That photo of him must have really messed with her head. So mysterious. Sexy, but in a dark, brooding way. She’d never been drawn to a man like that before. Her norm gravitated toward the executive type. The man who owned rugged but didn’t walk rugged. Kadin walked rugged. He knocked her off her game. He’d flustered her. Those eyes. Nothing could have prepared her for the impact of them in person. A light, glowing gray, the intelligence in them had captivated her. Their lightness sparkled with life, but what beamed out to the world told a much more ominous story. Dark intelligence. The things those eyes had seen must be incredible.
On top of that distraction, she had to wait to hear when the search warrant went through, and then she’d have to brace herself for Jax’s wrath, especially if she was wrong in her suspicions.
Looking around her office, down on her desk and then at her computer where several emails waited to be read, she lost hope of all productivity. Penny buried her face in her hands. It was going to be impossible to concentrate on work today.
A knock on her office door brought her head up. Her boss stood there.
She waved him in.
Mark Pershing walked into the office, shutting the door behind him. “Where have you been?”
“I had something personal come up.”
He had his panicked look on right now, beady brown eyes wider than normal and side parted hair falling out of line from raking his fingers through it. Average in height, he wore a pale yellow dress shirt that washed out his face and was buttoned too tight over his slightly round belly. His anxiety seemed over-the-top. What was going on with him?
“This is a bad time to be taking time off, Penny. I need you here.”
“The Ballard campaign is under control.” She took in his overall disheveled appearance. “What’s the matter?”
“I had your direct reports coming to me with questions all day yesterday. They fell behind schedule.”
In one day? “Mark, nothing is wrong with our schedule. Are you all right?” Penny stood up and stepped around the desk to stand before him. “What’s going on? Why are you so tense?”
He smoothed his hair in support of the side part. The hair fell where it was before. “I’m getting a lot of pressure from the board.”
Why? The board couldn’t have any complaints about her campaign with Ballard’s. They were ecstatic over the account, and she stayed on top of every issue.
“Are we losing money somewhere else?” she asked.
He looked at her strangely for several seconds, his panic going behind a mask. “I need you here, Penny.”
“I am here. Trust me, I want this as much as you do.”
“I’m sorry.” He shoved his fingers through his hair again. “What happened with you? Can you talk about it?”
“No...not yet. It’s nothing dire.” She caught what she’d just said. Well, not for her, anyway. “I just need to get through it.” Maybe. That depended on when Kadin lined up the search and Jax confronted her.
When Mark continued to subject her to his thin-lipped doubt, she said, “We’re in production for the first ad. They won’t need me until next week. I’ve been meeting with Jax on the camping equipment ad. Stop worrying.”
“But I do. Especially when you vanish so abruptly without an explanation. This is a big account, Penny. We’re all counting on you.” And then he added, “I’m counting on you.”
Hearing the desperation in his tone, and certain he knew something she didn’t, she tried to placate him. “I know.” She put her hand in his upper arm. “Just trust me, all right?” If Avenue One was in trouble, then she’d do everything she could to save the company.
Reluctantly, his lips curved into a small smile and he nodded. Then he put his hand over hers on his arm, curling his fingers to hold hers. The touch made her withdraw her hand. He hadn’t gotten over her rejection. Would he ever? And now he tried to hang the Ballard account over her head. For what reason? To cover a mistake he’d made? She wished he’d talk to her.
Up until now, she wouldn’t have labeled her boss as weak, but he sure seemed that way now. She wouldn’t be fooled. Mark was a smart businessman. A little egotistical, but smart. Decisive at times. Few, if anyone other than her, had seen him like this.
She began to realize that her job might be in more jeopardy than sending cops after Avenue One’s number two client.
“Is there something you need to tell me?” she asked quietly.
Mark’s usual impenetrable self returned. “No. Get to work.” With that he left her office, closing the door behind him.
Her cell rang. Seeing the caller ID, she debated whether to answer. It was Jax.
She reluctantly picked up.
“Where are you?” he asked.
In a flash she remembered they had made plans to meet for a working breakfast today. “Oh, darn.” She hadn’t eaten yet. “I forgot all about it. I’ve been so busy.”
“Your assistant said you were out all day yesterday.”
“Something came up on another account. I’m sorry. It’s that project I told you about.” She really disliked lying, especially since she sounded good at it. “Where are you?”
“I’m on my way up,” he said.
Here? He was coming to her office? Apprehension drained her face of color, and prickles chased through her arms. Lying about her job differed from pretending to still be interested in Jax.
“You were going to show me the mockups for the new ad,” he reminded her.
“Yes.” She gathered her aplomb. “Why don’t you meet me in the conference room? The one off the lobby.” There would be a lot of people passing the windowed wall.
“I’m just now getting off the elevator.”
“Okay.”
Penny took her laptop and went to the conference room. She was hooking her computer up to the overhead projector when Jax entered, a visitor badge hanging around his neck, silk suit flowing down his lean body.
She plastered a smile to her face.
“Hi,” he said with a guarded grin.
Had he seen through her fake congeniality? Since they were at work, he didn’t walk over to kiss her. Instead, he put his briefcase on the floor and simply took a seat.
She remained standing and began her presentation. “We were thinking about taking a Parent Trap theme for one of the commercials. Something with an air mattress floating on a lake.” She clicked through a few slides with examples of lines and props.
“Maybe something a little more modern,” Jax said.
“Already thought of that. We envisioned starting out in the past time and then flashed forward to modern time.” She showed him an animated clip of what they’d turn into a real commercial.
When it ended, he nodded slowly. “I like it. But I’m not sure how many people will be familiar with a movie like that.”
“We can explore other options.”
“Let’s do that.”
Penny moved to his side and sat down, turning her laptop so he could see it. For the next hour and a half they researched other movies and came up with a few that might produce a few scenes they could mimic in the commercial. It was easy to fall into the work. Penny loved what she did. She’d always been a creative person, and Avenue One gave her busy, intellectual stimulation.
“This is good,” Jax said when they finished for the day. “Good progress.”
“Mark will be relieved you feel that way.” Maybe he’d get off her back.
He angled his head. “Oh? He has concerns?”
Penny curbed her tongue. She wouldn’t air corporate speculation. “He’s always concerned. He wants you and your brother to be happy with these ads.” And so did she, at least until he was arrested for kidnapping. If he’d be arrested...
“I have no doubt that we will.” He smiled the way he
always did, warm and affectionate.
She was glad to hear him say that.
He stood, checking his phone. “I’ve got meetings the rest of the day. Are we still on for tonight?” he finally asked.
She felt her stomach churn with fear, but she nodded with a congenial, “Of course. How about eight?”
“Eight it is. See you then.” Jax looked down at her mouth as though wanting to kiss her. Thankfully they were in the office. Tonight would be another challenge.
Chapter 3
Kadin yawned for the umpteenth time as he followed Penny’s BMW into the parking garage of her apartment building. He’d kept vigil outside Avenue One all day. So far, no sign of the black Jeep.
He’d had a rather boring day, except for the email arrival from an old friend who still worked at the Bureau. He’d sent detailed information on Penny’s background. That had kept him engaged for a few hours. He didn’t like admitting that she interested him more than her role in the Sara Wolfe investigation. While there was nothing in the pretty ad exec’s background that gave any new leads, there had been other information that he’d tucked away for himself.
Not married. Never divorced. Penny was an only child raised by a single mom. Her dad skipped town before she was born. After a couple of calls and internet searches, Kadin had found him in North Dakota with a wife and three kids. He’d bet Penny didn’t know that and wondered if she’d be upset if she did. He wasn’t sure if or when he’d tell her. He should keep his association with her professional. And what if she didn’t want to know anything about her father? That kind of personal meddling made him uncomfortable.
Or...any kind of personal meddling with her.
He’d reacted to her as he hadn’t for any other women since Arielle. The way he felt reminded him of when he’d met his wife, only different. Arielle and Penny were as different as their names—Arielle much more fragile, looking to him with hero worship. He doubted if Penny had ever been fragile and she’d probably be insulted if he treated her too old-fashioned. She may have felt awkward coming to him at first, but the sharp business woman hadn’t been far from the surface.
Her mother had apparently done a good job bringing her up on her own. Penny had gone to college at the University of Michigan and then moved to Salt Lake City after getting a job at Avenue One, where she’d worked her way up the executive ranks. No police record, but she had a rap sheet of speeding tickets. Right in line with his impression of her. Full of energy. A go-getter. Very independent. And a flirt... Parking near where Penny had parked, Kadin got out and waited for her to notice him.
Stopping short, she raked her eyes up and down his body, and then glanced beside him at his car, a modified five-hundred-horsepower, 1969 Charger.
He walked toward her. “Ms. Darden.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, recovering from her shock. “Did you get the search warrant?”
“The sheriff thinks he can get it signed by morning.”
“Why are you here, then?”
He stopped before her on the sidewalk in front of the elevators. “Someone followed you to my office. Didn’t you see them?”
After another stunned moment, she shook her head. “No. All the way to Rock Springs?”
She hadn’t expected anyone to follow her and so hadn’t looked. “Mind if I come up?” He gestured toward the elevators.
Her head flinched backward slightly. “To my apartment? Uh... Jax is coming over to cook me dinner. He’ll be here at eight.”
Kadin checked his watch. “Plenty of time. Why don’t you let me set up a listening device before he arrives?”
Her sea-green eyes blinked a few times, the pistol in her coming out. “Wait a minute.” She held up a hand. “Is that really necessary? Why did you want to come up to my apartment?”
“Since someone followed you, that tells me you’re in danger. And that person could have been Jax. He may reveal something and it will be easier for me to protect you if I can hear if something goes wrong.”
She took a moment to think on that and then her gaze wandered down as it had when she’d come to see him in Rock Springs. When she looked up, the flirt in her returned. “Yes, I suppose that would be a good idea...” She glanced over at his car. “Is that yours?”
“Yes.”
“Nice.” After batting him a look, she walked to the elevator and pressed Up.
“You like cars?” he asked, playing along, but sensing she’d used charm to hide her nerves. She didn’t like him coming up to her apartment. Why? Because it wasn’t her idea? Did she prefer control with her men? It fit. The nervousness didn’t.
“I’ve been known to go to a drag race or two.”
She drag-raced? He got into the elevator with her.
“You’re the German car type,” he mused as she pressed her floor. “New. Expensive.”
“I like older cars, too. My mom drove me to kindergarten in an orange GTO Judge.”
He chuckled at the imagery as the elevator doors opened. She led him down the tiled hall. Inside the apartment, Kadin briefly noticed an open expanse of dark wood floors and big furniture on an enormous area rug. Clean. Tidy. Colorful. Like her...and her mom’s GTO.
“The truck is registered to Jax Ballard,” he said.
She sucked in a rush of air and stopped, pivoting to face him as she lowered her purse to an entry table. Not the news she’d hoped for, which was why he got it out of the way.
“Does that mean...”
“Jax is our kidnapper?” She needed some reassurance, but he wouldn’t sugarcoat anything. “He’s looking pretty guilty in my eyes. But without evidence, we have nothing. We need something from the truck.” In every murder investigation, evidence ruled. A body might be found, but evidence linked the crime to the killer. The bodies were always the hardest to stomach.
While Penny walked farther into her apartment, he remembered the day he’d gotten a visit from his partner during his daughter’s investigation.
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” his partner’s voice echoed in his head. “Your daughter has been found.”
Sorry...
Found...
“What is it?” his wife had asked from behind him, panic and fear and desolation in her eyes.
He hadn’t had to tell her. She could see it in him. All he’d said was, “She’s been found.”
Unspoken was, but not alive.
“I’m so sorry. She’s been murdered. I’m so, so sorry.” His partner had broken down into tears.
Arielle had started screaming, a wretched wail and repeated “No!” He’d taken her against him and silently, with his eyes, told his partner to excuse them. He’d shut the door and held his wife until she went into a kind of catatonic state.
“Kadin?” Penny stepped toward him.
He’d let the memory go on too long. Sometimes that happened. As much as he fought them, they seeped past his defenses.
He went to her kitchen and opened her refrigerator, taking out a soda. Snapping the can lid, he saw how Penny observed him. He gave her credit for not saying anything, for not confronting him or forcing him to talk.
* * *
Penny was anxious despite knowing Kadin was nearby, listening in case she needed him. Finding out Jax owned the truck disturbed her. It would disturb anyone. But she’d never been so close to a pedophile before—a potential pedophile. He sure looked guilty...but was he?
When he’d first arrived, she’d felt his tension. He was acting just as much as her, both of them pretending that nothing was amiss. She’d picked at the manicotti he’d prepared. Talk had been scarce and nothing of significance.
Now she cleaned up the mess, glad for something to do. He sat at the island, watching her.
“Did you hear anything new about that missing girl
?” Jax asked.
Penny dropped the pan she was rinsing and looked at him. “What girl?”
“Sara Wolfe.”
“Oh. No. Nothing new.” She put the pan in the dishwasher. Why was he bringing this up?
“The only thing they have to go on is that white pickup truck.”
“That’s what the news said.” She began wiping the counter.
“There’s got to be a lot of white trucks that have a dent on the side.”
Yes, but were they all hidden in an abandoned barn? She said no more and finished cleaning the kitchen. Now she had no choice other than to join him. She wished he’d just leave.
He stood up as she left the kitchen, stopping her with a hand on her elbow.
She faced him, not liking how close he was or the calculating look in his eyes.
“I would hope anyone who sees a truck like that is careful about whom they accuse,” he said softly.
There could be no mistaking his meaning. He thought she’d seen the truck and wasn’t telling him. Her pulse quickened, but she held on to her courage.
“I’m sure they’d gather evidence first.”
One side of his mouth hitched up as though he found that mildly amusing. Her audacity.
“Why don’t you join me this weekend at the cabin?” he murmured. “Last weekend was cut so short.”
“I—”
“We can take a walk together,” he said. “You can show me where you went.”
Would he arrange some strange accident that would befall her? “I’ll have to see what my schedule is like...”
“Right. That new project you have going on.” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her mouth before she could retreat.
A Wanted Man (Cold Case Detectives Book 1) Page 4
