Mike winced at the venom oozing from my voice. We both had our share of anger stored up. “I’m not suggesting you can’t protect yourself. But these guys—if it’s the same guys—won’t hesitate to take you out if they think you’re involved again. I don’t know why Romeo sent you those emails, but—”
“It’s a game to him. He wants me to take the bait and play again.”
“You did the right thing by calling me.”
I crossed my arms and stood in front of the window, looking out onto the front lawn. Clouds had moved in, and it looked to rain. “It would have been wrong of me to withhold evidence in an active investigation.” I faced him. “Thanks for coming.”
He took several slow steps toward me, touched my arm, then leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Take care of yourself, Brooke.” He retreated, keeping his dark eyes trained on mine. “But stay away from this case. I’ll have an agent here within the hour. For your own safety. Don’t fight me on this.”
When the door closed behind him and his car disappeared down the road, I grabbed my leather jacket, phone, and car keys, and headed for the garage where my car was already packed with everything I’d need for an extended trip to Kentucky.
Chapter 2
The weather in Kentucky in the spring was difficult to predict. Tonight, it was cold, in the forties, and drizzly, which made my strapless cocktail dress and high heels almost unbearable. The party, an annual affair, was the kickoff to the Bluegrass Derby festival—a two-week-long series of events that celebrated a single, two-minute thoroughbred horse race.
After showing a security guard my personal invitation, I pulled up to the governor’s mansion. A young valet opened my door and helped me from my vehicle, then slid behind the wheel and whisked it away before I could change my mind about attending tonight’s celebration.
“This way, miss,” a man said, gesturing toward the stairs leading to the front door. As if I couldn’t find my way to the lit-up entrance.
I climbed the stairs to the front door. My feet were cold, and it had been way too long since I’d worn four-inch heels, so I wasn’t surprised when I stumbled at the top of the stairs.
A warm hand to my forearm steadied me. When I righted myself, I lifted my head and met the gaze of a man who stood slightly taller than me despite my extra four inches. “You okay?” he asked in a foreign accent. His striking blue eyes temporarily pinned me.
“Oh… uh… yes.” I gave my head a little shake. “Thank you. It’s been a while.” I nodded toward my Jimmy Choos.
He followed my glance to my decorated feet, then slowly followed the line of my legs, and beyond, until he found my eyes again. “Well then, I’m glad I was here to catch you.”
He drew his hand back, leaving a cool sensation on my skin where his palm had rested, and gestured for me to continue toward the party.
As I passed through the front entrance, flashing my invitation to the Kentucky state policemen standing guard, I turned to thank the stranger for his help again. But he was gone. Poof. Disappeared into thin air.
I slid the invitation into my clutch. I had received it weeks ago, and like all invitations I’d received in the last year from Governor Spencer, I had planned on tossing this one in the trash. But Truman had refused to cancel tonight’s party despite the death of his lieutenant governor—and that told me he wasn’t taking the threat on his life seriously. I owed it to Teddy, Truman’s brother, to make sure he understood the threat was real.
Music and laughter was everywhere inside the mansion. Servers walked around with trays holding glasses of champagne, silver julep cups filled with bourbon, and bite-sized hors d’oeuvres. As I walked through the grand foyer, I took in the scents of flowers from the many arrangements.
One of the servers passed by, and I grabbed a julep cup. I downed nearly half before I slid into the crowd of the state ballroom.
The governor was laughing with a small group of people next to one of several makeshift bars. I took another sip of my drink, ordering myself silently not to drink too much. I was already feeling the effects of that first gulp. But seeing Truman, who looked so much like his older brother Teddy, threw me off balance. They shared the same facial structure, height, and eyes.
Just seeing those hazel green eyes solidified my determination. I drank the rest of the cocktail, letting the sweet bourbon slide smoothly down my throat, stinging only a little. Then, handing the silver cup to another server, I started toward Truman.
Half a dozen steps into my journey across the room, I was stopped with a firm grasp to my elbow.
“Funny. I distinctly remember telling you to stay away from this case.”
I looked from the hold on my arm to Mike’s eyes. “And here I thought Kentucky was way out of your jurisdiction.”
“It would have been, but thanks to the evidence you gave us, my investigation led us here. We’re coordinating with state police investigators.”
I pulled my arm away and faced Mike, putting my back to the governor. “That’s great. I’m glad you’re here to keep the governor safe. I, on the other hand, was invited.” I pulled my invitation from my clutch. “See. Just a partygoer. A supporter of politics and horse racing.” I could also have said that the governor was my brother-in-law, but that would have been putting way too much salt into way too many wounds.
Mike stepped closer. “This is your only warning, Fairfax. Stay away from this case, or I will have you arrested for obstruction.”
I rotated my shoulders back. “Just be sure you have enough evidence to put me in jail before you do it. Because if you don’t, I’ll make your life at the Bureau a living hell—and sue you for false arrest.”
He smiled then. “You know me well enough to know that I don’t bluff.”
“Neither do I,” I said through gritted teeth. “And we both know I have enough pull to wreak havoc on your career.”
His expression faltered. He swallowed hard. “Just stay out of our way.”
“Brooke?” a voice said behind me.
I turned slowly. “Truman. Hi,” I said nervously.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
I glanced over my shoulder at Mike’s smug face. “According to the invitation, you asked me to come.”
He smiled. “I know. I just didn’t think…” He leaned in, and sliding a hand around my waist, he kissed my cheek. “I’m happy you came. When you didn’t come for the inauguration, I just assumed…” He gave his head a little shake. “It doesn’t matter. I’m thrilled you’re here.”
Mike cleared his throat behind me.
“Hi, Mike,” Truman said. “I thought you’d be on your way back to Virginia by now.” Truman knew Mike because of Mike’s partnership with Teddy.
“No, sir. Agent Salazar and I still have some work to do.” He glanced around the room before lowering his voice. “We’ll be meeting with your state police detail in the morning.”
“Fine.” Truman grabbed my hand and tugged. “Come on, Brooke, I’ll introduce you to some people and then we can catch up.”
“Governor,” Mike said before we could walk away.
Truman lifted his hardened jaw in Mike’s direction.
“Please remember what we discussed earlier.”
Truman tugged harder on my hand, and we walked away. With a glance over my shoulder, I threw Mike an icy look that said, “kiss my ass.”
“I know Mike was Teddy’s best friend, but I never liked that guy,” Truman said.
I leaned in closer. “What did he tell you?”
He eyed me sideways. “He told me not to let you get involved in the murder investigation.”
I bit my lower lip. “Who said I was here to get involved?”
He patted my hand that was gripping his forearm. “You should have told me you were coming.”
“Well… I wasn’t planning to. It’s not really my kind of thing anymore. But then I heard you were ignoring the threat on your life.”
He stopped walking. “Not you, too.”<
br />
“Your lieutenant governor is dead, Truman. From an attack that was meant for you, according to the media.”
The muscles in his arm tightened under my grip. “I know. I’ve helped plan the funeral.”
“I’m sorry for your loss. But…” I looked back. Mike was gone. “You need to keep a low profile while the FBI and state police do their jobs. Whoever attacked Ms. Centers must be taken seriously.”
“I take the attack very seriously. But I refuse to go into hiding.”
A woman dressed in a royal blue suit approached Truman. “Governor, it’s almost time for the toast.”
“Make sure Declan is ready,” he answered, “then come get me. I need ten minutes.” Truman looked at me. “Follow me.”
He led me away from the party and into a library. Dark wood shelves lined the walls. After he closed the door, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. “Why haven’t you returned my calls?”
I squirmed and pulled back. “Truman, I just wasn’t ready.” I still wasn’t.
“Not ready for what? I just wanted to know how you were doing. To make sure you were all right. My parents ask about you all the time.”
“Everyone has wanted something after…” My voice trailed off.
“You can’t even say it, can you? After Teddy died.”
I folded my arms across my chest, then let them fall to my sides. This was why I didn’t return calls; why I declined invitations. I walked farther into the room and studied the library shelves. Anything to keep from looking Truman in the eyes.
“Why are you here?” he asked behind me. “Why now?”
I faced him again. Miraculously, my eyes remained dry. “What did Mike tell you about the threat against you?”
“He said that I was probably the target last night, not the lieutenant governor… which the state police already suspected. But that’s not true.”
“What do you mean? What made them suspect the poison was meant for you? And why are you so sure it wasn’t?”
“I was supposed to attend the event, but I had a scheduling conflict that couldn’t be resolved.” Truman pulled his phone from his pocket and began scrolling. “When I returned to my office late that evening, my personal assistant and state police detectives were waiting for me with the news. They assumed that since I was supposed to attend the event, and not Melissa, that I was the target.” He turned his phone toward me. “But then this arrived.”
He showed me a photograph of a white piece of paper with a typed message:
Governor Spencer, you will veto the Kentucky Heritage Economic Development Act or face dire consequences. Tonight is just a small taste of what’s to come.
I gave my head a little shake. “What is the Kentucky Heritage Economic Development Act?”
“Not what I first envisioned…” Truman trailed off before restarting. “KHEDA is a bill that provides tax incentives to owners of bourbon distilleries and horse racing enterprises, our state’s signature industries. It’s a bill that’s supposed to help those businesses bring even more jobs to Kentucky, as well as to promote tourism.”
“And what did you ‘first envision’?” I asked.
“Well, you know how the legislative process works,” Truman chuckled as he spoke. “To pass a bill of this magnitude takes a lot of compromise.”
“And people are against this bill because…”
“Some see it as the rich getting richer through big tax breaks, while most of the new jobs created by the measure would be low-wage. Not to mention, to some people this looks like another example of big corporations running politics.”
“But that’s not how it is?”
“KHEDA would bring jobs to Kentucky—jobs our state desperately needs. And it would bring people from across the nation to our great state. That’s good economic news for all the people of Kentucky.”
I smiled at the political sidestep. “That sounded a bit canned.”
He laughed. “Maybe, but…” He waved a hand. “You didn’t come all this way to talk politics.”
I was sure Truman could go on and on about why KHEDA would add way more benefit to the state than the bill’s detractors believed, but he was right: we didn’t have time for a policy debate. And even if people were right to be against the bill, it certainly wasn’t a reason to commit an act of terrorism, which was exactly what this was.
“Is that it?” I asked. “Did Mike tell you anything else about the actual murder?”
“My security detail is supposed to give me a full report as soon as they know more, but Mike wants me to halt all public appearances.”
“Yet you refused to cancel this party.”
“Do you know how many threats I receive each week? If I canceled events every time some deranged person sent me a nasty email or letter, I’d get nothing accomplished. It’s the age we’re in. You know that as well as anyone. If Kentuckians—or Americans, for that matter—hid from every terrorist or political threat against them, we’d never leave our homes. I’m a public servant. People expect me to carry on.”
Truman had a point. The United States was seeing terrorist attacks on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. Sometimes the attacks were from foreign groups, sometimes domestic. Some involved mass casualties, others only injuries. Things in our country had been bad for a long time, but they had gotten much worse after the big series of attacks eight months ago: one attack per week on seven major cities.
Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, and our nation’s capital, Washington, DC had been the targets. And every attack was different. Different locations, from shopping malls to federal buildings to outdoor concerts. Different ammunition, from suicide bombers to long-range rifles to knives. This made the threats a true bitch to prevent, because law enforcement couldn’t rely on patterns or profiling.
An international terrorist group claimed responsibility for that series of attacks, and in response, the President of the United States declared an official war on terror—whatever that meant. Many believed his declaration to be nothing more than empty words. In his defense, it was difficult to defend against faceless monsters.
But the damage was done. American citizens became afraid to leave their homes, especially to attend large public events—concerts, sporting events, anything that might have a political agenda. And more than ever, Americans decided they wanted to carry guns, knives, and other weapons in order to defend themselves.
It was in response to this climate of fear that attitudes like Truman’s took root. Truman had decided it was imperative to carry on, business as usual, to show the terrorists that our country’s leaders wouldn’t cower in fear. By standing resolute, the hope was that citizens would avoid holing up in their homes, living in isolation.
“You’re a good person, Truman,” I said. “And a good leader, but—”
“Sir.” The woman in royal blue from moments ago entered the library and closed the door behind her. I hadn’t noticed it before, but her eyes were bloodshot and her face splotchy. She held a tissue in her right hand. “Declan is ready for the photo op and toast.”
“Where is he?” Truman asked.
“He’s just outside.”
“Bring him in.”
The woman left.
“Susan is my chief of staff,” Truman explained. “She’s very good at what she does. But Melissa Centers was her best friend.”
Susan returned, a man on her heels. It was the man who had saved me from face-planting on the mansion’s front steps.
“Declan, man, glad you could make it tonight.” Truman stepped forward with his right hand outstretched.
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Declan pumped Truman’s hand, and I couldn’t help but notice—and admire—the way his tux hugged his body perfectly. No rental for this guy. And his shoes screamed wealth. “I’m sorry about Melissa. It’s a great loss for your state.”
He called the lieutenant governor by her first name. So, he knew her.
“Thank you. That means a l
ot.” Truman gestured toward me. “I’d like you to meet Brooke Fairfax. Brooke, this is Declan O’Roark, a friend of mine and a friend to Kentucky.”
A friend to Kentucky, I thought. Was that code for “huge financial donor to Truman’s political agenda”?
Declan slid his gaze to mine. He stepped closer, and when I offered my hand, he slid his into mine and shook. His hand was warm and smooth to the touch, though his forefinger was slightly calloused.
“It’s lovely to meet you, Brooke.” His voice was also smooth, his accent worldly, yet I couldn’t place it. Irish, maybe? But with something else mixed in.
“You too.”
His lips curved into a smile, and I found I couldn’t turn away from the warmth of his blue eyes, or from his tousled and curly dark hair. It worked for him. Kind of like the custom tuxedo.
By the way he was looking at me, he knew I was analyzing every inch of him. I tore my eyes away, silently berating myself. “What kind of toast are you giving?” I asked them both, but I kept my eyes on Truman.
“Declan is the largest supporter of the Bluegrass Derby Foundation, which raises money for various children’s charities around the state. They’re also the primary sponsor of the Derby festival.”
“How generous,” I said, sliding my eyes back to Declan, but only briefly. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”
Truman touched my arm. “After the toast, I plan to make my exit from the party. Will you stay? I want to catch up with you.”
“It’s late,” I said. “We can talk tomorrow.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’ll call you.”
He angled his head, and I couldn’t ignore the curious look Declan was giving me behind him. I was not about to let anyone know where I was staying. I couldn’t trust that the person who had sent me the video of the lieutenant governor wasn’t lurking in the darkness somewhere close.
“I’ll let Susan know to put your call right through. Just say the word, and I’ll cancel whatever is on my schedule to meet you.” He turned away from me. “Declan, shall we?”
Exposed in Darkness Page 2
