Key Witness

by Christy Barritt

  “I like that, Elle. Why don’t you do it?”

  She shrugged. “I might.” She touched her bare neck again. “I promised my grandmother I wouldn’t let my fears hold me back. I promised her I wouldn’t put everyone else’s hopes for me above my own desires.”

  “You have a problem with doing that?”

  “I like being a problem solver, a peacemaker.” She shrugged. “I like fixing things.”

  They pulled up to the estate. The guard house was empty, as it always was at this hour. But it just didn’t seem right not to have Jimmy there anymore. Elle had spoken with his family just a couple days ago to see how they were doing. Hanging in. What else could they say? She wanted to stop by and visit, but she didn’t think it would be wise. Not when trouble seemed to be following her.

  Denton parked outside the garage and they walked to a side door. Now that Elle was back home, she’d enjoy a long, hot bath. She’d scrub away the evidence of the devastation of the evening.

  And tomorrow, she’d somehow try to pick up the pieces of her life.

  TEN

  Elle had tossed and turned all night. She couldn’t escape the images of the tragedy that had occurred at the gala. She couldn’t stop picturing her mom. She couldn’t stop considering the possibilities of how much worse things could have turned out. The fear gripping her heart and mind seemed to be squeezing harder and harder with each passing moment.

  Finally, just as the sun began to crack the horizon, she’d thrown her legs off the bed and hurried through her morning routine. When she picked out her outfit and added a splash of her favorite perfume, she told herself her choices had nothing to do with Denton. Yet in between the horrid images that haunted her came moments when her heart warmed. Those were the times when she thought about Denton, about his smile, about the security she felt when he was around.

  She had to get a grip on her emotions. Denton was not the type of man she could afford to fall for. Her heart could only be broken so many times before the damage became irreparable. Maybe she was already there. Maybe the men in her life had already ruined her chances for ever falling in love. That’s what she had to think, at least, if she wanted to keep her sanity.

  Arm’s length, she reminded herself, staring at her image in the mirror. That’s where she needed to keep Denton.

  She successfully avoided him downstairs as she grabbed her breakfast and escaped into her office. She tried to look busy—too busy to talk—for most of the morning. And she was busy. Supporters were calling, inquiring about what happened last night. The press was calling. Volunteers were calling, everyone concerned about her mother and the future of her father’s campaign.

  Elle’s mom had come home from the hospital this morning with a broken leg, a bruised rib and several minor lacerations. It could have been much worse. But it was still hard to see her mom in her injured state. She’d requested a day alone to rest and insisted that her assistant could help her with any needs in the meantime. Elle’s father had a meeting in D.C. that he said he couldn’t get out of, so he’d headed up this morning and Elle tried to do what she did best—make peace.

  She lifted a stack of papers from her desk. Where had Brianna put her notes from last week’s meeting? Her friend had requested the day off. She had to get a few things settled with Alex, her soon-to-be ex-husband. Elle tried to get Brianna on the phone one more time but got her voice mail instead. It wasn’t like her not to answer her phone. Maybe she was in the shower or blow-drying her hair—doing something where she couldn’t hear her Android’s Latin-inspired ring tone.

  She looked up as Denton stepped into her makeshift office. Her breath caught in her throat—again. She had to somehow will her body to stop reacting every time she saw the man.

  He paused in the doorway, his hair still glistening as if he’d just gotten out of the shower. “Morning.”

  Elle returned the phone to its base and leaned back, reminding herself to remain businesslike and casual...and to ignore her growing attraction for her bodyguard. “Morning to you, too, Denton.”

  “Listen, I need to use some of the databases at Eyes’s headquarters, as well as check on some things there. I thought you might want to come. You know, get out of this house for a while.”

  Get out of the house? Away from the craziness of the always-ringing phone, away from memories of what could have been? Arm’s length, she reminded herself. Still, she heard herself say, “I’d love to.”

  He tossed her something. “I hoped you might say that. Put these on.”

  Elle held up the baseball cap and aviator sunglasses. “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. We don’t want to make it too easy for these guys.”

  Elle pulled her ponytail through the back of the hat and slipped on the glasses.

  Denton smiled. “That’s a nice look on you.” His smile slipped. “I’ll meet you at the inside entrance to the garage in five minutes. Is that enough time?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Ten minutes later, they were cruising down the road. Elle leaned back into the seat, trying to push aside any of the fears that threatened to rear up.

  “How’d you meet your wife, Denton?”

  “I was at one of the military air shows over at NAS Oceana. She was there with some friends. I saw her and thought she was beautiful. She had a laugh that was contagious and was just so full of joy.”

  “Let me guess. You walked up to her and got her phone number?”

  He chuckled and ran his hand over his mouth. “Not quite. I actually spilled my drink on her.”

  “On purpose?”

  He glanced over at her, a smile playing on his lips as he shook his head. “Of course not on purpose. You think that’s how I would try to impress a woman I’m attracted to?”

  Elle smiled. This story was not showing the smooth Denton she’d pictured. “I guess not.”

  “Yeah, so I accidentally spilled my drink on her, and I felt terrible about it, of course. I offered to buy her a new shirt, one from the air show. We ended up walking around together and talking afterward. And that was it. We were inseparable after that.”

  “Your eyes light up when you talk about her, you know.”

  He glanced over. “You would have liked her, Elle. She was a good person. Honest, kind, sweet, fun.”

  “I can’t imagine losing a spouse. I’m sorry.” And she couldn’t. How heartbreaking would that be, especially at such a young age?

  “The first few months after she died, I would see glimpses of her everywhere. Not actual glimpses or hallucinations. But I’d see the ice cream shop where she loved to get a cone of pistachio cream. Or I’d see an advertisement for a movie featuring her favorite actress. I’d pass the park where I proposed to her. My grief felt fresh again.”

  Elle’s throat burned as she imagined what it would be like to be in his shoes. Devastated. “Has it gotten easier?”

  He stared into space for a moment before nodding. “It has. I still miss her. I still miss the life that I thought we were going to have together. But I’ve accepted what happened. I’ve come to terms with the assurance that she’s in a better place. And I know that she’d have wanted me to move on. So that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to embrace life.”

  “Embrace life, huh? I like that.”

  “She used to always say that unless you’re living with purpose, you’re not living at all.”

  “Sounds like she was a smart lady.”

  “She was.” Denton glanced over. “Thanks for listening, Elle.”

  “Thanks for sharing.”

  He looked at Elle again before focusing on the road. “Now is it my turn to ask you a few questions?”

  After what he’d shared, how could she say no? “Ask away.”

  “What exactly was the promise you made your grandmother?�
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  Of course Denton would cut right to the chase. Elle closed her eyes a moment as the memories absorbed her. “I promised her that I wouldn’t be afraid of failing, that I wouldn’t let my fears hold me back or be paralyzed by my weaknesses.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She looked down at her hands. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m a perfectionist. If I can’t do things without a flaw, then I don’t do them. It was the reason I never tried to play sports. I knew I’d be so worried about making mistakes that I’d be no good. Instead, I focused on what I knew I was good at.”

  “Sounds wise.”

  She shrugged. “In a way, yes. But my grandmother didn’t want my fears to hold me back from doing something I really desired.”

  “You competed in a beauty pageant. You couldn’t be sure you’d win. And how about Yale? There were no guarantees.”

  “It’s true, but I knew the odds were in my favor. The truth is that I like staying inside my safe little box. I hate messing up. And I really hate it when others know that I’ve messed up.”

  “So you promised your grandmother you’d try something you’re afraid of. What’s that going to be?”

  She shrugged again. “I’m not sure. Maybe when this campaign is over, I’ll do some work for a nonprofit. Maybe I’ll join the softball team for Parks and Recreation or try singing karaoke for the first time in my life. I don’t know.”

  “Failure can build character, you know.”

  “You don’t seem like the type who’s ever failed at anything.”

  “I fail almost every time I go in the kitchen and try to cook something.”

  Elle’s chuckle faded. “Yeah, but how about big things?”

  His smile vanished. “I saved entire villages in Afghanistan from being overtaken by the enemy. I’ve probably saved the lives of hundreds of people. I don’t say that to brag—it’s simply the truth. But the one person who was most important to me, I couldn’t save.”

  Elle softened her voice. “It’s hard to save someone from cancer. All the brains and the brawn in the world don’t help. Not really.”

  “It didn’t stop me from feeling like a failure. I felt helpless.” He glanced at her, his face softening some. “But God’s brought me through that desert.”

  Some strange emotional reaction started in her gut and worked itself up to her throat. A fluttering or ache or electricity. A combination of all three? She wasn’t sure. She only knew that more than anything she wanted to grab Denton’s hand, to pull him into her arms and try to soothe his loss. Instead, she said, “You’re a lot more honest and vulnerable than I expected. I appreciate and admire that, Denton.”

  “Not with the guys I work with. They’d never let it go if I told them those things.”

  “Sounds like a guy thing.” Macho. Tough. Strong. Admitting your weaknesses always made a person sound the toughest, though.

  “Speaking of which.” He pulled to a stop in front of a massive iron gate with a guard station. Two security officers checked the vehicle before they were allowed to pass through.

  Elle leaned forward so she could soak in the paramilitary compound around her. “This is where you work?”

  “It’s my home sweet home away from home. The headquarters of Iron, Inc.”

  “Impressive.” And it was. The grounds were lush and green. A large lodgelike building stood in the distance. A group of men in uniform ran in even formation to her left and a rippling lake sat to the right.

  “You think the grounds are impressive, you should meet the people who work here.”

  “Well, I’ve already met you, haven’t I?”

  “Are you trying to make me blush, Ms. Philips?”

  “It would be nice if the tables were turned for once.”

  He chuckled and pulled into a parking space. “You’re safe here. Maybe you can finally relax—really relax—for a couple hours, at least.”

  “I’ll take whatever I can get.”

  He nodded toward the front door. “Come on inside, then.”

  Elle stepped through the front doors and marveled at the design of the building. A two-story foyer with fireplaces on each side, lush leather couches and warm rugs.

  “No wonder you like it here. It looks like a five-star resort.”

  “We try to make it as comfortable as possible.” A new voice cut through the air.

  Elle turned toward the sound. A tall man with a square face and imposing demeanor walked down the steps. He extended his hand, a welcoming smile on his face. “Jack Sergeant.”

  “Elle Philips.”

  “Jack!” Denton and Jack exchanged a hearty handshake. “I didn’t think you were back yet.”

  Jack grinned, his hands going to his hips like an army general surveying his troops. “Just got in last night.”

  “And where’s your better half?”

  Jack must be Denton’s boss, the man who was on his honeymoon, Elle realized.

  “Rachel will be down in a minute.”

  Denton turned toward her. “Jack is CEO of Eyes. He founded the company several years ago.”

  “And brought along the best men with me. Men like Denton.”

  “Everyone’s just trying to make me blush today.”

  Denton seemed way too masculine to actually blush. But his sense of humor made him less intimidating and more approachable.

  Why did he have to be so approachable?

  Elle frowned. She was really going to have to keep up her guard around Denton in order to keep her heart safe.

  Arm’s length. Why was arm’s length getting harder and harder?

  * * *

  Denton left Elle in Rachel’s capable hands so he could go up to his office and do some research. He’d been able to get the video feeds from the gala last night, but he needed better equipment in order to blow up the frames.

  The deeper he got into this case, the less sense it made.

  The fire inspector said his preliminary findings showed that a pipe bomb had been left in a janitor’s closet. Denton’s men had inspected that closet earlier, however. The bomb hadn’t been there. So just how had someone managed to get through security with it?

  He pulled up the video feed on his computer and watched the people on the screen. His feeling last night had been that something was off. Would these tapes help him to discover what?

  He smiled when he saw he and Elle enter the ballroom. She’d looked gorgeous. Of course, she always looked gorgeous. But she’d had a special glow about her that night. At least, she had until her run-in with Preston.

  Brianna had told him before the ball that Preston had proposed to Elle there last year. He couldn’t believe the man had the nerve to show up and announce he was engaged again. Some people...

  Denton squinted at an image on the screen. That’s what was off.

  He zoomed in on a picture. All of the security guards wore the same uniform. But one of them wore a shirt without pockets on the front. He printed the image. He had a feeling this was the man they were looking for.

  Now he needed to figure out if Elle recognized him.

  * * *

  Elle paused from her conversation with Rachel and smiled as she watched the woman’s six-year-old son battling with two plastic superhero toys. The three of them had spent the past couple hours getting to know each other in the living room of Rachel’s home, a nice house situated at Eyes’s headquarters.

  Rachel, a stunning brunette who ran her own nonprofit to encourage members of the military, took a sip of her coffee and leaned back into the couch. “I’m sorry to hear about everything you’re going through. I know it may not seem like it, but things will get better. You’re in good hands with Denton.”

  Elle leaned back into her seat also, just for a moment feeling normal and relax
ed—something she hadn’t felt in nearly a week. “You sound like you speak from experience.”

  Rachel tucked her legs under her and shrugged, glancing once more at her son as he played on the rug. “I probably wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for Jack and Denton. Believe me, I’d tell you the whole story but you probably wouldn’t believe me. It was crazy—and terrifying. But here I am, alive and in love. Things have a way of working out for the best.”

  Elle traced the top of her coffee mug with her finger. “That’s a good reminder because sometimes it doesn’t feel like anything is going to work out.”

  A knock sounded at the door, and Denton stepped into the room. “How’s it going, ladies?”

  Elle sat up straighter at the sight of him. “Great. Rachel was just giving me some pointers on starting a nonprofit.”

  Rachel flashed a grin and set her coffee cup on the end table. “Elle has some really great ideas. I hope she’s able to pursue them.”

  Denton sat down beside her, and Elle was instantly aware of his close proximity. His familiar cologne simultaneously soothed and electrified her. His leg grazed hers in a way that she was all too aware of. She knew what all of the signs meant. They meant that she was way too attracted to Denton for her own good. She tried to tamp down her feelings to no avail.

  He held out a grainy black-and-white photo in front of her. “Do you recognize this man?”

  Elle took the picture and studied it. Had she ever seen this man? Her first instinct was no. She looked closer. “He doesn’t look familiar. Is this the man who planted the bomb? Is he a police officer?”

  Denton shook his head. “No, he was dressed as a security guard, but his uniform is slightly different than the others. I feel pretty confident that he’s our guy. Now we just have to figure out who he is.”

  “How are you going to do that?”

  “We’ll run the photo through some databases and see if there are any matches.”

  “Maybe this is the evidence we need to put these guys behind bars.”