Deadly Deception

by Marissa Garner

  “Oh right. Sure.” After yanking her key ring from the Camry’s ignition, she separated the Buick key and handed it to him. “They gave me one to both their vehicles when I moved home.”

  He nodded and trudged to the back of the Buick as he pulled on latex gloves from his pocket. Without a glance at her, Sean joined him.

  Tears stung Jessie’s eyes. Only Sean Burke could make me forget for even a moment that my mother is missing. I can’t let him affect me like that.

  Despite her resolve, his image swam in her tears. At twenty-nine, Sean—with his ruggedly handsome features—gave the impression of an all-American hero. But she knew better: The guy was a royal jerk.

  When she’d stood close to him, she had seen finely etched stress lines, probably the result of dealing with criminals in LA. He now wore his wavy, dark red hair much shorter than when they’d been together. LAPD code, no doubt. And his hazel eyes were world-weary instead of twinkling with love and mischief.

  She gulped, blinked her tears into submission, and stared at the two men unlocking the trunk. What they were doing suddenly registered with a jolt. Oh God no. Please, please don’t be in…

  When the lid popped open, she held her breath. Luke and Sean leaned different ways to inspect the trunk without touching anything. After what seemed like forever, Luke stepped away from the car and shook his head no emphatically.

  Air swooshed out of her lungs. She splayed her hand on her chest and fell back against the Camry.

  Luke hurried over and gave her a reassuring smile. “That’s the cleanest trunk I’ve ever seen.”

  Jessie managed a faint smile in return while struggling to ignore Sean’s piercing stare.

  Luke rested his hand on her shoulder. “Do you want to file a missing person report?”

  “I do, but…”

  “But?”

  “I called Dad while I was waiting for you and explained about the car. He said, ‘No way in…’” She took a deep breath. “He doesn’t want to file an official report.”

  “Why not?”

  “He thinks Mom’s just having a temper tantrum.”

  “About what?”

  Jessie shrugged. “Nothing major. Just a disagreement with him about buying something for Callie. Oh, and she had a fight with Nate.”

  Luke rolled his eyes. “What this time?”

  Her gaze wandered to Sean. She yanked it back and cleared her throat before responding. “I wasn’t home but probably about the usual: money and meds.”

  “Is he asking your mom for money again?” Luke asked.

  “Most likely. Or she suspects he’s not taking his meds.”

  “Right. I know that’s a big issue. Have you checked to see if anyone’s heard from her?”

  “Of course. Everyone we could think of. No one’s talked to her since this morning.”

  Luke scratched his head and glanced away. “Maybe someone’s not telling you the truth to help your mom get away from it all for a little while.”

  She gulped. God, she hated feeling Sean’s gaze on her. It disrupted her concentration, and her mother needed her to concentrate fully right now. Shifting closer to Luke, she braced her hands on her hips. “Seriously, Luke. You know my mom. Would she hide from us? From her problems?”

  “I agree. Temper tantrums and running away don’t sound like Molly Freeman.”

  “I know something’s wrong, but Dad will have a heart attack if I file a report against his wishes.”

  He sighed. “At least there’s no indication of foul play. And the car isn’t damaged, so there wasn’t an accident. The shoulder doesn’t show any signs of a fight or even a scuffle. In fact, I don’t see any evidence that your mother did anything other than voluntarily walk away from the vehicle.” He jammed his hands into his pockets. “That should make you feel a little better.”

  “Not much.” Jessie rubbed her hand across her eyes, which were threatening to tear up again.

  Luke exhaled. “Look, I can do two things tonight. I’ll have the car impounded so we can search it for evidence later if we need to. I could catch some shit, and you might have to cough up the fee if it turns out to be unnecessary. I can also take your and Hal’s statements while you find me a recent photo of Molly. Then you call tomorrow if you convince him to file an official report. Deal?”

  She drew a deep breath, and once again, her eyes strayed to Sean. Damn, he was so infuriating. “Fine. But I don’t want him involved at all.”

  * * *

  The tow truck stopped in front of the 7-Eleven long enough for Sean to hop out before it rumbled down the road, dragging the Buick behind it. He sighed and stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. This helpless feeling sucked.

  Especially since it involved Jess.

  He ambled into the store and bought another large coffee. He’d lost the first one when Luke drove off to the Freeman house and left him with the Buick to wait for the tow truck. Normally he didn’t drink coffee at nine-thirty, but he doubted he’d sleep tonight anyway.

  Especially after seeing Jess.

  When Sean trudged inside his brother’s apartment, it felt emptier than usual. Grumbling to himself, he dropped onto the couch and aimed the remote at the TV. But instead of the images on the screen, all Sean could see was Jess in Luke’s arms. Son of a bitch. How could his buddy be such a traitor?

  Especially with Jess.

  Even more surprising was his ex-girlfriend’s response to seeing him. Awkward, he would understand. Embarrassed would’ve made sense, too. But why the hell was Jess so angry? She had dumped him, after all. Well, technically, her stepdad had been the one to call with the devastating news. And Hal had been more than blunt: “Jessie doesn’t want to waste her life with a pig.” Sean would never forget her reason for breaking up with him. And Jess not bothering to dump him herself still stung. He sighed heavily and drank a swig of coffee.

  While he’d dated Jess, he’d known Hal had no respect for law enforcement officers of any kind, but his girlfriend had never shared her stepdad’s views. Apparently, with Sean away at college, Hal had managed to brainwash her. But then, why would she be hooked up with good ole boy Deputy Luke? If she’d turned against law enforcement, that didn’t make sense.

  Closing his eyes, Sean pushed his head back on the cushion. God, she had looked great tonight. Even with her ready to bite his head off, he’d wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her. And kiss her. And make…

  Shit. Not gonna happen. Deal with it.

  He shook his head and straightened. Despite the black cloud of his history with Jess, he remembered Molly Freeman fondly. The lady had always been nice to him, and she had no grudge against law enforcement. But what could he do about her disappearance? Jess didn’t want him involved, and her new boyfriend didn’t either.

  Sean scrubbed a hand across his face. They didn’t have to know he was doing a little digging behind the scenes. His training included how to investigate missing person cases, but he’d only worked a few. Fortunately, he knew someone who would know not only how to follow the rules but also how to get around them.

  Sean clicked off the TV, tossed the remote aside, and grabbed his cell. The phone rang several times before Jake Stone answered.

  “This better be important, Burke.”

  “Why? You busy?”

  “You might call it that,” his friend growled.

  Sean grinned. Jake’s girlfriend, Angela, had joined the men for dinner at Jake’s place earlier that evening. In fact, he’d been returning from seeing them when Luke had pulled him over on Highway 67. Angela must still be there, probably in bed since it was now about ten. Too bad. This couldn’t wait.

  “Sorry, Stone, but I need advice on a missing person investigation.”

  “Right now?” Jake groaned. “You were here just a few hours ago. Why didn’t you ask me then?”

  “I didn’t know the person was missing then.”

  “Well, shit. Just a minute.”

  He heard muffled talking a
nd rustling sheets. He chuckled. Jake would want to kick his ass for interrupting, but Sean knew how to handle the security expert and private investigator, who was a former Navy SEAL and CIA operative. The man’s bark was much worse than his bite. Unless you were a bad guy. Sean and Jake shared the common philosophy of not tolerating bad guys. Their philosophy was part of the bond forged while working together on Angela’s case, the case that had landed Sean on suspension.

  “You owe me,” Jake muttered when he came back on the phone. He cleared his throat. “Who’s missing?”

  “The mother of…uh…an ex-girlfriend. Name’s Molly Freeman.”

  “How ex?”

  “Eight years.”

  “Good. Ancient history. Don’t need this to get messy.”

  Sean cringed. “Right.”

  “Talk to me.”

  He released a long breath before explaining the circumstances, conveniently leaving out the part about Jess’s angry reaction and slap.

  Jake snorted. “Basically, you have no evidence, no motive, and no suspects. Hell, you don’t even know for sure she’s missing.”

  “Sums it up pretty tight. I suppose I should start with the males closest to the victim.”

  “Statistics would say so. Who are the lucky guys?”

  “Her husband, Hal. Her son, Nate. And I guess her brother, Chad…uh…Something.”

  “Hmmm, all relatives. Do you know where the family skeletons are hidden?”

  “Nope. Didn’t pay attention to that sort of stuff back when I was dating her daughter.”

  Jake chuckled. “More interested in anatomy lessons?”

  Sean grunted. “Give the man a gold star.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Jess. Jessica…Hargrove.”

  “Hargrove?”

  “Yeah. Divorced with a kid. A little girl, I think.”

  “Could her ex-husband have any role in this?”

  Sean frowned. “Don’t know. I think Jess lived in Chicago while she was married, so the guy may not be local.”

  “I heard there are these things with wings that can fly all the way from Chicago to San Diego. Ever hear of them?”

  “Okay, smart-ass. I’ll add Mr. Hargrove to the list when I find out his full name.”

  “Good. The sheriff’s department isn’t doing anything?”

  “As I said, Hal Freeman doesn’t want to file an official report because he thinks his wife is just pouting. Thankfully, the deputy didn’t see any signs of foul play.”

  “Maybe he didn’t look close enough.”

  “I was there, too, and didn’t see anything suspicious.” Sean grimaced. To be totally honest, he’d been more focused on Jess than on the site as a potential crime scene. He sure as hell wasn’t going to admit that to Jake, though. “But I want to take another look.”

  “Make it quick. Clock’s ticking. The first hours are critical in a missing person case.”

  “I know. I know. I want to come over tomorrow to do my research with those handy-dandy computer research tools you were bragging about today.”

  “The legal…or illegal ones?”

  “Both.”

  * * *

  After watching the darkness swallow Luke’s patrol car as he drove away, Jessie closed and locked the front door. She turned around and crossed her arms over her chest. “You didn’t have to be so rude.”

  “You didn’t have to call the damn cops. I told you Molly will come home when she calms down,” Hal said, pushing out of the recliner.

  Her hands dropped to her hips as she marched toward him. “Everything changed when I found Mom’s car. How can you not understand that?”

  “What I understand is her little hissy fit will be the talk of the town tomorrow. You’ll have embarrassed her and, well, all of us. Hope you’re happy.” He scowled at her before trudging toward the hallway. “I’m going to bed. Good night. Again.”

  “Seriously? How can you sleep with Mom missing?”

  He didn’t even stop when he answered. “Easy. Close my eyes and snore. Try it. Works like a charm.” He disappeared into the dark hallway.

  Jessie clamped her hand over her mouth. She wanted to scream at him for his lack of concern, but she couldn’t risk waking Callie. Oh, God, how am I going to tell Callie that her grandmother is missing?

  She checked the windows and doors and then checked them again. Feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders, she lumbered into her bedroom and shut the door. After changing into her nightgown, she stood at the window and stared at the moon. Helplessness enveloped her. How could this be happening? Stuff like this didn’t happen to regular people.

  Tears blurred her view of the moonlit property, the home that had once been her sanctuary. But a lot of the tranquility came from her mother’s calm confidence. What would she do if she lost that?

  “Mama, don’t leave me,” she whispered to the night. “I’ve already lost so many people I loved: Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Sally, and even Drake, in a different way.” She paused. “And Sean.” She swiped at the tears meandering down her cheeks. “I can’t lose you, too, Mama. I just can’t.”

  She closed her eyes and pressed her palms against them to stop the flow of tears. After several deep breaths, she blinked to clear her vision.

  She jerked back from the window and stepped to the side. Someone was walking along the road not too far from the house. Size and movement suggested a man, but a bulky, dark hoodie hid the person’s upper body and head. He walked with purposeful strides and aimed a flashlight into the deep ditch running alongside the road. As she watched, he stopped and bent down to inspect something on the ground. Although he was heading away from the house, his proximity ignited a spark of concern and sent her heart racing.

  Jessie glanced at the alarm clock: almost eleven. Who would be out walking this time of night? What would someone be looking for along the road?

  Her breath caught. Didn’t criminals often return to the scenes of their crimes? Could this person know something about her mom’s disappearance? Was he responsible? Could he be making sure he hadn’t left any evidence?

  Barely taking her eyes off the man, she ripped off her nightgown and threw on sweats. The man was moving steadily, and by the time she was ready, she could hardly see him anymore.

  She snagged her purse and raced through the house. She cursed as she struggled with the locks and then darted out the back door to her car. As soon as she was on the road, she reached into her purse for her cell to call Luke.

  Speeding without her headlights, she hoped to catch the suspect by surprise. She spotted the figure ahead of her, his flashlight and attention focused on the ditch. Looking down at her cell, she frantically scrolled through her contact list searching for Luke. The phone wobbled in her hand, and she fumbled it onto the passenger-side floorboard.

  “Damn!”

  She leaned down, past the console, stretching to grab her cell. Suddenly, the car jerked hard.

  She shot upright. Had she hit something?

  Thankfully no, but she’d drifted off the asphalt roadway and into a patch of several large rocks on the gravel shoulder. The steering wheel bounced wildly in her hands as she struggled to grip it.

  She glanced ahead, and her eyes widened. The hoodie-wearing stranger stood directly in her path.

  She screamed and slammed on the brakes.

  The man’s head whipped around. Their gazes collided.

  Just before she hit him.

  Chapter 3

  A voice called to Sean through the darkness, but he couldn’t make out the words over the jackhammering in his head. Shut the fuck up, already. I can’t hear you. The constant pounding seemed to be pulling him up, up, up, like the crank on the back of a tow truck. If the pain ricocheting around his body was any indication of what awaited him at the top, he wasn’t sure he wanted to surface.

  The voice came again, louder, clearer. Damn, I must be getting close. The rhythmic beating quieted. The cocooning darkness faded. The thr
obbing pain increased. Aw, shit.

  “Sean Burke, don’t you dare die on me. If I kill you, I want to do it with my bare hands, not my car. Do you hear me?”

  “Yeah. Loud…and clear,” he mumbled. He managed to open his eyes a slit, but the world was a blur.

  Jess squealed. “Oh, thank God, you’re not dead.”

  “I got…the message. You want…to use…your hands.” He groaned at the effort required to speak and let his eyes close. His chest ached as if his lungs had been crushed and were working overtime to inflate. Warm liquid ran down the right side of his face. He wanted to touch it, but his hands wouldn’t respond to his brain. Oh shit. Not good. Not good at all.

  “Sean, wake up. Are you all right?”

  “What do…you think? You hit me…with a car,” he muttered without opening his eyes. “Slapping me is one thing. Running me down…is over the top.”

  “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t know it was you. I thought you were the person who took my mother. I mean I didn’t try to hit him either. I was calling Luke and dropped my phone. Then I ran off the road.”

  Her barrage of words bounced off his brain like sleet on concrete. He flinched. Focus.

  “Oh no, you’re in pain. Where does it hurt?”

  “Everywhere.” When he opened his eyes, her panicked expression gave him some satisfaction.

  “Your head is bleeding…bad. I should call an ambulance.” She rose from her knees.

  “No,” he ground out.

  She stopped and rubbed her hand across her forehead. “Well…okay. I know. I’ll call Luke.”

  “Fuck no,” he snapped, more emphatic this time, and paid the price with a lightning bolt inside his skull.

  “But…but…” She dropped back onto her knees next to him. “I’ve got to stop the bleeding.” She leaned across him and moved his hood away from the injury. “Ugh. Your sweatshirt and cut are full of dirt and gravel. I need something clean to press against it. Do you have anything?”

  “Not…handy.” He grimaced as a wave of nausea swept through him.

  Jess glanced around at the darkness. Did she expect something to magically show up? His gaze dropped to her clothes.