Wait for Me

by Elisabeth Naughton

  “The brakes weren’t working. I didn’t notice until we were on the coast highway. I wanted to get a few things from the house. I…I didn’t think anything would happen.”

  “It’s okay. I’m just thankful you’re both okay.”

  He pulled her tight again, drew in her sweet scent. When the police had called about the accident, his heart had all but stopped. Losing them was not an option.

  “Ryan, your car,” she said against his shoulder.

  “You think I’m worried about my goddamn car? That’s the last thing on my mind.”

  “Oh, good,” she breathed against him. “Because I think the interior’s shot.”

  She was cracking jokes. Jesus, he’d nearly had a heart attack at the thought of losing her again, and she was cracking jokes.

  He held on tight, rocked her back and forth. Tried like hell to steady his racing pulse. “Locking you in the house is looking more and more appealing.”

  “You don’t think this was an accident?” she asked quietly.

  He didn’t want her worried any more than she already was. Swallowing the fear, he eased back and brushed a wet curl from her face. “I think it’s just a bad car. I never should have let Hannah talk me into getting it.”

  The door behind them opened, and they both turned as a nurse wheeled Julia out.

  Ryan let go of Kate and stepped up to the side of the bed. Her face was bruised, her right arm wrapped in towels, and exhaustion tugged on her little body. “Daddy.”

  “Hi, baby.” He ran a hand over her curly head, fighting back the panic at seeing her so broken.

  Her eyes closed. “I have a headache.”

  “I bet you do.” He glanced up at the doctor and held his breath.

  “Broken arm,” she said, lifting the X-ray. “Rib’s bruised but not broken, and she took a good knock on the head. But I think she’s going to be fine.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered. Relief poured through him. With a hand that was still shaking, he stroked Julia’s hair. “You think this is gonna get you out of dish duty?”

  A grin twisted her lips, but her eyes stayed closed. “I have to get a cast. I don’t think they let you get it wet.”

  “No way,” the doctor said behind her. “You’re on the injured list, miss.”

  Ryan reached for Julia’s good hand, brought it to his mouth, and kissed her fingers. “Scared me, baby.”

  “Scared me too,” she whispered. Her lashes fluttered open. “Mom drives a mean car.”

  The muscles in his chest squeezed tight when he looked into the depths of her green eyes, so much like her mother’s. Hope sprang to life at the term of endearment. “She does?”

  Julia nodded. “Where is she?”

  “I’m right here,” Kate said behind Ryan.

  He moved to the side, making room. With her hand still clutching Ryan’s, Julia reached for Kate, locking the three of them together.

  Warmth encircled Ryan’s fingers. He watched emotions flow over Kate as she looked down at their daughter, hands clasping each other. This was what he wanted. Just this for the rest of his life. His family.

  That tightness gripped his chest with the ferocity of a lion. He needed to tell Kate what he suspected about her disappearance. If she found out before he had a chance to tell her himself, he wasn’t sure what she’d say or do.

  His eyes slid shut, and he tightened his hold on both of them. A few more days. If he didn’t hear from his private investigator by then, he’d tell her regardless.

  No matter what, though, he had to keep them safe. For reasons he’d never understand, he’d been given a second chance. He wasn’t about to blow it now.

  ***

  Kate flipped a page, made a mark with her pen, and rested her chin on her hand. Lifting her knees from where she was stretched out on the floor, she propped her elbow on her leg and kept reading.

  Julia shifted on the couch behind her. “What are you looking at?”

  “An article for work.” Kate pushed her glasses back up her nose.

  “What’s it called?”

  Julia’s curiosity brought Kate’s head up. The girl’s bruises had faded to yellow, but she was still obviously sore from the accident. At the moment, she was lying on the couch, reading a book. The fact she even wanted to be in the same room with Kate brought a smile to Kate’s lips.

  “‘Microseismic Investigation of Rock Fracture and its Application in Rock and Petroleum Engineering.’” Kate raised her brows, a smirk tugging at her mouth. No way that would interest the girl.

  “Petroleum’s like oil, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “Uncle Mitch would probably like that article.”

  Kate smiled. “Yeah, he probably would.”

  Julia levered herself off the couch.

  “You need something?” Kate sat up to help her.

  “No. I want to show you something.”

  With a sigh, Kate set the papers on the coffee table. She slipped off her glasses and waited. Julia had opted to stay home with her today instead of going shopping with the grandmas, instead of going to a baseball game with Reed and the grandpas. Ryan was at the office for a few hours. It was just the two of them.

  And that little fact made Kate shift nervously on the floor. She was probably foolish in getting her hopes up that she and Julia had finally found common ground. But she wanted to think that more than anything.

  Julia stepped back into the room and handed Kate a magazine.

  “What’s this?”

  “Page seventeen. ‘Tertiary Western Cascade Magnetic Arc.’” With slow movements, Julia climbed up on the couch again and laid her hot-pink cast across her middle. When Kate lifted her brows, she shrugged. “The Cascade magnetic arc is the major structural element in the Juan de Fuca-North American plate boundary.”

  “How do you know that?” Confusion ran through Kate, followed by amazement Julia would even know how to pronounce those words.

  “I read it.”

  “You did?”

  “Yeah. My mom wrote it.”

  Kate swallowed as she looked down at the journal in her hand. On page seventeen, the by-line read, Anne Harrison, PhD.

  “Daddy said you drilled that definition into his brain when you were writing it.”

  “Did he?” Tears stung Kate’s eyes. Had she really written the article? “I wish I remembered.”

  Julia was silent behind her. And then she said, “I remember a lot of things.”

  “You do?”

  “Yeah. Like how you used to take me to your office at the college and let me play on your computer. Or how you used to drag Daddy hiking with you in the mountains. He never liked that.”

  Laughing, Kate glanced back down at the journal. Julia had saved it, all this time. She’d memorized the words, even though she probably didn’t understand what they meant. And today, she’d shared it. Emotions stirred in Kate. “Your dad’s kind of a city boy.”

  A smile split Julia’s angelic face. “That’s just what Uncle Mitch says too.” Then her smile faded. “Maybe someday we could go hiking like we used to.”

  Hope welled inside Kate’s soul. More than anything, she wanted to bridge the gap between them, but she didn’t want to do anything to make Julia pull back. This was a first step. A big step. So instead of reaching for her daughter and drawing her close like she wanted to do, she squeezed Julia’s ankle. “I’d like that, very much.”

  The doorbell rang, and Julia looked up.

  Kate pushed up from the floor. “You stay put, queen of the couch. I’ll get it.”

  Two men dressed in suits stood on the other side of the door when Kate pulled it open. “Can I help you?” she asked.

  The taller of the two pulled ID from his breast pocket. “Ma’am. I’m Detective Peterson. This is Detective Carson. SFPD. Are you Mrs. Harrison?”

  Kate pushed the door open wider. Tingling fingers of dread tiptoed up her spine. “Actually, the name’s Alexander. What’s this about?”


  His companion’s eyes narrowed. “I recognize you from the newspaper.”

  “That’s right,” Detective Peterson said, recognition flickering over his face. “The press conference. You’re the woman without a past.”

  Kate doubted they were here to chat about a picture in the paper. “What can I do for you?”

  Detective Peterson flashed a smile. “We have a few questions about your accident the other day.”

  The accident. Of course. Silly of her to be on edge so quickly. Stepping back, she gestured inside. “Won’t you come in?”

  Shoes clicked behind her on the hardwood floor as the men followed Kate into the living room. Julia sat up from her spot on the couch. “Detectives, this is my daughter, Julia. Julia, these men have a few questions about the accident.”

  Detective Peterson stepped closer to the couch. “Cool cast. They didn’t have nifty colors like that when I was a kid. You got lots of signatures on it?”

  Julia shrugged. “Not yet.”

  “Bet you’ll have it filled up before long.” He studied her battered face. “Looks like you got a little banged up. How are you feeling?”

  “Okay.”

  Detective Carson flipped open a notebook. “Ms. Alexander, can you tell us where you went on Thursday?”

  “I was here in the morning. Ryan, Julia, and I drove into the city. We parked in Ryan’s building garage. He went to work, and Julia and I walked downtown.”

  “How long were you away from the vehicle?” he asked, jotting notes.

  “I’m not sure. A few hours, maybe.”

  “Did Mr. Harrison drive the vehicle after you left it in the garage?”

  “I don’t believe so, no.”

  He continued making notes. “Did Mr. Harrison know you were driving his car?”

  “Yes. He knew I was going to take Julia to her softball practice when we were done, then come back and get him.”

  “So he knew you’d be alone in the car?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Yes. What’s this about, Detective?”

  Peterson stepped up next to Carson and smiled. “Just following up on some conflicting information. Are you living here, Ms. Alexander?”

  Kate’s adrenaline jumped. “Not exactly. You obviously read about me in the paper. We’re taking some time getting to know each other again.”

  “Of course you are,” Peterson said. “How would you classify your relationship with Mr. Harrison?”

  “I don’t know that I would.” Nervous tension ran through Kate at the vague questions. “What does this have to do with my accident?”

  “Are you aware Mr. Harrison’s insurance company is grumbling about his repaying the claim he collected after you supposedly died?” Carson asked.

  Kate’s stomach clenched. “No. He didn’t mention it.”

  “Probably didn’t want to worry you.” Peterson flashed that smile again. For some reason, it did nothing to calm Kate’s nerves.

  “Do you know how much that claim was for, Ms. Alexander?” Carson asked. When she shook her head, he raised his brow. “A million dollars.”

  Kate’s eyes widened before she checked the emotion.

  “That’s a lot of money. Even for a man like Ryan Harrison. Especially five years ago.”

  Bile rose in Kate’s throat. Knowing exactly where this was going, she turned toward Julia. “Honey, go upstairs.”

  Julia rose from the couch. “Mom—”

  Kate ushered her toward the stairs. “It’s okay. I’ll be up in a minute.” She waited until Julia rounded the corner, then set her jaw and turned back to the detectives. “If you’re trying to imply Ryan had anything to do with my accident—”

  “The brake line was punctured,” Carson said.

  “What?”

  “Three holes. Too evenly spaced to be the result of a rock. We pulled the vehicle from the water this morning. You lucked out. If you’d gone in anywhere else along that highway, you’d have dropped right into the ocean, drown before help got there.”

  Kate eased down to the arm of the sofa. Someone had tampered with the car. Someone had intentionally tried to hurt her.

  And Julia in the process.

  “Would have taken a little while for the brake fluid to drip out, which is probably why the brakes didn’t go out right away,” Peterson added. “Whoever punctured the line knew that.”

  “Ms. Alexander,” Carson said, “Did you drive Mr. Harrison’s car Tuesday morning?”

  Kate’s brain was a mass of confusing thoughts. “No.”

  “Did Mr. Harrison?”

  “Um.” Why was she having trouble thinking clearly? Tuesday… She’d spent Monday night here. In the guest bedroom. The next day, they’d gone out to see Janet Kelly. She’d had her CT scan. They’d gone back to her house in Moss Beach and made love. She swallowed. “Yes. He went in to his office for an hour that morning, I think.”

  “Was he alone?”

  “I think so. I don’t know.”

  The detectives exchanged glances.

  “Do you know this woman?” Carson asked, handing her a photo.

  Kate studied the picture and shook her head shook. “No. Should I?”

  “Her name’s Janet Kelly. Her body was found yesterday.”

  Kate glanced up sharply.

  “A black Jaguar matching the one we pulled from the bay was spotted in front of her house around the estimated time of death Monday morning, roughly nine a.m.”

  No. That wasn’t right. They’d gotten a late start. They hadn’t reached Janet Kelly’s houseboat until after noon. She swallowed hard, unsure what to tell them, not wanting to give too much away. “You must be mistaken.”

  Carson handed her another photo. “How about this man? Do you recognize him?”

  Kate’s eyes grew wide when she looked at the photograph of Jake. Steel-gray eyes gazed back at her. Fear tickled the back of her throat. “Yes. Why?”

  “Jacob McKellen was a silent partner in Grayson Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company Harrison’s conglomerate recently acquired,” Carson said coldly. “We pulled his body from the bay last week.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Kate leaned against the counter in Simone’s kitchen and massaged her scar. Time ticked by silently on the clock above the stove. The only sound was the pounding in Kate’s brain.

  She stiffened when Simone swept into the room. “Well?”

  Simone set the cordless phone on the table. “Ryan and his lawyer are at the station. So far, they’re cooperating.”

  Kate braced both hands on the counter. Her heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds. Everything she’d believed up to this point was turning out to be a lie.

  “Richard Burton’s one of the best attorneys in the state, Kate. Their questioning won’t last long. He won’t let it.”

  “Oh, God,” Kate muttered, unable to fight back the panic. “Ryan knew Jake didn’t die in that plane crash.”

  Simone leaned back against the table and crossed her arms. “That’s yet to be proven. What can be proved is that Ryan’s secretary saw Jake in Ryan’s office the day before that crash here in San Francisco. And that Ryan appears to be the last person to have seen him alive.”

  Kate’s eyes slid closed. “Why?” she whispered. “Why wouldn’t he tell me the truth?”

  “I don’t know. But there’s more.” When Kate glanced up, Simone shifted. “Jacob McKellen, a.k.a. Jacob Alexander, and Walter Alexander were both silent partners in Grayson Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian company with a specialized drug portfolio. AmCorp recently acquired Grayson for a good chunk of change, alleviating some of their cash-flow problems. With AmCorp’s clout, they were about to push Amatroxin through for FDA approval, based on a series of clinical studies supposedly conducted in Canada.”

  “Amatroxin is Tabofren under a different name, isn’t it?” Kate asked, already knowing the answer.

  “There’s no proof as of yet, but that would be my guess. The detective in Canada I chatted with mentioned pape
rwork taken from Walter Alexander’s home referencing both drugs.”

  “Ryan knew about the possible link between the two.” Kate drew in a breath to keep the tears of anger back. “He stood in Kari Adams’s living room and pretended like he didn’t know a thing about Amatroxin.”

  “Jake disappeared just after the merger went through. Ryan’s secretary said she heard Ryan and Jake arguing that day in his office, although she can’t say what the debate was about.”

  Kate dropped her head. “They think Ryan killed Jake. For what? Money?”

  “Money’s a huge motivator for some people,” Simone said softly. “Ryan stood to make a killing if Amatroxin was approved. Jake developed it, he had a hand in testing it, but with him out of the way, the wealth floats to the top.”

  “You don’t honestly believe that,” Kate said, bile rising in her stomach.

  “No, Kate. I don’t. But that’s the way the police are going to paint it.”

  “And Janet Kelly? They think he killed her to cover up the research study?”

  “They’ll be able to link Janet Kelly to Jake through the nursing home. They’ll try to prove Ryan covered up evidence. If word got out illegal trials had taken place in the States, Amatroxin would never be approved.”

  Kate’s eyes slid closed. “And the car?”

  Simone sighed. “They’ll try to say he tampered with the brakes, knowing you’d be in it alone. With you out of the way, he double-benefits. He doesn’t have to pay back the life insurance claim, and there’s no one to ask questions about Tabofren. You’re the key to all of this, Kate.”

  A few hours ago, her future had looked bright and promising. Now, she wasn’t sure how she’d get through the next hour without losing her slight grasp on reality. She wrapped her arms around herself. “I think I’m going to be sick.”

  Simone skirted the counter. Bracing both hands on Kate’s arms, she said, “Listen to me. The police can’t charge Ryan with anything at this point because their evidence is all circumstantial. You and I both know Ryan is not capable of any of that. I’m only pointing out what the DA’s going to say if things escalate. Not what’s reality.”

  Kate’s eyes locked on Simone’s. Her head and heart were caught in a fierce battle. The man she’d fallen in love with couldn’t possibly be capable of murder, of conspiracy, of cover up. If he were, then it meant he’d known about her disappearance all along. And she couldn’t believe that. Not after the things he’d shared with her, the emotions he’d pulled out of her in such a short amount of time.