Always Watching

by Lynette Eason

“Would you change your plans if I asked you to?” she asked.

  He paused and planted his hands on his hips. “Maybe. Change them in what way?”

  “I want you to do something different. You did the radio show and almost got blown up. You went to church this morning and look what happened.”

  He rubbed his chin. “You think something will happen if I take the boat out this afternoon?”

  “I have no way of knowing. I know you promised Amy you’d go and she’s expecting it, but what if you told her she could skip school tomorrow and you would take her out on the lake instead? Do you think the change would cause a panic attack?”

  “If it’s a change she likes, then no, it wouldn’t cause an attack.” He let out a low laugh. “Yeah, she’d probably go for that. Missing school is pretty high on her list of favorite things to do.” He shrugged. “All right. Missing one day won’t hurt her. Sure, I’ll tell her.” She blinked at his easy acceptance of the idea and he laughed, then sobered. “I haven’t made being my bodyguard an easy task, have I?”

  “No.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She gave a faint smile. “It’s all part of the job.”

  He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from a nail in the wall. “All right, let’s go tell my daughter I’m allowing her to play hooky.”

  Amy took the news well. In fact, she went straight to her phone to text Stacy and let her know she wouldn’t be in school on Monday. Wade motioned for Olivia to join him in the den. When they were both seated, he leaned forward. “Tell me more about yourself.”

  She lifted a brow. “I’ve already told you I grew up in foster homes. What more do you want to know?”

  “Where did you grow up?”

  “Here in Greenville.”

  “Did you always want to be a bodyguard?”

  “No.” She stood. “Look, this is pointless. You’re a client. I’ll lay down my life to keep you safe, but my personal life is off-limits.”

  Wade stiffened. “I see. Very well.” He stood. “I guess I’ll just go get some work done. Let me know if there’s any sign of trouble.”

  Immediate remorse filled Olivia. “Wade, I’m—”

  He held up a hand. “I get it, Olivia. I’m a client.” He turned on his heel and left the room.

  Frustration pinched her hard and she was appalled at herself. He’d just spilled his guts to her about his wife and she’d just snipped the bond that had been growing between them. All because he’d gotten too close before she’d realized it. But he hadn’t wanted to hear her apology and she didn’t really blame him. Her phone buzzed, interrupting her self-chastisement. It was a text from Katie:

  Katie

  Checking in.

  Olivia

  All is quiet for now. See you at midnight.

  Her phone rang. Haley. “Hey.”

  “Can you talk?”

  “Sure.” Going after Wade to apologize probably wasn’t a good idea. “What do you have?”

  “Erin Abbott. I gave her name to Angela, who worked her magic. Mrs. Abbott is clean as far as any criminal past. She works as a nurse at the hospital, single mom of three whose husband ran out on her a couple years ago. Kids are four, nine, and twelve. Dates occasionally, but nothing serious according to a co-worker. She’s good at her job, but has seemed kind of out of it lately.”

  “Out of it?”

  “Tired, forgetful, scattered. She hasn’t messed up at work, but the co-worker described her as stressed.”

  “Okay, well, she’s a full-time single mom with three young kids, full-time demanding job, no support from her ex . . . yeah, I can see how trying to juggle it all would be stressful. I sure couldn’t do it. I’d be forgetful and scattered, not to mention probably ready for a straitjacket.”

  “For sure. But here’s another thing. She wasn’t at any conference this weekend.”

  Olivia stopped mid-pace. “She wasn’t? Where was she?”

  “Her credit card said she was staying at the Marriott downtown.”

  “Well, now,” Olivia said softly. “That puts a different spin on things, doesn’t it?”

  “A bit.”

  “Was she with anyone?”

  “Not anyone that’s listed as being in the room with her.”

  “But anyone could have come and stayed and no one at the hotel would know anything about it.”

  “Of course. But she was a busy little thing. She had a massage, ate at the hotel restaurant on Friday night, ordered room service for Saturday breakfast and dinner, used the manicure services, and had the Do Not Disturb sign on her door the entire time.”

  “Did she eat with anyone at the hotel?”

  “No one seems to remember. I did check her phone records. She had no phone calls going out from her cell phone the entire weekend.”

  Olivia thought about everything Haley had just told her. “She took the weekend off.”

  “What?”

  “She checked out of her life and into the hotel. She had her phone off and spent the entire weekend pampering herself.”

  “So you don’t think she was with anyone?”

  Did she? “I don’t know. It sounds to me that she needed a break and arranged one.”

  “Possibly. Or she was setting everything up to give herself an alibi when she went after Wade.”

  “True. And she could have used a throwaway cell phone for the weekend. A burner phone or something.”

  “Possibly. I also checked the station’s calls received against her numbers since we had permission to get the phone logs. For the past couple months, Erin’s landline number showed up every weekend with three or four calls each night Wade was doing the show. Her cell phone number just a few times. But not this past weekend.”

  “My, my, now that is interesting. Okay. She was at church this morning. Why don’t we pass this information on to Quinn and see what he can come up with.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  “Thanks for the update.”

  “Of course. Talk soon.”

  Olivia disconnected the call and let her mind sort through the information. So Erin Abbott had lied about attending a conference. Why? So she could stay home and stalk Wade? A sense of satisfaction filled Olivia. Finally, they might be on to something. Wade deserved to be free of this nightmare.

  She thought about all he’d been through, his love for his daughter, his generosity with his sister-in-law, and his respect for his father. Most of all she thought about the way his eyes gentled when they landed on her or the spark that flared between them whenever they came in contact.

  Lashing out had been mean, but it had also been an act of self-preservation. Getting involved with a client had never been an issue with her, so her attraction to Wade had completely thrown her. She wasn’t used to that and didn’t know how to handle it. Obviously.

  With Wade, she knew it was going to be hard to resist temptation if he was interested in starting . . . something. And from the looks he was sending her, he was interested.

  In the kitchen, Olivia checked the door once again.

  “Everything all right in here?” Martha asked from the doorway.

  Olivia nodded. “Just fine.”

  “I’m going to say good night to Wade, then head up to my apartment. You need anything?”

  “No. Thanks.”

  Martha nodded.

  “Before you leave, do you mind if I ask you a question?”

  “No, I don’t mind.”

  “You’ve known Wade a long time.”

  “I have.” She looked wary. “Why?”

  “Can you think of anyone who might be causing him all of these problems? Anyone from his past? A girl he dumped, someone at church? Anyone at all?”

  Martha tucked a strand of stray hair behind her ear and the wariness morphed into thoughtfulness. “I truly can’t,” she said softly. “Wade is like his dad in a lot of ways. He’s kind, will talk to anyone, generous to a fault.” She shook her head. “You know Cameron Short?”


  “Yes. The director of the charity.”

  Martha nodded. “His wife was sick a few years ago with cancer. Brain cancer.” She clucked her tongue. “Nasty stuff. It was hard on Cameron. He loved her so much. You can imagine, the bills were astronomical. Wade and his father paid them off. Every last one of them.”

  “You’re right,” Olivia murmured. “That’s incredibly generous.”

  “That’s just one example of the good this family does. So, yes, I think women would be drawn to that. Could be obsessed with it, even. But I can’t for the life of me think of someone who would do this.” She shook her head.

  Olivia smiled. “Thank you for telling me.”

  Martha shrugged. “It’s not like it’s a secret.”

  A noise caught Olivia’s attention. She walked over to the window, stood to the side, and flipped the plantation shutter blinds open a fraction. When her gaze met equally surprised dark eyes, she bit back a yelp.

  She heard Martha’s startled exclamation as Olivia bolted for the door.

  [23]

  Wade stepped into the den and stopped. Turned and found Martha coming from the kitchen.

  He glanced behind her. “Where did Olivia go?” Immediately her pretty face came to mind, the way she’d worked to find a way out of the radio station, her determination to save them. Her expression as she put him firmly in his place.

  Martha’s frown deepened. “She’s outside.” She glanced at the clock on the mantel. “Has been for the past fifteen minutes or so.”

  He stiffened. “What? Why?”

  “She thought she heard or saw something at the window and went to look.”

  “Fifteen minutes ago? Saw something at the window? Why didn’t you come get me?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry. You’ve had to deal with so much . . . I was just trying to protect you. And besides, I was standing right there and didn’t see anything but a shadow. It could have been anything and is probably nothing.”

  “I don’t need that kind of protecting.” He changed direction and headed for the front door.

  “Wait a minute, Wade. You can’t go out there. What if it’s your stalker?”

  He paused. “What if it is and she’s found a way to slit Olivia’s throat too, Martha? I can’t hide out in here when Olivia might need help.” He opened the door and stepped onto the front porch.

  Olivia could hear Katie through the Bluetooth device inserted into her ear. She stood at the edge of the trees that had been strategically planted to offer a semblance of privacy in the backyard. The black fence that she knew was on the other side of the trees blended with the night.

  Automatic lights had come on when she’d walked in front of the sensors, which made her believe no one was in the back. And yet she’d seen someone staring at her through the kitchen window. Or had she just imagined it? Granted it had been a blink-of-an-eye moment, but she had to check it out.

  “Katie? Where are you?” she asked, her voice low, almost nonexistent.

  “Pulling up to the front,” Katie said. “So far all is clear from where I am.”

  “All clear in the back as well. The officer watching the front didn’t see anything either. He’s looking too.”

  Olivia moved along the edge of the perimeter. She was now out of range of the sensor for the floodlights and they’d clicked off. She paused and turned her back to the side of the house, backing up until she felt the brick. She paused and considered the lights again while she waited for her eyes to adjust to the sudden darkness.

  Had the lights clicked on when she was in the house and she hadn’t noticed? Had the person at the kitchen window just done what she had? Waited for the lights to go off, then moved to the window?

  With her back against the side of the house, the area in front of her was bathed in darkness.

  She stayed still, ears tuned to the area.

  “Liv?”

  “Just a second,” she whispered.

  “Wade’s coming down the front porch.”

  “What?” Olivia froze.

  “He just disappeared around the north side of the house, probably coming your way. I’ve parked and am going to follow him.”

  “What is he thinking?” she hissed. She moved quickly yet silently, hoping to intercept him before whatever possible danger that was outside got him.

  She heard footsteps coming her way. She pulled her weapon as a precaution. It could be Wade. It could be Katie. It could be someone else. She took a deep breath. “I’ve called for backup!”

  She moved fast, away from her current location, expecting to hear the blast of a gun and feel the air broken by the whine of a bullet. She heard nothing except retreating footsteps. Her statement about backup seemed to send the person running. She kept her Bluetooth on. “Katie?” she whispered. “Location?”

  “Eyes on the client.”

  “Stay with him. Call for backup, I’m going after her.”

  “He’s headed your way. I am too.”

  Olivia bit her tongue on a few choice words that wanted to escape. She held them back with surprising effort. Ever since her foster mother had gently told her real ladies didn’t cuss, she’d done her best to make the woman happy. Wade was the first client who tempted her to renege on her promise to keep her language clean.

  The figure slipped down the sloping hill toward the lake. She was in the open for a brief minute and then disappeared behind the boathouse. Olivia kept going, not liking the exposure at all, but she wasn’t sure the person knew she was following her. And she wasn’t sure where the person thought she was going. The boathouse ended at the water. Olivia used the concrete walkway instead of the grass.

  She picked up the pace and came to where the intruder disappeared. She kept her weapon ready, aimed toward the sky, as she moved to the edge of the building. She peeked around the corner and could see pretty much nothing, even though she could hear the water lapping against the sides of the structure. No lights came on. Her nerves danced. Had someone disabled the sensors she’d just had installed on the boathouse? Her heart pounded in her throat, but the calm, clearheaded coolness she always felt on the job was there.

  Olivia made her way down the wooden dock attached to the boathouse. Mentally, she pictured the layout. At the end of the dock was the water. The rest of the structure housed three boat slots. There was nowhere to go at the end of the dock. If she turned right, there was a bit more dock, then the power doors that would open for the boats to glide in. But there was no way to cross to the other side of the dock without getting in the water.

  Which she had no intention of doing. She shuddered and focused on developing a plan. So unless the person took a swim, Olivia should have her trapped just ahead and hiding around the corner of the building with the water in front of her, the water to the right and left of her. Cornered.

  Or was she? There was no way to know if someone waited in the darkness beyond. The moon tossed shadows in a haphazard manner. She took a deep breath and planted her back against the building. She listened and could hear faint commotion up near the house.

  But no more sounds from the person she’d been chasing. Olivia had no choice. She moved on silent feet to the end of the dock, brought her weapon down to eye level, and rounded the corner.

  Only to find it empty. Her breath whooshed out. The woman had gone into the water.

  But had she attempted to swim cross the lake? Or had she ducked under the boathouse door and come up on the other side? Was she now inside the boathouse?

  Olivia swallowed hard. Only one way to find out. She retraced her steps back down the dock to the grassy area and slipped across to the front door. She placed her hand on the knob. It was wet.

  Movement to her left. She ducked.

  A quiet swish near her ear and then a heavy thunk next to her. She swiveled in time to see the person disappear into the treeline at the edge of the property.

  She gripped her weapon, but didn’t fire it. She had no identifiable target and she wanted to know wit
hout a doubt who or what she would hit when she pulled the trigger.

  “Katie?” Olivia whispered.

  “I’m here. Told Wade to get back inside but he ignored me. He’s coming down the hill now. Stay alert and don’t shoot him. I’m near the trees on the west side of the property. I think I saw some movement.”

  “You did. She’s closer to you now. See if you can grab her. I’ll take care of Wade.”

  “Copy that.”

  She stopped talking and just listened while she tried to look for any movement, any shadow that shouldn’t be a shadow.

  A noise beside her made her spin and drop to the ground even as she lifted her weapon.

  “Olivia? Are you all right?”

  Wade stood next to the corner of the boathouse. He raised his hands, the flashlight he gripped now pointed toward the sky. She lowered the muzzle of the gun at the ground. Fury rose hot and swift, churning the acid in her stomach. She swallowed once. Twice. Filtered her words as she rose to her feet. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  “No. Are you?”

  “What?”

  He nodded to the ground and aimed the flashlight on the object at their feet. “Someone just threw a knife at you.”

  [24]

  Olivia released a breath and let some of her anger go with it. “Katie?” she spoke into her Bluetooth. “Did you find her in the trees?”

  “No. He . . . she . . . whoever . . . was just gone. It was a little freaky actually.”

  Freaky? “Gone? How?”

  “I had her in my sights, she vanished into a cluster of trees, and then she wasn’t there. I searched, but came up with nothing.”

  Olivia’s blood chilled. “We need to do a sweep of the houses nearby.”

  “There are no houses nearby.”

  True. The houses were spread out, each piece of property ranging in size from eight to ten acres. “Nevertheless, we need to alert the neighbors. She could be making her way to one, and if she finds a house unlocked and enters . . .”

  “Yes. Or she could have gone into the water.”

  Olivia grimaced. “Keep searching, I’m calling Quinn.” She hung up and dialed Quinn, who answered on the first ring. “I need you here.” She paused. “And a crime scene tech. She threw her knife at me, maybe we’ll get a print. She also touched the doorknob to the boathouse, but so did I, so I probably smeared any prints there.”