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

  I didn’t want to break up with Chase.

  I didn’t want to go out with Benjamin.

  I didn’t want Chase to be injured in the middle of these riots.

  And I didn’t want to make this stupid cake.

  I took a sip of my raspberry tea and leaned back. Not even Peggy Lee singing in the background about it being a good day to be alive could soothe my nerves. I mean, I wasn’t talking about a bad day or a bad week, even. I was talking about things that had the ability to change my entire future.

  My phone buzzed. I saw I had a new email—from the task force meeting I’d stumbled through earlier today.

  This was my first time serving on a task force, and I hadn’t been sure exactly what to expect. We were tackling one case at a time, and today we’d been introduced to one involving a missing woman named Deborah Picket.

  Six months ago, Deborah Picket didn’t show up for work at the interior design firm she co-owned. Her husband, who worked for the government, called the police at noon when he realized his wife wasn’t answering her phone. He claimed he slept on the couch the night before and didn’t go into their bedroom that morning in order to let her sleep.

  Her car and clothes were still at the house. None of the money in her bank accounts had been touched. And no one had heard a word from her since then. Coworkers said she never complained about her marriage and that she seemed happy. The woman had seemingly disappeared into thin air.

  Although Deborah’s husband, Tom, was suspected of her murder, her body had never been found nor any evidence to charge him. The only hunch the police had was based on the fact that Tom Picket was having an affair. He’d joked in an email about killing his wife so he could be with his girlfriend. He’d taken shooting lessons six months earlier, and he upped Deborah’s life insurance policy that year. However, no charges were pressed by the DA’s office.

  Four months after Deborah disappeared, Tom killed himself without leaving any notes or confessions. Deborah’s body still hadn’t been located, and her family desperately wanted answers. I hoped this interagency task force would be able to help.

  Each of us had left the meeting tasked with reviewing the case files. With the fresh sets of eyes on the case and the inclusion of people of different professions, maybe we could find a new lead. Nothing I dredged up would necessarily be used in court. We were simply looking for answers.

  I finished my tea and put the cup in the sink. I had to get some rest. Maybe with a little sleep, things would look brighter. Then I could get a handle on how to deal with the hand life had given me at the moment.

  I climbed the steps to my bedroom and stepped inside, visions of relaxation in my head.

  Instead, my light didn’t pop on when I flipped the switch. Instantly, my stomach clenched.

  “I wanted to pay you another visit, just in case my earlier note didn’t sink in,” a familiar yet unwelcome voice said.

  “It sank in just fine,” I said, steadying myself with the doorframe. I wanted to run, to flee, but I couldn’t.

  “You haven’t followed my instructions. There will be consequences.”

  “What kind of consequences?” I hardly wanted to ask the question. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted this dilemma to magically disappear from my life. All the wishing in the world wouldn’t make that happen, though.

  “I can’t tell you that. It would spoil all the fun. But there will continue to be consequences until you do as I asked.”

  “As you asked? I didn’t exactly hear anything that left me wiggle room.” My words had a bitter edge to them.

  “You think you’re clever, getting Chase to move out of his house. But you will not outsmart me, Holly Paladin. Let me make that clear. You’re a means to an end—an irreplaceable means.”

  Well, there was that. At least I knew someone else was being targeted, and I was just being used. This was all about . . . Chase? He was the most logical choice.

  “Can you just tell me what you want?” My voice cracked. “There’s got to be another way to do this. Your methods leave a lot to be desired.”

  “You’re not in a place to be defiant, Ms. Paladin.” Anger simmered in his voice now, and I realized I’d pushed too much.

  “Holly, I’m home!” The door opened downstairs. Mom. Mom was here.

  I braced myself. Would one of those “consequences” the man had mentioned have something to do with my mom?

  I prayed that wasn’t the case.

  CHAPTER 9

  “Go downstairs and greet your mom like nothing has happened,” the Shadow Man instructed. “Speak of this to anyone, and I’ll accelerate this process. I expect results, Ms. Paladin. And soon.”

  With one last glance at the shadowy figure, I rushed downstairs. I wanted to get away from the creep, and I wanted to demand more answers. Leaving was the wisest choice, though.

  Before I reached the bottom of the stairs, I slowed and attempted to compose myself. That was about as easy as calming a tornado. My insides felt like a disastrous mess.

  “Hello, Mother,” I said, walking gracefully to the bottom step.

  “Holly! You’re still up.” Mom pulled off her coat and slipped it into the closet. “Was it all the sugary cakes that Alex made you try? I wanted to go, but I had the board meeting for the children’s hospital. Our big fund-raiser is coming up two weeks after Alex’s wedding. Life never slows down, does it?”

  “Cake tasting was fine. I suppose Alex already told you she didn’t like any of the samples?”

  Mom paused in the foyer. “She mentioned that. She knows what she wants. I guess that’s why she’s as successful as she is today.”

  I rubbed my neck and quickly glanced behind me. Was the man upstairs gone yet? I had to keep Mom down here long enough for him to leave. First of all, I wanted to keep her safe. Secondly, I didn’t want to have to lie to her about what was going on.

  “I was just about to go to bed when I heard you come in,” I started, smoothing my skirt. “I wanted to say hi.”

  “You’re looking a little pale, Holly. You’re not coming down with something, are you?” Mom frowned and put her hand to my forehead.

  I shook my head. “No, I think I’m just tired. It’s been a long day, full of meetings and appointments.”

  Not to mention dealing with possible killers, death threats to my loved ones, and a strange man lurking in my house. I kept this last part silent, of course.

  “So you’re making Alex’s cake?” As she breezed toward the kitchen, I caught a whiff of her rose-scented perfume.

  I frowned. “Somehow Alex convinced me to say yes.”

  Mom raised her eyebrows and put the kettle on for her nightly tea. “Really? Now that’s something I wasn’t expecting to hear.”

  “Me either.”

  “But it’s going to be such a beautiful event.” Mom sighed, a far-off look in her eyes as she leaned against the granite countertop. “I wish your father were here to see it.”

  The weight on my chest grew heavier. Life would never feel completely whole again without my father here. “Me too.”

  She let out another long sigh before raising her chin. “We have no choice but to keep going, right? Life goes on. We just have to keep the memories of the ones we love alive in our hearts.”

  My hand covered hers, and I squeezed. “Dad would be really proud of you, Mom. You’ve really proven what a strong woman you are.” Sometimes I forgot that my mom was still human beneath her well-manicured exterior. She seemed so put together, but everyone needed encouragement sometimes. I tried to listen to the quiet voice nudging me to follow His leading.

  Mom patted my cheek just as the kettle whistled. She grabbed it and poured some water into a dainty teacup. The scent of spearmint rose with the steam.

  “Thank you, Holly,” she said. “I know he’d think the same thing about you. The ability to continue on in the face of grief and adversity says a lot about a person. There’s a time to mourn and a time to continue on. It can be one of
the hardest realizations to accept.”

  I fought a sad smile. It was strange. Sometimes I’d give anything to turn back time and have some extra moments with my father, to feel like a whole family again. But if I went back in time, it would mean giving up Chase. That was one of the ironies of life, I supposed. It was impossible to have it all at once. Some moments and people and relationships only came with time.

  “Well, I’m heading to bed, Holly. I’ll see you in the morning.” She kissed my cheek, then hurried upstairs with her tea in hand.

  “I’m coming behind you,” I called.

  I quickened my steps, hoping the Shadow Man wasn’t upstairs still. She reached her bedroom just as I cleared the stairs.

  “The window’s open again? I need to have this checked out.” Mom harrumphed as she gently placed her porcelain cup on her dresser, strode toward the wall, shoved the glass down, and clicked the locks in place. “Well, would you look at that?”

  “Look at what?” I stepped into her room, my eyes darting around in one last desperate attempt to make sure the man wasn’t here.

  “The lock is broken. No wonder it keeps popping open.”

  Interesting. Had the man arranged that so he could easily come and go? But how had he gotten in the first time?

  “I can probably fix that in the morning. I just need to run to the store first.” Dad had been a locksmith, and he’d made sure to teach me the basics. Though I was all girl, I’d still been content to pal around with him on the job rather than go to fancy galas with my mom.

  “Thank you, Holly. We’ll be fine for tonight. I mean, what’s someone going to do? Scale the side of our house and break in?” She let out a laugh.

  If Mom only knew, she wouldn’t be laughing.

  If she only knew.

  ***

  Although things were relatively calm in the downtown area the next day, Ralph said we still needed to meet in our temporary offices to be on the safe side. I had mixed feelings. Part of me wanted to show the city that we wouldn’t back down or be bullied. The other part of me craved safety and didn’t think I could handle the stress of another riot breaking out while I was nearby.

  I finished writing replies to three constituents. One wanted Ralph to endorse a bill that had been proposed. Another thought the crime in the city was growing out of control. And yet another needed a recommendation for the college of his choice.

  With those letters printed and proofread, I stuck them in a folder so Ralph could approve them. When I finished that, I picked up my file on Tom Picket and reviewed the information there. Tom had been thirty-six and worked for the government, although his exact job title was undisclosed. He liked hiking and fishing and didn’t have any children. Interestingly enough, Alex was the one who had told detectives there wasn’t enough evidence to press charges against him.

  It was funny the connections that could be found between my family members. Since we all worked with the public in one form or another, people we knew often overlapped.

  I needed to look into Tom’s background more, but first I had to stand. My body was still sore from being trampled and stabbed. Whenever I twisted my back the wrong way, my muscles quickly reminded me I’d been hurt and needed to take it easy. That meant that sitting too long in my office chair made me ache.

  Which was what was happening now. I’d been at work for only three hours, and I already felt sore. I could take a pain pill, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be lucid enough to function properly, and I didn’t want to risk that.

  As I stretched, my phone rang, and I saw that it was Jamie. Maybe chatting with my friend would help me perk up some. “Hey, girl,” I told her.

  “You weren’t going to tell your bestie what happened?” Jamie said.

  “Huh?”

  “You were stabbed,” she said bluntly.

  “Oh, that,” I muttered.

  “Yeah, that. You know how I heard about this? I was covering the riots, and a witness said that Ralph Paladin’s sister was injured. I guess she’d seen you being carried away in an ambulance.”

  “I’m sorry, Jamie.”

  She paused. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m sore, but I’m hanging in.”

  “Get this, Holly. I know everyone thinks that car bomb was because of these riots, but I’m talking to sources who claim these protesters don’t have the know-how to do stuff like this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “These people who are protesting aren’t the engineer types. They’re not guys who can make their own explosives, set them under an unmarked police sedan, and detonate it at a later time. I wonder if Chase is being targeted for some other reason.”

  Her words caused my stomach to drop. “It’s an interesting theory.”

  “Just tell him to be careful, okay? And you be careful too. I mean, really? Getting stabbed? How does someone accidentally stab you?”

  They didn’t, I said silently. The Shadow Man had been there. If only I had seen his face. But he was among the crowd when everything happened, and stabbing me was his way of letting me know I was within his grasp.

  We hung up, and I plopped back down in my chair. But not before Henry the Tell caught my eye and raised his chin. Great. He’d just heard all of that, hadn’t he?

  I stared blankly at my computer screen as thoughts swirled in my head. I just wished I could make sense of everything. It seemed an impossibility, though.

  In crisis intervention training, I’d never encountered a scenario of “Break up with your boyfriend or I’ll kill him.” Who did stuff like this? Someone with a twisted mind, that was who.

  I sighed and tried to focus by checking my email. I had to get over this brain fog. Every time I was supposed to be concentrating on something else, all I could think about was my own dilemma. Honestly, the best way to put my own pain in perspective was to concentrate on other people and how I could help them. Sometimes that was easier said than done.

  As I scanned my email list, my eyes stopped at one in particular. It was labeled “Important,” and the sender’s name was “Jon Dough.” Jon Dough? This had to be some kind of email scam.

  Despite the internal alarms sounding in my head, I clicked on it, and a video popped on my computer. I sucked in a deep breath at what played out on my screen.

  A Craftsman-style house, decorated with clean lines and classic architecture, filled my vision. The decorations were minimal, the colors monotone, and the whole place immaculately clean.

  Ralph’s house.

  The feed switched from room to room. No one was home, but I saw Chase’s things in one of the bedrooms. His coat hung on the back of the closet door. The football-emblazoned shaving bag I gave him for our one-month anniversary sat on the dresser.

  I closed my eyes. Somehow that man had set up cameras in Ralph’s house also. What else had he done? Another bomb?

  As if to answer my question, the shot panned to the basement. The camera zoomed in on something in the rafters.

  Something with wires and a blinking red light, all attached to a black box in the center.

  A bomb.

  This nightmare wasn’t going to end, was it?

  ***

  When Chase called an hour later, my nerves were paper-thin. Hearing his voice only deepened my uneasiness. Something was wrong.

  “Holly, you need to get to your mom’s house.”

  I instantly tensed in my office chair, expecting the worst. “Why? What happened?”

  “Someone broke into the house.”

  My insides squeezed with apprehension and worry, feelings I knew all too well lately. “Oh my goodness. Is Mom hurt?”

  “She’s fine, just scared. The intruder tied her up and put her in a closet.”

  “How did you find her? Who called the police? Did you catch the person responsible?” The questions rushed out.

  “This is the strange part: apparently the intruder called 911 before he left.”

  I closed my eyes. This was the consequence I was facing,
wasn’t it? The Shadow Man was sending a clear message. A little too clear.

  This was my fault. I should have fixed the latch on that window. I hadn’t had the time last night, so instead I’d wedged a dowel rod between the windowsill and the double-hung glass.

  I should have hurried to the store right then, but I’d figured he wouldn’t strike again so soon. My optimism might get the people I loved killed, and I couldn’t let that happen.

  “I’ll be right there.” I jumped up, ignoring the twinge in my back, and searched for my purse. “Have you told Ralph yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “I’ll fill him in.”

  I hurried through the office and burst through my brother’s door. He was meeting with three men I’d never seen before, but I didn’t care.

  “Holly?” Ralph stood.

  “Someone just broke into Mom’s house!” My voice sounded breathless.

  “What?” His voice rose with surprise.

  “Chase called. I’m on my way there now.”

  “I’ll go with you.” He took a step my way, ready to abandon his meeting.

  “I can handle it,” I told him, raising my hand before he ran me over. “You stay here. I’ll keep you updated.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, I’m positive.”

  With that, I hurried to my car. I held my breath as I cranked the engine. I’d done that ever since Chase’s car exploded. The only thing that comforted me was the fact that I thought this man needed me alive. Killing me off at this point wasn’t part of his plan, or he would have probably done it already.

  Oh, Lord. What am I going to do?

  My hands trembled against the steering wheel the entire drive home. As soon as I pulled up, I bypassed everyone—the police officers and paramedics and even a few nosy neighbors—and went straight to find Mom.

  She sat on the couch in our formal living room, a cup of water in her hand. She slowly took a sip as a police officer lingered close. Despite her ordeal, she looked beautiful, with not a blonde hair out of place and her business suit still pressed and neat. If my superpower was kindness, hers was looking put together and composed.