Her Silent Shadow: A Gripping Psychological Suspense Collection

by Edwin Dasso

  Kurtis and Noah both glanced over at Matt, who was pretending not to eavesdrop. Normally, Matt worked straight nights but was starting early today because they were short-handed. Dex had called in sick.

  “Shouldn’t you be on patrol?” Kurtis asked pointedly.

  In his haste to leave, Matt almost fell out of his chair. He caught himself on the desk and rushed out of the office. Bemused, Kurtis shook his head.

  “What’s he still doing here?”

  “We’ve been short staffed.”

  “Surely to god we can do better than that.”

  Noah let the comment pass. Kurtis sure as hell hadn’t hauled ass all the way down here to discuss Matt’s shortcomings. This was about him. Kurtis wasted little time in getting to the point.

  “The girl who went missing. You knew her?”

  Kurtis’ glare caused a chill to pass through Noah. He kept his expression neutral as he met Kurtis’ gaze.

  “Sure. I’ve worked here a long time. I know a lot of people.”

  “You knew she went missing?”

  “One of the Nordstrom girls told me. Pretty awful.”

  “The police found her car in the northwest parking lot, only, we don’t have any surveillance footage. The video shows her leaving her store and exiting the building, and after that...” Kurtis tossed his hands in the air. “So explain to me, Noah, why it is that we don’t have footage from that camera the night she went missing?”

  Noah blinked at him. “You’re serious?”

  “I pay you to take care of this shit. Thanks to the lackadaisical way you handled this situation, we’re at risk of losing this account. If that happens, I’m blaming you. I’ll—”

  The intensity of Kurtis’ stare never wavered, and Noah knew what this was. His father always said that shit rolled down hill. Kurtis needed to save face, so he had come here to chew out Noah and make it look like he was in charge. It was pathetic really. A small man trying to act big.

  Noah rounded on Kurtis. Rising to his full height, Noah could make himself a formidable presence. The ability to use his size to de-escalate a situation was just one of the things that made him a great security guard. Now that he was invading Kurtis’s space, Noah couldn’t help but notice the shorter man deflate. Inwardly, he smiled.

  “You’ll… what, exactly?” Noah paused, letting his words sink in. “You’ll have to explain that you had the opportunity to put in a reliable surveillance solution that was recommended by the architect, the vendor, and every property management group in the city, but chose to go with a cheaper one instead. One with known reliability issues and a record of more maintenance calls per year, all so you could piss away the excess budget on redecorating the executive offices? The fact that you repeatedly ignored the reports I sent telling you the camera had experienced numerous issues over the past four months. You blather on about how you pay me to solve problems, but in actual fact, you’re just looking for some poor sap to serve as a meat shield for the shitty choices you’ve made that have undermined the security and safety of this property. So to answer your question directly, Kurtis, I did note the cameras were out in the northwest sector, and I did my job. I notified my supervisor, repeatedly, that we needed to log a maintenance request because the system was compromised. If you go back and review the reports, you will see the section about the increased risk was identified and highlighted so you couldn’t possibly miss it, had you actually read the reports… which is why you’re paid to take care of this shit.” Noah gestured around at nothing, and at everything.

  Kurtis stood rooted to the spot. A look of horror crossed his face as he realized the pickle he found himself in. But despite the overwhelming evidence Noah had provided, he wasn’t willing to concede—to accept responsibility for the negligence that was plainly his to own. He rounded on Noah, attacking with renewed vigor.

  “That’s not good enough. I get hundreds of reports every day. You should have called me. I’d have called the company myself and—”

  “And somehow convinced them to get their asses down here to fix the damned thing? Again? And how exactly would you do that, Kurtis? You’re going to magically convince them that one camera in a mall parking lot in Tualatin is more important than the fleet of cameras they have mounted on the Four Seasons downtown? Or the Moda Center, or any of the other big corporate accounts that make this one look like chump change? You think you’ve got that kind of pull?”

  Noah smirked at the little man in front of him. He had planned every step of this to the letter. Over a series of weeks, Noah had painstakingly simulated a pattern of issues with the camera so that no one would be surprised when it failed. The modified reports, the months of observing Kurtis so he could anticipate his patterns. Noah had built an iron-clad case of negligence for his manager who would inevitably find himself in front of a judge explaining how his repeated failure to act resulted in a girl’s disappearance.

  Kurtis’ face flushed. Anger glittered in his hard eyes as he jabbed a shaking finger into Noah’s chest.

  “You think this is funny? The cops have been all over us for our lax procedures. Thanks to you, my job is on the line and yours… You’re fired.”

  Noah felt something snap inside him. His face broke out into a broad grin. Bad things were never Kurtis’ fault. He blamed everyone but himself. For years Noah had put up with Kurtis’ shit, but no more. Now it was time for Kurtis to finally realize exactly who he was up against. It was so fucking easy, like shooting fish in a kiddie pool.

  Noah turned to look Kurtis squarely in the face, and in a calm, smooth voice uttered the two words that would be the final nails in Kurtis’ coffin.

  “I quit.”

  Kurtis stared at him blankly for a moment as if incapable of comprehending the words Noah had just said.

  His face fell. “What?”

  “I was going to email you my resignation later today, but by coming all the way down here in person you saved me the trouble. I accepted a job offer from the Corvallis police department. I start training next week.”

  It shouldn’t have come as that much of a surprise. The Portland police department had reached out to Kurtis during the vetting process. Noah was smart. He was good at his job. It was only a matter of time before one of his applications would be accepted. Looking as if the wind had been knocked out of him, Kurtis took a step back.

  “Aw, shit, Noah. You don’t want to be a cop.”

  “You’re right. I’d so much rather do this. The rewards, the conditions, the teamwork… you really can’t find that sense of being valued outside of a summertime fast-food joint.”

  Noah’s smile widened. He had this asshole on the ropes. He was clearly in charge of this situation and it felt amazing.

  “Today’s my last day.”

  “You can’t do that. You need me as a reference.”

  “Thanks to my time here, I’ve built good relationships with the business owners in the mall. I have loads of references.”

  Noah removed his security badge and calmly placed it on the desk, like it was made of glass. He left the office, feeling lighter than he had in years.

  There was no way Kurtis would ever find out that he was responsible for disabling the camera.

  17

  On his way home from Tualatin, Noah stopped at Target. Still dressed in uniform, he wandered up and down the aisles of beauty products, struggling to reconcile his handwritten list with the products on the shelf. Eden shopped at Nordstrom and none of the names matched. He didn’t know the first thing about makeup. He supposed his mother had worn it, but his grandmother hadn’t, and she was the last woman whose house he’d shared.

  He was standing in front of the L’Oréal display staring at the bottles of foundation, trying to figure out which one Eden would like.

  A young woman in a red smock approached. “Can I help you?”

  “No. Maybe. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  He raised his hands in mock surrender and the woman smiled.


  “Why don’t we start at the beginning? You have a list?”

  She pointed at the creased slip of paper in his hand, and Noah nodded, grateful for the help.

  “My sister’s visiting, and well, the airline lost her luggage. She sent me out for makeup, but what do I know about all of this.”

  “Like a babe in the woods,” the woman joked. “Okay, let me see.”

  Noah handed her the list. She whistled as she scanned it.

  “Your sister has champagne tastes.”

  “And I can barely afford beer.”

  “Let’s start with the basics. What does she look like?”

  “Caucasian. Five foot six. No distinguishing marks or scars.”

  This elicited another laugh, and the woman shook her head. “So you’re a cop?”

  Noah grinned. “That obvious?”

  “My second guess was going to be a poet, but the uniform gives you away. I was talking about her skin tone. I’m guessing she’s white, but is she pale or does she have an olive complexion?”

  “Oh, she’s pale. A redhead.”

  “Right. So you’re going to want something light, ivory, like this.”

  The woman plucked a bottle from the display. She handed it to Noah, and he nodded.

  “Okay, so she’s a redhead. What color are her eyes?”

  “Green.”

  Twenty minutes later, Noah left the store with a bag full of stuff. While it may not be the items from Eden’s list, he’d done his best, and he couldn’t wait to get home and show her.

  There was only a momentary flicker of disappointment in Eden’s eyes when he dumped the contents of the bag out onto her bed.

  “I’m sorry it wasn’t what you wanted,” he said.

  “No, no. It’s great,” she said. “Thank you.”

  A wave of pure happiness crashed over Noah. Grasping Eden’s shoulders, he pulled her toward him and planted his lips on hers. Her muscles tensed beneath his palms. Instinctively, he pulled away.

  “Sorry, it’s just that I—”

  Eden’s throat worked, and she swallowed. “It’s okay,” she said.

  Noah’s breath left him in a rush. She didn’t push him away. She wasn’t mad. Did that mean…?

  He hadn’t dared to hope that she would come around this quickly, but then, pretty much everything that had happened today was a surprise.

  18

  After the last epic dinner fail, Noah left nothing to chance. The shrimp scampi he’d ordered from Langdon’s Grill looked delicious and smelled even better. Its buttery sweet salty aroma filled the kitchen. He carefully arranged the contents of the takeout containers onto china plates and carried them into the dining room.

  He’d spent the whole afternoon clearing away the clutter, the hundreds of knickknacks and photographs left behind by the Webbers and set the table as if they were in a real restaurant for their first date. A white tablecloth. Folded linen napkins. Candles. Classical music played softly in the background. He’d even spent the better part of an hour scouring the cybersphere to find out what wine would pair best with the shrimp— Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Sauvignon Blanc.

  Hours later, after having combed through foodie websites that talked about whether you were using shrimp or prawns, west coast versus east coast, and a whole bunch of other shit that Noah didn’t care about he was no closer to an answer. Seriously, who cared about the lineage of the shrimp and what was wrong with these people anyway? He wasn’t making a life commitment. He just wanted a damned bottle of wine. Finally, after much deliberation, he settled on a Sauvignon Blanc.

  Eden was already sitting in her spot wearing the outfit he’d bought her for tonight—a wraparound dress in a deep seafoam green that brought out the flecks of gold in her eyes. Her hair fell around her face in an untamed riot of curls. He liked it better when it was smoothed down with a flat iron, but it would have to do.

  Though her waist and ankles were bound to the chair, he’d left her hands free. He set one plate down in front of her, careful to keep enough distance between them, preventing her from reaching behind his back to grab the gun he had tucked into his belt. The smile she gave him filled his heart with the warmth of the sun. In it he sensed gratitude, promise, and he knew that this was a night they would remember. Always.

  He set his plate down on the table and took the chair opposite hers.

  “Wine?”

  Eden nodded. He filled her glass to the halfway mark, the same way he’d seen waiters do, then filled his own.

  “It smells wonderful, Noah.”

  “I hope you like it. The place has great reviews.”

  The stilted conversation made him cringe as he remembered how easily their conversation had once flowed. They’d been friends. But he supposed it was only natural. First dates were always awkward, and when you shifted from being friends to something more, of course things would change. Patience. Over time, their relationship would evolve. Tonight was only the first step. They had the rest of their lives together.

  Noah plunged his fork into the pile of linguini on his plate. He slowly turned the pasta while he searched for something to say. All the witty conversation he’d practiced flew out of his head the moment he sat down.

  “How are the books?”

  “Books?”

  Eden picked up her wineglass and shot him a questioning look, as if she didn’t have the faintest clue what he was talking about. She drained half the wine in a single gulp, and that wasn’t the way a lady was supposed to drink expensive wine. She was supposed to sip it, savor it, not gulp it down like cheap beer. But then, maybe she was nervous too. Girls got nervous on dates, he supposed.

  “The books I got you. I didn’t know what you like to read, so…”

  “Oh, the books,” Eden said with a fake-sounding laugh. “Oh they’re fine. Good.”

  Good. He’d spent a lot of time pouring over the bin of ten-cent pocket novels and all she could say was good? He’d even asked a couple of ladies who worked there for their opinions and they’d both said that they were fans of Danielle Steele and Maeve Binchy. The two he’d picked out looked brand new.

  “What kind of books do you like to read?” Noah asked.

  The shrimp scampi was so much better than what he’d cooked. The sauce was rich and buttery, the perfect compliment for the shrimp. Eden played with her food, taking a tiny bite, then washing it down with another swallow of wine. Noah pretended not to notice.

  “I do most of my reading online. Blogs. Articles. Everything from self-help to how to’s. I’m kind of a new-age junkie.”

  “Like yoga and feng shui?”

  Eden shrugged. “Sort of.”

  Trying to find common ground was harder than he thought. Her glass was empty, and he reached across the table to fill it, while his remained untouched. Sometimes when he was stressed, alcohol brought out the worst in him and tonight, he wanted everything to be perfect. Like the food. He’d gone out of his way to buy her something nice and she was barely eating.

  He tried not to notice that she was a picky eater, but the thought kept buzzing around inside his head like a pesky fly. Needling him. He blew out a breath and picked up his glass. A little wine would help him relax. And after all the stress he’d endured this week, wasn’t that what he needed? A little relaxation?

  “How was work?” Eden asked.

  The unexpected question caught him like a jab to the solar plexus, and Noah flinched. He set his wineglass down.

  “Good,” he lied. “Everyone misses you though.”

  Why had he said that? Tears flooded her blue-green eyes, and he cursed himself for being so insensitive. Of course she missed her friends. Claire. Her boss, who she sometimes pretended to hate but secretly envied.

  And Hayden.

  Suddenly, Noah’s appetite fled. The sauce had cooled, and the cheese congealed. It tasted a little grainy. And this wasn’t how the evening was supposed to go. He pushed his plate away, and picked up his wine, wishing it was whiskey. Maybe Mr. Webb
er had something stronger stashed away in the cupboard for the nights when Mrs. Webber was getting on his nerves, and he just wanted to make the buzzing flies inside his head stop.

  He was tired. He’d barely slept, and every time he tried to sleep, he thought he heard the sound of barking dogs, or a cop car creeping down the driveway. Eden had no idea the stress he was under and he didn’t know how much longer he could do this. Keep pretending that everything was okay when it clearly wasn’t.

  “The shrimp is delicious,” Eden said, pulling him from his thoughts and back into the moment.

  She twirled the pasta around her fork and popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly, and just like that, the crushing weight pressing down on Noah’s chest eased. He could breathe again. Even the wine tasted better now than it had only a few minutes ago. Noah smiled.

  “What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten?”

  “This is going to sound funny, but my mother’s scalloped potatoes. We have this tradition where each member of the family picks their favorite dish for their birthday dinner. My brother always picks a macaroni and cheese casserole, but I love scalloped potatoes and baked ham. It’s not particularly fancy, but sometimes the simplest things in life are best.”

  “Your family sounds close.”

  Eden nodded. “My brother and I have a standing joke about which one of us is the favorite.”

  “Obviously, it’s you,” Noah said. “How could it not be? You’re perfect.”

  He’d meant it as a compliment, but Eden’s smile faltered. A sadness filled her eyes, and how had they fallen on the topic of family? Of course she missed her family. She’d grown up in a happy house, where kids were cherished. Her parents were nothing like his.

  Noah sighed. How were they supposed to have normal conversations when there were landmines scattered everywhere? He emptied his glass and poured another, ignoring the fact that hers was empty too. She’d already had two glasses, and he didn’t want her to drink too much too fast. She’d be sick.