The Marshal's Prize (Harlequin American Romance)

by Winters, Rebecca

  She took them from him.

  “You see here? A flour bag has just been put in among the mix bags. Nadine is inserting another yellow card. If you’ll notice, all the other employees in the area are doing their own jobs, probably unaware of what’s going on. These next two pictures show Lucas arriving ten minutes later to count the load.”

  Heidi gasped, studying each picture over and over again. “I’m seeing it, but I can’t believe it!”

  “The next stack of pictures shows the same process starting again at 3:30 p.m. in the flour room with Nadine, and ending with Lucas counting the second load. Here’s the final picture.” He slid it on top of the others. “It was taken in the warehouse bay at 5:00 p.m. It shows two loaded carts sitting out at the loading dock waiting for Tuesday morning.”

  “Oh, Mitch…” Her voice sounded desolate. She eventually lifted her head and looked at him through wet blue pools. “To see it happening before your very eyes… Nadine—of all people.”

  She shot up from the table. “She holds such a position of trust it would never occur to Bruno—to any of us. I wonder how many people in the mix room have known what’s been going on and turned a blind eye….”

  Without hesitation he pulled her into his arms, wanting to comfort her. “Maybe not as many as you think. Maybe none if they trust her so completely,” he whispered into her fragrant curls. “We know for certain now Nadine is party to the thefts. Since she arrives at the plant earlier than Jonas or Lucas, she’s had access to keys. If they’re not to blame, then it’s possible she knows their computer passwords and deletes the emails that would give her activities away.”

  “Don’t forget the truck drivers who make the secret drop-off in Draper,” Heidi said against his shoulder.

  “Let’s hold out on blaming them until we know all the facts. I’ve got to do some more investigating to find out if she’s at the center, or if she’s carrying out someone else’s orders.” He also needed to talk to the woman who’d worked under Nadine before she’d been let go by the company.

  Heidi’s shoulders shook. “When Bruno sees this, I’m afraid he’ll have another stroke.”

  Mitch drew her closer. She fit against his body as if she were made for him. “Your great-uncle comes from tough pioneer stock like his grandmother, otherwise he wouldn’t have survived his first stroke, let alone hired Roman’s firm to do a thorough job of getting at the truth.”

  “You’re right.” Her voice was wobbly.

  Her vulnerability was too much for Mitch. He kissed her temple and cheek until he found her mouth. Her immediate response to him was like a miracle. They took small experimental tastes of each other’s lips. It was the most delightful moment of his life holding this fabulous woman in his arms, sensing that her desire for him was there pulsating beneath the surface.

  But it only lasted a moment. To his frustration she eased away from him before he was ready to let her go and wiped her eyes. “Sorry I got your shirt wet.”

  “I’m not complaining.” He pressed one more kiss to her mouth. “What I’d like to do is finish my investigation and identify the people involved. Then we’ll go to Bruno with all the facts and let him deal with it the way he sees fit. If I were to feed him the information in pieces, he’ll brood and speculate.”

  Her gaze searched his. “You’re very perceptive.”

  “You forget I’ve been in the bloodhound business one way or the other since joining the Marines. You learn to read people fast.”

  She rubbed her arms with her hands. “Did you notice anything else suspicious while you were working in the plant yesterday?”

  “Not really. As for my crew, so far they haven’t picked up anything from listening in on the conversations in the offices I bugged. Do you know if Nadine favored company expansion like her grandmother Frieda?”

  “I’ve never heard her express an opinion. Even if she’s wanted to work against Bruno’s philosophy, I still can’t fathom her using her position to steal from the company. How come she feels no loyalty to him or the family? I don’t see how that’s possible.”

  “It’s my opinion you’re not the only one who’s felt intimidated by her. Otherwise someone ought to have come forward by now. But her clever scheme of embezzlement is about to come to an end.” Mitch gathered up the photos and put them on the counter. He flicked her a glance. “How soon do you need to pick up Zack?”

  “Actually I told my parents I’d meet them at the ranch. Mom wants to see how the float for the parade is coming. Dad said he’d take Zack for a short horseback ride.”

  Mitch cocked his head. “In that case, come snooping with me.”

  Her face brightened, the sign he was hoping for. “Where?”

  “I want to retrace my steps from last evening and check something out. We shouldn’t be gone more than a couple of hours.”

  “I want to see that pub in Alpine.”

  Mitch thought she might. “So you shall.” He reached for her purse and handed it to her. “If you’ll back your car out, I’ll do the same, then you can park here and we’ll go in mine.”

  She walked out ahead of him. Once in the carport they bumped into his neighbors. He couldn’t wait to be alone with Heidi again and only nodded to the girls. When he helped her in the car and they drove down the street, she turned to him with a curious look in her eye. “I believe they were disappointed you left so fast.”

  He made a turn onto Foothill Drive. “Any disappointment they felt happened when they caught sight of the gorgeous woman coming out of my apartment. In the morning, no less,” he drawled.

  She chuckled. “You’re terrible.”

  That was another thing he loved about her. She didn’t take herself too seriously. “I have news. We males are all terrible when it comes to a good-looking female.”

  “College girls have the same problem where a hunky Marine is concerned. I wonder how many months they’ve been waiting for you to come outside and play.”

  Mitch broke into laughter.

  “One thing is certain,” she added.

  “What’s that?” He would never get tired of being with her. Those days of needing his own space had vanished.

  “Your parents passed on some attractive genes to you,” she said. “If they could see how you’ve turned out, they’d be overjoyed.”

  He felt another tug on his emotions. “What brought that on?” By now they were on the freeway.

  “I don’t know exactly. Since you told me about your past, I’ve thought a lot about it. I guess it’s because I’m a mother. What if you took out an ad in some of the Florida newspapers showing a Garrett Fruit Company crate with a statement like I’m the baby you put in this crate thirty-four years ago. If you want to meet me, notify the paper at this email address. Something like that.”

  Astounded by her interest, he said, “It’s a terrific idea, but I’m afraid the paper would receive thousands of emails from people claiming to be that person.”

  She eyed him speculatively. “If you asked the newspaper to forward them to you, I’d be happy to help you go through them. You never know what might happen, but if you don’t like that idea, here’s another one. Have you considered taking time off from all your work and doing your own investigation full-time to see if you can trace them? You know—physician, heal thyself?”

  What a remarkable woman she was! Mitch gripped the steering wheel tighter. “When I was in the Marines, I used to think that when I’d earned enough money and didn’t have to work, I’d do what you suggested. But before I was injured, I watched one of those televised documentaries where a woman who’d been abandoned at birth searched for her mother and finally found her.”

  “What happened?”

  “It was a disaster on both sides and made me realize I’d better be careful what I ask for becaus
e I just might get it and not like it.”

  She studied him compassionately for a minute. “You’d rather they came looking for you?”

  “In an ideal world,” he admitted. “I’m afraid that’s the child in me—just waiting for a dream to come true.”

  “We all have that child in us,” she said in a faintly mournful voice.

  The tone of their conversation had turned more serious.

  “Were you terribly in love with your husband?”

  He heard her sigh. “Whatever that means, at the age of twenty I thought I was. Then the oddest thing happened.” She paused. “We got married and he changed, became someone else, someone angry and controlling. By the time Zack was born, my old feelings for him had died. Gary was eventually fired at work and from that point on his anger grew worse. I couldn’t do anything right and filed for divorce. Such a relief.”

  Knowing the kind of principled woman Heidi was, he realized divorce was the very last option she would have considered. Their marriage had to have been unbearable. “How long were you married?”

  “Four years.”

  “Well, I happen to know your son loves his mother with all his heart, so you’re doing everything right in his eyes.”

  She laughed. “You didn’t hear him this morning when he found out I was going to be with you. He said I was mean not to let him come. I told him I didn’t know what your plans would be.”

  “Zack’s a very special boy. When we’ve finished our business down south, how would you like for us to head north and pick him up? Depending on the weather, we might even drive to that amusement park I’ve seen from the highway.”

  “You mean Lagoon?”

  “Yes. I’ve passed it several times, but haven’t gone in because it’s the kind of place to enjoy as a family.”

  She went quiet before looking at the sky. “By the time we reach the ranch, we’ll probably be wiped out by rain, so it will be better not to mention it.”

  If she was trying to discourage him, it wasn’t working. For days now the chemistry had been building. She wanted this day with him as much as he did—he could feel it. A fire had been licking through the veins of them both back at his apartment. Heat was building. Before long it would turn into a conflagration. His heart thudded at the thought of making love to her.

  * * *

  THE MAN DRIVING THE AUDI was dressed in gray trousers and an expensive-looking silk sport shirt in a charcoal color. When Heidi had been in his arms, she’d smelled the soap he’d used in the shower, and the scent still lingered in the car.

  Inside and out, Mitch was close to perfect. She knew no one was perfect, but so far she couldn’t find any fault in him. That was a pretty strong conclusion to reach when you’d only known someone six days!

  Lost in thought, she didn’t realize they’d come to the turnoff for Alpine until she heard a police siren and saw a car being pursued. “Uh-oh. Somebody was speeding.”

  “That’s made the patrolman’s day,” Mitch said in a dry tone. “It’ll help him make his quota to please his boss.”

  She turned her head toward him. “How many car chases have you been in?”

  “A few, but when a felon is fleeing the scene of a crime, more times than not we’re both on foot.”

  Everything he’d done in his life from the Marines to the federal marshals to his P.I. job revealed he preferred to live dangerously. The world needed men like him to keep other people safe, but a woman who cared for him might have a big problem with that. Was it the reason he’d never settled down with a wife? Because he knew she could never handle the risks he took?

  Could you handle it, Heidi?

  She’d already answered the question several days ago. She would hate watching him walk out the door wondering if it would be the last time she saw him alive. The sooner he left Salt Lake, the better for her and Zack.

  While Mitch drove them into the business center, she trembled because the truth stared her in the face. She was a pathetic mass of contradictions. If she thought it was better he moved back to Florida, then why had she dressed up this morning wanting him to notice?

  You know why, Heidi. You want to keep him here for good.

  “Here’s the strip mall,” he said. “The pub is in the center.” As they passed slowly by, she was able to see the sign. Homemade donuts and pizza. “I’ll drive around back. The pub won’t be open for an hour, but someone has to be there setting things up. Let’s see what we can find out.”

  There was a flash of lightning in the sky as they pulled into the alley where other cars were parked. Heidi saw a cell phone truck delivering boxes to the store near the other end. When Mitch pulled up to the back door of the pub and got out of the car, she resisted the urge to tell him to be careful. Though he knew what he was doing, he wasn’t infallible. He had scars from his gunshot surgery to prove it.

  A guy who looked to be in his twenties answered the knock. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, he’d tied an apron around his waist. Heidi’s heart hammered in apprehension while Mitch talked to him. The guy listened, then shook his head before shutting the door.

  “What did you say to him?” she asked as he got back in the car. The wind was gusting. She could smell rain in the air.

  He started the engine and drove them to the end of the alley. “I told him I was out here from Michigan looking for a friend named Mario. He was supposed to be working at a pub in Alpine with another friend named Eric. The guy said his name was Nick and he’d never heard of either guy. Does the name Nick mean anything to you, Heidi?”

  “No.”

  “He said there was another place in Lehi called Ronny’s Pub. Maybe Mario worked there.”

  She shook her head. “Your creativity blows me away. Did you see anything incriminating?”

  His gaze met hers. “A storage room filled with Bauer bags. I could smell donuts cooking from another section. Now that I’ve seen evidence that the place is in full operation with stolen goods, there’s just one more thing I want to check before we drive to the ranch to pick up Zack. We’ll have to backtrack to Draper.”

  “To that storage place where you saw the bags being transferred?”

  He nodded. “I want to see if it’s just a rendezvous point, or if one of those guys is actually using a storage shed where they were doing the loading. Lon is tracing the license plate on the pickup and the two cars in the supermarket parking lot. I should be hearing from him today. In the meantime, maybe we’ll get a break and find something that will give us another lead.”

  Once they were back on the freeway, he said, “Heidi, I’m not sure you’re all right. I shouldn’t have brought you with me.”

  “Bruno asked me to be his eyes and ears. I could cry buckets over what Nadine has done, but I needed to come. It’s making everything real.”

  Mitch reached for her hand. At his touch she felt the contact arc through her. They sped north while the elements treated them to a fabulous display of forked lightning followed by thunder. But another kind of fireworks were going off inside her.

  “The wind’s so strong, it’s buffeting your car.”

  “We’re in for a downpour all right.”

  By the time they reached the Draper turnoff, the sky was black with clouds. “Ooh—it’s getting close,” she said.

  “Does it make you nervous?”

  “No. I love storms.”

  He gave her hand another squeeze before letting go. “So do I. We’re almost there.”

  Sheet lightning lit up the entrance to the storage facility. She had no idea where they were going, but Mitch had little problem finding what he wanted with his own built-in radar.

  “Here we are. Row K.” He drove to the end of it and stopped. “This storm has sprung up at the perfect time. No one’s here. I’m going t
o open a couple of these sheds and look around. You stay in the car.”

  “I want to look with you.” She slid out her side and watched him use a tool to open the end shed. Inside were a dozen lawn mowers and snow blowers.

  “That shed’s no help.” Mitch closed and locked it. Jagged lightning flickered overhead followed by a huge thunderclap that shook the ground, but he kept working and opened the next shed. Hail started to bounce everywhere, but she was hardly aware of it because her attention was suddenly focused on the black Mazda Miata parked inside.

  More lightning illuminated everything. Before he shut the shed door, she caught sight of the custom-made Bellagio spinner tire rims on the older model sports car.

  “Oh, no!”

  “Get back in the car, Heidi.” By now hail was slamming them hard. Mitch grabbed her around the shoulders and forced her into the passenger seat of the Audi. He shut the car door and ran around to get in behind the wheel, sealing them inside.

  The hail was coming down now as if the heavens had emptied, covering the ground like snow. He leaned across and pulled her into him. “Don’t be frightened. This’ll be over in a few minutes.”

  A monsoonlike rain followed the hail, enveloping them in the deluge. Shocked senseless by her discovery, she lifted her head. “That’s not why I cried out.”

  “What then?” he demanded anxiously. Heidi felt the warmth of his breath on her mouth.

  “That Miata is my ex-husband’s sports car!”

  Chapter Seven

  In the pounding noise of the rain, Mitch’s teeth clenched so hard he almost cracked one. With lightning flashing, he could see that her complexion had lost color. He drew in a labored breath. “You couldn’t possibly be mistaken?”

  “No,” she declared with complete conviction. “I’d know his Miata anywhere. It meant more to him than his own family. After we got married, we lived in an apartment. Our goal was to buy a house in two years’ time using our savings for a substantial down payment.

  “Our problems came about early because he wanted us to have joint savings and checking accounts. But my father advised me not to set things up that way. Gary accused me of being paranoid about money, but as the months went by I realized he was dipping into his savings to work on the car. By the end of our first year of marriage I was expecting Zack, so I asked Gary if he’d given up on the idea of a house.