With a touch of hesitation, Zach knocked on Madelyn’s door. He told himself he needed to talk to her about the case. But the truth was that he wanted to see her. Only in a professional sense, he told himself. After all, he needed to check on her after everything that had happened. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was attracted to her.
Zach had confirmed with Ernie that he and Levi had gone out fishing yesterday. So Levi did have an alibi in that sense. But the man still could have tampered with the boat. On top of that, Ernie had mentioned to Levi that he was doing a tour with Madelyn today.
What Zach couldn’t figure out was why. Why would Levi want to harm Madelyn? It didn’t make any sense.
Footsteps padded against the floor on the other side of the door. Madelyn cracked the door a second later, a whoosh of lilac rushing out and making his heart speed up. He’d already come to associate that scent with Madelyn.
The breath left his lungs at the mere glimpse of her. She looked different. Gone were the fancy clothes and perfect makeup and flawless hair. He’d seen her absent of those things on the boat when she’d been rescued. But this was different. Her still-damp hair had a touch of wave to it. Her cheeks were rosy. Her clothing—yoga pants and a T-shirt—was casual, but at the same time seemed flattering.
She looked simpler. More natural.
And he liked it.
But the look in Madelyn’s eyes was close to tortured. What was going on in that head of hers? How much more could happen to her before she broke?
She didn’t offer to open the door any more than a crack. Maybe she was being modest or maybe Zach had caught her in the middle of something. Maybe she was simply cautious after everything that happened.
“Hey,” she said softly.
“Can we talk a moment, Madelyn?”
She rubbed her lips together before nodding. “Sure thing. Can I meet you downstairs?”
“Of course.”
A few minutes later, she joined him in the screened-in porch at the back of the house. Her gaze skittered around the space in a way that made him curious. What exactly was she looking for? She almost appeared to be expecting someone to jump out and grab her.
“There’s no one here,” he murmured. Eva and Milton had run to the grocery store, so Zach and Madelyn would have some privacy for a moment. He’d just spoken with Milton himself about another matter and to give him a heads-up on the situation with Madelyn. If someone wanted to harm her, Zach hoped they wouldn’t go through Eva and Milton to do so. But both needed to be on guard.
Madelyn nodded and shoved a hair behind her ear. “Good to know.”
She sat in a white wicker chair across from him. An after-the-rain breeze fluttered through the air, bringing with it the scent of the passing storm: grass, leaves and dampness. She’d put a sweatshirt on and pulled it closer around her.
Zach sat in the chair beside her, a glass-top table with a cheerful sunflower in a bottle between them. He needed to broach this conversation carefully. If he said too much, it would only lead to trouble.
“Madelyn, I wanted to find out if there was anything else you could remember about what happened today,” he started. “Was there anything unusual about the boat? Anything that caused alarm before all the problems started?”
She narrowed her eyes and pushed some hair behind her ear. As she let out a soft sigh, she pulled her knees up to her chest. “I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t know much about boats.”
She almost looked like she was trying to protect herself. Zach had learned to read body language a long time ago. When people crossed their arms or put objects between themselves and another person, usually it was because some kind of internal guard was going up.
Her body language reminded him that she was hiding something. Would she ever trust him enough to tell him what? He’d put his life on the line for her, yet she remained tight-lipped. Why?
She stared out one of the screened panels. He followed her gaze and saw a neighbor’s beagle exploring a corner of the backyard now that the storm had passed.
“Madelyn, before you came here, did you have connections with Levi Watson?”
Her gaze swerved toward his. “Levi Watson?”
“The former police chief.”
Her eyes widened as realization washed over her. “You think he’s behind this?”
Zach raised his hand to cease that thought. “I’m not saying that at all. I just want to know if you’ve ever had any interaction with him?”
She shrugged. “I met him that first day I was in town, when Eva gave me a tour. We ran into him at the café. That was it.”
“What was your conversation like?”
“It was unremarkable. He said it was nice to meet me, he was glad I was here and if this article managed to bring tourists in town, he’d be shocked.”
Zach raised his eyebrows. “He said that last part?”
Madelyn nodded. “That’s right. I thought it was weird, but Eva said that Levi is one of the people who doesn’t want the town to grow. He likes Waterman’s Reach like it is now.”
So maybe the former chief was trying to run Madelyn out of town to prevent her from writing the article? Would he really take things this far, though?
“A lot of people resist change,” Madelyn said, almost as if she could read his thoughts.
“It gives him motive.”
She frowned. “You really think he could be behind this?”
“I’m not implying anything,” Zach said, rising to his feet. “I’m just trying to find one decent lead.”
She jumped to her feet, as well. “Where are you going?”
“Honestly? I’m going back to my house to finally get cleaned up after everything that’s happened today. I’m bringing some files there so I can review them.”
“Can I come with you?” she said.
He raised his eyebrows. “To my house?”
Her cheeks flushed. “Let me review the evidence with you. Maybe something will spark a memory or connection. Besides, I’d feel better doing something and not being alone.”
“What about your article?”
“I’ll bring my notes with me and work on it there.” She paused, her eyes imploring him. “I promise I won’t get in your way.”
Hesitantly, he nodded. “Okay. Maybe a second set of eyes will be helpful.”
He hoped he didn’t regret this.
* * *
Madelyn hoped she didn’t regret this.
Something had clicked in her mind when she was talking to Zach at the B and B. She realized she had to find some answers. She had to take risks. And the more time she spent with Zach, the more likely it was she could discover new information about him.
She’d spontaneously decided to ask to come her
e. She did want to look over the case files. But she also wanted to snoop.
“Help yourself to anything in the fridge,” Zach said as they walked into his living room. “There’s not much. And keep the doors locked.”
Madelyn nodded. “Got it.”
“I need to take a warm shower and get some clean clothes on. The files are on the table by my desk. You can look through them. There shouldn’t be anything there that you don’t already know, but feel free to take a gander. Maybe a fresh set of eyes will help.”
“You never know.”
As Zach stepped toward the bathroom, Madelyn went to his desk and sat down. When she heard the door click shut, she stared at his computer.
Madelyn knew she shouldn’t do it. But how could she not? This might be her only chance to look through Zach’s things. In fact, the opportunity had practically been handed to her. She could potentially find the answers she needed.
She glanced at her phone. The picture of Zach exchanging something with Milton stared back at her. What was that about?
She didn’t have time to dwell on it now.
Moving quickly, she turned on the computer screen. As it booted up, her gaze went to the drawers of the hefty desk. With a touch of guilt, she opened the first one. Pencils, pens and paper clips stared back her.
She opened the next one. Bills. She flipped through a few of them, but they all seemed like the normal power, cell-phone and car-insurance notifications.
The bottom drawer held envelopes and paper.
She frowned. She wasn’t getting very far here.
Water from the shower still roared through the pipes. But she had to move quickly. She rushed to the other side of the desk. In the bottom drawer, there were some file folders. Her heart raced. Maybe there was something here. Maybe.
She picked up the first one. The tab read Baltimore. Inside, there were dozens of articles on the shooting there. Most witnesses had pointed to Zach as being the bad guy. In fact, she’d read several of these write-ups already while doing her research.
The next folder was the police report. It looked like it had been photocopied. Was Zach allowed to do that? She wasn’t sure.
Looking at the information, it appeared Zach had written all of these. These must have been the reports about the gang, leading up to the confrontations where lives had been lost. She quickly scanned the information there. Most of it she knew.
Some potent heroin had been brought into the city. Three people had already been arrested and found to be using this particular kind of heroin. Those three people were also guilty of violent crimes: a murder, a rape and an attempted homicide.
It appeared this certain kind of heroin was especially deadly and made people act irrationally. Despite that, people were still using it. Zach had been trying to pinpoint its origin.
He’d thought he’d discovered the gang responsible for distributing the drug. He’d set up a bust. But things had turned ugly quickly. Two officers were shot. Zach had no choice but to pull the trigger and take down one of the gang members.
Someone had to take the blame for the fallen officers. Zach seemed to be the scapegoat.
That’s not what Paula thought. She thought he’d acted irresponsibly. That he was macho and arrogant. That he’d been involved and was trying not to get caught.
That wasn’t the person Madelyn had been getting to know, though.
The final folder stared at her on the bottom of the drawer. Her hands trembled slightly as she picked it up. Inside, there were letters.
She was supposed to be looking for a pattern here of arrogance and shady decisions. Was this her evidence?
Part of her didn’t want to read it.
She did anyway.
I thought I could trust you. I thought you were different. But you’re a bottom-line guy too, aren’t you? That’s really all that matters at the end of the day, isn’t it? You’re not different than any of the rest of them.
Her eyes traveled to the bottom of the letter. It was signed “Mario Williams.”
She sucked in a deep breath. He was the gang member who’d died.
Was this the proof she needed that Zach had inside connections with the drug ring?
Madelyn’s stomach constricted.
Was this part of the evidence she needed for her article? Would this help to prove once and for all that Zach deserved to serve prison time for his negligence in the undercover sting?
Instead of making her feel relieved, her gut dropped with dread.
A door clicked in the distance. Madelyn quickly shoved the papers back into the drawer and slammed it shut. Sweat sprinkled across her forehead. She was supposed to be reviewing the case. Where was that folder?
She nervously stared at the desk, hoping that Zach didn’t realize her true intentions for wanting to be in his house...or in this town.
FIFTEEN
Quickly, Madelyn found the folder on the table behind her and grabbed it. She opened it, trying desperately to look like she’d been studying it the whole time.
Zach’s footsteps sounded across the wood floor, each step causing Madelyn’s nerves to tighten. Would he sense she was deceiving him?
“Anything stand out to you?” Zach asked.
Her throat tightened as she shook her head. “Unfortunately, no.”
Madelyn waited for his response, halfway expecting him to call her bluff. He strode over and peered at the file in her hands.
“That’s what I figured. But it was worth a try, right?”
She released her breath. Zach wasn’t on to her. Thank goodness. “Right.”
As he leaned in close to study the reports, Madelyn was keenly aware of his presence. Her heart raced. She took a deep breath of his woodsy cologne, the scent alluring and one she could get used to.
“The answers are here somewhere.” He jabbed his finger into the file. “We just have to find them.”
Just then his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. “It’s Mayor Alan. I’ve got to take this.”
“Of course.”
As Zach disappeared into a room down the hallway, she turned back to the case files and tried to concentrate on the facts there. But her hands trembled. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this kind of thing. No amount of prodding, encouragement or pushing would change that.
That letter from Mario just might be the proof she needed of wrongdoing on Zach’s part. Did it solidify the fact that Zach was somehow involved in all of this? Her gut told her no. But how else could she explain it?
Just then her phone buzzed. She recognized Paula’s number. It was almost like her boss could sense Madelyn’s inner turmoil and had timed her call perfectly.
With a touch of hesitation, Madelyn answered. “Hey.”
“What’s going on? Any updates for me?”
She thought about everything that had happened and considered what to tell her. Not what she’d seen today. She wasn’t ready to share that yet. But she had to tell Paula something. Paula was her boss. Madelyn was here on work time, not just for leisure or to do what she wanted.
“I got a picture,” she finally said.
“A picture? What kind of picture?”
Madelyn frowned, feeling like she was betraying Zach. But she was sent here to do a job. She had to push her emotions aside.
She lowered her voice, fearful that Zach might hear her. “Zach was handing over an envelope with someone. It all looked hush-hush.”
“That’s interesting. Send it to me.”
“I’m not sure there’s anything you can do with it. I don’t think it means anything.” Guilt gnawed at her. Madelyn regretted the revelation as soon as it’d left her lips.
“There it is again,” Paula said, that scolding tone to her voice.
“There’s what?”
“No, I’m not.” But even as Madelyn said the words, she knew they weren’t true. Her compassion could be her best or worst attribute. Even her parents had said that. They’d been afraid that one day her empathy would get her in trouble and had tried to guide her to use wisdom in her emotions.
“Arrogant police officers need to be punished,” Paula said. “Officers like the one who killed your parents. It was wrong that he got away with it. We can’t let that happen again.”
Madelyn glanced at the door where Zach had disappeared. “I’m just not convinced that he’s guilty.”
“Don’t listen to your emotions. Listen to me. Remember your parents. Do this for them.”
Paula’s words somehow hit home. Her parents. If she focused on getting justice for them, maybe she would be able to pull through this.
“I’ll send you the picture,” she finally said, still uncertain if this was the right thing or not. If she proved beyond a doubt that Zach was innocent, then no one else ever had to see that photo. She’d delete it and it would be of no use. She had to keep that in mind.
“Good girl. Keep getting to know him. You’re on the right track. He’ll open up to you in no time.”
Madelyn hung up and then found the photo on her phone. She nibbled on her lips before sending the picture. She hoped she didn’t regret this.
As soon as she hit Send, her gut twisted.
Had Madelyn just made the biggest mistake of her life? Or had she just secured a successful career for her future?
* * *
Zach was surprised when he walked back into his kitchen fifteen minutes later and smelled the pleasant aroma of food. What was that? Garlic. He heard something sizzling.
It had been a long time since his house smelled like this. He normally grabbed a sandwich or a can of soup. Home-cooked meals were a thing of the past. His stomach instantly rumbled.
Some food sounded good, especially after his conversation with the mayor. He frowned and set aside those thoughts for a moment. He’d deal with his problems with the mayor later.
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