Flames Of Deceit

by Carol Hutchens

  “I saw him get out of the booth. What did you say to rile him?”

  Mia shrugged. “I asked how he was adjusting to the tragedy, personally.”

  Snorting, Jake glanced at her. “You went for the jugular a little early, didn’t you?”

  “He calmed down when I assured him my interest stemmed from emotional reaction to the deaths of two employees.”

  “That’s all you got?”

  Shrugging, Mia sighed. “He went rigid when I mentioned my brother. But that was after I told him I was sure he already knew of the connection since any good businessman investigated his contacts just like reporters did.”

  “Hell—”

  “What? Is someone following us?” Mia struggled to turn in the seat to look at the road behind. “How long has that car been back there?”

  “Since we passed those men standing in the dark.”

  “Why didn’t you say—”

  “Hang on. I’m going to make a quick turn.” Jake glanced back in the mirror. “Good, the light gave us a break.”

  “Not the mall, again.” Mia stared at the road ahead. There was the turn for Center Towne Mall. “Who’s on our trail this time?”

  She choked out the last word and grabbed for the dash as Jake slung the Explorer through the curved entrance.

  “Man, I wish we were in your Honda. This thing isn’t made for fast turns.” Jake sent the Explorer flying through the parking area. Then, tires screeching, he stopped in an area of the lot dark with shadows. “One of the security lights must be out. Drop down out of sight.”

  Mia fell to the floor and clutched a hand against the rapid thumping in her chest. “Can you see anything?”

  “Not yet. He got caught in traffic at the light.” Jake crouched behind the headrest and twisted to look out the back window. “There, he is…maybe. It’s a dark car, going very slow.”

  “How can you be sure he’s following us?” Mia eased up so she could see out the driver’s window. “Oh, hurry, get down. He’s coming this way.”

  “Toward us or surveying the lot?” Jake pressed back against the seat.

  “He’s crawling through the lot, taking his time. We’re okay. Look now. He turned to go back the other way. Do you recognize the car?”

  “You think it’s Yow?” Jake asked as he stared at the taillights of the departing vehicle.

  “Don’t you?” She eased up get a better view. “It’s a sports ca—no. He’s turning back. Get down. Get down.”

  Jake stared at her in the dim light. “You know the risk of playing chicken?” He reached out to grasp her hand. “You can win and still be riddled with bullet holes. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Mia tightened her grip on his hand and pulled.

  “Get down as low as you can.” Jake leaned over top of her as knees on the floor she shoved her face against the passenger seat. “You’re special, Mia. I can’t believe I’m putting you in danger like this.”

  “When this is over, I’m going to kiss you, Jake.”

  He chuckled.

  She felt his breath vibrate against her head as he leaned over her. “Jake?”

  “Yeah?” His whisper echoed hers.

  “I couldn’t have done this without you. I think I’m in love with you.”

  Silence echoed so loud inside the Explorer, she heard her heart thump in her chest.

  Finally, Jake’s breath puffed through her hair. His words soft as a sigh on the wind, “You can’t love me. My wife died because of loving me.”

  Outside, the noise of a car engine sounded as loud as a bulldozer as it idled alongside their vehicle.

  Mia’s breath caught. She grabbed for a hold on Jake, ending up gripping his collar in her fist. His harsh breathing sounded over the thudding of her heart.

  The vehicle’s engine eased closer. Headlights illuminated their SUV. Just when Mia thought she was taking her last breath, a new noise interrupted the still of the night. The crackle of static sounded loud.

  “No!” Mia’s breath gushed out in protest. “Not the police. Not now. They’ll lock us up.”

  “Don’t move.” Jake breathed next to her ear. “Don’t make a shadow.”

  “Police are worse than the slasher—”

  “Shhhhh,” Jake’s arms clutched her, gripping as if he would never let her go. “You’ll be okay.”

  A voice sounded out of the car’s radio static. “Suspicious vehicle in west lot, over.”

  A car door slammed. The engine gunned. Lights flickered, and dimmed as the police car turned away. Darkness engulfed the Explorer.

  Mia let out breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Are they gone?”

  Jake eased off her, and looked around. “Yeah, nothing’s moving. I think you can get up.”

  “I’m not sure my legs still work.” Mia pushed her weight on her arms and lifted enough to fall in the seat. Muscles in her legs cramped, sending pain shooting down to her toes. “Good thing we didn’t have to run. My feet have gone to sleep.”

  Jake chuckled as he stared around the dark lot. “We should be safe to move now.”

  “Wait, with all those police cars out there, maybe we should stay put.”

  Darkness wrapped around them, feeling almost safe after the scare of having headlights aimed at their windows. Mia took a deep breath and released it on a long sigh. She heard Jake breathing beside her, and bit her lip. “Jake…about what I—”

  “Danger makes people say strange things. We’re safe, now.” Jake stared out the side window, keeping his head turned away from her.

  Did he regret the comment about his wife? Hands clenching into fists, Mia had the sudden urge to hit out at something, or someone. “Let’s go.”

  ***

  “What do we know about Alan Yow?” Jake demanded as they entered the house after a near silent ride home from their incident.

  Neither of them mentioned the tense moments they had thought were their last. Bullets could have riddled their bodies and they would have been helpless. And neither mentioned the words they had uttered.

  Jake didn’t regret telling Mia she was an amazing woman. That realization had slipped up on him, but the longer they were together, the more he knew it was true. It wasn’t just the way she made him want to grab hold of life, it was her determination, and her focus on doing what she thought was right.

  He could see parts of him and his wife in Mia’s dedication. For the first time since a drunk driver had collided with his wife’s car and left her and his three-year-old son dead, Jake wanted to embrace all life offered.

  The threat of being so close to Mia, and having to watch her die, of feeling the life drain out of her because of bullet holes in her body, had brought the pain of his wife’s death back.

  In the instant those car lights blared in their windows, the engine of the stalker’s vehicle competing with the roar of his heart, Jake realized he was ready to fight to live, to protect Mia.

  He had reached for the gun tucked in his waistband, ready to shot to save Mia’s life. He hadn’t been able to save his wife and child. The fact that he hadn’t been in the car to die with them had weighed heavy on his conscience for the past six years.

  His brain understood he couldn’t go back. Finally, tonight in that mall parking lot, his heart accepted that fact as well. He’d made the choice to move on and face the future when he pulled out his gun. Now, he had to deal with the realization that he wanted that future to include Mia.

  Fighting the urge to rush over to Mia and hold her in his arms to prove she was safe took all his strength. Shrugging out of his jacket, he watched as she opened up the laptop. “Do you want coffee?”

  Glancing up, Mia shook her head. “I’m wired enough without adding caffeine. I need to check these files.”

  ***

  Chewing on her lip, Mia forced her gaze to the screen as the laptop booted up. Had she really said those words? In those last seconds when she was sure they would die, had she really
told Jake she loved him?

  How had that happened?

  She never exposed her emotions to a man...and now she was wondering why. Why Jake? Family was everything to her, always had been, even when she was a little girl. She had basked in her father’s attention, and longed to get close to her mother.

  That longing had put her in this situation.

  Since her father’s death, she had missed the unconditional love she lost when he passed away. Looking back at her dating relationships, the feeling that she meant something special to another person had always been missing. Until now. Until she met Jake.

  Inhaling a quivering breath, she blinked moisture from her eyes and stared at the screen. Alan Yow didn’t have a big file. Compared to the other VPs, he was low key and kept out of the news.

  Had she really told Jake she loved him?

  Clearing her throat, she risked a glance in his direction as he lounged in the stuffed chair across from her. But his pensive expression sent heat spiraling to her mid-section.

  He hadn’t responded when she’d said she loved him. The gut wrenching fear of rejection curled in her stomach. Why had she said those words and embarrassed them both? Why tell a man she loved him because she thought she was going to die? Why not run?

  Because she couldn’t get out of the car, that’s why. Even if she had managed to get the door open and crawl out, she couldn’t have left Jake alone and in danger. Shocking as it was to her numb brain, she had been ready to die with Jake.

  It was an amazing discovery, but true. That put Jake right up there with her mother and brother as people she would protect with her last breath.

  She loved him.

  “Could we save this until morning? My brain is half-asleep.” She pushed back against the sofa as she glanced at Jake.

  There were dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, but he looked strong and ready to take on the world.

  “Yeah, sure. We need some rest.” His gaze rested on her for several seconds. “I’ll look over the files and then hit the sack.”

  Whistling through his teeth, Jake watched Mia walk out of the room. Where did they go from here? What could he say to get them back to normal? Did he want to go back?

  Ignoring his feelings for Mia meant returning to the gray life he’d led for the past six years. Mia added color and excitement to his existence. Was he reacting to the danger of their evening? When this was over, would he feel this need to be with her, protect her? It was time he faced the possibility that this tension between them was real.

  He had to stop protecting his heart. Six years was long enough to live in a vacuum, it was time he faced the future and took his chances. His heart deserved the chance to love, again.

  Chapter 12

  “Charles Herne,” Mia announces as she rushed into the kitchen the next morning.

  “Leigh Anne Saddler’s boss,” Jake said at the same time.

  Mia managed a smile as she took the cup of coffee he offered. “We’re on the same page, it seems.”

  Shrugging, he sipped the hot brew. “Tell me what you know about Herne while I whip up some eggs.”

  Going to the den for the laptop, Mia settled on a stool at the breakfast bar. “Why wasn’t he meeting with the other men last night?”

  Jake looked up from cracking eggs in a bowl. “Did he date either of the women?”

  “He is VP of product development and he dated his secretary, Leigh Anne Saddler.” Mia read the files. “That’s it. We have nothing.”

  Jake turned fluffy scrambled eggs on two plates and added toast. “Sounds like you need to give Herne a call.”

  “Another interview?” Mia asked around a forkful of eggs. “Um, these are delicious. Where did you learn to cook?”

  “My wife. Sara was a home economics teacher. She insisted I learn to take care of myself.”

  Shivering, Mia forced a chuckle. “Smart woman.”

  “Yeah, she was a good mother, too.” Jake stabbed at the toast with his fork.

  Mia’s breath caught. “You had a child?”

  Nodding, Jake met her glance. “A son. He turned three a week before the accident.”

  Perched on stools, they were sitting so close their elbows almost touched, but Mia felt as if the Grand Canyon had appeared between them. There was so much she didn’t know about Jake, and yet, she loved him.

  “I’m so sorry.” Tears clogged the back of her throat. “How did you survive a tragedy like that?”

  Shoulders hunched, Jake raked the fork across the empty plate. “I retreated in my shell and watched life go by.”

  “D-do you want to talk about it?”

  Long seconds passed. “His name was Steven. He had Sara’s blonde hair and my eyes, and a laugh we couldn’t resist.” Jake swiped at his eyes. Shaking his head, he sighed. “Stevie was a little dare devil. Always into something. Losing them left a hole in my life that can never be filled.”

  “He sounds perfect.” Mia blinked furiously. “I don’t know how you managed.”

  “One day at a time until you barged into my life.” Jake stared in her eyes. “That thing you said…about loving me. I liked that. Being with you, helping you has brought new meaning to my life. I owe you for that.”

  Heart thumping, Mia held his gaze. “I don’t want you to owe me, Jake. I want—”

  His lips settled on hers smothering her words. His lips were warm and tasted of coffee. Mia wiggled closer and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

  Every nerve in her body snapped to alert. Jake made her feel in ways she hadn’t known. He said she’d brought him back to life. He showed her what life meant, but she wanted more. When he broke the kiss, she couldn’t hold back a moan.

  He leaned in and kissed her again, not a sweet lingering kiss like the first, but a hot demanding kiss that left her breathless when he broke away.

  Tracing a finger along her cheek, he sighed and gathering their plates, stood. “Business first. Call Herne. Set up a meeting.”

  ***

  Grover’s was buzzing with noise from the lunch crowd when they arrived to meet Herne. Jake found a seat at the tall bar table facing the booths so he could keep an eye on Mia, sitting about twenty feet away.

  His gut twisted as he eyed the blond haired man sitting across from her. Kissing her had been a mistake. Teeth grinding, he stirred the lemon slush he’d ordered, and acknowledged the truth. He shouldn’t have kissed her. Even three hours later, he could feel her lips under his and her scent filled his head.

  Watching as she put herself in danger by talking to Herne went against his need to protect her. He hadn’t been able to save his wife, but finally, he accepted that he wasn’t responsible for her death.

  He had to back off and give Mia space, even though she was flirting with danger. She needed to clear her brother’s name. All he could do was watch.

  Twirling the glass, he thought about the morning news. Police were still looking for the killers. That worried him. From TV reports, cops hadn’t connected the two women’s murders, other than the fact that they worked for the same company.

  After reading Mia’s files and their own very real skirmishes with danger, his gut told him the cops were missing something. But what? He needed evidence to show them, and he needed it fast. One more encounter like the one last night in the mall parking lot, might be their last.

  Mall security had almost discovered them hiding in the Explorer, but what worried him more was the sports car that followed them. Did Charles Herne drive a sports car? There was no way Edward Poole have reached his car in time to follow them...was there?

  ***

  “Thanks for meeting me, Mr. Herne.” Mia smiled at the attractive blond haired man across the table.

  “Call me Charles,” he smiled a toothpaste commercial smile, “Edward said you might call. I hope you don’t mind meeting at the same place you met him. This is convenient to the office.”

  Convenient to set up a trap, too, Mia fought the urge to look for Jake and kept h
er eyes on Herne. “Grover’s is great. I love the food here.”

  “You didn’t ask to meet with me to talk about food, did you?”

  Lifting a shoulder, Mia met his questioning gaze. “I wanted to get your reaction to the recent deaths of your company employees.”

  Herne’s expression tightened like a mask. “Of course, you know that Leigh Anne Saddler was my secretary.”

  “That’s why I wanted an interview.”

  “Sad. So senseless.” Herne’s smooth brow wrinkled. “Leigh Anne wouldn’t hurt a flea. One look at her lush body and people thought she was a bimbo, but she was smart.” He stared in his drink as if he’d never seen it before. “I miss her.”

  “What bout Pam Foley, did you work with her?” Mia watched for any sign that he was stringing her along, but saw none.

  Herne shrugged with a nonchalance fitting his position, but missing until now. “The usual, I’d see her at meetings in the conference room and speak to her around the office. Truthfully, I didn’t know her very well. But her death is a waste, just the same.” Fists clenched on the table in front of him, he stared at Mia. “Why kill these women? Why murder women who were contributing to society?”

  “I’m sorry for your loss—”

  “Yeah, me, too.” Herne stared at Mia from eyes bright as a spring sky and glistening like drops of rain. “You know I dated Leigh Anne.”

  Mia swallowed, surprised by his candor. “W-was it serious?”

  Herne blew out a sigh. “It was for me.” He leaned forward. “I realize this admission gives me motive, but I cared about Leigh Anne, even after she called things off.”

  “I’m sorry.” Mia crossed her fingers under the table. “When did that happen?”

  “Are you asking how long did I have to plan her murder?” Herne sighed. “I didn’t kill her.” Voice low, he stared in Mia’s eyes. “I loved her.”

  “What happened?” Mia felt a pang of sorrow for his obvious distress. “Was it another man?”

  Herne’s eyes glazed as if remembering the past. “Yeah, one of the company VP’s.” He held up a hand, “She didn’t flaunt it in my face if that’s what you’re thinking.”