Pursuit of the Truth

by K. D. Richards

  The scent of smoke and burned synthetic materials teased them as they exited the elevator, and it intensified as they neared room 232. Other than her heels squishing into the damp carpet, everything appeared normal from the hall.

  She couldn’t say the same when she opened the door to the room. “Oh, no.”

  The inspector said the fire had started in a trash can, but it had quickly claimed the once floor-length curtains which now hung unevenly from a nearby rod. Black marks climbed the wall to one side of the window, and the concrete flooring was exposed where the fire had eaten away at the carpeting.

  Detective Parsmons’s head snapped up. He pointed the pen he’d been using to scribble notes at them. “Hey, you aren’t supposed to be up here.”

  Nadia squared her shoulders, ignoring the detective. “Have you found any sign of who could have done this?”

  “Miss Shelton, we are just beginning the investigation.” Detective Parsmons sighed. “Since you’re here, are you sure no one checked into this room?”

  She narrowed her eyes at the detective. “If Olivia said no one checked into this room, no one checked in.”

  Parsmons studied her without expression for a long moment. Guilt nibbled at her. The detective was just doing his job; she had no right to take her frustration out on him.

  Softening her tone, she added, “I can double-check for you, though.”

  Parsmons gave her a brisk nod. “Please do.”

  “Why do you ask?” Ryan said.

  Parsmons pointed toward the credenza in the room with the hand holding his small notebook. “There are ashes in a glass over there.”

  “It’s illegal to smoke anywhere in the hotel,” Nadia said, the words sounding inane to her ears as she said them. Guests did all sorts of things that weren’t permitted by law or hotel policy, smoking the least of them.

  “Someone didn’t get that message. Look, it’s probably just a maid sneaking a puff. Maybe they dropped some ashes in the trash and poof.” Parsmons raised his hands in demonstration of the fire igniting.

  Nadia shook her head. “No Shelton employee would smoke in a guest room.”

  Parsmons shot her a dubious look but didn’t press the matter.

  “The fire isn’t the only strange thing to have happened to Miss Shelton recently.” Ryan eyed the detective.

  “Oh?”

  Nadia shot Ryan a look that he ignored as he continued to fill Parsmons in on the break-in at her apartment and her tumble into the street.

  Parsmons scratched the back of his neck with the pen. “Well, I’ll pull the report on the break-in, but I don’t see how any of that is connected to the fire.”

  Ryan’s lips twisted into a scowl. “You think it’s a coincidence Miss Shelton’s apartment was broken into last night, and this morning a room in her hotel was set on fire?”

  Parsmons shrugged. “You want me to tell you how many break-ins there were in this city last night? Coincidences do happen.”

  Ryan’s scowl deepened. It was clear he didn’t think much of the detective, and Nadia didn’t disagree with his assessment. Parsmons seemed ready to blame her hotel staff for the fire, which would no doubt rebound negatively with guests, the media and her insurance company. An insurance company she still needed to inform about the fire, preferably before the detective could poison the well there.

  Nadia massaged her temples. “I have work to do.”

  “We may need to speak with some of your employees,” Detective Parsmons said as she and Ryan made for the door.

  She turned back to face him. Making an effort to keep the annoyance out of her voice, she said, “Of course. The entire company stands ready to help with whatever you need to complete the investigation.”

  Olivia’s desk was empty when they returned to the office suite. A manila envelope lay on the floor just beyond the door.

  Nadia picked it up, her brow furrowing.

  “What is it?” Ryan asked.

  “Just mail. Olivia usually handles it, but she’ll put anything I need to deal with in my inbox.”

  Ryan took the envelope from her using two fingers. “There’s no return address or postage. And I’m guessing Olivia has a key to your office and doesn’t need to shove mail under your door.”

  A weight landed on Nadia’s chest at the concern etched across Ryan’s face. “She has a key.”

  “Can I open this?” Ryan asked.

  Nadia nodded, her gaze trained on the envelope as if it was a snake readying to strike. Stories about airborne toxins and letter bombs flitted through her mind, but she batted them away.

  Ryan grabbed a letter opener and slit open the envelope. A single sheet of paper fluttered onto the desktop where they could both read it.

  WHERE IS NATE?

  Chapter Six

  “This has to be a cruel joke.” Nadia looked from the note to Ryan.

  Cruel for sure, but his gut told him it was no joke.

  “What’s a cruel joke?” An older man with a paunch hanging over the waistline of his tailored suit trousers strode into the office.

  Nadia turned, and after a beat, her mouth turned up into a tight smile. “Uncle Erik, what are you doing here?”

  The man stopped in front of Nadia and raised an eyebrow. “Even though I had to hear about the fire through secondhand sources, I came to see if I could help.”

  Nadia stiffened. “Things have been hectic here, as you might expect.”

  Erik’s gaze landed on Ryan. “Who are you?”

  “This is Ryan West. He handles the hotels’ security,” Nadia said, her tone strained.

  Recognition flickered in Erik’s eyes. “West. Yes, I remember now.”

  “Uncle Erik’s accounting firm handles the hotels’ books.”

  Erik pointed to Nadia’s desk. “What’s that?”

  Ryan’s gaze flicked to Nadia in time to see her grit her teeth before responding to her uncle. “We’re not sure. Probably a prank.”

  Erik reached for the letter.

  “Sir, it’s better if you don’t touch it.” Ryan seized the man’s hand before he touched the paper.

  Erik shook his hand loose with a glare. “Nate’s gone. Why would anyone ask for him?”

  Ryan wasn’t sure it was a good idea for Nadia to share all that had happened to her over the last twenty-four hours, even with family. Whoever was behind these attacks had gotten into Nadia’s home and an unoccupied room in the hotel without raising suspicions. That made everyone close to her a suspect.

  Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to convey his concerns to Nadia. Instead, he cataloged Erik’s reaction as Nadia explained the events of the last day and a half to her uncle. It sounded like something out of a movie—she was pushed in front of the car, chased from her home, forced to face a fire at her workplace and received an ominous and confusing note all in less than thirty-six hours.

  Her uncle’s expression moved from shock to anger as Nadia finished her recitation.

  “I knew this company was too much for you to handle alone,” Erik sputtered before squaring off in front of Ryan. “What are you doing to ensure my niece’s safety?”

  Ryan eyed the older man. Had he been anyone other than Nadia’s uncle, he’d have frog-marched him from her office, and they’d have had a long chat about how to speak to a lady.

  Possibly sensing the potential for the conversation to head into dangerous territory, Nadia stepped between Ryan and her uncle. “West provides for the hotels’ security system, not for my personal security.”

  “I’ll be providing Nadia with personal security until we know what’s going on,” Ryan said.

  Erik held Ryan’s gaze, his eyes glittering with anger, along with something else Ryan couldn’t name.

  “Uncle Erik, do you have any idea why anyone would send me a letter asking for Nate almost a year af
ter his death?”

  Erik shuffled his feet and took a step backward. “Of course not. Why would I?”

  Nadia took her uncle’s hand. “You and Nate were always so close. I thought you might have an idea what all this is about. Was Nate involved in something I should know about?”

  Erik’s back straightened. He shook off Nadia’s hand. “Nate was a brilliant businessman. He’d never be involved with thieves and arsonists. I can’t believe you’d suggest otherwise.”

  Nadia stepped away from her uncle. “I’m not suggesting anything.”

  “Well, I will not stand here and listen to you disparage your brother.” He turned and marched from the office.

  “Uncle Erik!”

  Erik didn’t stop or respond to Nadia’s call.

  Nadia turned back to Ryan.

  Ryan quirked an eyebrow. “Is he always so protective of Nate?”

  She massaged her temple. He fought the sudden desire to replace her hands with his lips, soothing away the headache forming behind her eyes.

  “Yes. Don’t mind Uncle Erik. He’s still grieving for Nate. We both are.” Nadia eyed the letter on her desk, then moved to the small round conference table in the office’s corner.

  Ryan wasn’t sure Erik’s reaction was solely based on grief. Either way, someone believed Nathan Shelton was alive, and he was determined to find out who.

  * * *

  RYAN LEFT TO give the note to Detective Parsmons, but not before making a photocopy and making Nadia promise she wouldn’t leave her office before he got back.

  Moments after he left, Olivia entered and sat across from Nadia.

  “I was able to move the conference-goers we’d planned to assign to these rooms on Monday to another part of the hotel. Can you believe this?” Olivia threw her hands in the air. “Even after the police release the room, it will take weeks before we can use it.”

  Nadia tapped the pen in her hand against the blotter on her desktop. “I know, but we’ll manage. The fire isn’t all we have to worry about.”

  She filled Olivia in on the break-in at her apartment the night before and the note asking about Nate.

  Olivia stared, her hand covering her mouth, for several long moments. “This is wild. Is that why Ryan West is here?”

  “Yes. He thinks the events are connected and I need protection.”

  “Does that include what happened yesterday morning?” Olivia said. “I overheard you say you were pushed into that street.”

  Nadia stilled. “I hadn’t thought about it. Yesterday seems like a lifetime ago.”

  Olivia tilted her head. “It’s nice of Ryan to see to your security himself.”

  Nadia narrowed her eyes at her assistant and friend. “He’s just doing his job.”

  “But you stayed at his place last night?” Olivia shot her a devilish smile.

  “Because mine wasn’t safe,” Nadia shot back. She kept her eyes cast down at the paperwork on her desk, but she could feel her friend smirking. “Don’t we have some work to do?”

  A knocked pulled their attention to the office door.

  Mike stood in the doorway in a gray slim-cut suit that seemed to be in fashion these days. His eyes swept over Olivia from head to toe in blatant assessment.

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed to slits, her lips curving downward into a frown.

  Mike finally turned to focus on Nadia. “I thought I’d drop by and see if you’d thought about my offer.”

  Olivia shot a questioning look at Nadia.

  “And I thought I was clear. I will not sell Shelton Hotels.”

  “Come on, Nadia. I know your margins are razor-thin. Transforming yourself into an eco-friendly hotel was a good idea, but you don’t have the financial heft to pull it off alone in the long run. You need Aurora’s backing.”

  “I don’t know what you think you know,” Nadia said, “but Shelton is doing just fine. I neither need nor want Aurora’s help.”

  “Fine?” Mike’s tone was incredulous. “You can’t even keep your staff from setting the place on fire.”

  Nadia’s hands balled into fists at her side. “I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but the fire was not started by a Shelton employee.”

  “That’s not the word on the street,” Mike said.

  “Well, I’m here running a business, so I don’t have as much time to walk the streets as you obviously do,” Nadia spat.

  Olivia stifled a laugh.

  Mike’s eyes darkened. “I’d be very careful, Miss Bennett. I’ll be your employer soon.”

  Olivia’s mouth fell open.

  Nadia’s temper snapped. He’d made his offer, and she’d rejected it. Even if Shelton was in trouble, there was no way on earth she’d sell to Aurora. She’d let her company go bankrupt before she’d let Mike get his hands on her father’s legacy.

  She stalked across her small office, squaring off in front of Mike. “Get out. And don’t come back. Shelton’s not for sale.”

  “You know I never thought you were particularly pretty, but you’re actually pretty hot when you get worked up.” Mike reached out and caressed Nadia’s cheek with his thumb.

  Nadia pushed his hand away. “Olivia, call security.”

  Olivia hurried from the office, leaving the office door wide-open.

  If Mike worried about being physically ejected from the hotel, he didn’t show it. His presence irritated her, but she couldn’t let him know that. He’d use any perceived weakness against her.

  Mike leaned in so there was nothing but a sliver of space between them.

  She fought the instinct to lean away.

  “You know, Nadia, I wouldn’t mind seeing you worked up in other contexts. Just because we don’t like each other doesn’t mean we couldn’t enjoy each other. It might even convince you to see reason on this sale.”

  Mike grabbed her arm and pulled her to him in a quick, practiced move. His lips crashed down on hers, demanding and without an ounce of seduction. He may be used to women who were okay with being manhandled, but she wasn’t one of them.

  Nadia bought the spike of her heel down on his foot while pushing on his chest with her free hand.

  Mike jerked backward, his face twisted in pain, then morphing into surprise.

  For a moment, Nadia thought her obvious unwillingness to participate in the kiss had caused Mike to back away. She stepped away from Mike in time to see Ryan spin him around and land a punch to his jaw that sent Mike careering into her desk.

  Olivia yelped, moving from her place at the door as Mike pushed off the desk and stumbled toward the exit.

  Ryan advanced on Mike with eyes darkened by the fury raging across his face.

  “Ryan, no.” Nadia grabbed his arm, stopping him from hitting Mike a second time, even though a large part of her supported the effort.

  “Who is this barbarian?” Mike yelled. “I want him fired. Now!”

  “That’s not going to happen. I’m in charge here. I asked you to leave, and you not only didn’t leave, you assaulted me. Now, get out before I have you arrested.”

  Mike swiped a handkerchief over his bleeding lip. “This isn’t over, Nadia.”

  Ryan growled. “Get out of here.”

  “Not over by a long shot,” Mike said, shooting a venomous look at Ryan and Nadia before heading out the door.

  “Oh, my gosh. Are you okay?” Olivia rushed to Nadia’s side.

  The spot on her arm where Mike had grabbed her burned from the intensity of his grip. Ryan’s temper looked to be on the edge of detonating, so she kept that information to herself. No permanent damage was done. At least not physically. Mike was not a man that liked to be challenged, especially by someone he didn’t consider his equal. If he was determined to purchase Shelton Hotels before this, he’d be obsessive about it now.

  “Are y
ou okay?” Ryan’s eyes probed hers.

  “Yes, yes. I’m fine,” Nadia said waving them both off.

  “You should call the police and press charges for assault,” Ryan said, refusing to be put off.

  Nadia rubbed at the headache growing behind her temples. Any other time, she’d do just that, but there were other considerations. An allegation against Mike would bring the press to her door, and with everything else she had going on at the moment, that was the last thing she wanted.

  Ryan’s expression said he didn’t believe it.

  “What was all that stuff about? He’s going to be my boss?” Olivia asked.

  Nadia sighed. She hadn’t planned to tell anyone about Aurora’s offer. Since there was no way she’d accept it, there wasn’t any need to worry the staff. Now, it seemed Mike’s visit would make that impossible.

  “Nothing. Aurora Hotels has made an offer, which I have rejected. Shelton is not for sale at any price, but Mike thinks he can change my mind.” Nadia held up a hand to stop Olivia from speaking. “He’s wrong. I will never sell Shelton. I don’t want to start a panic among the staff, so Aurora’s offer does not leave this office. Got it?”

  Nadia looked from Ryan to Olivia. Both nodded their understanding. “Great. We have work to do. Let’s get to it.”

  Olivia left, and Nadia moved behind her desk. Ryan sat at the table on the far side of the office, watching her with an unreadable expression.

  “What?” Nadia finally asked on a sigh.

  “How did an offer to buy Shelton Hotels end up with the president of Aurora Hotels forcing himself on you?” Ryan asked icily.

  She wasn’t surprised that Ryan knew who Mike was. There were good reasons West was one of the best. Still, the rancor in his tone shocked her. “That’s a bit strong. Mike and I dated briefly. The fact that I broke up with him is probably the primary motivator for his interest in buying Shelton.”

  “He will not give up easily. Not on getting Shelton and not on getting you.”

  Nadia stared across the room at Ryan. “Mike doesn’t want me.”

  His expression remained blank. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”