by Sharon Dunn
She glanced over at Jason. “You’re not coming with me?”
“I’ve got a call to make.” He didn’t quite make eye contact. “You’ll be fine.”
Officer Nelson led her to a desk where he opened up a laptop computer. “So you were a witness to a crime and Jason is helping you?” He clicked several keys until a police photo of a man came up on the screen.
“Something like that.”
He bent to reach the keyboard. “Just click here to see the next photo.” Officer Nelson squeezed her shoulder. “Holler if you have any trouble.”
She filed through half a dozen photographs, studying each one. A picture of her old boyfriend Nick Solomon flashed on the screen. Her cheeks flushed as shame rose to the surface. She glanced around the police station, feeling as if everyone else would know she had once been connected with this petty thief.
Even in the police photo, Nick offered the camera his crooked smile and big brown eyes. She’d been so naive back then.
Her eyes came to rest on Jason, who was talking on an office phone. When he saw her staring, he turned away. The old quiver of suspicion and distrust returned. She wanted to believe he was a good guy. Everything he’d done and said so far backed that up. His kindness in offering to stay with her warmed her heart. But the look he gave her seemed filled with suspicion.
She stared at the photo of Nick again. What she didn’t trust was her own judgment of character with men. She had such a lousy track record.
Officer Nelson walked by her, holding a stack of file folders. “Is everything going okay?”
“So far I haven’t seen either of the men.” She was still on edge from the phone call. Seeing Nick in all his criminal glory hadn’t helped. “Actually, I need a minute to freshen up and clear my head. Where’s your bathroom?”
“You’ll have to use the one downstairs at the end of the hall. The one on this floor is part of a construction zone.”
Isabel pushed her chair back. She stared through the window at Jason, who was still on the phone. He looked at her. Something in his expression had changed. He looked...pensive?
She hurried down the hallway past scaffolding, toolboxes and cans of paint. But no workers. They must be on a break. The downstairs was quiet. The signs on the doors indicated the rooms were used mostly for storage of records and evidence.
She slipped into the bathroom and splashed water on her face, then stared at herself in the mirror. She looked frazzled, had dark circles under her eyes.
Come on, Izzy. Pull it together.
She bent her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “If God is for me, who can be against me?”
The door to the bathroom swung open. Before she had time to see who it was, a hand grabbed her hair and a knife was at her throat.
“You have something I want.”
She shook her head, then tried to turn toward the mirror to see the man who held her captive. He pressed the knife deeper into her skin.
“Don’t lie to me. You have twenty-four hours. We’ll give you a drop-off point.” He shoved her toward the wall and she fell. By the time she righted herself, she was alone in the bathroom.
She stood frozen and listening. Was the man with the knife waiting just outside the door? Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. She could manage only shallow breaths.
Isabel stepped toward the door and pushed it open. She peered up and down the empty hallway before stepping out.
Pounding footsteps made her turn to retreat back into the bathroom until she saw Jason at the bottom of the stairs.
She ran toward him. His expression registered that he saw how scared she was. He held out his arms to her.
“Hey, what happened?”
“They found me.” Her voice was hoarse. Her words came out in broken fragments.
She rested against the soft flannel of Jason’s shirt. His arms surrounded her, and she was able to take in a deep breath.
After a long moment of silence, he said. “I had a feeling when you didn’t come right back. I hate that this is happening to you.”
She pulled back and gazed into his blue eyes. “They want the bookmark. I have twenty-four hours. They are supposed to contact me with a location.” Her chest felt like it was in a corset being pulled tighter and tighter.
“Could you tell if it was one of the men from the house?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see him. I don’t have a good memory for voices and he didn’t say much.”
He took her hand and led her to a bench in the hallway. She sat down beside him. It still felt like someone was rattling her spine.
“I wish that they had gotten in touch with me. But it’s you they want to deal with.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was on the phone to Michael.” He studied her for a moment. His mouth twitched. There was something he was keeping from her.
“Who is he, anyway—your boss?”
“He’s an FBI agent. Since you got the threat on the phone, he gave me permission to share with you what is going on. I’m helping the FBI investigate a smuggling ring that often uses empty homes as a drop-off point. We’re building profiles of all the people involved to try to get to whoever is behind it all.”
She rose to her feet. “I don’t want to be involved with any of this. I just want to go back to my job, back to my life.”
He stood up and grabbed her hands. “I understand.” He squeezed her fingers. “But I need to hang with you until they contact you...for your safety.”
She knew he was right about that. She couldn’t just go about her day as if nothing had happened. She needed his protection. “I don’t like associating with criminals in any way, shape or form. Michael has the bookmark. The two of you can work this out.”
“I will do everything I can to keep you out of harm’s way and try to work it so they will deal with me.”
His expression looked so sincere. “What are you going to do? Follow me around like a puppy?”
“Actually, I prefer the term guard dog.” The corners of his mouth turned up.
His joke made her smile. “I guess this is the way it has to be. I need to head home to take a shower and get some sleep and then I have to go to work.”
“I’ll go with you to the houses when you set them up. You don’t have a car anyway.”
She pressed her hands against her mouth and stared at the ceiling. “I don’t like any of this. I don’t like being around...criminals.”
“I think I understand.” He locked eyes with her. “I know about your record. Even though it was sealed, the FBI has ways of finding these things out.”
So that was why he’d looked at her that way. Her cheeks grew warm. “That was a long time ago. I was seventeen.” She turned away from him as a sense of deep shame rose to the surface. “I’m not one of them anymore. And I don’t want anything to do with thieves.”
He touched the back of her arm. “I know you’re not. I can see that you’ve made changes. Only someone who’s turned her life over to God would have been praying while being chased. Michael had concerns, but I vouched for you.”
She turned to face him, feeling tears rise up in the corners of her eyes. “You vouched for me?” Warmth pooled around her heart. Sometimes she felt like having been a juvenile delinquent in a small community where everybody knew your history flashed like a neon sign around her. So few people believed in her aside from Mary, her pastor, a few friends and now Jason. “Thank you.”
He nodded. “Now let’s drive you back to your place so you can get some sleep.”
Snow twirled out of the sky as they drove back to Sun and Ski. The plows had worked through the morning creating walls of snow on either side of the city streets. They stopped at a store so she and Jason could buy new phones.
Jason parked the car outside the Sun and Ski office.
&n
bsp; “You can come in and get some rest on the couch. You’re probably tired too.” The truth was she felt better knowing that he was close.
Isabel led him up the stairs to her place. She put her key in the lock and pushed open the door. The house was old and not well insulated. The top floor could get chilly but she’d done her best to make it cozy with lace curtains as well as a quilt thrown over the worn red velvet couch.
“Nice, very homey,” said Jason turning a half circle.
It made her feel good that he liked her little apartment. His opinion was starting to matter to her.
“Make yourself at home. There’s sandwich stuff and tea and coffee. I feel like I could sleep for a hundred years.”
She took a quick shower and crawled in under her comforter. Heavy curtains blocked out the light. She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to come. Her body was beyond tired, but restless, fearful thoughts made it hard for her to shut down her brain.
She’d worked so hard to cut ties with her past. Though Jason believed in her, any thought of associating with criminals brought up all the pain from her teenage years. She drew her comforter up to her neck. These men could be violent. Would they leave her alone once she delivered the bookmark or would she always be looking over her shoulder?
The only thing that eased her troubled mind was knowing that Jason was in the next room. She was safe...for now.
NINE
Jason collapsed on Isabel’s couch. He pulled out his phone and dialed Michael’s number to tell him about Isabel being attacked at the police station. The thieves were probably going after Isabel because she was the easier target...more vulnerable. That infuriated him.
He summarized for Michael what had happened and then said, “If there is any way we can get her clear of all this, we need to do it. She didn’t sign up for this. I did.”
Michael’s response was measured. “Involving a civilian is never the best approach, but she’s knee-deep in this already. I know you’re willing to see her motives as pure. I have a wait-and-see policy. The Bureau has found that sometimes criminals can be a help in an investigation. Our end goal is finding out who’s behind this operation.”
Jason clenched his jaw. “She’s not a criminal.”
“In the meantime, we’re going to put a tail on her boss and look into Mary Helms’s connections. For now, you are Isabel Connor’s protection. If you’re seen together, it will further the cover that the two of you are thieves working together and maybe you can figure out Sun and Ski’s level of involvement, if any.”
“I’ll let you know when they contact her about the bookmark.” Feeling a little frustrated, Jason clicked off the phone. Michael could be really myopic when it came to the investigation. At least this way, Isabel would be safe. He’d see to that. He slumped down on the couch, closed his eyes and pulled his feet onto the couch, allowing the heaviness of sleep to overtake him.
He awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon sizzling in a pan. Isabel was dressed in a long skirt, boots and a sweater. Her honey-blond hair was pulled up into a loose bun. Soft tangles surrounded her face. She looked beautiful.
She offered him a smile. “Feel better?”
He rose to his feet. “Yes. I needed that.”
“Coffee is on and I should have a late breakfast ready in just a minute.”
He poured himself a cup and wandered around her small living room. Her walls were decorated with cross-stitched Bible verses and nature photos. He picked up one of the photos on the mantel. A boy of about ten smiled at him.
She plated the food. “That’s my little brother, Zac.”
Isabel must be about twenty-five. “Your mom had kids really far apart.”
A shadow seemed to fall across her face. “He’s a half brother. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s just a precious little brother to me.”
There were no other photos that could be family. Only a picture of Isabel with her boss at a picnic, both of them smiling for the camera, and one of Isabel with her arms around two women her age, a cabin in the background surrounded by forest. The women wore matching T-shirts that referenced a church retreat.
She handed him a plate of food. The aroma of bacon made his mouth water. Her brown-eyed gaze rested on him for a moment. “There’s no room for a table. I usually eat on the couch.”
They sat side by side. Her posture was ramrod straight, her chin slightly lifted. When she’d been afraid and tired, he’d seen a more vulnerable side to Isabel. Now she’d returned to that professional demeanor that had originally made him think she was from money. He thought he was pretty good at seeing past people’s facades, but Isabel wore hers like armor. Now he knew why. Maybe she thought the more formal she seemed, the less likely people were to guess she had a record.
He helped her with the dishes and they headed downstairs to the office.
“Mary will have left me a message about which houses I need to get ready.” She swung open the door to the office, which was empty.
“Is this door always unlocked?”
“We come and go all day. It’s just easier. The real-estate people next door are hardly ever there.”
He stared out at the street, wondering if they were being watched.
Tension threaded through Isabel’s words. “Guess I should lock it from now on.”
“Maybe this will all be over soon.” His words held a note of doubt. Would thieves come after her because she could identify them even if they got the bookmark back? He had the feeling the demand for the return of the bookmark was being engineered by someone higher up in the pecking order. It took a level of criminal sophistication and moxie to come after someone in a police station. Maybe even someone with connections to the police or the financial means to bribe their way into what should be a secure building.
The office phone rang.
Jason swung around.
Isabel pressed her lips together. He read fear in her eyes. His heart beat a little faster, and he swallowed to produce some moisture in his mouth. “Go ahead. Answer it.”
She remained as still as a statue.
He stepped toward her, his shoulder pressing against hers. “I’ll be right here. And I won’t leave until I know you’re safe.”
The stiffness in her body softened. She seemed to draw courage from what he said. She took in a breath and lifted the phone.
* * *
Isabel’s heart pounded against her rib cage. She steadied her shaking hand. “Hello.” It didn’t even sound like her voice.
She could hear breathing on the other end of the line.
“Hello,” she repeated, her voice growing stronger. She put the phone on speaker so Jason could hear too.
“The Clauson family home. You know it?” The man on the other end of the line had a husky voice.
“Yes.” The Clausons were Sun and Ski clients.
“There’s a big shindig there. An invite will be waiting for you at the front entrance of the Clauson house. At eight forty-five go to the library. History of Rome, volume seven, page twenty-five. Got it?”
Her hands were sweating. “Yes.”
“Your friend is not invited.”
The line went dead.
Isabel threw the phone down as though it was on fire. The memory of everything that had happened at the Wilsons’ bombarded her. These people played for keeps. “I can’t do this.”
From where he stood beside her, Jason brushed his fingers over her arm. “I’ll find a way to be at that party. You won’t be alone. I need to get a picture of the pickup man anyway. For them to believe that we really are thieves who want in on the action, we’ll have to give them the real bookmark.”
She shook her head. “He said you weren’t invited.”
“It’s a party with lots of people around,” Jason said. “I’ll find a way to stay close and not be noticed.”
&nbs
p; The steadiness of his voice and his expression of unwavering resolve almost convinced her. “I guess if they wanted to hurt me, they would have chosen somewhere remote. Do you suppose they’ll leave me alone if I give the bookmark back?”
His forehead wrinkled with concern. “I’m not sure. I’ll stay with you until we know you’re not a target.”
“I want this to be over.”
Before he could reply, the door burst open and Mary stepped inside.
“Glad to see you’re ready to work.” She turned toward Jason. “And you still have your driver, I see. I called the tow truck to get your car off the mountain.” Mary leaned over and rummaged through a desk drawer until she pulled out a key ring with multiple keys on it. “The atmosphere is like a funeral in here. Isabel, is there something you want to tell me?”
“I’m...I’m just glad to be back at work.” She gave Jason a nervous glance, wishing she could tell Mary the whole story.
“Good. We’ve got a couple of houses to get ready. One of them is a new client. I texted you the instructions. I gotta run.”
Mary was out the door. Isabel watched through the big bay window as Mary got into her car and drove off. A moment later, a car pulled away from the curb and fell in behind Mary.
Isabel’s breath hitched. “Are you having my boss tailed?”
Jason didn’t answer right away. “We have to rule her out. A lot of the houses where the drop-offs happened were managed by Sun and Ski. Mary would have the alarm codes.”
“You don’t know her. She’s been good to me.” That the FBI suspected Mary bothered Isabel even more than their suspicion of her.
“It wasn’t my call. They just need to rule her out.”
From the pit of her roiling stomach, Isabel could feel her resolve coming together. “I’ll make this drop if it will help further the investigation and get Mary off the hook. She’s innocent.”
Jason’s face brightened. His eyes held a twinkle. “Thank you for being so brave.”
She wasn’t so sure it was courage she felt so much as a desire to have all this be over. To get back to the life she’d built for herself, to not have a shadow of suspicion cast over a person she cared about very much.
