When Lightning Strikes

by Aimée Thurlo

  “More cops?”

  “One of them is, Billy Skinner. Remember him? The other guy is ex-military, the son of a member of his church. Bigger than Frank, with goalposts for shoulders.” Gary smiled.

  “What’s the deacon do when he has to leave the residence? The team on duty provides an escort?”

  “That’s just it. He never steps foot out of his home,” Gary continued. “He hasn’t gone to work or even to the store since he hired us the day after his niece took off. He has everything delivered, and he has us check it all before it enters the house.”

  Frank cocked his head toward the front door. “If you want to see him, I’ve got to go talk to him first. Otherwise, I can’t even let you get as far as the front porch.”

  “Go ask then. I have no intention of leaving here without talking to him.”

  “If he says no, you’ll either leave, or I’ll have to toss your butt back to the curb.” Frank crossed his arms on his chest.

  “Easy to say, hard to do,” Daniel said, his voice calm.

  “I’ve heard about your martial arts skills, and I’ve always wanted to see just how good you are,” Frank said with a smile that challenged. “I just love a good scuffle.”

  “Anytime you want to play, just square off. I won’t take long.”

  Gary laughed. “Boys, boys, that’s enough.” He glanced at his partner, who was a head taller than himself. “Frank, go talk to the deacon and see if he’s accepting any visitors.”

  “Don’t take my partner too seriously,” Gary told Daniel as soon as Frank walked off. “He’s been training in martial arts and pumping iron, and now he’s itching to show what he’s learned. That’s all there is to that.”

  “He hasn’t learned much if he still needs to prove himself.”

  “He’s young. He’ll learn after he gets bounced around a few times.”

  A moment later Frank returned, scowling. “Jones said for you to come right in.”

  Gary laughed. “And that probably was the biggest favor fate ever did for you, Frank.”

  Daniel gave Frank a nod, then strode past him. As he did, Frank tried to trip him up by sweeping with his right leg.

  In the blink of an eye, Daniel pivoted around the sweep, simultaneously driving his clenched fist into Frank’s midsection, knocking the wind out of him. Frank, gasping for breath, tried a jab of his own, but Daniel slipped inside the punch, blocked his arm as it flew past, then grabbed it and pulled back his index finger with a minimum of force. Daniel bent it backwards, forcing Frank to his knees. “Stop now, and I’ll let you go.”

  “Yeah, man. I was only going to tempt you to go a few rounds at the gym.”

  “You’re not ready,” Daniel said quietly. “You still need to learn about judgment and self-discipline.”

  As he stepped forward and knocked on the door, Daniel heard Gary light into the younger cop. “You’re lucky he wasn’t interested in a little exercise. I’ve seen him pile four drunken bikers into a silent heap before the bar owner could even dial 911.”

  As the front door opened a few inches, Daniel shifted his attention to the man before him.

  “Come in quickly,” Bob Jones said, standing inside the door so he couldn’t be seen from the street.

  Daniel entered the darkened living room. All the curtains were drawn and there was a strong smell of old food and coffee. As he glanced around, he saw leftover pizza and TV dinners.

  “I heard you’ve been ill,” Daniel said casually.

  “Very. Now tell me. Have you found Hannah, or at least have some very solid leads?”

  “You’ll be the first to know when I do. Actually, I came on another matter. It seems your niece is now front-page news.”

  Jones nodded. “I saw it,” he said, gesturing to the opened newspaper on the couch. “Do you realize that’s the same photo I kept on my desk at the church?”

  “Then you gave it to the reporter?”

  “No way. This is exactly the kind of situation I was hoping to avoid. Someone must have taken it from my desk,” he said, glaring at Daniel. “You’re the detective. Find out. Better yet, find my niece.”

  Daniel looked around slowly. “The security outside and the way you’ve entrenched yourself in here—this isn’t about you being ill. I’ve been around the block a few times, Deacon. You’re scared to death. What’s made you afraid to step outside?”

  “Had you found my niece, I wouldn’t have had to take such drastic measures,” he shot back. When Daniel didn’t answer, he added, “If you must know, I’m afraid that Hannah might come back and try to kill me. I believe she’s lost her mind completely. There’s no other explanation. The police came to talk to me. They’re looking for her in connection to a hit-and-run. The man is dead, and they think maybe she hit him with her car.” He ran an unsteady hand through his hair. “I should have seen this coming. First she bashes me on the head, now this. She’s getting progressively worse. Unless we get her back, and put her where she’s safe and can’t harm anyone else, there’s no telling what will happen next.”

  “You told me before you couldn’t be sure she was the one who’d hit you.”

  “Well, yes, but that was before I learned about this hit-and-run. Hannah is starting to pop up wherever there’s trouble and that’s just too coincidental in my book.”

  Daniel shook his head. “There’s something that just doesn’t add up for me. You told me that Hannah was hospitalized after her father’s suicide, but not since that time. Yet you’re now willing to believe that she’s not only guilty of theft but of hit-and-run as well without even giving her the benefit of the doubt. Why is that?”

  “The evidence is there, what else can I do? You have to understand that my niece has always been fragile mentally. I’m no doctor, but my guess is that there’s a lot of suppressed anger inside her, and it has finally come to the surface. She has been under a great deal of pressure lately, and I believe she snapped under the strain.”

  Jones walked Daniel back to the door. “I’m scared for myself, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m just as frightened for her. No matter how it seems to you, I love her very much and I don’t want her digging a hole so deep for herself no one will be able to get her out. As it stands, she’s already taking people like me and others at the church down with her. You know what I’m talking about, right? I understand that you’ve already been told that the amount that’s missing is far more than I said originally. And now that it’s public knowledge, we’re going to have to account for our actions to the membership of the church.”

  “You should have told us the truth right from the beginning. Acting on the basis of bad information is dangerous for everyone involved,” Daniel said.

  “You know why we held back that information. But you still haven’t said if you’re any closer to finding my niece and the money.”

  “I expect to find her very soon,” he said reaching for the knob. “I’ll stay in touch.”

  “No details?”

  “Not yet. Handling a case like this is a delicate matter. We’re all better off if I keep things to myself until I have all the evidence. Once I do, you’ll be the first to know about it.”

  “I don’t like your attitude,” Jones said firmly. “I’d like to know what’s happened and what you’re planning to do next. As your client, I have that right.”

  “Yes, you do. And when I have something concrete, I’ll pass it on. Leads and sources have to be protected, and I can’t compromise my plans or contacts to you. The church hired the agency because of our expertise. Let us do our job.”

  Jones scowled. “All right. But try to move things along, will you? Every day there’s a new complication, and things just keep getting worse.”

  As Daniel left the house, Gary came over to meet him. “Jones is a real oddball, isn’t he?”

  Daniel nodded. “I don’t see why he’s so afraid. I’ve heard about his niece…” He shrugged. “But that doesn’t jibe. If she’s a thief, she’s long gone by now. I have a
feeling he’s holding back on something else,” Daniel commented, using a technique he’d found effective in the past. People were much less guarded if they assumed you were on their side and knew as much as they did.

  “Off the record?” Seeing Daniel nod, Gary continued. “I know that the niece he’s afraid of is supposed to be a little loony so that’s part of it. But she’s dropped out of sight, and from what I’ve heard, she’s probably on the run with a chunk of cash. Why he thinks she’ll still try to get him is beyond me. He must have done something seriously bad to her if he needs to take all these precautions.”

  “Even so,” Daniel said giving him a skeptical look. “There’s something not right here. He wants us to believe he’s holed up like a scared jackrabbit because he’s afraid of his niece? What’s she got—sniper and demolition training?” Daniel scoffed. “There’s a big chunk missing from his story, bud. Watch your back.”

  “Well, it’s a little more than just his niece. Apparently she hired some goons to help her.”

  This was exactly the kind of lead he’d been hoping to get. He knew the muscle boys were after Hannah, not working for her. Jones had twisted the story. But to have knowledge of her attackers, he had to be involved. Either he’d been paid a visit by the goons, or he was working with them.

  Of course there was a third option. If Jones really didn’t know that the muscle boys were after his niece—and he really was afraid that Hannah had hired the same men to kill him—there was a lot he wasn’t saying about how he’d treated his niece.

  “The deacon’s made sure we’re all packing,” Gary added with a shrug. “The guy’s fear is for real. He’s spending a lot of money on protection.”

  “Yeah, so I see. Take care, Gary.”

  Daniel returned to the SUV, deep in thought. He wanted to protect Hannah, but there was a conspiracy against her, and half of the campaign was being waged with innuendo. The damage something like that created was far more insidious and harder to fight.

  “You heard the conversation?” Daniel asked once they were a few blocks away from the deacon’s house. As she sat up, he glanced in the rearview mirror.

  “Yes,” she said, her voice strained.

  Seeing the shock and sorrow mirrored on her face, he cursed himself for having insisted she listen in. “Hannah, I’m really sorry. But there’s a lot more going on than we suspected.”

  She remained silent and he didn’t press her. Once he reached the highway, Daniel pulled off the road and Hannah came to the front seat, switching with Wolf again.

  “There’s something I have to know, Daniel. Do you still believe I’m innocent?”

  “I know you are.” And he did, with every instinct he possessed. “More than one person is trying very hard to frame you, and stories are being twisted right and left. They wouldn’t need to go to all that trouble if you were really guilty.”

  “I wouldn’t have stolen money or tried to hurt anyone, Daniel. True, I still can’t remember those few hours, but I really don’t believe I’m capable of doing that. I find the whole idea completely revolting.” She paused, then continued in a sad voice. “I can’t believe my uncle really thinks I pose a threat to him. And how did he conclude that the men after me are people I hired to go after him?”

  “You’re missing the bigger picture,” Daniel said, recounting what he’d deduced.

  “Those men must have paid my uncle a visit, and blackmailed him into saying those things. By claiming that he’s guarding himself against me, he’s keeping the focus on me, not on the real guilty people.” She bit her lip, lost in thought, then sighed. “But, even if they pressured him, I expected better from my own uncle.”

  “I’m sorry, Hannah. If I could do something to shield you from this, I would.”

  She shook her head. “It’s too late for me to be shielded from anything, Daniel, and I really don’t want that kind of protection. I’ve spent too much of my life running away from things that would hurt me, or locking them away in a dark corner of my mind. As a kid, I needed that and I did what I had to do. But, as an adult, I need to prove to myself that I can cope with life, no matter what it throws at me. I’m ready to face all the things I’ve been blocking out. For the first time in my life, I want to remember everything.”

  Her courage attracted him as much as her beauty. Life had dealt her some harsh blows, and she’d hidden herself away, trying to heal. But so had he. Maybe that was the reason why he could understand her pain so well. No one ever went through life unscathed, but some paid a higher price than others.

  Daniel brushed a strand of hair from her face, and the look she gave him slipped past all his defenses. His heart began to beat double time.

  He looked away, bringing his thoughts back into line. He swore he’d help her and the incessant need he felt for her played no part in what he had to do. But fighting the way he felt about Hannah was like battling nature itself. Whenever she fastened her gaze on him trusting him to deliver what he’d promised, a victory over her enemies, she made him feel like a noble knight fighting for some idealistic cause instead of the pragmatic, jaded warrior he’d become over the years.

  Daniel watched her absently petting Wolf as the dog stuck his head between the seats. The dog seemed to sense Hannah’s heaviness of spirit as much as he did.

  “We’re going to have to break some rules and push the envelope,” Daniel said. “But I don’t want to lie to you. There’s a big risk involved and your entire world may come crashing down around you. If we go after your enemies with everything we’ve got, they’re going to come right back at us, and they could have a lot more resources and surprises in store for us. They won’t play fair, and they’re playing to win.”

  “So am I. I’m tired of running away, Daniel. I want to make a life for myself—a rich one filled with everything that makes it worth living. I’ve been on the sidelines too long, and I want to be free.”

  “Then our course is set.” Daniel glanced over at Hannah.

  “Tell me everything you know, fact or speculation, about your uncle’s business.”

  “He has a real estate firm here in town, and I know he works long hours.”

  “But you said that he’s been having some financial problems. Any idea why?”

  She took a deep breath, then let it out again. “I can’t be sure, but my guess is that he’s hit a slump. Three years ago he bought out his partner, Ed. Unfortunately, Ed was the one who had the right instincts for that kind of business, and was the one who’d kept the company running smoothly for ten years. My uncle spends too much time trying to live up to his image as a deacon for the church. I’ve heard he’s made some very bad deals and I think it’s because he doesn’t want to appear greedy or materialistic. That’s another reason why I know he couldn’t have stolen anything. His image is very important to him.” She stared at her lap thoughtfully. “Even after what I heard him say about me, it still bothers me to talk about him like this to anyone. I don’t like being disloyal.”

  “Right now your first priority has to be getting to the bottom of things,” Daniel said. “When you’re fighting for your life, survival takes priority. You can’t let anything stand in the way of what we need to do.”

  “I know, and that’s why I’m going to suggest something that I never would have under different circumstances. I’d like to go to his office in town and take a look at his books for myself. I want to see what he’s been up to, and check out the extent of his money troubles.”

  “I’m glad you suggested that. We need answers right now. There’s no telling what’ll happen in the next day or two.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  “Not so fast.” Daniel shook his head. “Carrying out an operation like that is tricky. Breaking and entering is illegal, and that alone can get us arrested.”

  “We won’t be breaking—just entering. I know where he keeps a spare key.”

  “He’s bound to have some form of security there, too.”

  “He does, so we’ll
have to make sure we don’t get caught.”

  “I’m a private investigator, not a miracle worker. We can’t just waltz in there without a definite plan.”

  “All along you’ve been telling me and showing me that you’re the best at what you do. These details should be right up your alley. I’m sure you have plenty of tricks up your sleeve.”

  Daniel hesitated. His job was to keep her safe, not take her straight into harm’s way.

  “Your idea’s a sound one, but I’m going there alone,” he said at last.

  “No chance. My uncle has played a part in what’s been happening to me, and I need to understand exactly what’s been going on. Besides, I know his accounting codes and understand his method of bookkeeping. You don’t. If you go alone, you’ll spend half of your time there trying to figure out where to search and what the numbers mean. If I’m with you, we can get in and out fast.”

  She’d made a valid point, and he knew she deserved to go. But it was hard for him to agree. There was no telling what would happen there.

  “You need me there, and I need to go for my own reasons,” she added in a soft but firm voice.

  He weighed the options, but knew she was right. The truth would bring her heartache, he could feel it in his bones, but she deserved the chance to face things squarely.

  “Okay. Where’s the key hidden?” he asked.

  “Underneath one of the rocks used to landscape the front. I’ll show you.”

  “Slow down. We also need an alternate escape plan in case things go wrong.”

  “You’re making things too complicated,” she said. “All we have to do is go in, work fast and take off. That leaves only one rule to remember—don’t get caught.”

  Wolf leaned forward easing between the seats and looked at Daniel with a panting grin. It was impossible, of course, but Daniel could have sworn the dog was laughing at him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  First, at Daniel’s insistence, they stopped at a clothing outlet. Although they’d spent less than five minutes in the store, he’d watched over her carefully as they picked out warm, dark-colored clothes for the operation.