by Aimée Thurlo
It irritated him to hear this man discuss Hannah as if she were a child, and at the same time essentially accuse the agency of incompetence. “Why have you decided to tell me all this now?”
“The board had a meeting yesterday and we all feel that things are getting out of hand. There’s still no sign of Hannah or the missing funds and, now, to top it all, Bob Jones is at home, bedridden. He’s been ill for the last few days and it doesn’t look like he’s getting any better. He claims it’s just the flu, but I honestly think it’s just overwhelming stress. I believe this whole thing with his niece is just too much for him. Do you know that the police came around asking about Hannah? She’s wanted in connection with a hit-and-run. A man was killed.”
“Did you tell the police about the theft?”
“Yes, I did. I’m not covering up for her anymore and I’ve advised Bob to do the same.”
“You went to see him?”
Jackson shook his head. “No, I spoke to him on the phone.” He paused, then added, “The other reason I wanted to speak with you is that we’ve all decided to ask Gray Wolf Investigations to bring in more people to work on this case. We have to have the money back, and Hannah too. There are just too many open questions about her activities now and we have to protect our reputations. It was never our intent to shield a criminal. We were only trying to protect someone we believed was mentally ill and posed no danger to herself or others. We still don’t want to press charges if she returns the money, but we can’t protect her from a hit-and-run.”
“Our agency has its own way of working. It’s not a matter of increasing manpower, but of getting some leads,” Daniel said, studying Jackson.
Sudden honesty always made him uneasy, especially when the man’s eyes didn’t match the words coming out of his mouth. He needed to press Jackson for more answers, and study his mannerisms for inconsistencies. Fortunately, that was one of the things he did very well.
HANNAH SAT in one of the pews in the empty church. The answers to all her questions were close, like a name at the tip of her tongue. She could feel the memories pushing in from the edges of her mind. A brief flash here, then a feeling, but the second she tried to hold on to them, they drifted away again like wisps of smoke.
She looked around the church, wishing Daniel was with her now. Daniel exuded a calmness that always bolstered her own confidence. She closed her mind to that thought as instantly as it had appeared. She wouldn’t allow her feelings for Daniel to come to the surface. There was no place for them in what she had to do. They both had their own demons to fight. Passion drew them closer, but logic demanded that they keep their distance. Survival had to take priority now.
Hearing voices just outside the chapel, Hannah was jolted back to the present. People were drawing close and would undoubtedly try to introduce themselves once they saw her.
She tugged at the sides of her scarf, trying to shield her face even more. As she looked around, searching for the nearest safe exit, she caught a glimpse of Reverend Brown by the main chapel entrance speaking to the caretaker. They’d apparently just arrived. For a brief moment, as his gaze swept over her, she bowed her head as if in prayer. A second later, Revered Brown moved away from the doorway back into the foyer. Seeing it as an opportunity, Hannah quickly walked to the back door and left the church.
Hannah was walking in the direction of the SUV when she saw that Reverend Brown had also stepped outside and now stood between her and the vehicle. He was looking at the condition of the lawn and speaking to the caretaker, and hadn’t seen her yet but, if she went past him, he was bound to recognize her.
Hannah angled toward a cluster of young pines in the empty lot next to the church. She’d have cover there in the shade, and still be able to watch for Daniel.
A few minutes later, Daniel came out. He studied the area around him carefully, an ingrained habit of his, and spotted her. Realizing her problem immediately, he said something to Reverend Brown that made him go back inside the church. Then, moving fast, Daniel went to the SUV and drove up to where she was waiting.
“Thanks,” she said as she jumped into the vehicle and they got underway. “What did Mr. Jackson have to say?”
“Nothing we can use,” he answered, filling her in.
“Poor Uncle Bob! I had no idea he was sick,” she said. “I wish I could be there to help him out.”
“Don’t even think of it. There’s no way you can go see him,” he said, then quickly changed the subject. “What about you? Did you remember anything?”
“No,” she said, frustration evident in her voice. “The memories are still there, but whenever I get too close, a wall goes up and I can’t get through.”
“Do you have any idea what it is that scares you so much?”
She nodded slowly. “I wish I could say no, but the truth is that I’m afraid of the answers. They may be very different from what I want them to be,” she said and paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “Have you ever had to face yourself squarely, Daniel? To see yourself not for the person you might have liked to think you were, but for who you really are?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice taut. “I had to come to terms with myself after my partner was shot. And you’re right. It isn’t easy. We often fall short of our own expectations.”
“But at least you knew that you weren’t guilty of anything. Someone else pulled the trigger. I have no way of knowing what, if anything, I’m guilty of doing. Finding out may not free me at all. In fact, it may do the opposite.”
“I wasn’t blame-free in my partner’s death. I could have made different choices and if I had done that, she might have been alive today. But I decided to play it safe and by the book and that mistake will haunt me until the day I die.” He wrapped his hands so tightly around the wheel that his knuckles turned white. “Nicki left a two-year-old boy behind, and her sister, Mary, took custody of him. I tried to help financially, but Mary didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I was her sister’s partner and I lived and her sister didn’t. I tried to drown my guilt and the pain in a bottle, but it didn’t work. It was tough finding my way out of that pit. I had to learn to redefine who and what I was and that took a long time.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But if I could do it, so can you.”
“I wish I had half your strength.”
“You have all of it,” he said, then reached for her hand. “My strength is yours. I’ll stand by you and help you through this.”
The intensity of his gaze, so full of passion and gentle caring, took her breath away. But, in a heartbeat, that feeling turned into hot awareness, making it hard for her to keep her thinking clear.
Hannah looked away, trying to gather herself. “I will find the answers I’m keeping locked in my mind, Daniel,” she whispered, “but there’s no telling what’s on the other side. You’re betting on a long shot.”
“People saw me as a long shot and a poor risk after my partner died. No one except my cousin Ben ever really believed I’d make it back. But I did. And so will you.”
“I don’t even know where to begin. How did you do it?”
“I focused on the side of me that I understood and liked—being a martial artist. I’d practice ten hours a day and think about things as I worked.”
“More violence? After what you’d been through? How could you stand it?”
“The martial arts don’t just teach you how to fight. What you learn is more about control—not over an opponent, but over yourself. It takes dedication and patience to master the techniques, and what that teaches you is that you can accomplish anything, if you’re persistent enough. I needed to reconnect with all of that—the disciplines and the hard work—to find myself.”
“I don’t have anything like that in my life. I wish I did now. What I do have is the knowledge that no matter what life throws at me, I can survive. I may not be a fighter in the same sense you are, but I know I can endure almost anything
.”
“And from that comes your strength. Focus on it. It’ll help you face things squarely and defeat your own fears.”
Daniel picked up the cell phone as soon as it rang. Flipping it open with one hand, he listened for a moment, then spoke into it softly in clipped sentences.
“What’s wrong?” Hannah asked, seeing the somber expression on his face as he hung up.
“It was Silentman,” Daniel said. “Your photo’s on the front page of the evening newspaper. We need to pick up a copy and see how good a snapshot it is. The article says that you’ve disappeared and both police departments are looking for you now. They want to question you about the hit-and-run death of an unemployed ex-con out on parole. Apparently they only found three sets of prints in the car—the original owner’s, yours and those of the dead man, a career criminal named Calvin Beck. Beck usually worked as a wheel man during armed robberies but most of his old gang members are in jail. The cops believe he may have been killed by some old enemies, but they’re still trying to come up with a suspect. That’s why they’re looking for you.”
“So, it’s like I feared. I’ve become their prime suspect.” Black despair settled over her. Everything was falling apart around her, and she was hurting the people she loved most. Her uncle was in disgrace because of her and, as it had been with her father, she couldn’t do a thing to help him. To make things even worse, the police were involved in this now, and by protecting her, Daniel was risking his own future.
“Daniel, we have to change our tactics. I can’t let you and my uncle suffer because of me. This stops now. I think the moment has come to use me as bait to draw my enemies out of the shadows.”
Daniel gave her a startled look. “Absolutely not. We’re not that desperate.”
She saw the stony look on his face and knew she wouldn’t be able to sway him. “Keep in mind that if we don’t find answers soon, we may not have a choice.”
She’d made a good point, but risking her life that way went against everything he’d tried to do from day one. “If it comes to that, then you can count on one thing—I’ll be right there beside you, and you can pity anyone who tries to harm you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Daniel bought a copy of the afternoon paper at a machine in front of a convenience store, then drove away quickly, giving the paper to Hannah without even taking time to glance at it.
Hannah looked at the headlines. “The reporter found out about the missing funds, and is breaking the story as his exclusive.”
Daniel found a deserted trail with plenty of ground cover, then continued down the bumpy road. Once he was sure they couldn’t be seen from the main road, he stopped and parked.
“I assumed that the police would run the photo of you the kidnapper had, but that’s not the same shot,” he said as they studied the front page together. “Where do you think he got that one? Have you seen it before?”
Hannah looked away. “It’s not important. The only thing that matters is what we do now. This photo is a close-up of my face and a clear one.”
“You’ll have to wear the red wig full-time. Your most striking features are your light hazel eyes, and that shows up really well in the paper’s photo, despite the grainy quality.”
“And when I’m inside?”
“Don’t make eye contact. I’d tell you to wear the sunglasses then, too, but it’ll attract even more attention.”
He shifted in his seat, his back to the door, and regarded her squarely. “But I’d still like to know where that photo came from. I have a feeling you know.”
“Yes, I do,” she answered, her voice taut. “My uncle took that picture a few months ago. It used to be on his desk at the church.”
A muscle tightened in his jaw. “I think it’s time I had another talk with the deacon. And I think you’d do yourself a world of good by listening in carefully.”
“You’re right. He may mention something that’ll give me an idea. He knows everyone I do, but his perspective is different from mine.”
Daniel could sense a change in her. Hannah was still afraid, but she’d turned that fear into an asset like a seasoned cop or a veteran investigator. He looked at her with new admiration.
As a kid, Hannah had done what she’d needed to in order to survive. Now as a woman she was using the same iron will that had helped her cope back then to shatter the very doors her mind had closed.
“You’re one hell of a woman, Hannah.”
“That’s a nice thing to say,” she said, astonished.
“Why do you act so surprised?” he asked.
“You may not have noticed, but you’re not exactly big on compliments,” she said with a laugh.
“I’ve told you how beautiful you are.”
She laughed softly. “Yes, but once it was matter-of-fact and it didn’t sound like a compliment, and the next time…well, because of what was happening between us at the time, I don’t think it counts.”
“Of course it does. It matters even more,” he said with a purely masculine grin. “I was in a position to see exactly how beautiful you are.”
Seeing her blush, he smiled. He remembered every second of that night, the way her body had opened to him, how he’d fit inside her warmth. Quickly his memories became vivid images that were impossible to brush aside. Desire grew inside him hard and fast, making his body impossibly hard.
Control. He had to stay focused now. He kept his eyes on the road, but he was aware of everything about her—from the gentle curve of her breasts pressing against her shirt, to the wild strand of dark hair that curled and brushed against her cheek.
The observation had a positive result, however, and he reminded her to put on the wig. There could be no slipups now.
A half hour later, they drove down the long residential street that led to Bob Jones’s home.
“Give me a chance to get into the back and duck down so I’m not easily seen. I don’t want my uncle to spot me and this red wig isn’t going to fool him for more than a few seconds.”
The words had come out slowly and heavily and he realized that despite everything she’d said, a part of her was afraid that the protector she’d counted on throughout her life would turn out to be a traitor.
He felt her pain as keenly as if it had been his own, but there was nothing he could do to protect her from the truth.
He pulled off to the side of the road. “Okay, it’s time. Get in the back and stay behind those boxes.”
“Let Wolf and me change places and have him sit in the passenger’s seat. No one will get close to the SUV.”
“Good thought.”
Once they were ready, Daniel continued toward Bob Jones’s home. Daniel slowed down, looking for the house number Hannah had given him, but as he drew near he saw two officers he recognized standing on the front porch of a large home on the next block. “Let me guess. Your uncle’s home is blue and has a large elm in the front.”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Can’t you see the house number?”
“Not from here, but the other signs tipped me off.” He filled her in as he parked across the street in the shade. “I recognize both those cops. They moonlight when they’re off duty.”
“Why are cops keeping an eye on my uncle?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” He picked up the small microphone he’d used before and stuck it in his shirt pocket.
“I’m glad we still have our delivery truck disguise. At least the cops won’t be able to see me back here from across the street.”
“It’s some protection, true, but those guys are good. I don’t like to take anything for granted around them. Take care.” He tested the mike assuring himself it was working properly. “I’m going to talk to the cops first. Listen carefully to everything that’s said. Something’s going on and, with luck, it may turn out to be something we can use to our advantage.”
“Maybe the same people who came after me went after my uncle and that’s why he’s being protected. Will th
ose guys tell you honestly what’s going on?”
“They trust me, and they’re friends of mine—well, at least one of them is. But whether or not they’ll confide in me depends on how delicate the situation there is. I’ll give it my best shot and see what happens.”
Daniel left the SUV with Wolf watching out the front driver’s side window. As he approached the porch, Frank, a tall, blond-haired, broad-shouldered bodybuilder with no neck gave him a casual lopsided grin.
“What brings you here, Eagle? I haven’t seen you in months. I heard that you’re freelancing cases these days. Is that true?”
“Sure is, and right now I’m handling a little business for the deacon,” Daniel answered.
“Jeez, how many of us has this man hired?” Gary, a short, athletic-looking black man asked as he came up to greet Daniel.
“I’m not part of his protection, guys. I’m just settling a business matter for him. And, as far as I know, there’s nothing dangerous about it. I’m surprised to see the two of you here.”
Frank shrugged. “The money’s good, even if the guy’s a bit paranoid.”
“How so?”
“He hired us to protect him, and you know we know our business,” Gary replied. “But he gets really squirrelly if we so much as take a break. He actually times us. And it’s not as if we both leave together, or anything like that. It’s almost as if he wants a show of force for whoever drives by.”
“What’s the threat?”
Frank shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him about that.”
“What’s the deal when you two have to leave to do the cop thing?”
“Another team comes in,” Gary answered.