Light the Dark: A Carolina Moon Christmas Novella Page 5

  Luke brought Hope in through the back door of the clinic, even though he knew no one should be at the office. He knew that taking precautions was important to Hope, and he wanted to respect that, even though he had no idea what was going on.

  He’d stayed awake all night, listening for a sign of trouble. He hadn’t heard anything. But this morning he was feeling it. His brain still felt foggy, despite three cups of coffee.

  He hadn’t mentioned any of that to Hope, though. She had enough stress on her without learning about those cars with the Georgia plates.

  He led her to an exam room. He’d feel much better once he knew the baby was safe. Not only was there the stress of everything that had happened, but she’d also blacked out yesterday.

  “Why don’t you hop on up on the exam table. I just want to hook up some heart monitors and do an ultrasound,” he said, trying to put her at ease.

  She nodded, though she looked uneasy. He wished he could erase some of her fear, but he knew that was impossible. Something had the woman spooked.

  Thirty minutes later, all of the noninvasive tests were done, and Luke breathed a little easier.

  “He sounds just fine.”

  Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Good. Thank you.”

  “He’s going to be a big one, you know,” Luke said, staring at the ultrasound picture.

  Hope smiled. “He is. He measured eight pounds at my checkup last week. His dad was 6'3".”

  “Well, that explains it.”

  Her smile slipped. “Yes. I used to always joke about how I was ever going to get a baby this large out of me.”

  “It will happen, one way or the other.”

  She sat up and rubbed her stomach. “He deserves a chance at life.”

  “I agree. He does.” He helped her down, not pressing the issue, even though he desperately wanted to know the truth. Maybe his desire to know the truth at least distracted him from the memories. Memories of Marissa. Of feeling their baby move.

  She’d been a nurse. Quiet and reserved. Lovely with blonde hair and a slim build. She’d brought a certain level of peace and calmness wherever she went.

  Hope was so unlike her. Hope was petite with dark curls that sprang out from her face. She was an artist, and, even though she was obviously out of sorts, he could tell she had spitfire instincts. The gleam in her eyes confirmed it.

  Marissa and Hope were both so different, yet both women had caught his interest in different ways. The realization still left him feeling off-balance. He wasn’t looking for love. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

  “Listen, I work until about five today. How would you feel about staying in my office—”

  Her eyes widened. “But—”

  He raised a hand, urging her to hear him out. “The door can be locked. There’s a couch in there and a private bathroom. The area is quiet, warm, and safe. And I keep a stash of healthy snacks. I’d feel better if you were close, and not thirty minutes away at my house. If you need anything there, help is too far away.”

  She hesitated but finally shrugged. “Are you sure no one will see me?”

  “I’m sure. I can lock the door and tell my staff not to go in the office. They usually don’t have a problem with that. So what do you say?”

  “I’ll trust you. If you think it will work, then okay.”

  He took her elbow and led her down the hallway to his office. It was comfortable, and he’d feel better with her close by.

  Lord, thank You for the fact that she agreed to this. Now give me wisdom.

  He drew in a deep breath. “I’m going to have my office manager bring in some lunch for us. Can I get you anything in particular?”

  “Just some water.”

  He nodded. “And make sure to keep your feet elevated when you can.”

  “I will.”

  He made her comfortable in his office, and then locked the door behind him. Just in time also. Karen arrived two minutes later. He hoped his office manager couldn’t read his body language: certainly it would show that something was wrong, that he was keeping secrets and hiding something.

  “You look tired.” She narrowed her eyes. “Is everything okay?”

  He nodded. “Just fine, Karen. Thank you.”

  “You’re sure you’re not coming down with something? I heard strep is going around town.”

  “I’m sure.”

  He worked for three hours, trying his best to concentrate on each patient and their needs. But his mind never strayed far from Hope. Nor could he stop thinking about Marissa. About how she’d been two weeks before her due date when everything went wrong. How he should have known better.

  Midafternoon, Karen waited for him outside a patient’s room. “Doctor, Chief Haven is here to see you.”

  Luke’s blood pressure spiked. Why in the world was Joshua here to see him? Had something else happened?

  Luke excused himself and made his way down the hallway. Joshua stood at the front desk, leaning on it with some papers in his hands.

  “What a surprise.” Luke paused on the other side of the desk.

  “Hey, doc. Listen, I know you’re busy, but can we talk?”

  “Of course.”

  Joshua glanced at the waiting room. “Would you like to talk in your office? For privacy?”

  Luke’s blood pressure spiked even more. “No, no. I’m having the carpet cleaned. Why don’t we just come out of the waiting area and back into the offices here?”

  Joshua followed him toward the back of the room, and the two faced each other. Joshua rested his hand on his belt, his expression serious enough to make Luke nervous.

  “I thought I’d let you know that I had a visit today from an FBI agent,” Joshua started.

  “An FBI agent?” Luke didn’t know where this conversation was going, but he knew it wasn’t good.

  “It’s probably nothing, but you know that car we saw on the side of the road yesterday?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, just out of curiosity, I ran the plates. Turns out it’s from Atlanta.”

  “Okay . . .” Luke’s throat burned as he anticipated whatever was coming next.

  “Well, the FBI agent who stopped by is looking for a woman from that same area. Said she might be dangerous. I wonder if that car’s connected.”

  “He thinks this woman might be in this area?” Luke’s mind raced.

  “That’s right. He’s been tracking her, and he believes she came this way.” He pulled a paper from a folder. “Here’s her picture.”

  Luke forced his eyes not to widen when he saw Hope’s picture there. But in this photo, she looked happy. She was smiling, laughing almost. Her curly hair bounced around her face, complementing the light dancing in her eyes.

  He swallowed hard. “She’s pretty. But dangerous, you said?”

  “That’s the rumor. She looks innocent, huh? That’s usually how the best criminals are, though. They take you by surprise.”

  “I guess so.” He rubbed his throat, processing all of this.

  “I just thought I’d mention it to you since the car was so close to your home. If you see her, call me.”

  “You’re really that concerned?”

  Joshua’s face pulled into grim lines. “She’s wanted for murder.”

  A buzz started between his ears. “Murdering who?”

  “Her husband. He was a cop.”

  Chapter Eight

  Hope managed to drift to sleep for a little while. There was something warm about the office. But there was also something disconcerting about being here. Even though she’d checked the door over and over again and made sure it was locked, she still couldn’t quite feel at ease. The idea of being caught here was too strong in her mind, too vivid.

  Finally, she put her legs on the floor, feeling guilty doing so. She needed to keep them raised. But what was she supposed to do? It wasn’t like she had people to take care of her.

  Luke’s face flashed in her mind. He had been taking care of her. A
nd he’d been going above and beyond. Honestly, he warmed her heart and made her believe in people again. All she’d felt lately was betrayal and hurt. But he’d shown real, genuine kindness.

  Something about the thought clutched her heart. Luke was one of the good guys. Maybe there was a God, and maybe He was watching out for her. How else could she explain how she happened to wander into the house of such a gentleman? And a doctor, at that?

  She rubbed her eyes and stood. She’d been eyeballing the computer on his desk all day. One thought—one person—had been rushing through her mind all day. Jackie Stephens.

  Jackie, her best friend, had let Hope borrow her car. Hope wondered how her friend was doing. What if she’d put Jackie in danger? Hope could hardly stand the thought of it.

  Suddenly convicted, she rushed to the computer. She sat down and tapped the keyboard. To her delight, the screen blinked on.

  Hope had known from the moment she left that logging into any of her online accounts would only spell trouble. Knowing Raul and his men, they were monitoring her every move in whatever way possible. That included through the Internet, and it was also the very reason she’d left her phone at her Georgia home.

  Did they know she was in this area? How would they?

  She’d thought it through before, but she couldn’t help but think about it again. They’d probably assumed she’d gone south down to Florida. After all, there were so many places she could have hidden out there. Instead she’d gone east, through Georgia, South Carolina, and into North Carolina. There was no way they’d know she was here in Hertford.

  A sudden thought hit her. Jackie’s car had one of those electronic passes on it, the ones used for easy, fast lanes at the tolls. If they figured out she’d taken Jackie’s car, they could access that information and find her.

  Fear suddenly felt real and like a mass inside her.

  She had to figure out if they’d realized the Jackie connection.

  She rubbed her lips together. Luke wouldn’t mind if she used his computer . . . she hoped. Her hands trembled as she pulled up an Internet browser. Thankfully, it opened without a password.

  Her thoughts felt like they traveled through gel as she tried to figure out her next move. As if to prompt her into action, Jace gave her a firm kick in the side.

  “Okay, okay, Hope. You can do this.” She typed in the name of a popular social media site. It popped up, and she typed in her friend’s name.

  She held her breath as she watched the screen load.

  There was her friend’s profile. She hadn’t set it to private. At least, not all of it.

  Hope began scrolling through the newsfeed there. She didn’t have to scroll long before she saw the recent messages posted on her friend’s timeline. Messages from Jackie’s friends and family. Where are you? I’m trying to get in touch. Missed you last night at book club. I’m getting worried.

  Hope’s heart pounded in her ears as she stared at the screen. What? No. It couldn’t be. What if Raul had gotten to Jackie? Hurt her? Tortured her?

  A sob stuck in her throat. She would have never taken her friend’s car if she’d thought this could happen.

  Hope had to call Jackie . . . but she couldn’t. If it was just Hope at risk, that would be one thing. But Jace’s life was on the line also. What should she do?

  Someone knocked at the door, and Hope jumped out of her chair, nearly hitting the bookshelf behind her. Raul’s face flashed in her mind. Had he found her? Or was she letting her paranoia play on her emotions?

  Just then she heard keys dangling. The lock clicked.

  Someone was coming inside the office, she realized.

  She held her breath, unsure of who it might be.

  The door opened, and Luke stepped inside. For a moment, she relaxed. But the feeling quickly disappeared when she saw the look in his eyes. Something was wrong.

  He pointed to the couch. “Please sit. We need to talk.”

  Despite the tension in his voice, he still helped her over to the couch and waited until she was seated. He stood in front of her and put his hands on his hips.

  “I need the truth, Hope. I need to know what I’ve gotten myself mixed up in.”

  She pushed her hair behind her ear, a million excuses scrambling through her mind. Should she make up something? Didn’t he deserve more than a lie, though? But why would he believe her?

  She looked up at him, rubbing her fingers together. “It’s . . . “

  “Please don’t say ‘it’s complicated’ again. I need to know details.” He pulled up his seat and sat across from her. “So please start talking.”

  Hope drew in a shaky breath. She had to tell him. She had no choice at this point.

  For the first time in years, she prayed. Lord, please don’t let this be a mistake. Please.

  Luke waited for Hope to start talking. He could see her nervousness, tell how upset she was about all of this. Her hands shook, her gaze shifted, and her breaths drew in and out unevenly.

  Was this woman really a killer? He couldn’t see it. He really couldn’t. She seemed too innocent, too kind. But he didn’t like being deceived.

  “My husband was a cop,” Hope finally started, her voice raw and hoarse. “We met when I took on a freelance graphic-design job designing a poster for a police event that Clint was heading up. We married a month later.”

  “That was fast.”

  She nodded with a soft smile. “Yeah, it really was. They say when you know, you know. That’s how it felt with us.”

  He waited for her to continue, feeling a strange tinge of jealousy. The emotion was ridiculous. She could have murdered her husband, and he felt envious of the man? He needed to have his head examined.

  “He was killed in the line of duty three months after we married. They said he was investigating a breaking and entering. The thief was still there and shot him. His killer was never caught.” Her voice broke.

  “I’m sorry, Hope.” He listened carefully, trying to ascertain if she was telling the truth or not. If that was the truth, then it was heart-wrenching.

  “I thought it was simply a horrible tragedy that happens sometimes in his line of work. I tried to move on. A month after he died, I found out I was pregnant.”

  “That had to be tough.”

  She nodded, her eyes becoming more hollow by the moment. “Tough is an understatement. But at least I had part of him to hang onto, right? The thing was, about two weeks before he died, he’d begun acting strangely. I tried to ask him about it, but he said he’d tell me later. He was looking into a case, and he needed to find out more information first. He was just acting on a hunch.”

  “Okay.” Where was she going with this? He knew one thing: her story so far didn’t line up with what Joshua had told him.

  “I was cleaning out our place. I realized I needed to get rid of some things. That it was time to move on. It was hard, but I was ready. I couldn’t continue to live in the past. As I was going through some papers, I knocked the drawer out. A secret bottom fell out, and I found a jump drive inside. Out of curiosity, I put it in the computer.”

  “What was on it?”

  She looked down at her hands. “It was evidence. Tons of evidence. On a Fortune 500 company that was falsifying their financial information and misrepresenting how much they made and how much they had to pay in taxes. Clint must have discovered it while on the job.”

  “Did he work white-collar crime?”

  “No, but he was investigating a murder of someone at this company. I believe now that this man who died was about to blow the whistle on what the company was doing. I think Clint discovered this information and realized just how deep the crime ran.”

  “What did you do with the jump drive?”

  “I didn’t know what to do with it, so I told Clint’s best friend Raul. I thought he could help. He’d really been there for me since Clint died—cutting my grass, fixing a gutter that was falling down, offering to check out my car. Clint and Raul had started togeth
er on the police force, but he’d moved on to work with the FBI. He’d been assigned to the field office not far from our home.” Her voice cracked. “Something changed on Raul’s face when I told him about what I’d found.”

  “Did you give him the jump drive?”

  Hope shook her head. “No, I didn’t bring it with me when we met. I don’t know why, but I thought it would be better if I kept it somewhere safe. Raul wanted it. He more than wanted it, even though he was trying to play it cool. I left, promising him that I would get him the information.”

  “And?”

  “Then I ran.”

  He squinted, trying to follow her reasoning. “Why?”

  She rubbed her hands against her jeans. “I knew if I gave him the information, he’d kill me. My gut feeling on it was very strong. I knew that Raul had some kind of stake in all of this, and the only way I had a chance was to run.”

  “And you ended up here?”

  “Not on purpose. I just started driving. I didn’t know where I was going, I just knew I needed to get away.”

  He leveled his gaze with her, needing to lay everything out. “So you didn’t kill your husband?”

  She gasped and her hand flew over her mouth. “Why would you ask that?”

  He frowned and the lines deepened on his face. “You’re going to want to stay seated, Hope. You’re not going to like what I have to tell you.”

  “Raul knows I’m here.” The room started to spin around Hope. “He knows. He’s going to find me, and he’s going to kill me.”

  Hollowness grew in her gut as despair tried to consume her.

  Luke leaned toward her. “You don’t know that, Hope.”

  She nodded furiously, her thoughts moving too fast for her to keep up. “I do. Somehow he found out. I think he may have killed my best friend when he figured out I took her car. He probably traced the toll pass that’s up behind the rearview mirror.”

  His jaw flexed. “We need to get you out of here, Hope.”

  She squeezed the skin between her eyes, trying to latch onto even an ounce of logic. Everywhere her thoughts went, the ending to this was tragic. “Now I’ve pulled you into this mess also. I’m so sorry.”