Deadly Deception

by Marissa Garner

  “Aw, c’mon. We’ll leave both doors open. You’ll hear when she wakes up. You don’t have to go.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s not an obligation. I want to be there for her.” She pushed the sheet off and stood up. “Things are different, Sean. It can never be the way it was.”

  As he watched her leave, he wondered if her words were a warning.

  Chapter 14

  Monday morning, a small finger poked Jessie’s shoulder. Repeatedly. “Mommy, Mommy, is he still on time-out?”

  “Huh? Who?” Jessie mumbled into the pillow.

  “Mr. Sean. You know, for fighting with Grandpa. He keeps looking at us.”

  Yawning, Jessie rolled over and stretched. The nightgown she’d put on after returning from Sean’s bed slid sensuously over her body. Her nerve endings were still super sensitive, but her limbs felt like limp linguine. The tension and tight muscles were gone. Amazing what great sex could do for a woman.

  “He’s here again.” Callie squealed and hid under the sheet. “I don’t likes him.”

  Jessie raised her head.

  Holding two cups of steaming coffee, Sean stood in the doorway. “Okay if I come in, ladies?” he asked, his tone uncertain.

  “No,” Callie snapped from beneath the covers.

  “Callie, behave. This is Sean’s bedroom. We should be thankful he let us sleep here.”

  He arched one eyebrow as he strolled across the room. Warmth crept up her neck all the way to her cheeks. If he’d had his way, she would still be on the futon in the other bedroom. And definitely not wearing a nightgown.

  “I wanna go home,” the little girl whined. “To my own bedroom.”

  “We will,” Jessie said. I just don’t know when.

  Sean handed her a cup and then reached into his pocket. “You got a call about five minutes ago.”

  After a sip of coffee, she took her cell phone and tapped the screen. “Oh, sh—” She bit off the end of the forbidden word. “Work. I forgot to send them an email about not coming in today. They’re looking for me because I’m an hour late. I can’t believe I slept so long.”

  “I can. You were exhausted.”

  “Yeah. Well, now I’ve got another problem.” She set her cup on the nightstand and scrambled out of bed. The phone to her ear, she hurried out of the bedroom. “Good morning, Rita. Is Mark in?”

  “You okay, Jessica? We tried to call you,” the receptionist said.

  “No, I’m not okay. I have…a personal emergency. I’ll explain to Mark, and he can spread the word.”

  “Fine. Take care, honey.”

  Fifteen seconds later, her boss came on the phone. “Not like you to be late, Jessica. We got worried. Is everything okay?”

  “Actually, no.” She gave him a brief description of the situation.

  “That’s awful. You must be devastated.”

  “Yes, I am. I really don’t think I can work until…we find her.”

  Mark hesitated. “How long will that be?”

  “I…I don’t know. I’m so sorry. Is this going to be a problem?” Translation: Will I still have a job?

  “I can get a temp in here within the hour. However, I don’t have time to bring someone up to speed on your responsibilities since you’re working on so many projects. Could you come in briefly to handle that?”

  “Sure. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Thanks.” Jessie immediately disconnected and then called Karla.

  “H’lo,” a sleepy voice answered.

  “Karla, sorry to wake you. I thought you’d be at the shop already. I need someone to watch Callie for a little while.”

  “Um, girlfriend, I’m still in LA with Troy.”

  “Oh, crap. I forgot. It’s been crazy here.”

  “Any word on your mom?”

  “No, nothing.”

  “Do you need me to come home?”

  “No, thanks anyway. You couldn’t get here fast enough. You enjoy the day with your hottie and call me when you get back.”

  “Okay. Hang in there, Jessie.”

  Her chin drooped after she disconnected. She needed to get herself oriented. Unfortunately, this was definitely Monday. Not only did she need to take care of the work situation, but she also wanted to stop by Mr. Swanson’s office to discuss the restraining order against Drake. Four slashed tires sent a strong message of violence. The update might make a difference.

  She sighed. No way could she drag her energetic four-year-old daughter along to either her job or the lawyer’s office.

  “I can watch Callie, babe,” Sean said from behind her. “How hard can it be?”

  She turned and chuckled. “You’d be surprised.”

  “I might miss having a translator, but I don’t think I can do much harm.”

  Callie sprinted down the hallway, flung herself against Jessie, and clung to her mother’s legs. “No, no, I don’t wants to stay with Mr. Sean. He might fights me.”

  Raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, he took a step back and looked to Jessie for support. His phone saved him from an awkward moment. “What’s up, Stone?”

  Jessie frowned as a dark shadow crossed Sean’s face. His hazel eyes hardened, and a muscle ticked in his cheek.

  “Right. On my way.” He disconnected. “Callie wins. I have to go see my friend.”

  Without waiting for a response, he hurried into the master bedroom and shut the door.

  Jessie stared after him for several moments. Stone? That was the name of the friend he’d given Luke last night, the PI who was Sean’s alibi for when her mom disappeared on Friday. Was Stone the friend Sean had also gone to see yesterday? What was he doing with this private investigator that would prompt such an ominous reaction? It couldn’t have anything to do with her problems, could it?

  Callie tugged on her nightgown. “Can Uncle Nate watch me?”

  “Oh, good idea, munchkin. Let’s call him.”

  “Any news?” Nate answered.

  “Not about Mom.” She crossed her fingers. “Are you…feeling okay?”

  He paused. “You mean, have I taken my meds?” Frustration vibrated in his voice. “Yeah, with tequila…for breakfast.”

  “Don’t be a smart-ass. I need to know if you’re feeling up to babysitting Callie.”

  “I’m not a baby,” Callie announced loud enough for her uncle to hear.

  Jessie rolled her eyes.

  “Why?” Nate’s tone turned suspicious.

  “Because I have to go into work to get things organized so I can take time off until…until things calm down. Then I need to stop by the attorney’s office to talk about Drake. Obviously, Callie can’t come with me. Besides, it could take a few hours. Can you help me?”

  “Sure. I’ll be over in a few minutes.”

  “Uh, no, no, wait.” She couldn’t let him know she and Callie weren’t at home. Or about spending the night with Sean. “I need to get us both ready. And I think she wants to play at your place. With your Legos.”

  He chuckled. “No problem. We had fun with them last time.”

  “Great.”

  “And I’ll clean up. You know, put all the booze and pills away.”

  “Nate, please. We’re all just worried about you.”

  “Not everyone.”

  “Who—”

  “Forget it. See ya when ya get here.”

  Before Jessie got herself and Callie bathed and dressed, Sean had left for Valley Center. He’d worn such a grim expression it frightened her, but she didn’t have time to ask him what was wrong.

  Driving past her parents’ house on the way to Nate’s, she didn’t see any signs of her stepdad, but he could be inside and the truck in the garage. She glanced down at her clothes. Way too casual and wrinkled for the office, but she didn’t want to risk running into Hal if she stopped to change. Her boss would understand the extenuating circumstances, wouldn’t he? Otherwise, her appearance was the least of her concerns at the moment.

  Nate seemed genuinely pleased to ha
ve Callie visit, and she was bouncing gleefully by the time Jessie pulled out of his driveway. She didn’t even get a good-bye wave from her daughter. She sighed with relief that she’d been able to make acceptable babysitting arrangements on such short notice.

  On the thirty-minute drive to San Diego, Jessie tried to get her mind around how to efficiently transfer her job to the temp. But focusing was hard. Her organizational thoughts were disrupted by worry for her mom, anxiety about Drake, anger at her stepdad, and hot flashes from memories of last night with Sean. She shook her head with frustration. It was a miracle she could even remember her name and the date.

  As promised, Mark had the temp waiting for her in the conference room when she arrived. Her boss’s genuine concern eased Jessie’s fear for her job. Hopefully his reaction meant job hunting wouldn’t be added to her growing list of battles.

  She was almost halfway through the pile of files with the temp when her cell rang.

  “Sorry, gotta check this. It might be about my daughter.” Her mind added or Mom or Drake. But when she snagged the phone from her purse, no familiar name was on the screen. The local number looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Without answering, she laid the cell next to her purse.

  She opened another file and started an explanation. Her cell dinged with a text. Scowling, she leaned over to see the screen. Urgent. Call me. S. Swanson. The message had come from the same number as the call. Apprehension gripped her. Good news or bad?

  “Guess I need to check on this after all,” she said, turning to the temp. “Shouldn’t take but a few minutes. You can read these papers in the meantime.”

  Standing at the end of the empty hallway, she called the attorney.

  Mr. Swanson skipped the normal pleasantries and answered with, “Any news on Mol…your mother?”

  His voice sounded strained, and his brusque intensity ratcheted up her concern.

  “Unfortunately, no. The sheriff’s department is doing all they can. And, frankly, I’ve run out of ideas of things to do myself.”

  “As have I.” He sighed. “I need to see you, Ms. Hargrove, as soon as possible.”

  “I was planning to come by your office after I finish here at work. Did you talk to the judge about the restraining order?”

  “Yes, but that’s not why I’m calling.”

  She frowned. “It’s not? What…?”

  “This is a rather delicate matter, Ms. Hargrove.”

  Delicate matter? What’s he talking about? Does he know where Mom is? No way.

  “So you won’t be able to get here until after five?” he continued.

  “Normally. But I’m just showing someone how to cover for me until…until Mom comes back. I should be done in less than an hour.”

  He exhaled loudly. “Good, good. Can you be in my office by one?”

  She glanced at her watch. “I think I can make that.”

  “See you then.”

  He was gone before she could ask about the “delicate matter.”

  Back in the conference room, she went through the rest of the files as fast as possible with the temp. As she worked, her mind kept returning to the odd comment by Mr. Swanson. What could be delicate about a restraining order? Was there something else going on with Drake that she was unaware of?

  Finally, she finished the work, thanked her boss, and hit the road to Ramona. Thoughts flew through her head as quickly as the passing scenery. Sean hadn’t called. Should she call him? No, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had caused his grim mood. Was Callie doing okay with Nate? Her daughter was definitely showing signs of stress from the recent events. Should she call? No, Nate would’ve texted if anything was wrong. Better to finish up her business and then pick up Callie. But where would they go? Jessie was still so angry with her stepdad that she wasn’t sure she could stand being in the same house with him. Worry grew with each passing minute. Oh God, my life is a mess.

  Releasing a perplexed sigh, she parked down the street from Mr. Swanson’s law office. Please, please have some good news for me.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Hargrove,” the receptionist greeted her. “We’ve been expecting you.”

  “Hi. Sorry I’m late.”

  “Not a problem. The others are already in the conference room.”

  She blinked. Others? Who?

  “May I get you something to drink? Coffee, tea, bottled water?”

  “Water would be great. Uh…who—”

  “Fine. Go on in and have a seat.” She gestured toward a closed door. “Mr. Swanson will meet with you all shortly.”

  You all?

  * * *

  Sean’s truck careened up Jake’s steep, winding driveway. Stone’s call had upset him more than he’d realized. The PI generally had ice in his veins, so for him to sound urgent on the phone meant something—something bad.

  And Sean hated leaving Jess to deal with her problems alone. Before he’d bolted out the door, she’d mentioned going to the attorney’s office after taking care of stuff at work. He’d warned her to stay alert for Drake in case the asshole tried to follow her. But being with her would be much better than warning her.

  He slammed on the brakes and jumped from the truck. At the front door, Stone buzzed him in without even a greeting, much less their usual banter. Sean hurried through the house and found the safe room door open for him.

  Inside, Stone sat at a laptop connected to three large monitors. He didn’t turn when Sean entered. “Close the door.”

  “What the hell’s going on?”

  Jake spun the chair around. “We have a problem.”

  “Tell me something I don’t already know.”

  “My FBI contact finally got back to me on the prints. I wondered why the hell it was taking so long.” Jake glanced over his shoulder at one of the monitors. “The system found five potential matches for the partial fingerprints.”

  “That’s good news, right?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “Stone, I’m not in the mood. What’s going on?”

  Jake slammed his fist on the desk. “The son of a bitch won’t send them to me unless I tell him where I got the prints and who I think they belong to.”

  “That’s not the usual MO,” Sean said, his mind processing the possibilities.

  “Fuck no, it’s not. It’s blackmail.”

  “You think they figured out this guy’s an escaped con?”

  “Damn right,” Stone snapped.

  Sean shrugged. “They can have him once we’re done with him.”

  Stone shook his head. “Ain’t happenin’, partner. The FBI wants him ASAP. That tells me the real person behind the Hallelujah Ima Freeman alias is a very bad man.”

  Chapter 15

  Jessie’s jaw dropped when she saw the two men sitting at the conference room table. Confusion, then fear, stampeded through her and lodged in her throat. “Nate, where’s Callie? Is she all right?” she choked out.

  “Yeah, yeah, she’s fine. Gave me grief when we had to put the Legos away,” he said, smiling. “Feisty, just like her mother.”

  Jessie’s eyes darted back and forth between her brother and uncle. What was going on? Didn’t they share her anxiety about Drake? “B-but where is Callie?”

  Nate frowned and shrugged. “With Hal. He didn’t have any gigs today.”

  Exhaling with relief, she shook her head to clear it. Having Hal babysit when she was so angry with him wasn’t her first choice, obviously, but she could live with it. And she knew Hal wouldn’t hesitate to use his rifle against Drake to protect Callie. So her fear faded, but confusion remained. “Why are you two here?”

  Her brother cocked his head. “Not sure. I got a weird-ass call from Mr. Swanson. He said he absolutely had to see me in his office at one. The weird-ass part was that I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone I was coming here.”

  Uncle Chad nodded. “Exactly what Swanson told me, too, baby girl.”

  “I don’t understand.” Despite the almost out-of-body
feeling engulfing her, Jessie managed to make it to a chair and sit. “Then what did you tell Dad?”

  “Well, when it became clear he didn’t have a clue where you were or that Callie was with me, I had to think fast.” He gave her a look saying he expected an explanation, sooner rather than later. “So I told him you had to work today. I just didn’t say how long. He’ll assume until five.”

  “Ooo-kay. But how’d you explain having to leave without mentioning Swanson’s call?”

  “I said I’d forgotten about an all-afternoon group counseling session in San Diego, which meant I couldn’t babysit Callie the rest of the day. You know me—always forgetting things. That’s why he bought it.”

  She turned her attention to Uncle Chad.

  He shrugged. “It’s just me, ya know. I didn’t have to make excuses to no one since I didn’t have any cement jobs scheduled today.”

  “Okay, but I still don’t understand why we’re all here.” Jessie flexed her shoulders and blew out a long breath to lessen the tension. “Callie really is okay, then?”

  “Yeah, sis, of course. Now you tell me why Hal didn’t know where you and Callie were this morning. Did something happen?”

  Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back against the chair cushion. She was enveloped by a longing, physical as well as emotional, for Sean to be at her side to deal with whatever was coming. She forced herself to push the feeling aside. “I found out Dad lied about Sean calling to break up with me.”

  “What?” both men exclaimed, and leaned forward.

  She sighed and opened her eyes. “Dad had called Sean and told him I didn’t want to waste my life with a pig. And you know the story Dad gave me about Sean. It was all a big lie. He made up every word of it and deceived all of us.”

  Uncle Chad’s eyes narrowed. “That SOB broke my baby girl’s heart on purpose. I should break his neck.”

  “He says he didn’t believe Sean was good enough for me. I don’t buy it. I think it was all about him hating cops. The whole deception was based on his own agenda.”

  “The prick,” Nate muttered.

  “Sean was at the house last night when Dad confessed what he’d done. I was so angry, so hurt, I just couldn’t stay there. So Callie and I spent the night…at his brother’s apartment.” Her statement was met with silence. She looked from one to the other. “What?”