Unmasking the Shadow Man

by Debbie Herbert

  “The usual. For us to back off.”

  “No way.”

  “That’s what I told him.”

  Liam grasped her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing the inside of her wrist. “This meeting with the Collinses won’t take long,” he promised. “And if anything else is bothering you, we’ll work it out.”

  She gazed out the passenger window until she spotted the 1830s farmhouse with its redbrick, federal-style architecture rising with a quaint charm in the wide meadow where several horses grazed. “Isn’t it beautiful?” she said wistfully. “And wait until you see the inside. Interior brick walls in the kitchen, fireplaces in every room, vintage appliances—”

  “Sounds like they sank a fortune in this place,” he commented wryly. “No wonder they’re up to their eyeballs in debt.”

  “Richard’s gambling is at the root of their problem, not the restoration.” Her knee-jerk defense of Kimber surprised her—considering how Kimber had tried to scare her out of her own home.

  “They can pay off house loans, but gambling ones just get bigger and come with strings attached,” she added.

  “Whatever the reason, they’re in serious trouble,” he said.

  Liam pulled into the semicircular cobbled driveway and stopped the car. “Why don’t you wait here while I conduct my police business? What if Richard doesn’t react well?”

  “All the more reason to go in with you. He’ll react better if I’m there as a reminder of what he and Kimber owe me for not pressing charges,” she countered, exiting the car. They walked up the pathway to the front door.

  “You should see this place in spring. Kimber planted roses and herbs along the border, and it looks and smells like heaven.”

  But Liam didn’t respond. His jaw was set in determination—a look she’d come to think of as full cop mode. He pressed the doorbell, and they silently listened to the deep chime echo inside. Moments later, a pigtailed girl in Hello Kitty pajamas opened the door and stared up at them with welcoming curiosity alight in her eyes—the same shade of blue as her mother’s.

  “Miss Harper!” she threw herself on Harper, wrapping her small arms around her thigh.

  “Hey there, Courtney.” Harper smiled at the child’s enthusiastic welcome. “Good to see you, hon.”

  “Who’s at the door? I told you not to answer it unless...” Kimber emerged from the den and then stopped in the hallway, surprise and uncertainty clouding her eyes.

  Liam had felt that an unscheduled visit would be more strategic. That way, he could speak without an attorney or anyone else from the Baysville PD involved.

  “May I have a word with you and your husband?” Liam asked.

  Kimber’s hand flew to her throat. “Go back in the den, Courtney.”

  They all watched as the little girl raced down the hall. Once she was safely out of sight, Kimber faced them. Her eyes darted back and forth between Liam and Harper. “You aren’t...” She wet her lips. “You aren’t here to arrest me on more charges, are you?”

  “No, ma’am. But I have serious business to discuss with you and your husband. Is he home?”

  “Yes.” Reluctantly, she gestured them inside. “Let’s go to the sunroom, where the kids won’t be able to hear us.”

  “Richard?” she called out. “We have company.”

  Harper strolled down the familiar hallway, feeling oddly...disloyal. Which was crazy. Kimber was the one who had betrayed their friendship, not her. And yet, how many times had she been in this same house, feeling like part of the family?

  Not anymore.

  They followed Kimber into a sunroom furnished with white wicker furniture. Baskets of lush ferns hung from the high beams. Glass panels afforded a view of the surrounding woods. At a rustic pine table, Kimber stiffly gestured for them to have a seat. A moment later, Richard appeared in the doorway, dressed casually and sporting his usual easygoing grin.

  That smile faltered at their somber expressions. “What’s up?”

  “Shut the door. I don’t want the kids to hear.”

  “Sounds dire.” He tried to joke, but it fell flat in the strained silence. Richard took a seat, folding his hands on the table.

  Liam extended a hand. “Liam Andrews.”

  The men shook hands, and Richard gazed at all of them expectantly.

  “I did something really stupid you don’t know about.” Kimber’s lips twisted, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

  “That’s not why we’re here,” Liam cut in.

  Richard kept his eyes focused on his wife. “What did you do?”

  “I was desperate to get my hands on Harper’s house. You know I’ve always thought it could be converted to a profitable B&B. And we need the money so bad.”

  Richard scowled, clearly unhappy with their financial situation being discussed openly.

  “You can explain that to your husband later. Like I said, that’s not why I’m here, and Harper’s already told you she’s not pressing charges.” He faced Richard. “Actually, you’re the reason we’re here today. You’re in deep trouble.”

  “Me? You’ve got to be joking.” He snorted with disbelief. “And I don’t even know who the hell you are. What’s your business with us?”

  Kimber tapped his folded palms in a quick warning. “He’s a cop, Richard.”

  Chagrin washed his face. “Guess I better listen up, then.”

  “It’s come to my attention that you’ve been gambling heavily—to the point where you’re overdue on your losses.”

  “Not again!” Kimber pushed away from the table, eyes blazing. “You promised me you’d stop.”

  Richard looked down at his hands, and a flush crept from his neck to his face. Harper’s heart went out to him. She’d never seen him look anything but carefree and confident. And she knew he was crazy about Kimber. Gambling must be a sickness with Richard, a compulsion that drove him despite his best intentions.

  “Have you even been attending the counseling classes?” Kimber continued. “Or have you been lying about that, too?”

  “I have. It’s just... I thought a couple of wins and I could ease the strain. Pay a few overdue bills.”

  “Same old story.” Kimber shook with indignation. “It does me no good to work so hard when all you do is gamble everything away.”

  Richard raised his head and faced Liam, ignoring his red-faced, accusing wife. “How did you find out about my uncovered losses?”

  “I have my sources,” he answered evasively. “It’s reached the point where they’re through with the verbal threats. Tonight, they plan to physically coerce the money from you.”

  Stunned silence greeted that news.

  Kimber recovered first. “What do you mean?” she whispered.

  “Oh, my God. What have I done?” Richard groaned and scrubbed at his face. “I’ll go to the bank now and pay them off.”

  “What good will going to the bank do? There’s nothing there. You’ve ruined us!”

  “I’ve ruined us? What about you? You just had to buy this place and go crazy fixing it up.”

  The sunroom door squeaked open, and Courtney stuck her head out. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her little face puckered in dismay. “Why are you screaming?”

  “See what you’ve done?” Kimber said in a whispered hiss at Richard. She pasted on a fake smile. “Everything’s all right, sweetie. Go back in the den and watch TV with your sisters.”

  Courtney teetered on her feet, her gaze flickering back and forth between her parents.

  “Go on,” Richard said gruffly. “We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Their daughter didn’t appear convinced that all was well, but she obediently left, her shoulders drooping as she shut the door behind her.

  “Thanks for the warning,” Richard said, using the table to push himself up. To Harper, it app
eared his spirit had been sucked away. “I’ll take precautions.”

  “But what about us?” Kimber faced Liam. “Are those men coming after me and the children, too? Are we in danger?”

  “I won’t let them touch you or the kids,” Richard vowed. “I promise.”

  “Yeah, right. Like you promised you’d quit gambling?”

  “Y’all can stay with me a couple of nights. Or until the danger’s passed.” Harper surprised even herself with the offer. Despite what Kimber had done, the thought of Courtney and her sisters being in danger pulled at her conscience. She had plenty of room at home, and it was only for a short time.

  “You’d do that for me after...after everything I’ve done?” Kimber swiped at the tears streaming down her face.

  “I want Courtney, Anise and Layla to be safe,” she hedged. Harper turned to the scowling Liam. “Won’t this make it easier for you to set up a sting tonight?”

  “Maybe,” he conceded.

  “I can handle this on my own. I don’t need your help. Or any...sting operation.”

  They all stared at Richard in disbelief. Liam was the first to recover. “Suppose you do manage to dodge an enforcer tonight. What about tomorrow night and then the next night? You can’t be with your wife and children 24-7.”

  “Don’t be stupid, Richard. Accept his help. Hear him out.” Kimber lifted her chin in determination. “If you don’t, I’m leaving you. I won’t subject my children to danger. We’ll go, and no judge will ever award you custody. Care to gamble on that?”

  Richard sat down abruptly, shoulders rounded in defeat. “You don’t understand.”

  “Enlighten me,” Liam urged.

  “You can’t beat city hall.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Why do you think this gambling operation has lasted so long?” Richard said with a sigh. “I can give you the name of the guy that manages the poker games and who collects our cash. But it won’t do you much good to lean on him. He’s bragged before that his job is risk-free... The cops are in on it.”

  * * *

  LIAM HAD SUSPECTED as much all along, but his first reaction was a knee-jerk denial that the men in blue were so corrupt.

  “And I don’t just mean they turn a blind eye,” Richard continued. “They’re over the whole thing. You see my predicament. There’s no escape for me but to pay them off.”

  “How do you know that for sure?”

  “Rumor,” he admitted. “But it makes sense, doesn’t it?”

  It did. Liam drummed his fingers on the table, debating his options and quickly discounting telling Richard that he worked undercover. Should he call in the big guns now? His gut screamed no. Until he apprehended the enforcer paying Gunner, he had no proof of anything. He needed to bring in the enforcer and wrangle a confession in exchange for fingering the masterminds. Folding now would severely jeopardize his chances of bringing down the criminals.

  “Can’t you put a hidden mike on Richard at a gambling game?” Kimber suggested. “Get the guilty to incriminate themselves?”

  “Are you trying to get me killed?” Richard asked with a snort. “Divorce isn’t enough for you?”

  “There’s a better way,” Liam suggested. “The best chance of arresting the head of it all is to put the screws on the middleman. Which in this case means catching the enforcer in the act of getting paid off.”

  “You mean be willing to let some dude beat the crap out of me and then arrest him for assault? No, thanks.”

  “Hear me out a minute—”

  “No way.” Richard stood again, grimly shaking his head. “Y’all can leave my house now. I’ve heard enough.”

  “Cooperate with Liam,” Harper urged quietly. “We don’t have the money to buy your way out of this mess. And even if we did, what about the next time you lose? Liam’s offering you a way out.”

  Richard sank back in his seat, and Liam shot Harper a grateful look. She knew this couple well, and they trusted her to have their best interest at heart.

  “Do it, Richard.” Kimber briefly laid a hand on her husband’s shoulder and then faced Liam. “You promise to keep him safe. Right?”

  “I will.”

  Harper rose. “Why don’t we pack overnight bags for the girls and head over to my place?”

  Liam gave her a grateful nod. She’d instinctively realized he’d have a better chance of talking Richard out of acting alone if he was out of earshot of his wife.

  “Thank you. That sounds like a good idea.” Kimber nodded, seemingly eager to get away.

  “Call me in a bit,” Harper said to him. “We’ll go over the plan.”

  He nodded.

  Kimber cleared her throat. “Goodbye, Richard. Stay safe.”

  “Do you really care?” he asked gruffly.

  They stood and faced each other; their hands, like magnets, seemingly drew out to one another and their fingers entwined. Despite the hurt and pain, it was obvious the couple was still in love. The two men watched as Kimber and Harper left the sunroom.

  “What’s the game plan?” Richard asked, running a hand through his short shock of hair. “I’ll do anything to keep my family from being hurt by my stupidity.”

  Could he trust this man not to call Bryce the moment he left? Harper had warned him that Bryce and Richard were friends, that they’d played on the same high school football team for years. But those high school days were long gone, and he’d witnessed the way Richard looked at Kimber and his daughters. The man cared about them.

  “If you don’t one hundred percent cooperate with me and keep your mouth closed, I’ll arrest Kimber for criminal mischief.”

  “Kimber? What the hell did she do?”

  “Long story short, she planted cameras and speakers at Harper’s house, trying to scare her into leaving Baysville and selling her the property. Your wife is obsessed with the idea of turning the place into a B&B. She seems to think it’s the answer to your financial problems. Sell this place, move into Harper’s house and then rent out the extra bedrooms.”

  “She’d be willing to sell our farmhouse?” Wonder flickered in his eyes. “She loves this place. More than she loves me, I suspect.”

  “Doesn’t sound that way to me. She was desperate to fix this problem.”

  For the first time in their visit, Richard’s eyes lit with hope. “Whatever you have in mind, I’m game.”

  “First thing I need is for you to tell me who collects the gambling money,” he said.

  “Fair enough.” Richard gave a long sigh. “The man’s name is Mitchell Sullivan. He’s the pharmacist that owns the Baysville drugstore.”

  Liam’s brows rose at the name, although nothing should surprise him in this line of work. Greedy people came in every socioeconomic level. “And Sullivan takes these payments at his place of business?”

  “Yep.” Richard ran a hand through his hair. “We text him when we arrive, and he goes around to the back door to collect our money that’s discreetly folded inside plain-covered envelopes. He treats it as though it were a business transaction. Which, I suppose one could argue, it is.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Liam kept his sight on Harper as she led Gunner through the dark woods. He didn’t like her being here, but she’d insisted, and he was afraid if he left her out, she’d turn up on her own, increasing the danger to herself.

  Water squished around his feet, threatening to suction him down into the swampy morass. His socks slightly dampened inside the supposedly waterproof boots. Good thing he’d brought along a spare set for Gunner, although the guy was probably used to wet socks and much worse. Luckily, the moon was close to full, providing plenty of light as they made their way along the back edge of the properties. The flip side? The full moon made detection easier.

  He stayed well behind them, trying to keep his footsteps quiet and his back bent in
a crouch when they hit clearings between the woods. Gunner claimed not to need a backup as he hiked to the Collinses’ farmhouse, that it was bad enough he had to follow Harper, but Liam insisted on providing protection. He had an uneasy feeling about this.

  Something swooped nearby, and a small limb broke off a tree less than ten feet away. Must have been an owl. Liam drew to a complete standstill, ears straining, but there was only the rustling of trees and shrubs and an occasional, far-off dog barking. Even Harper and Gunner barely made any noise as they quickly walked along. Harper was familiar with this area and had mapped out the direction earlier for them but insisted that they still needed her eyes as they hiked unfamiliar territory.

  At long last, a light shone from the clearing ahead. This was it. Liam observed the tall, thin lines of Gunner and Harper as they quickly strode to the designated area of the Collinses’ farmhouse and lifted a window that had been left unlocked and slightly ajar.

  There was no reason for the tingling at the back of his neck. Nor any explanation for the foreboding that filled his gut with dread. Yet, Liam couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

  A scream erupted from the farmhouse. “No, don’t! I’ll pay. Stop!”

  Even though the entire scenario had been prearranged down to the smallest detail, including the fake begging for mercy, his unease continued to mount. Could be that the enforcer had a policy of watching the first assignment of a new recruit and they were all being observed from somewhere in the darkness.

  Shadows shifted and moved. To his right, a tall, muscular person, dressed entirely in black, slipped from behind the trunk of a large oak and sprinted across the field. As the man was a good fifty yards away, Liam couldn’t make out any identifying details. The figure again disappeared into the night. Seconds later, the sound of a motor roared to life. An elliptical beam of headlights strobed the field and woods—and then the vehicle sped down the county road.

  Once the engine noise faded away, Liam walked directly to the farmhouse and knocked on the back door. No need to hide any longer. As he suspected, the enforcer spied on his newest henchman. What was he to make of Gunner having a companion? Hopefully, the guy wasn’t too concerned as long as he’d witnessed Gunner fulfilling his end of the bargain. The enforcer probably assumed Gunner had brought along one of his homeless friends.