by Lisa Harris
He left Will alone in the interview room until Conroy walked in. “You wanna tell me what that was?”
Will glanced over at the police chief. Conroy had worn suits every day as the department’s lieutenant. Will would bet he probably wore a suit on the weekend nowadays, too. Now his fiancé held that rank, and he’d been promoted to chief. No one knew when the two would be married. So far in town Tate and Savannah had eloped, and Stuart and Kaylee had been married in a tiny ceremony a few weeks ago. Dean and Ellie were seriously dating, and his brother was seeing her sister.
As far as Will could tell, they were all good cops. Effective and upright. There hadn’t been any red flags. Not that he’d seen so far, at least. For a police department anywhere, that was basically unheard of. Which meant, either they hid their wrongdoing well, or they were the most moral bunch of cops he’d ever met in his life.
Will swiped the file off the table as he stood. “Just a couple of questions. Getting a feel for the situation over at the diner.”
“Because you think Hollis is West.”
It wasn’t a question, so Will didn’t take it as one. “That’s part of an ongoing investigation.”
“What Ted and Jess heard was…” Conroy shook his head. “It had to have been a red herring. There’s no way Hollis is involved.”
“Until you can prove that,” Will said, “I have to continue as though it’s at least a possibility.”
Conroy worked his mouth side to side. No way to argue with that. “Just…tread lightly with her.”
“You want me to go easy when she could be West?” Would this be evidence that Conroy wasn’t as upright as he’d always thought?
“Of course not.” Conroy said, “It’s just...you don’t know her.”
“And you do?”
“I know enough, so I’m telling you this.” Conroy folded his arms. “You’d better be sure. Because if you’re not and you move on it anyway, I don’t want you back in my town. Ever.”
“Fine.” Will headed for the door while Conroy muttered behind him.
“I know you’re trying to date her, too. As Phil Tilley.”
Will turned. “So?” He’d made several plays. Hung a few lines out there, both as his undercover biker persona and as the buttoned-up, straight-laced guy Phil. Either the biker discovered evidence his way, or Hollis would give something up. The two personas moved in such differing circles, it wasn’t hard to keep someone from recognizing him. So far, at least.
Too many people knew who he really was. Sooner or later he would be outed.
“I get that you wanna finish this undercover assignment. To know you got the guy at the top,” Conroy said. “I just don’t like how you’re going about it.”
Didn’t matter. Will was going to do this, and how the locals felt about him wasn’t his problem. He was beyond tired and wanted to finish it. The need to close the case and walk away was a desperation that wouldn’t let him get a full night of sleep. He’d never left anything unfinished.
And this wasn’t done.
If he felt any peace at all these days, it was when he saw Hollis’s name light up on his phone screen. Whatever that was even about.
Of course, it was Phil Tilley she was calling. Not him. Will had no reason to reciprocate her phone calls at this point. Not when she didn’t even know who he really was. Once she found out, he could kiss all their rapport goodbye.
She would know exactly how much he’d been stringing her along this whole time.
That was why he had to push aside his feelings and get this case closed. Get the evidence he needed, and contact his handler for an arrest warrant. Eric would take care of all the paperwork. All Will had to do was make sure there would be no doubt as to the identity of this “West” person they’d been chasing for months.
After that, he could walk away clean.
Done.
Will’s phone rang as he walked out. He expected it to be Hollis, following up with her text—as if she’d know he had just been thinking about her—but it was Eric. He sent his FBI agent handler to voicemail and slid the phone into his cup holder before driving to the diner.
From across the street, he watched the front windows.
Hollis opened seven days a week for breakfast and lunch. He knew she ran the place essentially singlehandedly since her father’s accident. He’d broken both his legs, which put him in a wheelchair, or occasionally on crutches, depending on how his day was going, but no one knew how it had happened.
Will also knew West was a woman, with a witness description that matched Hollis, and intel that suggested she used her diner to launder money. He was going to prove she’d been behind everything sinister going on in Last Chance this whole time.
The fact he was attracted to her was simply further proof of how convincing she was. Manipulating everyone, all the time. Whenever she wasn’t alone, the woman was spinning a line. Creating a story that had the town convinced of how nice she was.
Not him.
He’d seen through her, as much as he’d rather believe it wasn’t true. As though she were some kind of innocent bystander caught in the middle.
He didn’t believe in that. No one was innocent. Will was even beginning to wonder if the police department here wasn’t covering up for her. Perhaps she’d paid them off. Given how Conroy talked about Hollis, it could be that he benefited from some kind of arrangement between the two of them.
That made enough sense that Will decided he’d have to include this new theory in an email to Eric tonight.
Will got out of his car and took a walk around the building, just in case something was happening.
He wandered nonchalantly until he saw the back door was ajar, then pulled his gun and headed inside, still dressed as Will. Jeans, boots, and a dark green Henley. Hard to explain the style change to someone who only knew straight-laced Phil, but he would if he had to. At least he wouldn’t have to explain why the biker known as Hammer had no tattoo right now. Will had covered it with makeup, but hadn’t bothered to wipe it off when he changed clothes.
By the time it did fade, he planned to have this case all wrapped up. He’d be far from Last Chance and the people here who knew him only as a biker.
Will crept down the dark hall. A light was on in the office, and he could hear someone rooting around in there.
Two steps toward the door, he heard a shuffle. The blow came out of nowhere.
Pain reverberated through Will’s skull.
His body slammed onto the floor and everything went black.
Chapter Three
Hollis froze three steps from her apartment front door. Home again. A manila envelope lay propped on the mat against the door. She stared at it like it was going to explode or something.
Part of her wanted to go inside and grab her suitcase, throw it in her car, and take off to her interview anyway. She’d have to completely ignore the envelope. Just leave, never to be seen or heard from again. That sounded glorious…except for the fact she would be wracked with guilt for the rest of her life never knowing what happened to Frankie. Always wondering how it would’ve turned out differently if she’d actually done something to save him.
Maybe her mom was right and she was cold.
Why else would she contemplate not doing whatever it took to help her stepfather? To keep him from danger? They weren’t affectionate. He treated her like he treated everyone else, except that she managed the diner for him and was paid slightly more than the others.
Would he thank her for saving him? Probably.
Would their relationship change at all? Unlikely. Hollis would still leave. He would probably be more irritated than sad that he had to replace her.
Was it still the right thing that she should at least try to save him? Of course.
She dumped her purse and keys by the doorstep, then picked up the manila envelope. It had no writing on it, and it wasn’t addressed to her. Someone had left it for her, though. After they’d told her to wait for further instruction
s.
Hollis slid her finger in the side of the flap and tugged. It was taped. She grabbed her keys and cut it open using the door key she planned on returning before she left.
That was when she got the feeling she wasn’t alone. An instinct of self-preservation told her there was someone out here with her.
Hollis whirled around and saw Conroy walking toward her. The envelope shifted. Something from inside fell out. The chief of police bent and picked up the object, holding it out for her.
“You dropped this.”
Hollis snatched it from his hand. She was pretty sure she also scratched him with a nail, but he didn’t react. It was a flash drive, black with a red slider—so the part you plug into the port could slide in and out. She stuffed it back into the envelope, sliding her thumb against the edge of a piece of paper that had fallen part way out.
A note.
What was written on it?
“Is everything okay, Hollis?”
She looked up, blinking at him. If you involve the police, he dies. Her brain blanked. She didn’t know what to say or even what to think. Conroy could help. She didn’t doubt that. What she doubted was the kidnapper’s ability to keep their word and not simply kill Frankie before she could take action that got him back.
“Hollis.”
“Hey.” She blinked again. “What?”
“Is everything all right?”
“Sure.” She pasted on a smile. Thankfully it came easy, considering she’d been pretending everything was all right for years while her mom did whatever she wanted. With whoever she wanted.
Hollis clutched the envelope against her front. Conroy eyed it, then her face, like he knew there was plenty she wasn’t telling him. Well, Hollis wasn’t a criminal. She might have something to hide, but the police chief really didn’t need to worry about that. There was probably plenty for him to do without making a special call to see if she was all right.
So, was he just checking up on a citizen, or did he actually want to speak to her about something? Hollis nearly gasped. Did he know?
“You’re sure everything’s good?”
Sure, she was hiding something, but it’s not like she had any control over it. Conroy definitely figured something was wrong. But, she wasn’t able to tell him if she wanted to keep her stepdad from being killed. Hollis had to continue to believe that whoever kidnapped Frankie was deadly serious. She needed to act like they meant every word of this dangerous deception, and had every intention of carrying out their threats if necessary.
Otherwise she could be needlessly jeopardizing his life for her own selfish gain, something that would make her just like everyone else. All the people she was trying to get away from. Not that people anywhere else were selfless. She didn’t believe that. Everyone just did what they wanted, and if it looked like they actually cared, then there was always a hidden motive. Some way they’d gain from it. Always.
With new people, in a new town, she wouldn’t have to care—or deal with unmet expectations—any longer. The people in Last Chance were part of her life. Her history. It had only complicated things.
That wasn’t going to happen again. She wouldn’t allow it.
Hollis straightened her shoulders and clutched the envelope to her front. “Everything is fine, Conroy. Thanks.” Since she had no idea why he was even here, she said, “Did you…need something?”
He’d never visited her at home before. In the diner, when he’d come in by himself or recently with his fiancé, he was cordial enough and would ask how she was. But then, everyone did that. Who actually meant it? Certainly no one she’d met before. Especially not the few disastrous times she’d gone to the church in town.
But she couldn’t get dragged down into remembering all that. She had to figure out what the kidnappers wanted, and how to save her father.
Perhaps Conroy knew about the kidnapping and knew she couldn’t say anything to him, but had come here to let her know that he wanted to help. Or that he was “on it,” as those cops always said on TV. She’d watched enough crime dramas and missing persons shows to know she wasn’t going to trust anyone—let alone the kidnappers. But she also couldn’t risk Frankie’s life on an assumption.
What was she supposed to do?
Hollis had no idea. And she was afraid that if she stood here talking to Conroy, eventually it would just slip out without her realizing. Then she wouldn’t be able to take it back.
The police would be involved, and it would put Frankie’s life in immediate danger. Or, more immediate than it already was.
Everyone loved Frankie. He was that “good ole boy” people loved to hang out with. Probably because things never got deeper than that. Just “surface” talk. Light. Easy. Even after the accident, it was like he’d convinced himself that things were still good. No problem.
This situation was anything but that.
But she needed answers. So Hollis said, “Do you know?” very quietly, in case someone was watching, or listening.
“Do I know what, Hollis?”
She bit her lip. He was going to make this hard? She shook her head. “I can’t tell you.”
“If you’re in trouble I can help.”
She wanted to shake her head again, but what was the point? What was the point in any of this? It was about Frankie, not the police chief making himself feel better by checking on her. Or whatever this was. She had no idea, since he’d never done this before.
She said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.”
“So, there’s something to figure out.” Conroy studied her. “Tell me what’s happening, Hollis. Maybe I can help.”
“You can’t. I have to do this by myself.” Hopefully with a little help from her mom, though that was a long shot. What she didn’t need was Conroy being overly nosy and inserting himself into the situation. Alerting the kidnappers.
“Maybe you wanna think about that? Give it some time. Let me know if you need something?”
She shook her head then. “I’m good.”
His expression indicated he didn’t believe her. He was a good cop, and a smart guy, so she wasn’t entirely surprised at that. It wasn’t like Hollis would be able to deceive him and get away with it. She appreciated that the police department here was solid. Good people, doing good things.
Which was why she didn’t belong here.
She turned to the door. “I’ll be fine.”
It hurt to step away from him when she’d rather reach out, but this was for Frankie. She wanted to grab him and wail at how unfair it all was. She only wanted to leave, and now she had to stick around longer? She needed to read the note in the envelope and find out what she was supposed to do to get Frankie back.
Conroy was just slowing her down. Dropping by like this, unannounced. It could only be interpreted as suspicious. He was fishing for information she couldn’t give him.
It had always been easier to push people away rather than trust them. This was no different. Hollis had been solving her own problems every day of her life, with no help from anyone else. Every time she’d ever reached out to someone for help, her hand had been slapped back.
Why would things be different now?
She glanced over her shoulder at Conroy, now walking back to his car. Talking on his phone. Calling someone—probably about her. She sighed and watched him leave.
That was better. She was doing the right thing to not involve him. Frankie. His life was in danger, and there was nothing the police could do to help.
Hollis let herself in her apartment, all cleaned up and ready for her to leave. Ready for the new tenant to move in. She’d already told the manager she was done. That she wouldn’t be here tomorrow.
Now she was going to have to take that back. Or move into the bed and breakfast.
How long would this take? Long enough for her to get Frankie back, but the money she’d set aside to start her new life somewhere else would quickly run out. She felt bad thinking about money. About herself. But why no
t? Everyone was selfish. Everyone lived in their own head, and did everything for themselves. Why should she do any differently?
She was already sticking around to get him back. So what if she only did that so she could leave without feeling guilty? If she rescued him, then Frankie could recover the money she’d spent. He’d like that. Compensation—or recompense. He wouldn’t have to thank her. He could just cut her a check for what it had cost her.
She could leave. He could go back to his business.
Everyone would move on.
She closed the door to her apartment, then checked out the window and watched as Conroy pulled away. Hollis wanted to run after him. No. This was for the best.
No matter what, she would be alone. That was just the way it was going to be.
She opened the envelope, leaving the flash drive where it was. She pulled out the note and tried to ignore the way her hands shook.
plug this flash drive into the computer at the diner and copy the files to the hard drive.
Hollis sniffed. Copy files over. That was all she had to do, and the man who’d been a father to her would be returned?
How could she guarantee they would actually keep their word? This was going to involve a lot of trust from her. Blind faith was something she’d never been a fan of. What she wanted was proof, but would they kill him just because of her asking? Or hurt him more than he’d already been hurt? The man had suffered two broken legs in an accident. After that, there had been multiple surgeries.
How much more could he handle before he just…gave up?
Hollis pulled out her phone.
i got your note.
She wandered through the house. But with nothing to do, it was only aimless pacing. Until her phone beeped. She strode back to it and snatched it up.
do it or he dies.
Chapter Four
Will’s first thought was that he couldn’t move. He blinked, realizing at once that he was in an office and he was tied to a chair. Not good.
