Shadow Of Suspicion

He quietly twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. When he saw what was in Laney’s hands, he drew his gun, realizing he’d been wrong about the woman all along.

FOUR (#ulink_e4c2ba10-24d6-50ab-8b4f-20345e9a943b)

Laney gently placed a laptop computer onto the table in the foyer and drew her arms into the air as she spotted Mark there with his gun pointed at her. Even in the dark, she could see the accusation in his gaze. But there was something else there also. What was it?

Disappointment, she realized.

He’d followed her. Of course he had. Had she expected anything less?

“This isn’t what it looks like,” she muttered, quickly observing his gun. He was anticipating the worst and prepared to do whatever it took to find answers. She looked guilty—how could she convince him she wasn’t?

“And what exactly am I looking at, Laney?” His eyes were ice-cold again as he stared at her with enough intensity to burn holes into her skin. “What are you doing here?”

Laney’s heart lurched as she glanced at the computer. She’d been so close to leaving with the programs and data she had there. She couldn’t let the wrong people get their hands on it. “There’s nothing wrong with picking up a computer.”

Doubt flickered in his gaze as he came closer, his gun still drawn. She hadn’t turned the lights on in the house—another act that would make her look suspicious. But she’d been trying to remain on the down low.

However, that choice now left the house in darkness—eerie darkness. The shadows felt like they were moving and the silence in the in-between spaces of their conversation felt painful and long.

“The police had a warrant for your computers,” Mark reminded her. “How’d they miss that one?”

Laney licked her lips, panic quelling inside her. This looked bad. Really bad. And she was a terrible liar.

“I know how this appears,” she started. “But it’s been here all along. If anyone had asked where I kept it, I would have told them.”

“Unless you hid it and came back to destroy evidence on it.”

Laney shook her head, desperate to get through to him. “There’s no evidence on this. I use it for my work. It’s my lifeline to the outside world.”

He stepped closer and glared down on her. A whiff of evergreen tingled her nose and caused her heart to skip. The moment was short-lived as she quickly remembered the trouble she was in.

“Someone either really hates you and has gone through a lot of trouble to make you look guilty or you’re guilty,” the detective muttered. “I’m not sure which one yet. Based on the fact that you’ve been incredibly sneaky tonight, I’m learning toward the latter.”

She swallowed hard, her throat dry.

“I’m going to need that computer.”

Her fingers traced the top of her laptop. She’d rather the police have a hold of it than the bad guys. But still—there were things hidden on the hard drive that would raise suspicions. Thankfully, it would take the police department a while to locate that information. Maybe she could buy herself some time.

“Of course,” she finally said. “It’s like I said, I just remembered a few things I needed to pick up. That’s the only reason I came here. I promise.”

His gaze remained suspicious. “You could have called me.”

“I figured you were home with your family.” Her voice trembled with anxiety. “It really wasn’t a big deal. At least, I didn’t think it was.”

As something dark crossed his face, she realized that any of his earlier goodwill was gone. She’d broken her trust with him and just diminished her chances of having someone in her corner.

“Why’d you go into that gas station?” he asked.

She didn’t say anything. She knew how it would sound when she told him she had to buy a burner phone. She’d had no choice but to do so. She had to reach her CIA contact somehow. Nicholas was her only chance of getting help.

“I had to buy something,” she finally said, sticking with the truth.

He shifted and narrowed his eyes. “What did you have to buy?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip a moment. There was no need to deny it. Certainly the police would end up checking her credit card records. They’d find out what she purchased one way or another.

“I bought a phone,” she admitted. “You confiscated my cell, and I don’t like to be without one. It’s only smart as a single woman.”

It was the truth—just not all of it.

Detective James shifted in front of her, his frame imposing and almost intimidating. “Who do you want to call? Your partner in crime maybe? The person who’s helping you get away with this?”

“I just want to have the ability to call someone.”

“Your hotel room has a phone.”

Laney’s shoulders slumped. Mark James didn’t accept answers easily. She was certain that made him a good detective, but he frustrated her now. Her top-secret job was only working to make her look guilty, and she knew it.

“I wanted to call my boss, okay?” Laney crossed her arms over her chest, wishing something would go her way. Instead, life seemed to be working against her.

He finally lowered his hand from his gun. “Why?”

Her shoulders relaxed, but only slightly. “I might be missing work over the next few days. That’s kind of important. I depend on my job to pay my bills. I can’t afford to simply drop off the face of the earth without explanation.”

“Again, you could have used your hotel phone.” His calculating eyes continued to assess her.

Laney forced herself to raise her chin and not appear spooked by his interrogation. She had to be strong. Besides, she’d done nothing wrong. If she acted guilty, the detective would only have more ammunition against her. “I don’t see where this is a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal because that phone you purchased will have an untraceable number. Maybe you want to make a ransom call with it. Or maybe you have an accomplice and you don’t want us to know about your communications with him. I could continue to list more reasons, but I’m sure you can see my point.”

Alarm rushed through her as the truth of his words settled in her mind. They were looking for anything possible to nail her. She had to be careful. “It’s not like that. I promise.”

Mark’s gaze locked with hers. “I’m having a hard time taking you at your word, Laney. You’ve been less than honest with me.”

At the moment, she felt both dwarfed by his presence and like she wanted to shrink and hide. “I haven’t lied. I just didn’t realize I needed to run these things past you.”

The detective narrowed his eyes. “You’re our number-one suspect. We’re watching your every move. Surely you realize that. I need you to turn over that phone to me.”

She raised her chin. She had no one to fight for her. That meant she had to fight for herself. It was that or let herself go down for a crime she didn’t commit. Still, she had to choose her battles.

Begrudgingly, she slapped the phone into his hands. “Fine. But you’re wasting your time investigating the wrong person. Meanwhile, the real culprit is probably burying himself deeper, which lessens your opportunity to find him.”

They stared off for a moment, neither saying anything.

She waited, wondering if the detective would arrest her again.

* * *