Bait

by Samantha Keith

  Ethan moved Riley to the side and Nate followed Brian inside, leaving him with Riley.

  “You shouldn’t have come here.”

  Her eyes flared. “He’s not dangerous, I just—”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  Her eyes shifted over his face and she released a breath.

  “He stalked and threatened his ex-girlfriend. Dammit, why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?”

  She wiggled her wrist and gripped his fingers in hers. “I came on impulse. When I got to work Jenny told me Brian had been asking about me. I needed to see him and gauge his reaction when I brought up Hanna.” Her teeth dragged over her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

  The anger left his muscles like a plug being pulled from a drain. He smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. “It’s all right, but please go to work now.”

  Her feet planted firmly to the porch and she shook her head. “No. I have every right to be here. Besides,” She said, lifting her wrist to check her watch. “I have to be at work in twenty minutes. I’ll stay long enough to try to read him and then I’ll go.”

  Ethan groaned and shook his head. Dammit, he didn’t have time to fight with her. As it stood, he was missing part of Nate’s interrogation.

  “Fine, but things could get messy.”

  She arched an eyebrow.

  “I mean it. If you can’t handle it, then leave, okay?”

  She shrugged. “Fine.”

  He led her into the apartment and to the kitchen. Brian stood with his back against the counter, his arms folded over his chest.

  “What’s this about?”

  He met the hard glint in Brian’s eyes. Brian rested his palms on the counter on either side of him, and stretched his legs out in front of him. A glance around the kitchen showed he was in the middle of cooking breakfast. Freshly popped toast sat in the toaster, bacon, and eggs steamed from an iron skillet on the stove.

  Nate stepped up and Ethan crossed his arms over his chest, his feet braced apart. Brian’s glare waned. “I’m investigating the disappearance of Hanna Wilson. You were off this week, right?”

  Brian’s eyes shifted from Ethan to Nate and back again. “Yeah, that’s right. I have to be at work in an hour; I just had four days off. What’s that got to do with Hanna?”

  Ethan lifted his hand to scratch his jaw. “Do you own a silver Dodge truck?”

  One of Brian’s eyebrows rose. “You can get my work schedule but you can’t find out the vehicle I drive?”

  Ethan’s face tingled as a smirk tugged at his lips. “That’s fine if you don’t want to answer. If you think we don’t already know the answer, you’re not getting the point.”

  Annoyance rippled Brian’s forehead. “I drive a red Ford F150. It’s in the garage if you want to see it.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  Riley moved to step in front of Brian. “Where were you Tuesday night, between eight and nine p.m.?”

  A thin band of sweat covered Brian’s brow. He snorted. “I can’t believe this. You want an alibi from me and I don’t even know what this is about.” His voice teetered on erratic. Fire shot through Ethan. In one swift movement, he snagged the collar of Brian’s shirt and pressed his back roughly into the counter.

  “If I find out you’re who’s been harassing Riley, I will kill you with my bare hands. Understood?” He spoke each word carefully.

  Brian grabbed at his wrists. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, I swear,” he breathed.

  “Set him down, E.” Nate clapped him on the shoulder and Ethan let Brian go. The muscles in Ethan’s forearms bunched. Riley’s fingers rested on his arm, her feather-like touch eased his tension.

  “Ethan, I need to leave for work now.”

  Ethan cracked his knuckles at his side and tore his attention from Brian. “All right. Text me as soon as you get there, please.”

  She squeezed his forearm. “I will.” She lifted her hand in a silent good-bye to Nate and her eyes landed briefly on Brian before she turned toward the front door.

  Ethan inhaled deeply through his nose while Nate stepped forward. “If you know anything about the disappearance of Hanna or the harassment of Riley, you’d better talk. Ethan here can be pretty persuasive.”

  Brian’s lips pressed together. “I was at Drew’s Tuesday night. Ask anyone.”

  Nate scratched his head and rested his foot on the top rung of one of the kitchen chairs, studying Brian.

  Ethan’s tongue moved along the inside of his teeth. Brian had a bad attitude and was defensive as shit, but that didn’t make him guilty. “How long were you there?”

  Brian shrugged. “Two, three hours. I had a couple beers, ate dinner, and played a few games of pool with some coworkers. I’d say I was home by ten thirty.”

  Ethan slid his hands into his front pockets. It wasn’t a stretch of the imagination that Brian could own a second vehicle and have it in storage. But if he was at the bar that night and had witnesses, he couldn’t have run Riley off the road. Unless he’d hired someone, which was another possibility. He made a mental note to confirm his alibi with the staff at Drew’s and to do more digging into the friends Brian kept.

  “You have any ex-girlfriends?” Ethan asked, keeping his words casual and his voice light.

  The sweat that had collected at Brian’s forehead rolled down the side of his face. He exhaled in frustration. “Of course I do. What are you getting at?”

  Ethan smiled. “We’re talking about Jessica.”

  Brian’s eyes flew to Ethan. He wiped the sweat off his sideburn with the back of his hand. “Look, Jessica is a liar. She—”

  Ethan cut his hand through the air, silencing him. “Save it,” he growled. “I’m watching you, dude. And until we find who’s behind Hanna’s disappearance and who’s been harassing Riley, you’re a suspect.”

  Nate pulled his card out and slapped it on the table. “If anything useful comes to mind, gimme a call.”

  Ethan straightened up and covered his fist with his hand. His fingers dug into his knuckles. “I strongly suggest you don’t tell anyone we were here.”

  Brain swallowed and nodded. “I don’t want any trouble. Believe me, I want Hanna brought home and the bastard caught. I’d never want anything to happen to Riley, either. I’m eager to help in any way.”

  The anger slowly ebbed out of Ethan. He met Nate’s face and his eyes reflected Ethan’s doubts. Ethan’s gut twisted. As much as he wanted to catch someone, he wanted to catch the right person. This wasn’t their guy.

  “You can help by keeping this quiet. If we’re onto someone and he gets spooked, something bad could happen.” Ethan massaged his chin with his thumb and forefinger. If things didn’t go as planned and their guy didn’t come for Riley while she was home alone—or while he thought she was alone—Brian could be of help. “We appreciate your cooperation.”

  Brian nodded. Nate jerked his head toward the door.

  “Enjoy your breakfast.” Ethan lifted his hand to wave. If he wasn’t determined as hell to find the bastard, he’d almost feel bad for interrogating Brian.

  Outside, the heat beat down on him, making his T-shirt cling to his back.

  Nate rocked back on his heels. “You don’t think he’s our guy, do you?”

  Ethan dragged his palm across his jaw. “As much as I’d like to think so, no. He doesn’t fit.”

  “I agree. On paper, he seemed like a suspect. But I didn’t get that vibe from him. What the hell are we going to do now?”

  Irritation rippled through him. Hitting a dead end at this stage was damn discouraging. Nate pulled out a pack of gum and popped a piece in his mouth. The light scent of spearmint filled the air as he held out the package. Ethan shook his head.

  “And her neighbor, Michael, nothing concerning showed up for him?”

&
nbsp; Nate shook his head slowly, dropped the gum back in his pocket, and pulled out his cell phone. His thumb moved over the screen. “Nothing remotely interesting. He’s lived here ten years and is from North Dakota, owns a dental practice in town, he has no known relatives, though his mother died three years ago.” Nate handed him the phone so he could read the email himself.

  He stared at the screen after reading, his fingers dug into the phone. They couldn’t overlook him, even if he was as clean as a whistle he could still be guilty. Not all criminals had a rap sheet.

  “He’s almost too clean.” He passed the phone back to Nate. The corners of Nate’s mouth dropped into a frown.

  “Let’s keep our eyes on him. I don’t see anything suspicious about him, but with him living right above her, he’d have the best opportunity.”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  “Is there anywhere we can grab some takeout? I know we can’t be seen together, but I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, I can get us breakfast sandwiches and we can eat in the car.”

  “We’d better start compiling another group of suspects. These two are looking pretty grim.”

  Ethan nodded and slid into the passenger seat while Nate rounded the vehicle. A deep throb started behind his temple. If he’d overlooked someone, they were fucked.

  Chapter 22

  She was losing her mind. How the hell had she forgotten her phone? She jerked her car to the side of the road in front of her house and unbuckled her seat belt. If Ethan didn’t hear from her soon, he’d be in a panic.

  The wooden steps groaned as she took them two at a time up her front porch. Her shoulder bag bounced against her side with each movement. She jabbed her key into the lock and bumped the door open with her hip. She made a beeline for the kitchen, not bothering to kick off her shoes. Her gaze scanned the counter and table, but she came up empty-handed. She strode toward the spare room and pushed the door open. There, on the bed lay her phone. She released a pent-up breath and her shoulders relaxed.

  It buzzed, alerting her to a new message. She picked up the device and weaved her way to the front of the house.

  Hey, did you make it okay?

  Ethan. Her lips curved into a smile. She paused at the front door and lifted her thumb to the screen to type a reply.

  Ding, dong!

  Her breath sucked in and her eyes flew to the door. She swallowed and inched toward the window next to the front door. It was broad daylight. There was no way it was anyone threatening. She relaxed her shoulders and peeked through the window. Michael’s tall, thin frame filled the glass. What on earth did he want?

  She turned the dead bolt and opened the door.

  “Michael, hi.” She kept her hand on the door, and propped the strap of her purse on her shoulder.

  “Hi, Riley. Sorry to bother you.” His gaze dropped to her plain black shoes reserved for the restaurant and trailed over her uniform. A dark shadow crossed over his eyes and a deep line split across his forehead. His middle finger came up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you leaving?”

  She pinched her eyebrows together. Her nerves endings buzzed, the last thing she needed was to deal with nonsense. If he needed help getting the lawn mower out of the shed again, she was going to lose her shit. “Yes, I’m heading to work. Did you need something?” Irritation wavered her voice.

  His hand swept over the short brown hair on his head. “Yeah, it’s Murphy. He’s acting really funny, and can’t walk. I’m pretty worried, but I have an appointment with the vet. I was hoping you could help me carry him down, but if you’re busy, I’m sure I could call someone, or—”

  Guilt washed over her and her tight smile faltered. Murphy was a sweet old dog and her soft spot for animals made her stomach drop that something could be wrong with him. “Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that. I hope he’s okay.” She dropped her purse on the table near the door and stuffed her keys in her pocket. It wouldn’t take long to help with Murphy, but she’d be a few minutes late. “I’m running late, but I can help quickly.”

  “That would be great, thank you.” Michael shoved his hands in his pockets and turned toward the steps. Riley stepped onto the porch and shut the door behind her. The latch didn’t catch, and it creeped open an inch. Her fingers fell away from the handle and she followed Michael. She’d only be gone a couple of minutes and would need to come back for her purse anyway.

  The lush, bright green grass cushioned her feet as she trailed behind Michael to the side of the house.

  “It’s really weird, and so not like him.” Michael shook his head and climbed the new wooden staircase Hanna’s parents had had built last summer. Riley glanced over her shoulder—no one was around. A pit of dread opened up the bottom of her stomach. She should have grabbed her phone, maybe sent a text to Ethan just to let him know… Her hand clenched the rail as Michael opened the door. She shook her head and pushed down the wave of unease. She was paranoid. Michael wasn’t their guy. He was a gentle, nerdy dentist who everyone in town knew. She chewed her lip and inched backward. She would stick near the door and keep it open. Better to be safe than sorry.

  “Murphy, come here boy.” Michael whistled inside the door. “Come in Riley, he might be hiding. He’s been so mopey.”

  Riley pressed her fingers against the old wooden door, holding it open. Her heart slammed against her breastbone and her chest tightened. She stepped one foot inside, but kept her hand on the partially open door. Michael stalked to the living room, softly calling Murphy. Blood thundered wildly through her ears and her senses screamed. The scent of freshly cooked bacon filled her nose, launching the tremor in her stomach to the back of her throat.

  A soft whine sounded through the apartment.

  “He’s right here, Riley.” Michael knelt down at the far end of the couch in the living room, his hand outstretched behind the corner of the couch out of her vision. “If you just want to prop the door open, we can carry him right down.”

  The vice gripping her chest slowly released. If the door was wide open, she could easily run for it or scream. She picked up the doorstopper next to the door, pushed it wide open, and secured it. The floor beneath the soft carpet creaked as she stepped into the living room.

  “Is he all right?” She moved down the length of the couch, her voice soft so as not to disturb poor Murphy.

  Michael pushed into a standing a position, his face tense. “It’s hard to tell. He’s gotten himself cramped back there.” Michael flashed her a weak smile. “He’s back in the corner. You’re smaller, if you can reach his head, just scoop him under the arms and I’ll grab his end when you get him out.”

  Riley brushed passed Michael and knelt down. Her breath wheezed out of her lungs and fear shot up the back of her throat like bile. Nothing but a pile of old blankets crowded the corner. She leapt to her feet and whirled to face Michael.

  “Where’s Murphy?”

  A slow smile stretched across his thin face. His hands reached for her. She backed up, her footsteps fast and awkward. The pieces of the puzzle scrambled into place faster than her mind could keep up.

  “You—You took Hanna. Where is she?” Terror gripped her, sending shockwaves over her body. Oh god, what had he done with Hanna? Rage burned in her veins. Riley stormed passed him. “Hanna!” she screamed.

  Michael grunted from behind her. He snagged her wrist and spun her around. Riley clenched her hand into a fist and swung. Her knuckles connected with his mouth. Blood splattered through his lips and pain shot through her wrist.

  “You fucking bitch,” he spat. His hand covered his mouth, his eyes wild and black.

  “I won’t let you hurt her. Where is she Michael? This is over.” She backed away, her fingers opened and closed at her sides. Michael had planned to silence her, but she wouldn’t go down without a fight. He wiped the rivulet of blood that covered his chin with the back
of his hand.

  “You’re going to pay for that.” Cold, dead eyes met hers. Goose bumps spread over her skin. She turned on her heel and ran for the open door. A scream tore from her throat. Michael let out a howl and something connected with the side of her head. Pain exploded through her skull, her vision blurred and she stumbled to her knees. A kaleidoscope of colors blended with the carpet fibers, and her fingernails dug deep into its thickness as she gulped in air.

  No. He’d caught her. All this time… he’d been right above her.

  Michael’s shiny loafers filled her vision. Her breath came out in sharp puffs through her nose. She wouldn’t die like this. He strode past her and shut the front door, the lock snapped with the force of a gunshot.

  Determination clawed at her throat like an angry beast. A growl sounded in her chest as she pushed herself to her feet. She straightened her spine, and met Michael’s gaze. The once kind lines of his face hardened, revealing the evil monster lurking beneath his pale, thin skin.

  She balled her hands into fists; her gaze swept the room in search of a weapon. “You won’t get away with this, Michael. They’re on to you. The FBI is in Beaufort, sniffing around. If I were you, I’d turn myself in before shit gets ugly.”

  A smile stretched across his face, his eyes sparked with amusement. “I’ve been doing this for decades Riley. I call your bullshit.”

  “My bullshit?” she snorted. “You have no idea who you’re up against. Ethan will stalk the streets when he notices I’m missing, and yours will be one of the first houses he checks.” She folded her arms over her chest as if it were a suit of armor. Searing heat spread its throbbing pain from the wound on her head. Warmth trickled through her hair and the tinny scent of blood filled her nose. “He’s been suspicious of you from day one.”

  Michael scoffed, his hand tightened on the baseball bat as he took a step closer. Riley didn’t move. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to run, but he blocked the door. He was thin, but bigger than she was. Even if she could bolt, she wouldn’t leave Hanna.