Rotten Apple (Bennett Dynasty Book 1)

by Kate Allenton

  “I know my rights,” I said, glancing up at the two-way mirror while working my way out of the handcuffs. “Charge me or release me.”

  I rose from my chair, dumped the cuffs on the table, and rubbed at the chafing on my wrists. I stepped to the mirror again. “I’m claustrophobic. If you come in now, I promise not to hurt you, but if you make me wait another minute, I won’t be held responsible for what I do next. I’m sure I can convince a jury that I went temporarily insane.”

  The door behind me opened, and Marshal Dent stepped inside, carrying a file.

  “Claustrophobic, huh? That’s not in your file. Please have a seat, Ms. Bennett.”

  “I’d prefer to stand.”

  “Sit,” he growled, holding my gaze.

  I slid into a seat, knowing I needed whatever information he had if I was going to get them to let me go. “I don’t like you.”

  His lip twisted up in a half-smile. “I’m sure you don’t. The reason we’ve brought you here is that there has been a threat to national security, and you seem to be at the center of it.”

  “Okay, I’ll bite. What did I do?” I asked.

  Marshal Dent sat back in his chair. “You turned in prints earlier to your FDG forensic team and had them run. Can I ask why you ran Ms. Sinclair’s prints?”

  “She’s a person of interest in a stalker-death-threat investigation.” I leaned forward, my interest piqued. Why had that triggered the U.S. Marshal’s interest? “So, what is she, a witness or a criminal that you’re hiding?”

  His smile fell. “She’s protected by the United States. That’s all you need to know, so drop her from your investigation.”

  I slowly shook my head. “Witness Protection.” I nodded. “I didn’t see that coming, but just so we’re clear, she has access to the kid I’m protecting. If she hurts one hair on that child’s head, I promise to return the favor.”

  “I just told you to back off, Ms. Bennett. If you’re unwilling, I’m sure I can find a jail to throw you into until you forget all about Ms. Sinclair. Do I make myself clear?”

  I tilted my head and clasped my fingers together. “I couldn’t care less about Edna Sinclair, only that she’s a person of interest in a stalking case related to one of the children she teaches.”

  “You think she’s a stalker?” he asked. “I can verify that Ms. Sinclair hasn’t had any spare time to do anything like what you’re suggesting. If she isn’t at school teaching, she’s spent all of her free time surrounded by marshals.”

  “That’s a bit much for WITSEC, isn’t it? Normally you guys provide a new identity and then get them jobs and leave them to live their new anonymous lives. If this one has marshals still hanging around, she must be rather important.”

  The conference room door opened, and Fillpot stood inside the doorway. He had a badge clipped to his belt. “Dent, I’ve got this. Take a walk.”

  “Well now, this just got more interesting. Are you here to make more threats or steal back my Gram’s money?”

  He huffed as he sat. “Ms. Bennettꟷ may I call you Gwen?”

  “Only my family and friends call me Gwen. You can call me Ms. Bennett or ma’am,” I answered.

  “Fine.” He sighed. “Ms. Bennett, we took the money with every intention of returning it. We needed to verify your credentials.”

  “A test for what?” I asked half in anticipation and half in dread as I leaned forward. “If the government is your employer, how in the hell was any of that legal?”

  “You want to discuss legal? I must say that there are a few people interested in where exactly that money turned up.”

  I grinned and winked. My look alone wouldn’t convict me.

  “The invitation is for a secret task force, and until you accept, that’s all I can currently tell you, but from what I understand, you have your hands full with a client, or is he your new boyfriend?”

  A boulder the size of Denver formed in my gut. “What do you know about my client?”

  Fillpot leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers on the desk. “Your clients are Carter and Maxwell Pierce. Death threats have been made on the lives of Amelia and Petunia Pierce. How am I doing so far?”

  He inched forward in his seat when I didn’t reply.

  “I can assure you that Edna Sinclair, the school teacher, is not involved.”

  Well crap, how in the hell did he know anything about my involvement with the Pierces, other than what I’d shown them?

  “If she’s not the one responsible, then who?” I asked.

  “That’s for you to figure out,” he said, rising from his seat. “But let me help you out. He tossed a file onto the table. “The Larry you’re searching for is Lawrence Turner. He volunteers as a groundskeeper at the school and has a fulltime job as a groundskeeper at the park. Ms. Delany has agreed that we’re going to pretend this didn’t happen.”

  I rose from my seat and flipped the file open. “You people disrupted my life. You stole from my grandmother, you put a tracker on my car, and you ruined a perfectly good evening. Pretending none of this happened is going to be damn near impossible.”

  “Then accept this as a truce, Ms. Bennett. Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Fillpot held up my phone. He opened the phone and pulled out what looked like a bug. He dropped it onto the ground and smashed it with his foot before putting the phone back together and handing it back to me.

  “When the hell did you have a chance to bug my phone?” I asked.

  “You’ve been on our radar well before I met your grandmother, Ms. Bennett. I look forward to working with you in the future when your current case is done.”

  “I never agreed to that,” I called out as Fillpot led the way to the door.

  “That’s a shame.” He shrugged. “Your sister Faith was certain you’d change your mind.”

  “You finally figured out it wasn’t me in the car, huh? How long did it take?” I grinned when he didn’t answer.

  They drove Max and me back to his house and dumped us at the curb. “Does that happen to you often?”

  “Never.” I huffed, rubbing my wrist.

  I’d let my guard down enough for Fillpot to bug my phone. How had I let that happen? Faith’s old beat-up truck still sat across the road, reminding me that I needed to check in on my sister. The comment Fillpot made sounded as though he’d made contact with her.

  We both walked to the door, and Max led me inside. I grabbed my sister’s keys and was back out on the porch before Max could stop me. I knew what would happen if we stayed inside. He’d have his way with me, and I’d love every minute of it. That wasn’t getting this case solved. I’d been right all along. Max was a delicious distraction that I didn’t need.

  “Where are you going?” Max asked, catching up to me.

  “To trade vehicles with my sister and go do my job.”

  Max stepped out onto the porch. “None of us could have guessed her teacher was protected.”

  I licked my lips as I met his gaze. “I should have known. I had Fillpot’s tag number. I should have gone to the office and pulled it instead of coming here.”

  He lifted his chin, momentarily rebuffed. “Instead of coming here and being distracted by me? Is that what you mean, Gwen?”

  I swallowed hard. This was why I didn’t mix personal and professional. “You’re a delicious distraction, Max. One that neither of our families can afford right now. You understand.”

  I spun on my heels and jogged across the street. Max followed just as quickly, and his hand landed on the door to stop me from opening it. “Don’t shut me out. We can do this together.”

  I straightened my shoulders and glanced up at him. “At what cost?”

  “You and I have chemistry, Gwen. That isn’t something either of us can fake. Are you willing to walk away and ignore that?”

  “If it means protecting my family and yours, then yes,” I answered.

  Max pulled his hand away from the door, and I slid inside, shutting the door behind me.
I couldn’t meet his gaze as I started the truck. Thank God it took only twice this time before the engine caught, and then I drove away.

  With a single glance in the rearview mirror, I knew in my heart and my soul that I’d done right by both of us, even though it felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  Chapter 21

  I didn’t get emotional. People in my line of work could die if they got emotional, yet I couldn’t stop this unfamiliar feeling of anger and regret coursing through my body.

  I drove without remembering how I got to Carter’s house, completely forgetting to return Faith’s truck. That was the price I paid for the emotional haze. It wasn’t worth it. I parked outside the gate and nodded as I passed the security guard. At least he was doing his job.

  The air around the grounds was quiet. Not that I expected much of anything else. The trees rustled in the breeze as I walked the property line, more for peace of mind and the need to think than for any security reasons. I wasn’t worried about another breach. I’d made sure this whole place was protected and sealed up tight. When I hit the edge of the back fence on the property line, I glanced up at the camera and smiled, knowing that security would recognize me. They’d probably been tracking me since I passed through the gate.

  I headed toward the lit house and entered through the back door, where Rose was sitting at the kitchen table eating.

  “Late dinner?” I asked.

  “Chef Robin saved me a bowl of stew. I swear Amelia is an alien. She doesn’t stop to eat. Apparently, she says she’s fasting to fit into her wedding gown.”

  “Fasting?” I asked, pulling out a chair to sit with Rose. Amelia wasn’t a big woman. If I’d had to guess, maybe a size six soaking wet. There was nothing flabby on that woman.

  “Sixteen hours she fasts, and then she eats for only eight hours a day. I just can’t even imagine having to do that.”

  “I wouldn’t have pegged her to be so disciplined,” I said, thinking back to Petunia’s birthday party. Come to think about it, I didn’t think Amelia had even a single bite of food.

  “And if she doesn’t stop, neither do I. You know the drill,” Rose said.

  “Anything else you need to report?” I asked, rising from my seat.

  “All else is quiet. There hasn’t been anything to report. It’s like we showed up and the threats stopped,” Rose said.

  I stepped into the pantry and grabbed a pack of peanut butter crackers. “Keep those in your pocket so you always have a snack in the event she keeps the same schedule tomorrow.”

  “Thanks. You know I wish we would have a threat so we could finish this. The wedding is only a few days away.”

  “If he’s going to make his move, it will be soon. All of the wedding festivities will be a trigger.”

  “Festivities?”

  “You didn’t get the schedule? She’s acting as her own wedding planner. She’s overseeing every single detail down to the catering staff and the kitchen. She’s kind of OCD if you haven’t noticed.” Rose grinned and slid a folded piece of paper across the smooth tabletop.

  I opened the paper, and my mouth parted as I snapped my gaze to Rose. “She can’t be serious?”

  “Oh, she is, all right. She’s got one more dress fitting, she plans to double-check everything with the caterer, and check on the cake. She also intends to go to the country club and boss around the set-up people to make sure everything’s just perfect.” Rose pinched her lips together.

  I sighed. “We’ve been through worse. I’m tracking down Larry tomorrow to have a talk and also Paul Kilnery to determine if he’s involved. If it’s not one of those two, then we’re back to square one.”

  “That doesn’t sound promising,” Carter Pierce said from the doorway.

  “I’ve ruled out her teacher so far.” I gave Carter a cheesy smile. “Larry’s name dropped into my lap. He’s the friend from the park, so I’m chatting with him tomorrow, and then I plan to visit the parolee. We don’t have much else to go on since we haven’t been given a formal list from either your sister or her fiancé, Dexter Cline. If you could twist their arms to participate, that would be great.” I patted his arm in passing as I headed out of the kitchen. “I’m going to check in with Cassandra and then hit the sack.”

  “Did she just ask me to twist their arms?” Carter asked. His voice carried through the foyer as I headed for the stairs.

  I slowed when I found Cassandra pacing the hall. “What are you doing here?”

  “Amelia is with Petunia, making her try on her flower girl dress…again.”

  “Yes, well…everything must be perfect.”

  Cassandra rolled her eyes. She leaned in to whisper. “That woman is the dictionary picture of OCD, but only when it comes to things that directly affect her.”

  We knew the type. We’d dealt with enough crazy clients and their families that this one was technically a walk in the park, if I could just stay focused. “My suspect list is dwindling, so keep your ears and eyes open.”

  “Petunia is a smart little girl. Not much gets by her if you ask the right questions. She told me that she saw Johnny kissing her mommy before she met Dexter.”

  “Oh.” I stared, wordlessly as aggravation clawed through my skin. Why hadn’t she told us? “A tryst with security. That isn’t unheard of.”

  “Yeah, but she also told me that Johnny likes to kiss everyone.”

  “Good thing we got rid of him before the scumbag tried to kiss one of us. We would have shot him.”

  Cassandra shrugged with an evil grin. “Speak for yourself. It’s been a long time since I’ve been kissed and desired.”

  I couldn’t say the same thing. I could still taste Max on my lips. Still remember his fingers as they touched me. Heat claimed my cheeks, and I turned before Cassandra realized I, too, had a secret. A secret that, if not kept in check, would be grounds to be thrown off this case. It would make me a liability.

  I had a fitful night’s sleep filled with a dream that turned into a nightmare. Max and I were on a date and getting pretty cozy one minute, and in the next, it had ended in bloodshed. I’d woken in sweat-soaked sheets, trying to calm my racing heart.

  I showered away the memories and dressed for the day, quietly slipping down the stairs, hoping no one would hear me. Carter was in the kitchen talking to Chef Robin, probably planning the dinner menu. Max’s and Petunia’s laughter drifted into the foyer as I eased the front door closed behind me.

  Cassandra was sitting on the steps. “Trying to sneak out, huh?”

  Heat crept to my cheeks again. “You caught me. I wanted to get a head start. I have to switch vehicles with Faith.”

  Cassandra raised a single brow. “I need to ask you something serious.”

  I paused. “Uh, okay.”

  “Which brother do you like?”

  “Psst. Neither.” I gawked. “You know our motto. We don’t screw clients.”

  She gave a slow nod of the head. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I made a play for Max? When this is all done of course.”

  “Why would I care?” I asked, jogging down the steps.

  She jumped from her seat and jogged to catch up to me. “You just balled your fist.”

  “What? I did not.”

  Cassandra jogged in front of me, blocking my path. “It’s your tell sign. You flex your fingers when you’re working through something, and you make a fist when you’re angry. I think it’s a subconscious movement.”

  “What do I have to be mad about, and what do I care if you go after either of them? The only thing that would piss me off is if you do it before we catch this stalker.” Like I had. I couldn’t believe that I’d screwed up so royally.

  “You like Max,” she teased. “I’ve never seen you this defensive. You’re normally straight-faced while on a job. See?” She pointed to my clenched fist.

  “You have a little girl to watch, and I have people to question. This conversation will have to wait, Dr. Phil.”

  “You almost made it,” Cas
sandra leaned in and whispered before gesturing behind me.

  I spun to find Max heading our way. “Cassandra, Petunia is done with breakfast.”

  I rolled my eyes and headed for Faith’s heap of junk. Max followed. “I think we need to clear the air, Gwen.”

  “Nothing to clear, Counselor. We shared a moment of weakness. I’d like to forget it happened.”

  “I don’t,” Max opened the truck door. “Actually, just the opposite. I plan to seduce you with every breath in my body, but I’ll respect your need to find the stalker to protect my family. That just makes me want you more.”

  “This isn’t a game,” I said, sliding into the truck. I rolled down the window before shoving the key into the ignition. “If I lose focus, it’s not going to be good for anyone.”

  He handed me a brown paper bag through the window opening.

  “What is this?”

  “Just some light reading for your downtime.” He grinned. “You do remember everything you read and see right?”

  “That is part of my charm,” I said, peeking into the bag. Two books lay inside. One was the Kama Sutra, and the other was Dating 101. “What is this, your version of foreplay?”

  “It’s a peek at what’s to come, Gwen.” Max chuckled as he walked away.

  Chapter 22

  One quick phone call and I had Lawrence Turner’s work schedule. Today was his day off at the school, yet he was scheduled to work at the playground I’d visited the day before. Thanks to Fillpot, Larry’s picture was attached to the file. It was just a matter of time before I found him. I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the benches that were outside the playground area. Only a few little kids and their young mothers were already at the playground. It was a school day, so all of the older kids were in school, except for Petunia. Someone like Larry would be easy to spot.

  An hour later, I glanced at my watch for the third time. A park service truck pulled up, and a man wearing overalls climbed out. He grabbed a few items from the back of the truck and then started walking, picking up trash as he headed away from where I was sitting. That had to be my guy.