Random Acts of Deceit (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries Book 2) Read online

  Launch? Launch as in a bomb? It certainly would make headlines. Explosive ones at that.

  “You seem so . . . unlikely for this type of thing,” I told him.

  He thought about it a moment before shrugging. “Perhaps. But that’s the beauty of it, right? No one suspects us. Besides, we’re just the recruiters here. We’ve done research so we can have a good feel for what’s going on. But a lot of people in this country are going to disapprove. We’re prepared for that.”

  Recruiters? They were recruiting for a terrorist organization, and we were going to be pawns in their plans to destroy America. What if the FBI burst in right now? How would we explain this?

  My jitters intensified.

  “You’ve certainly done a good job keeping this on the down low.” Jamie nodded. “What can we do to help?”

  Duh glanced at Toaster.

  “How about we start with pictures?” Toaster said.

  A tremble rushed through me. A photo would mean the FBI would have proof I was here. I didn’t want that. In fact, if Chase knew what I was doing right now, I’d never hear the end of it. I was in over my head. This whole thing was getting stranger by the minute.

  “We need to freshen up first,” I said, grabbing Jamie’s arm. “Is there a bathroom here?”

  “Just down the hallway. How about you run there and be back in five? Sound good? Toaster over here is our go-to guy for photos and profiles. Remember, as of Friday your picture will be everywhere—all over the news—so you’ll want to look your best. We’ll get set up.”

  I nodded and forced myself not to rush out the door. It would look too suspicious. But as soon as I was in the hallway, I wasn’t sure I wanted to ever go back in that office.

  “What are we getting ourselves into?” I whispered.

  “Girl, I have no idea.” Jamie took my arm as we hurried down the hallway. “But those men are strange. Benjamin probably fits right in.”

  “What should we do?”

  “We should go back and confront them.” Jamie nodded with a newfound determination.

  “What will that prove? It may just get us killed.”

  We ducked into the bathroom. I stood at the mirror a minute, staring at my pale reflection. I really needed to get more sleep and eliminate stress, or I was going to wrinkle prematurely.

  “At least we’ll get some answers. Right now, we’re getting nowhere. Not really. Not with Mr. Al K. Duh and Mr. Toaster. What geeks. And I usually dig geeks.”

  “It sounds like they’re planning some kind of . . . of . . . event here on United States soil. I mean, they did mention the NSA again. I wasn’t hearing things before.”

  “Nothing’s making sense.” Jamie adjusted a springy curl. “That’s why I think we should just ask questions. Gather info. Then report what we know.”

  “What if asking questions gets us killed?”

  “By those two? I have a hard time picturing it.”

  I splashed some water on my face, hating how my anxiety kept creeping upward to dangerously high levels. “Someone is threatening to kill Chase. If these guys are associated with that whole fiasco, they could be more dangerous than they appear. The fact that they’re unassuming makes them even more dangerous.”

  “Let’s go back. I’ll see if I can buy time before the pictures, and we’ll ask more questions. We’ve got this, okay? We just have to play it cool.”

  I nodded nervously. “One more thing first.” I pulled out my phone and typed in “Segreto.” A moment later, I had the answer I needed. “There’s nothing listed by the company title, but the word means secrets in Italian.”

  “Secrets? How mysterious. Should we think they’re Italian terrorists?”

  I threw my hands in the air. “At this point, I don’t know what to think. I didn’t even think Italians were terrorists.”

  Jamie froze. “Racial profiling?”

  My cheeks heated, and I feared I’d overstepped some kind of racial/cultural boundaries.

  Then Jamie burst into laughter. “Just kidding.”

  I let out my breath. “Not funny.”

  “I thought it was.” The two of us locked gazes. “We go back for just a little while longer. If it gets uncomfortable, I’ll feign having a stomachache and we’ll leave. No one really ever questions that excuse.”

  “Good to know.”

  “We’ve got this, okay?” She put her hand on my forearm to bring me down to reality.

  I nodded. That was easy for her to say. The lives of her loved ones weren’t on the line. At the same time, I was so thankful she was with me. Doing this was way more natural for her than it was for me.

  With a deep breath, I stepped into the hallway, and we went back into the office. Toaster held a professional-grade camera in his hands. I pictured my mug shot splashed across newspapers, along with “Ties to Terrorism” and “Homegrown Terror” as headlines. It wasn’t a pleasant image.

  “Just a few snapshots,” he said.

  “I think I’m getting cold feet,” Jamie said.

  Al K. Duh paused. “What do you mean?”

  “I just don’t fully know what I’m getting myself into.”

  He stepped closer. “I know this can seem overwhelming, but I thought we already prescreened you for scruples? It’s one of our biggest prerequisites. I mean, we want all types of people here. The innocent, classic beauties.” He looked at me and then turned to Jamie. “Women of color are also a big hit. Then we have the vixens and the party girls and naughty teachers.”

  Now I was really more confused than ever. What in the world did different types of women have to do with dominating the world? Before I could stop myself, “What?” slipped out.

  “Didn’t Benjamin go over all of this with you?” Toaster said, lowering his camera and frowning.

  “Maybe we didn’t understand as well as we’d thought,” Jamie said.

  “We’re going up against Nelson’s Secret Affairs,” Al said. “We can’t let them know that their biggest competition yet is about to blow them out of the water.”

  “Nelson’s Secret Affairs?” I parroted, trying to make sense of this conversation.

  I’d heard of them before . . . but where? Why? Why exactly did the name leave a bad feeling in my gut?

  Now that I thought about it, I realized I’d heard about them on the news. They were a dating website for married couples who didn’t want to remain faithful to their spouses.

  My mouth gaped open a moment. These people were starting a website that would be in competition with . . . NSA. Not the NSA. The other NSA.

  It was all starting to make sense.

  “You’re a dating website?” Jamie said, her hand going to her hip.

  “Yeah, what did you think we were?” Al snorted. “Terrorists?”

  CHAPTER 20

  Jamie and I stared straight ahead in the elevator after we left the office, unable to even look at each other. Were there really words after that experience? Yet there were things we needed to say.

  “That just beats all. You know what I’m saying?” Jamie’s voice sounded deflated.

  I nodded numbly. “Do I ever.”

  “They’re launching a website to help married people cheat on their spouses.” Jamie shook her head. “Some people.”

  Al K. and Toaster had claimed they didn’t support extramarital affairs, but they couldn’t control what other people did. I could read their bottom line: money. Since they’d moved into their office, they’d been paying people to sign up for the website to increase their credibility on opening day.

  They seemed to think if Nelson’s Secret Affairs heard about what they were doing, they’d feel threatened and somehow try to shut them down. Dateline, the TV show, was doing an “explosive” story on their company launch on Friday. Everything made sense.

  I was still in a daze over the information.

  “What are you thinking, Hol?” Jamie asked as we stepped out of the elevator.

  I shook my head, trying to snap out of my s
tupor. “I really don’t know what to think. I guess, aside from the craziness of all of this, I can’t figure out what this has to do with Chase. Or why the death threats? I mean, that just doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I concur. This all doesn’t fit together, does it? Deaths threats over a dating website would be extreme. Even a site like this one.”

  “I feel like I’m back at square one. I mean, what can all of this have to do with me?”

  “Don’t give up, Hol. We’ll figure something out.”

  I frowned as we stepped onto the sidewalk. “Until then, I think I need to go take a shower. Just being in that office makes me feel dirty. And I’ve got the peace talks coming up.”

  “Peace talks?” Jamie asked.

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s what Ralph’s calling it. It’s between the family of Ricky Stephenson, community leaders, and the police.”

  She let out a halfway-amused grunt.

  “What?”

  “I wouldn’t want to be in that room.”

  “Why not?”

  “Anytime the subject of race comes up, it’s just uncomfortable. It doesn’t matter what’s said—someone’s going to hear it the wrong way. On both sides, not just one. Good for you guys for having the gumption to initiate this, but I wouldn’t want to be there. There are too many opportunities to screw up. You know what I mean?”

  We reached the corner and stopped. Jamie and I would split ways as we each headed back to work.

  “All too well,” I told Jamie. “Ralph, however, thinks this will be a great opportunity.”

  “Good luck with that,” Jamie called. “I’m sure I’ll hear how it goes.”

  ***

  I was rushing around, trying to make sure everything was in place. The press was going to be here for the talk, and I wanted to do my part to make this a success. The family of the slain man was already here and huddled together on one side of the table. Ralph was talking with them and making general chitchat. The mayor had also come, as well as a civil rights advocate, a city council member, a young man named Booker Jones who had acted as one of the ringleaders of the riots, and the police chief.

  I wanted more than anything to rehash what had just happened with Segreto, but I couldn’t afford to lose my focus.

  Finally, it was time to start. Cameras had been set up in the background, and reporters waited, probably hoping for something to go wrong because that was more newsworthy. Thea, Ralph’s public relations coordinator, went to the lectern and welcomed everyone. Then a local news anchor stepped up as moderator.

  The first ten minutes went smoothly. Everyone remained civil. The discussion was calm, and everyone aired their feelings, both good and bad, about the situation.

  Halfway through, I looked toward the back of the room and saw a familiar figure step inside.

  My heart immediately sped with pleasure before dropping with dread.

  Chase had come. I was delighted to see him, but also reminded of the difficult circumstances I’d been thrust into.

  What I wanted to do was to fall into his arms and tell him everything.

  Then I remembered the threats, the pictures I’d received, and the bomb in Chase’s car.

  The situation this evil man had put me in made me want to do something really . . . really mean. I wasn’t good at being mean or thinking of ways to inflict pain on others. But this man made me want to explore the darker side of my personality.

  “No one here understands what we’re going through!” The boy’s mom jumped to her feet. Her gaze zeroed in on Ralph. “And you. You claim to be a Christian. Where are those Christian principles of love right now?”

  Ralph’s eyes widened. He hadn’t been expecting that one. Just as the surprise flashed in his gaze, a steady calm replaced it. “I’m trying to practice love by finding solutions.”

  “You only want to look good in the eyes of your constituents. Where were you right after this happened? Why weren’t you on the news condemning my boy’s death? I was against these riots and protests when they first started, but now I’ve realized they’re the only way to truly get any attention.”

  My gut twisted. It was just as I feared. This was a mistake. Everyone in the room seemed to tense right along with me.

  “I want you to know that your voice is heard,” Ralph continued. “Everyone in this city matters.”

  God loved everyone; therefore I needed to also. It had become an unofficial mantra of mine. God especially loved the brokenhearted, the widows, and the orphans—those our society ignored. I wanted to be one who lived my life in such a way that these people could see Jesus through me.

  And if God loved everyone, that had to include even the bad guys. Even the Shadow Man. Even the vile men starting Segreto. Even people who hurt other people.

  Loving them didn’t mean that they didn’t deserve justice. It didn’t mean that I had to be a doormat. But it did mean that life was precious and souls were capable of redemption.

  Matters like these riots were so complicated. Violence bred more violence, and the end result could be even deadlier than the incident that incited all this. There were no easy solutions.

  I held on to my pad of paper from my position against the wall and braced myself for whatever might happen next.

  “I want you to feel free to express your opinions.” Ralph’s words seemed to calm everyone, and some of the buzz left the air.

  Ralph was a great mediator. He really was a great guy in general, and I knew he would take it to heart that someone called out his Christian beliefs in the middle of this mess. Politics were messy and complex, and certainly he knew that going into this. But sometimes expecting things and experiencing those things were entirely different.

  With a sigh of relief, I glanced around. My gaze fell on Chase, and my heart lurched. What was he thinking? Did he hate me? I had to resist the impulse to keep looking at him.

  Finally, an hour later, the so-called peace talks came to an end. Was anything accomplished? No, not really. But at least people had been able to air their viewpoints in a somewhat healthy manner.

  I lingered behind as people began to trickle out.

  “Can we talk a minute?” Chase stepped toward me, looking just as uncertain as I felt.

  “Of course.”

  We stepped outside, away from anyone who might be listening. As I anticipated the conversation, my throat tightened. I’d been ready to marry this man. It seemed so unfair to be in this situation now. But I’d learned that life was terribly unfair, no matter how much some people might want to deny it.

  “I know I should probably leave you alone.” Chase shoved his hands into his pockets. A gut-wrenching somberness seemed to encase him. But there was another emotion there also. Almost a hardness. Had bitterness set in?

  The last thing I wanted was for him to leave me alone, but I couldn’t tell him that. “Don’t be silly.”

  “You know, I kept thinking I messed up and somehow blew it with you,” he said as we began a slow stroll down the busy sidewalk.

  Now, I really wanted to go closer. I wanted to put my hand on his chest and tell him it wasn’t him. I wanted to throw my arms around him and bask in his strength and protective embrace. I wanted the Shadow Man to disappear and this whole fiasco to have never happened.

  “You . . . you didn’t,” I told him.

  Our gazes connected, and I prayed he could see the truth and agony in my eyes. It was probably too much to ask. As much as I wanted to believe we had some kind of unexplainable connection where we could speak without words, who could predict something like this? Besides, he was viewing this situation through the lens of his hurt. Nothing was ever clear when that filter was used.

  Chase paused on the corner, and his gaze changed from hurt to almost angry as he looked down at me. “Then I heard you went on a date with someone else already. Is that true?”

  I gasped, his question hitting me like a blow. “How in the world did you hear that?”

  Emotion glimmered in his
eyes. Hurt. Anger. Confusion. “That’s not important. Is it true?”

  I licked my lips. The worst thing someone could ask me to do was hurt someone I loved. That’s what made all of this more difficult. How was I ever going to get through to him?

  “Chase—”

  He looked away, closing his eyes in the middle of the jostling crowds wandering by. “That means yes. Wow. I thought I knew you better than that, Holly. All of this was really about the fact that you met someone else. I was a fool.” His head swung back and forth, his shoulders hunched: it was classic body language for grief. I’d caused his grief, and I hated myself for that.

  “It’s not like that, Chase.” I put my hand on his arm, but he shrugged it off.

  “Then what’s it like?” His words hung in the air.

  My heart lurched into my throat. This was going worse than I could ever have imagined.

  “Please don’t tell me it’s complicated,” he said.

  I closed my eyes, feeling like my world was falling apart around me. I had no idea what to do about it or how to fix this. Lord, what can I do?

  “Chase—”

  He straightened, his demeanor changing from open to completely closed. “Don’t bother giving me your excuses, Holly. Sometimes you think you know someone, but you don’t.” He turned and walked away.

  A sob caught in my throat. I’d just lost the love of my life.

  Would he ever forgive me for my deception?

  CHAPTER 21

  With a heavy heart, I left work later that day and went to meet Mark Reynolds. I showed up at the coffeehouse ten minutes early and found a corner booth with a bird’s-eye view of the front door. Then I waited.

  My heart almost felt numb. I didn’t want to hope. I didn’t want to get excited. Yet I felt like I couldn’t hurt any more than I already did. All the things I’d worked so hard to accomplish in my life—primarily my relationships—were being destroyed one by one.