Shadow of Suspicion Read online

  Soon enough, his breathing evened out and he was sleeping.

  She grabbed the phone book, quickly looked up the number to a cab company and dialed. The man on the other line promised someone would be there within the next thirty minutes.

  She glanced at Mark one last time, gratefulness filling her. God had been watching out for her when He sent Mark to investigate. She couldn’t have asked for someone more kind or concerned. She hated to think about leaving him now, but she knew it was for the best.

  Quietly, she tiptoed toward the door. She slowly turned the handle and the door creaked open. With one last look at the house, she slipped outside. Careful to remain on the edge of the driveway, she ran toward the road. That’s where she’d instructed the cabdriver to pick her up.

  Her pulse raced as she waited.

  She hoped she didn’t regret this. Though she felt like she could trust Mark, she couldn’t tell him everything. Besides, doing so might put his career on the line. She couldn’t do that.

  Finally, a yellow cab appeared in the distance. She climbed in and shut the door, her heart slowing for a moment.

  She’d done it. She’d managed to leave the house without alerting Mark. The task had felt impossible, and she’d half expected him to show up at any minute.

  She mumbled an address to the driver. She didn’t have much time. Not much time at all.

  Any of the strides in friendship she’d taken with Mark would probably be gone after she did this. But what other choice did she have? This was no time to be a wallflower. Now was the time to be brave.

  Besides, why should she feel a sense of loyalty to the man? Sure, he’d saved her life. He’d offered her a place to stay. He’d even shared details about his heartaches.

  Had all of that created a false illusion that they were something more than a cop and a victim? That was crazy. She’d be wise to remember that. Mark would arrest her in a split second if he felt it necessary.

  Her mind drifted back to their earlier conversation. His stepdad had killed his sister and then his mom before killing himself. What a horrific event to live through. She could only imagine how it had changed him. You didn’t come through something like that unscathed.

  Just like she hadn’t gotten past Nate’s death unaffected. She’d gone from happy-go-lucky to carrying the weight of their world on her shoulders. That’s why the job with the CIA had been so perfect for her—it required her to do just that.

  Nate, I miss you still. There will never be any one else like you.

  As soon as the thought drifted from her mind, Mark’s face appeared.

  She shook her head. Mark wasn’t Nate. There was no possibility of a future together with him. She’d be wise to keep reminding herself of that, even if she did start sounding like a broken record.

  “Stop here,” she told her driver. He pulled up to a curb beside the woods. She pulled out an extra twenty-dollar bill. “I need you to wait for me. I won’t be long.”

  He shrugged. “Sure thing. But I’m only waiting for thirty. After that, I’m gone.”

  “Thank you.” She slammed the door and pulled her coat tighter as she trudged through the woods.

  She shouldn’t do this. But she had no other choice.

  When she pictured the disappointment in Mark’s eyes when he discovered what she’d done, it was almost enough to make her change her mind. Almost.

  Finally, the woods cleared and she stepped through a gate and into a backyard. In the distance, she spotted the charred remains of her house. Grief gripped her heart for a moment.

  She’d lost so much. She had to stop this before she lost any more.

  Drawing in a deep breath of courage, she stepped toward another house, one that was still intact.

  Anticipation tightened her muscles with each step.

  Mark had said Sol was down at the police station. She had some time—but not a lot.

  She rushed toward the back deck and moved a rock out of the way. A key rested beneath it.

  Laney had joked with Sarah once that she could pretend to be locked out of her house and stay over at Laney’s longer. But Sarah had told Laney that there was a backup house key and where it was kept.

  Of course, Sol had a contingency plan. That was Sol for you. He always had a plan.

  She grabbed the key and slid it into the lock. She’d had the taxi driver go past his house first to make sure there were no cars out front. When she hadn’t seen any, she’d felt confident no one was home.

  The lock clicked, and Laney slid the key back in place before stepping inside. She’d been in there many times before.

  The place was decorated minimally. The only things on Sol’s walls were framed diplomas and pictures of antique maps and what appeared to be artifacts—nothing fancy. Nothing looked welcoming or warm.

  Her gaze scanned the place now. Where did she start? What was she even looking for?

  She wasn’t sure. She only knew that she’d know when she found it.

  Moving slowly, cautiously, she stepped through the living room. There was nothing unusual looking there. Everything appeared to be in place, from the TV remotes to every couch pillow. The place looked like a museum, like no one actually lived there.

  She went into the office and opened the drawers. All she saw there were bills and envelopes and stamps. Nothing that grabbed her attention or seemed like it’d be helpful. If only any useful evidence could be marked as just that—it would make her job so much easier.

  Her muscles continued to tighten the longer she was in the house. She was risking everything by being in there. Was it worth it?

  She hoped so.

  Upstairs or the basement? The basement, she decided. She’d never been down there before.

  She pulled on the cord of a single light leading down the stairs. Chills raced up her spine. She’d never liked basements, especially dark ones. There were very few people she would do this for, but Sarah was one of them.

  She hated to think that Sarah’s own father might hold the answers in her disappearance, but that was exactly what Laney was beginning to think.

  Why didn’t she trust Sol? She asked herself as she traveled downward. Was it just a gut feeling? Was it because he’d never liked her? Because Sarah had started having problems with him?

  It was hard to say.

  At the bottom of the steps, the overhead light seemed to be even dimmer and more out of touch with the rest of the room. Another shiver raced through her. She pulled up the flashlight on her phone and shone it on the floor.

  Bingo.

  This was the place where Sol put everything he wanted out of sight. There were boxes and boxes of items down here, each organized to the max and complete with labels. Where did she even begin?

  She looked at the words on each one. Some had years written there. Others had labels like “Mom and Dad’s.” She pulled down one with photos.

  Inside, there were pictures of Sarah as a child. The girl was smiling and appeared happy. Her mother wasn’t in any of these photos, Laney realized. What had Sarah told her? That her mom died in childbirth. That was right.

  She flipped through several more pictures, both curious about Sarah’s past and looking for clues. She couldn’t help but think there was something missing. There was an album for nearly every year of Sarah’s life in here.

  Yet there were no photos of her as a baby. Had it been too painful for Sol to keep photos from that time in his life? Did the pictures remind him not only of what he’d gained during those years but what he’d lost?

  Maybe Laney had been too hard on him. Maybe he was just as human and hurting as everyone else.

  She put the photos back before carefully placing the box on the shelf. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she stared at the rest of the boxes. She’d never have time to go
through all of these.

  Lord, what am I doing? Am I totally out of line? Should I be praying for forgiveness right now?

  She’d been stupid to come here, she realized. What kind of evidence did she hope to find? And in such a short amount of time, at that. It would take a team of detectives weeks to go through a house like this.

  As she started back toward the stairs, ready to get back before Mark woke up, her flashlight caught something against the wall. What was that?

  She paused. By all appearances, it was just a piece of insulation that had recently been replaced or moved. No big deal.

  Despite that, she moved it.

  Behind the insulation, against the wall, was an envelope. She slowly picked it up and undid the latch. Whatever was inside wasn’t heavy or thick. Maybe a card of some sort?

  Gingerly, she let the items slide out.

  In her hand was a driver’s license. A woman smiled in the corner. She was blonde, but besides the hair color, she bore a striking resemblance to Laney.

  It was the woman from earlier today, Laney realized. What was Sol doing with her driver’s license?

  Her unease grew.

  Before she could decide what to do with the license, she heard a footfall and then a deep voice said, “What do you think you’re doing?”

  * * *

  Mark glared down at Laney. She’d thought she was being clever by sneaking out, but he’d heard her from the moment she opened the back door. He’d sprung from the couch and followed her. He’d even seen her grab the key from under the rock by Sol’s back door and sneak inside.

  He stomped down the stairs, wondering how he could have ever trusted her.

  “Mark?” Laney’s voice cracked as she said the word.

  “Would you care to explain yourself before I arrest you for breaking and entering?”

  Her eyes widened as he got closer. “It’s not like that. You’ll never believe what I just—”

  “If this isn’t breaking and entering, then what is?”

  She frowned. “Mark, please.”

  “Maybe you should call me Detective James.” His voice sounded steely, even to his own ears. But he’d obviously let himself become too comfortable around the woman. That had been a mistake. It always was.

  “I had a feeling something was going on, and I was right. Mark—Detective James, please—”

  He cut her off and grabbed her arm, ready to arrest her. “I’m going to have to take you in, Laney. I can’t condone this.”

  “Please, just give me one minute. One minute.”

  She looked desperate. Absolutely desperate. He’d given her far too much credit. Never in a million years had he guessed she would do something like that.

  “One minute. Starting now.” He glanced at his watch.

  She burst to life, her voice more animated with every word. “These driver’s licenses were hidden here behind the insulation. It’s the woman from today—except there are four different licenses, each with four different names on them, as well as four different states. But it’s the same photo in each.”

  Something about her revelation sparked his interest. But he remained on guard as he glanced at the items in her hands. She was correct. But why would Sol have those?

  “How do I know you didn’t plant those there?” He had to be cautious. Laney might look innocent and sweet, but she was smart—smart enough to have a role in this.

  “Why would I do that?” Her voice lilted with indignation as she stared up at him, fire dancing in her eyes.

  “To set up Sol and make him look guilty.”

  Her bottom lip dropped slightly. “I repeat, why would I do that?”

  He locked gazes with her, leaning closer. “To take attention off yourself?”

  She leaned away, not backing down. “I thought I’d rightfully taken the attention off myself by almost getting killed at someone else’s hands more than once.”

  “I agree that things are sketchy. We’re all working hard to figure out what’s going on.”

  “You’re turning a blind eye to the most obvious suspect—Sol.”

  “We’ve looked into him. He had an alibi. Everyone at work saw him there.”

  “Maybe he’s working with someone.”

  “Tell me this—how did you find that envelope?” He nodded toward the items in her hands. “You just happened to look on the other side of the insulation?”

  “I did. I saw that it looked like it had been disturbed. I didn’t really think I’d see anything there—”

  “How do I know you didn’t plant it there yourself?” He wasn’t sure why he was hung up on that thought, but he was. He wanted to trust Laney; he did. But he had to be careful.

  “Why would I go through all of that trouble? There would be an easier way to plant evidence against Sol than this. I’m a computer expert. I could hack into his email. His accounts. Breaking into people’s homes is not my specialty.”

  Before he could ask any more questions, a door closed upstairs. Great. Sol was home.

  He put a hand over his lips, slid the envelope back between the wall and nudged Laney into the shadows. Before joining her, he quickly tugged the light off, leaving them in total darkness.

  This wasn’t the way he was supposed to do police work. Not at all. In fact, he could lose his job over all of this. But he didn’t want to be caught in someone’s home, either. Not if there was a way around it. And not if there was even an ounce of truth in what Laney had told him.

  He felt her tense in front of him.

  How were they going to get out of this one?

  He checked his watch. It was getting dark. Maybe Sol would be going to bed soon and they could sneak out. Otherwise, Mark would have no choice but to own up to what had happened. That meant confessing that Laney had broken into his home and that he’d followed after her.

  As angry as he was with Laney, he wasn’t quite ready to throw her to the wolves yet. Part of him still wanted to hold on to hope that she was one of the good guys. After all, there had been attempts on her life. She could be a victim here.

  Those driver’s licenses were interesting, though. Why were they here at Sol’s? If Laney really wasn’t behind this, then what was Sol up to? What was his connection to the brunette?

  Footsteps creaked overhead, followed by voices. No, just one voice.

  Sol must be on the phone. Mark couldn’t make out what he was saying. It sounded garbled.

  Don’t come to the basement, he silently pleaded. He didn’t want a complicated situation made even more complicated.

  Despite his prayers, the basement door opened. Mark pushed Laney farther into the shadows and braced himself for whatever was about to happen.

  Someone stomped down the stairs. What Mark heard made his lungs freeze.

  It was Sol, and he was speaking a different language. Mark tried to identify it, but he couldn’t. Not Spanish, not French, not even German. So what was it?

  Sol went to the section of the wall where the licenses had been hidden. He pulled the insulation back, plucked out the envelope and then started back upstairs.

  As soon as the door closed, Laney stepped away from him and they exchanged a glance. Neither had to say anything to realize the gravity of what had happened.

  Sol knew that envelope was there. He needed those driver’s licenses now, for some reason. And he was speaking fluently in a foreign language that neither of them recognized.

  They couldn’t risk moving right now. There was still so much that could go wrong. But maybe Laney was telling the truth. And, despite her irresponsible actions, maybe she was just trying to find answers.

  They stood close enough that Mark could feel her heart pounding against him. For some reason, the realization made his breath catch. Something about the woman bro
ught out his urge to be a protector. He hadn’t felt that way...in a long time. He never thought he’d feel that way again.

  “We can’t stay down here forever,” Laney whispered.

  Instinctively, his grip on her tightened. “I know that.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  She spoke as if they were a team. In a way, they were—if he could ever figure out what she was hiding. But he still had a responsibility as an officer of the law. “I could still march you down to the station and arrest you.”

  “Isn’t it obvious that I’m being set up?” she whispered, hitting each syllable hard.

  It was becoming more and more apparent that someone was targeting her. But he had to remain cautious here. “We’ve both been down here in this basement long enough that I look guilty now too. That’s a problem.”

  Indignation flashed in her gaze. “I didn’t ask you to come after me.”

  “I have a duty to keep an eye on you.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I never asked you to.”

  “I realize that.”

  “Please, don’t do me any favors.”

  Before they could continue with their argument, the door closed upstairs. They both froze. Was that Sol? Had he left or had someone else come in?

  Both remained silent for a moment, listening and waiting.

  There were no footsteps. No more doors closing.

  Just then a car started outside.

  It appeared Sol had left.

  He grabbed Laney’s hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before we miss our window of opportunity.”

  He halfway expected her to push him away, but she didn’t. She gripped his hand like a lifeline instead.

  Slowly, they climbed up the stairs. Mark paused at the top and looked around. When he didn’t see anyone, he tugged Laney’s hand, pulling her behind him as he made a beeline toward the back door. Quietly, they slipped outside.

  He breathed a sigh of relief. They’d made it out. But they weren’t in the clear yet. They still had to get off Sol’s property before anyone found them here.