Shadow of Suspicion

by Christy Barritt

  “You printed them for me?”

  “I thought they were that important.”

  Mark dragged his gaze away from Jim for long enough to scan the papers. What he read caused his spine to clench. This couldn’t be right. It couldn’t be.

  They were messages dating back three months ago between Laney and Nicholas, her boss. In the messages, every detail on what was happening now had been planned out, from the drugs to the licenses they’d hidden in Sol’s house.

  “What do you think now?” Jim asked.

  “This can’t be right.”

  “How else do you explain it?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe someone set her up.”

  “Look at the time stamps. Arnold said they can’t be faked.”

  “Anything can be faked.”

  Mark frowned, unwilling to believe any of this. But could he deny what was right before his eyes?

  “I think Laney is putting ideas in your head. I urge you to be cautious, Mark. Someone’s lying here. It could very well be Laney. You know how some women can be. Manipulators.”

  Yeah, Mark did know that. Visions of his ex-fiancée filled his thoughts. He’d let down his guard, let her into his life, and she’d betrayed him. She’d been trying to distract him all while her best friend was on trial for manslaughter, driving under the influence, and drug possession. She’d been waiting for Mark to mess up, to do something that the defense could use in court against him. Thankfully, he’d seen the light before anything had happened. Using him to get information.

  Could Laney be doing the same? Preying on his kindness?

  His gut clenched at the thought. He couldn’t let that happen again. He’d gone as far as to voice his desire to take her out. What had he been thinking? He should have never said those words.

  He was never, ever going to act on them, he promised himself. Never.

  * * *

  Laney paced the cabin as she waited for Mark to return. Devon and Eric, the two guards at the cabin, weren’t talkative. They only stared at her when she asked her questions. At least they didn’t try to stop her from doing her research on the computer.

  Finally, after lunchtime, she heard a car pull up. She peered out the window and saw Mark approaching. She was practically beside herself as she rushed toward the door.

  “You’ll never believe what I found out,” she told him as soon as he walked inside.

  He pulled his coat off and hung it on a rack by the entryway. “What’s that?”

  She glanced at Devon and Eric before motioning for Mark to go into the dining room. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust the other two officers. But the less people who knew about this, the better.

  “Look at this.” She held up a picture of a little girl.

  He squinted. “Who’s this?”

  “It’s from Interpol,” Laney said, talking too fast for her own good. Yet she couldn’t seem to slow down. She had so much to share, and time was of the essence. “Fourteen years ago, a little two-year-old girl disappeared from Romania. She hasn’t been seen since then.”

  Mark glanced up from the photo, a crease between his eyes. “And?”

  She raised the photo higher. “There’s no record of a certain someone’s birth.”

  His lips parted slightly. “You think this is Sarah?”

  Laney nodded, looking at the paper again, wondering why she didn’t see this earlier. “Look at the similarities in their hair and eye color. This girl and Sarah are the same age. Plus, it happened in Romania. Romania! That could be the language that Sol was speaking—because that’s where he’s from.”

  Mark pressed his lips together a moment before shaking his head. “Laney, Sol admitted to me today that he adopted Sarah. Of course we’re looking into it and want to confirm it with the agency. But it looks legit.”

  Laney’s heart sank a moment as she questioned her own theory. It had made so much sense when she discovered the information earlier. But now she wondered if she was simply desperate for answers. Was she seeing things that weren’t there? Was she drawing false conclusions in an effort to make sense of things?

  No, she had to think this through. She was right. She had to be.

  “What if Sol kidnapped Sarah when she was a child?” she finally said.

  Mark stared at Laney, his eyes hard and unyielding. “Why would he do that, Laney? Would he be that desperate for a child? Maybe we’re reading too much into this. Speaking a second language doesn’t make someone guilty.”

  She couldn’t let this drop. Not yet. “Then how do you explain those licenses that we found hidden in his house?”

  He raised his hands and shrugged. “I can’t. You didn’t plant them there, did you?”

  Outrage burst inside her until she started talking rapid-fire. “What sense would that make? It’s not like I’m an expert in making fake licenses.”

  Mark leaned closer, not breaking his gaze. “I’m just trying to examine every angle, every possibility. There’s a lot about this case that doesn’t make sense.”

  “Do you think I hired someone to try to kill me also, so I would look like the victim?”

  His expression sobered. “No, I don’t.”

  “Then why are you being so stubborn?”

  He didn’t say anything.

  Her shoulders slumped. Mark didn’t believe her. He’d been the only one she thought was on her side. Without his support...who could she count on?

  The answer felt stark and cold, yet clear. No one. There was no one she could trust. She’d known that from the beginning, though, hadn’t she?

  She raised her chin, unwilling to admit defeat. “I’m telling you that there’s more to the story. Sol is connected with these kidnappers somehow.”

  Mark continued to stare at her. There was something different about him. What had happened in the short time he’d been gone? What lies had someone told him?

  “Maybe that woman from the park—from the driver’s license—was Sarah’s birth mother,” Mark said. “Did you consider that?”

  Laney shook her head, trying to process that theory. “If that woman was Sarah’s mom, then she’d run hard and fast after she grabbed Sarah. She wouldn’t look back. She wouldn’t ask for a ransom. She’d want to keep Sarah and hide somewhere and never be found.”

  He planted his feet in front of her, still unyielding. “I agree that there’s more going on here than meets the eye. But I’m not willing to concede that Sol is involved in the disappearance of his own daughter. I have to keep an open mind here. Having tunnel vision has never helped solve any crimes.”

  What had happened to cause him to change his mind? When he’d left this morning, he’d been on her side. Yet somehow that had flipped and he seemed almost hostile now.

  That’s when she realized why. “It’s your partner, isn’t it? Jim? He changed your mind.”

  When Mark looked away, Laney knew she’d hit on the truth. “I have to be logical here, Laney. That’s my job. Besides, if my past has taught me anything, it’s to keep my eyes wide open.”

  She threw her hands in the air, her frustration rising until she couldn’t contain it anymore. “You’ve seen everything that I’ve seen. You know those men tried to kill me. I’m not making that up.”

  “I agree that your life is in danger. I’m committed to protecting you.”

  “You’re committed?” Something about his words caused outrage to shoot through her. They shouldn’t. Mark had never promised her anything. He was a cop. That was it. Not a friend. Not an ally.

  He was just doing his job.

  Even if he’d said he wanted to get to know her better at the end of this, she could now clearly see that something was different. He must have had a change of heart.

  Despite those realizations, frustration rose in her and she
stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to lie down for a while.”

  “Laney—”

  She didn’t bother to stop. She needed to be alone.

  Just like she’d convinced herself she would be for the rest of her life.

  SIXTEEN

  Mark couldn’t shake the cloud hanging over him. It was ridiculous and he knew that. Yet despite the fact he knew that he was being irrational, he felt unsettled at the idea of Laney being upset with him.

  Had he betrayed her? No. Of course not. He was doing his job, and part of the requirement was to remain objective. To not get personally involved. To do everything legally within his power to find the truth.

  But he knew there was more to it. He was beginning to care about Laney. To really care. To long for more than what their relationship was now.

  And yet he’d just thrown her under the bus. Not for anything she’d done. It wasn’t even Jim’s influence, as he’d initially thought. No, this boiled down to Chrystal and her betrayal.

  His heart pounded in his ears at the revelation. He had to make things right.

  For so long he’d been focused on the loss of Lauren and his mom. He’d turned to law enforcement to make a difference, yet he’d been burned there too.

  Lord, I can’t hold on so tightly to the past, can I?

  A verse from Micah floated through his head about what the Lord required of him. It said one should act justly and love mercy and walk humbly with your God.

  Not everyone was the devil in sheep’s clothing.

  It was going to take justice, mercy and humility to put that into action.

  Just then, his phone buzzed. It was the captain.

  “Mark, any updates? Has Ms. Ryan shared anything of interest yet? Anything that will lead us to Sarah?”

  Mark leaned against the wall, his inner turmoil tearing him apart. “No, sir. I’m still working on her.”

  “Jim told you about those emails we found on Ms. Ryan’s computer.”

  Mark frowned as he remembered the conversation. “Yes, sir.”

  “I have a good mind to tell you to bring her in. But I’m still convinced that she could lead us to the girl. That’s why I’m counting on you, Mark.”

  Mark shifted uncomfortably. “What about the FBI?”

  His voice hardened. “They’re doing their investigation and we’re doing ours. We’re working together wherever we can. Sol is about to go on TV and plead for these men to return his daughter. We’ll see if that spurs anyone into action. We can only hope so. So you know what you’re supposed to do?”

  Unease sloshed in Mark’s gut. “Watch her. Get her to trust me. Hope that she leads us to Sarah.”

  “That’s right. Keep me updated.”

  “Yes, sir.” But, even as he said the words, his heart felt heavy with betrayal and guilt.

  * * *

  With proverbial steam still coming from her ears, Laney hopped back onto the computer. How could Mark still question her? After everything he’d seen?

  There was only one way she knew to cope with this situation, and that was to get online and do what she did best: research.

  The men she’d once worked for had noticed that she put up a new firewall. With that in place, they wouldn’t be able to operate. Wouldn’t be able to put their scheme into action or access information they needed.

  But that wasn’t enough for her.

  Spontaneously, she typed in Romania and terrorism into an online search engine. A few results came up, but one in particular stood out. Vechea Garda, which was Romanian for Old Guard.

  She quickly began searching through all of the articles she could find on the terrorist organization.

  She sucked in a breath when she came across data on the FBI’s website. There, in one of the pictures, was a man named Vasile Dalca. If she took away some hair, added glasses and new clothing, he’d look just like...Sol Novak.

  She sucked in a breath.

  Sol was involved in this.

  Would Mark ever believe her? Even if he saw this? Or were his blinders permanent?

  She couldn’t let herself get her hopes up. It was like she told herself before: the only person she could depend on was herself. She couldn’t forget that, even if her heart begged otherwise.

  How could she possibly track these men down, though? There had to be a way. Everyone left some kind of digital footprint.

  What if she could set up a trap on the old firewall she’d created? If she could reinstate another firewall that looked similar? But when someone accessed it, it would lead to their location?

  It was worth a try.

  She emerged from her room and walked toward Mark’s door. She’d do her best to convince him. He’d proven himself trustworthy in the past.

  Before she had a chance to knock, his voice drifted from the other side.

  “Watch her. Get her to trust me. Hope that she leads us to Sarah.”

  Laney pulled back as if she’d been slapped.

  She was just a part of Mark’s assignment. She’d known that at gut level. But she hadn’t realized that all of his interactions with her had just been a ruse. He wanted her to open up to him, to trust him enough that she’d reveal where Sarah was—as if she knew.

  Hurt flooded her heart. First she’d blindly believed Nicholas when he said he worked for the CIA. Now she’d believed that Mark might actually care about her when all he really wanted was to use her for information.

  What had his boss directed him to do? She could hear the conversation now:

  Act like you’re falling for her.

  Do whatever you have to do.

  Break her heart if that’s what it takes.

  Was there anyone she could trust?

  No, there wasn’t. She’d known that all along. But for a moment she’d allowed herself to believe. To hope. To dream of the future.

  That had all been a mistake.

  She should have known better.

  * * *

  Mark pulled the door open and blanched when he saw Laney there. Had she overheard his conversation with Captain Hendricks?

  Based on the pain flashing in her eyes, she had. He wished he could deal with this situation now, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have time to explain himself. He had to meet Jim and pick up something at a location twenty minutes away. The captain didn’t want anyone—including Jim—to know Laney’s whereabouts. Jim only knew she was tucked away for safety reasons.

  “I have to run somewhere, but I’ll be back in less than an hour,” he told her.

  She said nothing, only stared at him, a mixture of anger and hurt in her gaze.

  His heart lurched. He longed to explain things. But then he remembered the evidence that continued to stack up against her. Until he was one hundred percent certain of her innocence, he had to keep his distance. He couldn’t allow himself to be duped or to be distracted from this investigation.

  “Of course,” she finally said.

  He paused again, his emotions and logic colliding with each other. Keep your distance, he reminded himself. It’s the smart thing to do. Getting attached will only lead to hurt and heartache.

  He skirted around her, refusing to give in to his compassion. He quickly explained to the other two officers that he had to run somewhere and then, with one last glance at Laney, he slipped outside.

  He’d turned over thoughts of those deleted messages. It was true that they were dealing with some highly qualified hackers who could probably manipulate data like that. It was also true that someone was desperate to frame Laney.

  So why had he questioned her innocence?

  It was a mixture of exhaustion, stress and mistakes from his past he realized as he headed down the road. Jim had been convincing and all of the old feelings he’d fe
lt toward Chrystal had resurfaced.

  Was it really fair to pretend that Laney was Chrystal? He knew the answer. Of course not.

  When he got back, he needed to somehow make things right.

  Mark pulled up to the gas station where he was supposed to meet Jim. There were no other cars there, except a run-down Camaro parked by the back of the building. Jim definitely didn’t drive that kind of car, and Mark would guess it belonged to the clerk inside.

  So where was Jim and the evidence that Mark had to see with his own eyes?

  He glanced at his watch. He’d actually arrived about five minutes later than scheduled. Jim was always on time.

  Unease grew in his gut. He’d wait a few more minutes but then he was calling Captain Hendricks back. He preferred, since it was his job to watch over Laney, that he was actually there with her. It wasn’t that the other two officers weren’t competent. It was simply that he knew the intricacies of the case...the intricacies of Laney, for that matter.

  As he waited, he continued to mentally review the situation. The twists and turns it had taken continued to surprise him.

  He knew one thing for sure: with every minute that passed and Sarah wasn’t found, the chances of bringing her home alive diminished. They had to find her—and soon.

  Finally, fifteen minutes past the time he was supposed to meet Jim, he called his partner. No one answered.

  That was strange. Jim always answered, unless he was in the middle of an arrest or interrogation. But Jim was supposed to be meeting him now.

  He hung up and tried Captain Hendricks, who answered on the first ring.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Jim’s not here,” Mark muttered.

  “He got caught up in an interrogation. The FBI was able to find the man who hit Ms. Ryan with his truck and then ran. They tracked down his image from some traffic cams. Jim convinced them to let him be involved in questioning the man. It all just happened in the last twenty minutes.”

  Mark bit back his irritation. The good news was the man might lead them to answers. The bad news was all this might be for nothing. What was so much of a secret that the captain couldn’t just tell him over the phone?