Beautiful Storm (Lightning Strikes Book 1)

by Barbara Freethy

  "Names don't ring a bell. I might have met them. Half the people in here right now work at MDT. It's a huge company. I don't know all their names. Most people seem happy enough with their jobs, but I've served a few people drowning their sorrows after getting laid off. Every now and then, cuts come down from the Pentagon, funding gets decreased and people get fired. I've seen it happen a lot. I was in a specialized position when I worked for them, so I wasn't as vulnerable, but I'm happy now to be my own boss."

  "Do you have any contacts at MDT who might be willing to speak with us?" Michael asked. "Maybe someone in the same department as Connie Randolph?"

  Jerry thought for a moment. "I could ask around if you want. Why don't you give me your number, Alicia? I'll see what I can do."

  "I'd really appreciate your help," Alicia told him as she gave him her number.

  "Well, I hope I can come up with something that will help you find your friend. There's nothing worse than a missing person."

  "That's for sure," she said with a heavy sigh. "Those first few months after Dad died were the worst. The uncertainty of not knowing made everything more difficult. It was hard not to keep hope alive."

  Jerry nodded, a somber look in his eyes. "I remember. I took a plane up a couple of days to do my own search for Wyatt, just to be sure. I knew it's what Wyatt would have done for me. We always watched each other's backs." He paused. "Wyatt would probably want me to tell you to be careful, Alicia. I don't think he'd want his baby girl getting mixed up in a murder investigation."

  "I'm not a baby girl anymore."

  "Well, I know that, but I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

  "I can take care of myself."

  "Just as stubborn as your father." He pushed back his chair. "Sorry to cut this short, but I need to get back to work. Dinner is on the house. Make sure you order dessert and another round of drinks."

  "Thanks, Jerry." She got up and gave him a hug. "It was really good to see you again."

  "How long will you be in town?"

  "A few more days. I'm not sure yet. It depends on what we find out."

  "Well, don't be a stranger. Come back if you have more questions. In the meantime, I'll ask around and see if anyone at MDT would be willing to talk to you. I have to tell you I'm not that optimistic. MDT makes everyone sign a confidentiality agreement."

  "We figured that," she said. "It's a long shot, but if you do run across anyone, please give me a call."

  "I will. Nice to meet you, too," Jerry said to Michael, extending his hand. "You take care of this woman here, all right? She's a special girl. Her dad used to tell me that and from what I've seen, it's true."

  Michael nodded. "I'm doing my best."

  "Good. She deserves a man who's worthy of her."

  "Jerry, it's not like that," Alicia protested. "We're friends."

  Jerry just gave her a knowing smile. "Sure you are. But that was for your dad. I know he'd want me to say something to any man you brought around. That's the least I can do for him. Enjoy your meal."

  "Sorry he put you on the spot, Michael. Everyone seems to get the wrong idea about us," Alicia said as Jerry returned to the bar.

  "It's not the wrong idea, and you know it, Alicia."

  "Okay, fine," she conceded. "So that wasn't totally helpful, was it?"

  "Jerry might come through with more information. He seems willing to help you, and that's more than we're getting from other people. He also backed up what we read in the transcripts about the fight between the professor and his wife. I'm just not sure that fight was about Connie."

  "You have another theory now?"

  "Based on Sandbury's flight, I'm thinking that maybe Professor Bryer and Connie were working on something together that might have threatened someone or something at MDT. Maybe the wife thought there was an affair, but it was not that."

  "But Thomas and Connie were found in bed together."

  He tipped his head to her point. "Perhaps they were sleeping together and also working on something against the company."

  "Are you suggesting that they might have been whistleblowers?"

  "It's a possibility. Sandbury seemed to hint at the fact that there was something besides sex in the mix."

  "That would mean someone at MDT killed them to protect a secret."

  She was right. If someone at MDT had killed two people to keep a secret, they'd have no hesitation to stop at a third. His stomach clenched at the thought.

  Alicia must have read something on his face. Her gaze narrowed. "Don't go there."

  "Too late. We both know that the outcome after so long will probably not be good."

  "We don’t know that," she argued. "Sandbury disappeared really fast. Maybe Liliana did the same."

  As much as he wanted to believe that, it just didn't ring true in his head.

  He sat back in his chair as the waitress came by to deliver their pizza, along with plates, napkins and peppers.

  "This looks good," Alicia said.

  It did look good; he just wasn't that hungry anymore.

  "You have to eat," Alicia told him, grabbing the first slice of pizza. "You need to keep your strength up."

  "I will," he said, taking a sip of his beer.

  "I know it's harder for you, Michael. I can focus on the mystery, but you have a lot more emotions involved," she said, compassion in her eyes. "Is there anything I can do to make it better?"

  "You're already doing it," he said, thinking that Alicia had a way of both firing him up and calming him down. She always seemed to be able to read his mood, to know the right thing to say. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome. And take your time, but just know that I'm really hungry, so if you want any of this, I wouldn't wait too long to dive in."

  He smiled as she took a large bite of pizza. Then he grabbed his own slice and found his appetite again.

  * * *

  An hour later, they left the Flight Deck. They'd talked to the waitress and one of the bartenders before leaving but hadn't gotten any more information than they'd received from Jerry. The bartender remembered the murdered couple but didn't witness the fight with the wife, and the waitress said she had trouble remembering anyone, as there was always a full crowd every night.

  "Well, that wasn't a total waste," Alicia said, hooking her arm through his as they walked into the parking lot. "The food was good, and it was nice for me to see Jerry again. There are so few people I can talk to who knew my father; it feels good to hear someone say his name."

  "It sounded like they were good friends."

  "Like brothers, Dad used to say. I think that's the way the military is. When I asked my father what the military was fighting for, because I didn’t understand why he left for weeks at a time, he told me that he was fighting for the men who were next to him, his radar instrument officer, his mechanic, the pilot flying at his wing and the people back home who were depending on him to keep them safe. I guess there's a unique bond for people in service to their country. They're making a sacrifice that most people wouldn't make. It certainly wasn't anything I ever wanted to do. I feel a little guilty saying that out loud."

  "Don't. We all have our calling. And yours is lightning."

  She grinned. "Yeah, like that's going to do much good for the world."

  "You never know. Your pictures are good. You capture moments in life, on this earth, in the sky that are incredible. You're leaving a legacy behind."

  Pride entered her eyes as she gazed back at him. "You're going to leave me speechless again."

  He laughed. "And yet you still managed to find words." He unlocked the car, and they got inside.

  "You're leaving a legacy, too, Michael. Your buildings will be around for a long time."

  "True, but they don't always feel like my buildings. They're more of a collaboration."

  "You still put your mark on them. So where are we going now? It's almost eight. I know we still have some people on our list to contact, but it's getting late. We haven't tracked down Connie's
ex-husband yet."

  "We'll leave that for tomorrow. Let's find a hotel and then we'll figure out a plan."

  As he pulled out of the parking space, he saw a man sitting in a vehicle a few spots over. It looked like the same man and the same car Alicia had seen earlier in the day. He'd no sooner passed the vehicle when it roared to life, backed out and went in the opposite direction. It sped away so fast he didn't have a chance to get a license plate number.

  "Damn," he muttered, his gaze on the rearview mirror.

  "Problem?" Alicia asked curiously. She turned to look over her shoulder.

  He debated whether or not he should tell her. He didn't want to worry her unnecessarily. "No problem."

  "Michael. No secrets between us, remember?"

  "All right. I thought I saw that guy you noticed earlier outside the breakfast café. But he went in the other direction."

  "Really?" She turned her head again, but the car was gone. "I don't see anyone."

  "I'm not sure it was the same person, but I am going to make certain that no one is following us to our new hotel."

  "I'll help. I'll keep an eye on the side-view mirror."

  After they exited the parking lot, he made several quick turns, keeping an eye out for the car he'd seen earlier. After twenty minutes, he felt comfortable that they were not being followed. When he saw a hotel with an underground parking garage, he decided to turn in. It might be good to get their car out of sight.

  They gathered their bags and walked into the elevator and up to the lobby.

  A few minutes later, they entered their hotel room on the fourth floor. Michael immediately turned the deadbolt and put on the safety chain while Alicia moved toward the window.

  "It doesn't open," she said, relief in her voice. "And there's no balcony."

  "Then we're good."

  "Yeah." She blew out a breath and sat down at the small table by the window.

  He tossed his keys onto the dresser and took a seat on the edge of the bed facing her. "Are you all right?"

  "I have to admit my heart started racing a little after you saw that man again."

  "Like I said, I don't know for sure—"

  "Yes, you do," she said, cutting him off. "You don’t make mistakes, Michael. And you notice details. I've spent enough time with you to know that. You don't have to pretend for my sake. Obviously, someone has been watching us. I just wish I knew who it was and why. I also wonder how they found us again at the Flight Deck. If it was the same man we saw after breakfast, how did he catch back up to us?"

  "I should have been paying more attention." He paused for a moment. "I wonder if Liliana was being followed during her investigation, if she had any idea she was in danger."

  "She didn't act like she was in danger when she got to Miami. And I don't think she would have brought danger to her family. She stayed at her parents' house. She spent time with her sister and her brothers, her friends, even her old friend Brad. I don't believe she had any idea that she was in trouble."

  Alicia's words made a lot of sense. "I agree. And whatever her feelings were about David, she didn't go to Miami to break up the wedding."

  "And David didn't have anything to do with her disappearance. I believe she asked you to meet that night, because she wanted to get in touch with your grandfather. And she probably just really wanted to see you again. She was only there for a short time and didn't know when she'd be back or when you'd ever have the chance to reconnect."

  "I believe that, too."

  "It's good that she reached out to you, Michael, because if she hadn't tried to meet you, you wouldn't have been a suspect, and you might not have gotten as involved as you have. Not that you wouldn't have searched for her, but she put you in the middle of her problems, and having seen how good you are at problem solving, I think things worked out as best as they could. Not that I don't wish she'd never disappeared, but—I don't know, I'm making a mess of this."

  "No, you're not," he said, shaking his head. "You're right—about everything, except one thing."

  "What's that?"

  "I didn't come to Texas because I was a person of interest, I came because of you. You're the one who sent the dominoes flying. You're the one who got me to start looking in a new direction." He paused. "I just don't think we can save her, Alicia. I haven't wanted to say that out loud, but it's been going around in my head for a long time. I think it's too late."

  Alicia got up from her chair and sat down next to him, putting her hand on his arm. "If we can't save her, we'll get her justice. We'll make sure the truth comes out."

  He saw the fight in her eyes and it lifted him up. "You never quit."

  "Not when something is important. Liliana matters. And you matter. You matter a lot to me, Michael. I think you know that I'm not just here because of Liliana, but also because of you."

  "I wish…" he began.

  "What?"

  "That we'd met under other circumstances. I wish we weren't spending every second of every day worrying about Liliana or investigating a double murder of two people we never met before. I want to have a normal day with you. I want to make you happy, see you smile, hear you laugh."

  His words brought a smile to her lips. "We'll get there, Michael, if you want to get there."

  "I do. Jerry said you were something special, and he was right."

  "You're something special, too. I've never felt so connected to anyone like I do with you. And it's scary. I'm brave when it comes to nature, not so much when it comes to people who touch my heart. After my dad died, I didn't want to ever feel that kind of pain again. Loving someone—losing them—it's just so awful. And I know you know that, because you've been through what I've been through."

  "Maybe that's why we're so connected," he said, feeling a little of the same fear she'd just expressed. Alicia might be worried that he could hurt her, but he knew for sure that she could hurt him. He'd known her for less than a week, and yet he couldn't imagine a day without her in it. How the hell had that happened? How had they gotten so close so fast, and yet it wasn't even close enough?

  "Alicia?"

  "Yes?"

  "I want to make tonight about you."

  Gold flecks of desire filled her brown eyes. "I was thinking we make it about us." She kicked off her shoes and scooted back against the pillows. "Show me what you've got."

  "I intend to do just that."

  Twenty-One

  Alicia woke up to sun streaming through the windows. One of these nights, she was going to have to remember to pull the curtains before she lost her mind in Michael's arms.

  She glanced over at the man sleeping next to her, her heart filling with love and tenderness as she looked at his face. He had such strong features even in sleep, as if he instinctively tried to keep up his guard when he knew he would be vulnerable. But he'd let down his guard with her.

  Making love with him had been a soul-shattering experience. They'd come together three times, each one better than the last, each one showing her a different side of the man she was falling in love with. He was a man who could be intense and driven, but also lighthearted and playful, a man who could make her toes curl with every touch of his hands and taste of his mouth.

  She'd fallen hard. There was no point in pretending otherwise.

  She didn't know what came next, but she knew that she couldn't turn back the clock, couldn't pretend that she didn't love him.

  Love. Such a scary word, and she was definitely scared now, because the future was so uncertain.

  Michael's real life wasn't in Miami; it was in New York.

  And her life was in Miami—wasn't it?

  Although, she could live anywhere. She could do anything. As long as there was lightning, or maybe not. She smiled to herself, thinking that the electricity between her and Michael was as powerful as any lightning bolt she'd ever seen.

  "I can hear you thinking," Michael said, interrupting her thoughts.

  She rolled onto her side to face him, happy to see
his light blue eyes filled with the same happiness she felt. "That's my stomach."

  He grinned and brushed her hair off her face. "I heard that, too. I need to feed you."

  "You do. We worked up quite an appetite last night."

  "Why don't you order room service, and I'll grab a shower?"

  She wasn't sure she wanted him to leave the bed, but when her stomach growled again, she decided it was a good idea. "Okay."

  He sat up in bed. "Unless you want to join me in the shower."

  "Then we won't eat until lunch time."

  "Good point." He leaned over and kissed her. "There's always after breakfast."

  "And after lunch and after dinner," she said, as he took his beautiful naked body out of bed.

  He laughed. "I'm going to remind you that you said that."

  "Don't worry, I won't forget."

  After Michael went into the bathroom, she wrapped the sheet around her body and padded over to the table to grab the room service menu. She ordered eggs, hash browns, pancakes and threw in some bacon, because she was starving. She also ordered two glasses of orange juice and a pot of coffee.

  Then she walked over to the window and stared out at the street. Everything looked normal, but she couldn't help wondering if whoever had been following them was out there somewhere. And if he was, why was he just following them? Why not confront them or threaten them or something…

  Maybe it was the cops watching them, one of Detective Kellerman's contacts in the Corpus Christi Police Department, although that seemed ridiculous. If Kellerman had done his job right in the first place, he would have spent more time in Texas following Liliana's steps in the days before she went to Miami, instead of dismissing her life here with less than a cursory glance. But he'd been so fixated on Michael that he hadn't been able to see anyone else.

  She couldn't wait for the day when Michael's name would be completely cleared. She would do everything she could to make that happen.

  Michael came out of the bathroom, a towel hung low on his hips, his broad chest still glistening with water, his dark hair damp, his cheeks freshly shaved.