Chasing Secrets

by Lynette Eason

  “Richie is just one of many thugs out there,” he said. “Dangerous and deadly to innocent people. We need good officers fighting to get them off the streets and away from people like you and Micah and your mother. And we need people fighting to keep them behind bars.”

  Zeke frowned. “You saying I should become a cop?”

  “I’m saying you should think about it. Every woman you save from a Richie will be in honor of your mother. Every drunk I get off the streets is in honor of my brother. And it does help heal the hate.” Or it had. Shame gripped him, but he kept his expression encouraging. After the conversation with his father, a fresh serving of hate had just filled his heart to the very top and he wasn’t sure how he was going to purge himself of it.

  Zeke swallowed and looked away.

  The doctor appeared in the waiting room once more. “Excuse me. Are you Micah Hampton’s family?”

  Haley stepped forward and lifted her chin. “We are.”

  “We need you to sign some paperwork. He’s getting a new heart.”

  “My mom’s?” Zeke whispered. Haley had told Zeke of his mother’s pleading last words. Even in her pain, her desperation to save her child—her children—had been her priority.

  The doctor turned kind eyes on the teen. “Yeah, son, your mom’s.” He turned his attention to Haley. “I need proof that you have the legal right to represent Micah.”

  Haley blew out a short breath and swiped the tears on her cheeks. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out an envelope. “It’s right here. Belinda had a will, believe it or not. It’s even signed by her lawyer and a witness. For some reason she felt led to give me guardianship of her boys the day after she met me.” She cleared her throat and looked around. “I guess we know why now.”

  The doctor gave a slow nod. “Then let’s get the paperwork done and get this boy his new heart.”

  He left and Haley slumped into the chair.

  Maddy sat beside her. “What are you going to do about this weekend?”

  “I don’t know. My grandfather is still in ICU in a coma and his family—”

  “Your family too.”

  “Yes,” she said slowly. “My family too—that’s going to take some getting used to—is coming in.” She rose and paced, then looked at each of her friends and coworkers. “But I promised I’d go on this trip.”

  Olivia frowned. “This is kind of an extreme circumstance, though. I would think they’d understand if you had to back out.”

  “Yes. Of course they would, but I don’t want to.” She pressed her fingers against her eyes. “No. I have to figure out how I can be on that bus when it pulls out Friday morning. That’s two days away. Hopefully things will be much different between now and then.”

  He hadn’t forgotten her; he’d simply been biding his time, waiting and watching. The killer reached into his pocket and felt the reassuring presence of his weapon. Ready to use it when he had the chance. She was just hard to get to.

  With her practically living at the hospital, his options for how to take her out were limited. Not to mention the fact that she was constantly surrounded by people. Professionals, if his judgment hadn’t failed him.

  So, he was just going to have to get creative in how to complete his assignment.

  He let go of the gun and flipped the page of the magazine as he listened to the conversation behind him. The doctor had just told her that her friend was dead. What a shame. Not.

  He continued to listen and began to plan once more. The possibility of collateral damage had never stopped him before. And it sure wouldn’t now.

  With Haley surrounded by her friends and coworkers, Steven left the hospital and checked in with his mother on the way to the precinct. When she didn’t answer, he called his aunt Sadie. “Hello?”

  “Hey, I was just looking for Mom. Is she with you?”

  “She had an errand to run. I’m here with your dad.”

  “Is he all right?”

  “Seems to be doing pretty well today. I got him to eat a piece of chicken and some mashed potatoes, so I consider that progress.”

  “Where’d she go?”

  “I . . . uh . . . she went to visit someone.”

  Sadie’s hesitation sparked his curiosity. “And who would that be?”

  “Someone who she decided needed her help.”

  Steven huffed in exasperation. “Aunt Sadie, why are you being so evasive?”

  “Oh dear. I think your father needs his tea refilled. I’ll get your mother to call you when she gets home. Love you, dear.”

  And then she hung up.

  Steven scowled at the device as though his aunt could see his expression. She was at the prison. He knew it as well as he knew he wanted to hit something. Deciding to talk to his mother as soon as he could, he made his way to his desk and found Quinn pacing in front of it. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “This case. We think we might have a connection on the rich guys getting killed and stuffed in their trunks.”

  Steven sat in his chair and booted up his laptop. “What’s that?”

  “All of the victims were in the same area of downtown right before they were killed. Different restaurants, a hotel, but all within a three-mile radius.”

  “Interesting.”

  Quinn checked his phone, then pushed it aside. “Exactly. And it looks like they all disappeared on a Friday night, but were killed on a Saturday.”

  Steven studied the whiteboard attached to the easel where Quinn had laid out the timeline. “The houses were all broken into on Saturdays just after midnight. Guess that would technically be Sunday, but you know what I mean.” He frowned. “But wait a minute. This one.” He jabbed the picture of the second victim. “He wasn’t downtown.”

  “Actually, he was. We’d discounted them having the downtown thing in common because we didn’t think he’d been there the night he was snatched. But apparently he’d picked up a client at the hotel and spent about an hour there before leaving.”

  “How’d you figure that out?”

  “His wife said her best friend mentioned seeing him. She called me because she thought it might be important.”

  “And we’re just now learning this? Why didn’t the best friend come forward with this when you were investigating his death three months ago?”

  Quinn cleared his throat. “Apparently, she hesitated to because she thought he was having an affair.”

  “Was he?”

  “I don’t know. That’s not my concern. What I care about is we’ve got him in the same area as the others—discounting Carter James.”

  “Yeah, but he’s not a victim of these guys,” Steven said. “He’s got his own killer.”

  “Exactly.”

  Steven rubbed a hand down his face. “It’s about time for these guys to hit again, isn’t it?”

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  “So, we need to set up a sting.”

  Quinn’s eyes gleamed. “That’s why you’re almost as good a partner as Bree. We’re going to set it up for this Friday night—and every Friday night thereafter until we get them.”

  “It’s a long shot.”

  Quinn sent him a thin smile. “Not with the car that I’m going to be driving.”

  [24]

  Thursday evening, Haley stood outside her grandfather’s room and watched the family walk toward her. She braced herself. She’d done her research. She knew who they were and what they looked like. If they were going to be visiting her grandfather, she was going to know everything about them she could. After all, someone had tried to kill him and that someone was possibly still out there. Christina and Maddy had insisted on securing the floor. Haley knew they were there, along with several other friends, but would stay out of sight, letting Christina be the only one visible—which hopefully wouldn’t come across as protection. Instead, she would be a friend, nothing more. Which she appreciated. The security allowed her to focus on
the people who’d just arrived at the hospital.

  She’d admit she was anxious to meet them. All her life she’d wanted a family. The homeless people on the street had been her family for as long as she could remember, but secretly she’d wanted someone who had the same blood running through her veins. Haley knew it was silly. She and Olivia had discussed the fact that family was made up of those who loved you, not your blood type. She got that, she really did, but the insecurity of not belonging to anyone was still there. The five people walking toward her had known each other all their lives. She was the new girl. Would she be accepted or would she be the odd person out once again?

  “Guess it’s time to find out.”

  “What’s that?” Christina asked, walking up beside her.

  Haley shook her head. “Nothing.”

  “They look friendly enough, if concerned.”

  “I understand—and agree with—the concern,” Haley murmured. “Let’s hope you’re right about the friendly.”

  From their pictures, she recognized each one immediately. The older woman, Haley’s aunt Janet Burke, spotted her first. Her eyes widened and she stopped. Janet’s husband, Kane, broke away from the group and hurried toward her. He wrapped her in a hug. “Aileen.”

  “It’s Haley, Dad,” the young man next to him corrected.

  The older man drew back and she saw some of her grandfather in him. His eyes, especially. “Right. Haley.” He spoke to his son, but his eyes never left hers. “Thank you for the reminder, Lachlan.” He gave her a smile that seemed genuine. “This is my son, Lachlan.”

  Lachlan cleared his throat. “When Hugh called us, we were stunned.”

  She noticed he didn’t say thrilled, or glad to meet her, just that it was shocking news. But she’d give them the benefit of the doubt for now. “Thank you.”

  Lachlan eyed her. “I guess we’re cousins of a sort.”

  Haley turned her attention to him. He was about her age, with dark hair and green eyes. He was good-looking and knew it, she decided. There was a certain arrogance in his face, a shuttered look to his eyes that she couldn’t read.

  He shrugged. “Welcome to the family, I suppose I should say.” He motioned to the man behind him. “This is our uncle Peter. His wife, Ciara, didn’t come, and beside him is my wife, Maeve.”

  “Pleased to meet you, Maeve. Peter.”

  They were eyeing her. Summing her up, she was sure. As well as questioning her grandfather’s sanity?

  Probably.

  “My father, Niall, couldn’t come,” her uncle Kane said. “He’s having some health issues, but he sends his love and prayers to Ian.”

  “I’m Janet. How is Ian?” Janet seemed to have recovered from her initial shock in seeing Haley and her warm voice expressed her concern for Haley’s grandfather.

  “He’s still in a coma,” Haley said. “There’s been no real change, but sometimes I think he hears me when I talk to him.” She noticed Janet eyeing Christina. “This is my friend, Christina. She’s been a big support through everything.”

  After appropriate nods and quick smiles, Kane clasped his hands together. “Can we see him?”

  “Of course, but you’ll have to go in just a few at a time, I believe.”

  “Fine. Janet and I’ll go in, then we’ll let the others have a turn.”

  “The waiting room is outside the double doors at the end of the hall,” she told the others.

  Kane took his wife’s hand and together they slipped inside his uncle’s room. Haley watched the rest of the family walk toward the waiting room.

  Christina planted herself outside the door, her stance alert and protective. “A bit reserved, but that’s to be expected. At least they were outwardly friendly.”

  “At least.” Haley took a deep breath and followed her uncle and aunt into her grandfather’s room.

  Just as she shut the door, her phone buzzed. A text from Madison, the teen from the center.

  I’m so excited about tomorrow!!!!! I don’t want to bother you, but I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for us at the center!! You keep saying how much God loves us in spite of our circumstances…well, I just want to tell you I believe you because God put you in our lives. I’ve been thinking a lot and you said God always keeps his promises and so do you. I didn’t think anyone kept their promises or were worth believing in, but you’ve changed my mind!! So…thanks. See you in the morning!!!! P.S. Sorry for the long text, but I just wanted to tell you that. I love you, Haley!!!!!!

  Haley wanted to burst into tears. Instead she simply closed her eyes for a brief moment to collect her runaway emotions. Yes, she’d keep her promise. Please let me keep my promise, God.

  The knock on the door brought her head around. Steven stepped inside. Her heart pounded her happiness at his presence.

  “Hey,” he said softly.

  “Hey.” She stood to the side and he walked over to place a hand on her shoulder. She made the introductions and the three of them shook hands.

  Kane frowned. “I hope he wakes up soon. We have business to take care of.”

  “Kane!” His wife stared at him, her appalled expression matching Haley’s feelings exactly. But she kept her mouth shut as she figured his wife would take care of him.

  He snapped his lips shut, then grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”

  “Of course you didn’t,” Haley said. Janet pulled him from the room and Haley glanced at Steven with a raised brow. “Huh.”

  “Yeah.”

  She touched her grandfather’s hand. “I’ll be back, Daideo.”

  His fingers twitched, then lay still. She waited to see if he would do anything more, but after several minutes passed with no more movement, she moved toward the door. Steven followed her out and they came face-to-face with Lachlan and Maeve.

  “We wanted to see him,” Maeve said. “Is it all right?”

  Haley hesitated, feeling strangely protective of the man she’d only known existed for a few days. But these were his family and they’d come a long way to see him. That had to count for something, right? “Of course.” She looked at Steven. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “Don’t let us keep you,” Lachlan said.

  “You’re not keeping me.” But she wasn’t leaving him alone with her grandfather. Someone had tried to kill him twenty-five years ago, and while she may share blood with these people, she didn’t know them. Lachlan raised a brow. His wife frowned at her but said nothing as she stepped through the door Haley held open for her. Her gaze snagged Christina’s and the woman gave her a small nod.

  Haley hung back while the two of them stood at his bedside and talked to him briefly. Maeve touched his hand and leaned over to whisper something in his ear. Then she turned and walked from the room.

  Lachlan turned to her. “Who are you really?” he asked softly.

  Haley blinked. “What?”

  “Oh, you’ve done your homework, I’ll give you that, but no one really believes you’re Aileen, you know.”

  Haley had wondered what they’d truly thought about her and Ian’s claim that she was his granddaughter. Now she knew. “So you’ve come en masse to make sure that I’m not swindling your great uncle?”

  “Something like that.”

  “He found me.”

  “So he explained in his letter.”

  “What letter?”

  “The one he left, letting us know that he was off to South Carolina to get his granddaughter and bring her home so that she could take her rightful place in Burke’s Shipping.”

  “I see. Well, he did say something to that effect.”

  Lachlan looked back at the man in the bed. “So what did you do to him?”

  Haley blinked. “I did nothing. He has a tumor. It’s not very big, but apparently it’s been there for some time.”

  “And it just now decided to make its presence known?” He scoffed and turned to her. “He’s a good man. He’s loved me like my own grandfather—
more than my own. Uncle Ian had time for me when Grandfather didn’t. If I find you had anything to do with him winding up in this bed, I’ll make you pay, you understand?”

  He loved him and was hurting to see him like this. Haley relaxed her guard a fraction. “Sure, Lachlan, I understand. I mean him no harm, I promise you.”

  “Your promises mean nothing to me. I’m watching you.”

  He swept from the room and Haley let out a breath. Wow.

  Micah’s surgery was over and declared a success. Steven shook his head. It was hard to believe that kind of surgery took only about four hours. Micah’s had been done in four and a half. He was in recovery and Zeke was there with him, waiting for him to wake up. Laila continued to update them via texts.

  Steven tried to remember the last time he’d spent so much time in a hospital waiting room and couldn’t come up with it. He had permission from his captain to continue the investigation into the shooting that had wounded Haley and placed Duncan in the hospital. Carter James was expected to be able to talk soon, and Steven wanted to be there when he woke up.

  He had his laptop and could work, so that’s what he did. He’d taken it upon himself to find out everything he could about each one of Haley’s family members. He and Maddy sat side by side at the table in the waiting room and worked. She was in touch with one of the legal attachés in Dublin, and together they were getting the background they needed on each person.

  Haley slid into the chair beside him. “Anything?”

  “One thing strikes me as interesting,” Maddy said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Ian’s brother, Niall, is in hospice. He’s not expected to live much longer.”

  “What? Ian didn’t tell me that,” Haley said. “Someone—Kane—mentioned Niall had his own health issues, but nothing about the fact that he was dying.”

  “So don’t you find it interesting that practically his entire family left his side to come to Ian’s?”

  Haley rubbed her eyes. “That’s just weird. Isn’t it? And somehow wrong?”

  “Niall’s wife, Darcy, is with him.” Maddy shot her a tense smile. “I called hospice to see who was there. And the nurse told me there was a sister, Bridgett, who was staying with him and Darcy almost round the clock.”