Fatal Secrets

by Barbara Phinney

  “She didn’t attend as Eloise Hill.” Jackson looked grim, and yet, patient. “It’s more likely someone saw that newspaper article.”

  “I’m sorry.” Kristin bit her lip, and Zane knew she was near tears. Still, he watched as Jackson rubbed her arm lightly.

  “It’s not your fault. Knowing where you searched might help us.”

  Zane spoke up. “Someone is mistaking her for her mother. Those guys at Lindbergh Lake thought she was Eloise.”

  “And the family has actually targeted women who were younger than Eloise,” Jackson added.

  Kristin leaned forward. “When you found me, you took me back to Chicago. Why then give me to a family in Billings? Why not in Chicago?”

  “I didn’t want you anywhere near the Martino family who lived almost exclusively there. I knew your adoptive father because he’d defended an FBI agent in an accidental shooting case that went to trial. He was a good friend of my first supervisor, and a Christian, along with his wife, just what your mother would have wanted. You were meant to look like a change-of-life baby, then. So we arranged for a new birth certificate to be issued in Billings.”

  Zane spoke. “Look, you wouldn’t assign a task force just to look for Eloise, would you?”

  Jackson shot him a hooded look. Enough, Zane thought. If they were to protect Kristin, then they all needed the truth. And with that thoughtful look, and Zane’s ability to read people, even this well-trained federal agent, he knew that there was more going on.

  “A task force would be set up to find Martino,” Zane said, “but your task force is doing more, isn’t it?”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Just a hunch. Task forces aren’t created at random in today’s tight budget times. But a task force would be set up to find a security leak. I was checking online how many women have died in Montana lately. This year alone there’s been an increase and they’re all fitting the same general description. Those women were in the Witness Protection Program, right? So someone is feeding their locations to the Mob hoping one of them is Eloise. And your task force has been set up to find who that leak is.”

  Jackson looked down, tilted his head slightly and glanced at Kristin. “Is it true, Jackson?” she whispered. “Is there a leak? What does that person know about me and my mother?”

  “You, just a first name and age. And they only have old info on your mother. But she left the Witness Protection Program two decades ago and hasn’t been seen since. Someone thinks that she’s still in it, though, and we’ve narrowed the leak to the Billings office.”

  Zane gaped at him. “The Marshal’s Office? There’s a leak there?” It was a powerful statement for an FBI agent to admit to. And yet, Jackson’s statement bugged him. Could anyone be trusted?

  “The Marshal’s Office wanted an independent task force, so that’s where the FBI comes in. And we’ve also learned that whoever it is has also managed to get other government agencies to cooperate with him, making him all the more dangerous.”

  Jackson stopped and caught Zane’s pensive stare. “What is it? Something on your mind?”

  “Just something bugging me. I don’t know what it is at the moment. The Marshal’s Office? I can’t believe there would be a leak there. That’s like slicing an artery. If you don’t stop it immediately—”

  “I know what it means,” Jackson grated out. “If you think of what’s bugging you, let me know. In the meantime, let me worry about the leak. He could belong to the family. He could even be someone who knows a person with access to information on the Witness Protection Program. But we definitely know the leaked information came from Billings.”

  Kristin whispered, “Someone looked in the newspaper one day and saw a girl who looked like Eloise. Clay thought I looked like my mother. Do I?”

  Jackson’s expression softened. “Very much so. It’s remarkable.” Then, clearing his throat, he dug through his jacket pocket and produced a photograph. “This is a copy of the last known photo taken of your mother. I didn’t show it to you before because I didn’t have it handy. But remember, it’s even more dangerous for you now that Salvatore is dying, and Vincent a fugitive. This photo was taken just hours before she left.”

  She took the photo and shared it with Zane. Though the photo wasn’t the best quality, Zane could see a haunted quality about the young woman. The scar Kristin had mentioned was clearly visible.

  She handed it back to Jackson. “What do we do now?”

  Zane walked around to the computer and scooped up some papers he’d printed out while Kristin read. He had a ton of reading to do, if Jackson decided not to be forthcoming with information. But he also had a plan in mind.

  And he knew Kristin wasn’t going to like it.

  “We take you to a hotel,” he told her.

  She shook her head. “I can’t stay at a hotel anymore. I need to do things, even if it’s just studying for my courses. I want to stay here. I have an updated alarm system, remember?”

  “I don’t think that’s wise, Kristin,” Jackson added.

  “It is. And I deserve to stay home.” She switched her firm look from Zane to Jackson and back again. “It’s safe, and you’re both only a phone call away. A hotel isn’t necessarily safer than here. Look, I have no family, so I should be allowed to stay in the one place that reminds me of what I did have. My home. It’s all I have left.”

  Zane wanted to remind her of what she’d gained in this past week. He wanted to remind her that she had him, and that through her presence and her own love for God he’d found his faith again. But with Jackson scowling at her, albeit in a gentle, fatherly way, he wasn’t going to announce how he felt.

  So he turned to Jackson. “You can bunk at my house, if you haven’t got a hotel room for the night. We’ll take turns watching her house. I’ll do the first shift, if you like. Do you have a good picture of Martino?”

  Jackson nodded. “I’ll see to it you have all you need.”

  Zane smiled, feeling relieved. He wanted Kristin to himself, just to talk, to hold her and tell her he’d make sure she was safe.

  “And,” Jackson continued, oblivious to his thoughts, “Kristin, I’ll find your mother if it’s the last thing I do. I swear it.”

  She studied him, even after the older man turned away. Then she looked at Zane with a knowing lift of her eyebrows.

  Yeah, he thought. With Jackson, this was personal.

  Did that also make it dangerous?

  Kristin watched Zane recheck the burglar alarm after Jackson had left. It also boasted a computer link, and Zane set it up using the computer in her father’s office.

  “This computer is the remote site. You’ll see it on the desktop, and it’s easy to navigate,” he said, peering at the screen. “The software shows that you haven’t had an incident since Jackson set the alarm and left. There’s a ton of things this software can do.”

  Kristin was glad for the extra features. “Well, showing me will have to wait. Remember that Jake said that the default settings are fine until we’re comfortable using it, and that he’ll come back and show us the rest when we all have more time.”

  “That’s a good idea. We should both be here when that happens.” Zane hit the last button. Already, it was getting late. The sun had long since dipped behind the house, washing the mountains to the east in a pale pink. She used to like this time of day. Just before the bugs came out, she’d sit outside with her father. Her mother would join them after she’d tidied up the kitchen. She liked to do that by herself, her father used to say with a smile. It gave her time to pray and think on the day.

  But those times were gone. And her last lead to find her mother had dissolved, too.

  Lord, give us another lead. Show us the way to my mother.

  All through her plaintive pray, Zane was leading her to the front door, but before opening it, he drew her into his arms. They embraced in silence for an all-too-brief moment.

  “I’m sorry you haven’t got a decent lead to follo
w,” he told her gently.

  She looked up at him. “I am, too. But I know we’ll find her. Jackson is determined.”

  “He cares for her, I think.”

  She smiled. “I noticed that, too. And he feels responsible for what has happened. Regardless, I know that we can hope in the Lord. I’m feeling like I’m relearning how God will never leave us alone.”

  Zane nodded and smiled. “I’m a bit rusty in my prayers, but I’ll say them tonight.” His expression grew serious. “I wish things could have turned out different, Kristin. But you can always rely on me. I want to be a part of your life. I want to see you regularly.”

  That was the sweetest thing she’d ever heard. “We may never find our relatives. Maybe that’s why God gave us each other. He’s closed a door and opened a window.”

  “I hope not, but it’s not something I would ever turn down, regardless.” With his last word, he leaned down and kissed her. The warmth of his lips lingered long after he lifted his head. “Good night. Get some rest.”

  “What will you be doing?”

  “I’ll be outside in my car reading much of what I couldn’t read in your office. I printed a bunch of things out.”

  “Like what?”

  “Different lists and organizations. Where your mother might find work as a baker, and what’s available on the Martino family. Understanding how the family works may help us locate Vincent. Jackson will take over around midnight. Lock the door after I leave.”

  She did, hating that it felt as if she was locking him out of her life. They were growing closer each day, as if a bond was knitting itself around them. Leaning against the door, she soaked herself in the feeling of being cherished. Zane hadn’t said anything more than wanting to see her regularly, but it had left her feeling wanted, cared for.

  After rechecking the alarm, she wandered into the kitchen for a glass of water to take upstairs. She wasn’t hungry at all. She had no secret need to snack. A smile spread across her face.

  Early the next morning, the phone beside her rang. She reached across her bed for it. “Hello.”

  “Good morning,” Zane announced cheerfully.

  She propped herself up on one elbow. This was nice. Really nice. They had each other to call, even early in the morning. A smile crept up to her face. “You’re in a good mood.”

  “I am! Guess what? Remember that I had one final lead on my brother, and the man I had looking into it just called me. He’s found Bobby Kendall. He’s in town and wants to meet me.”

  SIXTEEN

  Kristin sat straight up. Was she hearing him right? “Bobby Kendall wants to meet you?”

  “Yes! The guy I’d hired said I should meet him right away, that I won’t be disappointed.”

  “Right away?” she echoed. “Where are you going to meet him?”

  “Jackson is still outside your place. The two of us need to talk, so I suggested out front of your house.”

  Here? Now? She scrambled out of bed. She wanted to be there, to see Zane finally connect with his brother. It gave her hope that, yes, maybe she would find her mother.

  She hung up, and fifteen minutes later, after peeking out her living-room window to see Jackson and Zane across the street, she sat in her kitchen, toying nervously with the handle on the cup of hot coffee, waiting not so patiently for Zane to finish his talk with Jackson. Honestly, how could he seem so cool?

  She was tempted to walk outside, but knew both men would hustle her back inside.

  A knock at the front door dissolved any temptation. She rose, finding both Zane and Jackson standing there. She let the men in. Zane leaned forward and kissed her cheek, while Jackson watched with more curiosity than she’d noticed before.

  “I guess you know who’s coming,” she told the older man. “I want to be with Zane when it happens.”

  “I expected as much. I need to touch base with my task force anyway, and Zane and I were brainstorming a bit last night about Eloise.”

  She led them into the kitchen and offered them both coffees. She was about to offer them some leftover pastries, but couldn’t find any. Instead, she sat down again. “What did you find out?”

  Zane finished the conversation. “We know that Eloise liked to bake, and could have used that talent to make a living. So I put together a few suggestions, but Jackson needs to check them out first to help to narrow it down a bit.”

  “Good,” Jackson was saying behind her. “I’ll be on my way. I’ll call around lunchtime.”

  She plastered on a smile as she turned. “We’ll check in with you, then. Be careful. If Martino is here, he’ll recognize you as much as you’ll recognize him.”

  Nodding, Jackson headed out the door. “I’ll be careful.”

  A few minutes later, she and Zane were alone.

  “You’re quiet,” Zane commented.

  “I feel a bit overwhelmed by this. Do you really think Bobby Kendall is your brother?”

  “I’m reserving judgment. It’s a long shot at best,” Zane answered slowly.

  She shifted impatiently, and then in an effort to ease the wait, she asked, “What are the lists on my mother that you put together?”

  “We compiled a list of everything we could think of, like charity bake sales, local fairs and even potluck fund-raisers. Jackson will narrow it down today. Be patient.”

  “Easier said than done. I’m supposed to wait patiently for the Lord’s timing. I guess I’m not a very good Christian.” She fidgeted, trying to mask the movement by walking to the front door to peek out.

  “But we just have to accept that God loves us in spite of our faults, and just wants us to trust Him to guide us?”

  “You say that so well. You’d make a good missionary some day.”

  “I’ve got a good teacher.”

  She looked back at him. “Me? Honestly, I didn’t even know how to answer your comments on God that first day we met. I’m hardly a teacher to anyone.”

  “You taught by your honesty and your actions, impatience included. They both line up, unlike my parents. I didn’t realize that there were people like you who are trying to follow God’s Will, not making it up as it suited them.”

  Had she really ministered to him? “‘Whoever humbles himself will be exalted,’” she quoted. “I have no idea where in the Bible that is, but it’s there somewhere.”

  Zane smiled at her a warm, loving smile that brought a returning one to her lips. She sucked in a breath at his beautiful smile, the happiness he was about to experience, and found herself absorbing it herself.

  Right then, the doorbell rang.

  Kristin jumped. As Zane walked past her, he squeezed her arm. She could feel the anticipation build in Zane as he opened the door.

  A man stood, as tall and lean as Zane was, with lighter, streakier hair and a tan that seemed out of place in the cool springtime.

  He stared at Zane. Then smiled broadly.

  Kristin tried to breathe, but couldn’t. The same smile, the same nose, the same fluid actions as the men shook hands.

  “Bobby Kendall?”

  “Zane Black?”

  They laughed. It was like a single sound.

  Cold sluiced through Kristin in full realization of what Zane had really wanted. He’d wanted a family, even hinting that she could be his family because he never expected to find his own.

  Now he had.

  And seeing the look on Zane’s face right now, she knew that he didn’t need a woman, a lover or a wife. He wanted a family.

  He’d just found that family. And, Kristin thought with a sinking heart, it didn’t include her.

  SEVENTEEN

  Kristin could hardly move as the men talked easily together checking facts, dates, confirming that they were brothers. Her breath was stuck in her throat and she kept telling herself to force it in and out. She’d managed to deal with not being able to find her birth mother and she’d learned to deal with her parents’ deaths.

  She could handle this, couldn’t she?

/>   Behind her, a short noise stole her attention. But as she was about to slip away into the kitchen to avoid looking like that awkward third wheel, Zane spoke.

  “Kristin, come and meet Bobby. He’s been to Mexico for the winter. He’s got a studio there and some of his work is hanging in galleries all over the country.”

  Returning, she reached out to shake the man’s warm hand. He had an infectious smile, and despite the cringing feeling inside, she managed a smile back. “It’s through your painting at Westbrook University that we began this search for you.”

  “That awful thing? I can’t believe they kept it. I hate that one.”

  “You should send them another one,” she murmured back.

  He agreed, but before he could say anything more, her phone rang. It was Jackson. She didn’t want to talk to him. What if Jackson told her all their hard work hadn’t panned out?

  Suddenly, a part of her didn’t want to look for Eloise. She didn’t want to get her hopes up and worry for her mother’s life should she find her. She wanted to throw up her hands and quit everything.

  She let the phone ring on.

  “I’ll call them back,” she told Zane when he looked at her.

  He turned his attention back to his brother. Bobby was mentioning Mexico, how Zane could come down there with him for a few months.

  And Zane’s face lit up at the suggestion, enough to make Kristin turn away. He was so happy.

  Suck it up, she told herself. He’s happy and you should be, too.

  On the heels of that berating, she remembered that she was losing yet another person in her life. Another person that she loved.

  That hurt.

  Bobby was already saying his goodbyes to Kristin. Zane needed to get home to check his e-mails, too. They’d meet later that evening.

  “It was nice to meet you,” he told Kristin, who was forcing out a smile. “Zane told me how you helped him track me down. I’m grateful for your help.”

  She shook his hand and followed him to her door. After he left, she turned to Zane. “I should call Jackson. He was the one who phoned. Looking to update me, I’m sure.”