Love Inspired Suspense March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Protection DetailHidden AgendaBroken Silence Page 28

  He shook his head. “No, but I think you know more than you’re letting on.”

  So much for the progress that seemed to have happened last night in their strained relationship. She had to turn this conversation around before all the headway they’d made disappeared.

  “Look, Ed, maybe we should stop arguing and start working together. We both cared about your father. Working against each other isn’t doing either of us any favors.”

  He stared at her before nodding. “Maybe you’re right.”

  She lowered herself onto the chair across from him, still feeling prickly from his accusations. “Can you tell anything from the camera? Is it still recording?”

  “No, I disabled it. It’s pretty generic looking. I’d have to send it to a lab for more testing.”

  “Did you check for any more cameras in the house?”

  “I was up for most of the night trying to sweep the place. I found three other recording devices.”

  Ed looked tired. He had slight circles under his eyes, his hair was tousled and he was obviously irritable. He was going to make himself sick if he didn’t get some rest.

  “Who would do this?” The man who’d threatened her would. But who was he? And why? Even more: If Ed knew the answers to those questions, would he tell her?

  “I have no idea. I was hoping you might be able to help.”

  “What if…what if those cameras were planted after your father died? There were lots of guests in and out during that time.” She could broach this carefully, without giving anything away.

  “Why would someone do that?” Ed tilted his head, seeming intense and focused.

  “Someone’s obviously looking for something. Isn’t that why the library was turned upside down? Maybe someone planted those bugs, hoping to be alerted if we discovered whatever it is they’re trying to get their hands on.”

  Something flickered in his gaze. Was it admiration? “You could be right.”

  She rubbed her hands on her jeans, trying to cover her unease. “So, what now?”

  “Now I’m going to send this camera to a lab.”

  “You have a lab?”

  “As a lawyer, I have a lot of sources I can use for research.”

  She leaned closer. “Since we’re talking about working together now and everything, why don’t you just admit that you’re not just a lawyer.”

  Ed’s expression remained unchanged. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a lawyer for the government, aren’t you?”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment until he finally nodded. “I am. That’s why I couldn’t be here for the funeral. The case I was working on was an issue of international concern. The ramifications of me leaving in the middle of things would have been devastating. And I don’t say that lightly.”

  At least she’d gotten one thing right. “Sounds serious.”

  He nodded. “Very. And complicated.”

  “Life has a way of being complicated.”

  “How about we try to make it uncomplicated? Let’s go into town and talk to some people. This island is small enough that if strangers have been hanging around, someone would have seen them. We need to get to the bottom of what’s going on here,” Ed offered.

  Bailey smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Before they could stand, the doorbell rang.

  *

  Ed pulled the door open and saw the thirtysomething man standing there. The man wore jeans, had one hand tucked into his pocket, and his expression showed confusion.

  Perhaps this was the man claiming to be his father’s cousin? His father didn’t have any cousins, so whoever had come used that as a cover.

  “Can I help you?” Ed asked.

  “I was looking for Bailey, actually.”

  Ed stepped back to give Bailey a better view. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the man there. “Todd? I thought you were gone.”

  “My mom is all better after her car accident. I decided to come back here and see the storm damage.” He held out a stuffed animal. “I found this on your doorstep, by the way.”

  Bailey’s face went pale. “Oh…uh, thanks. I don’t know how that—how that got there.”

  Ed’s eyes narrowed. What a strange reaction. She recognized that stuffed animal. Was it hers? If so, why wasn’t she saying so?

  The man—Todd, Bailey said—glanced at Ed and extended his hand. “Todd Blakely.”

  “Ed Carter.”

  “Bill’s son?” Todd said, some of his coolness dissolving. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Todd helped repair the pier, as well as a few other things on the property, until his mom broke her leg in a car crash,” Bailey explained. “He went back to Delaware to be with her.”

  Ed remembered reading about Todd. He’d done background checks on all of the people his father employed, just to be safe. Todd was former navy, had been out for five years, and he’d taken on various jobs as a contractor. His record seemed squeaky-clean enough. Ed couldn’t help but wonder what his relationship with Bailey had been. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t care, but something about the thought of the two of them being together bothered him.

  And made him dislike Todd.

  “Come on in,” Ed offered, remembering his manners.

  Todd shook his head and took a step back. “I don’t want to impose. I only wanted to check and make sure everything was okay.” He glanced beyond Ed at Bailey. “Maybe we can catch up sometime?”

  Bailey nodded, hugging the teddy bear close to her. “Sure thing. I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be around.”

  “Let me know before you go, okay? I mean, if you wouldn’t mind.”

  “I’ll do that.” She nodded, but her expression was still grim.

  Todd waved before turning and starting down the path leading away from the house.

  Ed waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Bailey. “Friend?”

  She nodded and set the stuffed animal on a chair. “Just a friend. I can see your wheels turning.”

  “I never make assumptions.” Not about romance, at least. He was making a lot of assumptions about that bear. If she wanted to tell him, she would. But he had to bite his tongue not to say anything or ask any questions.

  They stepped out of the house and started toward town.

  “We got to know each other some when he was fixing up your dad’s place,” Bailey said. “Mr. Wilkins hired him several times, but that’s as far as it went. I had the feeling Todd wanted more.”

  Ed resisted a chuckle. “Had the feeling? I can confirm by the way he looked at you that your suspicions were correct. The man obviously wasn’t happy to see me here today.”

  Bailey shook her head as she tucked her hands into her pockets. “I think you’re reading too much into it. Besides, I’m not anxious to date anyone.”

  He raised his eyebrows, surprised at her hesitancy. “Why’s that?”

  “I’d rather be single for the rest of my life than be with the wrong person. I’m happy.” She shrugged, dragging her feet a little. “I mean, at least for the most part. Of course there’s a part of me that would like to settle down somewhere permanent and have kids—like my sister did. But after you get burned a few times by bad relationships you start becoming a skeptic.”

  “I see.”

  She glanced at him, shielding her eyes against the sunlight. “You ever been married?”

  He shook his head. “Almost.” Now, why had he shared that? He hardly ever talked about Claire, especially not with practical strangers like Bailey.

  “What happened?” Her eyes lit with curiosity.

  That was exactly what he didn’t want.

  The day was warmer and the waters had gone down some from the storm. Still, the sand was wet at their feet as they walked toward Erma’s. “What can I say? She broke my heart and left it in a million pieces.”

  “Is it still in a million pieces?” She glanced up at him, her expression bordering on adorable.

&nb
sp; “The damage just might be irreparable. But it’s better that way.” It was. He’d learned his lesson the hard way. It wasn’t something he’d easily forget.

  Bailey frowned. “Why? Because you can have more time on your job that way?”

  He wasn’t trying to impress anyone, but the criticism in Bailey’s voice got to him for some reason. “It’s not that I want my job to be my life, but it’s hard to find balance. It’s hard to take steps back.”

  “So, why don’t you just do it? Make changes? It sounds hard, but that’s only in theory. In reality, taking steps back is as simple as saying no. Establishing boundaries. Becoming proactive with your life instead of vice versa.”

  He glanced over at her. She walked along casually, her hands in the pockets of her white zip-up sweater. Her hair blew in the breeze, and he was struck again by her natural beauty. “You’re probably right.”

  “Of course, you need to consider that the person giving you this advice is jobless and without a home or any roots at all for that matter.” She flashed him a wide, self-deprecating smile.

  He smiled also, feeling some of his walls come down. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time—the prospect of letting someone in. “Things will look up for you, Bailey.”

  “I know I’ll find another job. Have another encounter with someone else as they’re facing death. I have this restless feeling in my chest, like maybe there’s something more for me. I just don’t have any idea what that something is.”

  “You said you’re a person of faith. Pray about it. You’ll get an answer.”

  She glanced up at him, slowing her steps for a moment. “You surprise me sometimes, Ed.”

  He raised his eyebrows as an emotion close to delight spread through him. “Do I?”

  She nodded. “You do. You’re…you’re different than I thought you’d be. I’m sorry if I was harsh when we first met.”

  “If you can overlook me accusing you of my father’s murder, then I suppose I can overlook you thinking I’d broken into the house.”

  They both let out a laugh, the sound nervous and strained, but honest. The restaurant came into view just down the lane.

  “Let’s see if there’s any food left,” Ed said.

  He had the strangest urge to reach out and grab her hand. Of course, he didn’t do it. There was too much at risk. There was no way he could put his heart at risk, as well.

  TWELVE

  Bailey and Ed grabbed some sandwiches, chips and sodas at Erma’s. Her usual menu was on hold until life—and their shipments—resumed to normal following the storm. The day felt balmy, so Bailey and Ed decided to take their sack lunches outside, where they sat on a bench near the piers and dug into their lunch.

  Despite the pleasant weather, Bailey’s mind kept going to the stuffed bear. That was Alex’s bear. Bailey had bought it for him herself. Someone had been close enough to her sister that they’d grabbed the toy.

  As if the man’s threats didn’t seem serious enough, he had to keep reminding her of how dire the situation was.

  It had worked. Her nerves were frayed. She was on the edge of having a nervous breakdown. And she didn’t know how much longer she could do this.

  She cleared her throat, trying to get a grip, trying not to show how raw her emotions were. She needed to stick to logic right now and try to find some answers.

  “So, can you please tell me why you think your dad was murdered? I’m really flummoxed that you think that. I was there, Ed.” Bailey took a long sip of her soda as she waited for his response.

  He frowned, his sandwich raised to his mouth. “Let’s just say that someone passed on some information to me that strongly implied that my father’s life was on the line.”

  She stared at him, waiting for him to say more, to offer more of an explanation. When he silently munched on his sandwich instead, she decided that wasn’t good enough.

  “Who gave you the information implying that?” she pressed.

  He put his sandwich down and looked into the distance. “About a week before he died, a friend of his sent me a message implying that something was going on.”

  “Yet you didn’t contact your father until after he died?” She really wanted to understand, but she was having a hard time.

  His lips pressed together. “I was out of the country, in a place where I couldn’t be easily contacted. I didn’t get the message from my father’s friend, nor did I get the news of my father’s death until five days ago. I came back as soon as I found out.”

  “Out of the country? Vacation?”

  He shook his head. “Work.”

  “Do you always travel out of the country as a lawyer?” She didn’t want to drop this; she wanted answers.

  “International law is my specialty.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “In places so remote you have no contact with the outside world?”

  He turned toward her. “I’m not asking you to understand, Bailey. I’m just telling you like it is. It may not be pretty, but it’s what I do.”

  She decided to drop that particular subject. But she did have more questions that had the potential to be equally as uncomfortable.

  She wiped her mouth, making sure there was no peanut butter there. “What exactly did your father’s friend say that made you so suspicious?”

  “It’s complicated, Bailey.” He looked at her, sorrow in his eyes.

  For a moment, her heart panged with compassion. “Maybe I can help you figure this out. If someone hurt your father, then I want to see justice served, as well.”

  He stared at her a moment before nodding slowly. “My father’s friend was Elmer Martin.”

  “Elmer? I know Elmer.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Do you?”

  Bailey nodded. “He came to visit…about a week before your father died.” She felt the blood drain from her face as she realized the possible implications of what she said. The visit had seemed so innocent at the time. But what if there were more to it?

  “Do you remember anything about his visit?” Ed’s eyes suddenly seemed more alert, his body language like someone ready to pounce.

  Bailey tried to remember anything of value. She finally shook her head. “Not really. He showed up. We hadn’t been planning on him being here, but your father had offered an open invitation to him in the past. I stayed with them for the first hour or so. I brought tea and made sandwiches for them. Then they started catching up about work, and your father told me I could have some free time, that Elmer would keep an eye on him. It seemed innocent at the time.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you think Elmer was the killer?” She hardly wanted to ask the question. The man had seemed kind enough. He was an older gentleman, small in stature, but big in spirit.

  Ed shook his head. “Elmer died two days before my father.”

  Her mouth dropped open as she sucked in a deep breath. “What? Are you serious?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. It was a boating accident. Tell me this. Did Elmer bring anything with him?”

  Bailey tried to remember what the man had looked like when he showed up at the door. She shook her head. “I only remember him wearing a windbreaker type of jacket. I don’t remember any bags or anything. That’s probably not very helpful.”

  “How did he get here?”

  “He came over on his boat. By himself. Said he lived up in Maryland.”

  Ed finished the last of his chips and crumpled the bag. “That’s true.”

  “Ed, where is all of this going?” Her worry—and curiosity—continued to grow.

  “I wish I knew, Bailey. I really do.”

  “And what’s this information you’ve mentioned? What do you think he may have brought with him?” Was this her chance to get to the bottom of all of this? Maybe she could find the answers and put all of this behind her. Maybe she could actually sleep at night, finally knowing that Lauren and her family were safe.

  Ed tugged at the collar of his black leather coat. “It had some
thing to do with their work, I think. I only got a message but was never able to talk to Elmer.”

  “Did you contact anyone with the State Department? Maybe your father’s former boss or something? Or did you talk to Elmer’s family?”

  He frowned, his gaze fixated on something in the distance. “Yes to both of those questions. You have to understand that I had to tread very carefully. I don’t have a frame of reference as to what the message was pertaining to.”

  She could read between the lines. “In other words, you think maybe someone at the State Department could have been involved?” She paused. “I thought your dad was an accountant.”

  “Like I said, it’s complicated.”

  “Make it uncomplicated.”

  His jaw hardened. “I wish I could.”

  She let out a long sigh and raked a hand through her wind-tangled hair. Frustration spread in her. “I don’t know what to say, then.”

  Ed turned toward her, his eyes soft yet conflicted. “Bailey, I know you hardly know me, but I need you to trust me. There are things I can’t talk about.”

  Her jaw hardened this time. She didn’t want to be played as a fool. “International-lawyer type of things?”

  “State Department type of things.”

  Bailey tried to put it all together in her head, but everything seemed too vague. She wished the answers were as simple as the blue sky and as clear as the bay on a windless day. Maybe asking for that was asking too much. “I’m guessing your dad was more than a number cruncher.”

  “He had a high-level security clearance.”

  Her throat tightened. “I see.”

  Ed shifted to better face her. “Bailey, where did my father get his prescriptions filled? Specifically, his heart medicine.”

  “Well, the island only has one doctor, and he usually comes three times a week. There’s no pharmacy here. Most people go over to the mainland to one of the pharmacies there. Most residents take a weekly trip to get everything they can’t get here.”

  “Who picked up those prescriptions for him?”

  “I did a lot a lot of times. But Mary Lou, the housekeeper, she picked up supplies for us sometimes.”

  “Who picked up his last batch of medications?”

  “I did.” Suddenly, she realized Ed’s implications. “You think someone switched out his medication.” She swung her head back and forth vehemently. “That’s not possible. I was the only one who had access to it.”