Under Duress

by Meghan Carver

  “Thank you.” Reid felt as though he should bow formally as he left the man’s presence. Instead, he offered a slight grin to Samantha and moved to the kitchen.

  Lily sat at the counter, sipping her pop and thumbing through a cookbook full of photos of gourmet meals. It wouldn’t be long before she uttered her famous words, I’m hungry.

  “Hey, munchkin. How do you feel?” He found the cupboard and retrieved a large clear glass.

  “I’m bored. Can I watch a movie or something?”

  “It’s not my house, but I would think so, after Samantha’s done talking to her father.” He pulled the freezer door open and dropped a couple handfuls of ice cubes in the glass. The clink of the cubes against each other satisfied him, as if he were actually accomplishing something. Frigid air from the freezer blew the heat of pressure off his face.

  Despite the wealthy elegance of the home, it was not all that spacious. Reid could hear nearly every word Thomas uttered to his daughter in the adjoining living room. As he waited, he checked his watch against the clock on the oven. Thomas had been interrogating his daughter like a hostile witness for at least a half hour, and all possible conversation topics had been exhausted. By now, the man must understand their position and their limited courses of action.

  Reid raised his hand, ready to slap the counter, but checked himself. A display of frustration wouldn’t help them plead their case to Thomas.

  If Samantha wouldn’t do it, he would have to. It was now or never. He would ask her dad if they could borrow a vehicle since the thugs were looking for Reid’s Jeep. Asking for money would take another level of courage.

  But losing a position of authority due to his own foolishness had taken the edge off his bravado and knocked him to his knees. Summoning his strength and squaring his shoulders, he tried to turn back to the living room, but his feet wouldn’t move. Just then, Thomas’s voice softened. “I need a drink,” he said to Samantha. “And I’ll check on your water.”

  “Thanks,” she answered, and the next moment Reid felt a strong hand clap him on the shoulder.

  Thomas murmured under his breath right behind Reid, “Thank you for keeping my daughter safe.”

  “Uh, sure.” A foot stepped behind him, and Reid turned to see genuine softness in Thomas’s expression. What had he missed while he’d been stuck in his own thoughts? Whatever it was, he wouldn’t question it. He’d just accept it.

  Thomas pulled a glass from the cabinet and poured some iced tea. “Do you have enough cash, son? The ladies can be expensive.” He tilted his head toward the living room where his daughter sat with her head bowed as if in prayer.

  “It’s really not like that, sir. We just need to be able to cover basic expenses, like food and gas, while we try to figure this out.”

  Thomas pulled out his wallet and opened it wide enough for Reid to glance a sturdy stash of bills. He selected two bills and handed Reid a couple hundred dollars. “Take my car, too. They’ll be looking for yours, right? I have a sweet little SUV in the third car garage. I’m not sure why I bought it, since it’s not something I normally drive, so take it. Let’s pull your Jeep into the garage to hide it.”

  Huh?

  Something odd was going on, because this was not the man Samantha described.

  Thomas leaned back against the counter. “So what kind of work do you do? I figure you know something about weapons and self-defense after what Samantha has told me.”

  Reid ran a hand through his hair. “After college, I got into the police academy, ambitious to right society’s wrongs. I was an officer for a few years. Then I left the force to go to law school.”

  “Another way to right wrongs?”

  “Something like that.” Bile rising from his stomach threatened to choke him. Samantha’s father would kick him to the curb if he knew Reid’s history. No father would want their daughter anywhere close to the son of an abuser, particularly one who had exhibited plenty of difficulty handling anger himself. Something in Reid’s gut told him that the divorce lawyer didn’t allow for second chances. If Thomas asked straight out, Reid would have to answer truthfully, no matter how humiliating or shameful that would be. He wouldn’t lie. But he didn’t have an obligation to tell all. No one dumped their entire history on a brand-new acquaintance. It wouldn’t be expected, nor was it appropriate. Lots of past difficulties just never got shared.

  Especially since these particular relationships with Samantha and her father would be so short-lived.

  It was time for a change of subject, to something actually helpful. “Sir, can I use your computer? I’d like to see if I can find out any more about Lily’s father and his employer. We also found a flash drive hidden in a key chain. Need to find out what’s on it.”

  Thomas studied him for a moment as if trying to decipher his expression. Then the moment broke, and Thomas gestured to another room. “Sure. It’s in the den. Just off the living room.”

  “Grandpa?” Lily was still in the kitchen. Her timid voice sounded as if it was trying on a shirt two sizes too big.

  “What can I do for you, sweetie?” Thomas smiled for her, a portrait of a loving and involved grandfather.

  “Can I watch a movie?”

  “Mr. Palmer and I have some business, so ask your, uh, Samantha, to find something for you on TV. Okay?”

  The strains of kid-friendly music soon filtered into the den as Thomas joined Reid at the computer.

  Reid typed in Zigfried Pharmaceuticals. “We’ve been wondering if this has something to do with Lily’s father. He was killed not long ago in what seemed like a regular car accident, but now I’m not so sure. He worked at Zigfried, so maybe there’s some connection there.”

  The Zigfried Pharmaceuticals home page came up, but Reid couldn’t find any sort of employee directory. He clicked on a link labeled Executive Officers. Another webpage included photos and brief bios of the president, various vice presidents and assorted research heads. “There doesn’t seem to be any information on other employees. Only the bigwigs. I suppose there are too many and they’re too transitional.”

  Thomas pointed at a picture on the screen of a debonair man with salt-and-pepper hair. “I handled the divorce for this senior vice president a couple of years ago. As part of the division of marital property, he had to provide his private financials.” He chuckled. “That was when I got the SUV you’re going to borrow.” He straightened and shook his head as if he’d just realized the timing of the case to the vehicle purchase. “I can tell you a lot of money changes hands at that company. But that doesn’t necessarily have any bearing on your current situation.”

  “So another dead end. We’re no closer to an answer.” Reid clicked away from the company’s site and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “What about the girl’s extended family members?” Thomas dropped into a wing chair in the corner. “Grandparents? Aunts or uncles? Any greats? You might be surprised at who crawls out of the woodwork to assert themselves or demand something when there’s a family upset.”

  Reid suppressed an urge to respond that he knew a few things about the law, too. “I don’t know anything about Lily’s family. But that’s a good point. I read some pretty wild cases in law school.”

  “Samantha said that both parents were deceased, and it sounded as though she only knew the father. The girl going to a virtual family stranger would certainly fall under the definition of a family upset in my book.” Thomas rose and stepped to the door to call Samantha from the living room.

  She appeared in the doorway, straightening her shirt about her waist, unasked questions creasing her delicate brow. Reid’s heart thumped at her appearance. It had been less than an hour since he had interacted with her last, but apparently his heart thought it had been too long. He turned back to the computer. This was getting dangerous, and not just because a couple of thugs were
after them.

  “I don’t want to upset the girl, so let’s talk in here,” Thomas said. “I wondered if she might have any extended family that could be behind this attempted kidnapping. Maybe someone who is upset that her father made you guardian?”

  Reid swiveled back to Samantha and Thomas, fighting to maintain what he hoped was a neutral expression.

  Samantha tapped a finger on her lips before she spoke. “She doesn’t have much family. That’s why I’m her guardian. There’s a great-aunt, but her health isn’t good. She wouldn’t be able to care for Lily.”

  “And yet another dead end.” Reid’s stomach growled. Samantha’s stomach harmonized with its own rumble.

  Thomas raised his eyebrows and chuckled. “I don’t keep much food around, since I go out a lot for business and with, ahem, friends. But why don’t we order a couple of pizzas? Use my credit card.” He looked up at Reid’s height with a smile. “You look as though you could pack away an entire pizza by yourself.”

  “That sounds terrific, Dad. I’m sure Lily’s hungry, too.”

  “Hold up.” Reid held out a hand. “I’m not sure that’s best. Credit card use might give away our location, depending on the resources of the guy directing the thugs. Samantha, since you and your father share a last name and you’re both attorneys, it wouldn’t be hard to connect you two. I did.”

  Thomas pulled his card out of his wallet. “That would take a pretty high level of sophistication with technology, Reid. I’ll use my own credit card and my own name, and Samantha’s name will never be attached to any of it. And remember that gate at the entrance to the subdivision? No one comes in unless approved. I’ll have to call the guard and let him know that a pizza delivery from my favorite restaurant will be coming. It’ll be fine.” He clapped Reid on the back, but the gesture didn’t provide the reassurance it had before in the kitchen.

  Thomas quickly placed the two calls, one to the pizza place and the other to the guard, then turned to smile at Samantha and Reid. “No problem. A few minutes and we’ll be scarfing down sausage and pepperoni. I can smell it already.” He left them alone in the den. A moment later, the couch cushions sighed and Reid heard him ask Lily how she liked the show.

  Samantha stepped a little farther into the room and leaned against the wall, dark clouds of consternation gathering across her brow. “So now you and my dad are best buds?” she whispered. “You’re doing that male-bonding thing?”

  “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘that male-bonding thing,’ but once you explained what was going on, he seemed like a nice guy. I don’t doubt you’ve had a difficult time with him. But maybe he’s changing. Reforming.” Mr. Callahan’s behavior had perplexed him, but people in transition from wrongs to rights often displayed confusing behavior as they wobbled in between the bad and the good. “In my years as a police officer, I picked up, or maybe I learned, a sixth sense about people’s real motivations. Who they really are. Your father seems regretful for his past actions. I have no idea why, but maybe he wants to turn over a new leaf with you and your sister.”

  “Oh, come on. You really expect me to believe that? People don’t just change spontaneously.”

  “Anyone can change, with the power of God.” He was living proof. But Samantha’s blue eyes only tossed sparks of fire. “You honestly can’t see any difference in me or in your father?”

  She sagged, hugging her arms around her middle and staring at the floor. “You’re right. I can. And you’re right that God can do anything, especially with someone who wants to do His will.”

  He crossed the space between them and, with one hand on her shoulder, tipped her chin so she would look up at him. “Was that so difficult to admit?”

  “It’s barely been twenty-four hours since I rear-ended your Jeep, but I can tell you’re a different person since we were in law school together. You seemed so rebellious then. Now you’re stable. Dependable. All qualities that make you even more handsome.” She gasped and her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

  She thought he was handsome? Without hesitation, he pulled her hand away and leaned down, one focus consuming him: her soft lips. But a loud blare of music from the movie in the other room startled her, and she stepped back. “No, I can’t trust again. I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.”

  Reid returned to the chair, feeling as though an anvil was sitting on his chest. He had put himself out there, risked his heart and been rejected without even a moment’s consideration. His chest might burn now, but it would fade to a dull ache. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. All is forgotten.” He muttered the words, but could he convince his heart?

  The best thing to do was focus on the tasks ahead. He retrieved the flash drive and plugged it into the laptop. “One last thing to check. Let’s see what’s on here.”

  He clicked on the drive for the removable disk when it popped up, and the screen filled with file names. A click on the first one brought up a spreadsheet with columns of names and corresponding numbers that looked like social security numbers. Another column listed dollar amounts ranging from a couple thousand to over one hundred thousand. The other files on the flash drive contained similar information, including account numbers and bank statements.

  Samantha leaned over his shoulder, her hair tickling his neck. “What is it?”

  “I think it’s evidence of embezzlement. I don’t know much about financial crimes, but it looks as if someone has been moving money around.”

  “Lily’s father?”

  “No. Probably the guy who has those thugs after us. I’m guessing Lily’s father found this evidence, hid a copy on the flash drive, and that’s what got him killed.”

  “Can you tell from those files who he is?”

  Reid clicked and scanned and clicked and scanned. “No. No idea. Most likely it was someone with access to the company financials, but I don’t know past that.”

  “So what now?”

  “This is beyond the scope of the Heartwood Hill Police Department, but let’s email a copy to Derek for safekeeping. Let’s email a copy to you, as well.”

  Samantha placed a hand on Reid’s shoulder but quickly withdrew it. “Are we a step closer to ending this chase, then?”

  Before he could log in to his email account, Lily bounded into the room. “Pizza’s on its way.” She pulled on Reid’s arm. “Come on, Mr. Palmer, I want you to see this really funny part of the show.”

  The girl had good timing, giving him an out. “All right. Just a minute.” He ejected the flash drive and pocketed it, then followed Lily toward the door. Samantha didn’t look up as he passed. “I’ll email after we eat. Okay?”

  She only nodded, and he left the room, leaving all hope of a relationship behind, as well.

  TWELVE

  Samantha leaned her head against the wall as the breeze created by Reid’s sudden departure left her chilled. She hugged her arms around her middle. The lack of his presence created a vacuum of emotion. What did she feel toward him? Yes, she wished he was still in the room, but was that because of the way his T-shirt stretched across his broad shoulders? Or was it because of his protection and the way he had saved her life many times over? What about the way his dark eyes had flashed both conviction and warmth at his insistence that people could change? Or worse yet...was it all of the above?

  And what about her father? Why did he care so much? She punched herself in the arm to chastise herself for her disrespectful attitude. Her father had never been callous toward her or uncaring. Just too selfish to be all that involved. But now he definitely seemed interested. Why? It wasn’t disrespectful—it was a valid question.

  If there was anything she had learned in law school, it was to ask questions.

  But that was a question that most likely wouldn’t get answered before they had pizza, and probably not at all. She turned off the light and spun on h
er heel to head to the kitchen.

  Lily sat enthroned between Samantha’s father and Reid. Reid refused to look up at her as she brushed past, deliberately stepping around him so as not to make contact in any way.

  “Dad, can I make a salad to go with the pizza?” She stood in the middle of the walkway into the kitchen, hesitant to pry into his cabinets and refrigerator.

  Without taking his eyes from the screen, he waved her toward the kitchen, seemingly unaware that she was already in there. “I’m not sure what I have in the fridge, but help yourself.”

  She wasn’t sure what could be so captivating for her father in the movie, especially the current scene of a couple of adolescent girls, twins even, sitting alone at a table in a dining hall. It had been her and her sister’s favorite movie when they were younger, the story of twins separated by their parents’ divorce, then reunited at a summer camp and ultimately able to reunite their parents. But her father hadn’t ever been interested...until now.

  Hmm. Maybe he would get some ideas. Ideas about reconciliation with his ex-wife. Ideas about how to be an involved father. Samantha opened the refrigerator. But probably not.

  The vegetable drawer looked generally unused, except for a small bag of prepackaged chopped lettuce, the kind with bits of carrot and cabbage, and a half container of cherry tomatoes. She set those on the counter and rummaged in the cabinets until she found a crystal bowl. Her mother had taught her that if she didn’t have enough to go around, she ought at least to put it in a pretty dish. The lettuce was rather white and anemic, and there were only a dozen little tomatoes, but at least it all sparkled in the bowl.

  She searched for tongs but when she came up empty, she settled on a couple of forks. She placed the bowl on the breakfast bar, unsure what to do next. She wanted to check her email and her social media. See if she had received the documents a client had promised to send. Check her mail for the latest edition of her favorite legal journal. Put her feet up and relax with a good legal suspense novel.