Present Danger

by Elizabeth Goddard

  He opened the door, and Terra stepped through with a smile. “Thanks.”

  She paused in the quiet hallway. “Should we have called to see if she’s even here?”

  “Oh, come on. You know you prefer the face-to-face surprise approach.”

  “Only she won’t be that surprised to have a detective asking more questions.”

  “I’m sure she’ll appreciate us looking into the break-in with more interest.” He gestured for her to go ahead.

  She led the way down the corridor and noted many of the offices were empty but not all. An insurance agency occupied one office, a bookkeeper and tax accountant another.

  They headed up the stairs and, on the second floor, Jack knocked on the door with a window displaying the stenciled words Dallas Simpson, Private Investigator.

  “Come in,” a woman called.

  Jack opened the door and held it for Terra again. A petite brunette woman was stuffing items into cardboard boxes. She paused as they made introductions, then Jack and Terra sat in the two chairs across from Dallas’s desk.

  “We’re here to talk to you about a recent client—Pauline Raymond.”

  Dallas opened her mouth but hesitated, then said, “I thought you’d come to ask more questions about the break-in I reported yesterday.”

  Jack shared a look with Terra. “There could be a connection.”

  Dallas eased into the seat behind her desk and rubbed her head. “I don’t know how much information I’m free to share.”

  “Did Pauline hire you for litigation purposes?” Terra asked. “If not, then there’s no attorney-client privileges preventing you from sharing with us, if that’s your concern.”

  “No, she didn’t. But it’s just not particularly good for business for me to share with the cops, though of course, we do like to work together.”

  Jack eased forward. “Mrs. Raymond passed away.”

  The investigator gasped. “I, oh no . . . I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Please, can you tell me what happened?”

  “It appears she died of natural causes,” Jack said. “But her husband was murdered. We’d like to know what you discovered when you followed him.”

  Dallas leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them. “I heard that Jim had been murdered. But I still can’t believe any of this.”

  “I know it’s hard to fathom,” Terra said. “Anything you can tell us could help. For starters, could you share what Pauline hired you to do and why, and what you learned.”

  Dallas gave a quick nod and shifted forward. “Most of my cases are cheating spouses. I do get some insurance fraud cases on occasion. Pauline, God rest her soul, came to me. She had a hard time talking without crying. She wasn’t angry as much as shattered. She had hoped I would put all her fears away. She suspected Jim was cheating. I thought it was strange because he’s an insurance agent. I mean, he’s gone in the evenings and on weekends a lot. So that would be normal for their lives and had been for decades.”

  “Why do you think she suspected him?”

  “She never told me. I suppose that her suspicions were in the nuances of daily living. The small things. She sensed they were growing apart. Maybe she thought he was thinking about another woman when he was with her. He was distracted. Who can know? I followed him around town. I was almost convinced that he wasn’t cheating and I would have good news to deliver.”

  “Almost convinced? What happened?” Jack steepled his hands.

  “It’s not easy to follow someone out on a state highway and then out on a mountain road without them spotting a tail.”

  “But you managed.”

  “Yes. I wondered if Jim was onto me the way he was taking obscure county roads and seemed to be going in circles as if he was trying to shake me. So, I lost him on purpose. I turned off on a county road and waited.”

  Dallas frowned. “I came back around and headed in the direction I’d seen him, and then I spotted his vehicle parked at a trailhead. I hid my vehicle farther up the road and headed into the forest toward the trail with my camera.”

  “Were there other vehicles at the trailhead?” Jack asked.

  “Two others. Not that surprising. I took pictures of the vehicles and got the license plate numbers. I followed Mr. Raymond off the trail by half a mile. I hung back a good distance so he didn’t know I had trailed him, and I captured him talking to someone with my telephoto lens.”

  Terra retrieved the photographs and slid them across the desk. “This woman?”

  “Yes.” Dallas held Terra’s gaze. “You knew this already.”

  “I only have these two photographs and no context. If you have more, please share them. This is all we could retrieve at Mrs. Raymond’s home. Have you learned this woman’s name?”

  “I have her name, but Pauline didn’t want to know that information. Honestly, these photographs don’t prove he was having an affair. He could simply have stumbled on another hiker and had a conversation.”

  “But you don’t think that’s what happened.”

  “I don’t. Jim . . . well, he didn’t seem the type to hike. Though he could have been talking to a stranger, I got the sense that he was in a deep conversation with her.”

  “Can we see the rest of the photographs?”

  “I can tell you her name, but as for the rest, my office was broken into and many of my files were stolen.”

  “Let me guess.” Jack stood. “Everything on Jim Raymond is gone?”

  “I didn’t have that much, but yes, it’s gone.”

  “What do you think is going on?” Jack asked. “Why would Jim Raymond’s files be important?”

  “I don’t know. Jim never did anything suspicious other than meet with this woman. I only surveilled him for three weeks.”

  Interesting. “Why are you packing up your office?”

  Dallas rose and walked around the small space, peering into opened boxes. “Business hasn’t been so great. I’m in the bad part of town, and my office was ransacked. Files were stolen. Honestly, it’s not worth the hassle to struggle so much. I had already been mulling the idea of switching careers when this happened. So, I’m moving to Georgia to work with my sister. She owns a catering business.”

  Terra smiled. “Can you cook?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” Dallas rubbed her arms and stared at the boxes.

  Jack knew that look. “Do you feel like you’re in danger? Is that the real reason you’re leaving?”

  She slowly looked to him and nodded.

  He figured as much. Jim had been murdered. Dallas could be a target because she’d been following him. “I’ll put a deputy on you until you’re safely away, but please know that if any of this is connected to Jim’s murder, you could be subpoenaed to testify later.”

  Gratitude emerged in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Is there anything you haven’t told us?”

  She reached into a box. “I had one file still in my car. Though it’s not on Jim Raymond, it’s related.”

  She tossed a manila folder onto the desk, and it slid across. Jack opened it and found a couple of photographs of the woman with someone else. “You followed her?”

  Dallas nodded. “I was only hired to follow Jim, but I didn’t feel like I had the complete picture. I wanted to somehow prove to Mrs. Raymond that Jim wasn’t having an affair. I don’t believe the pictures I took of them together would prove that either way. Two days ago, I decided to follow the woman he met. Her name is Neva Bolz, and she’s a consultant with Star Oil Company. The next thing I knew, my office had been ransacked.”

  TWENTY-FOUR

  Terra stepped into the hall and listened to the voice mail her superior had left. Dan had called to check up on her about the break-in last night and her 911 call to dispatch. Oh brother. She wished she hadn’t made that call. But a dark and lonely mountain road wasn’t the place to risk a confrontation alone.

  While she listened to the message, she peered through the window
in the door and watched Jack help Dallas tape up boxes. He’d insisted on waiting until a deputy arrived to protect Dallas. Sure, this was all part of Jack’s job, but he truly seemed to care about Dallas’s well-being, and right now he was going beyond the call of duty. He was listening to his instincts, and his gut told him she wasn’t safe.

  Something had changed him. Not that he didn’t care about people before, but Terra wasn’t sure this Jack could have left her without facing her like the old Jack had. Without looking her in the eyes and telling her one last goodbye. She had the feeling that he’d found whatever it was he’d been looking for. That he’d found himself.

  Shrugging off the errant musings, she thought ahead to what came next. She was anxious to head to Neva Bolz’s home. In the meantime, she would listen to the rest of her voice mail messages, then she would search the Internet for anything she could find about Neva and the company she worked for.

  The next message was from her neighbor, Allie. Uh-oh. Had something happened? She didn’t take the time to listen to the message and instead returned the call.

  Allie answered. “Hey, Terra. Did you get my voice mail?”

  “I didn’t listen, actually. Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, sure. I didn’t mean to scare you. But I wanted to make sure you’re still alive.”

  Terra snorted a laugh. “Yeah, about that. I meant to come home sooner. Sorry I haven’t been back. What’s up?”

  “Sudoku has been rubbing up against the door. I can tell she really wants to get out. Probably wants to go home and see you.”

  “Aw, my cat actually misses me? I didn’t think that was possible.”

  Allie laughed. “Of course it’s possible. But don’t worry. I don’t mind watching out for her, but I thought you should know.”

  “Thanks, Allie. I owe you. I’m in the middle of an investigation right now. I’ll see you and Su soon. Let her know I love her.” When she’d taken this position six months ago and moved back to Montana, she hadn’t wanted to be alone and had thought a cat would be the easiest pet. What had she been thinking?

  Maybe staying with Gramps wasn’t such a great idea, though she’d initially convinced herself that she needed to be there for Owen. It was only forty-five minutes away. But that was still forty-five minutes away. As long as Su was being cared for, she would wait until she had a decent break to return to her apartment.

  Footfalls echoed in the hall behind her. As she turned, she reached for her weapon in her shoulder holster, then relaxed when she saw it was Deputy Linda Pendergrass. Linda, who was in her midthirties, greeted Terra in her no-nonsense manner, then entered Dallas’s office. Terra waited in the hallway as Linda and Jack spoke about protecting Dallas.

  The door opened and Jack exited, closing the door behind him, a serious expression on his face. He pursed his lips and turned to walk down the hall.

  She kept pace with him. “You’re that worried about her?”

  He angled his head. “Aren’t you?”

  “Actually, I was holding out hope that you would come up with a valid reason she didn’t need to be concerned about her safety.”

  “I think she’s smart and leaving town is the right way to go. I don’t know that her life is in danger, but Aunt Nadine always says an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

  Terra chuckled. “I think Gramps has said the same a few times.”

  “That brings me to you. Everything okay? You haven’t noticed anyone following you again, have you?”

  “Not this morning when I headed to the hospital. I could have been mistaken about the tail last night.”

  He glanced at her. “Right. And then your grandfather’s house was broken into, you inside.”

  “They were after his safe, not me.”

  He flashed her a concerned look.

  They bounded down the last set of steps.

  Outside, the sun shone in a bright blue, cloudless sky. The days seemed to start that way, but eventually scattered thunderstorms developed, leaving some places drenched with the potential for flash floods and other places bone dry.

  They climbed into Jack’s SUV.

  “We’re heading to question Neva Bolz now, right?”

  “Yep. I have her address. But we’ll drive through and grab burgers on the way. I’m famished.”

  Her stomach rumbled at his comment. “Sounds good.” Terra was anxious to question the woman and didn’t need her stomach growling in the process.

  They purchased the fast food and ate as he headed toward Neva’s, finishing up quickly.

  Jack glanced her way, his features drawn. “I have to tell you I have a bad feeling about this.”

  She sighed. “I had hoped it was just me. I’m with Dallas in that I don’t think Neva’s relationship with Jim was romantic. Nor would he be meeting with an insurance client in those woods. Pauline made mention that Jim wasn’t into the artifacts until he’d met ‘that woman.’”

  “Right, so Neva Bolz could be another connection to the things we found in his cabin.”

  “And to his murder,” she added. “Except I can’t picture her committing the crime, then transporting him to the cliff and dropping him over.” Terra stared at her cell, hoping to bring up more information about Neva Bolz on the drive.

  “If she killed him, she had help. Disposing of the vehicle also would have required help. The vehicle was driven to the lake. Whoever was driving would need a ride back, unless he or she hitchhiked back or stole a vehicle.”

  Jack slowed as he steered to the home address and then parked at the curb of the upper-middle-class neighborhood. Neva Bolz’s home backed up to the forest.

  “Her car is in the driveway. The same car that’s in the photograph. She’s home.” Terra opened the vehicle door.

  Jack met her at the sidewalk. “Let’s not waste time. I’ll get right to the point. If there’s a door into questions about the artifacts, then I’ll let you ask those. Depending on her reaction, we might invite her downtown for a thorough interrogation.”

  At the porch, he lifted his shoulders and rang the doorbell. He waited a few moments, then rang it again. Still, no one opened the door. “Maybe she isn’t in a hospitable mood.”

  Terra knocked. “Ms. Bolz, I’m Special Agent Terra Connors, and County Detective Tanner is here with me. We just want to ask you a few questions.”

  Terra listened for signs of movement, trying to determine if the woman was inside. Someone could have picked her up, which would explain why her car was still in the driveway though Neva wasn’t home.

  A muffled sound came from inside—glass breaking? She and Jack drew their weapons at the same moment. He signaled that he would check the perimeter. She hopped from the porch and crept around the front of the home but couldn’t see through the windows because of the mini blinds covering them.

  “Stop. Police!” Jack’s voice echoed off the neighbor’s house.

  Terra ran around the back.

  A man in a gray hoodie sprinted into the woods at the back of the houses, and Jack ran after him. Terra called for backup. This was a repeat of last night, only at someone else’s home. Terra wanted to follow, to be Jack’s backup, but she needed to check to see if Neva was in the home, after all.

  That bad feeling she and Jack had shared overwhelmed her.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Chasing a man through the woods was becoming too familiar. Jack sprinted, jumping over logs cutting through the undergrowth. Small branches slapped him, but his laser focus remained on the chase.

  The man disappeared among the dense trees.

  Jack stopped behind a thick trunk to hide. He leaned over his thighs and caught his breath, then examined his surroundings to get his bearings.

  Weapon at the ready, Jack crept forward, grateful for a quiet carpet of pine needles in this section of the woods. The canopy here kept the forest in shadows. Movement fifteen yards ahead drew his attention. The man’s shadow told Jack what he needed to know.

  The man le
aned against a tree, probably catching his breath too.

  Jack crept forward until he reached the tree, the criminal leaning on the other side of it. He feared the man could hear his pounding heart or even the sweat as it slipped down his temples.

  Here goes everything.

  Weapon at the ready and his arms stretched in front of him, he swept around the tree. “Police.”

  Gone.

  The man had slipped away.

  Jack suddenly felt exposed. He crouched and searched the area but saw no one. He maneuvered to stand behind another tree. He had to get a lead on this guy. He’d thought he had the advantage, but he’d made a mistake.

  The muzzle of a gun pressed against the base of his head. “Toss your gun.”

  The man, who spoke in a low, whispering rasp, quickly took several steps back and, Jack was sure, out of his reach. The man remained behind Jack so he couldn’t get a good look at his face.

  Jack lifted his hands and let his 9mm dangle from his finger.

  “I said toss the gun.” Again, the rasping voice.

  Frowning, Jack did as he was told. This wasn’t going down the way he had imagined. He had to turn this around—and fast. He considered taking the action route—diving and rolling to grab his gun again. Could he disarm this man without getting shot in the head?

  Or he could use the psychological method. “You shoot a cop, and they’ll hunt you down. You’ll be looking over your shoulder until the last day of your short life.”

  “I’m already looking over my shoulder.”

  “Who are you?” Jack wanted answers, and he needed to distract the man. “Come in, and we can help you. Whoever you’re running from, we can help you.”

  “You can’t help me.”

  In his peripheral vision, Jack saw movement.

  Terra.

  Blood roared in his ears. If Terra drew the man’s attention, he would shoot Jack first and ask questions later. Or she might shoot and kill the man, and they would still need answers.

  He would have to risk it. No other choice.

  A twig snapped.