Carter laughed. “Give it a rest, dude. I’m headed out right now.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek. “Welcome home, Em. Let’s grab lunch one day.”
She hugged him as Adam watched them, his face flushed. She had always loved pushing his buttons and by the looks of it, she was getting them all at once. “Sounds good to me.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be, little brother?”
“I’m headed out now, old brother. Don’t be getting your Depends all twisted up in a wad.” Carter winked at Emma and left the precinct, whistling an unfamiliar tune. Emma watched the array of emotions that passed over Adam’s expression as he stared after his brother.
“Do all the Marshall brothers work for the police department?”
Adam turned his attention back to her. “We’re all in law enforcement. But only three of us work here; me, Carter and Jacob.”
“Marshall! Just the man I wanted to see.”
They both turned toward the booming voice. Adam stepped forward, his hand extended. “Agent Ryan. Good to see you. What can I do for you?”
Emma watched as the other man shoved his hands in his pockets instead of accepting Adam’s greeting. A brief flash of some unidentified emotion passed over Adam’s expression, but he showed no other reaction to the dismissal.
“Just came to touch base on the joint operation.” He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t want anyone dropping the ball on this one.”
Adam nodded. “I think we are all on the same page here. Lieutenant Waters has been in touch with your boss, and we are all moving forward together.”
Emma watched the volley of information pass between the two men as they shifted like two tigers eyeing each for a fight.
Agent Ryan looked at her. “New girlfriend?”
The way he said the words, laced with vitriol, made Emma’s stomach turn.
Adam stepped to his left just enough that he stood between Emma and Agent Ryan. “An old friend that I am helping out with something.”
“Are you sure she needs your kind of help?” Agent Ryan walked toward the door but stopped and turned to look at her.
“Watch your back with that one, Miss.”
When he was gone, Emma turned to Adam. “Not your biggest fan, I assume?”
Adam shook his head. “That’s the agent I mentioned last night. Unfortunately, he is the one assigned to this area from his field office so any cases that overlap, we are stuck with him. I guess he still carries a grudge.”
Emma huffed. “He’s a cocky jerk.”
“Yeah.” Adam motioned to the hall. “Shall we?”
“I need to run to the ladies’ room quick,” she said as they walked toward Adam’s office.
“Remember where it is?”
“Yes. I’ll meet you at your office in a minute, okay?” Emma had the sudden need for some space. All the adrenaline of the last twenty-four hours seemed to crash all at once, and tears lingered near the surface. The last thing she wanted was for Adam to see her cry again.
He nodded. She read the concern in his eyes and gave him a little smile before walking away down the hall. She’d barely made it into one of the stalls before the tears began to fall.
Closing the stall door, she leaned against it and let the tears run freely. All the stress of the last day or so poured out of her in the form of salty water. Emma hated to cry but this time she let it work itself out. It wasn’t like she’d ever witnessed a murder or had someone trying to kill her before. When her tears ran dry, she grabbed a wad of toilet tissue, wiped at her eyes, and blew her nose.
Stepping out of the stall, she walked to the sink. Turning on the tap, she splashed cold water on her face in an attempt to quell some of the red puffiness around her eyes. With scratchy brown paper towel from a dispenser on the wall, she patted her face dry.
“Okay, girl. It’s time to pull up your big girl panties and handle this. Adam can’t protect you forever.”
A loud rap on the door startled her.
“Emma? You okay?” Adam’s muffled voice sounded worried.
She took a deep breath and opened the door. “I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. Just needed a minute.”
He looked her up and down, a small frown tugging at his lips. “Were you crying?”
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “I cry when I’m stressed. It’s a lousy trait I’ve been cursed with my entire life.”
Adam wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to his office. Once the door was shut, he pulled her in close, and Emma let him. He ran a hand over her hair and then made small circles across her back.
“I know how scary this has been. I also know how strong you are. We’re gonna solve this case and get these guys before they get to you.” He lifted her chin with a finger so she was forced to look at him. “I promise, Emma.”
“Don’t make promises you might not be able to keep.”
“I’m not.” He let her go and stepped behind his desk. “I just need to do a little paperwork, see my boss, and then I’ll get you to my uncle’s cabin. You’ll be safe there.”
“I want to go up the mountain with you. I need to see that place one more time.”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why not?”
Adam lightly stroked the stubble that grazed his chin. “Let’s see—it’s a crime scene? Someone tried to kill you there, not once but twice, and oh, it’s a crime scene.”
Emma pulled away and walked over to the windows. “But what about my story?”
“I’m afraid your story isn’t the top priority here anymore, Em.”
Emma dropped into a chair and folded her arms over her chest. “I need this, Adam.”
He walked over to where she sat and squatted in front of her. “As much as I want to give you what you want, I also have policies and protocols I am bound by. Not to mention it is my responsibility to keep you safe and that is not the best way to do it. At all.”
She frowned and huffed. “You always were a rule follower.”
He shrugged. “Nothing wrong with that.” Adam sat down at his desk and turned on his computer. “Let me take care of a couple things and then we’ll head out. Are you hungry? We can grab lunch on the way.”
“I could go for a burger and a shake. Maybe some hot and salty fries.” Emma walked over and sat down in a chair by the window. She dug in her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll wait here until you are ready. I have some messages to reply to.”
They worked quietly for about twenty minutes before Adam pushed his chair back and stood up. “I’m going to meet with my boss for a few minutes and then we can head out.”
“Okay. I need to make a call anyway.”
Adam gave her his heart-stopping grin once more. He had begun to relax around her, slipping into the Adam she’d always known. “I won’t be long. Promise.”
That’s what made her next move that much harder. When he left the room, Emma got up and followed. Peeking out around the corner of the doorframe, she watched as Adam disappeared into an office at the end of the hall. When the hall was empty, she stepped out of Adam’s office and headed toward the lobby of the precinct. Luck totally had her back. The sergeant that had been manning the front desk was gone.
She strode across the small lobby and out the side door that led to the parking lot. She knew from riding with Adam the night before that the gate would open when she pushed the button, no security code needed to leave.
Ten
Her poor little car with its busted-out window and newly-minted bullet hole accessories sat in the same spot where they had parked it the night before. Fishing her keys from her purse, Emma pulled open the door and slid in behind the wheel. The car complained for a moment and then started right up. She backed out of the spot, pulled up to the gate, and reached through her open window to push th
e Open button. As the gate slid aside, she pulled through and turned in the direction of the Blue Ridge Parkway. She needed to see that cabin once more by herself—
her entire career rested on her ability to find out who ran the drug traffic through Staunton. She just needed a few pictures of the cabin and the surrounding area. Of course, finding a nice pile of drugs in the middle of the room wouldn’t hurt either. If she were being totally honest with herself, she had no idea what she hoped to find, it just needed to help her make the story.
Twenty minutes into the thirty-minute drive, her phone rang. She ignored it. It rang again. And again. Each time, Adam’s number showed up, and each time she kept on driving without answering the call. She now had only a twenty-minute head start that would shrink quickly once she had to hike up that mountain.
Her phone rang again.
Emma hit the gas and drove faster.
When she made it to the mountain, she parked her car at the adjacent rest area. Moving as quickly as she could, Emma navigated the tangled brush. Halfway up the trail, a fat squirrel ran across the path in front of her and into a brushy area, sending a flock of birds up into the air. One of the birds flew in so close, it caught in her hair. Emma slapped at it, trying not to squeal or make noise. Finally, it freed itself and she trudged on. She made good time, reaching the edge of the clearing in almost half the time it had taken her the day before.
The sun burned hot as she tucked a few stray hairs behind her ears and wiped some sweat from her forehead. It had to be close to noon. Even so late in the fall, the sun still gave off a good amount of heat. Too bad she didn’t think to look for the access road the murderer had taken. Or, maybe it was a good thing. She’d have no means to get away if they returned and blocked her vehicle.
Emma practically tiptoed across the small clearing. When she made it to the same little window where she’d witnessed the murder, she peered through the layers of grime at the dim interior. The cabin looked empty, so she slowly worked her way around to the front porch. The door stood slightly ajar, with four or five different sets of shoe prints in the dirt and dust. Emma grabbed her phone and snapped a couple photos of each of the different patterns.
A quick check of the time told her Adam would be there soon. She had to move quickly.
Standing to one side of the door, Emma sucked in a breath and kicked lightly at the base of it to push it all the way open. When no rain of gunfire greeted the motion, Emma stepped through the door and into the cabin. The chair the dead man had sat in now stood in the kitchen area. The pool of blood had dried into a dark stain, and a cabinet above the counter had been left open. Careful to stay along the edge of the room and not touch anything, Emma walked over and stepped up on a rickety foot stool. Turning the flashlight on her cell phone on, she peered inside the cupboard. A few rusty cans of soup and chili littered the otherwise empty space. The only thing missing was dust. The light glinted off something in the corner of the top shelf. Stretching, she aimed her phone at it and took a quick picture.
Emma stepped down off the stool and grabbed a dusty wooden spoon out of a canister by the stove. Climbing back up, she used it to move the object toward her. Pulling her sleeve over her hand, she knocked it into her palm and studied her find. In her palm sat a shiny gold ring with a black stone in the center. Rolling it over with the spoon she found the initials KP, a heart, and the name Tara inscribed on the inside.
A board on the front porch creaked. Emma froze. Another creak sounded. Dropping the ring back inside the cabinet, she stepped off the stool and looked frantically around the tiny cabin for a place to hide. A narrow door in the corner of the kitchen area caught her eye. Emma crossed the small space as quietly as she could and pulled the door open to find a tiny utility closet.
Squeezing in beside an old mop and broom, she prayed that there were no spiders in the maze of webs attached to them. Emma pulled the door closed and listened. Heavy footsteps moved slowly across the room. They stopped moving at about the center of the space, as best she could tell. Practically holding her breath, Emma waited to see what the person would do next.
Something ran across the toe of her shoe. Emma jumped and tried not to make a sound, but a little squeak of terror snuck out.
The footsteps started again, moving closer to her hiding place. Emma stepped back, shrinking herself as much as she could to get to the back of the closet. The person paused. She held her breath. A full minute later, the footsteps began again.
Whatever shared the closet with her grabbed her pant leg and started to climb. This time, Emma screamed and burst out of the closet.
“Get off me!” She caught sight of a rat clinging to her jeans and started jumping and kicking. The critter let her go and scurried away.
Emma froze when she realized what she’d done. Without looking around, she took off for the front door. Strong arms grabbed her and wrapped around her chest.
“Let me go!” She pulled at the arms that held her.
“Emma! It’s me!” A familiar voice spoke in low tones next to her ear.
Emma stopped struggling and turned to look at her captor. “Adam.”
“Yes.” He let her go.
“Why didn’t you say anything when you came in the cabin?” She shivered. “I was in that closet with a rat and God only knows what else.”
Adam shrugged. “I didn’t know for sure if you were here. Or who else might be. You know, since I told you to stay away.”
She put her hands on her hips and gave him her best annoyed look. “You knew exactly where I was. You called me at least a dozen times.”
Adam stared at the woman in front of him, holding back the laughter that he knew would make her even madder. Anger made her even more adorable. “I didn’t know you were here. You didn’t answer any of those calls, remember?”
The anger faded quickly, and she waved a hand in the air, dismissing him. “Whatever. You still didn’t have to be so—cop-like.”
This time he did laugh. “I’ll try to remember next time.”
“None of this is funny.”
“You’re right, it’s not. You contaminated the entire scene.”
She shrugged. “I just wanted a few minutes alone. Before you turned it into a crime scene and didn’t let me in here anymore.”
“It’s already a crime scene and like I said, you have now contaminated it.”
Emma scowled. “I didn’t touch anything except that wooden spoon.” She pointed at the utensil lying on the floor.
Adam shook his head and sighed. “You shouldn’t have even come in here. What if it had been the killer and not me that found you?”
Emma walked over to the front door and peered outside, speaking with her back to him. “I didn’t think that far ahead. I just wanted one last look around. See if there was anything that would help my story before you totally took over.”
Adam walked over to where she stood and rested his hands on her shoulders. “All that matters now is your safety. Not a story. Not a drug case. We have to keep you safe. Okay, so the case matters but the story isn’t yours to tell anymore. As soon as you became a material witness, that cancelled everything else.“
She turned to look at him over her shoulder. “What does that matter? If you don’t solve the case, I’ll have to live in the Marshall safe house for the rest of my life.”
He smiled. “The Marshall safe house? It’s just an old fishing cabin that happens to be hidden and off the grid.”
Emma pointed out the door. “Do you hear that?”
They both listened for a second before Adam spoke. “Sounds like a car. Was there a car here the last time you were here alone?”
“Yes. A dark sedan.” The sound got louder as the car got closer. “There is a dirt road that leads up here from another part of the mountain.”
“We need to get out of here.” Adam took her hand and led her out the door. They sprinted across the field and int
o the trees.
“Do you think it’s the killer?” Emma whispered as they moved to a place where they could watch the front door.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
As they waited, a black SUV pulled up in front of the cabin. One of the headlights had been smashed and the front bumper sported a large dent.
“Look at the front of that truck,” Emma whispered.
“Yeah. I know.”
Two men climbed out of the truck. One went to the door of the cabin and the other to the back of the SUV. Emma looked at him, and Adam shook his head. He had no idea who it was either.
The second man opened the back of the truck and messed with something in there, then closed it up again. The first man had already gone inside, so he followed suit and disappeared in the cabin as well.
Adam strained to hear any sounds inside the tiny house but couldn’t make out a single one. Then, as quickly as they disappeared, they reappeared on the front porch.
“I’m positive I dropped it in there. Tara is gonna kill me. Or worse.” The first man fidgeted with the ring finger of his right hand.
“Dude, you dragged me all the way back up here for a piece of costume junk. You know the boss doesn’t like anyone coming up here unless he tells them to. He doesn’t want the drop man to know who his guys are.” The other man kicked at an empty soda can that sat on the floor of the porch. “Come on, Kirk. Let’s get out of here before he figures it out.”
“What does it matter? This place ain’t a secret anymore, thanks to Rudy.”
“Once Rudy takes care of that woman, things will get right back to normal. Now, let’s get out of here before someone sees us.”
“It sure is taking him a long time. Maybe Rudy’s losing his touch.” The man called Kirk frowned. “I’m telling you, Marco, if she finds out I lost it—I’d rather face the boss.”
“So, don’t tell her. Go buy another one before she notices.”
Kirk exhaled heavily. “Yeah. I guess.” He walked over to the passenger side of the truck and climbed into the front seat.
Murder on the Mountain: A Marshall Brothers Novel Page 9
