Stolen Secrets

by Sherri Shackelford

  “Let’s see if I have an answer.”

  There was nothing classified about the information, which meant there was no harm in asking for a little advice. “Brandt had a ring made in Islamabad while we were there. It was an exact replica of the one his fiancée is wearing. He’d said he was going to propose to her properly, but he’d already given her an identical ring. Why do you suppose he had a second ring made? Why did he lie about proposing to her properly if he already had?”

  “Did you ask his fiancée about it?”

  “No. I, uh, I haven’t.”

  Jordan didn’t want to voice his fears out loud. He’d known Brandt as well as anyone. He trusted him. Until he knew differently, there was no point in risking ugly rumors.

  The chaplain knit his fingers together and pressed his knuckles against his chin. “I can see your dilemma. While there may be a perfectly innocent explanation, there also may not.” He lowered his arms and slipped his hands into his pockets. “I’d ask the jeweler. If your friend wanted a replica, he provided a copy of the original. And, I assume, some sort of explanation. I’d imagine a duplicate is a memorable request. Even if the explanation your friend gave was a lie, it should give you a clue.”

  Unable to contain his burgeoning excitement, Jordan clutched the chaplain’s shoulders. “You’re a genius. An absolute genius.”

  Why hadn’t he thought of that before now? Probably because the day he discovered the ring was a duplicate was the same day of the coffee shop attack. He’d been going nonstop since then, and such a simple solution had never occurred to him.

  “I’ve been called many things,” the chaplain said with a smile. “I can’t say that I’ve been called a genius. I could get used to that.”

  Jordan dropped his arms and jogged a few paces away before turning and running backward. “Thanks for the talk. And the advice.”

  He pivoted and made his way toward his car.

  Hope stirred in his chest. After all this time, he finally had a decent lead.

  TWELVE

  As the time neared noon, Lucy tapped her foot impatiently. She and Jordan generally ate lunch together, except his fake job had gotten a little too real lately. He’d been consulting on an assignment on the other side of the building for nearly a week.

  She hadn’t spent any time alone with Jordan for days. In the evenings, to avoid the listening devices, she’d gone to the house next door. Together with at least one other person, they’d pored over the Facebook pages and photos of fellow employees, searching for anyone of Lucy’s height and build who might be connected to someone in the building.

  Since the kiss, Jordan had become polite but distant.

  She straightened the papers on her desk, revealing a photo of Brandt.

  There was sadness in seeing him, but other emotions were surfacing, as well. When he’d said he was going to be stationed overseas for an extended period of time, she’d felt something akin to desperation. She’d felt as though she was being abandoned. His proposal had been impulsive, and she’d shocked herself by saying yes. Making the decision had been both risky and exciting. She’d known the relationship was too new for such a momentous decision, but she’d been head over heels, and the risk had felt worth taking.

  She didn’t regret her decision. Their time together had been wonderful and transformative. She wasn’t the same person she’d been when she met Brandt. She was better. Even though losing him had hurt more than she ever could have imagined, she had no regrets. As time passed, she’d been able to see the happiness as well as the pain. She’d come to accept that grief and joy often coexisted. She’d accepted that part of what she grieved was the future she’d planned on building with him.

  Voices sounded and she straightened, planting her hands on her keyboard.

  Her supervisor, Alan, appeared with Jordan in tow. “Lucy, I can’t thank you enough for bringing this guy to our attention. He’s already been an invaluable resource for the Greenspace project.” Alan indicated the empty cubicle next to hers. “Since he’s ready to tackle the next level, he’ll be sitting next to you. Why don’t you show him the ropes since he hasn’t worked with your department yet?”

  “I’ll do that.”

  She caught Jordan looking at her before his gaze skittered away, and her heart sank. He’d been this way since she’d kissed him. The act had been spontaneous and, looking back, stupid. He’d responded and she was certain he’d felt something, too. Then he’d spent the past two weeks treating her as though they were strangers. He was polite and nice when they were forced to interact, but she feared she’d damaged their friendship beyond repair.

  Alan dropped a stack of papers on the empty desk. “I’m going to introduce him to the rest of the Greenspace team in your department. When we get back, why don’t you take him out to lunch?”

  “Will do.”

  After they’d rounded the corner, Sue McGuiness peeked over the partition. “Now, there’s a tall drink of water.”

  Sue was in her late forties with shoulder-length brown hair, a slightly plump figure and an open personality. She also had a husband and two teenage boys.

  Lucy rolled her eyes. “You’re married.”

  Sue scooted around the partition. “My body may be on a diet, but my eyes are free to roam the buffet. And you’re not married, so you can look all you want. It’s time you got back out there.”

  Lucy nibbled on a thumbnail and glanced at Brandt’s picture. “I don’t know. It doesn’t seem right.”

  Instantly contrite, Sue took the seat Alan had assigned to Jordan. “I didn’t mean to rush you.” She patted Lucy’s hand. “Don’t listen to me. Do whatever feels right.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t know how I feel.” Jordan had put a lot of emphasis on the word friend after the kiss. He was clearly setting boundaries. Did he think her interest in him was a betrayal of Brandt? Was it? “Doesn’t that make me shallow? To have two relationships a year apart?”

  She’d had boyfriends before Brandt, but never anything serious. No one who had ever made her toes curl just thinking about him. Why, after all this time, had lightning chosen to strike twice this close together?

  “You don’t get an award for how long you mourn someone.” Sue leaned forward. “It’s not like you get one chance at happiness and that’s it. We don’t get to pick the timing. You’re allowed to be happy.” She glanced over Lucy’s head. “Whoops. The boss is coming back. Wait a second—is this guy even single?”

  “Yes. But he’s my neighbor. We only know each other in passing. I don’t want to make things awkward.”

  “Then get to know him better.” Sue stood and leaned against the cubicle partition. “Borrow a cup of sugar. Borrow two. Borrow enough that he finally gets the message, then see what happens.”

  “I don’t know. He doesn’t think of me that way.”

  “Doesn’t he?” Sue winked. “I’ll keep an eye on him. By tomorrow, I’ll know if he thinks of you that way. I can always tell.”

  “No,” Lucy whispered. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “My pleasure.”

  Before Lucy could protest further, Jordan appeared. “I’ve met the team. I guess this is where I’m sitting.”

  He held himself stiffly, and she stood, smoothing her skirt. “Be careful of the chair. We’ve ordered a new one.”

  “Sure thing.”

  An instant message from Sue appeared on her screen: He’s totally hot for you.

  Lucy quickly collapsed the box with Sue’s message. “Do you like Chinese food? There’s a great restaurant down the street. The service is fast, and we go there all the time.”

  “That sounds good.”

  Lucy peered over the partition. “Would you like to go with us, Sue?”

  “Nope. Can’t. Working through lunch today.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “
Positive.”

  Lucy reached for her purse, and her phone buzzed. A text from Sue appeared: I don’t want to be a third wheel.

  Lucy chose an emoji with the tongue sticking out and hit Send.

  She reached for her purse and caught sight of her engagement ring. Casting a furtive glance over her shoulder, she slid it off and placed it in her wallet. Maybe he was confused because she’d been sending mixed messages.

  Jordan played music in the car on the way to the restaurant, preventing any meaningful conversation. She sensed the last place he wanted to be was alone with her at lunch. To make matters worse, the waiter seated them in a cozy booth at the back of the restaurant before handing them two plastic-covered menus. Oriental fans and paper globes dangled from the ceiling, and the walls featured black-lacquered panels.

  She hadn’t meant for things to be awkward between them. She didn’t doubt his feelings were as complicated as hers. She only wanted to know if there could be anything between them.

  Lucy tucked a lock of hair behind one ear and pretended to study the menu while she gathered her courage.

  As she formed the question in her mind, her stomach churned. “Jordan, about—”

  “What do you recommend? The kung pao chicken looks good.”

  He was deflecting the topic once again. This had to stop. “If I promise not to kiss you again, will you at least look me in the eye?”

  Lifting the menu, he blocked her view of his face. “Why don’t we just pretend it never happened?”

  A part of her wanted to agree. How much easier to simply go back to the way things were before? Except that would be a lie. Something had sparked between them, and there was no point in ignoring it.

  She hooked her finger on the top of the menu and pulled it down. “You have never struck me as a coward.”

  He lowered his hands with a sigh. “I, uh, I shouldn’t have kissed you back. I’m sorry. That’s my fault.”

  My fault. As though there was someone to blame. Her palms grew damp and a thread of panic wound through her. She’d really gone and done it now. She’d read the signs totally wrong, and she’d made a colossal mess of everything. He didn’t feel the same about her at all.

  She was worse than a teenager with her first crush—thinking that if her feelings were this strong, his must be, too. But the signs had been there. He’d been trying to tell her he didn’t feel the same way. What an idiot she was.

  The waiter came and took their orders, and her thoughts raced. How was she going to extricate herself from this mess? She was hurt, but more than that, she was afraid. She valued his friendship, and now she’d gone and mucked it up.

  When they were alone once more, she sucked in a sharp breath. “You know what? You’re right. With everything that’s going on, I got carried away. It was a mistake, like you said. We can pretend it never happened.”

  The stubborn part of her didn’t want to give up. The practical part of her didn’t want to become like one of those crazy stalkers in a Lifetime Movie. Sure, she’d always wonder if the spark between them was worth fanning into a flame, but the risk wasn’t worth losing him forever. Besides, he’d taken the choice away from her.

  He met her gaze and his eyes were filled with an emotion she couldn’t fathom. “I’ll be your friend. Always. But there can’t be anything more between us.”

  His obvious relief sent her heart plunging.

  “Okay,” she offered brightly. “See how easy that was? It’s water under the bridge. No big deal. We can go back to the way things were. Easy breezy.”

  He straightened his silverware. “Did you discover anything new while I was getting up to speed on the Greenspace project?”

  The change of subject was abrupt and final. There’d be nothing more said on the matter. Easy breezy.

  “Nothing. And I don’t know where to look next. I even pored over pictures from the office Christmas party.” She shivered. “It’s weird, working with people, wondering who is involved.”

  “Westover says they found some footage of the car they think might belong to the buyer. One of the homes near the back entrance of the cemetery had a doorbell camera. The image isn’t that great, but it may help us corroborate his involvement later.”

  “Have they found the second man yet? The man with the tattoo.”

  “No. Nothing yet.”

  Her eyes burned. She wanted to ask him why he couldn’t love her. Instead, she kept her disappointment to herself. His reluctance might be because of Brandt. Then again, maybe she just wasn’t his type. Either way, she’d rather have him as a friend than never see him again, and friendship was all he was offering.

  Straightening her silverware, she avoided looking directly at Jordan. “I’m sure something will turn up soon.”

  She’d already lost one person she loved; she couldn’t bear losing another.

  * * *

  As they exited the restaurant, Jordan scanned the parking lot, searching for anything out of place. It appeared as though everyone in the city was outside and enjoying the temperate spring weather.

  Lucy walked briskly, weaving her way through the parked cars. She’d driven because she knew where the restaurant was located. He couldn’t read her mood, but her body language suggested tension.

  He’d thought the conversation in the restaurant had gone well, all things considered, but now he wasn’t as certain. She paused at the side of her car and looked down. As she turned toward him, a truck pulled out, blocking his view. He waited impatiently for the truck to pass and jogged the distance to the car.

  Lucy slid into the driver’s seat. The light reflecting off the windows prevented him from seeing her clearly. He couldn’t put his finger on the source of his unease, but he sensed something was wrong.

  He opened the passenger door and froze.

  There was a man sitting in the back seat, his gun trained on Lucy.

  THIRTEEN

  Jordan tightened his hold on the handle of the door.

  “Get in,” the man ordered.

  His skin was blotched red and his dirty blond hair was matted. His black T-shirt was wrinkled and there were dark patches that might be blood on his worn jeans. He’d wound a length of red cloth around his thigh. This must be the man who’d escaped the shooting at the cemetery. Why was he here?

  A dozen different options rocketed through Jordan’s head, and he slid into the passenger seat.

  Jordan kept his hands outstretched and visible and his expression neutral. “Why don’t we all stay calm?”

  “I am calm,” the man declared, the barrel of his gun wavering. “Drive.”

  Lucy was pale, and her hands trembled on the steering wheel.

  Jordan touched her arm. “It’s all right.”

  She glanced at him, her eyes wide and frightened. “Where? Where do I drive?”

  The man in the back seat bounced his knee. “Back to the cemetery. Drive back to the cemetery. You know where.”

  He turned and Jordan recognized the distinctive tattoo on his neck. It appeared as though the bullet had caught him in the thigh, and he hadn’t been able to seek medical attention. There was no telling how much blood he’d lost.

  The man was terrified, weak and unpredictable.

  “What’s this all about?” Jordan asked. The situation required a delicate hand. “Do you want money? We can get you money.”

  Cash was always a good place to start.

  “Money wouldn’t hurt.” The man swiped at his nose with the back of his hand. “Who wants me dead, lady?”

  Lucy cast a sharp glance over her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You kidnapped me. I should be asking you that question.”

  “You’re telling me you don’t know why someone wanted to hire me?”

  “Hold it.” Jordan raised his hands higher. “Hold it. Let’s start at the beginning.
Someone hired you. Who?”

  “I don’t know. That’s just it. This was Jimmy’s deal.” Perspiration beaded the man’s brow, and his hands trembled. “We were supposed to put pressure on this lady. That’s all I know.”

  “What kind of pressure?” Jordan asked.

  He focused his attention on Lucy, willing her to stay calm. The guy didn’t want to kill them, and as long as they stayed in relative control of the situation, they had every chance of escaping this unharmed.

  The man lifted the edge of his T-shirt and scrubbed at the sweat on his forehead. “She wasn’t answering her texts. I was supposed to get her attention. Then she met with you.” He waved his gun toward Jordan. “I thought maybe you was an undercover cop or something. You look like it, except for the hair. The hair is too long. I fired a few shots into the coffee shop. I figured if the Boy Scout here was working undercover, he’d have backup. Except only the regular guys showed up.”

  “Then you weren’t aiming to kill?” Jordan asked, though he already knew the answer. He wanted to keep the guy talking—and distracted.

  “Nah. We was just trying to scare her. Maybe see if she’d gone to the cops already. But she hadn’t.”

  Lucy slowed the car for a red light. “Then you don’t know who hired you?”

  “That’s what I said, lady. Ain’t you listening? I don’t know who hired me.”

  “Okay, okay.” Jordan’s thoughts raced. “Take it easy.”

  “You take it easy. You ain’t the one with a price on your head.”

  The guy was pointing a gun at them, which put them in a dangerous situation. “Jimmy was obviously meeting someone at the chapel. What did you see that day?”

  Jordan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Keeping his attention on the guy in the back seat, he unlocked the screen.

  “I didn’t see anything. Jimmy wasn’t supposed to bring anyone with him, so I was lying low in the van. Waiting. I heard the gunshots, and I panicked. Jimmy didn’t have a gun, so I knew he wasn’t the one doing the shooting.”