Hidden Witness

by Beverly Long

  Or awkward in that she might think that last night had meant something to him?

  “It won’t be awkward.” Blonde Raney was such a liar.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Absolutely,” she said, swallowing hard.

  “I’ll get that coffee, then,” he said. “Want some toast, too?”

  She nodded. Anything that would keep him out of the room longer. She needed to get control.

  She supposed what had happened last night had been inevitable. There had been a strong physical attraction between her and Chase since the moment they’d met. They weren’t naive teenagers caught up in the moment. They were adults, responding to stimuli, acting in response and fully capable of taking responsibility for their own actions.

  It sounded like a dull biology experiment when in reality it had been stunningly beautiful and absolutely exhilarating.

  But he didn’t want awkward.

  She could give him that.

  When he came back, he was carrying two steaming cups of coffee in one hand and a plate of toast in the other. He had pulled on a pair of gym shorts.

  She reached for the cup, took too fast a sip and burned her tongue.

  “Careful,” he said.

  Somebody should have told her that last night. Before she’d jumped his bones.

  He got back into bed and set the plate of toast between them.

  She chewed, swallowed and drank her coffee. He did the same. When he was finished, he set down his cup on the nightstand.

  He gave her a long look, as if waiting for her questions to commence.

  She smiled at him. “You better get started outside.”

  * * *

  IT WAS JUST before lunch that he saw two vehicles coming down the road. Both SUVs, similar to what he’d been driving the day before. He put down the scraper that he’d been using to peel the old paint off the porch.

  He’d switched jobs this morning after taking a quick peek at the roof to assess the damage done by the storm. Fortunately, it was minimal. Yesterday he’d finished removing all the old shingles and had tacked down the paper. Right before Raney had called him to dinner, thinking it felt like rain, he’d quickly finished covering the work with plastic that Gordy’s son-in-law had thoughtfully provided.

  He probably could have laid shingles this morning but oddly enough, he hadn’t felt all that centered, hadn’t felt as if he wanted to be thirty feet in the air.

  Raney Taylor had rocked his world, to coin an overused phrase. She’d been warm and wet and when she’d straddled him the second time and said she wanted to drive, he’d thought, You can take me anywhere. Anytime. Just don’t get up.

  In the dark, with her body snuggled up against him, he’d been able to push the second thoughts away. Then this morning, when she’d seen his scar, he’d been truly afraid for just a brief moment that she was going to be repulsed or maybe even scared to be with someone touched by violence when her own life had been torn apart by the same.

  But she’d recovered quickly, leaving him to fumble for the right thing to say. He’d settled for I hope this won’t make things awkward when what he should have said was I think I’m in over my head.

  So he’d escaped outside. But hadn’t gone far. Just in case she happened to stick her head out the door wanting to talk. But she hadn’t done that. And now he was going to have to face his partner and the chief of police and pretend as though nothing had happened.

  He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and kept his stance relaxed. He had his gun in a holster, safely hidden from view by his long shirt. When the first SUV pulled into the lane and he saw that Dawson was driving, he relaxed for real. His partner got out, looked around and stood with his hands on his hips. “According to my GPS, this road doesn’t exist.”

  Chase smiled. “So how did you find me?”

  “Called your cell phone. Which you didn’t answer. So I stopped at the café on the corner. A gorgeous redhead with hair to her waist gave me good directions. How’s Raney?”

  “She’s...she’s good.” Chase had never been the type to kiss and tell and right now would be a hell of a bad time to start. The door of the second vehicle opened. It was the chief.

  Under normal circumstances, the man would never have made a two-hour trip to deliver a car. But there was nothing normal about this situation. Raney’s testimony was critically important. To the case. To the chief.

  Chase shook the man’s hand. “Thanks for the vehicle,” he said.

  “No problem,” the chief said. “We won’t stay long but I’d like to talk to Raney about the incident yesterday.”

  Chase almost said no, that he didn’t want Raney to have to go through it again. “She’s inside,” he said. He wasn’t sure what she was doing. Maybe she’d gone back to bed. They hadn’t gotten all that much sleep the night before.

  He held the door open for Dawson and Chief Bates. “Raney,” he yelled as he pulled the door shut.

  She came from the kitchen. She had on the same tight blue jeans as yesterday, this time with a white T-shirt. “Yes.” She stopped short when she saw Dawson and the chief.

  “Hello,” she said.

  “Hi, Raney” from Dawson.

  “I was sorry to hear about your trouble yesterday, Ms. Taylor.” This from the chief.

  Raney nodded. “I’m sorry about the SUV and that you had to make a special trip here.”

  The chief waved his hand. “Can you tell me what happened?”

  She didn’t look surprised. She’d heard Chase give Dawson the shorthand version yesterday on the phone. Probably knew that he’d no doubt related that to the chief, but that wasn’t going to be good enough. “Of course.”

  She told her story. The going to town, stopping for a drink at the café, leaving, driving, seeing the vehicle behind her.

  The chief interrupted. “When did you notice the car?” he asked sharply.

  Raney swallowed. “Not long before it tried to pass me.”

  The man nodded. “Go on.”

  “I saw it pull out and I assumed it was going to pass. When it got even with my SUV, it swerved in my direction. I believe it’s possible that it was a deliberate attempt to run me off the road. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize the shoulder was soft and narrow. My instinct was to avoid getting hit.”

  “So you saw the driver?” the chief barked.

  Chase moved and stood behind Raney’s chair. He saw Dawson’s eyes widen but he ignored it. Bates might be the chief but he wasn’t going to bully Raney.

  “I did see the driver. But not in a helpful way,” she said, her voice still even.

  If the chief was getting to her, she wasn’t showing it. She pushed her chair back, refilled her water, taking her time. She was going to make a terrific witness.

  She sat back down. “I saw hands. I caught a glimpse of the driver’s face and some facial hair but he was wearing a hood, maybe a hooded sweatshirt. It was all so fast. Once I felt my front tire go off the road, I knew I was in trouble and I was concentrating on that.”

  “You think it was deliberate?” the chief asked, drumming his index finger on the table.

  “It seemed to me that he didn’t just turn the wheel, he cranked it. And he surely had to know that I ran off the road, but he didn’t stop.”

  The chief didn’t say anything for a long minute. Finally, he stood. “Well, again, I’m glad you’re okay. Let’s head back, Detective,” he said, looking at Dawson. He switched his gaze to Chase and inclined his head toward the door.

  Chase got the message. The chief wanted to talk to him outside.

  They were almost at the vehicles when the chief spoke. “I’m damn concerned about this,” he said.

  Chase waited.

  “What do you think, Detective Hollister?”

  “I think Raney got lucky, that we all did. But we don’t have any reason to believe that Harry Malone knows that she’s here, right?”

  Both Dawson and the chief nodded.

  “Then, I don’t th
ink we should go crazy. The police here aren’t going to be helpful and I can’t push the issue without raising a whole lot of suspicion. I think we need to be satisfied that our initial plan was a good one and go forward. I won’t let Raney out of my sight. She won’t go anywhere by herself and I won’t leave her alone here.”

  The chief nodded. “I think you’re right,” he said. He shook his head. “I sure as hell hope you’re right,” he added. He took a step toward the car, then stopped. “Do you mind if I use your bathroom before we leave?”

  Was the man intending to go back inside and badger Raney? But he couldn’t say no. “Up the stairs. Second door on the right.”

  He started to follow the man inside when Dawson grabbed his arm, hard enough to swing him around. “What the hell?” Chase asked, shaking him off.

  “Yeah, what the hell as in what the hell is going on here?” Dawson asked.

  Chase said nothing. The silence dragged on.

  “Oh, man. I knew it,” Dawson said finally. “She is our witness.”

  Chase grit his teeth and tried to remember that Dawson was his very best friend. “I know what she is. And I know what I’m doing.”

  “Let me stay here with her,” Dawson said. “I’ll provide the protection.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Isn’t your wife about to have a baby?”

  Dawson nodded. “But I’m worried about you. This is a woman who’s been through a lot. Maybe not seeing things clearly. Maybe using...”

  The door of the house slammed and the chief walked toward them.

  “You,” he finished under his breath.

  By the time the chief reached them, Dawson had opened the trunk and was unloading the guns that Chase had requested. Rifles and handguns and all kinds of extra bullets. The three men carried everything up onto the porch.

  They walked back to the SUV and the chief got behind the wheel. “Check in regularly,” he said.

  Chase nodded. He made eye contact with Dawson. Gave him another nod. Then he watched the vehicle drive down the lane, make the turn onto the road and finally disappear from sight.

  He would protect Raney. He would not lose sight of that.

  * * *

  RANEY STOOD AT the window and watched Chase say goodbye to Detective Roy and Chief Bates. It was not even noon and already she was thinking about a nap.

  This morning, she’d stayed in bed for a full half hour after Chase ran out. She had rolled over and, like a crazy woman, sniffed the sheets. She could smell him. Smell them.

  The sex had been amazing. Beyond that.

  It hadn’t been blonde Raney or brunette Raney in his arms. It had just been Raney. She’d lost the ability to plot or plan a response. It had just happened.

  And happened again.

  Holy moly.

  And then he’d brought her coffee, which made him a bit of a prince. And then it had gotten awkward, just exactly what he’d said he’d hoped they could avoid.

  When she’d finally gotten out of bed and showered, she’d gone downstairs and heard him on the porch. She’d peeked out the living room window but hadn’t had the courage to open the door.

  She wanted him to know that she didn’t have any expectations that it was going to happen again. That she wasn’t waiting for a marriage proposal. That she understood they were in unusual circumstances and that no precedent had been set.

  She wanted him to know that he was off the hook.

  She wanted him to know that it had been pretty damn terrific.

  When she’d heard him yelling her name, she’d hurried from the back, thinking, Great, he’s ready to talk. She had been surprised to see his partner and the chief of police. She hadn’t heard the vehicles pull in. The chief had been a little intense but she supposed that was a job-related characteristic. On the other end of the spectrum was Gary Blake, who acted as though he couldn’t care less.

  If she had to choose, she’d take intensity any day. And having Chase there had made a difference. When he’d stood behind her, strength had radiated from his core and she’d suddenly felt as if there wasn’t anything the chief could throw her way that was going to knock her off her stride.

  Too bad she couldn’t put Chase Hollister in her pocket when she was on the witness stand. She was going to be all on her own.

  The only time she’d been a little nervous was when the chief had walked out with Chase and his partner, clearly interested in having a conversation that didn’t include her. She knew they were discussing their plan and whether her staying in Ravesville was still a good idea.

  When she’d heard the chief come back inside, she’d prepared herself for bad news. It was hard to believe that just days ago, she’d been complaining to Officer Vincenze about coming here, and now she couldn’t quite imagine leaving.

  The house needed them. She could feel it.

  She’d relaxed when she’d realized that the man was simply using the bathroom. She was staying.

  She heard the front door and turned. Chase walked in. “Doing okay?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I like your partner. He’s got a quiet competence about him.”

  It was Chase’s turn to nod. “He’s worried about me.”

  That surprised her. “Why?”

  “Because he sensed the dynamic has changed between the two of us.”

  Well, she suspected that wasn’t exactly what Detective Roy had said. At Next Steps, she frequently overheard young men talk to other young men about their women. Granted, Chase and his partner were older and the vocabulary might have improved but he didn’t have to draw her a picture.

  “I’m sorry,” she said simply.

  He shook his head sharply. “I am not sorry. Let’s be clear on that.”

  She felt her insides melt. “We were both consenting adults,” she offered.

  “You were in a vulnerable position,” he said, trying to give her a reason.

  She thought about what blonde Raney would say and realized it was exactly what brunette Raney would have. She and Mike hadn’t had an honest relationship. She was never going to do that again, regardless of what color her hair was. “I wanted you,” she said.

  She saw the muscle in his jaw jerk. “Wanted. As in past tense?”

  She looked him in the eye. “Want. As in present tense.”

  He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the stairs. “Like I told you, I’m a literate man. I understand the difference.”

  Chapter Twelve

  They spent the afternoon making love and dozing. It was less frenzied than the night before and when she let him drive, he felt as if he had a chance of keeping things under control. When she took over the wheel and took him in her mouth, he thought his head was going to pop off his neck.

  “I like it when you hold me like this,” she said.

  He was spooned around her, keeping her tucked close. “Self-preservation,” he said. “Left to your own devices, you take up the whole bed.”

  “I do not,” she protested.

  “Yes, you do,” he said drily. “Head at ten o’clock, feet at four. This way I keep you at twelve and six and we’re all much happier.”

  She was quiet for a long time. He thought maybe she’d fallen back to sleep. But then she shifted. “I need you to know. I am happier than I have been in a long time. Even though, as recently as yesterday, someone may have deliberately tried to harm me, maybe even kill me, I’m still happier.”

  “Me, too,” he admitted. Although he certainly wasn’t settled when he let his mind drift back to the feelings he’d had when he’d approached her overturned SUV. Over the years, he’d investigated accident scenes. Every cop had. And some of them had been gruesome. And as family members and loved ones had arrived, he’d seen the tears, the anguish. He’d thought he’d understood. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  Bone-deep fear was an interesting emotion.

  He kissed the back of her neck. “I asked Dawson to quietly investigate blue, black or gray SUVs registered to male drivers within a 30-mile
radius of Ravesville. I didn’t figure that Gary Blake was going to do that.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “Now I’m going to get up and make some dinner.”

  He cupped her breast, ran the pad of his thumb across her nipple. With his other hand, he pulled her tight up against his erection. “How hungry are you?”

  She turned in his arms and kissed him, her tongue in his mouth. “Very,” she murmured.

  He flipped her on her back and entered her with one sharp thrust. She let out a sigh of pleasure. “Dinner can wait,” she whispered and he began to move.

  * * *

  THE NEXT DAY, Chase went back up on the roof and started shingling in earnest. Around three in the afternoon, he saw Gordy Fitzler’s truck turn into the driveway. He got off the roof and met the man as he got out of his truck.

  “I heard about your wife’s accident in town. I hope she’s okay.”

  “She’s good. Thanks for asking.”

  “Lucky girl,” Gordy said.

  It reminded him of what he’d said when he and Dawson had first discussed Lorraine Taylor. She’d been lucky a couple times now. When was that luck going to run out?

  “You’re making good progress,” Gordy said.

  “Good product,” he said, trying to focus on the pallets of shingles that were still on the ground. It was his job to make sure that Raney’s luck didn’t run out.

  “My son-in-law and daughter are doing a good job,” Gordy agreed. “Speaking of them, that’s why I’m here. I turn seventy-five tomorrow and tonight my kids are set on having a big party for me at the Wright Here, Wright Now Café. When I mentioned to them that I’d seen you, they told me that there’s still room for a couple more before we start to have trouble with the fire marshal for overcrowding the place. I know it’s very late notice but I’d be pleased to have you and your wife attend.”

  This man had made a difference in his life. He wanted to go. The possibility that someone had deliberately tried to harm Raney hung over his head. But he would be by her side. And she loved getting out, having the freedom to go somewhere. “We’d be honored,” he said.

  Gordy’s face broke out into a big smile. He took off his ball cap and wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. “Six o’clock. Come hungry. I hear the Wright sisters are going to make it something special. And no gifts. I’ve got my children and grandchildren, everything a man could ever want.”