by Hope White
He could read it in her eyes.
It still amazed him how connected they were after all these years. Why didn’t she trust him enough to ask for his help? Because he still wasn’t good enough? He was only a small-town cop and she needed…what?
He whipped out his cell phone and called Ethan Beck, an old friend who was a detective with the Seattle Police Department.
“Beck.”
“Hey, E, it’s Morgan Wright.”
“As in Chief Morgan Wright?”
“Knock it off.”
Morgan and Ethan had recently reconnected thanks to another old friend, Jake Walters.
“Good to hear from you, man,” Ethan said. “Jake told me you were chief pooh-bah out there in Port Whisper. How’s that goin’?”
“It has its good days and bad.” Like today. “Listen, I need a favor.”
“Name it.”
“An old friend’s returned to town and I think she’s in trouble.”
“Is she cute? Available?”
“Yes and no.”
“Really?” Ethan teased.
“Can you check your database for anything on Julie Burns, female, twenty-eight? Seattle social worker for Teen Life.”
“You mean the Julie Burns?”
“Yup.”
“What am I looking for?”
“I’m not sure.”
“You think she’s into something criminal?”
The terror in her golden eyes flashed across his mind. “No, but my gut tells me she’s in trouble.”
“I’ll see what I can find.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure. You hear about Jake and Robin? They’re engaged.”
Morgan took a deep breath. “No, I hadn’t heard. That’s great news.”
“How soon do you need this information about Julie?”
“As soon as you can get it.”
“Check. Take care, buddy.”
“You, too.”
Morgan ended the call and dropped the phone on the seat beside him. Staring up at Julie’s room, he leaned back and considered what could be going on with his fragile ex-girlfriend.
She was suffering from some kind of post-trauma issue, that’s for sure. Maybe her work had finally gotten to her, listening to the gut-wrenching stories of abused teenagers, counseling them, hoping they’d find a better life, only to have them return to an abusive living situation.
It had to get to her, haunt her dreams, trigger nightmares.
Yet she’d called out Morgan’s name when she’d awakened from the nightmare in his truck.
Maybe she’d been dreaming about one of their last fights, the harsh words he’d uttered out of sheer agony of losing the one person he’d trusted most.
He wondered what life would have looked like had he followed her to Seattle, left his father and chosen another line of work. But his life was here, making his father proud, earning his respect and protecting the citizens of Port Whisper.
It had been his destiny.
At one point he thought Julie had been a part of that destiny.
“Get over it already.” He thought he had. He’d fallen in love with Renee, at least he thought it was love, and he’d appreciated Anna’s company, her bright smile and sense of humor.
Seeing Jules again, rescuing her from whatever threat was stalking her, brought it all back to the surface.
Regret burned in his chest. No, he’d done the right thing by letting her go to follow her dream. The pit in his stomach said otherwise.
He clicked the radio on and tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. Something told him to stay close. He had tomorrow off. He could go the night without sleep.
Even if he went home and climbed into bed, he knew he wouldn’t sleep, not with the image of Julie’s frightened eyes haunting him.
“You’re going to tell me what’s going on,” he whispered, eyeing her bedroom.
The light went off. He took a deep breath and considered his next move. He’d see what Ethan turned up and he’d go from there.
Tomorrow he’d confront Julie about her situation, but under no uncertain terms would he discuss their past. This was business. He was the police chief sworn to protect the people of Port Whisper.
As long as Jules was here, she was under his protection just like everyone else.
A vibrating sound awakened her from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and spotted her cell phone dancing across the nightstand. The bedside clock read four-thirty. She flipped on the lamp and grabbed her phone, recognizing the caller ID as William’s work number. William and Julie had consulted with one another on unusually complicated cases. But why call at such an odd time?
“William?” she answered.
Silence.
“William?”
“You can run, Blondie,” a gravelly voice said. “But we’re always right behind you.”
She jackknifed in bed. “Who is this?”
The line went dead and a surge of panic ripped through her. Fearing for William’s safety, she called his cell. She paced her room as it rang. Two, three times.
“Hello?” he answered groggily.
She sighed and shifted onto the bed.
“You’re okay,” she said.
“Julie? It’s—” he hesitated “—four in the morning.”
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”
“I just got a threatening phone call from your work number.”
“A threatening call? I don’t understand.”
“I’m in trouble, William. Ever since I witnessed Dane’s kidnapping, strange things have been happening: hang-ups, the office break-in, and I think someone’s been following me.”
“Call the police.”
“What can they do? Put a twenty-four-hour watch on my apartment? No, I have to disappear for a while.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll be in touch.”
“Julie—”
She ended the call, and nervously paced to the window.
We’re always right behind you.
Which meant they were trailing her to Port Whisper? How? She’d taken her personal files with her mom’s contact information from the office. Morgan said no one had followed them from the ferry. She glanced at her phone. Were they tracking her through a GPS chip? Had they already found her?
She had no choice. She had to run. And destroy her phone along the way.
Julie packed up her things. There was a commuter bus that stopped in town around six. She’d catch it and head west to a larger town, like Port Angeles, where she could blend in.
She flipped off her bedroom light and padded across the hall to Mom’s room. As she peered inside, she realized if she woke Mom she’d only talk her out of leaving. But Julie had made up her mind. She didn’t want to risk bringing trouble to Port Whisper and put the townspeople in danger.
She tiptoed downstairs, glancing across the warm and welcoming living room. Sadness welled up in her chest as she remembered the many Christmases she’d enjoyed in this very room. She’d had a wonderful childhood, safe and happy, unlike the kids she counseled. Julie thought she’d been doing the honorable thing when she’d left for the city. She had the solid upbringing and faith in God that grounded her and gave her strength to help the kids at Teen Life. Faith that had been tested, ripped apart and destroyed as she watched one kid after another fail.
It was on those days that Julie missed the comfort and innocence of Port Whisper.
Innocence that would be destroyed if her stalker tracked her here. Andy Trotter was missing. She’d seen Dane Simms being shoved into a van. She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew witnessing the abduction had put her life at risk.
She placed a note on the hall table, opened the front door and slipped outside. The cool morning chill slapped her cheeks as she started down the porch steps. She’d catch the commuter bus and head to Port Angeles, find a safe place to hide and…
What? Get a job in a burger joint? Take a nanny job? She hadn’t thought past getting away and escaping the threat.
As she headed down Oak Street she thought about her childhood friends from the youth club, Carrie, Megan and Taylor. And Suzy.
There wasn’t a day that passed when she didn’t think about Suzy.
“Don’t go there,” she muttered, flipping her collar up against the breeze. The hair on the back of her neck bristled.
She narrowed her eyes and focused ahead, looking for signs of danger.
Don’t be paranoid. It’s Port Whisper.
A small, sleepy little town, Morgan had said yesterday in the kitchen, repeating her words from their fight years ago.
She’d intentionally kept Morgan at a distance, yet somehow he was still able to sense her fear. Another reason to leave town. If she saw him again, he’d do his best to break down the wall she’d lodged between them.
The brisk walk to town brightened her spirits a bit, if that was possible. Watching the sunrise had always been a treat, especially when she’d shared it with Morgan, his arm around her, humming in her ear.
She could never watch a sunrise without thinking of him, or remembering the time they were questioned by a cop at Squamish Harbor. They’d fallen asleep while waiting for the sunrise.
Turning the corner to the Town Center, she eyed a spot behind the post office where she could wait until the bus came. The post office overlooked the water, so peaceful at this time of the morning.
She shook herself out of the false sense of peace. She had to plan her next move. Her phantom caller threatened to be right behind her. Even if he didn’t find Julie, chances were whoever was after her would keep abducting kids, kids who didn’t seem to matter to anyone but her.
The kids sometimes reminded her of Morgan before they’d started dating. He’d had his share of challenges—a learning disability, an absent mother—which had led to anger issues and fights in school. Somehow Julie had gotten through to him and they’d fallen in love.
After she left she’d worried that he’d slip into that dark place again. But the night he’d told her they would marry someday, he’d also said that he’d changed. Because of her.
That was the first time she felt she’d had a positive impact on someone’s life. She surely didn’t have one on Suzy’s.
She tossed her phone into the water, figuring that would destroy the GPS. All her contacts, photos and text messages…gone. But she had to get used to being alone. She eyed Sahalish Island across the water, uninhabited except for tourists who visited for the day or campers who sailed onto the small shore and pitched tents in the rugged terrain. The island reminded her of her baby sister, Lana, who ran Delightful Tours, a business that took visitors to the island, out of a snack shop called Stone Soup. Lana was never going to forgive Julie for leaving town without seeing her.
This is so messed up.
She wished she could pray to God to tell her she was doing the right thing, but she’d given up on prayer somewhere around the fourth year in her job. Where was God when horrible things were happening to these kids?
Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a tall, male figure step around the corner. Glancing away, she shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and wandered in the other direction. Calm, casual.
She climbed down the rocks to the shore, remembering a path she and Morgan used to take when strolling along the water to the main dock. They would hide out beneath the pier, steal a kiss, confess their fears and share their dreams for the future.
“Miss?” the man called after her.
She picked up her pace. She’d given directions to the guy at the ferry and he’d found her on the boat. But Morgan said no one had followed them from the ferry, right?
“Hey, wait!” the man called.
She broke into a full-blown sprint. Not easy considering the unstable rocks beneath her feet. She never should have come back here, should have known better. She shot a glance over her shoulder at the guy, who stood on the pier, watching, but not following her.
She turned and slammed into something hard and firm.
The man’s partner?
“Where do you think you’re going?”
THREE
“Let go of me!” She struggled against Morgan’s grip, as if fearing for her life.
“Julie, stop!” Morgan ordered. “It’s me, Morgan.”
She hesitated, still clutching his jacket, and glanced up. “Morgan? What are you doing here?”
“Apparently, stopping you from running away.” He hesitated. “Again.”
He couldn’t believe it. She didn’t have the decency to stay a few days and catch up with her family. She didn’t have the decency to say goodbye.
Some things never changed.
“What are you doing down here?” he said, but he had a pretty good idea.
“I’m… I couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk.”
“Uh-huh. With your backpack?” He released her, but she clung to his jacket for a second longer than necessary.
Then she let go. “Are you stalking me?”
“That’s an odd way of putting it.”
“How did you know I was here?” She took a step back, then shot a nervous glance over her shoulder.
“I saw you leave the house.”
“You were watching me?”
“Hey, Chief! She okay?” the man called from the pier.
Morgan waved. “She’s fine, Ray, thanks.”
“Who’s that?” Julie asked.
“Don’t you remember Ray Carlisle? He owns Klinger Drugs?”
“I…I didn’t recognize him.”
More like she assumed he was out to hurt her.
“We need to talk.” Morgan glanced at his watch. “The Turnstyle staff is usually there by now. Let’s get some coffee.”
“No, I have to…”
“What? Catch a bus?”
She glanced at the water. With his forefinger and thumb to her chin, he turned her face to look him in the eye. “You were going where, exactly? And you were skipping out on your mom?”
Her golden eyes challenged him. “It’s none of your business.”
“You’re in my town. It’s my business. Now, come on.” He motioned for her to take the next set of stairs up to the street level.
Ethan had called Morgan with some interesting information. Jules had reported a missing teenager, a week later reported an abduction of a second boy and her office had been broken into.
Morgan guessed whatever was going on had motivated her return to Port Whisper, and her escape number this morning.
Escape. That’s how she’d described leaving town ten years ago. She’d wanted to escape small-town life and do something important.
Whatever important work she was into had landed her in trouble. Ethan said the cops were looking into the abduction but it wasn’t easy tracking kids who didn’t want to be found. They also had no leads on the office break-in.
It wouldn’t be easy confronting Julie about her situation. He assumed she hadn’t shared the details with her mother. Jules tended to be like that, wanting to help others, but not being able to accept help in return.
They walked in silence the two blocks to the Turnstyle Coffee Shop. The sign read Closed, but he knew Anna and Lew, the owner, were prepping to open. They always opened for him if he needed a cup of caffeine. Today he needed more than just one. He wanted to be clearheaded so he could interrogate Julie and get answers.
“They’re not open yet,” she said, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets.
Morgan tapped on the window. Anna poked her head out of the kitchen, waved and headed for the door. She was a nice woman and Morgan enjoyed spending time with her, yet he’d been up front with Anna, told her he wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. He sensed she ignored his warning.
Anna swung open the door, her eyes brightening. “Hi, Morgan.” They hugged and he broke it off a little quicker than usual.
“
Anna, this is Julie Burns. Julie, Anna.”
As the women shook hands, Anna narrowed her eyes. “Burns as in Edith’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Julie said.
Anna shot Morgan a quick glance. She knew, as did most everyone in town, about Morgan and Julie. Once upon a time they were in love, named the couple most likely to marry, settle down and raise a family in Port Whisper.
“Nice to meet you,” Anna said.
“Coffee ready?” Morgan asked.
“You bet. Come in.”
Morgan motioned for Julie to slide into a booth.
“You want coffee too, Julie?”
“Sure.”
With an odd curl of her lips, Anna headed back to the kitchen.
“You dated her, didn’t you?” Julie said.
“I’m the one asking the questions.”
“Morgan—”
“I spoke with the Seattle P.D.”
Julie leaned back in the booth and crossed her arms over her chest. “Why?”
“Because I need to know what’s going on if I’m going to protect you.”
“I don’t need your protection.” She glanced out the window.
“No? Then what do you need?”
“To catch the commuter bus and get out of town.”
“What will that accomplish?”
She shrugged.
“No more shrugging, silent treatment and crossing your arms over your chest. It’s time to be honest with me, Jules. I know you filed a police report about a missing boy, I know about the break-in at work and I know you reported an abduction. Fill me in here.”
She looked straight at him. “No.”
“No?”
“I can’t divulge that kind of information.”
“I’m not asking for personal information about the teenagers. I’m asking about what you reported to police. And why you ran.”
“Here you go,” Anna said, sliding two coffee mugs on the table. She poured Morgan’s coffee, then Julie’s. “So, you in town long?”
“No,” Jules answered.
“Yes,” Morgan countered.
“Okay, then.” Anna eyed them. “Just yell if you need a warmup.”
Julie’s gaze followed Anna into the back, as if making sure she was out of earshot.
