Love Inspired Suspense December 2013 Bundle: Christmas Cover-Up\Force of Nature\Yuletide Jeopardy\Wilderness Peril (13 page)

TWELVE

J
ordan frowned and gazed at the crowd still in the waiting room.

He'd answered several questions from Gregory, who looked annoyed with Jordan for asserting himself as Katie's protector. But he frankly didn't care.

Jordan didn't understand his need to be with Katie, but the thought of losing her last night had done something to his heart that he couldn't explain and wasn't sure he even wanted to try. He just knew he'd never felt this way about anyone before and wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers without putting up a good fight for it.

Which was why he'd planted himself in her room: to make sure she wasn't bothered by anyone she didn't want to see. To check and double-check that she was going to be all right.

She needed her rest, not the hounding of her detective friends. And so he'd appointed himself her guardian. Her protector. And so far she'd let him step into that role.

However, he knew she needed to give a statement. He motioned to the detective and Gregory shot to his feet. Within seconds, they were back in her room. She had her eyes closed, her head tucked against the pillow. The pale cast to her skin said she was getting close to being wiped out.

“Don't be long,” he said to Gregory.

Gregory grunted, and Katie opened her eyes. She gave a wan smile to her partner. “Glad to see you.”

“Not as glad as I am to see you. Twice in one week? You keep landing in this place, they're going to put your name on a room.”

She grimaced. “I'm going to hear jokes about this for a long time to come, aren't I?”

“Since you're going to live, yeah.”

She gave a little laugh and grimaced. “I figured.”

“Don't worry, something will happen to take the heat off you in a couple of months.”

Katie gave a pained laugh and a low groan. “Stop making me laugh, it hurts.”

Gregory pulled out a green notebook. “I need a statement.”

“Someone tried to kill me again. How's that?”

Gregory pursed his lips then said, “It's a start.” He flipped to a blank page. “So what are the details?”

“Nothing. I was on that little road that leads to Erica's house. I was driving slow, being careful of the possibility of black ice, thinking Cort was behind me. Then Jordan called and said he wasn't. The guy rammed me, and I dropped my phone.” Jordan handed her cell to her.

She placed it on the bed beside her. “Thanks. Headlights came up behind me, and I sped up. The car behind me did, too, and rammed me again. I hit a couple of trees and managed not to die.”

She kept her tone light, but Jordan could see the thread of tension in her jaw. A muscle began to tic. She rubbed her hands down the sheet covering her legs. “He got out of the car and came looking for me. I managed to crawl out the other side of the vehicle, facing away from him. When he realized I wasn't in the car, he was mad.”

Gregory's gaze turned serious. “He's been after you. He arranged to have Cort cut off so he could follow you without interruption.”

“Yeah.” She paused. “So does that mean there are two of them after me?”

“Definitely someone who has help. You think the guy who ran you off the road had something to do with Bobby Young's murder?”

“I don't know, Gregory. I really don't know. Probably. Everything seems tied together.” She gave a hard smile. “But that's good. That means we're getting closer. It means someone's nervous.”

“So you think this has something to do with your sister's case?” Gregory asked.

“Yes. Definitely,” she said.

Gregory raised a brow. “You're still chasing that?”

Katie eyed him, steel in her gaze. “You know I am.” She would never have been able to keep that a secret from him. And she hadn't tried. Had no reason to. Gregory understood her need to find Lucy and had even offered to help if she wanted.

He nodded. “Let's just assume that this doesn't have anything to do with Lucy. Is there anything new you've been digging around in? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Katie's eyes shot to Jordan's. “No. I've been thinking along those lines, too. The only thing I've done different is hiring Finding the Lost and getting them involved.”

“Then maybe that's the answer,” Gregory said. He looked at Jordan. “Someone is nervous about the questions you've been asking. Looks like you've kicked over a beehive.”

“Looks like,” Jordan murmured.

Another knock on the door caught their attention. Jordan opened it, and Erica and Molly stepped inside. Erica rushed over. “Are you all right? I tried to see you earlier, but you were still out cold. Max and Jordan have been keeping me updated.”

Molly moved close enough to lean against the edge of the bed. “Aunt Katie, are you gonna die?”

Erica flushed and clapped a hand over the seven-year-old's mouth. She shot an apologetic look at Katie. “No filters, as you know very well.”

Katie grinned, grateful for the lighthearted moment in the midst of the thick tension. “I'm not going to die. At least not today. I'm very glad you came to see me, though.”

“Me, too. And guess what?”

“What?”

“I'm getting another puppy. A friend for Nellie, only this one's gonna be a baby dog. And I get to walk him and feed him and give him a bath whether he wants it or not, and—”

“All right, kiddo,” Erica interrupted. “The puppy's not a done deal, remember?”

The little girl's face dropped, and Katie wanted to hug her. “I'll talk to her,” she whispered.

Molly's face lit up, and she shot a triumphant look at her mother, who in turn sent Katie an exasperated frown. Katie shrugged and a pang hit her as she realized her interaction with Erica was one she might have had with Lucy had her sister not disappeared. She blinked away the sudden moisture and tapped Molly's nose. Composed once again, she looked up at Erica, whose eyes had turned serious.

She said, “This hospital thing is starting to be a habit with you.”

Katie grimaced. “So I've been told. Don't worry, I plan on breaking it, and fast.” She knew she would be sore and achy for a couple of days. She supposed she should be used to it by now. A yawn caught her off guard. Embarrassed, she said, “I think my painkillers are catching up with me.”

Erica squeezed her hand. “Get some rest. I'm serious, though. I would love for you to come stay with us if you need to.”

Katie swallowed. “Thanks, Erica. But—” she shot a glance at Molly “—I'd never put your family in danger.” Erica squeezed her hand and Molly gave her a gentle hug.

They left and Jordan said, “You should take her up on it.”

Katie shut her eyes. “You know I can't do that.”

“Yeah.”

She heard Jordan leave just before sleep claimed her.

* * *

Jordan decided to grab a few hours of sleep. The exhaustion pursuing him had finally caught up, and Katie had pushed him to go home and rest. Jordan caved, realizing he wasn't going to be any good for her if he was punchy and less alert than usual. After assessing the security situation, he had agreed he should take advantage of the willingness of others to help and get some sleep.

She had a guard on her door in case the guy who had tried to kill her decided to come back and finish the job. Plus a few of her off-duty police officer buddies milled in the waiting room. Most had gone home, but the ones she was close to remained, determined to watch over one of their own.

It was obvious Katie was well-liked and respected by those she worked with. She was good at her job. She cared and yet managed to keep her sanity. Not everyone did.

When he woke, it was Friday morning. As he dressed, he debated his feelings for Katie. He remembered the sense of loss he'd felt when he realized Cort wasn't behind her and she was in danger once again.

He swallowed hard. He could have lost her. Almost had. The fact that he was even debating pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman his parents held such animosity for told him he was in way over his head.

And he knew he was going to have to talk to his parents. Tell them the truth about Neil. And not for the first time, he second-guessed himself in withholding the truth from them. Was he being selfish? Allowing them to put their youngest son on a pedestal? He hadn't wanted to tarnish their memories by telling them, but was that the right thing to do?

He grappled with the questions until a headache started to build. He grabbed his keys and headed out the door to climb into his car. He dialed Katie's number at the first red light. “I'm guessing you had a quiet night?” he asked.

“I did. No one was getting in this room with all of my volunteer bodyguards outside. Gregory sent them all home around midnight, then he stayed outside the door the rest of the night.”

“Glad to hear it.” She sounded better. Stronger. “Have you gotten a clean bill of health yet?”

“Somewhat. Erica's on her way to take me home.”

“I was on the way to do that, but I can catch up with you later if you prefer.” If she had a ride, he could go by his parents' house.

“Erica's bringing me some clothes and other items, but I appreciate the offer.”

“Of course. Do you have an escort?”

“Max. And I think Gregory was going to come, too.”

“Good.” She should have enough help if someone tried anything. He paused and made a decision. “I've got an errand to run. Should take me about an hour. After that I was going to talk to Mrs. Johnson and see if she remembered anything about a strange car in the neighborhood. I thought if you felt up to it, you could go with me.”

“Oh. Okay. Right.”

He wondered if she was fidgeting with the sheet like she'd done yesterday when she was uncomfortable. “What's going on, Katie?”

A sigh greeted him. “I'm considering dropping the investigation.”

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say. “Those are the last words I expected to come out of your mouth.”

“I know.” He pictured her rubbing her forehead. “My father called me again this morning. He keeps trying to convince me to stop investigating. He's really worried. And I'm...torn.” She blew out a sigh. “It's so odd. I never thought I'd hear him say anything like that. When I became a detective and started looking for Lucy, he was so...hopeful. And now—” He heard commotion in the background. She said, “Erica's here.”

“All right. I'll meet you at your hotel in thirty minutes. I can run my errand a little later. We'll go see Mrs. Johnson first.”

“Okay, sure.”

“I'll be right there.” He hung up and took the next left. His parents needed to know what had happened to Neil. He didn't want to tell them—in fact he dreaded doing so. But he'd been a coward for long enough. It was time to lay the truth on the table. He wasn't going to let a lie keep him from finding happiness with Katie. He didn't want to hurt his parents or taint their memories of Neil, but if he was ever going to be able to have a relationship with Katie, his parents had to hear the truth. He just had to find the words to do it.

As for Lucy Randall, she was a missing child who would now be an adult if she was still alive. But fourteen years ago, she'd been a child who had lived and breathed, had hopes and dreams. Just like the child Jordan had failed to find, just like the one he'd let die. The emotions that came with the memory came hard and swift and he gasped.

No. He was going to find Lucy. It didn't matter that fourteen years had passed. She needed to be found. She deserved to be given justice. And no matter what Katie said, Jordan was determined to make sure Lucy got what she deserved.

THIRTEEN

F
riday, midmorning, Katie stood at the window of her hotel room. Jordan pulled into the space in front of her door, and Cort climbed from his vehicle to greet him. He crossed the parking lot to shake Jordan's hand. Katie stepped outside. “You made good time.”

“You look like you've been hit by a truck.” His soft-voiced concern dispelled any indignation that might have risen at his words. And he was right. She looked awful.

Cort shot Katie a guilty look. “I guess I'm losing my touch. That's twice now he's gotten to you.”

“It's not really your fault. I'm beginning to think this guy is trained and has inside information.”

“What do you mean?”

She nodded to her room. “Why don't y'all come in and we'll talk a little before Jordan and I go see Mrs. Johnson.”

The men followed her inside and planted themselves at the round table in the corner. “What kind of inside information?” Jordan demanded.

She shook her head. “I don't know. He knew what hotel I was staying in because he was watching for me to leave. He knew Cort was helping me and he had someone working with him to cut Cort off so he could get behind me. And they worked it at just the right moment so I wouldn't know what happened. Sure, it was a gamble as to whether it would work or not, but they tried it. And almost won.”

She paced in front of the table. “This guy doesn't have any trouble finding me. He seems to know my every movement. He didn't try to strike at me in the hospital either time—he catches me on the road or in my house, places with no cameras and a good chance for him to get away. And he threatened my parents anonymously.”

“He doesn't want to get caught,” Cort said.

“Absolutely not.”

Katie's phone rang and she ignored her aches and pains as she moved to get it from her purse. “Hello?”

“Hey, it's Mariah. Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine.” She paused. “Well, I'm still alive, so I suppose that qualifies as okay.”

“I'm sorry I haven't been around. I've been working almost nonstop over the last few days and taking care of Grandma Jean in the interim.”

“Don't worry about it. It's probably safer for you not to be around me right now.”

Mariah blew a raspberry. “I'd help fight back, you know that.”

Katie smiled. She appreciated her friend's willingness to fight on her behalf. “Well, the lab is much safer. Speaking of...”

“Right.” Mariah turned all business. “Your guy got a little careless. I just got my hit from IAFIS and we have a fingerprint from your Molotov cocktail bottle.”

“Who does it belong to?” Her stomach tightened in anticipation of hearing the name of the person who wanted her dead.

“He's a parolee. His name is Norman Rhames.”

“Norman Rhames!”

“I take it you've heard of him?”

“Yes. I have. He's the guy who made that deposit into Lisa West's bank account. Her husband is the one who killed the guy who broke into my house.”

“Never a dull moment for you, is there?”

“You're funny. But no, never a dull moment.” She bit her lip. “Okay, this is an interesting twist.”

“Well, I hope you find him. That's my home, too, and I want this guy stopped.” Fury seeped through her words and Katie empathized.

“Thanks for the information. I'll pass it along to Gregory and let him work with it. I'm chasing another lead. Maybe one of us will come up with something.”

“Sounds good.”

“How's Grandma Jean and her cold?”

“She's better and so far I haven't gotten it.” Mariah paused. “Of course, I've only been there to sleep at night. I've hardly been around her. My poor mother is not faring so well, I'm afraid.”

“Glad she's better. And I'll say a prayer for your mom.” Katie blew out a sigh. “I'll let you know what happens with Mr. Rhames.”

“Be careful, Katie.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

She hung up and passed on the information to Jordan and Cort, then called Gregory and filled him in.

“I'll track him down ASAP,” Gregory said. “I'll call you as soon as he's in custody.”

Katie said, “Please do. I have a few questions for him.” Like why someone who deposited five thousand dollars in the account of the wife of a felon was the same person who tried to kill her the other night.

“I'm sure. Are you all right? Need a hand with anything?”

“No, but I appreciate everything you've done so far.”

Gregory snorted. “Haven't done much.”

“You're not complaining about my absence, you're helping me track down information and you're picking up the slack on our cases. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that.”

“You'd do the same for me.”

“You know it.”

“What's on the agenda for today? You going to take it easy, or is that a dumb question?”

“What do you think?”

He laughed. “I figured.”

“We're going to talk to Mrs. Johnson at the nursing home. See if she remembers anything about a gray sedan being parked in the neighborhood.”

“Be careful, Katie.”

“You know it.” She hung up, grateful for a partner she trusted and one who supported her efforts in finding Lucy.

Jordan stood. “Thanks for your help, Cort. Having you watching is the reason Katie is alive. If you hadn't been behind her and called...” He shrugged.

Cort shook hands with Jordan and gave a disgusted snort. “If I had been a little quicker with the steering wheel, I wouldn't have lost her.”

Jordan turned to Katie and said, “Do you feel up to visiting Mrs. Johnson now?”

“I'm sore, of course, but yes, I'm up to it.”

“Do you mind if I drive?”

She gave a low chuckle. “Unless you want to hitchhike, that's pretty much our only option right now.” She sighed. “I guess I need to put car shopping on my list of things to do.”

“Are you getting a rental?”

“It should be ready by the time we finish with Mrs. Johnson. Erica lined it all up for me.”

“She's a good friend.”

“She is.”

Cort stood and said, “Guess I'll be going, unless you want me to follow and watch for a tail?”

Jordan nodded. “That'd be great.”

They filed back out of the room, and Katie joined Jordan in his car. She clicked on her seat belt. “Have your parents said anything more about us working together?”

The abrupt question didn't faze him. “No. And I haven't exactly gone out of my way to talk to them since the confrontation in the restaurant. I was thinking about that earlier and I've decided I'm going to have to make some time to do that.”

His low words had a tightness to them, and she almost regretted bringing the subject up, but she and Jordan were growing closer by the day. And if it wasn't for his parents' hatred of her, she'd encourage the relationship. As it was...

“They don't know the whole truth,” Jordan said.

“What do you mean?”

“That night you arrested Neil. They don't know everything he was doing that night.” He cleared his throat. “I kept it from them.”

Katie gaped. “Then I don't know the whole story, either. I thought it was just a DUI. Are you telling me there's more?” She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw no one behind them.

“Yes.”

“Do you mind sharing?”

He sighed. “Apparently, Neil was a drug mule.”

Katie gasped. “What?”

“When they did the autopsy, they found bags of heroin in his stomach.”

“Oh, no.”

Jordan's lips twisted. “He'd just gotten back from Mexico. From what I can figure out, you stopped him on his way from the airport to deliver the drugs.”

“How did you find all this out?”

He slanted a glance at her. “I have my sources.”

“But I smelled alcohol on him. He registered twice the legal alcohol limit on the Breathalyzer.”

“I know. I'm not saying he wasn't drinking. In fact, he probably had a few on the plane, as he always hated flying. But there was more to it than that.”

Katie blew out a breath. “Wow. And you never told your parents this?”

“No.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dad's in his late fifties. But about two years ago, he had a mild heart attack.”

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

“He seemed to bounce back from it pretty well, but my mother is a worrywart. She keeps telling me we need to spare him as much stress as possible.”

“Is she right?”

“I don't know. The day of Neil's funeral, he had another heart attack. This one more severe. So...” He shrugged. “I'm sure all the stress didn't help.”

“So you kept all of this information to yourself.”

“Yes.”

“So why tell him now?”

“Like I said, I've been thinking. All of the anger and resentment and bitterness he's harboring toward you surely can't be good for him, either.”

“True.”

“I think what I'm going to have to do is tell my parents about Neil. It's time.”

“What if he has another attack?”

He blew out a heavy sigh. “His last check up was good. No sign of any more damage. He's going to have to face what Neil was into if he's going to have any kind of peace. Right now he's in such denial, he's simply adding stress to his life—and his heart.”

Jordan pulled into White Oak Manor's parking lot. He shut off the engine and turned to face her. “This isn't something I just came up with. I've been contemplating it for the last six months.”

“I see.” She looked at her fingers. “And you've decided now is the time?”

“I think so. I've been praying about it.”

“And?”

“I don't know. God hasn't said yes or no in a way that's loud and clear.”

“So why do it now?”

“For reasons I've already stated, but I won't deny part of it's because I want to explore whatever is developing between us. And I can't do that as long as my parents are planted firmly in the way.”

Katie blinked. Shock zipped through her, followed by surprise and then...hope. “What do you think is developing?”

Jordan moved in closer and placed a hand at the base of her neck. “This,” he whispered. And covered her lips with his. Warm honey moved through her veins, making her languid and giddy with the thought that she could kiss this man forever. She reached up and cupped his chin as he deepened the kiss, and she wanted to protest when he pulled away with a gentle smile. He gazed down at her. “That. And more.” He stroked her cheek. “I've never met anyone like you before, and I want to see if we have something special.” He tilted his head. “Correction. I think we do have something special, and I want the freedom to explore just how special it is.”

She swallowed hard and let out a breath. “Wow.” He wasn't holding anything back right now and his openness, his vulnerability stunned her.

“Exactly.”

“Okay.”

“Okay what?”

“Talk to your parents if you think that's what you need to do.” Then she frowned and tried to ignore the effects of his kiss. With just one kiss, he'd stirred up the longing for a relationship with him, the hope for a possible future together.

She thought for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to say what was in her heart. Finally, she said, “I'll be straight with you, Jordan. As much as I'd also like to see where this could go between us, I don't know if I can do it if your parents hate me.” She bit her lip, then said, “In fact, I'm pretty sure I can't.” She heard the anguish in her last two words and when he flinched, knew he'd heard it, too.

* * *

Jordan and Katie walked into the lobby of the assisted-living home and stopped at the front desk. Katie flashed her badge and asked for Mrs. Johnson's room while Jordan stood by a window and watched the parking lot.

“Who was here?” Katie asked.

Jordan tuned in to the conversation.

The lady behind the desk said, “I think it was her son. He came in and she seemed confused as to who he was. That happens a lot these days, poor dear. She is almost ninety, you know.”

“Yes, I know, thanks. Do you think it would be possible for us to just speak to her briefly? I promise we won't keep her long. It's really urgent that I talk to her if she feels up to it.”

The woman hesitated then said, “Let me check with her nurse. She was apparently pretty agitated when her son left.”

Katie shifted beside him. “She's going to say no.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I just have a feeling. Come on.”

“Where are we going? We don't have her room number.”

“Sure we do. I can read upside down. She was documenting something in the chart and snapped it shut when I walked up, but not before I saw the name and a number I'm guessing is her room.”

They made their way down the hall to Mrs. Johnson's room. Jordan held the door for Katie, then slipped in behind her. The dark room held the odor that seemed to be indigenous to nursing homes and hospitals: antiseptic, bleach and air freshener.

“Mrs. Johnson?” Katie's soft voice brought his attention to the woman in the bed. A night-light burned in the corner. “Mrs. Johnson?”

Jordan turned on a small lamp and the low-wattage bulb bathed the room in a soft glow.

The woman on the bed stirred. Katie sat in the chair next to her and took her hand. “Hi, Mrs. Johnson. Do you remember me? Katie Randall?”

Mrs. Johnson blinked owlishly, and Jordan picked up a pair of glasses and slipped them on her nose.

“Oh, Katie,” Mrs. Johnson said, her voice paper thin and wispy. “Yes, of course I remember you. Will you help me sit up? I must have dozed off.” She clicked her teeth and sighed. “I seem to do that a lot lately.”