Reunion on the Run

by Amity Steffen

  “You’ve got a pretty comprehensive file started,” Mason said as he strode into the kitchen. Alex appeared a moment later, clutching the binder.

  Claire looped the dishtowel over the stove handle. “You went through it?”

  “I did,” Mason said.

  “I was hoping looking the information over would give him a point of reference for when he begins his research,” Alex said. “I also thought another pair of eyes on everything couldn’t hurt.”

  “What do you think of the information?” Claire asked.

  “I think you’ve got a great case against Xavier for smuggling. I suggest getting it turned into the detective on your case right away. Even if it doesn’t immediately point to him as a murder suspect, it’ll have the cops all over in his business for the time being.”

  “And that will give him less time to concentrate on going after you,” Alex said.

  Claire nodded. “If you have a scanner, I can start making copies. We could get them mailed off tonight.”

  Mason quirked an eyebrow at her. “No need to mess with that. I’ll get them scanned and send a digital file straight to the detective on your case.”

  She frowned. “Can’t they track that?”

  Alex jabbed a thumb Mason’s way. “Computer geek. Remember?”

  Mason grinned. “Let’s do this.”

  He took off toward the spare bedroom that doubled as his office. Claire and Alex followed.

  Claire watched patiently as Mason fed page after page through his machine.

  She had meticulously copied the papers documenting the black-market activity from Jared’s file. The documents listed the item sold, the purchase date, the buyer’s name and last—but possibly most crucial—the account number of an offshore bank account that Jared had suspected belonged to Xavier.

  She had no doubt that Jared had compiled the information to serve himself but was grateful that he had. Additional pages documented the names of the smugglers Xavier worked with. Once the artifacts were in the country, he sold them through a phony auction house. Each item sold had a doctored history, masking the authentic origin.

  When Mason was done scanning, she typed up a letter explaining the contents, including the fact that Jared was privy to the fraudulent activity. She signed her name because there was no reason not to. Mason attached it to the file, gave her one final assurance that the email address he used could not be tracked and then sent it off.

  When the time came to turn herself in, she hoped the PD would have some sympathy for her if they understood why she’d gone on the run. She knew it was wishful thinking. She was breaking the law and they were not happy about it.

  Once the file was scanned, they moved into the living room. Claire served cookies and coffee while Mason and Alex discussed her case.

  “I could do some surveillance on your house,” Mason told Claire when she joined them again. “If you two do decide to break in, it would be good to know if the area is being patrolled or whether it’s being staked out by the police.”

  “It sounds like a good plan to me,” Alex said.

  If Alex and Mason thought so, Claire wasn’t about to disagree.

  “I think, from here on out,” Alex said firmly, “you shouldn’t leave Mason’s house. Not until this is over. Now that they know you didn’t skip the country, and it’s been confirmed that you’ve been in the area, they’ll intensify their search efforts.”

  “What you’re saying is that you want to break into my house without me.” Claire’s eyebrows shot up as she silently dared him to try to refute her.

  “It’s not breaking in if you give me the key,” Alex said, his tone light.

  “I’m not sure the cops will feel the same way if you get caught.” She shook her head. “It just doesn’t feel right to have you at risk while I’m just sitting around.”

  “Claire.” Alex placed his hand on her knee and gave her an imploring look. “I’ve been in sticky situations before. Lots of them. I can handle it.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” She gave his hand a firm squeeze, letting her fingers linger. “I just feel that I should be there. I obviously know my house better than anyone. It’s a big house with a lot of rooms to cover. If I’m there, something might jump out at me.”

  “I’ll let the two of you hash it out,” Mason said. “I’m heading out in the morning, so if I’m going to do this, it has to be tonight.” He rose from the couch and after a few last-minute instructions from Alex, he left.

  Before Mason was even out of the driveway, Alex’s phone buzzed.

  “It’s Gretchen.” He got up and began to pace as he answered it.

  Claire listened to the one-sided conversation, relieved when Alex didn’t seem distressed.

  When he disconnected he turned to her. “She was calling with an update. She said an officer stopped by. He talked to the men in the car. From what she could see, the officer wasn’t able to do much. The car did leave.”

  “For now,” Claire said.

  “It will only look more suspicious if they come back.” He paused. “Gretchen will keep an eye on the situation.”

  Claire was relieved that Alex thought Gretchen capable, but she wouldn’t be content until Mia was once again in her care.

  “I’m taking Mason to the airport tomorrow. You should have this in case you need to get in touch with me while I’m gone.” He held a cell phone out to her. “It’s the phone I tried to give to Ruth. I entered my number, Mason’s and Gretchen’s. I can’t think of a circumstance where you might need any of the numbers but—”

  “Erring on the side of caution is a good thing.”

  “Yes,” Alex agreed. “It is.”

  EIGHT

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to postpone this assignment?” Mason dropped his duffel bag by the front door. “I could go to the house with you, be a lookout, help search for whatever it is you’re looking for.”

  “Thanks for the offer,” Alex said, “but what we really need is that information on Xavier and you can dig that up from anywhere.” Besides, should he and Claire happen to get caught, it would be best if Mason was out of the state. “As long as you get us into Claire’s house when the time comes, we can handle the rest.” He didn’t want his friend to have any part of the actual break-in.

  Mason had spent quite some time last night canvassing Claire’s neighborhood. He had determined that a cruiser drove by at random intervals. It didn’t appear that anyone—either Xavier’s men or law enforcement—was staking the place out. When he’d returned, he’d started digging around in Xavier’s past, but hadn’t immediately come up with anything. Alex was confident that he would. He just hoped it was soon. He wanted to plead with his friend to rush the case along, remind him how urgent it was. The problem was that nearly every case Mason was hit with was urgent.

  “I can’t thank you enough for taking us in,” Claire said.

  “It’s no problem,” Mason replied. “Hopefully we’ll meet again under better circumstances.”

  “I’d like that,” she agreed.

  “I’ll let you know when I hear back from my contact at the department,” he said.

  “Hopefully a case against Xavier will build quickly now that they have the file on him,” Alex said. He didn’t plan on telling her that after he dropped Mason off at the airport, he was going to her house.

  Last night Claire had given Mason the name of the security company, her internet carrier and her phone number. From there Mason had been able to track down the account. He’d played around in the system for a while to get a feel for it. Now they were good to go. Alex just needed to check in when he was ready so Mason could suppress the alarm at that time.

  If Jared had left the insurance policy Ruth had spoken of, it had to be there. If Claire knew he was going, she’d insist on accompanying him.

  He wanted her no
where near the place. For a man who made a living by keeping his cool, he was sure getting fired up lately. The thought of Claire being in danger made his blood boil. He didn’t want to contemplate that too deeply. They had a history. They had a child. Of course, he wanted her to be safe. It was as simple as that. His heated emotions did not have to mean that old feelings were threatening to take over.

  “Do you have any idea what Jared could’ve stolen from Xavier?” Alex asked, trying to keep his head in the current conversation. “Did Jared bring anything home recently?”

  Claire hitched up a shoulder. “The past several months Jared constantly brought items home. Any or all of his collection could’ve been stolen from Xavier.”

  “Did any piece stand out more than the other?” he wondered aloud. “If Jared stole something particularly priceless and Xavier wanted it back, that would also give him a motive. Was there anything Jared brought home that he kept hidden away? Maybe in his safe?” If there was, and it was missing, maybe they could prove that Xavier stole it back once Jared was out of the way.

  “There wasn’t much in his safe,” Claire said, “other than large quantities of cash.” She narrowed her eyes at him, as if wondering why he was pressing the matter now, when he was ready to walk out the door.

  “I really should get going,” Mason said as he grabbed his bag.

  Alex hesitated. He was torn. He needed to drop Mason off at the airport so that he could have use of his vehicle while he was away. Yet he hated the idea of leaving Claire alone. Though it had only been a few days since they’d been reunited, they’d been incredibly intense days. He didn’t like the thought of being separated from her. The airport would be far too busy, far too crowded, to risk allowing her to ride along.

  The local news channel had featured Claire as their headline story the night before. They’d showed footage of the campground, overrun by law enforcement. The newscaster encouraged everyone in the area to check their property. It was mentioned that she was traveling with her dog and an unidentified male.

  He’d used a fake ID at check-in, one he frequently used while on assignment. While working for HOPE it was often crucial to keep their identities secret to protect themselves from retaliation. He assumed that once they dusted the room for fingerprints, they’d identify him. The events of the past twenty-four hours suddenly made it feel as if they were up against an unknown deadline.

  He didn’t appreciate the feeling.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “My phone is charged. I have Roscoe.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said.

  Mason and Claire said their goodbyes. Alex followed Mason to the door but paused before stepping outside. He twisted back around, pulling Claire into a tight hug. She gasped in surprise but her arms flew around him, returning the gesture.

  “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you,” he admitted. “Stay safe.” He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead, released her and took off after Mason.

  It struck him that it had been a lot of years since he was hesitant to leave someone. In fact, the last time he’d felt so torn, he was also leaving Claire.

  Discussion of Mason’s latest assignment occupied the men for most of the drive. It wasn’t until the airport was in sight that Mason swerved the conversation in another direction.

  “I hope things work out for you and Claire,” he said.

  “Thanks. I think she’ll be cleared soon.”

  Mason grinned. “Yeah, I hope that works out, too. What I meant was I hope things work out with her. You two obviously belong together.”

  Alex winced. “I think that ship has sailed. In fact, it sailed and it’s been sunk.”

  “I don’t believe that. You two are so in sync you finish each other’s sentences. Dude, that kind of love doesn’t come around often.”

  “I don’t know.” Alex shook his head. “I walked out on her.”

  “You did,” Mason agreed. “And look at the length God went to leading you back to her. When has God ever led you astray? You’re not going to let your pride stand in the way of His plan, are you?”

  Alex didn’t know what to say to that. Was Mason right? He had thought God had led him back into Claire’s life to help her. Maybe even to make up for some of his past mistakes. Was His plan greater than that?

  If it was, how was he going to make Claire see that? He didn’t know if he could. Didn’t know if he should even try. She had enough burden and worry resting on her shoulders right now. Would pressing the idea of a relationship only add to that?

  Or would it have the opposite affect? Would the thought of a future together bring her the sort of happiness she’d been missing in her life?

  Was he being selfish, thinking of that now, when her life was on the line?

  Maybe he needed to rein his own growing feelings in. Deal with one issue at a time.

  And right now, finding the real killer took precedence over anything else.

  He pulled the truck up to the curb.

  “Thanks for the ride. Gotta run,” Mason said. “But you should remember one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Romans 8:28.” He slapped Alex on the shoulder and hopped out.

  The verse echoed through Alex’s mind. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

  With those words, his mind went into another tailspin. Was resurrecting his relationship with Claire the good thing that might come out of this heartache? Was being a father, raising his daughter, all part of His plan?

  Alex hoped so, but thinking of Claire’s reluctance, he wasn’t sure if Mason was right. While Claire thought his job was important, she couldn’t live with his long absences. Yet he felt drawn to his work, as if the Lord was calling him to it. Could he explain that to Claire? Would it matter if he did?

  * * *

  Claire rinsed her glass in the kitchen sink before putting it in the dishwasher. She froze when a car door slammed. Roscoe was alerted to the arrival, as well. She heard his claws tap against the tile as he lumbered to the front door, his head tilted in curiosity.

  There was no way Alex would be back yet. She hurried to the entryway. Through the frosted sidelights, she was barely able to make out a dark-clad figure approaching. She couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.

  Roscoe’s tail began to wiggle. She grabbed his collar before his excitement became too intense.

  Mason hadn’t mentioned that he was expecting company. Did he have a cleaning lady? A friend with a key who stopped by to check on the place?

  The washer and dryer were making a racket in the laundry room off the kitchen. She rushed to the machines to shut them off. She didn’t want the noise to alert anyone to the fact that someone was in the house.

  Roscoe wanted to investigate the arrival.

  “Come here, boy.” Her command was low but firm as she tugged him. She froze in the middle of the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Mason’s house was small with not many places to hide. A bedroom closet would do, but she’d have to scamper through the entryway to get to that side of the house.

  Though the sidelights were frosted, Claire worried the visitor would see her shadow.

  As she tugged the dog across the kitchen she heard the doorknob jiggle. She frantically looked around. The only place to hide was the walk-in pantry. Last night’s foray, searching for baking supplies, had proved the pantry was pretty bare. She opened the door and they both scooted inside. Keeping the light off, she crouched down next to the dog. She rubbed Roscoe’s belly, hoping it would keep him distracted.

  His body tensed when the front door closed with a thud. Her heart smacked against her rib cage in response.

  She slid the cell phone from her back pocket, sending off a quick text to Alex.

  Someone pulled into the
driveway and now they’re in the house. I don’t know if they’re alone.

  She checked the volume and silenced the phone in case Alex got back to her. The light on the screen quickly blinked out, leaving her in darkness.

  Her heart continued to knock around frantically when footsteps thudded across the kitchen floor.

  Claire was sure the front door had been locked. Locked doors could be breached. Houses were broken into all the time.

  Had a cop showed up? Probably not. He wouldn’t let himself in. At least, no decent cop would. One of Xavier’s men? Anything was possible. Her hands began to tremble. Mason hadn’t warned that he’d been expecting anyone. However, any company, any visitor at all, posed a danger to her. Every person she ran across was a potential threat to her freedom. Anyone could recognize her, turn her in, condemn her to life behind bars. A life without her daughter.

  If she was found, especially found cowering in a closet, it would raise suspicions. If she was recognized, she would be forced to bid her freedom farewell.

  Mason had been so kind, so helpful. She didn’t want to get him in trouble. And Alex. What would become of Mia if Alex was charged with aiding and abetting? Beth would take care of Mia, always. But it wouldn’t be the same.

  Her instinct told her it wasn’t a cleaning lady. Mason wasn’t the sort of man to forget details. He would’ve warned them if he was expecting someone.

  Message alerts were off, but Claire’s phone screen lit up.

  On my way.

  She wanted to ask him how long he would be. Had he left the airport already? Was he halfway home? Or was he still a good distance out? She didn’t dare ask. Answering her text would only slow him down.

  She used the lit screen to scan the pantry. The area was small, just barely large enough for her and Roscoe. Shelves lined two walls. There were no boxes, nothing to hide behind. Even if Alex was on his way, it could take him quite some time to return.

  Roscoe’s stubby tail began to wiggle again. She vigorously scrubbed at his muzzle, silently willing her ministrations to suppress his curiosity.