Deadly Setup

by Annslee Urban

  “Trey was losing his marriage and his wife,” Seth went on. “We have to consider that the money in combination with everything else could have pushed him or anyone over the edge.”

  She disagreed, even if it sort of made sense—for someone other than her brother, that was. Trey was never driven by status or greed. Like Gentry.

  As that thought slammed into her brain, Paige met Seth’s gaze boldly. “Have you considered Gentry may have killed his sister for her share of the trust?” She blew a short burst of air through her lips. Of course he had; it seemed obvious.

  “It’s too early to make that assumption.” Seth gave his pat answer, his expression revealing nothing. “But we’ll explore every angle, every possible motive.”

  Of course he didn’t want her to get her hopes up, but Paige couldn’t help the little burst of optimism that flittered through her.

  “But it is a viable possibility?” She just wanted to clarify.

  Seth’s stoic expression stayed intact. He straightened, shoulders back. “If the evidence supports it.”

  Renewed frustration zigzagged along Paige’s nerve endings. Evidence. What about a gut feeling? For her, it made perfect sense. She didn’t bother to bring that up. But there was one question she couldn’t hold back. “How would a trust fund tie into Amy’s murder?”

  “Maybe Amy knew about the trust.” Seth’s voice was calm. “Or she may have had suspicions of what was going on with the attacks on you. Either way, she knew something the killer didn’t want out. Given what we know so far, an act of revenge toward your brother is still our direction. And Amy got caught in the middle of it. Now we’re charged with figuring out whether Gentry or someone else is responsible.”

  Guilt over Amy’s death fed even more into her dampened spirit over the discovery of Madison’s trust fund. One more thing to fuel speculation against her brother. She should have known Seth would see it that way. Which didn’t deter her in the least. Her focus was still on her brother’s freedom. With his court date in less than a week now, every minute counted. And sitting around the sheriff’s office wasn’t helping a thing.

  She got to her feet. “Would you be able to take me home now?” She almost hated to ask, but Brett was busy working on the case, and she didn’t want to pull him from that.

  Seth eyed her a moment, his gaze burdened with concern that stole her breath and warmed her soul as readily as his touch. “The condo? Are you sure you feel comfortable being there alone?”

  Yes. She nodded. More comfortable there than being here with Seth. At least there she could keep a handle on her erratic emotions.

  “All right.” He got to his feet.

  She pulled her jacket tight, buttoning it, grateful he didn’t press her. She was a big girl capable of taking care of herself—with God’s help and direction.

  Paige stayed close by Seth’s side as he escorted her through the investigative bureau’s wing of the sheriff’s department. Long hallways, rooms on either side, large conference rooms, each with open doors. The place hadn’t changed. Still a beehive of activity. Plainclothes detectives, clerks, secretaries all milling about. Phones ringing, keyboards tapping. Everyone busy, trying to solve the violent crime offenses in Watauga County.

  They now had one more on their plate.

  Paige swallowed back tears and stepped up her pace. She was so ready to get out of there. But as she breathed a sigh of relief, a wave of sadness swept in to wash it away. This morning, as she left the condo, she’d had big hopes for her day. A meeting with Amy. And hopefully some clues to get the ball rolling in her own investigation. None of which came to fruition. Instead, she was back at square one.

  Even worse, Amy was now dead.

  And the killer is getting more desperate, Paige thought with a shiver. He’d blatantly killed Amy. And she knew he wasn’t going to stop there.

  And she was no closer to proving her brother innocent than before she stepped foot back in Boone.

  Lord, help to get me on the right track.

  They came to the end of the hall, rounded the corner and stepped into the main lobby. Bright. Airy. Behind a nice new mahogany reception desk, the state and United States flags hung from wall-mounted poles. The entire west-facing wall was a series of floor-to-ceiling windows—the newest renovation to the historic building. One more thing that had changed since she’d been gone.

  Swallowing a sigh, Paige directed her steps across the waxed cedar floor and through the double glass doors. A few steps outside, she pulled Seth to an abrupt stop. Just beyond the covered stoop, a pack of media hounds congregated along the granite steps, some gripping cameras and microphones, others scribbling on notepads.

  Reporters.

  Paige felt her shoulders droop, a sliver of dread curling through her. Since she arrived, she’d stood her ground, tried to stay strong, kept it together, but the scene before her could likely do her in. With painful clarity, she recalled how in the early days after her brother’s arrest journalists hounded her relentlessly. They’d camped outside her home. Followed her to work. Even called and left messages on her cell phone.

  Squaring her shoulders, she pivoted toward Seth. “Why are they here?” She gestured with a nod toward the group and then added, “Not to talk to me, I ho—”

  Before she even got the words out, the rash of media started toward her, cameras focused, microphones extended, questions coming in quick succession.

  “Is it true you just witnessed the scene of a murder?”

  “Do you think Amy’s murder was in any way tied to your sister-in-law’s death?”

  “How did you know the victim?”

  “Why were you at the victim’s home?”

  Astonished and unnerved, Paige stood motionless, her thoughts still blurred in the agony of Amy’s death. She wasn’t ready for this.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here.” Seth took her arm and steered her rapidly back into the building and down the hallway. Seth kept one guiding hand on her back. Her heart pounded in her chest. Which, she told herself, had nothing to do with Seth, only the adrenaline thundering in her veins from the press being there.

  “We’ll go out through the back. The parking lot isn’t far from there.”

  She nodded absently, her stomach churning, her legs heavy. They stopped at the secondary elevator and she finally got up the nerve to ask, “Am I a suspect?”

  “No, you’re not a suspect,” Seth said calmly, but the way his jaw tightened left no room for confusion as to his feelings about the situation brewing outside. “But the sister of Madison’s suspected killer stumbling on the scene of another murder obviously piqued their interest.”

  She gritted her teeth. Undeniably, great story material. A second brutal murder in Boone and another Becker found at the scene.

  Another chill settled deep in Paige’s bones. Trey had been first on the scene of Madison’s murder, and he was now standing trial for her death.

  The elevator doors opened. They stepped inside, took it down one floor to the basement and continued down the long hall that led them outside into the cool October air. Seth stepped out first into an alley that ran between the sheriff’s department and the courthouse and jail. Before she could follow, he shot up his hand. “Hold on.”

  She waited in the doorway as Seth gave a thorough sweep of the area.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Five minutes later they were safe in the confines of his truck. As Seth revved the engine to life, she clipped the seat belt into place, a slight victory swelling in her chest until the sudden tap-tap-tap on the passenger window caused a surge of panic.

  Whipping around to stare out through the glass, Paige came face-to-face with a shorter, slightly built man with a graying head of mussed-up hair and dark beady eyes. He held up the press badge around his neck. “Reporter, ma’am.”

  No kidding. She swung back around and locked gazes with Seth, but not before she got a glimpse of the name on the badge. Clark Rogers. He was one of the journalists
who’d covered Madison’s murder. Former Navy SEAL Brutally Murders Estranged Wife. His biased interpretation of the so-called evidence made headlines and went viral, sensationalizing her brother’s arrest.

  The last thing she wanted was more bad press for her brother or for Rogers to somehow make more out of her being at the murder scene. Even for a witness, she knew information could be misconstrued, as with the case of her brother.

  Seth must have sensed her discomfort, for he jammed the gearshift into Reverse before he cocked an eyebrow at her.

  “Can you please take me home now?” she asked.

  “The condo’s gated, but the media probably figured out a way to get in.”

  Her panic bumped up a notch, escalating further when she heard another tap on the glass. “Miss Becker, I just have a few questions?” Rogers’s voice filtered through the closed window.

  No, thank you. Paige didn’t bother giving him the courtesy of that response. She blinked up at Seth. “Then would you mind taking me somewhere out of the watchful eye of reporters?”

  “I know just the place.” Seth stepped on the gas. They barreled out the parking lot and headed south, leaving Rogers and his comrades in their dust.

  * * *

  Five miles from the edge of town, Seth directed the vehicle down Highway 321, then turned right down an unmarked country road. It was a pocked and rutted half-mile stretch of dirt and gravel surrounded by heavy forest that encircled the stocked pond on the eastern border of his property.

  The truck wheels, digging into the soft earth, spewed up rock and dust as he swerved to avoid downed limbs, small uprooted trees and other debris. The private drive leading to his cabin was in worse condition than usual, still bearing the effects of the recent storm.

  Slowing down, Seth turned left. The rustic log house appeared around the slight bend in the road at the top of a rise. “Almost there.” He looked over at Paige.

  She nodded, looking a little somber. Probably still mulling over the events of the day. Or had coming back to this spot stirred up old memories of better times? Maybe he was delusionary to think she missed this place. Part of him even liked to think she missed him, too.

  Seth struck that last thought. Hardly relevant to what the future held. They’d both moved on to new ventures in their lives and there was no going back, he reiterated to himself firmly.

  Seth parked in his usual spot just outside the garage. He grabbed his laptop and climbed out, but before he could get around to the passenger side, Paige was already out on the driveway, taking in the view.

  Nestled in stands of lush evergreens and soaring hardwoods, the house hadn’t changed much in the ten months since she’d left town. Seth never seemed to have enough time to work on it. Or, more accurately, motivation to finish the work.

  Judging from the way Paige’s gaze kept straying across the front porch, stacked high with boxes and still missing pieces of front railing, she was having those same thoughts. She’d been instrumental in a lot of the design and construction of the place. And had spent a lot of time visiting and working alongside him.

  As they approached the front door, Seth could already hear Laser scratching to come out. Immediately after he opened the door, the dog burst through it, barking and with his tail wagging as he ran circles around Paige’s feet.

  It had been a long time since Seth had seen his dog react with enthusiasm like that. Twelve years old and going blind, but he obviously didn’t have a problem recognizing Paige. “Thanks, buddy. I barely get a tail wag when I get home. And that’s only if I’m hefting a bag of dog chow over my shoulder.”

  Paige chuckled. “I’m sure that’s not true.” She immediately crouched down beside Laser, running her fingers through his thick coat. “How are you, boy?”

  Laser nuzzled up against her. The happy dance stopped, but he was now serenading them with a high-pitched whimper, earning him an extra hug from Paige.

  Seth couldn’t help but laugh. The old mutt knew how to play it up. Despite everything, Seth felt a rush of warmth at just having Paige back in his house. A temporary moment of insanity that he let linger a moment before he shook it off and regained his senses.

  Okay. Enough of that. Seth stepped into the house and shrugged out of his jacket, hanging it on a hook on the wall. “Dinner, anyone?”

  Laser broke out of Paige’s grasp with a hardy bark. He took off for the kitchen, paws skittering and scratching against the hardwood floor.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He flashed a quick smile at Paige. “How about you? Are you hungry?”

  A slight shrug and she smiled. “Yeah. Actually, I could eat something.”

  In the kitchen as Seth hunkered down to feed Laser, he put Paige to work foraging through the pantry and fridge. He thought it might be best to leave the meal planning to her. His creativity in the kitchen stopped at canned sardines on crackers or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And he wasn’t even sure he had what it took to make those.

  “Sorry, Paige, I should have stopped on our way here and picked something up.” Although his focus had been to get her out of the limelight and to safe shelter. Then again, if he had stopped, it would have given her an opportunity to change her mind about coming here. Even now, he was half wondering how long she’d stick around.

  Paige poked her head out of the refrigerator. “That’s fine. There’s plenty here. How about a ham and American cheese quesadilla with green chiles and avocado?”

  Nope. He never would have thought of that.

  “Oh. And green olives on the side.”

  Why not? “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”

  Thirty minutes later, he took a seat across from her at the table. Paige offered a blessing, and for once, he didn’t find himself fidgeting in his seat, waiting for her to finish up. In fact, once she was through, he even offered a firm amen.

  Paige responded with a surprised smile, and he couldn’t help but smile himself.

  He reveled in the small victory of seeing her pleased as they dug into their food. She’d always told him he was missing out not having God in his life. He was beginning to understand.

  The impromptu meal Paige had prepared was good. She had always been a good cook, but she didn’t usually have to pull a meal together with a handful of miscellaneous ingredients. Seth was impressed. “Paige, it all tastes great. Thanks.” He finally set down his fork by his plate.

  “You’re welcome.” She got up from her chair and took her plate to the sink.

  The silence that came next served only to remind him of why he brought Paige here in the first place. He wanted her safe. Not just for today, but for the rest of her time in Boone. As much as he hated to broach the subject, especially now, when they were actually enjoying a peaceful, civil moment between them, he knew it needed to be done.

  He pushed up from the chair and wandered over to where Paige stood at the sink. “Let’s talk about your plans.”

  “What do you mean by plans?” She turned around, drying her hands on a dish towel.

  “You know, what’s on your agenda as far as your plans to help your brother,” he said, trying for a casual conversation.

  But immediately, Paige eyed him with open suspicion. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaving the towel dangling from her fingers. “Please, Seth, don’t press me on this. I’m not leaving town.”

  The tension in the room amped up, and he could just about feel the stress radiating from her.

  “Whoa. Time out.” Seth crisscrossed his hands above his head. “I’m not asking you to leave.”

  “You’re not?” Paige’s frown smoothed out, and she softened her tone. “Good. Because I’m tired of that argument.”

  So was he. “I’m not saying I agree with your decision to stick around,” he clarified, not wanting to be misunderstood. “However, as long as you’re here, I’d like for you to be someplace safe. So—”

  “Oh, no...” Paige straightened, cutting him off. “You’re not planning to keep me holed up here to kee
p me out of the investigation?”

  Though her tone was almost joking, the near-panicked look in her eyes ripped a hole in his heart.

  Did she actually think he would ever hold her against her will? If so, he hoped the assumption was stress induced, because regardless of their differences, she should trust him more than that.

  Seth planted his hands on his hips. “If you’re asking if I planned to kidnap you, the answer is no.”

  “Kidnapping?” Paige winced, color heightening in her cheeks. “Sorry, Seth. I never meant to imply that. I guess my brain just isn’t thinking clearly.”

  The pain he saw in her eyes stirred him. It was all he could do to stay where he was and not pull her into his arms to comfort her. But that would only add more stress to the situation.

  He hauled in a deep breath. “I understand.” He grinned and said, “That’s why it would be better if you stay here. We can work together, and you’ll be in a safe place.”

  “Work together?” Paige’s skeptical expression creased the corners of her green eyes.

  “Chief Mullins pulled me back on your case.” Seth’s muscles tensed as he waited for her to object. She didn’t. Instead, her lips parted as if she had something to say, then she stopped, lips tight again.

  “With the investigation into Amy’s murder just beginning, we need to consider how it’s tied to Madison’s murder. So I’ll work with Brett. I’ll be happy to listen to any information you have, and we’ll see what we come up with.”

  “So,” Paige said after a moment, “are you saying you believe my brother might not be guilty?”

  Seth wouldn’t go that far. “Let’s see what evidence we come up with first.”

  She leaned back against the counter, nibbling on her lower lip, before she nodded. “Okay. Deal.”

  “Okay, but the one caveat to all this is that I want you to stay here. So you’ll be safe,” he reiterated. And so he could get a decent night’s sleep.

  She pushed away from the counter, shaking her head. “I can’t just stay here. I can go to a motel or stay with a friend.”

  “And put more people at risk?” Seth raised an eyebrow, not willing to lose this battle. “Someone’s been on your tail since you arrived. Being out there on your own milling around town will only afford him more opportunity to get to you.”