Where the Lies Hide

by Renee Roman

  “You paid me to do a job, and I’m bound by duty to give it to you. What you do with it isn’t my concern.” Cam didn’t look up. She looked everywhere except at Sarah.

  Sarah leaned forward, trying to make eye contact. “Cam, I just want to meet him. There’s no harm in that.” She didn’t want their personal relationship to be awkward, but she also wanted to meet Brace, whether Cam liked it or not.

  Cam’s lips pursed. “If you believe that, then I wish you the best.”

  She sat back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means…” Cam looked up. Her eyes were hard. Unrevealing. “You can form your own opinion about the material I’ve provided.” She gestured to the multi-page report. “I have no right to expect you to share my point of view. I realize it’s jaded.”

  “Jaded?” Sarah was confused.

  Cam let out a huff. “I’m concerned for your safety and you’re not. It’s wrong of me to let my personal feelings for you try to sway what you decide to do. I can’t help being worried about you, because I don’t think you understand the reality of the situation. But it’s not my place to tell you what to do.”

  “Thank you.” Sarah wasn’t sure if she liked this side of Cam or not. It had been nice to feel cared for and worried over even if Cam’s protectiveness had been irritating at times. “Anyway, you can see for yourself.”

  Cam’s eyebrow lifted.

  “You’ll be there, right?”

  Cam sat back, folding her hands on her desk. “No, I won’t. This should be between the two of you. He’s already not crazy about me, and my presence may make him hostile. You’ve got a better chance of him talking to you without me there. I’ve upheld my end of the contract.”

  Sarah hadn’t thought it possible for Cam to create such intense anger in her any longer, but she was wrong. “Is that what I am now? A client with a contract? After what we shared?”

  “To my understanding that’s exactly what you want when you’re in my office. And what we shared…” She shrugged but didn’t say anything more.

  “I see.” She stood. “I’m glad you finally get it.” Sarah picked up the report. “Thank you for this. I’m sure it’s thorough.” Her heart thudded in her chest. She hadn’t foreseen the outcome of her pushing Cam to stop stalling and give her answers, but that was her job. Why would she give her so much grief about it? Cam acted as though what they’d shared and how they’d opened themselves to each other was no longer her concern. It hurt more than Sarah would have thought possible. She took a wobbly step toward the door, then another. Cam’s voice stopped her as she reached for the handle.

  “Sarah?” Cam said, then paused. “Good luck with Brace.”

  She wasn’t sure she could trust her voice, so she nodded and walked out. The haze of red kept her from acknowledging Maggie, who stared at her as she pushed open the outer office door and fled.

  * * *

  Cam tossed the pen she’d been tapping incessantly since Sarah had left. She’d handled the confrontation with all the finesse of a cretin, and it hadn’t ended well. Sarah most likely thought her initial impression of Cam being a coy, egotistical womanizer had been correct. Christ. What if she believes all I wanted was to get in her pants? Wouldn’t that be rich. There was no denying she’d briefly thought about her in those terms, but not for a while. Not since Sarah had been the one to broach the subject of taking her to bed, which had been an unexpected result. Like that’ll ever happen again.

  She paced the area between her desk and the windows. The setting sun cast streaks of pink and orange across the expansive sky. A moment of melancholy descended, clouding her mood even further. Watching sunsets alone wasn’t how she wanted to see her future. It was one of the reasons she’d let Sarah in. And now she was gone, and all because Cam couldn’t handle the possibility of getting hurt if she decided a relationship with Brace was more important than having one with her. What a jackass. She’d handled the ordeal poorly and she knew she’d hurt Sarah with her flippant attitude. Maybe after the situation with Brace was over with, she could try again. Cam could only hope the distance she’d created between them wasn’t forever. Forever was a fucking long time.

  * * *

  Sarah curled up in the corner of the couch with a beer. The folder holding the report mocked her from the coffee table. The reason she’d hired Cam was inside the pages. Cam no longer had an obligation to her. The thread that had held them together was gone. Was that all it was? She walked away convinced Cam had no intention of contacting her for meals or anything else. Especially not sex. She should be happy to have cleared up their muddy relationship, but she was anything but. If Cam did contact her for sex, which would be crude, then she’d know her original belief about her had been correct. But if so, why had their time together felt genuine? That last night they’d spent together had been real. She knew it.

  Had her desire to pursue Cam in a more personal way been a mistake? Her head told her yes, but her heart—that was another matter altogether. The vulnerability in Cam’s eyes hadn’t been fake. If I was wrong then Cam deserves to be alone. She was better off without her. Her heart hammered in her chest. The anger that had risen to the surface following Cam’s decree of her contractual obligations having been met had hurt as much as the words had pissed her off. How dare Cam dismiss her so cavalierly?

  “Who does she think she is?” Sarah asked aloud. She pulled a long swallow from the bottle, liking the bitter taste, akin to her current attitude. Wasn’t she the one who had made sure Cam was serious about doing what she’d been hired to do? Hadn’t she asked her time and again if she was stalling or withholding information? What about Cam’s explanation? And all the personal details of her childhood she’d shared with Sarah? Didn’t that mean Cam hadn’t been involved with Sarah only because she was obligated?

  The more she thought, the more confused she became. She had no idea where she and Cam stood on a personal level, although it was clear the professional one was over. So, why was she hesitating to read what was in the report? Had Cam really meant it when she said meeting Brace was up to her? She hadn’t asked Sarah to let her know when or given her any advice as to how to be careful. If she was honest with herself, Sarah was just as upset about Cam’s lack of concern as she was by her not mentioning if she was interested in seeing her again.

  “To hell with her.”

  Sarah ran her hand over the label on the cover. It read: Peters, Sarah. Missing Person. She took a breath, then opened the cover and began reading the first page. She could hear Cam’s voice in her head.

  This is a comprehensive report compiled under contract agreement between client, Sarah Peters, and the investigative team of Stark Revelations. Contained herein are copies of documents obtained in the search for the client’s twin brother, whom she claimed to have no prior knowledge of until the death of her mother.

  A retainer of an initial amount of one thousand (1000) dollars was paid at the signing of said contract (see attachment A). A subsequent amount of two thousand (2000) dollars was paid twenty-one (21) days later, the remaining balance of which, if any, will be returned by certified check within thirty (30) days of this report.

  Sarah’s chest tightened. This reads like…she sighed. Like the legal document it was. She wasn’t thrilled by all the technical jargon, but she owed it to herself to review it. It deserved more than a cursory glance considering all the time and energy Cam had devoted to her. Was that true? Had Cam given it so much attention because of Cam’s feelings for her? She shook her head before standing. If she was going to pore through the more than fifty pages in the bound folder, she was going to need more than a beer. She needed food. The last time she’d had a meal, she and Cam had ended up back at Cam’s place and had earth-shattering sex. She had no hope of a repeat. She’d been more or less dismissed after their meeting today. Sarah couldn’t help feeling that Cam hadn’t wanted to let her go, but having been reamed out more than once for withholding information from her, what did she expec
t?

  The fridge didn’t hold much in the way of sustenance, so she settled for a small bowl of pasta with one leftover meatball. While her plate whirled in the microwave, she heard Cam’s voice. First in the throes of passion, then her words of caution as she walked away. She hadn’t been able to face her, afraid of what she might see in her eyes.

  Her head was perfectly okay with giving Cam a hard time and demanding answers. Her heart…not so much. Cam had somehow worked her way inside and Sarah didn’t know how to handle it. The last decade, she’d focused on first college, then taking care of her sick and aging parents. She’d never looked for a woman to share more than her bed. She wasn’t sure if she would have recognized interest from her occasional partners or not. There hadn’t been time or energy for anything beyond what was already on her plate. Her situation had changed though, and she no longer had her hours filled for her. The ding of the microwave reminded her of the bell at the diner and the look on Cam’s face when their eyes had met.

  Sarah swiped at her forehead and pulled her food out to set it on the counter, but her appetite was gone.

  “Oh, Cam. How did we get here?”

  * * *

  Cam stared at the ceiling. I should have gone after her. Then what? She’d already told Sarah she didn’t think it was a good idea to make contact with Brace. The report spoke for itself, even if it didn’t explicitly state he’d broken the law, it was all in the documents of shady reports and missing evidence.

  Was Sarah capable of separating the facts from her desire to talk with him? Cam knew better. Sarah had a stubborn streak a mile long, not to mention her fierce independence. Qualities she found endearing and frustrating at the same time. She only hoped Sarah would read the entire report before deciding what to do.

  Sarah might believe that the case was closed, but Cam had more work to do. She almost felt bad about placing the tracker in Sarah’s car, but she’d never forgive herself if Brace went after her to physically hurt her. And while she didn’t want to see Sarah suffer emotionally, she’d recover from Cam’s rejection. At least she hoped so, since she’d done the same thing when trying to keep her feelings in check, unwilling to show Sarah her heart was suffering the effects of their riff.

  She was wasting time. Wondering what Brace would do was all conjecture. Maybe Sarah would meet him, he’d tell her to go away, and that would be the end of it.

  “Ha.” Her voice echoed in the cold room.

  If she knew anything about Sarah, she wasn’t the type of person to walk away without giving a situation everything she had to give. Which made their parting even more painful. Sarah had challenged her to not let things between them end in paperwork, but she hadn’t put up a fight, and not letting Sarah see how badly she was hurting was the only way she knew to maintain enough distance to see this through. If she let her heart take over, she’d lose her edge. The one that kept her sharp and let her see the bigger picture. Sarah was part of her bigger picture, and she was going to make sure Sarah was alive to see how much Cam cared. It might take a long time, but Cam hung on to the hope of having a chance to tell Sarah she loved her.

  Cam grabbed the paperweight and hurled it at the wall. Shit. She’d have to get that dent patched before someone saw it. Maggie wouldn’t be pleased by her lack of self-control, and neither was she. She dropped her head to her arms. She needed to get her act together. She needed to function and act rationally if she planned on being around when Sarah needed her. She half-hoped she wouldn’t, but it would be nice to believe she was needed…by someone. No more losing control and no more mistakes. But the lingering thought remained. She didn’t want Sarah seeing her confession as a last-ditch effort to keep her from Archer.

  She pulled up the app on her computer and breathed a sigh of relief. Sarah was safe in her house, and she was fairly confident that’s where she’d stay for the rest of the night. She hated resorting to clandestine tactics like the GPS bug she’d planted in Sarah’s car, but she wasn’t going to worry about that now. Sarah never had to talk to her again if she didn’t want to. The reason she’d given Sarah about not going with her was absolutely true. He’d shut down the moment Cam entered the room, which meant Sarah wouldn’t get anything from him. But she also wasn’t about to let Sarah handle this asshole alone. Cam closed the laptop and tucked it in her bag. After a stop at the coffee shop to fill her thermos, she was going to do what she did best. Watch and wait.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Sarah’s hands were sweaty and shaking so much she had trouble hanging on to the phone. She didn’t want to sound unsure of her intentions. That wouldn’t do. An officer of the law commanded respect for the badge. The jury was out as to whether or not he deserved it. Cam’s report had been meticulously detailed; she had to give her props. It appeared she knew what she was doing, and the money she’d given her probably hadn’t covered half of the time it must have taken her. Her guilt level raised a notch. She should have said something…anything…to keep the lines of communication open between them. Too late. The only excuse she had was her level of hurt that had quickly turned to anger. She wasn’t about to grovel to anyone.

  For the third time in as many hours, she set her cell down and wiped her hands on her jeans. Second-guessing herself hadn’t ever been her style. She grabbed the phone and punched the contact icon. The first speed number was the one she needed.

  An hour later, she sat across from Lisa and her world wasn’t off kilter for a change. And to Lisa’s credit, she didn’t appear to be as deep in thought as Sarah knew she was.

  “You let her have the last word, then?” Lisa blew across the surface of her hot chocolate. It was their other “serious discussion” go-to.

  “When you put it like that, it sounds almost as bad as it feels.” She chased the melting marshmallows around with her spoon.

  “And you expect it to sound good how?”

  Sarah sighed. “I thought I’d have your support.”

  Lisa shoved her leg. “You always have my support. And my honesty. You didn’t leave Cam much choice.”

  She nodded. “I know you’re right, it’s just…”

  “You let that damn stubborn streak win over what you really want.”

  “What do you mean? What I really want is to meet Brace.” That’s exactly what she wanted.

  “No, it’s not.”

  Sarah narrowed her focus.

  “Well, yeah, there’s that. But what you really want is a relationship with Cam. I just hope you’re willing to give her another chance.”

  Lisa’s words cut to the quick of the matter, which was why she loved her. The more she thought about Cam, the more she wanted to move to the next level of their relationship, no matter where Brace fit into her life. If she’d been waiting for an event to push her one way or the other, she’d evidently found it. Or it had found her.

  Later, after hugs and promises to get together again soon, Sarah rinsed out the mugs and set them in the dishwasher. Lisa’s words replayed in her mind. She dropped onto the couch and put her head in her hands. She knew exactly why her heart ached. Cam. She pulled her knees to her chest and stared ahead. Cam was a given and Sarah was invested in the long-term with her. But for now, she had to take her out of the equation. She couldn’t shake the fact she’d paid a lot of money and Cam had provided two blood relatives, more than she’d dared hope for. Maybe Paul hadn’t raised her, but if what Cam told her was true, he wanted to meet her. Maybe she could have her own family and family members in her life, but she’d never know if she didn’t try. If she didn’t do anything with the information, she’d never be able to go on. Even though she trusted Cam’s report, and respected her thoughts on the issue, she simply had to know for herself. She couldn’t move forward with Cam while wondering if she’d made the wrong decision about contacting Brace. Wise or not, she couldn’t let it go.

  She didn’t normally do hard liquor. Her parents had rarely indulged in anything stronger than a glass of wine. She rummaged through the back of th
e sideboard and discovered a long-forgotten bottle of bourbon, remembering when Cam had asked if she had any. She held the glass and swirled the amber liquid into a whirlpool before taking a healthy swig. The resulting cough took her breath away, and she set the remainder next to her phone.

  “Christ.” She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. “How do people drink that shit?”

  After the initial heat hit her stomach and the warmth traveled through her limbs to make her toes tingle, she took a deep breath and picked up her cell. She had to do this before she lost her nerve. She entered the number Cam had provided for the narcotics unit, and she prayed she wouldn’t have to go through a string of transfers to reach Brace. She wasn’t sure how to explain who she was or why she was calling. After the fourth ring, a gruff voice answered.

  “Archer.”

  “Uh, hi.” So much for not sounding unsure. “My name is Sarah Peters and I’d like to speak with you. In person.”

  “What’s this about, Ms. Peters?” There were paper noises in the background.

  “It’s personal.”

  “I’m sure there’s someone in the general division who can help you. This is the narcotics unit.” He was starting to sound impatient.

  “No.” Sarah was up pacing. “It…it has to be you. Please?”

  “Fine. I’ll be in the office until later tonight.”

  “I can’t meet you there, and it will take me a while to drive to your area.” Sarah didn’t think revealing who she was while sitting among coworkers would be the most comfortable situation for either of them. She looked at the precinct address. It was at least forty-five minutes away. She scoured her memory for somewhere midway. Somewhere they could talk privately. Then she remembered Cam’s warning, and although she hated her hesitation, she considered the possibility there was a good reason. “It’s really important.”