Stolen Secrets

by Sherri Shackelford

  She missed him—she’d always miss him—but she refused to live her life in a state of suspended animation, and Jordan made her feel guilty for moving on.

  He caught her arm. “I’m sorry, Lucy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset. I’m tired. I’m tired of being sad. I’m tired of being lonely. I want to look forward to the future instead of thinking of all the things that might have been. I’m ready to be happy again.”

  “Then what’s stopping you?”

  You, she wanted to shout.

  That wasn’t fair. She pressed the heels of her hands against her temples. None of this was Jordan’s fault. Having a connection to Brandt had brought her peace this past month. It wasn’t his fault she’d started to fall in love with him.

  Why couldn’t he be old and mean and ugly?

  Why did he have to be the only other person who had ever made her heart pound and her breath catch?

  Lucy clutched her cross-body bag against her hip. “Nothing. Nothing is stopping me.”

  Her head down, she plunged into the crowd. What was wrong with her? There was no point in blaming Jordan because he didn’t return her feelings.

  “Lucy, wait!” Jordan called.

  Feeling rebellious, she picked up her pace. She caught sight of Westover trailing them in the SUV. It wasn’t as though she was alone. She was never alone lately. There was always someone watching and listening.

  The sidewalks were crowded, and she made her way toward a coffee shop on the corner. She missed being autonomous. Lately she had people listening to her, watching her and following her all the time. All she wanted was some peace and quiet. Maybe that was why she was out of sorts. She needed a little time alone for once.

  To her continued annoyance, the coffee shop was packed, as well. The outside patio was crowded with people laughing and talking together. The evening was too beautiful to sit hunched over a computer, although at least one person had chosen just that.

  Her feet hurt and she wished she hadn’t worn these stupid shoes. Her eyes burned.

  Her phone buzzed and she stared at the screen.

  For a minute she hoped it was Jordan, but it was Sue reminding her of the baby shower they were supposed to attend for another coworker, and she mentally berated herself.

  Her heart simply refused to listen to all her self-talk.

  She glanced up just as a man on a bike came careening down the sidewalk. The woman in front of her leaped out of the way. As Lucy lunged to the side, her heel slipped into a crack in the pavement. Her phone went flying.

  She pitched sideways, though her foot remained stuck, and bumped into a chair, causing a domino effect. A man jumped up and the flimsy table overturned, tossing a woman’s laptop to the ground. The screen shattered and the woman yelped.

  Lucy’s foot slipped free of her strappy sandal, and she flew backward.

  * * *

  Jordan managed to grab Lucy a split second before her head hit the pavement.

  He clutched her against his frantically beating heart. “Are you all right?”

  No matter how much he tried to avoid it, she kept landing in his arms. Why did God insist on thrusting temptation into his path?

  “I’m fine,” Lucy said, stirring against him. “Just clumsy.”

  A well-dressed middle-aged woman approached them. “I think this is your shoe.”

  Lucy accepted the sandal. “Thanks.”

  A young man extended his hand. “Your phone, miss.”

  The screen was cracked, though not as bad as before. She was going to go broke replacing phones at this rate. The woman from the coffee shop retrieved her shattered laptop and glared in the direction the bike had taken.

  When it became clear there were no serious injuries, tables were righted, and nervous laughter abounded.

  Westover joined them, his chest rising and falling with his rapid breathing. “I chased the guy down and caught up with him about a block away. I thought maybe the accident was deliberate, but he’s clearly inebriated.”

  Lucy replaced her shoe, then smoothed her hair. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.”

  Westover glanced around, then lowered his voice. “I better skedaddle, just in case someone is watching.”

  “I’m ready to go home now,” Lucy declared. “I want to be in the car. At least I know no one is watching or listening to me there.”

  With one hand on the small of her back and his attention sharp, Jordan guided her to their parked car. Once they were safely inside, he vacillated between his duty and his loyalty. Despite the reckless biker who’d plowed down the sidewalk, the evening with Lucy had been wonderful.

  The more he thought about the ring he’d discovered in Brandt’s belongings, the more he realized he had no choice other than to speak with Lucy. He was running out of time to gather answers. Though she’d been through a harrowing ordeal these past couple of weeks, his questions could no longer wait.

  No matter where the answers led, he had to know the truth, and the car was the best place to have the conversation.

  Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he wiped each palm against a pant leg. “There’s a question I wanted to ask you. And I haven’t known quite how to say it.”

  “Why does that sound ominous?”

  “It’s not ominous. It’s just, well... It’s personal. I need to know about the engagement ring Brandt proposed with. Did he tell you anything about where he got it?”

  She chuckled. “He didn’t know where it came from. It wasn’t his ring.”

  Jordan started. “What?”

  Her face averted, Lucy stared at the passing scenery. “The ring belonged to my great-aunt. She passed away a few years ago, and she didn’t have any children. She left me her jewelry and a few other items in her estate. The rest went to my mom.”

  Jordan vacillated between relief and confusion. “Then he didn’t buy you a ring?”

  “No. Though he promised to. Everything was rushed when we got engaged, and there was no time to go shopping. I thought it was a waste of money anyway. The ring from my aunt had been sitting in a jewelry box collecting dust for years. Brandt always felt guilty about it, though. You know how he liked grand gestures.”

  “He wanted to propose to you properly,” Jordan said, his chest constricting. “And he wanted that proposal to be special.”

  “That was Brandt. I’ll always wonder what he had up his sleeve. Knowing him, it was something unique.”

  “I can shed some light on that.” Jordan gathered his courage. “I’ve been such an idiot. I should have said something earlier.”

  He’d been agonizing all this time when a simple conversation would have cleared up the whole misunderstanding. Having an exact replica of the ring specially made was just the sort of thing Brandt would do. He’d obviously wanted to propose to Lucy properly while still preserving his original proposal.

  Jordan had never been so grateful for a darkened car. He didn’t want Lucy to read the shame in his expression.

  Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the length of embroidered blue silk, then extended his hand. “There’s something inside. It’s from Brandt.”

  After carefully unraveling the material, she revealed the ring Jordan had been carrying in his pocket for the past month.

  Her breath caught. “I don’t understand. How? This looks almost exactly like my aunt’s ring.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t give it to you sooner. Brandt had it made when we were overseas. He gave it to me for safekeeping the day of the bombing. There was a mix-up at the hospital, and it’s been sitting in storage for most of the year. When someone discovered the mistake, they returned it to me. I should have given it to you that first day. I wanted to, but you were wearing a ring, an identical ring. And there was a... It doesn’t matter. I’m sorry.”

  They’d
reached her house, and he pulled into the driveway. Neither of them made a move to exit the car.

  Her head bent, Lucy ran the length of delicate blue silk between her fingers. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why did you wait?”

  He gripped the steering wheel harder. What was he supposed to say? That he’d encountered Brandt in the lobby of the hotel with a woman and something about the meeting had seemed off? That from the first moment he’d seen Lucy, he’d wanted to make her happy? That he’d wanted to ensure her happiness even if it meant preserving Brandt’s memory with a lie?

  Instead, he said, “I don’t know. I was wrong, and I’m sorry.”

  “You were worried, weren’t you?” She reverently held the ring between her thumb and forefinger. “You didn’t know why there were two rings, and you didn’t want me to think badly of him.”

  “He was my friend,” Jordan said, his voice catching. “I never should have doubted him. There were other things. I can’t tell you what they were—it’s classified. But it doesn’t matter. I was wrong.”

  Lucy rested her hand on his sleeve. “I think I understand. I’d have done the same thing in your position. I’d have tried to figure out why there was a second ring rather than risk hurting someone. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

  “He loved you,” Jordan said. “And he wanted to do right by you. He wanted you to be happy. He was a good man.”

  The truth was innocuous and logical. He’d wrapped himself in knots because he didn’t want to hurt Lucy. But a part of him feared that he’d also been protecting himself. He’d wanted to preserve the memory of the three of them. He wanted to preserve the memory of listening to Brandt read Lucy’s emails out loud. Of knowing that his feelings for her were safe and contained and harmless.

  He’d known in his heart that he’d never be able to compete with someone like Brandt. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life being compared to Brandt and coming up short.

  “He was a good man.” Lucy’s sigh was barely audible. “You wanted me to be happy, as well. I appreciate that. More than you know.”

  “This is all going to be over soon, Lucy. I promise you. I’m expecting the call saying they’ve apprehended the buyer anytime now.”

  “You know, I’m almost dreading that call,” she said, pushing open her door.

  “Why is that?”

  “Because when this is finished, I’ll have lost you both.”

  “You won’t lose me, Lucy.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  His heart aching, he watched her walk away, then picked up his phone and dialed Mike.

  “I don’t think Brandt was taking bribes,” Jordan said.

  “What did you find out?”

  “It’s a long story, but he had a legitimate reason for wanting the ring made. Remember how you said the two guys from the CIA were watching the shop? Well, I doubt they were the only ones. Brandt just picked the wrong shop at the wrong time. Once he had that ring made, everyone was looking at him. Talk to those guys in the CIA. I bet the girl the jeweler mentioned was working for the other side. I saw her with Brandt in the lobby of the hotel. I knew there was something funny about the exchange. I’m guessing she was trying to seduce him. That’s why he looked uncomfortable.”

  “Makes sense. I’ll get a list of known foreign agents and let you take a look. See if you can pick out the girl.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Hey. I’m sorry. That’s a tough break. Brandt was a good guy. One of the best.”

  “Yeah. He was.”

  Brandt was just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lucy never needed to know his visit to the jewelry shop had brought him to the attention of foreign spies. They’d thought he was taking a bribe, and when they discovered he was clean, they’d unraveled the thread. Maybe one of the workers at the hotel had seen something and slipped the information to someone for a price.

  They’d probably never know exactly how their cover was blown. There was always a risk when they worked overseas. Causing Lucy more grief solved nothing.

  She had the ring. She knew what was in Brandt’s heart, and that was enough.

  Jordan was relieved that Brandt’s death would not be in vain. They had more information now. They had a path to finding the men who had organized the suicide bombing.

  He’d lost his friend. With a muffled sob, he pressed his forehead against the steering wheel.

  Now, after all this time, he could finally mourn him.

  SEVENTEEN

  Lucy sat in a cardboard lifeboat with three other employees and Jordan. There were four other identical boats, each manned with five people.

  Sue stood at the head of the room. “Okay. Here’s how this works. There are five people in your boat. There’s a doctor with a painkiller addiction—that’ll be you, Ellie. There’s a married couple—that’s Jordan and Lucy. She’s a nurse, and he’s a construction worker. They have two children. There’s also a criminal—that’s you, Gerry. You’ve been charged with murder, but you’re the only one who can navigate the boat. There’s also a minister—that’s Tom. He’s proved to be cool in a crisis and was the one who managed to get the lifeboat into the water in the first place.” Sue paused for dramatic effect. “One of you must be eliminated from the boat.”

  Everyone in the room groaned, and Sue appeared affronted. “This will be fun. It’s a test of teamwork and problem-solving.”

  At the expression on Jordan’s face, Lucy stifled a giggle. The company held an off-site meeting after hours in the classrooms beneath the Lied Jungle at the Henry Doorly Zoo each year. The day consisted of a series of team-building events, followed by a party that included families. Normally Lucy dreaded the event, but since Jordan was compelled to attend, the day had been more than tolerable. She’d even had fun.

  There’d been a few boring meetings while the CEO lectured them on how well the company was performing. The schedule was interspersed with sumo wrestling in inflatable costumes and other team-building events. This was the final challenge of the day before they were released for dinner.

  Gerry, the assigned criminal, stood with a shrug. “This is easy. Guess I’ll go.”

  He was a portly, balding man in his midsixties and the only person who dreaded this event more than Lucy.

  Ellie blocked his exit. “You can’t go. You’re the only one who can steer the boat.”

  Lucy groaned. Leave it to Ellie to complicate things. If this was a cruise ship, she’d be the cruise director.

  Jordan grinned at Lucy. “Hey, wife. It’s a good thing we left the kids at home, considering how this is turning out.”

  She stuck out her tongue at him.

  Gerry remained standing, and Lucy appreciated his optimism. She doubted they were getting out of this anytime soon. Not with Ellie taking charge.

  “Okay,” Gerry declared. “We get rid of the construction worker. We’re on a boat. We don’t need him.”

  “But what if something happens to the boat?” Ellie crossed her arms over her chest. “He might be the only one who can fix it.”

  “It’s a boat.” Gerry guffawed. “How complicated can the repairs be?”

  “No.” Tom shook his head. “If we live, we’ll be stranded on a desert island. We’ll need the construction worker to help us build the huts and the infrastructure and stuff.”

  Lucy’s eyes widened. In a flash they’d gone from surviving at sea to building huts.

  “Then let’s get rid of the clergy guy,” Gerry offered. “What’s he adding?”

  Ellie gasped. “You can’t throw a clergyman off the boat. He was the one who got us on the boat in the first place. We’ll need spiritual guidance if we’re going to create an island nation.”

  An island nation? Lucy gaped. They were never going to be done in time for dinner at this rate, and she was starving.


  “All right, all right.” Tom flapped his hands. “If I’m a clergyman, then I understand sacrifice. I’ll throw myself off. Problem solved.”

  “Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Ellie huffed. “We’ll need you for spiritual guidance.”

  Lucy exchanged a glance with Jordan. His shoulders shook with laughter, and he covered his face.

  “Fine.” Gerry threw back his head and arms like a toddler having a fit in the supermarket. “Then who should stay? Maybe we should start there? Once we decide who stays, we’ll know who has to go.”

  “I say we keep the nurse,” Tom stated confidently. “We might need medical attention. And we should keep the guy who can steer the boat.”

  Gerry smirked. “Yeah. If we can’t steer, we’ll just be floating out here in circles forever.”

  “And he’s not likely to teach anyone else how, is he?” Ellie glared at Gerry as though he’d actually been accused of a crime. “He’s a criminal—he’s not stupid. He’ll know you’re just going to throw him overboard once you don’t need him anymore.”

  “But how do we know he’s really a murderer?” Tom interjected. “Sue just said he was charged with murder. She didn’t say he was guilty. What if he’s innocent and we vote an innocent man off the boat?”

  Of all the team-building exercises she’d been involved in over the years, this was turning out to be Lucy’s favorite.

  Gerry stood up again. “This is a trick. I know it. We should all go down together. All for one and one for all.”

  He pumped his fist to drive the point home.

  Clipboard in hand, Sue appeared at the side of the “boat.” “You can’t all go down with the ship. The game says you have to decide who should stay and who should go.”

  Lucy turned to Jordan. “What do you think? Who would you choose?”

  If she didn’t get some food soon, she was going to punch a hole in the bottom of the boat no matter what the rules said.

  Jordan assumed a serious expression. “I say we join forces and rebel against Sue. She’s the one who made the rules. If we overthrow her, we can do what we want. Then we can change the rules and everyone gets to stay on the boat.”