Stolen Secrets Read online

  Without a distraction, she stewed in her own troubled thoughts. How long had it been since she’d faced boredom without a crutch? Even now, many of the people who crowded the scene were hunched over their phones. Such an incongruous sight. There was a dead man not fifteen feet away, and one of the uniformed officers was texting. Life went on.

  The conversation with Jordan played like a loop in her head. The more she thought about his accusations, the more confused she became. She hadn’t been trying to diagnose him. When they’d talked in the van, he’d been open and honest about his injuries. In the chapel, he’d become defensive.

  She’d done nothing wrong, and his reaction hurt her. As the emotion blossomed through her chest, her lips parted, and she dragged in a ragged breath.

  Something broke loose inside her. For the past year, she’d been numb. She’d pushed all of her feelings aside and concentrated on the day-to-day. While she hadn’t felt the pain, she hadn’t felt the joy, either.

  She’d thought the suffering was hers and hers alone. Now she wasn’t as certain. Maybe if she hadn’t been so distracted for the past year, she wouldn’t have made such an easy target.

  Someone had done this to her on purpose. Someone she worked with day in and day out had put her life in danger. The realization was sobering. She’d considered each of her coworkers in turn and had failed to settle on a single person she thought capable of something like this.

  As she mentally walked through the list once more, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d missed something important.

  TEN

  For the second time in the past three days, Jordan found himself surrounded by lights and sirens and police.

  The man’s body had been cordoned off behind screens while evidence was collected. The scene playing out was eerily similar to the events at the coffee shop only days before. Like actors in a play that ran night after night, they were all going through their same lines and hitting their same marks.

  Westover, Karp and the two additional team members had taken seats in the front two pews. Lucy sat behind them, a silver blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

  She must be freezing. The temperature had dropped along with the sleet and rain, and she’d gotten soaked in the process. Not once had she complained. Not once had she shown any signs of impatience.

  A detective Jordan recognized from the coffee shop shooting approached him. He was tall and lanky with two deep vertical creases in his forehead that pulled his eyebrows together, giving him a perpetually cranky appearance. From what Jordan had seen, the detective knew his job. He’d kept the scene organized and professional.

  “I’m Detective Ryan.” The man stuck out his hand. “We met before.”

  Jordan accepted the proffered handshake. “Yeah. I remember.”

  “They found the van a few miles away from here,” the detective said. “It was reported stolen a week ago. I’ll have Forensics sweep the interior. Looks like there was blood on the driver’s seat. Your second guy was injured. Might be a bullet wound. We’ll know if he shows up at any of the local hospitals.”

  “You think they turned on each other and only one of them survived?”

  “Maybe. There was mud in the parking lot, and we managed to save two sets of tire tracks. Can’t really tell when the second set was left because of the sleet. If it’s from a second car, we could be looking at an ambush. I’m pulling all the recordings from the entrance cameras in the cemetery just in case. But don’t get your hopes up. Looks like at least one of the security cameras was vandalized recently. Doesn’t take much to connect the dots.”

  Jordan considered the possibilities. Maybe the cemetery was the destination all along. The men were supposed to deliver Lucy to the chapel, but they messed up when they snatched Jordan, as well. If that was the case, there was a chance the buyer had shown his displeasure with a bullet.

  “Then you haven’t ruled out the possibility of a third party?” Jordan asked.

  “Until we find the suspect with the tattoo, we won’t know for sure what happened here.” The detective gestured. “Thank you for securing the scene. Much appreciated.”

  “No problem.”

  The detective retrieved a business card from his breast pocket. “If you need any help, I can be ready on a moment’s notice. If what you suspect is true, we’ve got a dead man walking out there. The sooner we find him, the better.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  Having already given his statement, Jordan made his way down the aisle and took the seat next to Lucy.

  Westover said something that made her smile. She turned, and he knew the instant she saw him. Her smile faded and the sparkle in her eyes was replaced by a shuttered expression.

  His gut clenched. He knew better than to get defensive, but he’d gone and done it anyway. He’d apologize later, when they didn’t have an audience.

  He hesitated only a moment before slipping onto the pew beside her.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked.

  She tucked a strand of platinum hair behind one ear, her expression wary. “I’ve been better. Have you discovered anything new?”

  He sincerely hoped he hadn’t botched things between them for good. It wasn’t Lucy’s fault he’d let his temper get the better of him.

  With the rest of the team staring at him expectantly, Jordan filled them in on everything he’d learned. When he finished, Karp retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and removed his glasses.

  “What about you guys?” Jordan asked. “What happened?”

  As he absently polished the lenses, Karp said, “We got the video and audio of the kidnapping and set up a perimeter. Didn’t take too long to figure out they’d slipped the net.”

  Westover planted his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands before him. “We found the sunglasses and your gun. We followed the tire tracks out of the park, but we lost them when they got to the road. What happened before that?”

  “It was me,” Jordan said. “They didn’t count on someone interrupting them. Lucy had the foresight to say I was a friend she’d brought along for protection.”

  “Good thinking.” Karp jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “Or you’d be lying alongside that guy.”

  Her face pale, Lucy cast a surreptitious glance at the cordoned-off area. “I don’t get it. Why kill him?”

  “I don’t know.” Jordan stared at the portrait of an elaborate angel created from tiny square tiles on the chapel wall. “We have to consider two possibilities. Either these guys turned on each other, or whoever hired them wanted to clean up a few loose ends. Either way, at least one of the witnesses escaped. They found blood in the van.”

  “The buyer may want us to believe they turned on each other,” Karp said. “There’s a possibility he wanted to stage it that way, but one of them got away. Let’s hope we can find him alive—otherwise, this is all empty conjecture.”

  “What do we do now?” Lucy asked.

  “Let’s get you out of here,” Jordan said with a weary sigh. “Then we tell the buyer you’re not interested in making any deals after today. End of story.”

  She tilted her head. “But doesn’t that defeat the purpose of everything we’ve done?”

  Karp replaced his glasses. The sparkling lenses reflected the harsh floodlights the police had set up to illuminate the scene.

  “This has escalated,” Karp said. “Ms. Sutton is in danger no matter what we do from this point out. I’ve been tracking the buyer for two years. He’s never killed before. Something is different, and I don’t like when people go off script. Makes me nervous. Something has him desperate, and that’s not good for any of us. He’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants.”

  “It’s too risky for a civilian,” Jordan said.

  He hadn’t been able to shake the image of the man grabbing Lucy by the hood of her coat an
d dragging her backward. They’d both gotten out alive—this time. They might not be as fortunate the next time around.

  “This is dangerous,” Lucy said. “I get it. I’m not stupid. But the buyer doesn’t want me dead. He’s had plenty of chances to kill me and he hasn’t. That defeats his purpose.”

  “Look at that guy.” Jordan jerked his chin toward the front of the chapel. “You don’t have to look far to see what happens when someone doesn’t suit his needs anymore.”

  Lucy scooted forward. “But we’re not there yet. I’m still valuable. Plus, he thinks I have an overprotective boyfriend. Which means Jordan can be seen with me. This guy has heard us together in the house. He took a picture of us. He’ll expect me to be with Jordan. It’s the perfect cover for a bodyguard. After today, we can refuse to meet in person again. He can’t fault us for that. That gives us leverage.”

  “She’s right,” Karp said. “But for now, we wait. He’s got the flash drive. We see where that gets him.”

  “We also have his connection to Consolidated Unlimited,” Westover added. “Jordan is cleared for employment. Someone tried to sell classified information, and they nearly succeeded. We find them, and we have another path to the buyer.”

  Lucy nodded. “Jordan and I can go to work like normal on Monday.”

  None of this struck Jordan as a good idea, and their current track record was abysmal. They’d put Lucy in danger, and they were no closer to discovering the identity of the buyer than they had been three days ago. One of the abductors was dead, and the other one had gone underground.

  Karp glanced around. “Looks like they’re wrapping up here. Westover and I will coordinate with the detective in charge and bring the car around. Jordan, why don’t you stay with Ms. Sutton?”

  Karp stood without waiting for an answer, leaving Jordan in the awkward position of being alone with Lucy once more.

  Clearing his throat, he stared at his clasped hands. “I’m sorry. About before. I don’t know what came over me.”

  “It’s all right. It’s been a long day. I think we’re both entitled to be a little cranky.”

  Her hair was damp, dragging the waves almost straight, and the cut on her cheek stood out in harsh relief to her pale skin.

  “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you,” he said. “I’m sorry for that.”

  “Apology accepted.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Yes.” A smile danced around the corners of her mouth. “Just like that. Forgiveness is much easier than carrying a grudge, and I’ve always been lazy.”

  “I highly doubt that.” Despite the events of the day, he felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest. “We’ll figure out what happened here. I promise you that.”

  He’d put her life in danger, and she deserved to know the risk wasn’t in vain.

  Detective Ryan lumbered down the aisle and paused beside Jordan. “You guys know anything about this?”

  He held up an evidence bag with a smashed flash drive, and Jordan’s heart sank.

  Despite everything they’d done, they were back to square one.

  * * *

  Lucy checked her reflection in the mirror and considered changing her dress, then stopped herself. This was ridiculous. She wasn’t going on a first date; she was going to her job. There was no reason to be this worked up and excited. She was being ridiculous.

  Even with all her self-talk, her heart beat a rat-a-tat-tat in her chest.

  True to his word, Jordan’s team had rented the house next door, and Jordan was living there full-time. Over the weekend, they’d set up both video and audio surveillance equipment. They’d swept her house and discovered only listening devices, which they’d identified for Lucy. There were two on the first level and one in her office.

  Knowing the devices were there had annoyed her the first day, but she’d grown accustomed to them in a remarkably short amount of time. When she was alone, they rarely bothered her. She hadn’t even curtailed her off-key singing, and she hoped her unwelcome listeners were heartily annoyed. She’d even added “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to the rotation, and she couldn’t hit any of the notes in that song.

  To maintain their cover, Jordan had come over two nights in a row. On Saturday she’d made dinner, and on Sunday he’d brought takeout. While they studiously shunned personal details in deference to their remote audience, they’d gotten to know each other’s favorite books and movies. Following the incident in the chapel, she’d been careful to avoid any mention of his injuries.

  Of all the inconveniences she’d suffered over the past week, having a fake boyfriend wasn’t the worst thing that had happened.

  Fifteen minutes later, she opened the door for Jordan.

  She’d changed her dress. Not out of vanity, of course. Only because it was supposed to be warmer today than the day before. If she thought the style was better suited to her figure, that was merely a coincidence.

  Jordan clapped his hands. “Ready to face corporate America?”

  For the first day on the job, he’d dressed in business casual with navy trousers and a fitted blue button-up shirt. The slight hint of cologne drifting through the open door sent her heartbeat into overdrive.

  “Ready,” she replied, only slightly breathless.

  As far as anyone from Consolidated Unlimited was concerned, Lucy had recommended her friend and neighbor for a job in the department. The ruse allowed her and Jordan to carpool without anybody questioning their prior relationship.

  Jordan offered to drive, and she gladly accepted.

  When they turned onto the main road, she smoothed the material of her dress over her knees. “Maybe I should change my hair color.”

  Her cheeks flamed. Great. She hadn’t meant to blurt that out quite so abruptly. They’d gotten to know each other over the past few days, and she sensed he’d give her an honest opinion.

  Jordan glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “Why would you do that?”

  “Someone obviously thought it was easy to impersonate me because of my hair.” She’d been thinking about her mom’s advice all week. Maybe it was time to listen. “And the way I dress. What if I was—I don’t know—more normal? Would it be more difficult to impersonate me?”

  “You don’t have to change anything. Not unless you want to. Do you want to?”

  “I don’t know. Would it be better if I looked more mainstream?”

  “You look normal to me already.”

  “But I have blue highlights. And it’s not just about someone impersonating me. Consolidated Unlimited is a conservative company. It’s not a cutting-edge tech start-up in San Francisco. What if I get passed over for a promotion because of my hair?” Her mom had harped on the possibility often enough. “I want to be taken seriously. I’d hate to think that how I dress is holding me back from job opportunities.”

  “Not according to your supervisor, it’s not. He did nothing but sing your praises during my interview.”

  She blew out a breath. “That’s good to hear.”

  “Times are different these days. Part of my job involves the ability to blend into a crowd. To go unnoticed. Being invisible is good for what I do, but it’s not necessarily an asset in the corporate world. Besides, you’re pretty tame compared to what I see other people wearing. You don’t even have tattoos or piercings. And I like your hair.”

  Her stomach flipped. “You do?”

  She hadn’t been fishing for a compliment, but she didn’t mind getting one.

  “Your hair is cool. And I’m not just saying that. I like that you take risks. I like every—I like that you take risks. As long as you do good work and take your job seriously, other people will, too.”

  She couldn’t quite tell, but she thought maybe he’d blushed a little. Maybe she’d make a few small changes and meet her mom’s advice in the middle. She’d
still be Lucy, just a polished version.

  Sensing she was making him uncomfortable, she changed the subject. “Is it weird? Working in an office like a regular joe?”

  “Hate to break it to you, but I am a regular joe. When I’m not in the field, I’m sitting in a cubicle in Maryland. It’s not that different.”

  He turned into the parking lot and flashed his credentials to the security guard in the booth.

  Frank leaned out of the sliding glass window. “Hey, Lucy. Haven’t seen you in a couple of days. Hope you’re feeling better.”

  “Much better,” she said, stretching over Jordan to wave at the friendly security guard. “Thank you.”

  Given the awkward angle, she had to press her hand against Jordan’s thigh to resume her seat. She quickly retracted her arm, though she couldn’t help noticing his well-developed muscles. Clearly he was a runner. Probably he had to stay in shape given his job. Maybe he’d be interested in doing a little biking this week. Just to maintain their cover, of course.

  “This must be the new guy,” Frank said, waving them through. “Pleasure to meet you, sir.”

  “You, too.”

  “Don’t forget your credentials,” Frank called after them. “Or I can’t let you in. No exceptions. I always remind the new guys.”

  Jordan sketched a wave. “Got it.”

  Lucy hadn’t thought she’d be nervous about returning to work, but now that she was here, her hands were clammy and the muscles along her shoulders ached. Someone inside that building had nearly gotten her killed. Did they understand the havoc they’d wreaked on her life? Did they care?

  Jordan pulled into a parking space and killed the engine. “Remember, pay close attention to everything that happens in there. Anything that’s out of the ordinary. Anyone who’s acting strangely. Even someone who’s being overly friendly. Even if somebody is avoiding you. Both things could be signs of guilt.”

  Lucy waved her hand between them. “What about us?”