Identity: Classified

by Liz Shoaf

  Betty had crawled around the desk, and both women’s eyes were filled with tears.

  “This is my fault. I shouldn’t have brought this to your doorstep,” Chloe said while running a hand over Stan’s hair.

  Stan caught her hand with his and brought it to his lips. He kissed her knuckles. “My darling girl, Betty and I love you. I would have been furious if you hadn’t come to us. And Chloe, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you or Betty about knowing your parents. We couldn’t have children and Betty fell in love with you at first sight. Regardless of that, the information was classified. And in all the time you were with us you never wanted to talk about them anyway, so it worked out for all of us.”

  Chloe swiped at her tears with her sleeve. “You’re right. I didn’t want to remember. I’ve been running my whole life. The killer has made me face what I always wanted to forget, but you know what? I’m glad. It’s time I faced my past, though not under these circumstances. Not with people’s lives at risk.”

  Stan tried to sit up, and Chloe gently pushed him back down. “Stay put. Betty called Thomas. Help is on its way.”

  Stan groaned. “I’ll never hear the end of this. Getting shot in my own house.”

  Chloe’s voice sounded gruff and Ethan’s heart lurched at the agony in her words. “Yeah, well, that’s too bad. Betty and I, we both need you.”

  Stan closed his eyes as if in prayerful thanks. They flicked open and moisture filled them. “Can you forgive me, Chloe, for withholding the past?”

  “Yes, yes I do.” Chloe’s tone had changed from anguish to a softer, more thankful tone.

  Ethan could only imagine how she felt. Having already lost one set of parents, she had come so close to losing Stan, too.

  Stan grinned. “Then tell me what’s going on before Thomas and the crew gets here. You’ve kept me in the dark long enough.”

  Ethan listened intently while Chloe explained everything that had happened from the time she had left New York to the present. He could tell Stan wasn’t happy to have been left out of the loop. “It’s good that Betty called Thomas instead of the local police. He’ll bring someone to patch me up and clear the area. I don’t need a hospital.” He paused. “We’ll contact the police after we have a better handle on the situation.” Stan turned his attention toward Ethan. His eyes were full of suspicion. “You’ve risked your job by not turning Chloe in. Why?”

  Ethan didn’t know what to say because he wasn’t quite sure of the answer himself. He went with the truth, but maybe not all of it. “Chloe threatened to run away if I turned her in. I didn’t want her to get killed.”

  Stan looked at him long and hard, and Ethan squirmed a little under his stare. Stan gave a short nod and Ethan turned away. Shaken after everything that had happened, they got comfortable and waited at least forty-five minutes in silence until the doorbell rang.

  Ethan told Betty to stay put, pulled out his gun and opened the door, only to encounter a scowling face.

  Uncle Henry, his neighboring doctor friend and a third guy pushed their way in.

  “You two can’t seem to stay out of trouble. First I get shot, and now this.” Henry stopped in front of Ethan and glared. “What kind of a sheriff are you, anyway? This is probably gonna cost me another baseball card.”

  A tall, distinguished-looking man wearing a dark suit followed the pair in. He held out a hand to Ethan. “Thomas Brady. Stan’s my supervisor. I have a man canvassing the area to make sure everything is clear.”

  Ethan shook his hand and motioned him toward Stan’s office. He leaned out the door and scanned the area. It was good Stan’s colleagues had brought only one car so as to not alert the neighbors. Just before he closed the door, Geordie darted inside of the house. That was odd. He hadn’t even thought about the dog with everything that had happened. Figuring there must be a doggy door somewhere in the house and Geordie had needed a potty break, he closed and locked the door.

  * * *

  Chloe moved out of the way and gave Dr. Kerry room to work. She breathed a sigh of relief when he pronounced it only a flesh wound, just like Stan said. But anger quickly filled her temporary respite when she thought about how close the bullet had come. Stan could have been killed and their last words would have been in anger. It no longer mattered that Stan had known her parents long before he adopted her. She loved Betty and Stan, and nothing would change that.

  She wanted this guy caught now more than ever and it had to happen soon. There were too many lives at risk. After the wound was cleaned and dressed, Uncle Henry and Betty helped Stan to the sofa and Chloe assessed the situation. She had the information off the disc, but no idea who the killer was. He knew her biological parents, hence the reference to her mother. A chilling thought occurred. She met Stan’s eyes when he looked up. “We need to talk.”

  Ethan moved to her side. “What is it?” he asked in a low voice.

  Ethan never missed anything. She was impressed, but irritation overrode her awe of his keen observation skills.

  “We’ll talk after everyone leaves.”

  He nodded in agreement.

  Even though he had a sparkle in his eyes, Dr. Kerry gave Betty instructions for wound care and grumbled that everyone needed to start going to the hospital and quit bothering him because he was retired. The sparkle made Chloe think the doctor enjoyed all the attention from high-ranking FBI members. Her impression was solidified when the doctor started bargaining with Uncle Henry for another baseball card.

  Henry and the doctor moved their bickering to the foyer, but Thomas Brady hung behind and approached Stan.

  “What’s this all about, Stan? You know I’ll help any way I can.”

  “Just keep everything under your hat for a few days until I figure a few things out.”

  Remorse filled Chloe. She was placing Stan in an untenable position. He had a sterling reputation and it would be her fault if that changed.

  She stepped forward. “Stan—”

  He gave a firm shake of his head and looked back at Thomas, waiting for his answer.

  Slowly Thomas said, “I’ll keep things under wraps, but please call if you need me.”

  Stan shook his hand and Thomas left. No one said anything until the door closed behind the trio. Chloe had to try one more time.

  “Stan, we should let your team help.”

  He looked at her with love-filled eyes and Chloe’s heart melted.

  “Baby girl, you’re the most important thing in the world to us. Betty and I believe in you, and we’ll help you figure this out.” His voice grew stronger. “We’re not involving my team until we have some answers. Now, you thought of something. What is it?”

  The firm resolve in his chin told Chloe that Stan wouldn’t change his mind. She sat beside him on the sofa and wrapped her arms around him. “Thanks,” she whispered. Pulling back, she swiped away a tear and took a fortifying breath. Stan wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

  “Stan, after the incident at the orphanage, the killer made a reference to my birth mother.”

  He encouraged her to go on. “Yes?”

  She braced herself for Stan’s reaction. “How many people in the FBI knew my parents helped you in Kuwait?”

  Stan fell back against the sofa cushions, a stunned look on his face. “Exactly what are you implying?”

  Chloe didn’t want it to be true, but nothing else made sense. “Let’s say a disgruntled employee at the FBI found out the Bureau used my parents to help you that one time. What if he approached them again under the same guise, to help their country. Maybe this time they were asked to recover a disc by a corrupt agent out for his own gain.”

  The room stilled. No one said a word for several minutes as the implications of her statement settled in.

  Ethan was the first to respond. “It makes sense.” He looked at Chloe, and she was moved by the understanding in
his eyes. “I don’t know what your parents were like, Chloe, but I can only imagine that as missionaries, if called upon to help their country, they wouldn’t hesitate.”

  The statement hung heavy in the air and Chloe’s heart started beating fast. A calming hand was laid on her shoulder and she closed her eyes. She would like nothing more than to give in to Ethan’s offer of comfort and flee from her tormenting thoughts and the possible reality of her parents’ deaths, but that wasn’t going to happen, and neither was anything between her and Ethan.

  Their lives were so different it would never work. She jerked her head in thanks, then stood. His hand fell away, and she regretted the loss, but this was the way it had to be.

  Geordie bumped her hand with his nose and pulled her out of her morose musings. She reached down and petted him, only to see the minuscule camera attached to his collar flashing a red light, which meant it was turned on.

  “That’s weird.”

  Ethan leaned over and stared at the tiny device. “What is it?”

  “It’s a camera, controlled by an app on my smartphone. It shouldn’t be turned on.”

  Before Ethan could inquire about the camera, Chloe hopped off the sofa and pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket. She opened the app and saw that the camera was turned on.

  “Huh! The camera must have accidentally been turned on during all the commotion.”

  Ethan tugged on her arm. “Tell me about this camera.”

  She became alert at the urgency in his voice. “Why? What is it?”

  “Just tell me about the camera.”

  She threw a hand in the air. “Fine. You know I run a security company.” He nodded impatiently.

  “Every once in a while, a company pays me extra if they think an employee is doing something they shouldn’t, like taking home corporate papers and stuff.” He rolled his hand forward in the air, telling her to get on with it. “Anyway, occasionally I sneak Geordie into a situation to check things out before I enter a room or building. I get camera footage, and sometimes that’s all we need to prove someone innocent or guilty. Now why all the questions about the camera?”

  “Chloe, could he have videoed the killer?”

  NINETEEN

  Everyone’s eyes shifted from the dog to him when Ethan’s phone belted out “The Sound of Music,” from Penny’s favorite movie. He pulled the device from his pocket. “Excuse me. I have to take this. It’s my daughter.”

  Betty’s eyebrows rose with the information that he had a daughter as Ethan answered the phone. “Hey, sweetheart.” He glanced at his watch. “Are you at Mrs. Denton’s? How was school today? Tommy Milton did what?”

  Ethan was surprised when the phone was jerked out of his hand. Chloe put the phone to her ear.

  “Penny, this is Chloe. Yes, your daddy’s fine. He’ll be home before you know it. Now, what did Tommy Milton do this time? Really?”

  Chloe’s lips curved in a smile that he was becoming familiar with—one that said she was up to something.

  “And did you do what we discussed? And it worked? Good girl. I doubt ol’ Tommy boy will bother you again. Okay. Here’s your father.”

  Chloe handed the phone to him and he raised a questioning brow. In return, she gave him that mischievous grin of hers and gifted him with a saucy tilt of her head.

  “Sorry, pal, that’s between us girls.”

  He spoke into the phone. “Sweetheart, you mind Mrs. Denton and I’ll be home as soon as possible. I love you, too.”

  Ethan disconnected the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Betty’s close scrutiny of him and Chloe, and the speculation in her eyes, made him feel like a schoolboy.

  “How old is your daughter?” Betty asked casually, too casually.

  “She’s six, going on sixteen.”

  Everyone chuckled, then Chloe moved things along. “Let me grab my laptop—it has a larger screen than my smartphone. We’ll see if Geordie’s camera picked up anything useful.”

  Expectation filled the room as she dug the computer out of her duffel, placed it on Stan’s desk and plugged it in. It booted up quickly. Stan stayed on the sofa, but everyone else huddled around the laptop. Chloe clicked on an icon decorated with the picture of an eye—Ethan thought that appropriate—and went into the program. She clicked on devices and there were three videos.

  “Each video has a time limit. I could purchase longer time limits, but never had the need.”

  Ethan held his breath when she opened the first video, then sighed in disappointment when it showed Geordie sniffing the grass.

  Chloe clicked on the second video and it showed Geordie running through the front yard, across the street and into the neighbor’s front yard. Stan’s office also faced that direction, so the neighbor’s house would have a view into it.

  She opened the third video, and it showed Geordie running around the side of the neighbor’s house. Ethan held his breath as the seconds ticked away on the screen. Once again, disappointment filled him until the video showed someone running out the back door of the house. The person wore jeans, but the rest of the clothing was black. The individual turned and looked straight into the camera when Geordie barked, but he had on dark sunglasses and a tan baseball cap. The good news was that they got a partial view of the lower portion of his face.

  Ethan grinned at Chloe and she smiled back. He reached down and petted Geordie, who had padded to his side. “Good work, boy.”

  Chloe hit a bunch of keys on her keyboard and Stan’s printer sputtered to life. She grinned at Ethan when he grunted. “Wireless printing.”

  Stan came to life on the sofa. “Let me see the picture.”

  Chloe stepped over to the printer and handed it to Stan. “Anyone you recognize beneath the ball cap and sunglasses?”

  Stan studied the picture for a moment, then shook his head. “No, but we can have Henry run the picture, see if we can find a match.”

  Knowing everyone had been hoping for something more, Ethan tried to lighten the mood. “So mighty dog turns cameraman. What else do you two have up your sleeves?”

  Chloe sat down beside Stan and leaned back against the sofa, as if she also knew everyone needed a break.

  “You’d be surprised.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “Did you know that corporations spy on you every day? Mannequins in retail stores are equipped with facial recognition software. Retailers track your cell phone as you move through the store to assess client behavior.

  “The Statue of Liberty has cameras that track people’s faces in real time. Vending machines, billboards, you name it—they have cameras. The grocery store? Look behind the display of your favorite product sometime. You might find a hidden camera watching you. All in the name of market research.”

  Ethan was stunned, but another thought occurred. “Can those cameras be hacked into?”

  Chloe gave him a saucy grin and it was good to see her smile. “Sure they can.” She quickly sobered. “But it’s not legal.”

  He knew that guilty look. He’d seen it many times on his daughter’s face, but he didn’t respond. Break was over.

  “Stan, do your neighbors work during the day?”

  Stan shook his head. “The Stantons are retired. They’re down in Florida visiting their grandkids for the week. The house is empty.”

  “Thomas said he had people clear the area, but I’m going over there to look around outside, see if there’s anything to find.” It was highly doubtful, but he’d check anyway.

  “If someone had given me back my picklocks, we could check inside.” Not that she’d really break in. She was done with that part of her life. The picklocks were for emergencies only.

  “Chloe,” Betty gasped.

  With complete innocence stamped on her face, Chloe faced her adoptive mother. “Goes with the job.”

  B
etty took issue. “I thought most of your security business was handled at a distance on your computer.”

  Ethan rather enjoyed seeing Chloe on the hot seat.

  “Well, you never know when there might be an emergency of some sort—say a client’s in danger—and I need to get into a house or building.”

  Betty tsked. “Henry taught you how to use those, didn’t he?” Betty scolded Stan. “I told you not to let her work with Henry when she was so young. He was a bad influence.”

  Ethan pounced on that tantalizing piece of information. “You worked with Henry? When was this?”

  Everyone froze and Betty sent Chloe a questioning glance. Chloe barely shook her head, and Betty’s lips tightened for a second before she pasted on a big smile.

  Ethan’s mind was reeling. Had Chloe worked at the FBI?

  * * *

  Chloe cringed at Betty’s slip, but she sent her adoptive mother an unspoken message, and Betty, married to a longtime FBI agent, smoothed it over and plowed ahead.

  “If you’re going to be around for a few days, I insist you stay here. We have four bedrooms upstairs. It won’t take long to air the rooms out and get them ready.”

  Chloe was still jolted from Betty’s slip, and it took a few seconds for her words to penetrate. “No, we can’t do that.”

  Betty propped her hands on both hips. “Yes, you can. When’s the last time you had regular meals and a good night’s sleep?”

  Chloe wanted to choke Ethan when he crossed his arms and gave Betty a puppy-dog look.

  “Longer than I want to think about.” He grinned at Chloe. “While y’all hash this out, I’m going to the neighbor’s house to look around.”

  No, no, no. Chloe didn’t want to face Betty and Stan alone. She knew they had a zillion questions and she wasn’t up to facing the firing squad right now. She rose halfway off the sofa. “I’ll go with you.”

  Betty’s words stopped her midflight. “No, you won’t, Chloe. We saw the intruder fleeing on Geordie’s camera. It’s not a dangerous situation. I’m sure Ethan can handle it himself.”