Secrets and Suspense Read online

  5

  Cara

  Cara sighed as Nick stared at the computer screen, reviewing her charts. “Nick, I told you I’m fine. Can you please just sign the release forms so I can get out of here?” Cara had been in the emergency room department for six hours, and she was ready to get back to her house. She knew her laptop was gone - she had seen that much as Ivy loaded her onto the stretcher - but she had to know if they had found her other research. The research she kept hidden in a chest in her room.

  Dr. Nick Pearson raised a brow and fixed her with a pointed stare. “Cara, you were hit in the head and passed out. Forgive me if I’d like to make sure you don’t have lasting effects from a concussion.”

  Cara softened her tone, knowing that Nick was only doing his job, and her bristling tone would only delay her release. “And I thank you, but I’m not vomiting. I’ve been awake since I got here with no more dizziness. Other than a bump on the back of the head, I’ll be fine.”

  He pushed back from the computer and stood. “I’m sure you will be, but one more check of your eyes and your head won’t hurt anything right?” Grabbing a light from the wall, he flashed it in her eyes.

  Cara blinked and stifled a sigh but allowed him to finish his exam.

  After the exam, Nick walked to the small sink and washed his hands before turning back to face her. “Okay, I would feel better if you would stay a little longer, but I understand you have a business to run. Is there anyone there who can at least check in on you?”

  The concern in his brown eyes was endearing though he was not Cara’s type. “Actually, Bubba’s girlfriend, Makenna Drake, is staying there. She’s the police captain from Woodville.”

  Nick nodded and adjusted the stethoscope hanging around his neck. “That does make me feel better. Please have her check on you before you turn in for the night and first thing in the morning. If you do begin vomiting or having headaches, promise you’ll come back in.”

  Cara doubted she would come back in, but she plastered on a smile and nodded. Truthfully, if her research had fallen into the wrong hands, she would have much more to worry about than vomiting and headaches anyway, but Nick didn’t need to know that yet.

  With her release papers in hand, Cara shot a text to Jordan as she let herself get wheeled to the front of the hospital. Calling Jordan came with risks, but he would be more suspicious if she didn’t call him. Hopefully, she could convince him to drop her off and get back to his job. She would have a hard enough time avoiding Makenna; she didn’t need to try to be ditching Jordan too.

  The orderly dropped her off at the bench that sat outside the hospital, but Cara didn’t have to wait long before Jordan pulled up.

  “You get all cleared?” he asked as he walked around the car to open the passenger door for her.

  Cara shrugged. “You know me. A little bump on the head isn’t going to keep me down.”

  Jordan allowed her to slide into the passenger seat, but he held the door as she pulled to close it. “I do know you, and I know you have some pretty impressive defensive training. You want to tell me how this guy got the jump on you?”

  That was a question Cara had asked herself many times over the last few hours. Whoever it was had to have been a professional, someone who knew how to enter quietly. But why would a professional leave her alive? “I guess I was distracted. I was still thinking about Steve, and I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have.”

  Jordan’s jaw clenched as his eyes raked over her. He didn’t believe her, but he couldn’t prove she was lying either. “About that. Does your attack have something to do with your friend’s death?”

  She shrugged and picked at a piece of lint on her pants. “I don’t see how it could since he lived in another county.” Though she wanted to see his reaction, she was careful to keep her eyes from meeting his. She could hide behind her words, but he would see right through her if she looked at him.

  “Hmm, one would think, but somehow, I think there’s more to the story than that, Cara.”

  Cara shrugged. She might have to bring Jordan in, especially if her work was gone, but that time wasn’t now. Not yet. Not until she knew for sure.

  With a sigh, Jordan shut her door and returned to the driver’s side. The short ride to her B&B was quiet but intense.

  “Thanks for the ride,” she said as she opened the door when he put the car in park.

  Jordan’s hand lifted to turn the keys in the ignition. “Let me walk you in.”

  “No need. I’m fine, and you still have work, right?” Cara not only needed to shake him, but she also needed to figure out who belonged to the strange car parked near her place. A guest? Or someone back to finish the job they’d started?

  “Cara.” The protest was evident in Jordan’s tone, but she held up her hand to keep him from saying anything further.

  “Look, Makenna is in there. She’s law enforcement as well. I promise I will call you if anything further happens.” She kept her tone short and terse, hoping he would take the hint.

  Jordan looked as if he wanted to press the issue, but at that moment, his radio squawked, demanding his attention. Thankful for the intrusion, Cara took the chance to slip out of the car and head up the walk to her front door. Her eyes scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary as she approached as she had no desire to be taken by surprise again.

  Everything appeared normal and calm, and her heart slowed slightly as she pushed open the front door. She didn’t make it far before Makenna appeared, relief written all over her face.

  “Oh, good, you’re back. I’ve been trying to keep things running smoothly here, but this is not my forte, even with Jordan’s crash training this morning.”

  Cara smiled. She knew that feeling only too well. She was a soldier and a researcher, so when they’d told her to open the bed and breakfast as a cover, she’d felt completely out of her element at first. However, it had soon grown on her, and she’d enjoyed meeting new people and helping out those in need. “I’m sure you did a wonderful job.”

  Makenna rolled her eyes and smiled. “Well, I did check a guest in. I put him in room one, but you might want to check that I did it right.” Makenna led the way to the desk as if sure Cara would want to do this before anything else.

  Another guest? Cara stifled a frustrated sigh. This house was about to be a little too full for her comfort. And her needed secrecy. “I’m sure you did a great job, but I’ll look over it tomorrow. I’m still feeling a little tired, so I might retire early tonight.”

  Makenna nodded. “Of course. Sorry, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. I know I’m supposed to be a guest here, but please whatever you need, don’t hesitate to ask.”

  If only she could, but what Cara needed was her work to be intact. She needed Steve to still be alive, and she needed her boss to care about his death. She needed to know who had Steve’s work and what they planned to do with it, but none of that was anything Makenna could help with. “The doctor would like you to check on me in the morning to make sure I’m still alert, but other than that, I think I’m good.”

  “That sounds like a plan. I’ll see you in the morning then.”

  As Makenna turned to go, Cara spoke up once more. “Thank you for all your help today, and I hope you get some time to enjoy Fire Beach.”

  Makenna offered a lopsided smile. “I’ll try, but honestly I kind of enjoyed the action. Too much down time makes me nervous.” She flashed a goodnight wave and disappeared down the hallway.

  Cara chuckled softly as she watched Makenna walk away. She liked the woman. It was too bad they hadn’t met under different circumstances because she was sure they would have been friends.

  Pushing the thought away for now, Cara headed to her room. The moment of truth was upon her. She hoped she would find her research intact, but her gut told her it would be gone, and she would have to make the hardest decision of her life.

  When she opened the door to her room, her heart sank. It looked as if a tornado had
touched down inside it. Her bed was torn apart, and knife slashes gaped in her mattress. The drawers of her desk were up-ended on the floor, papers lying around like dead birds, but it was the sight of her trunk that seized her heart. The lock had been sawed off and it gaped at her, empty and accusing. Everything was gone.

  6

  Cole

  Cole went down for breakfast bright and early the next morning, hoping to see Cara and ask her a few questions. She hadn’t been around at dinner the night before, but he’d heard someone come in a few hours after. He supposed it could have been another guest, but it seemed unlikely as the town didn’t appear to boast a booming nightlife. He’d spent last night researching the area and while it offered the beach and the touristy shops along the main street, there were only a few night clubs listed on the other end of town.

  The dining area was bright and airy, reminding him of a poolside cabana. A beachy tan color covered the walls and each table sported a different vividly colored tablecloth. He chose the blue table this morning and sat down in the cushioned chair. A paper menu sat on the place setting, and after perusing it, he decided on the meat filled omelet.

  “Good morning, you must be my new guest.”

  Cole looked up to find himself staring into Cara’s eyes. Though bruised and puffy, he recognized her face from the picture he had spent hours memorizing. All the details were there, but the picture had not captured the beauty in her blue gray eyes or the definition in her cheekbones. He nodded. “I’m Cole, and you must be Cara.”

  The blink of surprise was the only indication he had caught her off guard. Even the hand holding the pot of coffee didn’t shake an inch. She was good. Her head tilted slightly as her eyes perused his face. “I am Cara. Do I know you?”

  “No, but I was recently acquainted with one of your friends.” He watched for any twitch of her face, any tell that she knew what had happened to her coworker. Not a profiler by trade, he had studied enough of it to be aware of certain tells.

  “Oh?” Her brow lifted slightly - the only hint of her curiosity. “Who do you mean exactly?” She kept her eyes down as she filled his mug but he knew she could see him in the corner of her vision.

  Did he lay out all his cards right now or keep them close to his chest? Her appearance and demeanor suggested it was more likely she was another victim rather than a cold-blooded killer, so he might as well tip his hand. “Sergeant Steven Steele. That name ring a bell?”

  This time he did catch her tense but only minutely. It appeared as a muscle twitch in her jaw and the slight color change in her knuckles as her grip tightened on the coffee pot. “I knew Steve. We worked together, but I haven’t seen him in at least a year. Not since I retired from the military and opened up this place.” She motioned with her free hand to the dining area as if that settled any issue.

  So, she was adept at lying. He filed that information away for later use. Though his gut still said she was not his perp, the fact that the lie fell so freely from her lips gave him pause. He picked up his mug and studied her over the rim. “Hmm, that’s quite interesting since your fingerprints were found on his doorknob.”

  He took a sip of the hot liquid as he watched the emotions flash across her face. The shock appeared first as her eyes widened to reveal more of the white. Disbelief followed next as her brows inched closer together creating a tiny crease in between them. Then, like a light switch, she shut them off, and her stoic demeanor reappeared. They had been so minor and occurred so quickly that he might have even missed them if he hadn’t spent so much time watching people’s expressions. Perhaps he should have become a profiler. A small seed of pride filled his gut followed immediately by the question of whether her shock came from his knowledge or from her getting caught?

  “Who are you?” Her shoulders dropped as her brave exterior faltered. Pulling out another chair from the table, she sunk down into it.

  He set the mug down and leaned forward. “My name is Cole Davenport. I’m a criminal investigator for Clarksville, Illinois. The better question is who are you Cara Hunter? Are you merely a person of interest in this case or are you a vicious killer?”

  Her eyes flicked up to his, fire burning in their blue-gray depths. “You think I had something to do with his death?”

  Cole leaned back, folded his arms across his chest, and studied her. “I think you know something about it. How much is what I’m not sure of yet.”

  She pushed back her chair. “Am I under arrest?”

  The heat burning out of her eyes could have started a small fire, but Cole was determined not to let it phase him. “Not yet, but I’d certainly like to take you in for questioning. We could do that here or I could haul you back to Clarksville.”

  Her eyes narrowed at him. “I may be a little rusty on police jurisdiction guidelines, but I would say you are out of line, Mr. Davenport, especially since you haven’t witnessed me committing a crime, nor did you follow me here.”

  Dang, she was good. And pretty when she was angry. Heck, she was pretty anyway, but something changed in her face when she was annoyed. It became sharper, more angular, making her look like a Greek goddess carved from stone. Cole unfolded his arms and leaned forward again. “While you might be right about that, I could certainly pick up the phone and ask an officer of Fire Beach to bring you in for questioning. I’m sure they would be happy to cooperate if they knew it involved a murder.”

  She had not expected those words; he could tell from the clenching of her jaw. “You do that. In fact, why don’t you ask for Detective Jordan Graves? Not only is he a friend of mine, but I called him when I found out about Steve. He’s the one who called the murder in to your department, and I’m sure he’d be happy to help you out. I’ll get your breakfast, but then you’ll be needing to find a new place to stay. I’m sure you understand.”

  The corners of Cole’s mouth twitched. Tough and pretty. He couldn’t remember the last time he had met a woman who interested him so much. Why did she have to be a suspect? “Of course. I’ll have the meat omelet by the way.” He held her gaze as he handed her the paper menu.

  She snatched it from his hand before executing a perfect pivot and disappearing into the kitchen. He realized as she walked away that he probably should have waited until he had his food to spill his cards. He’d heard enough stories of cooks and waiters spitting in people’s food before bringing it out that he should have known better than to poke a bear, but he just couldn’t help it. Cara excited him, and he had enjoyed verbally sparring with her. More than he had with anyone in a long time, and though he hoped she didn’t spit in his food, he wasn’t sure he would have acted differently had he thought the situation through.

  A slight chuckle escaped his mouth as he played back the scene in his mind. He wondered if her tough exterior came from the military or farther back? Though he knew he shouldn’t be interested in her, especially since she was still his number one suspect at the moment, he couldn’t help pondering the jigsaw puzzle that was Cara Hunter.

  Ten minutes later, his food came out, but it was brought by the woman he had met last night and not Cara. Her face held no trace of friendliness.

  “You want to tell me who you really are and why you’re here?” She set the plate down hard enough to cause the utensils to jump. Angry daggers laced her carefully chosen words.

  He motioned to the chair across from him, inviting her to sit. “You first.”

  Narrowing her gaze at him, she pulled out the chair and sat down. “I already told you who I am. Makenna Drake of the Woodville police department.”

  Cole picked up the salt shaker and pointed it at her before sprinkling a few of the white cubes on his eggs. “Why is a member of the Woodville police department here?”

  She leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips as if debating whether to answer his question or pose one of her own. “I’m not here on business. I came to see if I wanted to move to Fire Beach. Your turn. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m a criminal inves
tigator in Clarksville. Yesterday, I walked through a pretty horrific crime scene. I’m here because the only prints found in the place besides the owner’s belonged to one Cara Hunter.”

  Makenna leaned forward, placing her arms on the table. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that you have no jurisdiction here. Did you even alert the Fire Beach police you were coming?”

  “No, because I wasn’t planning on arresting her. At least not yet.” He speared a bite of omelet and pointed the fork at Makenna. “She’s a person of interest at the moment.” Also an interesting person but that was beside the point. “Look, either she’s the woman I’m looking for or someone is probably looking for her. Neither option bodes well, and considering her appearance, I would wager that someone already came looking for her but didn’t finish the job. I’m also here to make sure they don’t.” He placed the speared egg in his mouth.

  “I see. Well, I don’t know this town well, but from what I’ve heard, they stick together. I’d be careful who you go poking around here.” Having said her piece, she pushed back from the table and headed back into the kitchen.

  Cole committed her words to memory as she walked away.

  7

  Cara

  Cara leaned against the counter and ran a hand across her forehead. What was she going to do? Malone had told her to keep working, but not only was some of her research gone - she had backed up a lot of it to the cloud but not everything - she also didn’t have her laptop. And now she had a criminal investigator on her tail. How was she supposed to keep working and keep what she was working on a secret? Not only that but Jordan was sure to have questions after yesterday, and if Cole called the police on her, he would have to bring her in. This was a mess.

  Top that off with the fact that someone now had access to a deadly virus and it was turning out to be a bad day indeed. If only she knew who was behind the murder and the theft or what they planned to do with the virus. Did they have enough to infect people? And if they did, what was their plan? Did people here need to worry?