Valley of Shadows and Stranger in the Shadows: Valley of ShadowsStranger in the Shadows

by Shirlee McCoy

  And that was the hard part.

  Faith. Believing in what couldn’t be seen, trusting in something that could only sometimes be felt. Hoping in a future that sometimes seemed uncertain. “But I want to believe, Lord. I want to trust. I want to have faith that wherever You lead, I can go. That whatever happens, You’re in control of it, working it out for the best. For my best.”

  A sense of peace filled her as she placed Abel on the floor and poured herself another cup of coffee. She might not know what the future would bring, she might not even know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew that it was all in God’s hands. For now, that would have to be enough.

  “Come on, Abel. We’ve got more files to discover.”

  A killer to uncover.

  A job to do. A new life to create. One that might have more to do with computers than flowers. More to do with faith than work. More to do with trust than doubt.

  More to do with God than self.

  And that, Chloe thought, was going to be the biggest change of all.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She found it at just past three in the morning. A deleted e-mail that chased fatigue from her body and brought her straight up in her seat, her heart thrumming with excitement. She printed it out, scanned the content one more time. Just three lines. Innocuous out of context, but in light of what had happened, a red flag.

  You’ll regret what you’ve done. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but eventually. Once you see the error of your ways, we’ll talk. J.

  J.?

  Chloe could think of at least five of Adam’s friends who had that name. Probably more. The message had been e-mailed from a free online account and contained no clue as to who the sender was. Chloe printed out the contents of Adam’s address book, searching for the e-mail address and finding it. There was no contact information and no name listed. Chloe would have to give Jake the address and see if he could have the user information released from the e-mail provider.

  An hour later, she was still at the computer, but hadn’t found any more e-mails from the same account. That seemed odd. Of course, everything seemed odd in the wee hours of the morning. Finally, she gave up, crawling into bed and staring up at the ceiling, praying for sleep that didn’t want to come. When it did, Chloe’s dreams were filled with troubling images. Not the nightmare. More a mishmash of faces and voices, identities and words that were just out of reach.

  She woke more tired than when she’d gone to bed, grabbed a quick cup of coffee, then called Jake. He took down the e-mail address and promised to look into it immediately, but even that didn’t seem fast enough. Like the images in her dreams, the answers they needed to find the stalker were just out of reach.

  She glanced at the clock. Nine o’clock was early for anyone to be in Adam’s old office, but she dialed the number anyway. James and Jordyn were both in for a few hours on Saturday. Hopefully, one of them would get back to her.

  To her surprise, Jordyn answered the phone, her upbeat tone a little too bright after so few hours of sleep. “Kelly and Hill Investigations, how can I help you?”

  “Jordyn, it’s Chloe.”

  “You’re calling early.”

  “I’m doing some research and need to get more information from you.”

  “Well, you’re lucky you reached me. James is testifying on Monday. We’re working on his testimony. Otherwise I wouldn’t be in for several more hours.”

  “I’m glad things worked out.”

  “So, what do you need?”

  “You’ve got a list of company contacts, right?”

  “Yes, but that information is confidential.”

  “I don’t need the whole list. I’ve got an e-mail address and I thought it might belong to one of Adam’s clients. I was hoping you could check the list and see if the address matches anyone on the list.”

  “I don’t know, Chloe. I’m not sure I’m allowed to do that. Why don’t you give me the address and I’ll check with James?”

  “That’s fine.” Chloe rattled it off. “Can you please tell James this is really important?”

  “I’ll tell him, but I can’t promise we’ll be back to you with this before Monday.”

  “That’s all right.” Though it seemed like a long time to wait when she was so close to finding the information she’d been seeking.

  “Good. By the way, did you get Adam’s laptop yet?”

  “No, but hopefully it will come in today and I’ll find some more e-mails from the address I just gave you.”

  “Good luck with that. Adam wasn’t much for keeping old e-mails. He was always losing communications from clients and then having me call to have them resend the information. It used to drive me to distraction.”

  “Deleted e-mails are no problem, Jordyn. The information is still in the computer’s memory, it’s just hidden.”

  “Yes, well, you’re the expert in those things. Not me. Good luck on your search and I’ll get back to you once I speak to James.”

  Chloe hung up the phone and paced across the room. She had a lead, but nowhere to run with it. She’d have to wait until the laptop arrived, wait until Jordyn got back to her, wait until Jake was able to get the contact information from the e-mail account.

  Wait.

  “But I’m not so good at waiting, pup.” She grabbed the leash from the door. “Let’s take a quick walk. Then maybe we should get out for a while. Run to the pet store. Get some groceries. Hopefully, when we get back I’ll have some more ideas about tracing the person who’s using that address.”

  * * *

  A few hours of shopping hadn’t given Chloe any clearer insight into the problem. It had filled her cupboards, though, and when the phone rang at a little past noon, she was putting together a grilled cheese sandwich and a salad.

  “Hello?”

  “Chloe, it’s Ben.”

  Chloe’s heart leaped at his voice. “Hi. What’s up?”

  “Cain. He’s racing around the house like a sugar-hyped kid. I thought maybe it was time for that playdate.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’re busy?”

  “Having lunch.”

  “Maybe I could join you.”

  “You’re inviting yourself for lunch?”

  “It’s easier than waiting for an invitation.”

  Chloe laughed. “I’m not a fancy cook. Grilled cheese and salad.”

  “I’ll bring dessert. See you in ten.”

  He made it in seven, the cool, crisp scent of autumn drifting into the apartment as he strode through the door, a brown paper bag in one hand, Cain dancing around his feet. “You look tired.”

  “Is that the way you greet every woman you have lunch with or am I just special?”

  “You’re definitely special.” He smiled, but there was a hint of truth in his words and in the somber gaze he swept over her. “How long did you stay up last night?”

  “Long enough to find what I was looking for.” She grabbed the printed e-mail and handed it to Ben. “Tell me what you think while I grill the sandwiches.”

  He read it quickly, his expression darkening. “Did you call Jake?”

  “First thing this morning. He’s going to try and get the e-mail provider to release the account holder’s contact information.”

  “Which may or may not be useful.”

  “True, but I’m hoping I’ll find a few more e-mails on Adam’s laptop. Maybe contact information in his address book. That will definitely be useful.”

  “And that’ll be here when?”

  “Probably today or Monday. I’m hoping for today.”

  “Me, too. The sooner we get this solved, the better I’ll feel.” He frowned, staring down at the e-mail as if
he could find the sender’s identity hidden in the message. “This could be about anything business or personal.”

  “And it might not have anything to do with the accident or the break-in or the phone calls Adam received, but look at the date on it. That’s just a couple of days after Adam and I broke up. I think that’s significant.”

  “It’s a start, anyway.”

  “Yeah. Hopefully of something big.” Chloe placed grilled cheese sandwiches on a platter, salad in a bowl and set both on the table. “I’m ready for all this to be over.”

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do when it is?”

  “I can’t think past today. When everything is settled, I’ll plan for more.”

  Ben nodded, not asking the questions Chloe could see in his eyes. “We’d better eat and get these dogs outside. Cain needs to run off some energy.”

  The walk was pleasant, though Chloe was sure Ben was as distracted as she was, conversation that had always seemed to flow so easily when she was with him, felt stilted and strange.

  “Is something wrong?” She asked the question as they moved back up the stairs to her apartment. “You’re quiet today.”

  He met her gaze, his eyes the vivid blue of the sky in spring. “I’m worried. We’ve got bits and pieces of the puzzle, but not enough to see the picture clearly. Whoever is after you must realize how close we’re getting.”

  “I don’t think he cares.”

  “Which worries me even more.” He raked a hand through his hair and frowned. “Maybe you should leave town for a while.”

  “Where would I go? My friends are all in D.C. I haven’t heard from my mother or grandmother in years.”

  “Anywhere where you can stay hidden until this is over. My parents. One of my foster siblings. They’d be willing to take you in.”

  “But I’m not willing to go. I’ve been running for almost a year. I won’t run anymore.” She meant it. Despite the fear, despite the nightmare, she couldn’t keep running. Not if she ever wanted to have the life she dreamed of, the peace she longed for.

  The muscle in Ben’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I can understand that. I even respect it. But I don’t like it.”

  “I’ll be careful, Ben. I’m not planning to make myself any more vulnerable than I already am.” She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him close for just a moment before she stepped away.

  “What was that for?”

  “For caring. There haven’t been that many people in my life who have.”

  “I care, Chloe.” He leaned forward, brushed his lips against hers. “And when you’re ready, maybe we’ll discuss just how much. I’ve got to go. We’ve got a prayer meeting at the church. Then I’ve got to run to the hospital to visit a sick friend. How about I come by and pick you up and we go to Opal’s together?”

  “Sure.”

  He smiled. “I think this is the first time I’ve offered to help that you haven’t argued. We’re making progress. I’ll see you.”

  The apartment was silent in the wake of his departure, Chloe’s heart beating just a little faster than normal. She pressed a finger against her lips, sure she could still feel his warmth there.

  She’d come to Lakeview hoping to find peace and safety, but it seemed she’d found a lot more—community, friendship, contentment. Ben. Faith, first budding, then blooming, filling her heart, telling her that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The mail carrier knocked on her door at three, the short quick rap against the wood startling Chloe from the half-sleep she’d fallen into.

  Excitement, anticipation and fear coursed through her as she tore open the box and set the laptop up on her kitchen table.

  As Jordyn had said, most of Adam’s e-mails had been deleted. Chloe checked the address book, found it empty, and frowned. Adam might have deleted e-mails, but would he have deleted the contents of his address book?

  She didn’t think so.

  But someone else might have. Someone who had something to hide. James? Jordyn? Had one of them been embezzling funds? Or doing something else illegal that Adam had uncovered? If so, why sabotage Chloe’s car? Why come after her?

  She didn’t have the answers, but Chloe hoped she’d find them. Prayed she’d find them.

  First, she grabbed the phone, called Jake again, this time leaving a message on his voice mail. She knew her thoughts were rambling and unclear, her words unfocused, but her mind was already racing forward, following paths and trails through the computer files, hurrying toward the key to everything that had happened.

  She searched for two hours, printing out copies of deleted e-mails, scanning through them, coming up blank time and time again.

  “It’s in here. I know it is.” She stood and stretched, her thigh screaming in protest, her muscles cramped from too many hours spent in front of the computer, frustration thrumming through her. Whatever was imbedded in the computer was going to have to remain there for another hour or so. She had Checkers to feed, Opal’s mail to check.

  The thought of calling Ben and asking him to do both by himself flitted through her mind, but she pushed it aside. An hour away from the computer would do her good, clear her mind. So would talking to Ben. Maybe he could come in afterward, read through the files she’d already printed, see if anything struck him as off.

  “Good excuse for inviting him over, Chloe.” She mumbled the words, then lifted Abel. “Sorry, guy. You’re going to have to stay home this time. But I’ll take you out for a little while now to make up for it.” She grabbed her purse and keys and headed outside.

  Evening had come, painting the sky deep purple, the trees and grass gray. Chloe shivered from the chill and from the fear that she could never quite leave behind. She wouldn’t let it beat her though, wouldn’t go back inside and lock herself into the apartment, hide her head under the pillows.

  But maybe she should have.

  As she moved down the steps and out into the yard, Abel barked, darting toward a shadow that was separating from the trees. A woman. Above average height. Blond hair. Very familiar.

  And suddenly very frightening, the wild look in her blue eyes telling Chloe all she needed to know about Adam’s receptionist.

  She forced down fear and panic, took a step back toward the house. “Jordyn. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m sure you already know.”

  “You got the information from James and brought it for me?” Chloe took another step back as she spoke, moving away from the tree line and toward the house, her hand sliding toward her pocket and the pepper spray she carried there.

  “Don’t play stupid, Chloe. It’s an insult to Adam and his taste in women.” She pulled something from her pocket and pointed it at Chloe. The tiny gun looked more like a toy than a weapon. “And while you’re at it, stop trying to get back to your apartment. That older couple who’s always coming and going might not look so cute with bullets in their heads.”

  Chloe blanched at the words, but did as Jordyn commanded, stopping short, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm. One swift movement and she’d have the pepper spray in her hand, but first she needed to be close enough to use it.

  The panic button!

  Her hand slid over the zipper of her purse. Why had she put the keys in it when she’d locked the door?

  “Drop the purse, Chloe. Now.”

  Die now or stay alive and hope for escape?

  There was no choice, and Chloe dropped the purse.

  Jordyn smiled, the cold wildness in her eyes making Chloe shiver. “That’s better. Now, keep your hand out of your pocket. I’m sure you’re still carrying around pepper spray. You would have been smart to get something a little more deadly.” Sh
e waved the gun. “It’s too late now, though, isn’t it?”

  “What’s going on, Jordyn?”

  “What do you think is going on? I’ve come for a visit to see how you’re holding up. Losing Adam must have been so devastating for you. Of course, since he was never really yours, I guess you can’t complain.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Revenge.”

  “For what?”

  “For what you did to Adam, of course. What he and I had was special. You ruined it. Then you killed him.”

  “I didn’t kill him.”

  “Of course you did.” She spit the words out, moving a step closer.

  Come on. Keep coming.

  Just a few steps closer and Chloe would take a chance and go for the pepper spray.

  “If you hadn’t brought that information to the FBI, Adam would still be alive.”

  “Then it wasn’t you who sabotaged my car?” Keep her talking. Keep her moving forward.

  “Maybe you really are stupid. Matthew Jackson wanted you dead. It would have made me very happy for you to end up that way. But I didn’t do anything to your car. I have more subtle ways of getting rid of people who stand in my way.” She smiled, her teeth flashing white in the fading light. “Take the pepper spray out of your pocket. Throw it into the trees.”

  Chloe hesitated.

  “Now, Chloe, or those sweet old people will be vulture food.”

  Chloe did as she was told, her muscles tight and ready for action. If only she knew what action to take.

  “By the way, I wanted to tell you when we chatted just how much I love your place. Very cute. Very quaint. Very you. Now, come on. We have to go before the newest man in your life shows up and makes me go to more effort than I already have.”