Love Inspired Suspense December 2015, Box Set 2 of 2 (27 page)

He rubbed his fingers across his eyes and sighed. Even after two cups of coffee and several aspirins this morning, his head still pounded as if a marching band had taken up residence inside. That wasn't surprising after the sleepless night he'd had. Every time he'd closed his eyes, the memory of his arms around Mia's still body returned to taunt him.

That vision had then been quickly replaced by her words later.
I'm paying you to work for me
, she'd said, and his heart had shriveled at the icy tone of her voice.

How could he have been so foolish? He'd let down his guard and had acknowledged the feelings he still had for her. He'd even wondered if he was ready to trust her again, to let go of the doubts that lingered from their past. She had put a stop to that. She'd made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing from him except his services as a bounty hunter, and he'd do well to remember that.

A car horn blared at him, jarring him from his thoughts, and he jerked to attention. The traffic light had turned green. With an apologetic wave, he stepped on the accelerator and drove forward.

Ten minutes later he stepped onto the front porch of his parents' home and took a deep breath. Professional facade, that's what he hoped he could maintain today. No talk of friendship. Nothing that could be construed as personal. Just another client with the Knight Fugitive Recovery Agency. That's all Mia was.

He pushed the front door open, stopped inside the entry and inhaled. The aroma of cinnamon and cloves drifted through the house, and he closed his eyes as his stomach rumbled. His mother was baking this morning, and the smell reminded him of the mornings right before Christmas when he was a child and would wake to the smell of his mother's holiday spice cake drifting through the house. He licked his lips in anticipation of devouring a big piece of the cake with its thick buttercream frosting.

He headed to the kitchen and stopped at the door as he spotted his mother and Mia sitting at the table having a cup of coffee. His mother turned and smiled when she heard him at the door. “Lucas, I didn't expect you this early. I was just changing the bandage on Mia's head.”

“And how does it look?”

His mother turned back to the table and picked up the emergency first-aid kit that she'd been using ever since he could remember. “Everything seems to be good this morning. Why don't you sit down and have some coffee while I put this away?”

He shook his head. “I've already had some, but I would take a slice of that cake.” He grinned, knowing what her answer would be.

“That cake is for the Christmas bazaar at the church. I'm taking it with me when we go to church this morning. If you want a piece, you'll have to go by there tomorrow and buy it.”

“Aw, Mom,” he whined. “I'll pay you for it right now.”

Her eyes sparkled, and she shook her head. “Don't worry. I'll bake another cake for Christmas dinner, and you'd better be here to help eat it.”

Lucas arched his eyebrows and kissed her on the cheek. “And where else would I be but here with my family that day?”

His mother laughed and patted him on the cheek. “You'd better be, if you know what's good for you.” She smiled down at Mia who as yet hadn't spoken to him. “And what about you, Mia? Can you join us for Christmas dinner?”

Mia's face flushed, and she shook her head as she reached for her coffee cup. “I don't think so. I'm sure Lucas will have tracked Tony down by that time, and I'll be gone.”

His mother frowned. “Christmas is only a week away. I hope Tony is back in jail by that time, but you're welcome to join us whether he's caught or not.”

“Thank you. We'll see what happens.”

Taking a deep breath, Lucas's mother glanced at Mia before she checked her watch. “Oh, Lucas, I didn't know it was getting so late. After church your father and I are having lunch at the mall and then finishing our Christmas shopping. Are you and Mia coming to church?”

Mia didn't look up at him, and he raked his hand through his hair. “I don't know. I thought you might be home after church, but I guess I can take her with me again. She has to have a bodyguard.”

“Good,” his mother said as she hurried to the coatrack next to the back door. “I'll see you two later. Have a nice day.”

When his mother was gone, Lucas walked to the counter, poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. Mia didn't glance up but wrapped her fingers around her mug and stared down into its contents.

After a minute she straightened her shoulders and looked up at Lucas. The bandage on the side of her head wrinkled as she frowned at him. “I don't need a babysitter.”

Lucas took a sip of coffee before he answered. “I never said you did.”

“Having to take me with you sounds like an imposition. Why can't I just stay here?”

Lucas exhaled. “I don't think it's safe for you to be alone, not until I've found Chapman.”

Mia was silent for a moment before she spoke. “Lucas, I know you don't take other clients with you when you're tracking a fugitive. I don't want any special treatment from you. Just find Tony Chapman. Then I'll go away, and you'll never have to deal with me again.”

Her words sliced back through the wound her statement last night had left, and Lucas pushed back from the table. Gritting his teeth, he stood and strode toward the living room but stopped before he exited the kitchen. Slowly he turned and came back to where she still sat at the table. She stared up at him, and a slight tremor pulled at the corner of her mouth.

“Mia, I get the message. It was loud and clear yesterday, and now you've repeated it. But you don't have to worry. I understand how you feel about me. I'd hoped we could be friends, but I don't think that's going to be possible now.”

A startled look flashed across her face, and she stared up at him. “What message? What are you talking about?”

He closed his eyes for a moment and bit down on his lip. Why was he doing this now? He needed to let it alone, but his heart told him to be honest. “I know you have hard feelings about how I deserted you, and I'm sorry about that. I was wrong to do it.”

Her mouth dropped open, and she frowned. “Deserted me? I don't understand.”

“If I had done things differently, you never would have had to go through what you suffered with Kyle. I'm sorry I let you down.”

Mia pushed to her feet and shook her head. “You didn't...”

Lucas held up his hand to stop her. “I did. When I asked you to put our wedding off because I wanted to pursue my own dream of being a navy SEAL, I didn't give a thought to how you'd feel about that decision. I knew you'd always felt abandoned by your father, and yet there I was—abandoning you, too. I ignored everything you wanted and left you with no other choice than to go back to your father's house—a place where you'd always been so unhappy. If I had taken care of you, you never would have met Kyle, and things would have turned out differently. I'm sorry you've suffered because of me.”

Mia reached out and grasped his arm. “Lucas, you can't blame yourself for the mistakes I made. If I'd been strong enough, I never would have given in to my father's pressure to marry Kyle. But I didn't know what else to do. I hadn't heard from you, and I thought you'd moved on.”

“Not heard from me?” he almost yelled. “I emailed, but every one I sent bounced back that the address wasn't valid. I tried calling, but your number was no longer in service. Then I resorted to writing letter after letter, but I never heard a word in reply from you. And yet when I came home a year later, I still went to your father's house to find you, but a maid told me you were married and no longer living at home.”

Her eyes had grown large while he talked. Finally, she said, “I was so angry at you when I had to go back home that I changed my email address and got a new phone. But I never received any letters.”

“Well, I sent them. Maybe somebody at your father's house didn't want you to get them.”

“That's possible. I know my father wanted me to move past my feelings for you, especially once I met Kyle at a charity fund-raiser. Kyle set off from the start to sweep me off my feet, and I was ready to have some attention from a man. We were married a few months later. It didn't take me long to realize what a mistake I'd made. I'd thrown away whatever chance I might have had with you. Now it's too late.”

Lucas's hands curled into fists at his side. “Mia, please, don't say that. I thought we were going to try and be friends.”

She shook her head. “We can't, Lucas. Too much happened in the past. I'm not the same person I was when we were in college. I'm too damaged, and you deserve better than having a friend like me. I'll be fine on my own, once this situation is resolved. All I need is to have some peace in my life, but I can't do that until Tony is back in jail.”

Lucas rubbed the back of his neck and pursed his lips. Well, if that's what she wanted, he'd better get busy trying to give it to her. Because being around her was dredging up too many old feelings, and he couldn't take much more.

He gave a curt nod. “Then we're wasting time talking when we could be looking for him. And I said
we
because there's no way I can leave you here alone. You're right that I wouldn't take another client along, but this is a special case. Not only am I trying to find Chapman for you, but I need to protect you from him, too. So get your coat and let's head out.”

Mia took a deep breath. “Okay. Thank you again for helping me, and I promise to try and not put either of us in danger today. Where are we going?”

“I have several places I'd like to visit. From what the police told me yesterday, I suspect that Kyle was involved in smuggling items into the country and maybe out to foreign places, too.” He glanced at his watch. “I checked Shackleford's website this morning, and they open at noon on Sunday. I want to go there and see if we can find out anything. If Kyle and Chapman were working together, maybe somebody there knows something. Why don't we go to church with my folks, then we can drive downtown to Shackleford's and be there when they open?”

“That sounds like a good idea. But you said you had several places you want to visit. Where else, besides Shackleford's?”

He took a deep breath. “I'd like to talk to Christine Abbott. The boat Clyde used came from her dock, and she seemed to have some kind of relationship with Kyle.”

Mia's eyes grew wide, and her face paled. “Relationship? Do you mean like in having an affair?”

Lucas shrugged. “I don't know. But their pictures seemed to show up together in the paper a lot.”

She swallowed, and he watched the muscles in her throat constrict. “So he couldn't be faithful to that part of his marriage vows either.”

Lucas's heart lurched at the flash of sorrow on her face. “I don't know, Mia. It's just a suspicion, but there was some kind of connection between them.”

She tossed her head back, and her hair swept across the side of her face. “Well, let's go find out. I'll get my coat.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head as she strode from the kitchen. He hadn't wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk this morning, but maybe it was best. Now he knew how she felt, and she sure didn't want to renew any kind of relationship with him. The feelings for her that had resurfaced were just going to have to be ignored.

His head might know that, but making his heart understand was an entirely different matter. With a sigh he walked to the front door and waited for her to come downstairs.

CHAPTER NINE

M
ia had been silent ever since they left church. Now as Lucas drove toward the downtown area, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “How did you enjoy the service?”

She turned to him and smiled. “I thought it was wonderful. It's been a long time since I was in church on Sunday, and I realized how much I've missed it. When I get settled after this is all over, I'm going to find a church and get involved.”

Lucas nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. The people at our church are like extended family. They're the kind of folks you want to have around when trouble comes into your life.”

“I could tell. Everybody was so friendly. And it was good to see Adam, meet his wife and see Jessica. I was sorry Ryan wasn't there. I really liked him when I met him. You're a very lucky man, Lucas, to have such a great family.”

“I am,” he said. He glanced at her, but she had turned her head and was staring out the window.

Neither one of them spoke again until he pulled the car to a stop across the street from Shackleford's Imports. She gazed at the building, frowning. He'd seen that look before, and he knew she was frightened, wondering what lay behind the doors of the place where her husband had worked.

He studied the buildings up and down the street. They were older, dating back to Memphis's heyday, when it was a booming riverfront town. Now renovated and given expensive face-lifts, these hallmarks of the past occupied some of the most expensive property in the city.

Shackleford's was no exception. An awning hung over the double glass doors that led inside, and elegant antique furniture sat showcased in large windows on either side of the entryway. Crystal chandeliers cast a bright glow over the merchandise on display. Lucas gave a low whistle as his gaze drifted over the front of the business.

“This place sure looks fancy,” he said.

Mia nodded. “It is. The pieces for sale here aren't for anyone on a budget. Kyle worked here for seven years, and yet I was never in this place over two or three times. It seems strange to be coming here now.”

Lucas swiveled in his seat to look at her. “And you don't know anyone who works here?”

“No. I met Mr. Shackleford when Kyle first joined the staff, but he's been ill and hasn't been too involved in the running of the place for the past few years. From what I gathered, Kyle had been in charge since Mr. Shackleford had to take a leave of absence. Kyle would report to him and let him know how things were going, but he never came to the business.”

Lucas opened the car door. “Let's go see who's here today.”

When they passed through the double doors, Lucas felt as if he'd stepped back in history. Although he'd never studied antiques, he knew the items scattered across the showroom floor and the paintings hanging on the walls were much rarer and pricier than any of the modern home furnishings one might find in a local retail store.

Every piece of furniture in the place glowed with a patina that could only be produced by aging and delicate care. As they walked along an aisle that ran through the middle of the showroom, he tried to take it all in, but it was difficult to see everything.

They passed several cases that held antique jewelry, and his gaze landed on a cameo brooch much like one he remembered his grandmother wearing. He hesitated for a moment to get a better look, and a voice sounded nearby.

“Good morning. Is there something I can help you with today?”

Lucas turned to see a woman who looked to be about thirty years old standing nearby. The black dress and the diamond earrings with a matching pendant she wore gave off the same quality of elegance that the showroom displayed.

Lucas smiled, touched Mia's elbow and ushered her closer to the woman. “My name is Lucas Knight, and this is my friend Mia Lockhart, Kyle Lockhart's widow. I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but the man charged with murdering Mrs. Lockhart's husband has jumped bail. I'm a bounty hunter, and Mrs. Lockhart has hired me to help track him down. I wonder if you might be able to help us.”

The woman's pencil-thin eyebrows pulled down, and a look of sympathy shaded her eyes. “Oh, Mrs. Lockhart, I'm Janet Williams. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. I saw you at Mr. Lockhart's funeral. I can't tell you how sorry I am for your loss.”

“
Thank you, Janet. I'm afraid I don't remember much about that day,” Mia said.

Janet turned back to Lucas. “I don't know how I could help you. I didn't know the man who was arrested.”

“We really didn't expect that you would. What we're really interested in finding out is whether or not Kyle had a business connection of some kind to him. Did you ever hear Kyle mention the name Tony Chapman?”

Janet shook her head. “No.”

“What about Clyde Harper?”

“I've never heard of him either,” she said.

Lucas thought for a moment before he spoke again. “And you would have known about Mr. Lockhart's business contacts because you worked with him directly, right? What exactly is your job, Janet?”

She gave a short laugh and shrugged. “It depends on what needs to be done. Up until Mr. Shackleford got sick, I was in charge of acquiring items to sell and of working with special clients who had a specific piece in mind.”

Lucas wrinkled his forehead and nodded. “That sounds like a very important position. But you said you did that
before
Mr. Shackleford got sick.”

“Yes. When he became ill, he appointed Mr. Lockhart to manage the business, and Mr. Lockhart decided he wanted to have full control over acquisitions. I took over the marketing of the business and became a salesperson on the showroom floor.”

Mia, who'd been listening mutely, suddenly spoke up. “That sounds like a demotion. Did Kyle explain why he wanted to change your responsibilities?”

“We had begun to deal in antiquities more, and he said he understood that market better than I did. He also thought it better if a man traveled to some of the places where these treasures were available.” She frowned as she said it, and Lucas was quick to follow up on the discontent in her expression.

“You didn't agree with him?” he asked.

She shrugged, looking embarrassed. “Since the internet had become our chief way of tracking down items for sale, I wasn't convinced the travel he did was necessary. But he was the boss, and I needed my job.”

Lucas was about to ask another question when a door at the side of the showroom opened, and a man pushing a cart loaded with cleaning supplies entered the room. Janet glanced over her shoulder at him. “Donnie,” she called out, “what are you doing with that cart? The custodian should be here any time now.”

Donnie chuckled and shook his head. “I knew he was running late today. I thought I'd help him out a bit.”

With a nod in their direction he disappeared through a door in the back of the showroom, and Janet turned her attention back to Lucas and Mia. “That's Donnie Miller,” she said. “Mr. Lockhart hired him as our shipping and receiving clerk.”

Lucas stared at the door that Donnie had entered and frowned as he remembered Clyde's mention of smuggling. He glanced back at Janet. “I suppose you have items arriving and being shipped out all the time.”

Janet nodded. “That's right. We import and export items regularly.”

“Who keeps a record of all the transactions?”

“That was my job when Mr. Shackleford was here, but when Mr. Lockhart took over, he hired Donnie to do that. He keeps records on the computer of all items received and shipped. But we've had a difficult time since Mr. Lockhart's death.”

“And why's that?”

A shadow of a frown crossed her face. “When Mr. Lockhart's body was found in his office, we discovered there were quite a few items stolen. Among them were the three computers we used to keep our records, as well as the external hard drives where we backed up all our information. Donnie and I are in the process of doing an inventory of the business, but it's going to take some time. At this point we really don't know what antiques the thieves might have taken.”

“Don't you have hard copies of invoices of items bought?”

Janet hesitated before she answered. “We did, but the files that had anything to do with acquisitions and sales were taken from Mr. Lockhart's office after the murder. I know at first the police thought his death was a robbery gone wrong, but I think they may have changed their minds after they discovered the missing files. Why would a thief want file folders filled with purchase orders and receipts?”

“That's a good question,” Lucas said. “And one I don't have the answer for. Is there anything else you can tell us about the murder that might be of help?”

Janet bit down on her lip and glanced over her shoulder as if checking to see if anyone was listening. “There is one more thing, something that's been troubling me.”

Lucas frowned. “What is it?”

Janet took a deep breath, stepped closer and lowered her voice. “The day before Mr. Lockhart was killed I came back after dinner to finish a marketing campaign I was working on, and I saw the light on in his office. His door was slightly ajar, and I walked over to tell him I was back in the building. I stopped when I heard him talking to someone.”

“Did you know who was in there with him?” Lucas asked.

“Oh, yes. I recognized the voice right away. It was Ms. Abbott, one of our top customers.” She glanced at Mia, and she bit down on her lip as if she didn't know whether or not to go on.

“And?” Lucas prompted.

After a moment Janet continued. “Through the crack in the door I could see a large leather pouch on the desk, and Mr. Lockhart was about to open it. I know I should have backed away, but for some reason, I couldn't. I wanted to see what was in that pouch.”

“And did you?”

Janet nodded. “Mr. Lockhart reached in, and he pulled out a woman's ring. Not one with any kind of gems in it, but just a plain gold ring. He held it up to the light and smiled, then scooped a large handful of jewelry and coins from the bag and spread his fingers as it tumbled back into the pouch. It reminded me of a pirate sifting through a chest of treasure. Just when I thought that was probably all of it, he pulled out what looked like a large amulet hanging on a leather thong. He handed it to Ms. Abbott, and she held it up to her neck. ‘How do I look?' she asked. ‘Like a ten-million-dollar Roman goddess,' Mr. Lockhart responded.”

Lucas cast a quick glance at Mia. Her eyes had grown wide, and her lips trembled. His stomach roiled at the look of despair on her face. He could see that she thought this was proof that her husband had been cheating on her after all. Was it possible that in spite of everything he'd done to her, she had loved Kyle Lockhart? And had the insinuation that there had been something between him and Christine Abbott been too much for her to bear? Before he could say anything, she turned to stare across the showroom at a brocade sofa. Her chin trembled, and she balled her hands into fists as if she was trying to gain control of her tense body. After a moment she took a deep breath and turned back to him.

Lucas took a step closer to her. “Mia, are you okay?”

She lifted her chin and nodded. “I'm fine.” Her throaty rasp made his heart prick.

He frowned as he turned back to Janet and cleared his throat. “Roman goddess? What did you make of that?”

Janet shrugged. “I thought maybe he was showing her a new acquisition, but I didn't know how in the world he'd come up with the money to purchase that jewelry for the store if it really was worth ten million dollars. When I was keeping records, we never had those kinds of funds to invest in artifacts. And I knew those pieces had to be artifacts. I'd seen some very much like them once in a museum in Italy. They looked like they might have been from the Roman period.”

Lucas did the math in his head and gave a low whistle. “Then that would make them something like two thousand years old or more.”

“Yes, and very valuable.”

A soft gasp escaped Mia's lips. “Where's the jewelry now?”

“I have no idea,” Janet said. “But I've been thinking about what they said next, and it doesn't make any sense to me.”

Lucas tilted his head to one side and inched closer to Janet. “What did they say?”

Janet licked her lips and frowned as if trying to recall their words. “I don't remember exactly how they said it, but Ms. Abbott asked Mr. Lockhart where he was going to put it to keep it away from the others until they left to go see the buyer. And he responded that he'd been thinking about that. He said he couldn't put it in the safe because that was the first place they'd look, but he had come up with a place they'd never suspect.”

Lucas's pulse rate had increased with each word Janet had spoken. “And where was that?”

Janet shrugged. “He said he was going to hide it in plain sight. At that point I decided I'd better get out of there, and I left without letting them see me. Mr. Lockhart didn't say anything about the jewelry the next day, and then he was killed that night. I decided the pouch must have been stolen in the robbery.”

“Have you told the police about this?” Lucas asked.

“Yes, I told them everything I've told you. But I've been thinking about that jewelry, and I'd like to know more about it. I know a curator at a museum in London who's an expert in Roman antiquities. I emailed him yesterday afternoon before I left for the day and described what I saw. I asked him to let me know if he had any idea who Mr. Lockhart could have purchased that lot from.”

“And have you heard from him?”

Janet shook her head and glanced down at her watch. “With the difference in the time, it would have been eleven o'clock at night there when I sent the message, and he would have been at home. It's late afternoon there now, and I thought I would have heard from him by this time, but nothing yet. Of course he may be doing some research for me.”