Tracking Stolen Secrets

by Laura Scott

  Guests were beginning to mingle, even though the hour was early and the party hadn’t officially started. The room grew more crowded as the hour approached 7:00 p.m. Helena caught a glimpse of a striking man wearing a tuxedo, standing amid a group of people. She realized he was Jayson Porter, the billionaire owner of the hotel. The stunning woman at his side, dressed in a beautiful aquamarine floor-length gown, had an enormous teardrop diamond pendant hanging around her neck.

  “Congratulations!” someone called, rushing toward the group.

  Helena watched with bemusement as Jayson planted a kiss on the woman’s lips. “Thank you. I’m absolutely thrilled Camille has agreed to be my wife,” he said in a loud, booming voice.

  Many of the guests lifted glasses in a celebratory toast. Apparently, this was an engagement party, as well as a grand opening event. Did Cantwell and his boss know that?

  Or was it just an added bonus?

  The way the people were dressed, flashing more jewels than Helena had seen in her entire life, she figured it didn’t matter.

  Any one of them could be a target.

  And where in the world was her sister? Helena’s position was near one of the coffee stands. With the long skirt surrounding the table, it would make a good hiding place for Luna.

  Catching Everett’s gaze, she subtly gestured toward the table. He slowly nodded, giving his approval.

  Helena didn’t waste a second. She raced back to the suite, grabbed Luna by the leash and returned to the ballroom. She wasn’t sure how she managed it, but soon the dog was lying beneath the skirted table without anyone noticing.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, she caught a glimpse of a slender, auburn-haired woman wearing a server uniform enter the room carrying a tray.

  Zoe wasn’t a redhead but there was something about the way the woman moved that seemed—familiar. She found herself inching closer, trying to get a better look at her face.

  The redhead turned just enough for Helena to see her full profile.

  Zoe!

  FIFTEEN

  Helena’s heart flooded with relief. Her sister was right there, on the other side of the room. As she began to nonchalantly make her way closer, Zoe set the tray down, turned and walked quickly back through the door from which she’d entered.

  Was that a door leading to the kitchen? Had to be.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Helena changed course, taking a position near the wall so she could keep an eye on the doorway. As much as she wanted to rush in there to confront her sister, she didn’t want to make a scene.

  She touched her earpiece and checked the radio frequency was on channel eight. “Everett? I spotted Zoe. She’s dressed as a server and has dyed her hair red.”

  “Good eye,” Everett responded. “I haven’t seen any sign of Cantwell yet, but I suspect he’s close by. Try to get your sister off someplace alone.”

  “Ten-four.” Sweeping her gaze around the room, Helena knew that wouldn’t be easy. For one thing, more guests were arriving by the minute, each one dressed more glamorous than the next. Well, except for Camille—soon to be Mrs. Jayson Porter. Her aquamarine gown and flashy beauty made her a standout in the crowd.

  Helena eased from her location near the side wall, trying not to catch anyone’s attention. She didn’t like not having Luna at her side but felt the need to remain as inconspicuous as possible. She moved slowly, eyeing each of the servers searching for her twin’s familiar features.

  Where in the world was Zoe?

  This was the closest she’d been to her twin in well over a year. And she couldn’t bear the thought of losing her again.

  She had to convince Zoe to give herself up. She just had to!

  Christine needed her mother. And Helena wanted her sister back, safe and sound.

  “Did you see the size of the diamond around Camille’s neck?” Everett asked, his voice low and husky in her ear. She suppressed a shiver. He was on the other side of the room, but her visceral reaction was as if he were standing right beside her.

  “Yes.” She raked her eyes across the room, trying to spot the beautiful woman who’d just gotten engaged to the billionaire owner. “Do you think that’s the target?”

  “Why not? The pendant and the new shiny diamond ring on her left hand would be worth more than all the loot they’ve stolen to date.”

  Everett’s theory was chilling. Was it possible Zoe was the one assigned to steal that jewelry? The idea made her feel sick. “Okay, alert the entire security team and let’s try to keep an eye on Camille. It won’t be good for any of us if she gets hurt as a result of this.”

  “Ten-four.”

  Craning her neck, she was relieved to see the billionaire and his new fiancée were standing in the middle of a group of partygoers. At least the aquamarine dress was bright enough to spot in the crowd.

  Helena continued to make her rounds discreetly through the ballroom. It had been nearly thirty minutes since she’d glimpsed Zoe and doubts began to creep in.

  Had she imagined the similarities between the redhead and her sister? It was difficult to remain objective with her twin in the crosshairs.

  One of the bartenders caught her eye and she frowned, thinking he looked familiar, too. She watched him without seeming to, her mind whirling in an attempt to place him.

  Then it hit her. Cantwell. Gareth Cantwell was dressed as a bartender.

  She touched her earbud. “Everett, I see Cantwell behind the bar closest to you.”

  “Give me a minute to get a visual. Ten-four.” There was nothing but silence as Helena scanned the room for Zoe. There were many servers coming and going, busy with bringing out trays of food, so it was difficult to keep track of each one.

  Frustrated when there was no sign of the redhead, she turned on her earpiece again. “Everett? Do you see Cantwell or Zoe?”

  “Negative.” Everett was quiet for a heartbeat then asked, “Do you have eyes on Camille?”

  A warning shiver snaked down her spine as she raked her gaze over the milling guests. The room was packed now, and music began to drift from strategically placed speakers, making it difficult to hear. “No. I don’t see her, either.”

  “Let’s make one more sweep then check the restrooms,” Everett suggested.

  “You stay in the ballroom. I’ll head into the bathrooms.” Helena knew from scoping the place out earlier that there were two sets of restrooms—one off each end of the ballroom. She paused to give Luna the hand signal to stay and then headed over to check the bathroom closest to her first. There were two pretty women at the counter refreshing their makeup. The white stall doors went all the way to the floor, so she couldn’t look underneath them to check for the aquamarine dress.

  After the two women left, she called out softly, “Ms. Camille?”

  Nothing.

  She tried every stall door, finding one locked. She knocked on the door. “I’m looking for Camille.”

  “Well she’s not in here with me,” a testy voice responded.

  Feeling foolish, she responded, “My mistake. Sorry to bother you.”

  Helena returned to the main hallway that ran along the front of the ballroom. She tapped her ear buds to activate the two-way communication via the radio. “Nothing in the restroom to the right, heading to the other now.”

  “Got it, and be careful. I think Cantwell is on the move, I don’t see him behind the bar anymore.”

  She didn’t like the sound of that. As she turned the corner, she caught a glimpse of the redhead.

  “Zoe!” Helena kept her voice low but urgent. “Zoe, wait.”

  The redhead turned to glance back. Zoe’s eyes widened as she recognized Helena. Finally! She’d found her sister. Zoe had what appeared to be a velvet bag clutched in her hand. But, instead of stopping, her twin broke into a run.

  “Zoe, don’t go!” Helena we
nt after her, but her sister disappeared behind another doorway. She reached up to activate her radio. “Everett, I’m following Zoe through a hallway parallel to the ballroom. Luna is still inside beneath the coffee table.”

  “Roger that.”

  It took precious seconds for Helena to catch up to her twin. She slammed through the door, surprised to find herself in a narrow hallway instead of the kitchen or food staging area.

  Zoe must have sensed Helena behind her because she kept going, pushing through yet another door at the end of the narrow hall. Helena put on a burst of speed in an effort to catch up.

  Suddenly she was outside and in the rear parking lot. Zoe’s hands were now empty. Had her twin given the goods to someone else?

  “Zoe,” Helena snagged her sister’s arm. “You need to come with me.”

  “No.” Zoe yanked out of Helena’s grip with a ferocity that surprised her. “Camille is in the restroom unconscious from being hit on the head. She needs help.”

  “You attacked her?” She couldn’t hide her horror. “No, Zoe, please stop this madness right now. You have to turn yourself in, cut a deal with the police so we can reunite you with Christine.”

  “I won’t go to jail, Helena. I won’t!” Zoe spun away and broke into a run. Within seconds, her twin was swallowed by the trees and brush.

  No. This wasn’t supposed to end this way. Zoe was supposed to agree to turn herself in.

  Instead, her twin had chosen to be a fugitive on the run.

  Helena whirled around to run back inside. She needed Luna’s help more than ever.

  As much as she loved her twin, she couldn’t let Zoe get away with assault and battery, not to mention grand theft.

  There must be a way to change Zoe’s mind about all this. There just had to be.

  * * *

  Everett ignored the chatter in his ear from the rest of the security team. First, he’d lost sight of Cantwell, who was actually shorter than he’d anticipated, with feet that did not look as if they fit into a size twelve hiking boot. And now he couldn’t find Helena or Zoe.

  Where was everyone?

  He hated being out of the loop.

  After changing his radio channel to the private one for just him and the two K-9 cops, he left the ballroom and headed down a narrow hallway. From the map of the property in his head, he sensed there was a kitchen that ran along the back of the ballroom, and from there likely to the parking lot located near the employee entrance.

  What better way to escape?

  As he burst through the first doorway, he nearly collided with Helena coming in. She looked frazzled, her eyes wide with alarm.

  “Zoe ran into the woods! I’m getting Luna to track her scent.”

  “You want me to wait for you?” Everett asked.

  “No. Call Will, so you can find the cave entrance he mentioned. I have a feeling that’s where Zoe is headed. Also, let the rest of the security team know Camille is in the bathroom to the left of the ballroom and needs help. I believe Zoe hit her over the head and robbed her.”

  The news of Camille being harmed was disturbing. “Will do. And I’ll get Will and Scout to join us at the cave.”

  “I’ll be there ASAP.” Helena ran past him, heading toward the ballroom.

  It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to let her go alone. She was a trained state trooper and had a great partner in Luna.

  Still, he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

  It occurred to him that he couldn’t imagine what his life would be like without Helena. Would he see her again once this case was over?

  Surprisingly, he wanted to. Very much.

  As he continued to cross the asphalt parking lot, he touched his earpiece. After he let the hotel security team know to send a female guard into the restroom to find Camille, he called up Helena’s team member on their own radio channel. “Will? You and Scout need to meet us in the cave behind the Grand Chalet. It’s the likely hiding spot for Zoe and Cantwell, and whoever else is involved in this mess.”

  “Roger that, we’re on our way.”

  Everett plowed into the woods, following the broken branches that he firmly believed had been left by Zoe and or Cantwell. Thankfully, the light sky helped him visualize the area without difficulty.

  He couldn’t believe Zoe had hit Camille over the head and robbed her, no doubt taking both the large diamond around her neck, as well as the new flashy engagement ring. Poor Helena. He’d have little choice but to arrest her twin once they finally caught up to her.

  If only Zoe had stayed in his cabin with Christine. He and Helena could have kept them both safe.

  Instead of now being forced to chase the young mother through Denali.

  The woods grew thick, forcing him to slow his pace. The path was more difficult to follow now; there weren’t nearly as many broken branches to indicate the path Zoe had taken.

  He listened intently, trying to pinpoint the location of the cave. When he heard a dog bark, he smiled, thinking either Will and Scout had gotten there or Helena and Luna.

  A border collie came bounding through the brush behind him. Glancing back over his shoulder, he spied Will Stryker not far behind.

  “Where’s Helena?” the trooper asked with a frown.

  “She and Luna will be here soon.” At least, Everett hoped so.

  “We need to split up, come at the cave from different directions,” Will said. “The cave entrance is roughly due east. I’ll take Scout to the north, you take the south.”

  “Should we let Helena know?” Everett asked.

  “I’ll tried to raise her on the radio but didn’t get a response.”

  Everett paled. “No response? That’s not very reassuring. She didn’t have to go far to get Luna—the dog was in the ballroom.”

  “I wouldn’t worry, she’s probably just working with Luna in an effort to track Zoe.” The other man didn’t appear concerned.

  Everett nodded and veered off toward the south, as Will had directed. Since the trooper had been in the cave before, and he hadn’t, there was little choice but to follow his lead.

  Still, he couldn’t help glancing back over his shoulder, scanning the area for Helena.

  The terrain began to climb and he caught a glimpse of an opening near some rocks. Not quite as large as the cave entrance he and Helena had found, but big enough for a man to enter walking upright.

  He crouched behind a bush, keeping the cave entrance in sight. No one was near the opening. Nor could he see Will or Scout.

  Touching his earpiece, he tried Helena. “Helena? Are you okay?”

  No response. Did the wireless devices work this far out here in the woods? Maybe not.

  But then he heard Will Stryker’s voice in his ear. “Everett, I’m in position.”

  “Me, too,” he responded.

  “Let’s approach, but cautiously,” Will said.

  “Roger that.” Everett slowly rose and eased toward the cave entrance, the hairs on the back of his neck lifting in alarm.

  Helena’s lack of response bothered him.

  He lifted his heart in prayer. Please God, keep Helena and Zoe safe in Your care.

  * * *

  Helena had wasted precious seconds returning to the ballroom for Luna but had returned just in time to see Everett disappear into the woods.

  The elkhound was hot on Zoe’s trail, and Helena was thankful for her partner’s ability to track people and apprehend suspects.

  No doubt she’d need both of Luna’s keen skills before this night was over.

  The dog moved quickly through the brush, pursuing Zoe’s scent. Helena had left Luna off leash, just in case they ran into Cantwell or one of the shooters. As she pushed through some thick brush, her earpiece fell out taking the small radio with it, but she didn’t stop. She had her weapon in hand, but her palm was s
lick with sweat as she pushed leaves and branches out of the way to keep up with her K-9.

  At one point, Luna doubled back to find her. She praised the dog then gave her the command. “Seek. Seek and get her!”

  Luna whirled, her large tail wagging with excitement as she rushed back on Zoe’s trail.

  Helena thought she could see the cave entrance up ahead but had no idea where Will and Everett were. She hoped they hadn’t gone into the cave without her providing backup.

  Besides, once in the cave, there was no telling how deep Zoe had gone. Luna would be able to track her, but Scout’s expertise was more around scenting narcotics.

  Maybe Cantwell had drugs on him? She could only hope.

  Helena felt someone come up behind her and turned, expecting to see Everett.

  Only to find herself looking at the blunt end of a gun.

  She froze, her gaze lifting to Cantwell’s with a sinking feeling in her gut.

  “Drop the gun.” His voice was quietly intense. Every cop on the force knew you did whatever possible to avoid giving up your weapon, but she didn’t see that she had much choice. The gun in Gareth Cantwell’s hand was mere inches from her nose.

  Impossible for her to disarm him.

  Even calling Luna wouldn’t work; he could just as easily shoot her partner. And no way was she allowing that to happen.

  With painstaking slowness, she opened her fingers and dropped her weapon. It hit the soft earth without making a sound.

  “Now what?” she asked, meeting his gaze defiantly. He might be armed, but she was still a trained state trooper.

  And she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Get rid of the earpiece, too.”

  “I lost it already.” She pointed at her ear, while her thoughts whirled. Had Luna already caught up with Zoe? She hoped and prayed the K-9 wouldn’t come back to find her.

  “Put your hands on your head and walk slowly into the cave,” Cantwell ordered. “Do something stupid and I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

  Once again, she complied. Turning her back on the man wasn’t easy, and she mentally braced herself in case he decided to shoot her in the back.