by Boone, Lisa
“What do you mean?”
Sarah slammed her brush onto the counter. Sighing heavily, she spun around and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I pay him, Madison. I pay him to follow me around.”
“What?” Madison asked a bit shrilly. She glanced over her shoulder, wondering if the guys were listening. She turned back to her sister and lowered her voice. “Why would you pay him to follow you around?”
“Ever since I was attacked, I’ve had this horrible fear that the guy who hurt me would come back and finish the job. When strange things started happening around the apartment, I got scared. I knew it wasn’t just some mistake or that I had mislaid something or forgotten to turn something off. I knew someone was doing it intentionally.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I did,” she said through gritted teeth. “But you thought I was going crazy.”
Madison immediately shook her head in denial. “That’s not true.”
“Yes it is. Every time I would mention it or those rare occasions when you noticed something strange, you’d ask me if I was feeling okay.” She took the towel off her head and let it drop to the floor. “It’s okay. There were times I was starting to wonder if I was crazy myself. I started having panic attacks whenever I went outside. I thought someone was watching me. I was convinced a few times that someone was following me, so one night as I was closing up, I decided to ask for help. Jamie was in the back booth. I knew he needed money and I felt safe with him so I paid him to follow me home.” She shrugged carelessly. “No big deal.”
“No big deal? You paid a convicted murderer to follow you around.”
Sarah looked at her sister in confusion. “Convicted murderer? Jamie’s not a murderer.” Her face paled. “He told me he went to prison for stealing. He said that someone framed him for stealing some money.”
“We’ve been checking him out all day. He’s a hired gun. Until he went to prison, he worked all over the country offering his services for whoever would pay him the most. According to Ethan’s sources, he came highly recommended until he got caught.”
Sarah’s brow furrowed. “No, that’s not…true. That can’t be true. He said they arrested him for stealing some money from his boss. He didn’t say anything about murder.”
“Sarah, he lied to you.”
Tears suddenly came to Sarah’s eyes. She turned back to her reflection.
“Does Jamie know where you are going tonight?” Madison asked softly.
Sarah closed her eyes for a second as she fought for control over her emotions. When she was calmer, she said, “He knows I was planning on going out of town but he doesn’t know where. I was going to text him the address before I left.”
“Please, don’t tell him where you’re going.”
Sarah pursed her lips together as she shook her head.
“Sarah, please.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she finally said. “I’m not leaving anyway. I’m going to stay here with you.”
Madison frowned. “I’d rather you didn’t. Come on, you have to go. You’re the maid of honor. Hannah’s expecting you.”
Sarah turned tear-filled eyes toward her sister. “I’m not leaving you. Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve. What if Alex shows up?”
“That’s exactly why I don’t want you around. I don’t want you to get hurt. You’re much safer with your friends than with me. Don’t disappoint Hannah. You two have been best friends since kindergarten.”
Sarah ran a finger under her eyes, brushing away her tears. “I’d be shocked if this wedding goes through. Hannah keeps threatening to call it off. If I’m with you, I can help protect you.”
“Sarah, right now, Ethan’s focused on just me. If you stay, he’d have to watch over both of us. His attention would be divided. If you want to help me, leave. Go to your friend’s place and send Jamie on a wild goose chase. Tell him you and I are taking a trip to…I don’t know. Nashville, or Las Vegas, or someplace else far away.”
“Jamie’s never tried to hurt me,” Sarah said softly.
“That you know of,” Madison said. “You still don’t know who broke your leg, remember?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
9:22 P.M.
Madison glanced at the clock above Ethan’s mantle place as she ended her call.
Ethan looked up from his laptop. “Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Sarah was just checking to make sure I was still alive and well. She and the other bridesmaids are staying up to wrap party favors. She also said that Casey scared Hannah’s father half to death.”
“Why?”
“Casey told him what’s going on, so Hannah’s dad put the entire house on lock down. Sarah says she feels like a prisoner.”
“Good. She’ll be safe.”
“Yeah, until she gets kicked out. Hannah’s not happy. Neither are the other girls. She says everyone’s jumping at shadows.”
“They needed to know to be aware. I’m hoping Alex is finished with your sister. He got his revenge against her in July, after all, but it won’t hurt to be extra cautious, especially since we don’t know what Jamie’s up to.”
“That’s what worries me.”
“Don’t let it. It could be just as Sarah said. He’s only interested in her because she’s paying him to watch her.” He glanced back up at her. “She didn’t tell him where she was, did she?”
“She swears she didn’t.” She glanced at the clock again and yawned. “I thought we decided that he couldn’t be Alex. He was locked up when Laura died.”
He steepled his fingers as he looked at her. “Maybe Todd was wrong. Maybe Alex didn’t kill Laura. We don’t really know. According to the information I’ve uncovered, he apparently lived with his mother until he was fifteen then he went to live with an aunt.”
“That sounds familiar.”
“Yeah, it does. The part that’s different though is that the aunt died and then her husband continued to raise him.”
“He’s the one that was connected with the mob?”
“And that’s how Jamie got into the business. He could still be Alex. Maybe Allison wouldn’t take him and another aunt did. Or it could be just as Sarah said. He’s on her payroll.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Not at the rate she’s paying. There is another possibility. Someone else could be paying him.”
“Like Alex?”
“Maybe. It’s possible. We know Yvette was helping him. Gina too. Why not Jamie?” He glanced back down at the computer screen. “His parole officer just emailed me.”
“Anything good?”
“Nothing new, except now I have a current phone number and address for Jamie,” he said reaching for his phone and entering the number into his phone.
“Good. Have you tracked down Gina yet?”
“Not yet.”
“I forgot to tell you, but I spoke to Becca while you were ordering dinner.”
“Oh?” he asked, turning his attention back to the computer screen.
“She was at the office finishing up some last minute plans for the party. Since she was there, I asked her to go through Jeremy Ladd’s file. I vaguely remember calling Gina a couple times when I was trying to get hold of Todd. It’s a long shot, but I’m hoping she can find her phone number or something that can help us trace her. Have you found out anything about Keith or Derek yet?”
He nodded. “A little bit. Nothing’s jumping out at me though.”
Her eyes travelled from the lit fireplace to the unlit Christmas tree next to it. “It seems like Christmas was so long ago.” She pressed a hand against her mouth as she yawned.
“Why don’t you go to bed and get some rest? I’ll let you know if I find anything important.”
“I don’t want to sleep,” she said softly. “I keep having nightmares.” Her gaze returned to the Christmas tree. “You know, I hate to think this past Christmas might be my last. It went by so fast. I didn’t even really get to enjoy it.”
�
�It’s not going to be your last Christmas.”
“You don’t know that,” she said running her hand down her leg.
Ethan walked around his desk and towards the Christmas tree. Climbing on all fours, he plugged the lights in. Blue, green, red, and orange colored lights buzzed to life.
“Why don’t you have any ribbon or ornaments on your tree?” she asked with a smile.
“I just like the lights,” he said climbing back to his feet. He walked to the bookshelf near his desk. A few seconds later, Bing Crosby began to sing from the speakers positioned throughout the room. “Cold?” he asked.
“Just a little bit.”
He flipped the switch on the wall, turning the fireplace on.
“Thank you,” Madison said as he sat down next to her.
Draping his arm across her shoulders, Ethan pulled her closer as he propped his feet on the coffee table.
She snuggled into his side and laid her head on his shoulder.
“This is nice,” he murmured into her hair.
“Very nice.” Her gaze travelled back to the bookshelves. Several framed photos were positioned on each shelf. Most were of exotic locations and ships, but there were a few older looking pictures of people. “Family?” she asked gesturing to a picture of a couple in bridal clothes. “Parents.” He nodded to a few other pictures of a handsome man in a naval uniform. “That’s my older brother.”
“Why did you leave the Navy?”
“I wanted to settle down. Come back home.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “You’re from Kentucky?”
“Born and raised.”
“Huh,” she said surprised by that admission. For some reason, she had been convinced he was from somewhere on the east coast. “Was your father in the Navy too? Did you move around a lot?”
“No, I didn’t leave here until I went to college.”
“Where?”
“Maryland. At the naval academy.”
Ah, that’s it, she thought settling back against his chest.
“My father was a private detective. He had been a police officer first but got out of that line of work and went the private route when I was just a kid.” He pointed to another picture where a man in a brown suit was kneeling next to a small boy in a Batman costume. “That’s us there on the top shelf.” He trailed his fingers down her hair. “After I left the Navy, I came back here and tried to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I saw that picture of us and I remembered that when I was little, all I wanted to do was be like him.”
“So you became a private detective.”
“Yeah, well, my other choice was Batman. One or the other. Frankly, I could have gone either way.”
She grinned as she ran her hand over his chest. “I think Batman would have been a good choice.”
“I probably don’t have enough money to live that kind of a lifestyle anyway.”
“Pity.”
“Truth be told, this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I like setting my own hours.”
“Must be nice.”
“It is. I can come and go as I like. Take the cases I want. Basically, do as I please.”
“I would love that. Sometimes, I think I’d like to open up my own practice.”
“Why don’t you?”
“I make a lot of money where I work and it’s nice having someone else worry about overhead. I probably will someday. My oldest sister keeps talking about moving to Lexington and opening up our own firm.”
“She’s an attorney, too?”
She nodded against his chest. “I think that’s why I became one. Ashton sort of paved the way. Our parents died when I was about fifteen.”
“How?”
“Car accident. Ashton was in law school at the time. She sort of raised us all.”
“How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
“There are six of us in all. Sarah’s the baby and Ashton’s the oldest.” She glanced at the Christmas tree. “I wish I had gotten to see everyone this Christmas.” She didn’t add, just in case. She didn’t need to. She felt Ethan’s arms tighten around her.
“You’re going to have plenty more Christmases to come.”
“I know,” she said softly without argument. It was a sweet lie. What good could come from challenging it? “It’s still scary.”
He tipped her head back with his fingertips. “I think you should forget about all this for a while. Get some rest. I’ll be right here all night long.”
“On the couch?” At his nod, she said, “I kind of got used to you sleeping next to me.”
He pushed back a strand of her hair. “So did I, but I think that might not be a good idea tonight.”
“Why not?”
“Because I love you and I don’t want you to do something you might regret later. When this is over—”
She pressed her fingers to his mouth. She silently shook her head. “I love you too and I can’t imagine regretting anything I’d do with you. Take me to bed, Ethan. Make love to me.”
He stood up without warning before turning around and picking her up into his arms. He kissed her, never breaking contact as he carried her into his room and laid her on the bed.
Madison clung to him tightly as they kissed one another, forgetting for a moment about Alex and that New Year’s was just around the corner. She tore at the buttons on his shirt, desperate to feel his skin, only stopping when Ethan stilled and pulled away from her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked breathlessly.
He sat up with a concerned look across his face. “I thought I heard something.”
They both swung their attention toward the living room as a timid knock sounded against the front door.
Madison quickly straightened her sweater as Ethan jumped to his feet.
He reached for his gun holster, which had dropped on the floor in her haste to get his clothes off, and pulled out his gun.
“What are you—”
He held a finger to his lips. Whispering, he said, “Stay in here and lock the bedroom door. If you hear anything, call the police and then use the fire escape to get out of here.”
She followed Ethan to the bedroom door and then watched as he advanced to the door, his gun behind his back.
She waited, her heart thumping in her chest, as Ethan pressed his eye to the peephole, only relaxing when she noticed Ethan’s shoulders slump.
He entered the security code, unlocked the door, and opened it. Two young teen girls and an eight-year-old boy stood on the other side of the door.
The tallest girl gestured toward the end of the hall as she spoke softly to Ethan. Madison opened the bedroom door all the way and leaned against the doorframe, as the girls giggled and smiled shyly up at Ethan.
After a few moments, Ethan nodded and closed the door.
“What’s going on?” Madison asked as he walked back toward her.
He turned and opened the hallway closet door. Pulling down a metal case from the top shelf, he said, “That was Sydney, her brother, Max, and Sydney’s best friend. She and Max live next door. Their mom’s working late tonight and they think they heard someone moving around in their mom’s bedroom.”
“Creepy.”
“Sydney and her friend are fourteen years old,” he said, unlocking the case and pulling a gun out. “I bet they’ve been watching scary movies and the little boy is having a bit of fun. He had that look about him.”
She smiled. “So, what are you going to do?”
“Check out the bedroom,” he said loading the gun. “It’ll take me five minutes.” He reached into the closet and pulled out a jacket before pressing the gun into her hand.
“What’s this for?”
“Just in case. The security code is 5993. Lock the door behind me, set the alarm, and if anyone besides me tries to get in here…” he said pointing to the front door, “kill them.” He kissed her forehead before opening the door and shutting it behind him.
She put th
e locks into place, set the alarm, and waited by the door as the minutes ticked by.
A soft ringing caught her attention.
She glanced toward her purse lying on the bar.
With a sense of dread, she rummaged through the bag until she found her cell phone.
Becca’s name flashed across the screen.
Madison brought the phone up to her ear. “Hey, Becca.”
“I’ve got some good news for you,” Becca said.
“You found Gina’s number?”
“I sure did. Have I told you that your writing is atrocious?”
“Not since Wednesday.” Madison lifted a hand to her head. “I knew her number was somewhere in that file. I could see myself writing her number down on a blue piece of paper.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get it from your file. Gina Gallagher was in our system.”
“What do you mean?”
“Keith had a client consultation with her two weeks ago.”
“What? Why?”
“According to the file, Keith met her at Ethan’s office.”
Madison frowned. “Ethan’s office?”
“Yeah, he must have referred her to Keith. According to Keith’s notes, she suspected her husband was cheating on her.”
“She’s married? She was single when I knew her. Did she give him her married name or her maiden name?”
“Just says Gallagher here. She must have kept her maiden name.”
“What else does it say?”
“She told Keith that her husband was abusive and that she wanted to get away from him. There’s not much more to tell. They met once on that day. A file was created and he never saw her again.”
Madison frowned deepened. “Ethan didn’t mention meeting her.”
“Maybe he forgot.”
“He wouldn’t forget.”
“Then maybe she didn’t get around to giving her name. You know how aggressive Keith can be. He probably swooped in and dragged her away from Ethan before she had a chance to sit down.”
Madison heard a door slam and someone honking a horn in the distance.
“Oh,” Becca said a bit breathlessly, “my ride’s here. I’ve got to go.”
“Wait, you forgot to give me Gina’s number.”
“Oh right. Sorry. What did I do…Look, I’ll text it to you in a few minutes. See you tomorrow.”
