Brave Love

by Allyson Simonian

  Ethan put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get it. You stay here.”

  David’s voice drifted to her after Ethan opened the door. Ethan told David she was in the kitchen before excusing himself to go upstairs.

  David walked into the kitchen and gave her a hug. “How are you holding up?”

  She shrugged. “We’re going to Pennsylvania to meet with the FBI.”

  “You’ll be staying with your parents?”

  Paige nodded. “Maybe I can visit Karen while I’m there too.”

  She’d lose her mind if she didn’t have something else to think about. Hopefully work would provide a distraction.

  “Paige?”

  She forced her attention back to David.

  “Use the travel software for your ticket. For Ethan’s too. It’ll make it easier for you, and the company will cover the cost.”

  “You’re sure?”

  He smiled. “I’m sure.”

  When he left a little while later, Paige logged on to the company’s travel site. She input Pennsylvania as a destination, and a page of flight history popped up.

  Paige squinted at the screen. The screen showed a record for David from two years ago—travel to South Falls. But she was certain he hadn’t visited her parents then. Pushing aside the thoughts, she clicked the form for a new booking and began to input her information.

  Chapter 48

  When Ethan and Paige’s plane touched down in South Falls, she gripped his hand tightly as the plane bumped twice, and looked over at him with trepidation.

  He squeezed her hand back and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “It will be fine. We’ll figure this out, I promise.”

  Paige looked back at him, her large brown eyes dark with worry, then gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was scared and worried, and with good reason. The thought of someone wanting to hurt her terrified him as well, but letting her see his fears wouldn’t help her at all. She had enough on her mind, and he needed to hold it together.

  They rented a Suburban at the airport and headed for Paige’s parents’ house. Their meeting with the FBI wasn’t until Tuesday, and Ethan hoped to use the time before then to do some investigating of his own.

  He had thought that getting Paige out of Oregon would decrease his anxiety, but the relief was temporary. On the verge of meeting Paige’s parents, his nerves began jumping again.

  He’d laid everything out the other night with Paige—his feelings and his love for her. Although she had yet to say I love you back, he didn’t regret a thing.

  He maneuvered the SUV into the exit lane of the highway. For the next twenty minutes, they drove down wide streets lined with maple trees. They stopped at a light before turning onto a street populated with large homes, all on oversized lots and set back from the street. They crossed another intersection and Paige pointed to a large white house.

  “That’s it.”

  Ethan pulled to the curb. Moments later, the front door of the house opened, and Paige’s parents walked out to greet them. Paige’s father shook Ethan’s hand before taking some of the luggage.

  “Dr. Jordan, it’s nice to meet you,” Ethan said as he passed over one of their suitcases.

  Peter shook his head. “Don’t be silly. Call me Peter. And this is my wife, Stephanie.”

  Ethan smiled back at Paige’s mother as she grinned at him over Paige’s shoulder, the two women exchanging a long hug. He was happy to see how close Paige was with her parents. “It’s nice to meet you too, Stephanie,” he offered.

  Paige’s parents were about the same age as his mom, in their fifties. Ethan had seen photos of them at Paige’s house. When the pictures had been taken, Peter had only had a few threads of gray in his hair, but his hair was fully gray now. It gave Ethan an idea of how difficult the last couple of years had been for him.

  “You must be tired after that trip,” Stephanie said. “Why don’t you rest up before dinner?”

  Ethan and Paige made their way upstairs soon after that. Paige had said they were staying in her old bedroom. Her mother must have redecorated at some point, though, because this wasn’t the room of a child. His childhood room at his mother’s still held Little League trophies and baseball cards.

  Obviously, not everyone had trouble letting go of the past.

  • • •

  That night, Stephanie grilled steaks on an indoor grill. The four of them sat around the Jordans’ polished mahogany table in the dining room during dinner, and made small talk while the elephant in the room waited patiently. Stephanie carried most of the conversation with Ethan, while Peter and Paige concentrated on their plates. Throughout the dinner, Stephanie had cast worried glances at her daughter, and assessing glances at him, until there was a lull in the getting-to-know-you conversation and she leveled her gaze on him.

  “Tell me about the postcard,” she said, her tone and manner direct. “Paige called and told us about it, but we”—she glanced at her husband—”would like to know everything.”

  Ethan spent the next few minutes telling Peter and Stephanie what little he knew, as well as everything he suspected. Guessing Paige’s parents wouldn’t take well to his sugar-coating the situation, he was straightforward, even though he didn’t want to worry them. As he talked, he shot glances at Paige, who looked uncomfortable but didn’t interrupt.

  When he was done, Paige shifted in her seat. As if changing the subject, she smiled a little too brightly and asked, “Anyone hungry for dessert?”

  • • •

  After dinner, Ethan was invited into Peter’s den. The room was large and lined with wood paneling. One side held a desk and a bookshelf. A leather couch, two club chairs, and a bar took up the other side.

  Peter opened a mini fridge. “Are you sticking with beer or would you like something harder?”

  “Beer’s fine.”

  Peter uncapped a bottle and handed it over before picking up a decanter and pouring himself a scotch.

  “Paige said you were shot on duty,” Peter said gruffly after they’d sat down.

  “I was. In the shoulder.”

  “You had surgery?”

  Nodding, Ethan provided some detail. Paige’s father asked a few questions from his perspective as a doctor, apparently ensuring that Ethan had received the best possible care, and nodded with satisfaction when Ethan had finished.

  “You’re lucky it wasn’t any worse.”

  “I am.”

  “Why did you choose such a dangerous profession?”

  Ethan blinked at the unexpected question. “For a few different reasons. Mainly it was to make a difference.”

  There was silence, and Ethan wondered what Peter thought. Had his answer been too cliché? He gripped the cold bottle he was holding and studied the other man.

  Peter was a physician. He’d gone to school for years and, despite recent events, was clearly successful. Was he disappointed his daughter was dating someone who hadn’t attended college? Had he been hoping for someone better for his daughter?

  An uncomfortable silence wore on until Peter cleared his throat. “You’ll be returning to work soon?”

  “Once we get back.”

  The other man stood and walked to the window. More silence filled the room as Peter stared out at the darkness.

  “Will you be able to protect my daughter from this monster?” The words were spoken quietly, but Ethan didn’t miss the heated emotion they contained.

  Taking in a breath, Ethan gathered his thoughts. “For the next month our work schedules are similar. Whenever I’m at work, Paige will be in the office.”

  “And after that?”

  Ethan’s jaw tightened. He hated the possibility that things could drag on longer. But Peter was right; they very well could.

  “I want you to be honest with me if you can’t handle this,” Peter said as he turned and frowned at Ethan. “There are people I can hire.”

  Ethan met Peter’s gaze and nodded. N
ow he understood. The tension he’d read from Peter was worry about Paige. And while he didn’t know how it felt to have a daughter, Paige’s safety was of the utmost importance to him too. “I promise I will be.”

  Movement caught his eye, and Ethan turned to see Paige standing in the doorway.

  “What are you two talking about?” she asked.

  Her father walked over and patted her shoulder. “Just Ethan’s job, sweetheart. I’m going to see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen.”

  “What was he asking you?” Paige asked after her father had walked down the hallway.

  Ethan shrugged. “Just the typical getting-to-know-you questions.”

  Her features tightened into a frown. “It was more than that. Was he nice to you?”

  Ethan closed the distance between them. “He was fine. He’s just worried about you.”

  She sighed. “I know he is.”

  Chapter 49

  Between the jet lag and lack of sleep over the past nights, Paige was exhausted. She slept soundly that night. The next morning, Ethan woke her to say he’d be looking into a few things. Before he left the house, he made her promise not to go anywhere by herself. Not wanting to dwell on what he was investigating, she went back to sleep. By the time she’d woken again, showered, and made it downstairs, her father had gone to work.

  Her mother had a fresh pot of coffee waiting. Accepting a cup, Paige took a seat at one of the bar stools. She sipped from the mug while her mother put a piece of bread into the toaster. Looking around the kitchen, Paige was reminded of lazy weekend mornings back when she was still in high school and living here. There had been no worry then, no fear.

  “Dad looks better,” she said. “He looks like he’s gained back most of the weight he lost.”

  “He has,” her mom said brightly. “I was so worried about him after his patients . . . well, after they died. He wouldn’t eat much, no matter what I tried to tempt him with. It was such a horrible time.” Her expression dimmed momentarily, then she said, “It’s so nice having you home, honey.”

  “It’s nice to be home.”

  Stephanie had handled last night’s discussion of the postcard with a calm demeanor. She knew how to put on a brave front. But now Paige could see the lines of worry etched onto her mother’s face.

  Twisting her mug in her hands, Paige thought more about the evening before. “I’d hoped Ethan and Dad would hit it off last night,” she said, “but I’m not sure that happened.”

  Stephanie smiled wistfully before she put a hand over Paige’s. “Don’t worry. I’ll have a talk with him.”

  The toaster dinged and her mother walked toward it. “So, what should we do today?”

  Chapter 50

  Ethan confirmed the house number and parked in front of the two-story brown Tudor. Tucking his sunglasses into his pocket, he got out of the rented Suburban and walked up a flagstone path. His knock was answered by a tall brunette in her thirties.

  “Are you Susan Naughton?”

  She frowned and cocked her head to the side slightly. “I am.”

  Introducing himself, Ethan said, “I’m an officer in Bennington, Oregon, and I’d like to speak with you about your brother.” As he held out his credentials, the woman smirked. For a moment, Ethan wondered whether the door was about to be shut in his face.

  When she said nothing else, he stated, “You’ve maintained your brother had nothing to do with the murders.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “That’s right.”

  “I’d like to let you know of some developments in the case.”

  After a long moment, she relaxed her posture and sighed. “All right, then. Come on inside.”

  Ethan followed her into a living room, and after they’d taken seats across from each other, he leaned forward. “You’ve always maintained your brother’s innocence.”

  “That’s right.” The woman’s tone was defensive now. “You know, it really doesn’t make sense to rehash all this until I know what the new development is.”

  “One of the victims has just received a postcard. Very possibly from the killer.”

  The woman’s eyes grew wide. “He’s made contact? After all this time? I kept telling the FBI that Donald wasn’t the killer, that he’d been framed.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, tears of fury from the look of it.

  She stood and paced after Ethan explained that it was Paige who had received the postcard. He also explained their relationship.

  Susan turned back to him. “Does the FBI know?”

  Ethan nodded. “We have a meeting set up with them for tomorrow.”

  He read the desperation in her eyes. No one had believed her about her brother. But was she right? Had Donald been framed then murdered and left to die in the bunker fire? Or had he taken part in the crimes?

  He waited a beat before asking his next question. “Who would have been familiar with his property?” Her brother had owned acreage, something unusual in an area as built up as this one.

  Susan gripped the chair as she sat down again, blinking hard. “He had a couple of friends from high school still in the area, but that was it, really. Except for me and my family, of course. Donald was a bit of a loner.”

  Ethan pulled a notepad and pen from his jacket. “He was a tow truck driver. Is that correct?”

  “Right. Which is how he was first linked to the victims,” she said, her tone bitter. She clamped a hand over her mouth for a moment before she continued. “But he was on leave for a while; he’d enlisted in the army and served a couple of tours overseas. He came home and went back to work as a tow truck driver only a few months before everything happened.”

  Ethan frowned. He hadn’t known that detail. And while he hoped to be granted access to the original case files, all he’d read so far was Internet research and some information Captain Liu had been able to obtain.

  Ethan stared down at his notepad, deep in thought. If Donald had been targeted, it probably wasn’t just as a scapegoat. The size of his property would have been a factor. “Was anyone taking care of the property while he was in the military?”

  “I was. But I didn’t go very often. Only once every couple of weeks.”

  “Did you ever notice anything out of place?”

  She sighed. “You mean like someone digging a bunker?” She stood and began pacing again. “No. I never noticed anything. But the property is pretty expansive, partially forested.”

  “Who else knew he was away?”

  She wheeled around to throw out her hands in frustration. “That’s the thing. Everyone in town did. There was an article written about him when he went on his second tour.”

  To dig a bunker was a huge project. Yet if the property owner had been away for months at a time . . .

  “The portion of the property where the bunker was . . . is it visible from the house?”

  “No,” she said, and shook her head. “It’s completely hidden by the woods.”

  “Were you ever in those woods while your brother was away?”

  “Not far enough to have seen anything.”

  “And does your family still own the property?”

  Again, Susan shook her head. “No. There was litigation, and . . . well, the property was sold a couple of years ago.” Her dour expression gave an idea of how difficult a time it had been.

  Ethan stood. “I want you to know that I really appreciate your time. I’ll keep you posted on anything I find out.” No doubt the FBI would be in touch too.

  Susan gave him a nod before walking him out.

  Ethan’s next stop was at the property in question. He pulled up to a rustic-looking cabin set a hundred feet into the lot. Walking up to the cabin, he studied the woods behind it. The forest was even denser than he’d imagined; he could barely see a few feet in.

  When the new owner answered the door, a man in his sixties with a head full of silver hair that matched a short beard, Ethan explained why he was there. The man gave him permission t
o look in the woods and then walked him around the house. They rounded the garage and passed a Bobcat digger.

  Ethan gestured to it. “Is this yours?”

  “Yeah. I bought it with the property.”

  “Have you ever used it?”

  “Not yet.”

  Ethan wondered if it might hold forensic evidence. He added another note to the mental checklist he was making.

  After the owner came to a stop at the edge of the woods, Ethan asked, “How far out was the bunker?”

  “About two hundred yards,” he said, then pointed. “Directly behind the cabin.”

  Ethan considered, then asked, “Will I be able to find it myself?”

  The man nodded, saying it was clearly marked. Ethan thanked him, walked into the woods, and found the spot several minutes later. The hole for the bunker had been filled in, but the ground itself still looked disturbed. Char marks were evident on the surrounding trees.

  Ethan studied the area. It would have been possible for construction to go unnoticed here. He had no doubt about it. The real question was whether Donald Naughton had anything to do with it. One way or another, they needed tangible proof.

  Ethan spent a few more minutes examining the site before heading back to the house. He thanked the owner before walking back to the SUV. There, he exchanged a quick text with Paige. She and her mother were going out to lunch. Not wanting to ruin the outing, Ethan didn’t say where he was. After he’d put his phone back into his pocket, he started the Suburban and headed toward Paige’s college.

  The twenty-minute drive took him through rolling hills covered in snow. He imagined they looked majestic in the springtime. As signs for Falls College began to appear, Ethan fisted his hands on the wheel. What should have been a tranquil college experience for Paige had been ruined and she was still suffering. They needed to catch this guy. He’d do everything in his power to make sure that happened quickly.

  After arriving at the college, Ethan followed the signs to the administration building. When he walked into the dean’s office, he found an older woman seated behind a large oak desk.