Key Witness

by Christy Barritt

  “Remember—your safety is more important than your father being reelected.”

  “I know.” She looked off in the distance. Denton wanted to do something—anything—to help wipe away her worries. But there was nothing he could do except offer his protection...and pray.

  He’d be doing a lot of praying until these guys were behind bars.

  * * *

  Even in the midst of cardboard alphabet letters, multiplication tables and twenty-five giggling second-graders, Denton stayed glued to Elle’s side. No, an elementary school wasn’t the most likely place for someone to come after Elle. But Denton couldn’t be too careful.

  Senator Philips sat at the front of the classroom, reading a book to the eager students seated in a semicircle around him. Elle stood at the back of the room with the rest of her father’s handlers. Her gaze fluttered between her BlackBerry and her father.

  Denton had encouraged her to stay home and to lay low, but Elle wanted nothing to do with that. The police had found no clues, come up with no answers. Nothing was known except that an innocent man’s life had been taken.

  Jimmy had been shot by a Glock, right through the skull. The rest of the perimeter was clear. But someone had obviously been trying to send a message—a deadly message. They’d gotten to Jimmy. Denton would make sure they didn’t get to Elle.

  “‘The end.’” Senator Philips closed the book and grinned at the children around him. A newspaper photographer snapped a picture, capturing the moment. Great publicity shot, which Denton was sure was exactly what Elle hoped for.

  Elle tucked her phone back into her purse. “I think we’re all done here. My dad has some meetings he needs to attend for the rest of the afternoon.”

  “So what else is on your schedule?” They began walking with the entourage down the hallway. A menagerie of black SUVs waited out front. Denton made sure that one of his best men would be driving the one Elle rode in. He wouldn’t take any chances. The stakes were too high, the threats too ominous.

  “I’ve got to answer some emails.” She glanced up at him and, just for a moment, Denton thought he saw a glimpse of vulnerability. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished. “Other than that, I’m not sure. I just need to keep myself occupied.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because if I don’t, my anxiety might get the best of me.”

  She wasn’t too proud to admit her fears or weakness. That was a good sign. That vulnerability reminded him a bit of Wendi, though she hadn’t let very many people see that side of herself. It had been a privilege reserved for those closest to her and seeing it had always had a way of making Denton feel special.

  His heart panged as he remembered her bright smile, a smile that had been dimmed by too much chemo and radiation and pain. He missed that grin. No, there would never be anyone else like Wendi. That’s probably why he’d contented himself simply to casually date women who he saw no future with. It seemed safer that way.

  He stopped by the front doors and waited for Senator Philips to finish shaking hands with the principal. His slick-soled shoes clacked against the floor as he headed toward them.

  “Elle, don’t forget. You need to listen to Denton.”

  Elle’s lip pulled down in a frown. “He’s my bodyguard, not my babysitter, Dad.”

  “I know. But I know how stubborn you are. This is no time to try and prove yourself. Lay low.”

  She offered a curt nod. “I will.”

  Senator Philip’s gaze fell on Denton. “Keep an eye on her.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He motioned to the three others with him to follow him outside. Denton saw the red on Elle’s cheeks, could tell she didn’t like being addressed like a child—probably ever, but definitely not in public. Her father probably had good intentions, just poor delivery. He took her arm. “You ready?”

  She nodded, and they stepped into the crisp outdoors. A chilly autumn wind swept against the stoop and ruffled their hair. His gaze surveyed the landscape. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Still, he kept a brisk pace as he led Elle to the SUV and secured her inside, then he joined her.

  The driver pulled away. “Where to?”

  “Back to your parents’?” Denton asked.

  Elle clicked her seat belt in place. “I really need to swing by my place and pick up a few things. Especially since everyone insists that I can’t stay there right now.”

  “Your parents’ house is safer,” Denton stated.

  Lines tightened at her eyes. “Of course.”

  “Just give me your address and we’ll go there.”

  She identified the street before looking out the window, a certain melancholy seeming to fall over her.

  “Elle?”

  She glanced at Denton, the sparkle gone from her gaze. “Yes?”

  “I’m not going to tell you what to do.”

  Her eyelids fluttered down a moment, some of the hard shell she tried to put on disappearing when she looked back up. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, my job is to protect you. But you’re a grown woman. I’ll respect your decisions—unless I see a bullet flying through the air.”

  She stared at him a moment before answering. “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  Fifteen minutes later they pulled up to a modest condo located on a golf course in Virginia Beach.

  “Stay in the car while I check things out. Please.”

  Elle nodded, and he slipped out. He used Elle’s key to unlock the door and slip inside. He was surprised at her soft and feminine decorations. She always came across as so professional, but her home showed a different side of her. He’d pay attention to that later, though. Right now, he needed to check everything out and make sure it was safe.

  Once he’d swept the area, he went back to the car for Elle. She stepped inside and deposited her purse on the honey-colored dinette. Her eyes scanned the place with obvious unease.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Something feels different.” She stepped toward her living room, her brows furrowed.

  “What?”

  “I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. You know, that instinct that something has been moved.” She whirled around to him. “Did you move anything?”

  He shook his head. “Not a thing.”

  “I’ll put my finger on it eventually.”

  “Let’s get your things and get out of here.” He nodded toward the door, not liking the implications of what Elle said. What if someone had been in her condo, not to harm her but to take something—or plant something? Why would someone do that?

  “I’m not going to argue with you there.” She disappeared into her bedroom.

  Denton lingered in the doorway, close enough to keep an eye on her, but distant enough for privacy. His gaze wandered the wall of pictures beside him. Elle with her parents. Elle with some girlfriends. An older picture of Elle with another girl when they were probably fourteen or fifteen years old. No pictures of Elle with any men, which seemed to confirm his initial impression that she was single. Not that it mattered to him. He wasn’t looking for a serious relationship—any relationship, for that matter. Despite that, his heart still lifted slightly at the realization.

  Elle charged from her room, walking toward the living room like a woman on a mission. “I think I know what’s different.”

  Denton followed at a close clip behind her. She stopped at an end table and picked up a picture frame holding a snapshot of her and the senator. With a shaky finger, she pointed at it. “This is my frame but that’s not my picture.” She scrambled to remove the backing.

  Denton put his hand over hers. “Let me.” He didn’t know what might wait beneath that picture. It could be an airborne disease, for all he knew. Or it could be nothing.

  Carefully, he slipped off
the back of the frame. His heart raced as he waited to see what waited underneath. He blinked. Nothing. Except a picture of Elle hugging her father.

  “Where’d my picture go? Why would someone take it?”

  “What was the picture of?”

  “My sister.”

  “Your sister?”

  Elle wiped the corner of her eye, obviously trying to conceal the fact that she was crying. “She’s been dead for six years.”

  “I’m sorry, Elle.”

  “It was my favorite picture.”

  “Do you parents have another copy?”

  She wiped her eyes again before wrapping her arms over her chest. “Probably. I’ll ask them.”

  “Where did someone get this snapshot?”

  She shrugged. “Anywhere. It’s on my dad’s official campaign website.”

  “Of course,” he muttered. “You have a paper bag?”

  “Under the microwave.”

  He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a lunch-sized bag to slip the frame into. “I’m going to have this tested for fingerprints. I’m pretty sure they didn’t leave any, but I want to make sure.”

  She pulled in a deep breath, her face pale and her voice on the edge of fragile. “This feels like... I don’t understand why someone would do this.”

  He resisted the urge to touch her, to try and comfort her. It wasn’t his place. But he hated to see her struggling as she was. He stuffed his free hand into his pocket instead. “You witnessed a horrific crime. Sometimes people are just sick. They want someone to pay for what happened. They’re playing a game, basically.”

  She swallowed and nodded. “Let me finish getting my stuff and let’s get out of here.”

  He slid the frame inside the bag. His instincts were ramped. Someone had stepped up the game. Whatever it was they wanted, Denton had a feeling they were sick and twisted enough to not let anything stand in their way.

  FIVE

  Elle’s thoughts were getting the best of her as she stared out the car window. What a whirlwind. More like a nightmare. How had her life gone from orderly to chaotic?

  Joshua 1:3-9 ran through her mind.

  “I promise you what I promised Moses: Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you.... No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.”

  The verse had been her grandmother’s favorite, one that she quoted to Elle over and over. I will not fail you or abandon you. Certainly God wouldn’t let her down now, even if it sometimes felt like that when she relied on her feeble, human understanding of circumstances.

  “How about we go grab a bite to eat?”

  Denton’s voice cut into her thoughts, and she sat up straighter. “I’d love to.”

  “One caveat. I get to pick the place.”

  “It’s a deal.”

  She looked a moment at the passing landscape. Though they lived in Virginia Beach, they were far from the hustle and bustle of the area’s more urban sections. Out here, there were acres and acres of fence-lined lawns, complete with horses and plenty of trees. It was a great place to live...most of the time.

  “I know that picture meant a lot to you, Elle. What happened to your sister?”

  She cleared her throat. “She was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded a ransom. We were advised not to pay it. A week later, the police found my sister’s body.”

  “I’m sorry, Elle. Did they ever catch who did it?”

  She nodded. “A few weeks later they caught a break. One of the hairs found on her matched someone they had in the system. He claimed his innocence, but the evidence said otherwise.”

  “At least he’s behind bars now.”

  “My dad used to be a judge. You probably know that, though. Anyway, he made quite a few people mad. He always seems to be a target. Even before he was a judge, he was a lawyer and he defended some pretty shady characters at times. I guess we should be used to this life.”

  “No one wants to get used to being a target. No one should have to, especially you. You didn’t sign up for a life in politics. You were born into it.”

  “I choose to work for my father. My sister—Emily—she didn’t choose any of this. She was barely a teenager. She’d just finished dance class when a man pulled up outside and told her our dad had sent him to pick her up. People told us that she tried to step back, to get away, but the man grabbed her and pulled her into his car.”

  “It must have been awful for your family.”

  “Beyond awful. My mom still goes to counseling for it. And my dad...he just works. All the time.”

  “And you?”

  She swung her head up. “Me? I guess I’m like my dad. I stay busy. I worry about Mom.” She touched the necklace at her throat. The emblem there seemed to burn into her skin.

  A few minutes later, they pulled into the gravel parking lot beside an old building with a hand-painted sign that read Fred’s Seafood. Elle had seen the place before, but never bothered to try it. She stared for a moment at the peeling paint on the building’s exterior and the flashing sign in the window letting everyone who passed know they were open.

  Denton seemed to sense her hesitation. “It’s great. I promise. Don’t let the outside fool you.”

  The driver pulled to a stop by the front door, and Denton helped her out of the SUV. Staying close—close enough that she could smell his citrusy aftershave—he ushered her inside the dimly lit establishment. A few people called out hellos as they stepped onto the stained linoleum floor.

  One of those places where everyone knew your name, Elle thought. The notion seemed foreign, yet welcome. Denton pointed to a booth in the corner and an older gentleman only visible through the service window into the kitchen nodded approval. Denton slid across the ripped upholstery, sitting where he could face the door.

  Elle sat down across from him, resisting the urge to wipe her finger over the table to make sure it was clean. It wasn’t that she was a snob. She just liked the familiar places where she knew what to expect, perhaps more than she should. Still, trying new things was good for the soul. She needed to get out of her comfort zone more often.

  She glanced around the place and released the breath she held. The building and furniture may be old, but the place itself had more of a homey feel to it than she’d originally expected. The other patrons seemed to mind their own business, and a mix of murmured conversations and clattering silverware filled the air. Elle looked back at Denton, who appeared to be watching her as the edge of his lip tugged upward. She ignored his amusement. “You come here a lot?”

  He rested an arm on the table and grabbed a menu to hand her. “Every week if I can.”

  She grasped the laminated piece of paper and paused. “Really?”

  He grinned, way too handsome for Elle to feel comfortable. “Our headquarters isn’t too far from here so it’s a favorite with all the guys at work. I know it looks like a dive, but they catch the seafood fresh every day and the menu is never the same because of it.” He leaned closer. “Not your kind of place, I take it?”

  Her gaze scanned today’s selections before locking on Denton. “I’m really not as much of a snob as you might think, Mr. Denton.”

  He tilted his head. “Mr. Denton? You’re making me feel old. And for the record, I don’t think you’re a snob at all. You seem like a five-star-restaurant kind of girl, though.”

  “The truth is that I love a good cheeseburger every once in a while. Not the expensive kind, either. The kind you get at a drive-through. You’ll have to excuse me if I seem antsy. I’m just on edge.”

  His grin slipped. “Understandable.”

  “Isn’t your driver coming in?”

  “He’s a bit of a health-food nut, so he alwa
ys brings his own lunch. I think he’s catching up on emails while we eat in here.”

  Denton’s eyes roamed the room. Even though he looked relaxed, he was obviously still on guard. Good. Elle appreciated being with someone competent who took his job seriously, especially when her life was on the line.

  A twenty-something waitress came and smiled widely at Denton, fluttering her eyelashes. “Hey, Mark. Good to see you in here again. It’s been a few days. I was getting worried that you’d forgotten about us.”

  “Nah, just been busy. You know you guys are the best-kept secret in this area. How could I forget about that?”

  She giggled. “We’ve got a seafood platter today that I think you’re going to love.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  The waitress turned to Elle and her smile slipped some. “How about for you?”

  “Catch of the day. Broiled. Salad on the side with no croutons.”

  As soon as the waitress stepped away, Elle raised an eyebrow at Denton. “Now I know why you really come here.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “It’s not like that.”

  Elle wasn’t so sure about that. He was good-looking, charismatic and had a smile that could win over anyone. He probably left a long line of broken hearts wherever he went.

  It was a good thing Mark Denton wasn’t her type.

  Okay, he was totally her type, but what she wanted and needed were two different things. They had to be, for the sake of her emotional well-being.

  She laced her hands together on the table and locked her gaze with Denton. “So, you know a lot about me now. How about you? How long have you worked for Eyes?”

  “Four years.” He leaned back, an arm casually draped across the top of the booth. “I met the company’s founder when we were both SEALs. I went on to work for the CIA. When Jack decided to open his own paramilitary operation, he asked me to join his efforts. I did, and, as they say, the rest is history.”

  “Sounds like quite the operation you guys have going.”