Love Inspired Suspense May 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Trail of EvidenceGone MissingLethal Exposure

by Lynette Eason

  *

  Brooke jerked out of the light sleep she’d managed to fall into sometime between her last sip of warm tea and a prayer for divine help in solving her case. She rolled to grab her phone from the end table. “’Lo?”

  “I woke you up. I’m sorry.”

  Sleep fled. She sat up. “Jonas Parker?” Her heart stuttered. Just saying his name brought back a flood of memories. Both wonderful and…painful. Along with boatloads of regret. The same feelings that rushed through her every time she saw or spoke to him. Which hadn’t been too long ago. Maybe a month? Amazing that she had no trouble pulling the memory of his voice from the depths of her tired mind. But then why would she? She often dreamed of him, their past times together. And they hadn’t even dated. Not once. She blinked. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re working the case about the congressman’s son’s death, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Michael Jeffries.” She cleared her throat. “You called me at four o’clock in the morning to ask that?”

  “No, I called to tell you that I think I found something that you might need for your investigation.”

  “What?”

  “A phone with a picture of Rosa Gomez and her two-year-old son as the wallpaper.”

  Fully awake now, Brooke swung her legs over the edge of the bed. At the foot of the bed, Mercy lifted her head and perked her ears. “Where did you find the phone?” she asked.

  The fact that Rosa’s wallet and phone hadn’t been found with her body had raised a lot of questions. Like had her fall from the cliffs been an accident or murder? And if it had been an accident, where were the items? And if it had been murder, had the murderer stolen them?

  Another question: Was Rosa’s death connected to the shooting of her boss, Congressman Jeffries, and the murder of his son? So far, they had few suspects, one being a senator’s daughter, Erin Eagleton. She’d disappeared the night of the murder and her starfish charm, engraved with her initials, had been found at the scene. Brooke was glad that Rosa’s child was now in the custody of his aunt, but so many questions remained. Maybe the phone Jonas had would answer some of them.

  “Ah… Well, that’s the problem. And one of the reasons I called you.”

  “Come on, Jonas, tell me.”

  “I found the phone under my son’s mattress.”

  TWO

  Brooke threw the covers back, wide awake now. “You found it where?” Surely he hadn’t said—

  “Under his mattress.”

  He had said it.

  “And that’s not all,” he continued. “Someone broke into my house tonight and demanded I give him ‘the phone.’ Of course I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time, but now I’m feeling quite sure he meant the one I’m holding.”

  Brooke struggled to process everything. “Are you all right? Is Felix okay?” Pain shafted through her. She pushed it away. When she’d met him, Jonas was working as a vet at the K-9 dog training facility. He’d been divorced, with a young son. And he hadn’t made any secret of the fact that he found her attractive. She’d felt the same spark but had smothered it as best she could. Jonas had also never made any secret of the fact that he wanted a houseful of children.

  Children she could never give him thanks to a hysterectomy at the age of eighteen. The car wreck that had killed her parents had also killed her dream of being a mother. She swallowed hard and pushed the thoughts away. She’d dealt with this, and she didn’t need to dwell on it or rehash it. What was done was done. She’d moved on. And so had Jonas. And yet—

  Over the course of the past eight years, they’d run into each other, but had never exchanged more than a few pleasantries. She’d climbed the ladder in law enforcement and had landed her dream job with the Capitol K-9 Unit when it had been formed a few short years ago. For some reason tonight’s call stirred up old longings and questions about what might have been. And the guilt that she’d never explained why she’d run from him.

  “Felix wasn’t here,” he said. “He’s spending the night with a friend.”

  “But you weren’t hurt?” She blinked away the past.

  “No, I managed to chase him off.”

  Relief hit her. “Good for you.” She bit her lip. “All right. I’ll come over and get the phone.”

  “Now?”

  “I don’t want to take a chance on whoever you scared off coming back. We need to get that phone into the right hands so it doesn’t fall into the wrong ones.”

  He paused. “I hadn’t thought about that. Bring your dog. Maybe she can pick up the intruder’s scent.”

  Of course he knew about Mercy. Just like he knew she worked for the Capitol K-9 Unit. So. He’d been keeping up with her, too. Interesting. “She’ll be with me.” She glanced at the clock. “It should take me about ten to fifteen minutes to get there.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Brooke hung up, her mind spinning. Jonas Parker had called her. Jonas needed help and he’d called her. Just the thought of seeing him again on more than a passing basis made her palms sweat and her pulse beat a little faster.

  Mercy whined and hopped to the floor where she sat, head cocked, ears lifted. Her tail thumped the floor as though to say, “I’m ready when you are.”

  Brooke dressed in record time, popped a K-cup in her Keurig and pulled her travel mug down from the cabinet. Time for the strong stuff. While the coffee brewed, she gathered her bag and Mercy’s leash.

  Ten minutes later, she was in her truck and headed for Jonas’s house. A fact that continued to make her blood hum and stir the memories of a time she’d tried to forget. She’d been a rookie with the DC police department’s K-9 unit and he’d been interning as a vet at the dog training facility. They’d crossed paths often enough to strike up a friendship. When Jonas had expressed an interest in being more than friends, she’d spooked and run, canceling out on a date at the last minute and then finding excuses not to see him alone again. She hadn’t handled it well, too caught up in her own insecurities and hurt to really consider how her actions would affect him. He’d been embarrassed and hurt and they’d parted ways.

  And yet he’d called her about finding evidence in the case she and the Capitol K-9 team were working so hard on.

  The pressure was on to find Michael Jeffries’s killer and Congressman Jeffries’s shooter—most likely the same person. Tension was thick, but Brooke had no doubts about her team. They were the best. They’d find the killer. She just hoped it would be before he struck again.

  *

  Jonas paced the den, his heart pounding, his palms slick. What was he thinking?

  That he wanted to see Brooke Clark. Vaguely he wondered if he should feel guilty for being secretly glad he’d had a legitimate excuse to call her. Then he pushed the guilt away. His divorce had been final ten years ago. He’d mourned the loss of his marriage, but finally, with the help of a recovery group at his church, realized he’d done everything he could to keep his marriage together. The fact was, it had ended and it was time for him to move on.

  Why his heart had settled on Brooke Clark was something that had him stumped. But she’d been the reason he’d sought out the recovery group in the first place. He’d needed someone to tell him it was all right for him to find companionship. Date again.

  And then Brooked ditched him. She’d simply canceled their last date and had avoided him until he gave up trying to get in touch with her. And he’d never figured out why. Maybe it was time to get some answers. Even if they were ones he didn’t want to hear.

  A car door slammed.

  He tensed and went to the window to push aside the curtain so he could see out. As always, his heart did that funny little beat when he saw her. A petite woman in her early thirties with short black hair. She still looked the same. Slightly older, but not much. And definitely still beautiful.

  Brooke. She was here. Her golden retriever, Mercy, leaped to the ground and shook herself, her brown eyes on Brooke, waiting for instructions. Jona
s had followed her career and watched her climb the ranks in law enforcement. He was proud of her.

  He opened the front door. Brooke looked up and caught his gaze and Jonas blinked. He hadn’t forgotten how blue her eyes were. On the contrary, he remembered every detail about her. But those eyes always rendered him speechless when first making contact. For a moment they just stood and stared. Then she smiled and walked toward him. “Hi, Jonas. Good to see you again.”

  Jonas took a step and, in a bold move, wrapped her in a hug. Her scent surrounded him, old feelings rushed back. And she didn’t push him away. He took a deep breath. “It’s really good to see you, too, Brooke. Come on in.”

  Brooke swept past him and he heard her give the dog a low command. Mercy sat. Jonas stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

  She looked around. “So what happened?”

  Jonas pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s a bit of a story. Would you like to go into the den and have a seat?”

  “I’d rather not. Did the intruder leave anything behind? Touch anything that his scent would be on?”

  So. It was going to be all business then. All right. He could take a hint. Jonas tightened his jaw then relaxed it. She was here to help, not socialize. The fact that she hadn’t pulled away from his embrace encouraged him. First things first. “I was in the recliner in the den when I heard a crash. It came from my son’s room. The intruder had pulled out one of the drawers from Felix’s nightstand. It was on the floor when I went in.”

  “Then let’s start there.”

  “Of course.” Jonas led her into Felix’s bedroom, once again giving thanks that his son hadn’t been home at the time of the breakin.

  She focused in on the drawer on the floor. “I guess I don’t have to ask which drawer.”

  “No. Guess not. I just left it alone. Once I decided to call you, I didn’t want to cover up any smells.” He paused. “I also hit the guy with Felix’s trophy so his scent may be on there, too.”

  She shot him an admiring glace. “Good job. Okay, we’ll see what we can do.”

  Jonas stepped back and let them go to work. He watched, marveling at the team, how well they worked together. “You’re very good at what you do, aren’t you?”

  She turned. “We’re one of the best.” She said it in all sincerity, without a hint of boasting or pride. Just stated a fact. He liked that about her.

  “You didn’t ask for my address.”

  She blinked, then cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”

  “You didn’t have to ask for my address. You already knew it.”

  “I looked it up in the police database.”

  “Of course.” Now he felt embarrassed. “For a moment there, it gave me hope.”

  “Hope?”

  “Hope that you’d thought about me. Hope that…I don’t know, that maybe we could be friends again.”

  “We never stopped being friends.”

  He shook his head. “Of course we did. Friends do stuff together, hang out, enjoy each other’s company. We went from friends to acquaintances that shared a nod of acknowledgement whenever we ran into each other. That’s not friendship.”

  Brooke bit her lip and turned away. “This isn’t what I came over here for. Let me just do my job.”

  Disappointment flooded him. He’d pushed too hard, too fast. He was coming across desperate and it wasn’t that; he just had questions. Questions that would have to wait. “No problem.”

  Once she finished going through the house, she let Mercy out the door the intruder had exited. Mercy trotted down the street, nose alternating between the ground and the air. She stopped several houses down and sat.

  Brooke called to her and Mercy hurried to her side. “She’s lost the scent. Most likely the guy had a car waiting right where Mercy sat down. He climbed in and off they went.”

  He nodded. He’d expected as much. He handed her the phone. “The battery is at two percent. It won’t last much longer. There may be a charger in his room. I didn’t think to look.”

  She studied it. “It’s fine. Chargers are easy to come by.” She looked up. “Did you find a wallet belonging to Rosa?”

  “No. Just the phone.”

  “I hate to ask this, but…” She looked uncomfortable.

  “What?”

  “Well, Rosa’s wallet was missing, too. Do you think Felix could have hurt Rosa to get her phone and wallet?”

  Jonas stepped back, her words hurting more than if she’d slapped him. “What? No. Of course not.” He raked a hand through his hair, hating the flash of doubt that raced through him. He lifted his chin. “No. He’s a thirteen-year-old boy, he’s not perfect. And I mean he’s been getting in some trouble lately, but that’s just because he’s never gotten over his mother’s leaving, never truly accepted the fact that she would do that. He’d never hurt—kill—someone over a stupid phone.” Anger flared.

  She held up a hand. “Just had to ask. And I didn’t necessarily mean that he killed her on purpose. It could have been an accident and he was too scared to tell anyone what happened.”

  “No, no way. Absolutely not.” She nodded, her eyes on his. The anger fizzled as fast as it had flamed. “I understand why you might ask that, but no. It’s not possible. If something like that had happened, Felix would have come to me.” Wouldn’t he?

  “Then how did the phone wind up under his mattress two months after its owner was found murdered?”

  The question hit him hard. He swallowed. “I don’t know, but I know we have to find out.”

  “We need to talk to Felix.”

  She held the phone up. “We need to turn this in, too.” She headed to the bedroom door when Jonas heard a loud roar and felt the house rock beneath his feet.

  *

  Mercy barked. Brooke fell to her knees. She thought she heard Jonas calling to her just before something struck her shoulder, her leg, her cheek. Pain lanced through her. “Get out! We have to get out.”

  Jonas’s hand wrapped her upper arm. She realized he’d fallen, too; he’d just recovered faster than she. Smoke seared her lungs, but nothing felt hot.

  “Are you all right?” Jonas coughed as he pulled her toward the door.

  “Fine. Mercy, heel!” The dog slunk on her belly to Brooke’s side. She pulled her shirt up over her nose and mouth. Jonas did the same. She grabbed one of Felix’s shirts from his bed and wrapped it around the animal’s mouth and nose, leaving it loose enough for her to breathe while filtering the smoke.

  “Smoke is rolling in fast,” he said.

  “Do you see any flames?”

  “No. Let me lead you, I know the layout.” He coughed and together they made their way down the stairs, ready to turn and flee back up at the first sign of fire. Finally, they hit the bottom of the steps. Jonas led her toward the door. Mercy hugged her side and she kept one hand on the head of her faithful friend.

  Jonas opened the door and she yanked him back in to slam it. Her shoulder throbbed with the movement.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Do you have a back door?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s use that.”

  She could barely see his puzzled expression, but gave silent thanks that he didn’t argue with her, just kept his firm grip on her good arm and led her toward the back of the house and into a sunroom. Her leg throbbed, but nothing was broken and she moved through the house with minimal pain.

  Smoke still filled the air, but she could breathe much better here. He opened the door and they stepped out into the night. Fresh air hit her and she sucked in a deep breath even as her mind spun. She pulled her arm free, then slid her hand down to wrap her fingers around his. “Come on,” she croaked.

  They raced away from the house, her leg protesting the movement, but nothing bad enough to stop her from getting to safety. Sirens already sounded and Brooke suspected one of the neighbors had heard the blast and called 911. Jonas had a nice fenced-in yard that backed up to his neighbor’s. Th
ey moved to the edge of the property.

  Brooke turned to see smoke billowing from the den window, but no flames. “I’m going to see if I can spot anyone trying to get away from the house.” She took off with Mercy at her heels. Jonas’s protest registered, but she needed to see. Rounding the corner of the house, she stopped and looked up and down the street. Neighbors stood on their porches and some in the street as they watched the commotion. The first fire truck screamed to a stop at the curb. Brooke’s gaze bounced from person to person. Curiosity and concern graced the faces of the onlookers. No one seemed particularly satisfied.

  Jonas stepped up beside her. “See anything?”

  “No. Do you see anyone who shouldn’t be here? Anyone you don’t recognize?”

  “I’m…um…probably not the best person to ask.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m a lousy neighbor.” He gave an embarrassed shrug. “I work and I spend time with Felix—when he lets me anyway. I hate yard maintenance so I hire someone to do it.”

  “Which means you’re not working in the yard and talking with people out for an evening or weekend walk.”

  “Exactly.”

  She nodded and approached the fire captain. “We were in that house. We’re fine. There’s no one else inside.”

  The man turned, his concerned gaze landing on the two of them. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  One of the firemen stepped out the front door and motioned to one of his buddies. “Captain?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jonas and Brooke moved closer. Mercy stayed by her side. Brooke wanted to hear what was said.

  “It was a Molotov cocktail. When it was tossed through the window, it landed in the fireplace.” The man shook his head. “Never seen anything like it. There’s a lot of smoke, but not any fire damage to speak of. Looks like it wasn’t meant to burn, just cause a lot of smoke.”

  Jonas breathed out. Brooke laid a hand on his forearm. He looked at her. “You’re right,” he said. “They came back.”

  Brooke pulled the cell phone Jonas had found from her pocket. “I think it’s time to ask Felix where he got this phone and who knows he has it.” She switched to her business phone. “And we’re going to get someone to watch your house tonight. I don’t think we were smoked out by accident. Whoever threw that in there knew what they were doing. It’s possible they plan to come back and search the place.”