Kitabı oku: «Secret Mountain Hideout», sayfa 3

THREE

Chase’s breath stalled in his lungs. He sat back to stare at the woman sitting beside him, taking in the paleness of her complexion, her short curly hair and frightened eyes. She wasn’t who she’d said she was. “What is your real name?”

Her lips twisted in a rueful grimace. She ducked her chin slightly. “Ashley Willis.”

He rubbed the back of his neck as he absorbed this bit of information. She’d lied about her identity. Was she still lying? How did he even know if she was telling him her real name? Or if the story she’d just told him and Alex was true? Was she mixed up in something that had ended the life of a police officer? Or had she really witnessed his death, as she claimed? Chase didn’t like all the questions and doubts. He wanted to believe she was now telling the truth. Should he give her the benefit of the doubt?

“Ashley.” He said the name slowly, testing it. “It will take some getting used to.”

“At first it was hard to remember to answer to Jane.”

Exchanging a glance with Alex, Chase replied, “I would imagine. Living a lie would be difficult.”

“It was necessary to stay alive.” She met his gaze with a direct look. “I couldn’t even go back to the apartment I shared with three other women.” Sadness crept across her pretty, tear-stained face. “I can’t imagine what they are thinking. Gregor assured me he’d take care of my things, so I hope he told them I’d landed an acting gig and was moving up in the world.”

His stomach dropped. It was an actress’s job to lie, in a way. No wonder she’d pulled off being Jane so long. “You’re an actress?”

“Aspiring. I did a few commercials.” Her mouth twisted. “Mostly I’m a waitress. Just like my mother.”

“Where is she?” Alex asked.

She glanced at him. “Barstow, California.”

Alex tilted his head. “Does she know where you are?”

Jane—uh, Ashley, shook her head. “I didn’t want to put her in danger.” She shrugged as a flash of hurt lit her eyes. “I doubt she’d care to know where I was, anyway.”

Chase couldn’t decide if she was courageous or foolish. Or playing him. “How did you end up here in Bristle Township?”

“I first landed in Albuquerque, then went on to Santa Fe. Every few weeks I kept moving. I intended to head to Canada. But by the time I arrived here, I was nearly out of cash. And I didn’t know what else to do, so I rented a room and got a job.”

“You did the smart thing by staying put.” If the assassin had found her somewhere else, things might not have ended well for her. “Now, you have to do another smart and brave thing. You need to go back to Burbank and testify about what you saw.”

She shook her head, terror darkening her eyes. “He’ll kill me just like he did that man. You’ve already seen he’s determined. Please, the best thing for me is to keep moving.”

He couldn’t let her disappear. There were too many unanswered questions. “I understand your fear. You were alone and on the run. But no longer. You have me and the Sheriff’s Department watching your back.”

His words didn’t seem to reassure her. He dared to press, “You need to tell the authorities in Los Angeles what you told us.”

A visible shudder rippled through her. “But what if the police there can’t protect me?”

Knowing he was taking a chance that might backfire, he said, “I’ll be there with you.”

Her eyebrows rose. “You mean, you’d actually go with me to LA? Won’t that interfere with your job here?”

“You let me worry about my job.” He ignored Alex’s snort from the front seat.

Chase had no doubt the sheriff would allow him to take his vacation days to accompany Ashley to Los Angeles. Whatever it took for her to feel secure in doing the right thing. His heart ached for her, for the hardship she’d endured and the horror she had witnessed. One thing he knew was that the trauma she’d gone through today was real. Someone wanted her dead. And guilt for letting the danger get so close to her ate at him. But it was time for her to come clean and help law enforcement put away a criminal. Getting her to agree to testify might take some work. Regardless, he would persevere.

She shook her head. “I can’t ask that of you. I’ve deceived you. I don’t deserve your sympathy or your protection.” She lifted her chin high as if she were ready to take a punch to the jaw.

His stomach contracted. Had someone hit this woman in the past? Or was this all bravado? Did she think she deserved to take her lumps for hiding her identity? Did she really expect them to turn their backs on her? Empathy nipped at him. She had to be telling the truth. No one could fake that kind of fear. And the danger was real.

He gathered her hands once again in his. “You were doing what you had to to survive. No one can fault you for that.”

She relaxed, blinking rapidly. “I should have gone to the police and taken my chances.”

He agreed, but what was done was done. They had to move forward. “You were in shock. You witnessed something horrible. When people are in the middle of trauma, they don’t make the best choices. And you were given advice that may, or may not, have saved your life.”

She turned away from him. “That’s true. Once I ran, I knew there was no going back.”

“But there is,” Chase insisted. “Once you testify to what you saw.”

Alex popped open the driver’s side door. “We should get her inside.”

Chase helped Ashley from the vehicle and ushered her into the sheriff’s station. “You’ll stay here for the time being. Safer that way.”

She nodded. “Good. I don’t want to put Mrs. Marsh in danger. But I should tell my boss at the Java Bean.”

“We’ll call him later and explain.” He directed her to the chair next to his desk. “From now on, I’m sticking to you like glue. We’re in this together.”

He was rewarded with tears and a wobbly smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ve been alone so long.”

“Not anymore.” He grabbed the phone. “Right now, I’m going to call Chief Macintosh and find out exactly what is going on.”

She put her hand on his arm. “Can you call the hospital and check on Gregor?” Her gaze beseeched him to comply. “He helped me when he didn’t have to and he asked for nothing in return. It would make me feel better if I knew he was doing okay. That they haven’t harmed him trying to get to me.”

For some reason her devotion to this man irritated Chase. He marshaled the strange reaction. It was a small thing to do, considering all she’d been through. A favor he was willing to grant. His heart squeezed tight. “Of course.”

She gave him the name of the hospital. A quick internet search gave him the hospital’s main number. He identified himself and inquired about Gregor Kominski’s condition.

What he heard sent his stomach plummeting. He thanked the woman and hung up. Turning to Ashley, he said, “I’m sorry to tell you this. Gregor Kominski succumbed to his injuries.”

Gregor was dead.

Anguish tore through Ashley. She dropped her head into her hands as grief swelled, making her insides ache. Gregor had died because of her. Guilt like shards of glass embedded themselves into her heart. He died even though he hadn’t known where she was and yet Mr. Sokolov found her through him, anyway.

Gregor’s death had accomplished what Mr. Sokolov had intended. He’d found her. And he’d sent someone to kill her. A shudder of terror worked over her limbs. How many more killers would show up until she was dead?

Gentle hands landed on her shoulders. “Ashley, you are not responsible for what happened to your friend.”

She lifted her gaze to meet Chase’s. How did he know that she blamed herself? Was she that easy to read? Or was he that good at his job? She suspected it was the latter.

This man was so kind, so generous and honorable. She didn’t deserve his help. And if anything happened to him... Her heart contracted painfully in her chest.

If anything happened to anyone in Bristle Township because of her, she would not be able to live with herself. Especially now that she had let down her guard enough to allow people in, even if only just a little. She’d made ties to this community that she’d never intended to form. That had to end here and now.

She gave Chase a tight smile. “I appreciate your trying to comfort me. But I know Mr. Sokolov is the guilty party. And he needs to pay.”

For the first time since that night, the seeds of anger took root, making her limbs shake. She wanted desperately to be brave enough to bring Mr. Sokolov down.

She needed a moment to collect herself. “Is there a restroom I can use?”

“Down the corridor, door on your left,” Chase instructed.

On wobbly legs, she made her way down the hall as the sheriff returned. Quickly, she ducked into the restroom, not ready to have a face-to-face with Chase’s boss.

Once inside the small single-user space, she turned the lock and slumped against the door as the floodgates let loose and she sobbed into her hands. She was crying for herself and for her friend who had paid the ultimate price. It was all so unfair. But then she knew God never promised fair.

She wasn’t naive. Even if Mr. Sokolov were behind bars, her life would be in danger.

Fair or not, she would have to leave Bristle Township. A deep cold numbness spread through her body.

She couldn’t allow anyone here to get any more involved with her. She couldn’t allow her heart to become more attached than it already was. There would come a point when she would find an opportunity to leave.

Until then, she would do what was necessary to keep everyone safe. And she would pray, with everything in her, that the handsome deputy would be able to protect her long enough to give her testimony. Then she would disappear again, despite how much her heart longed to stay in Bristle Township.

She left the restroom and headed back to Chase’s desk, only he wasn’t there. A flutter of anxiety hit her in the gut. Then she spied him in the sheriff’s office talking with his boss. She put a hand to her stomach to quell the uneasy knot camping out there.

“Is it true?” Deputy Kaitlyn Lanz walked in. Her blond hair was mussed with little twigs sticking out from the long strands. Her uniform also showed signs of her trek into the forest and the distinct smell of horseflesh wafted in the air, teasing Ashley’s nose. She sneezed.

“Alex told me your story,” Kaitlyn said.

Ashley’s heart thudded in her chest. Kaitlyn stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Swallowing back the bile rising to burn her throat, Ashley had no illusions that once she confirmed the truth, Kaitlyn wouldn’t want to have anything more to do with her. She braced herself. “Yes, it’s true. I’m not Jane Thompson. My name is Ashley Willis.” The burn of tears pricked her eyes. “I’m so, so sorry.”

Kaitlyn came to her and wrapped her in a hug.

Surprise rendered Ashley immobile, even as her nose twitched again with the urge to sneeze.

Drawing back to meet Ashley’s gaze, Kaitlyn stated in her no-nonsense tone, “I would have done the same.”

Kaitlyn’s kindness made Ashley want to cry. “I hated not telling you.”

“Don’t apologize for doing what you had to. I’m just glad that we know and now we can help you.” One corner of Kaitlyn’s mouth tipped upward. “Ashley, huh?”

Ashley nodded.

“Okay, then,” Kaitlyn said. “You’re a survivor. A fighter. I can respect that.”

As much as Ashley wanted to believe Kaitlyn’s words, she knew they weren’t true. If she’d had any backbone, she’d have gone to the authorities in the beginning and not lost a year and a half of her life to fear.

Chase stepped out of the sheriff’s private office and joined them.

Putting her arm around Ashley, Kaitlyn addressed Chase, “So what are we going to do to protect our friend?”

A small smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Bless you, Kait.”

Kaitlyn’s eyebrows rose. “What? You thought I’d turn my back on someone in trouble?”

Chase shook his head. “Actually, no.” His gaze met Ashley’s. “But I have a suspicion someone else might have had that thought.”

Heat rose in Ashley’s cheeks. She had expected the worst. Better to be pessimistic than to hope for the best and be disappointed.

Kaitlyn bumped her with her shoulder. “We good?”

Bemused, Ashley bumped her back. “Yes.” For now. However, she really had to find a way to put some distance between them all so none of them were hurt. But for the life of her, she couldn’t bring herself to pull away.

“She can stay with me,” Kaitlyn announced.

“Actually, the Los Angeles district attorney, Evan Nyburg, is making arrangements for us to fly to California in the morning,” Chase told them.

“You’re going with her?” Kaitlyn asked.

Ashley held her breath. He’d promised to not abandon her, but she wasn’t sure that was a promise he could keep.

“Yes,” Chase confirmed.

“The sheriff is okay with that?” Ashley blurted out the question.

“Yes, he’s on board for me to escort you to Los Angeles. The district attorney’s office is arranging hotel rooms at the Denver airport for tonight and tickets on the first plane out in the morning.”

“Good,” Kaitlyn said.

“Kaitlyn,” the sheriff called from the doorway of his office and waved her over.

“Excuse me, the boss calls.” Kaitlyn left them to join the sheriff in his office.

Ashley put her hand on Chase’s arm. “I don’t know what to say. You shouldn’t be taking time away from your work for me.”

“Ashley, I’m doing my job. Keeping you safe is a priority.” The phone on his desk rang. “I’m expecting a call.”

While Chase took his call, Ashley marveled at the way these people were rallying around her. It didn’t make any sense to her. In her limited experience, very few people would go out of their way to assist a stranger.

But they had signed up to do just that, she reasoned. And she shouldn’t read anything more into their willingness to help her. She needed to keep an emotional barrier up and the best way for her to do that was to remember Chase and Kaitlyn were being paid to protect and serve.

Chase hung up the phone, his expression troubled. Dread filled Ashley. What now?

Chase stared at his desk phone for a moment, pondering the upsetting news he’d just learned. Ashley sat in the chair beside his desk, drawing his attention. He was glad to see she’d pulled herself together. He’d sensed she was on the verge of a breakdown when she’d hurried to the restroom. Empathy curled through Chase. Her guilt had been palpable when he’d told her of Gregor’s demise. Chase hoped she really understood that the blame for her friend’s death laid at the feet of the one who set the fire and the one who’d ordered the deed done.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

He ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. “That was Detective Peters’s boss. The real Detective Peters,” he amended, because they didn’t have a name yet for the man Chase shot. “Macintosh is sending over some photos and I want you to see if you can identify the man you saw killed.”

Her chin dipped. “Do you think it might not have been Detective Peters?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what to think. Did you know that Sokolov is believed to be the head of a drug cartel with ties to Eastern Europe?”

“No.” Surprise colored her voice. “I never saw any drugs at the restaurant.”

The ding of an incoming email drew his gaze to his computer screen. He opened the post from Chief Macintosh and clicked on the attachment. An image appeared with two rows of four mug shots, each one numbered. Chase didn’t know which was the real detective.

He turned the monitor so Ashley could see the pictures. “Take your time,” he told her.

She stared at the screen with uncertainty written across her face. “He was far away and it was dark.”

“But not too dark for you to see Sokolov?”

“There was a street lamp. Mr. Sokolov was standing beneath it, but the other man was shadowed.”

“Close your eyes and go back to that night if it helps.”

She did as he suggested and after a moment she opened her eyes. Taking control of the mouse, she blew up each photo and stared at it, before moving on to the next one. Finally on photo number seven, she sat back. “That was him. I’m sure of it.”

“I’ll let Macintosh know,” he said. He sent off a quick email, telling the chief the witness had identified photo number seven.

A few seconds later, Macintosh replied. Chase read the email. “You’ve identified Detective Peters. The detective went rogue. They don’t know why he was there in the alley that night. He told no one of his plans. Thus why there was no backup.”

She winced. “Do you think he was dirty?”

Chase hoped not. “Hard to say at this point. It would really help if you could remember anything that the detective said.”

“I’ve been trying,” she said. “His voice was more of a murmur so I don’t recall his exact words. But Mr. Sokolov didn’t appear to be concerned with anybody hearing him.”

Chase read the rest of the email. “Detective Peters’s body was found dumped in the ocean and washed up on shore. If that hadn’t happened, he would still be missing.”

There was no mistaking the surprise in Ashley’s red-rimmed eyes. “Someone moved him. And...” She grimaced.

She didn’t need to state the rest. Yes, someone had tried to cover up the crime. “Are you sure, without a doubt, it was Maksim Sokolov who pulled the trigger?” Even though Alex had asked the question earlier, Chase needed to reaffirm her answer.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

Chase was glad to hear her confidence.

She heaved a sigh. “Okay. Now you all know who was shot, when and where. Do I have to go back to LA?”

“Yes, you do. The district attorney wants to depose you himself and then at some point you’ll have to appear before a grand jury, then in court.”

She made a pained face. “He’ll be there, in court, right?”

Chase wasn’t going to sugarcoat the truth. “If we can make the charges stick and take him to trial. Then yes, Sokolov will be in the courtroom and he will be watching you. But you don’t have to speak to him. All you’ll need to do is testify that he was the one you saw pull the trigger.”

“You’ll be with me?”

He understood her concern. The case could take months if not years to go to trial. “I promise. No matter how long it takes.”

“But what about your job?” The distress in her tone was touching.

“You let me worry about that. I’ll work it out with the sheriff.” Not wanting to examine why he’d make such a promise, he turned off his computer and gathered his personal belongings. “Come on. We’ll head to my place. I need to pack a bag and change into clean clothes before we head to Denver.”

“My duffel bag?”

“It’s still in the SUV. We’ll grab it on the way to my truck.” He paused. “I’ll need to text Lucinda to let her know we’re on our way.”

Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “Who’s Lucinda? Your wife?”

“No, the woman who raised me,” he said. After sending the text, he put his hand to the small of Ashley’s back and led her outside. “Lucinda Jones was my nanny as a child. When I moved here, I brought her with me. Her husband passed several years ago, and she didn’t want to move to Florida where her adult son and his family reside.”

“What about your parents?”

“They live in Chicago. Dad’s a cardiologist and Mom’s the hospital administrator.” And not really a part of his life except for on holidays. They were too consumed by their professions.

After retrieving her bag, he helped her climb into his truck, a blue metallic 1987 Silverado pickup.

Once they were on the road, she smoothed a hand over the dashboard. “This is pretty cool.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

“I think one of my mom’s boyfriends had one of these back in the day.”

He slanted her a quick glance. “Were there many boyfriends?”

Ashley sat back and gripped the edge of the bucket seat. “Yes. My mother is a difficult and complicated woman.”

He understood difficult and complicated. Two words he could attribute to his own parents. “What about your father?”

“I was a baby when he left.” She turned her head away. “Did you restore the truck yourself?”

Clearly, she didn’t want to talk about her family. There would be time to assuage his curiosity about Ashley. But for now the truck was a neutral topic.

“I did.” He couldn’t keep the pride out of his tone. “Rebuilding the truck was a labor of love and a challenge. It was one of my first purchases when I arrived in Bristle Township. I needed something to get me around, but I didn’t want anything fancy. And because I was low on funds, I bought this beast from a local farmer who had it sitting in a barn. Over the next year or so, I refurbished her every night and weekend.”

Ashley’s laugh filled the cab as her gaze swung to him. “You call the truck a her?”

Enjoying the sound of her laugh, he said, “Yep. Blue Belle.”

“Hello, Blue Belle.”

Her smile tugged at him. Not for the first time, he battled the draw of attraction. She was so pretty. He recalled her words about men not thinking of her in terms of dating, only as the friend or the sister. He hated to think she didn’t believe herself to be beautiful and attractive. But it wasn’t his place to inform her that she was both. His job was to protect her.

He pulled into the driveway of his one-level mid-century modern home with a small yard and shut off the engine.

“Nice place,” she commented.

“Thank you. It was a fixer-upper when I bought it. Someday I plan to get a dog but just haven’t taken the time.” He climbed out and came around to her side of the cab to open her door. She didn’t move. “Ashley?”

“What if he sends more assassins after me? I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be putting you and Lucinda in danger.”

“I can’t leave you out here,” he said. “We won’t be long.” He held out his hand. “Lucinda will have dinner ready. And we don’t want to keep her waiting.”

As they entered the house, Chase couldn’t stop from glancing over his shoulder at the quiet residential street as Ashley’s words rang through his head. There was validity to her fear.

What were the chances that a man like Sokolov would only send one assassin to Bristle Township?