Exposing a Killer

by Laurie Alice Eakes

“You’re doing pretty well considering,” the nurse said. “Maybe another day here.”

  “Why am I here at all?” Megan asked.

  “You passed out,” Father said. “Seems your swim left you a little too cold to manage after too many days without enough sleep and a number of harrowing experiences.” He gave her a stern look. “Don’t do it again.”

  “It shouldn’t have happened this time. Most PI work is routine, not dangerous.”

  One question burned on her lips, but she didn’t know if she dared ask them. They might not even know. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know if the answer was the wrong one.

  So she asked the second most important question. “What happened to Cahill and Davis?”

  “Who?” Mother asked.

  “The killers,” Megan said.

  Mother didn’t try to subdue her shudder this time.

  “Locked up,” Father said. He pulled up a chair. “How did you manage to get yourself caught? We offered to help you get to safety.”

  “I—” Megan ducked her head. “I heard your message and only heard you say I wasn’t welcome. So I...kept running. Then—then—” Her cheeks heated. “Then Jack pointed out what I’d been too upset to catch, so I was on my way to Mother’s office to ask for help getting away for a while.”

  “But you were on the train,” Mother said. “Why not a taxi?”

  “I thought a taxi could be followed. We thought we evaded any followers on the way to the L. And then we changed trains and... We weren’t clever enough.”

  “You were clever enough to get away.” Father patted her hand and released it. “I guess all those summer camps taught you something.”

  “I would rather have gone out on boats with you,” Megan dared.

  “Yes, well—” Father cleared his throat. “Maybe when I retire, if your mother hasn’t decided to run for president by then.”

  Mother gave out her modulated laugh. “I’ll settle for mayor of a small town. It has enough stresses to manage.”

  “And I’ll still be here,” Megan said.

  And Jack would be in Virginia.

  She especially couldn’t leave now that Gary had entrusted the agency to her.

  They sat in silence for several more minutes, then Father cleared his throat and asked, “Who is Jack?”

  The man I love.

  “My friend,” Megan said.

  “Friend?” Mother raised her brows a millimeter. “I thought from the way he was worrying about you he was much more.”

  Megan shook her head. “He’s going into the FBI in a few months.”

  “And we thought you being a PI was bad.”

  Jack was dismissed. Her parents remained for another half hour, then had to go prepare for some fundraiser dinner. They talked of inconsequential matters except for an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner.

  “I will be there,” Megan promised.

  Each kissed her on the forehead before departing. A few minutes later, Mel, Gary and Janet arrived. That was a far more comfortable and far less important session of talking over the case and the agency and what came next.

  Megan pretended to be ecstatic over gaining the agency. She knew she should be. It was all she had wanted for years. Now the victory felt hollow, her future lonely.

  But Jack wasn’t around. She was glad. She was vain enough to not want him to see her with her hair nasty from its dive into the lake and with her wearing pajamas with tigers on them, a gift from Mel. She at least wanted clean hair and real clothes when she saw him. If she saw him.

  She was glad to be alone after her afternoon of company. She needed sleep. The hospital wouldn’t have been her top choice of places to get sleep, but it worked. She slept through staff talking and patients demanding care. She barely woke to have her vitals taken in the morning and see the doctor who pronounced her fit and able to go home.

  She didn’t know how she was getting there, but her mother’s personal assistant arrived with a pile of gifts Megan knew would hold clothes too fancy for her lifestyle. She would rather have had her mother there but accepted the gifts as her mother’s way of expressing her caring. Few things changed overnight, but the barriers had been breached and the healing begun.

  And Megan looked through the parcels anyway once home. One held a black cashmere sweater she couldn’t resist because it was so soft and warm. With her own jeans, she didn’t feel overdressed at all. Hot chocolate in hand, she snuggled before the gas fireplace and wished Amber and Tess were there for company.

  No, she wished Jack was there for company. She had no way to contact him or him her. Their phones were gone. No one could contact her.

  Unless they just stopped by. She half expected someone to do so, Mel at the least. So she wasn’t surprised when the intercom buzzed. Extra cautious now, she asked who wanted in instead of just releasing the door.

  “It’s Jack.”

  Her insides felt as though her cocoa had melted them. Or maybe it was the sound of his voice.

  She released the door lock and waited. She wasn’t proud. She stood in her doorway, listening to his footfalls on the steps. Fast footfalls as though he took them two at a time while running.

  When he reached the top of the steps, he hesitated a moment, holding her gaze, then he took one stride forward and wrapped his arms around her. “You are the smartest, bravest, most beautiful—” His voice broke and he rested his cheek on the top of her head. “Oh, Megan, I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too.” She tilted her head back and gazed into eyes as blue as the lake. “I know you’re leaving, and this is stupid of us, but I can’t help it. I love you—”

  “Hush,” he said.

  Then he kissed her.

  “Well, now.” She grinned at him. “You’d better have honorable intentions after that.”

  “The most honorable.” He released her and clasped her hands. “I can’t go down on one knee. Davis left me with some stiff muscles that make kneeling kinda painful. But my heart kneels before you now with me asking, Megan, will you marry me?”

  “I... Jack, I...” Her heart plummeted under the gravity of reality. “I can’t go to Virginia. Gary trusts me to run the agency.”

  “I know. I was thinking. I only wanted into the academy because I thought my aunt and uncle would approve of me more and I could make Grace proud to have me as a brother who was more than a failed city cop and boring accountant. But I realized that they love me as I am already, and I don’t need to be anything but me to be loved.”

  “I’d rather you are just you and not a super cop with numbers.” Megan gripped his hands. “So you’re staying here?”

  “If you’ll have me and my sister, too, of course. She comes along with the deal. But mostly you get my heart.”

  “And you get my snooty family.”

  “I thought they were nice.”

  She took a step back. “You met them?”

  “Of course. I had to ask for your father’s permiss—”

  “You didn’t.”

  He laughed. “I did. Just to make him happy. It seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “As right as spending your future with me.” It was a statement, not a question.

  And with those words, Megan rose on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the promise of their future together.

  * * *

  If you enjoyed this story, don’t miss Laurie Alice Eakes’s next romantic suspense, available next year from Love Inspired Suspense!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Tracking Stolen Secrets by Laura Scott.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for purchasing Exposing a Killer. Unlike other books I’ve written, this book is set primarily in Chicago. Looking back a couple of years, I can see whe
re the seeds of this story began—with an experience that triggered a scene. I was looking for a shortcut between the L station and my house, when I discovered a warren of little streets and alleys. My imagination took over, and I pictured a chase scene through those narrow thoroughfares. The more I thought about it, the more fun I had picturing all the ways I could endanger my hero and heroine within a city. Instead of man against nature, I had man against manmade. Add this with a class I took on being a private investigator, and—voilà! A book set in concrete rather than country roads had begun.

  Chicago has been my home for four years, and long before that, it was one of my favorite cities to visit. One of the city’s best features is Lake Michigan. I tend to gush about it. When I was growing up in Michigan, I spent at least part of every summer on the lake, baking in the sun and dreaming of the stories I would one day write.

  To learn more about my books, you can find me online at http://www.lauriealiceeakes.com.

  Laurie Alice Eakes

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  Tracking Stolen Secrets

  by Laura Scott

  ONE

  Alaska K-9 State Trooper Helena Maddox headed up the grassy embankment within Denali National park, looking for any sign indicating her estranged twin, Zoe, had been in the area recently. Upon reaching the crest, she knelt beside her K-9, Luna, a Norwegian elkhound. She ran her fingers through the animal’s fluffy silver-gray fur before opening the evidence bag and offering it to her partner.

  “This is Zoe. Seek Zoe. Seek!”

  Luna buried her dark face in the bag, taking in the scent of a scarf Zoe had left behind well over a year ago, then lifted her nose to the air, sniffing as the gentle July breeze washed over them.

  “Seek Zoe.” She repeated as she released the K-9 from her leash, giving her room to roam.

  Gazing upward, Helena caught a glimpse of the tallest peak in America. Denali never failed to steal her breath. Today she couldn’t see as much of the mountain as she would have liked, thanks to the low clouds hinting at an upcoming storm. But this wasn’t a leisurely visit. She’d driven straight from Anchorage after receiving the uncharacteristic call from her fraternal twin sister.

  Helena? I’m in big trouble—The connection had abruptly ended, and each time Helena had tried to call the number back, the phone went straight to voice mail. Zoe’s full mailbox was not accepting messages.

  Helena wasn’t necessarily surprised at Zoe being in trouble. Her sister had skated by in life, using her looks to get what she wanted. Zoe was attracted to bad boys, regardless of how they tended to ride along the edge of the law. But lately things had gotten worse. Not hearing from her in over a year, despite Helena’s many attempts at reaching out, had been bad, but receiving Zoe’s distress call had spurred a dire sense of urgency.

  “Where are you, Zoe?” She looked around the rather desolate area. Denali Park had hundreds of thousands of acres of wilderness. The Alaska K-9 Unit, headquartered in Anchorage, consisted of several team members, each with their own area of expertise. Their leader, Colonel Lorenza Gallo, had created the unit ten years ago to supplement law enforcement across the state, especially in rural areas that couldn’t afford their own K-9 program. Eli Partridge, the team’s tech guru, had provided this general area as the location from where Zoe’s cell call had originated. But the land was vast and wide, covering an extensive range of possible hiding spots.

  And it wasn’t like Zoe to rough it. Her sister had always preferred the finer things in life.

  In the valley below, Helena could see a handful of hotels located at the base of the mountain. A brand-new, much larger hotel was also visible. It was located several miles away from the others, giving it a sense of exclusivity.

  Why would Zoe be out here? Was she working at one of the hotels? That made more sense than the thought of her communing with nature.

  The radio clipped to her collar crackled and she reached up to respond. “Will? Did you find anything related to Zoe or the burglaries?”

  “Maybe.” Will Stryker and his K-9 Scout, a black-and-white border collie with a nose for narcotics, had gone in the opposite direction. “I see what looks like a cave. Scout and I are going to check it out.”

  “Copy that.” She released the radio and glanced around again, searching for Luna. The dog’s zigzag pattern indicated she was still searching for Zoe’s scent, her hunt drawing her several yards away.

  Helena was headed toward Luna when the sharp crack of a rifle rang out. At that exact moment, she was hit hard from behind and sent face-first to the ground in a bone-jarring thud.

  “Oomph.” The momentum carried her and the person who’d hit her forward so they rolled down the side of the hill.

  What in the world?

  “Are you okay?” a deep male voice asked.

  A nice attacker? Helena lifted her head in time to see Luna wheel around toward her, low growls reverberating from the K-9’s throat.

  “Were you hit?” The massive weight on top of her shifted, allowing her to breathe. “Are you bleeding?”

  “Not—hit,” she wheezed. The voice sounded familiar and when she realized who the man was, she quickly lifted a hand to her K-9 partner. “Stop, Luna! Heel!”

  The dog halted just two feet away, but continued barking, making her displeasure known.

  “What is that? Some kind of wolf?”

  “She’s a Norwegian elkhound.” Helena pushed herself up, glancing around to look at the brown hired muscular guy who’d tackled her. “Everett Brand.”

  His dark brown gaze narrowed. “Helena Maddox. You work for the Alaska K-9 Unit, right? We spoke on the phone just yesterday.”

  She nodded. By way of introduction, it wasn’t much. Everett was a local cop from Anchorage. She’d seen him on occasion, but they hadn’t really interacted much, until he’d called her yesterday to ask about Zoe.

  Their conversation hadn’t been cordial. He’d claimed her sister was a hard-core criminal while she’d instinctively defended her twin despite not having seen Zoe in a long time.

  Now Everett Brand was here in Denali and in the same general location where her sister had been.

  She eased upright, sitting on her knees. Now that the shock of being hit had faded, she realized the cop who was trying to arrest her sister had actually saved her life.

  Helena released a quavering breath. She was grateful that he’d come to her rescue, even if his timing was a bit too coincidental for her peace of mind.

  “Stay down,” Everett warned. “I’m not sure which way the shot came from.”

  “Likely from the east.” Obeying his command, she called Luna to her side. “The shooter will be well hidden in the mountains, and there’s nowhere to hide beyond the road to the west.” She lifted her hand to her radio. “Will? Stay where you are,” she told her colleague. “A shot has been fired. Repeat, shot fired and location of the shooter is unknown.”

  “Copy that, Helena. You okay?”

  “Yes. I’ll be in touch.” She clicked off the radio.

  Everett frowned, his dark brown gaze suspicious. “Will who?”

  “Will Stryker and his border collie Scout are also members of our K-9 team. He’s assisting me in the search.” Helena was acutely aware of the intensity of Everett’s dark eyes. She looked away, not liking the fact that they were still out in the open. The hill protected them somewhat if indeed the shooter was in the east, but not enough if the assailant managed to find higher ground. “We need to get to the vehicle and alert the park rangers about what happened.”

  “Yeah.” Despite being a cop, Everett was dressed casually in cargo shorts, dark brown T-shirt and hiking boots. Too bad he was wor
king against her, because he was a good looking man. “I’m sure the guy is long gone, or we’d be hearing more gunfire, but I like your idea of getting to the SUV.”

  Her white SUV with the yellow-and-blue state trooper logo wrapped along the side was parked in a lookout alcove off the main park road. Cars were only permitted on this road as far as Savage River, from that point forward only tour buses were allowed. She’d been granted special access because she was a member of the Alaska K-9 Unit.

  “Okay, I’ll go first. Come, Luna.” She didn’t wait for his response but sprang upright and ran for her SUV, Luna easily keeping pace beside her.

  In seconds, she could feel Everett’s towering presence behind her, his footsteps matching hers. He was so close that she could hear his breathing. What was he doing? She’d expected to use the SUV as a shield to provide cover for him, but apparently he was taking his role as her protector seriously.

  As if she couldn’t protect herself.

  There was no additional gunfire as she reached her police SUV. Hunkering down behind the vehicle, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as Everett dropped down beside her.

  “I think the shooter is gone,” he said.

  She glanced at him. “Why are you here? Are you following me?”

  He scoffed. “Not hardly.” He stared at her for a moment. “I have to say, I never realized how much you look like your sister.”

  “You think so?” She shook her head. “Zoe’s hair is a bit lighter than mine. She’s prettier and shorter than me by two inches. We’re not identical twins.”

  “She must have dyed her hair then, because in the recent photo I have of her, she looks just like you.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “I wonder if that’s why the perp took that shot? From a distance, he may have thought you were Zoe, especially if he was only focused on your face.”

  Her heart thumped against her sternum as his words sank deep. Running from someone with a gun was trouble. Really bad trouble.A wave of helplessness washed over her. What on earth had Zoe gotten herself mixed up in?