Where the Lies Hide

by Renee Roman

  “I never reveal my sources. I give you my word.” Cam didn’t have many scruples that she lived by, but giving her word was one she’d never failed to keep.

  Barnes stared at her for a long time. She refused to show him how much Archer had spooked her when she’d talked to him. He pulled his hands down his face before glancing at the ceiling, as though making a deal with an unseen force.

  “Okay. What do you need?”

  For the first time in a while, Cam had hope the career she’d chosen would make a difference in people’s lives. She would be the voice unafraid of exposing a bad cop and getting him off the force. Sarah, along with countless others, would be safer. She had to be brave enough to have her voice heard. This time she had to make sure of it. Unfortunately, the majority of those reasons had everything to do with the person she was investigating, and nothing to do with circumstances out of her client’s control. This was one of those times she believed she could make a difference in her client’s life in a good way. For the last few years, she hadn’t been so sure there was honor in what she was doing. Sarah had given her a reason to do better than the status quo and restored her faith.

  * * *

  Sarah toe-walked the beam to the upright support, then lowered herself to a straddling position. After hammering in the bolts and tightening the nuts, she welded the metal, giving it more strength. She inspected her work, then stood up and moved to the next beam. She never thought about her elevation. Never looked down to see how far off the ground she was. There were a couple of men on the job with her who came across as fearless as they traversed the worksite, rarely using a safety line. Their trust in the unseen force that guided them amazed her. She’d never had that much faith in anything in her life, aside from her parents’ love. No. That wasn’t true. She had put her faith in Cam, trusting she would do her job and find her sibling, and she hadn’t been disappointed. True to her word, Cam had located him, and a father she hadn’t expected to find, but hadn’t divulged much else. Sleeping with her might have been a mistake, but she couldn’t deny how much her body had responded to Cam’s touch. She smiled at the visceral memory…

  Her concentration interrupted, the bolt slipped from her fingers and tumbled out of reach. She was twelve stories up. No one on the ground would hear her warning, and Sarah hoped everyone was adhering to the hard hat requirement.

  Elsu called to her from above. “Sarah.”

  Sarah held her hard hat and looked at the beam above her. “Yeah, I know. Keep my head in the game.”

  He laughed and gave her the thumbs-up. He’d called her the “white version” of a sky walker, later explaining the history of steel workers. She hadn’t taken offense at the reference because there’d been a twinkle in his eye and she knew he was teasing her. Steel workers watched each other’s backs, and more than once she’d been glad to have their encouragement and support.

  In her studio that night, Sarah looked at the near finished piece of iron and steel. It had taken her the better part of three months to get it in the shape she wanted. All that was left was grinding a few joints smooth and polishing parts to catch the lights that would be projected on it from different angles.

  She chewed her bottom lip in worry. This was the last commissioned piece she’d contracted. While it would provide a healthy boost to her finances, once she paid off some bills, there’d be nothing left. Maybe she’d print up flyers at the library and hand them out, offering her welding know-how as a service she could provide. Something had to give. She couldn’t keep working overtime and sculpting every evening, even if it was her passion. Sarah was running out of energy, and the little bit of down time she did have was so miniscule, she didn’t have it in her to go out and have fun. No time to think about that now. She pulled her goggles from the top of her head, placed them snuggly over her eyes, and picked up the grinder. An hour later, she ran her hand over the still warm metal, feeling for burrs and imperfections. She poked her finger in one of the small openings, rotating it right and left. Erotic thoughts rushed through her and she groaned. She wanted it to be Cam, firm and hot, surrounding her finger. Maybe I could call her and…and say what? I wasn’t done fucking you. Can we have a redo?

  “Jesus.” Sarah’s laugh wasn’t as happy as it might have been under different circumstances. Still, the phone on the bench called to her. It had been almost a week since she’d been with Cam. She’d promised to give her time, but she’d thought she’d have heard from her by now. Time to convince Sarah nothing good could come out of meeting her twin.

  With the polishing done and her shop cleaned, Sarah’s stomach growled. Eight forty. Where the hell had the time gone? There wasn’t much in her fridge at home. Even if there was, she was too tired to cook. She thought about ignoring the empty pit, but she’d never sleep if she didn’t have something substantial to fill it. The engine of her car sputtered to life and she drove down the main street to find a take-out place. None that she passed appealed to her. Sighing, she pulled into the only twenty-four-hour diner in town. At least she could get anything she wanted, and once she had the menu in her hand, she’d be able to decide on something.

  The bell over the door jangled, and a few nearby patrons looked up. Sarah glanced around and her line of sight stopped on Cam. She was staring at her from a big booth in the corner. A smile started at one side of her mouth and traveled to the other. She waved her over. Sarah hesitated. True, a little while ago she’d been thinking about calling Cam, but this chance encounter hadn’t been what she had in mind.

  “Hi. What are you doing here?” It came out harsh and she winced. Cam either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it.

  “The same thing as you, I imagine. Maggie reminded me I hadn’t eaten since breakfast.” Cam pushed her papers to the side and shut her laptop. “Join me?”

  Not sitting with her would make her appear rude, one thing Sarah tried never to be. That didn’t stop her heart from beating faster and wayward thoughts of their last time together to come back in living color. Christ. They’d barely gotten undressed when she’d exploded in Cam’s embrace. She hoped that wasn’t the last memory she’d have of them together.

  * * *

  Cam had been poring over the notes from Barnes. They had arrived yesterday by various means. Some via third-party email and some in a manila envelope addressed to her at the office. A number of the photos were a little blurry, most likely taken under less than ideal conditions, but with a bit of enhancement, she could see ninety percent of what was there.

  She hadn’t spoken to Sarah since the night they’d had sex. She hadn’t been sure if Sarah regretted being with her in the biblical sense. She hoped not. Sarah stared at her. Whether in disbelief because they’d ended up at the same diner or because she’d been avoiding her on purpose, Cam wasn’t sure. It didn’t take long for Sarah’s expression to change and the smile to reach her eyes.

  “Sorry I was staring. I didn’t expect to see you.” Sarah stood awkwardly as though unsure if she should sit down.

  “Likewise. But since we’re both here, we should eat together.” She wanted to find out how Sarah felt about her and the awkward way things had been left between them.

  “I don’t want to disturb you.” Sarah pointed to the haphazard papers.

  “I need a break. Besides, how could I concentrate when a beautiful woman is in the same diner as me?”

  Sarah’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink before she took off her jacket and slid in across from her. This booth was her favorite spot in the entire diner because no one could sneak in without her notice. Sarah joining her just added another reason.

  Sarah looked up at her from under long, dark lashes. “I would have joined you without the compliment. Is that one of your favorite lines?”

  Sometimes Cam wished she’d never admitted to being a player. But damn, she did like women. The one sharing her booth was not only sexy and beautiful, but there was a certain quality about Sarah that she couldn’t name, though she didn’t have to nam
e it to make it true. They’d shared so much in the weeks between their first meeting, she knew Sarah wasn’t one of her conquests. For the first time in her life, it wasn’t about sex. She hungered for a real relationship.

  “Only when it’s the truth.” Cam fell into the crystal blue of Sarah’s eyes and lost track of what she was doing. In her mind, she pictured Sarah naked beneath her, her body glistening and flush before Cam had driven her over the edge and into a climax so beautiful to behold, she’d cried. It was only when Sarah’s voice cut through the fog of her mush brain, that she snapped out of the fantasy she’d been riding.

  “Cam? Are you all right?” Sarah shared a knowing look.

  She glanced down at the menu the waitress had dropped off when she’d brought her coffee and hadn’t touched since. “Have you eaten?” Moron. Of course she hadn’t eaten. Why else would she be at the diner?

  Sarah reached for the menu but didn’t take it. “Have you?”

  “No.” The word came out as a squeak. She cleared her throat and tried again. “No. Maggie badgered me until I left the office and I came here.”

  “How long ago was that?” Sarah took the menu, opening it in front of her, then waited.

  Cam looked at her watch. She hadn’t realized how late it was. “Uh…a couple of hours.” Maybe her watch was broken. After all, she’d had…she glanced into her mug…about half a cup of coffee that was now ice cold. The cream floated in a pool on the top.

  Sarah twitched her finger back and forth. “Tsk-tsk. Whatever will Maggie say if she finds out you’ve ignored her?”

  Laughing, Cam grabbed at Sarah’s waving finger, but she yanked it out of her reach. A smile spread across her face before she joined in the laughter. The melodious sound filled the booth’s intimate space. It would be easy to reach across the table and hold on to Sarah, but she didn’t quite trust herself to behave. She didn’t want to do anything to embarrass Sarah, in public or otherwise. When Sarah rested her hand on top of the menu, she covered it with hers and gently rubbed the soft flesh.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m not following?”

  Here goes nothing. “With us. How we were at my place…” She didn’t want to call it sex. For her it was much more. After confessing her past she’d felt so raw and exposed, she hadn’t had anything left to hide. She’d shared herself, and her body, hoping she’d shown her feelings for Sarah as well. And she wanted more of the same.

  “If you’re asking if I have any regrets about being with you, you can stop wondering. It was a beautiful time. All of it.” Sarah covered Cam’s hand with her own.

  Cam took in a quick breath. God. She had so many skeletons in the closet she swore she could hear the bones rattling. Why would Sarah want any part of the mess she dragged around behind her?

  “And before you say anything else, Camdyn Stark, I’m only going to say this once. You, right here, right now, are the person I’m attracted to. Okay?”

  Sarah’s words touched her. Took her breath away. Gave her courage to stay open to the possibilities that lay ahead. For her. For Sarah. Maybe even for the two of them. She swallowed around the lump in her throat.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Sarah squeezed her hand. “Great. Now can we eat? I’m wasting away here.” She gestured to her body.

  Cam couldn’t resist. “We can’t have that now, can we? Your body is perfect the way it is.”

  “Glad you think so. We have unfinished business to tend to at some point and I’d hate to disappoint you.”

  Heat shot through her. She tamped down her libido and opted for the real reason she wanted to spend more time with Sarah. Her heart was pure. If she were lucky, Sarah could help Cam open herself to living a full life. “You could never disappoint me, Sarah.” There was a lot more she wanted to say. Words of gratitude and heartfelt joy for Sarah coming into her life. If she dared, she would also be grateful for a bright future. She shook her head. She was getting way ahead of herself.

  “Let’s eat, shall we?” Cam asked.

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Sarah sat next to Cam on the couch. The heat between them was intense. The electricity of their attraction was akin to her welder’s torch. The arc of bright light blinding—weakening her control, and she found it hard to keep her hands to herself. After they ate, Cam had suggested she come back to her house so she could tell her about the latest news. Maybe she was being stubborn, but she couldn’t give up her hopes of having her brother in her life. There was always the possibility of Cam’s information being wrong, though her gut told her Cam’s instincts were a fairly accurate barometer when it came to knowing who was morally corrupt.

  “Where did you get all of this?” Sarah held a stack of photos showing evidence from drug busts that had disappeared, entries in reports that had been altered, and a number of other documents that she couldn’t make sense out of but guessed none of it was good.

  “I can’t tell you.”

  She sat back, hoping her expression conveyed her displeasure at Cam’s avoidance.

  “Sarah, you know I can’t reveal my sources, for everyone’s safety. Could you please trust me when I tell you it’s reliable? The information isn’t in question, but Brace’s behavior certainly is.” As if to explain, Cam picked up a sheet of paper with hard-slant writing. “See this? This is a police report about a bust that happened a few years ago. The score was close to a half kilo of crack. But when it was reweighed for trial, it was closer to a quarter. The sign-out sheet,” Cam pointed to another piece of paper with a table grid on it, “states that your brother signed it out a couple of days after the initial logging.”

  “Is that unusual?” She had no idea how police procedure worked, but it made sense that any officer involved in an arrest would want to look at the evidence again.

  “Not under normal circumstances.”

  “I take it there’s something not normal here.” She tapped the stack. A sour feeling churned the contents of her stomach, making her queasy.

  “The original report is signed by your brother. So is the transfer of evidence log. But if you look really close you can see where someone’s carefully altered the amount of drug confiscated.”

  Cam handed her a huge magnifying glass. It took her a while to focus, but once she did even she could see traces of uncovered pen marks under the new entry.

  “That doesn’t mean it was Brace who changed it.”

  “I compared the handwriting to the original report. It’s his, Sarah, and that’s not the only one that’s been changed. My source believes once Brace established a network of street-level dealers he didn’t even bother with reports. He took their drugs, made a deal with them, and sold it to the highest bidders.”

  Sarah shook her head. She didn’t want to believe Brace was a criminal. A drug dealer no less. She expected him to be honorable and uphold the law, but if what Cam was telling her was true, he was far from it. Still, it wasn’t in her heart to give up on him without even meeting and talking with him. It was foolish, and stubborn, and maybe even stupid. But she had to make Cam understand somehow.

  “I know it looks incriminating, but I have to look in his eyes and see what’s there. I need to see for myself, if only to be sure. Please?”

  “Can’t you just talk to your father and—”

  “He isn’t my father. He’s a stranger.”

  “No more so than Brace.”

  Cam had a point. She’d reconsider her foolish pride and think about contacting Paul, but that didn’t mean she would trade knowing one relative for another. “True, but Brace didn’t have a choice.”

  Cam was silent while she gathered the papers into a neat stack. After putting them back in their envelope she looked up at her. “I can’t persuade you otherwise?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sure by now you can understand how much I want this, so no.”

  Cam’s lips pursed. “I’ll write up my report and give it to you in a da
y or two. It should contain everything you need.”

  Cam appeared resigned, but the thing that bothered Sarah most was the sadness she saw. She preferred things to be relaxed between them. It didn’t feel that way.

  When Sarah went to the bathroom, Cam took the envelope and dropped it on her desk. She had no choice but to finish her investigation and write her findings. That should be the end of it, but she couldn’t let Sarah walk away. Not before…

  “Well, I guess I should go.” Sarah shoved her hands in her back pockets and shared a tentative smile.

  She picked up the wine glasses and went to Sarah, handing her one. “I think this deserves a toast. You’ve got a brother to bond with and another, a bonus relative, and I’m about to close another case.” Cam should have been happy. Under other circumstances she would be, but this case had been anything but normal from the start, and she still had to decide what she wanted to do about Brace, though she didn’t want to bring that up now. There was no question she needed to report him. But if Sarah ended up having the bastard in her life, bringing down Brace could make Sarah feel betrayed. Jesus. What a mess. The ring of their glasses touching sounded ominous. The wine was slightly heavy with dark undertones. It matched her mood.

  “It’s very good.” Sarah regarded her as though wanting to say more, but she didn’t.

  Cam pointed to the couch. “Let’s relax a bit while we enjoy it.”

  Sarah seemed hesitant. “Okay.”

  She snagged the bottle from the counter on her way. Even if Sarah didn’t want more to drink, she was pretty sure she would. As she settled, she left a couple of feet between them, but it felt like a chasm had formed with Sarah out of reach.

  Sarah cleared her throat. “What will you do?”

  Sarah’s voice startled Cam from her melancholy. “Do?”