Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Luckourt, Nicole

  Chase hesitated for a moment but didn’t back down. “Out of all the things you said you were scared of, I thought this would be the one we could do something about right now,” he said, his face earnest. “But it’s your choice. We can leave as easily as we came. Well, maybe even a little easier.” He gave her a crooked grin. “And I’d still think you’re very brave.”

  Jordan burst out laughing, partly from the irony of his characterization of her, but mostly from her nerves. She watched the couple before them fall from the sky and swing outward. “So, you think falling from—how many feet in the air is this thing?”

  “Probably about a hundred feet,” he said.

  “Falling from one hundred feet will help me with my fear of heights?”

  “What would it hurt to try?” he asked.

  He had a point.

  “You know what this type of intervention you’re suggesting is called? It’s called flooding. By exposing me to my admittedly unrealistic fear, it’s supposed to help me see that nothing bad will happen from being up high so, ultimately, there’s no point in being scared. Though, I guess in this case, I’d actually be falling…which could be a little traumatic…” She was purposely trying to mess with him now. She’d already decided that this was something she was going to do. Something that felt right for her now.

  Chase studied her closely. “Look, Jordan, like I said before, this is completely your choice. If you want to try it, I’m game to do it with you. If not, then we can find something else that I’m sure will be just as much fun. I did see a miniature golf course a little farther down the road.” He gave her a wink.

  Jordan peered up to the top of the tower then back at Chase.

  “What do you say?” He was holding out a hand to her.

  She grabbed his hand. “I say let’s do it!”

  Walking up to the ride hand in hand, she felt a little lightheaded. She resisted the urge to turn around and run back to the SUV. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anyone ahead of them. They were quickly ushered into an area where they were fitted with the flight suits. Jordan looked down at the suit.

  “It kind of reminds me of a pair of overalls.” She could hear the rustling of the stiff material every time she moved. “Well, overalls that feel like they were constructed out of a parachute.”

  “And built for two,” he said, waggling his eyebrows at her.

  Jordan rolled her eyes at him.

  Once the outerwear was secure, the attendants had them both lean forward. She and Chase were now dangling in the suit suspended from a cable tether.

  “Okay,” one of the attendants said in a jovial voice. “When you’re at the top, it’ll be ‘three, two, one, fly’ and your flight will begin!”

  A little too enthusiastic for me, Jordan thought as the two attendants headed toward the controls. She felt a tug and they were slowly being lifted into the air. The farther they went up, the more nervous she got. Before long, they were so high that they could see the entire beach city. Thankfully, it was dark outside, so there weren’t a lot of people the size of ants to look down upon. Instead, she focused on the city lights and skyline. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

  The movement stopped when they’d reached the top.

  “Chase” she said, hesitant.

  His reply was calm and soothing. “You’ve got this.”

  Before she had much more time to think about the next step, the attendant’s voice boomed over the PA. “Three, two, one, fly!”

  The next thing she knew, they were plummeting through the air. Initially, she didn’t detect any tension from the stretchy cable they were suspended from. It was as if they were freefalling the hundred feet down and she’d abandoned her stomach at the top. After a few frightening seconds, the falling sensation dissipated and she was towed forward. The phase of the ride where they’d swing from side to side through the night sky began.

  “This is unbelievable!” she said, her heart still racing.

  “I hope that’s unbelievably good and not bad.”

  “Unbelievable in the best way.”

  The ground was getting closer as they gradually dropped back down. She loved feeling the wind blow her hair as they swung back and forth in their descent. Only then did she realize she was holding on to Chase’s arm with a viselike grip.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, beginning to let go a little.

  He used his other hand to hold her hands in place. “It’s fine,” he said. “That was awesome. You were awesome.”

  Jordan felt exhilarated as they neared the ground. “Have you ever done anything like this before?”

  Chase looked at her thoughtfully, a mixture of longing and admiration on his face. “Nothing quite like this.”

  The look on his face heated her from head to toe while the words sunk straight into her heart. She was certain she’d felt nothing quite like it either.

  The euphoric feeling clung to her for the duration of the ride back to the condo. They pulled into the entrance and she turned to him, her eyes sparkling. “That was a perfect end to this wonderful night. Thank you, Chase, for everything.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

  §

  As soon as he spoke the words, he realized he meant them. There was nowhere else he’d have rather been than with her on this night. More surprisingly, the realization didn’t even shock him.

  He guided her through the parking garage and into the condo. Careful to remain on guard, he conducted an exhaustive walk-through of the condo when they entered. There hadn’t been anything, so far, to indicate that their guy had discovered their location. But he was leaving nothing to chance.

  Once he confirmed that all was fine, Jordan slid out of her sandals and removed her phone from her purse. “Oh, no. The music must’ve drowned out my cell ringing,” she said, reading the notifications on her phone. “I have a couple of missed calls from the office and one from Karen.”

  “It’s probably too late to call now. What do you think?” Chase asked.

  Jordan glanced down at her watch, her brows lifting as she saw both hands situated squarely at the top. “Yeah, I’m sure Karen and Mike are asleep by now. I’ll try her back in the morning and check in with Nancy. Hopefully, it was nothing important. The last time she called, she only wanted to know what I thought of the place. Well, and to assure me things were going smoothly at the office.” She chuckled.

  “She knows you too well,” he said in a lighthearted manner. The thought struck him that he’d gotten to know her fairly well too, as he immediately understood Jordan’s amusement—that the true intent of Karen’s call was to assuage Jordan’s worry about their practice. And after their experience tonight, he felt even closer to her. “Well, I guess this is goodnight.” He moved toward her and lowered his voice. “I’m glad you enjoyed tonight. It was good to see you having fun.” He rested a hand on her arm. “And it was awesome to see you flying through the air.”

  “More like falling through the air,” she said with a grin. Then she looked up at him and her expression became more solemn. “It’s something I’ll definitely never forget…” She took a hesitant step forward.

  He knew he shouldn’t, particularly after his statements at the restaurant, but he couldn’t help but to pull her close and tuck her up next to him. For a minute, he’d allow himself to get lost in her, absorbing every detail that enticed his senses. He brushed his lips against the top of her head and breathed in the sweet scent that had haunted him since their first kiss. Her silky hair tickled his nose, but he didn’t budge. His pulse quickened as he marveled at how they fit together perfectly, each of her curves finding a home against his solid frame. Having her pressed against him was a mixture of torture and bliss. Every one of his nerve endings was on end and uninhibitedly receptive to all that was her. After his minute had more than passed, he knew he had to let her go…for now. Using every bit of willpower that’d taken him years to develop, he wrenched himself back from her.

  Looking dow
n, he saw her eyes open slowly, still clouded with desire, and her dark hair tousled from the embrace.

  Letting out a deep breath, she nodded her head in understanding. “Goodnight, Chase,” she said, her voice husky.

  Damn, he didn’t want this night to end. He reminded himself that he wanted to do things right with her. The reminder provided only a minuscule amount of relief, while the more primal part of him thought of the numerous ways to do things right with her.

  “Night,” he said, retreating to his room while he could.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Chase had been sure he’d have had trouble sleeping, but the next morning, he woke up feeling rested and still a little energized from the night before. He threw on a T-shirt and cargo shorts and headed out into the living room. Jordan was already awake and talking on the phone. From the bits of the conversation he heard, he could tell she was briefing Karen on her Skycoaster adventure.

  “I really did!” she exclaimed. After a brief pause, she continued. “I know. I couldn’t believe it myself. But Karen, it was the best feeling.” She looked up to see him standing there. “Oh, Chase just walked in. I’m going to go and see what we’re doing for breakfast.”

  Chase couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but he saw Jordan’s eyes widen.

  “I know it does, but it’s not like that,” she said, turning her back toward him. Her hair was swept up in a messy bun with escaped tendrils drifting around her face. She began to laugh while tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

  He wondered what was being said on the other side.

  “I promise,” she was now saying. “And I’ll call the detective back first. Keep your fingers crossed that it’s good news.”

  Chase tried not to be distracted by how beautiful she looked with wisps of coffee-colored hair framing her flushed makeup-free face. “Morning,” he said as she set the phone down. “What was that about?”

  Before he could clarify that he meant the part about the detective, Jordan turned a deeper shade of red. He suppressed a smile. The woman had no need for cosmetics. She created her own often enough.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was wondering why you were supposed to call Detective Larson today?” he asked.

  “Right,” she replied. “Karen said he called the office yesterday, shortly before they closed, looking for me. He didn’t say what it was, but Nancy took the call and told him she’d be sure to get the message to me. Of course, she’s used to me returning her calls almost as soon as she’s finished leaving the voicemail.” She turned her eyes skyward. “Last night was definitely an anomaly.”

  “Maybe they’ve got a lead on this guy’s ID. The last time I spoke with Larson, he said they were subpoenaing the airtime minutes of Rigdon and were going to have him identify the number of the guy who hired him. From there, they would attempt to follow the numbers trail.”

  “But I thought the guy who hired Rigdon used a throwaway phone?”

  “Yeah, he did, but there are a few ways they can still trace it back to a general location. Why don’t you call him back now and see what’s going on?” He hoped the detective had gotten a break in the case. The jerk didn’t deserve to be running free while Jordan was confined to looking over her shoulder every day.

  §

  Jordan picked her phone back up and dialed Larson. He answered right away. She hit the speaker button so both she and Chase could hear him. “Detective, this is Jordan Clayton. I received a message that you’d been trying to get in touch with me. Chase Armstrong is also on the line.”

  “Hello, Jordan, Chase. Yes, I was calling to let you know that we’ve arrested a suspect in your case. We were able to trace a location from the phone used to call Rigdon and set up the deal. Lucky for us, the suspect left it on, and we were able to isolate a possible residence within a one-block radius. We went ahead and compared the location to forensic cases you were assigned to. Don’t worry, only the ones from public records. We found one match—a Mr. Charles Buckman. Interestingly, when we followed up with Keith Lancaster after your call, he’d reported that this same guy was very critical of your work. Keith told us Buckman’s comments were the main reason he initially didn’t want you assigned to evaluate his father.”

  Jordan immediately recognized the name as the father in a child-custody dispute she’d been hired to work. It had been a particularly heated case, with allegations of abuse and neglect made from both sides. Ultimately, the judge had used the information gained from the psychological evaluations to render a decision and placed the children in the custody of their mother.

  “Yes, I remember the case,” she stated.

  “Well, turns out the wife had recently filed a restraining order against him following threats that he was going to get his revenge. During our interview, he confessed to hiring Rigdon. Bank records verified five thousand had been withdrawn from his account, just prior to the first pickup date Rigdon reported. Almost everything fits the timeframe perfectly.”

  Jordan listened without comment. She knew she should feel relieved, but strangely enough, hearing the details only made it more real to her. Putting a face and a name she knew with the man who’d been trying to kill her brought the whole thing home for her.

  Bending her head down, she shut her eyes and covered her face with her hands. It was a lot to process. She was vaguely aware of Chase now standing behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

  “You still there?” the detective asked.

  “Yes,” she managed to get out. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

  Chase circled his thumb around her shoulder, gently massaging her tightened muscle while he listened to the discussion. “You said everything almost fits the timeframe perfectly,” he interjected. “Is there something that doesn’t?”

  “Well, he still isn’t admitting to trying to run you guys off the road or sending the letter and showing up at the house. But there’s little doubt we’ve got our guy. I think he figured out how much trouble he was in after admitting to the attempted hit and clammed up. Said he wasn’t answering anything else without his attorney present.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine he would,” Chase said. “So, he’s in custody now?”

  Jordan’s breath caught at his question. She surely hoped so. Chase was still kneading her shoulder, and she leaned into him to intensify the pressure.

  “Oh, yeah. He isn’t going anywhere. Arraignment is tomorrow, and the judge will probably withhold bail, given the situation and potential threat to everyone. But I can call and let you know for sure,” Larson said.

  Jordan found herself feeling a little more grounded with Chase’s help. “Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your work on the case. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to know you’ve got him in custody.”

  “No problem. I’m real sorry you’ve had to go through this. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

  “We’ll be looking out for your call,” she said before hanging up. She let out deep sigh.

  Chase turned her around to face him, his eyes emanating concern. “Well, I’ll say that definitely qualifies as good news, but I know it’s a crappy situation. Are you okay?”

  “Yes. No. It is good news. It’s just… Is it weird that I still feel… I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words.” She smiled wryly. “I guess I need one of those feeling charts like we use for the kids. The ones where they can touch the face that reflects their emotions.”

  “Are you still scared?” he asked.

  “No, not scared, but vulnerable maybe? Like I’ve been taking things for granted that aren’t really givens.” She offered him a questioning gaze, not sure if she was making sense.

  “I get it,” he said softly. “It changes the way you look at things—but not entirely in a good way,” Chase said, raking a hand through his wavy hair.

  She nodded slowly. “I think so. I mean, I know what can happen from working with trauma victims, and I’ve reviewed more police reports than I care to remember, but it
’s so different to be in the situation myself. There’s a part of me that wants to go back to how I saw things before this happened.”

  He reached out, placing both of his large hands on her forearms, his feet planted squarely in front of her. “It takes time, Jordan. Give yourself that. Things will get easier.”

  She nodded. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her feel like he was speaking from his experience. Given his life experiences, he probably was. She thought back to their earlier conversation. He’d said that he’d made a mistake when he’d been protecting someone. What had he meant? She wondered if he’d ever share the details with her.

  Chase let his hands fall back to his sides, and she tried to concentrate on the present.

  “So, what happens next?” she asked, pinning him with her stare. She’d directed the conversation into rough waters. Her emotions were raw, and any control she had was precarious. Dealing with whatever she and Chase shared now might be more than she could bear. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I’m not going anywhere until we hear from Detective Larson tomorrow,” he said in a firm tone. “If the judge denies bail, this guy won’t be getting out any time soon. With a felony conviction, he’ll be in prison for years.”

  “And after tomorrow?” Jordan tried to pose the question casually, but her heart was in her throat as she waited for him to reply.

  Her feelings weren’t one-sided. She was certain of that. Though at the beginning she’d had her doubts, his attraction to her was readily apparent now that she knew him better. It was his entire reason for holding back that she wasn’t sure of. If this guy was held behind bars tomorrow, Chase wouldn’t be her bodyguard anymore. There’d be no more conflict of interests. His job wasn’t well suited to a long-term relationship; nevertheless, she was willing to give it a try if he was. But a relationship with her had to be something he wanted as much as she did.

  Chase looked past her for a moment and then met her questioning gaze. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. If this guy Buckman isn’t a threat anymore, I’ll probably head back to Orlando tomorrow. There are some things I’ve been putting off in the business that I need to get to.”