The Pursuit of Lies (Book #4, Paradise Valley) (24 page)

Emily laid her head against his firm chest. She felt safe in his arms. “How did you figure it out?”

“Ernie and I were talking about the tattoo on the killer’s hand and I remembered where I’d seen it—the guy at the coffee shop that waited on us.”

“Wait, you’re saying that’s Andy there on the floor?” Emily asked.

“I believe so.” Colin crouched down beside the mystery man and rolled him over on his back. “Let’s see if this is Kevin Bates.” He pulled the ski mask off. The man’s eyes were open.

Emily’s jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. “Oh, my God, that
is
Andy.”

“Yeah, Ernie and I went to Moxie Java to find him, but he’d given a phony address to his employer.”

“You still didn’t say how you figured out my clue.”

Colin rose to his feet. “After the wild goose chase, we decided to call it a night. We weren’t far from here, so I phoned you to see if you wanted me to bring pizza by. You sounded kind of off.”

“What do you mean off?” Emily asked.

“You didn’t sound like yourself, and when you said you were puttering around the kitchen as usual, I suspected something was up. Since when do you putter around the kitchen?”

“Hey, I can do a few things in the kitchen.”

“That’s what made me think you might be trying to send some sort of message, but I didn’t understand it at first. So, I repeated it to Ernie, word for word. That’s when we both remembered you referring to the killer as Mr. X, and of course the hot blonde had to be you.”

“Of course,” she quipped.

“We figured the reference about the kitchen might be a clue that he was holding you in that part of the house.”

“I came up with that,” Ernie added proudly, as he walked back into the kitchen. “Police are on their way.”

“That’s when Ernie and I hatched our plan to distract the killer, drawing his attention to the front door so I could sneak in the back.”

Emily lifted her gaze to him. “I’m glad you guys figured it out or it could have ended very differently.”

“But it didn’t.”

“Sorry for making the squeaky noise,” Ernie muttered. “Those darn old wood floors. I tried to tiptoe.”

Emily twirled around within Colin’s embrace, her back now pressed against his chest. “Thank God for those old wood floors, Ernie. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The noise was just the distraction I needed.”

Ernie grinned at her, apparently pleased his misstep was a blessing after all.

Sirens blared in the distance, growing louder.

“The police will be here soon,” Ernie said. “I wonder what Detective Roberts will say when he finds out we’ve found the real murderer.”

“Between this and the video tapes, we have all we need to prove Colin didn’t do it.” Emily breathed a sigh of relief—she was finally a hundred percent certain of Colin’s innocence.

She would go to the grave with the secret of her tiny niggling doubt. She wished she had possessed the unwavering trust that Ernie had, but then he’d never been married to a world-class liar, like she had, and he had nothing to lose but a friendship if he was wrong.

Colin squatted down again and balanced on his haunches, studying the man’s face. “Looks like he dyed his hair to match mine, and he must be wearing colored contacts because he normally has blue eyes. But what’s with the beard?”

“As far as I know, he’s always had a beard,” Emily said, “ever since he began working at Moxie Java a few months ago. Well, except for that one day.” She stood over the body and her gaze fell on the man’s face before shifting to Colin’s.

“What do you mean?” Ernie asked, crossing his arms over his barrel chest.

“I remember he had shaved it off one day—for his girlfriend, he said. But then he began growing it back.”

Colin looked up at her as he stood to his feet. “Allison. It makes sense now. That night he wanted to be clean-shaven and camera ready.”

Chapter 26

“Are you almost ready, Babe?” Colin called out as he sat in Emily’s living room, waiting as she finished getting ready for a do-over of their engagement party. She had turned the table lamps on, filling the room with a warm glow, and their song played softly in the background.

When he had arrived, Emily was wrapped in her red satin robe, a little embarrassed at still needing to dress. She rushed him into the living room and asked him to wait patiently for her there while she finished up.

Camille, Maggie, and Isabel had insisted on throwing another bash to replace the one that had been so horribly disrupted. Emily had protested that another party wasn’t necessary, but her friends cajoled her into agreeing—for her own good, they had said.

“Just about done!” She zipped up the back of her fitted aubergine dress and slipped into her black stilettos. A fresh layer of lipstick was applied and a quick spritz of perfume. Now, she was ready.

The click of her heels on the hardwood floor announced her appearance in the doorway of her living room. Colin rose from the sofa as she sashayed into the room. The sight of him took her breath away. He looked as attractive and sexy as she’d ever seen him.

It wasn’t the sleek black suit and crisp white shirt that lay seductively open at the collar. It wasn’t his smoky hazel eyes and engaging smile. Certainly those things added to the pulsing attraction she experienced standing before him. But no, it was her all-consuming love for him that overtook her—and a new appreciation for having this wonderful man in her life.

Colin stepped to Emily and swept her into his arms.

“You look awfully handsome tonight.” She smiled up at him, feeling heat swirl inside her.

“When you have a gorgeous woman beside you, a man’s got to keep up.”

As their song continued to play, their bodies moved to the beat in a slow and fluid motion. Without another word, she gazed up into his adoring eyes and a passionate energy vibrated between them as they danced. Their friends were waiting, but she didn’t care.

He put a finger under her chin, raising it ever so slightly, and leaned down to kiss her. His lips were moist and warm as they claimed hers.

A shiver of excitement feathered up her spine, as his lips pressed into hers and the arm he slid around her waist pulled her in closer. Her hand glided up to the back of his neck. He kissed her deeply and thoroughly.

Emily sensed an intimate message in his kisses. Colin had already spoken of his undying love for her—his total and unreserved commitment—but what she felt in this kiss was something else. She felt
urgency
—an urgency to get on with their lives, an urgency to marry.

“I hate to say this, darling, but we’d better be going,” Emily said when they came up for air. “Our friends are waiting for us.”

“Let’s hope this engagement party goes better than the last one.” Colin smiled down at her and traced her jaw line with his finger. “If the first party was any indication of what our future holds, I know one thing—our life together won’t be boring.”

Emily nuzzled her face against the curve of his neck, the place that always made her feel safe and loved, and she felt the beat of his heart. She had almost lost him to death row—they had almost lost each other. But tonight, and every night thereafter, he was hers to have and to hold.

THE END

Afterword

I hope you were as excited and entertained as I was when writing
The Pursuit of Lies
. If you did enjoy the romance and suspense of The Pursuit of Lies, I would like to ask you a favor to go back to Amazon and leave a review. We indie authors live and die by our reviews.

Want more romance/suspense? Just check out the next section!

~*~

Other Works by Debra Burroughs

The Scent of Lies, A Paradise Valley Mystery: Book One

An engaging, fast-paced mystery with a sensual, but sweet romance.

Praise for
The Scent of Lies
…

“The Scent of Lies caught my attention on the first page and kept me engaged until the last. Main character, Emily Parker, is a likable, vulnerable, sassy, hotheaded, smart woman surrounded by loving friends. This cleverly crafted story takes the reader on an engaging romp through hidden clues, romance, crime and murder.”

~ Janis McNutt

Amazon Reviewer

“Debra Burroughs has once again had me addicted to my kindle. I love the characters in this book. They are so real and so likable you want them for your own. Each time I thought I knew who the killer was, there would be some kind of twist to make me question myself. I was rooting for Emily from the beginning. Can she solve this murder and really become the private investigator that she truly wants to be? She proves herself to all of those who doubt her.”

~ Yvonne Havens

Amazon Reviewer

To purchase or sample
The Scent of Lies
, simply click
here
.

~*~

The Heart of Lies, A Paradise Valley Mystery: Book Two

Online dating can be murder.
The Heart of Lies
is a captivating and suspenseful mystery with a healthy dose of real romance.

What people are saying about
The Heart of Lies…

“I enjoyed every page of this book, The mystery draws you in but the relationship between Emily and Colin keeps you wanting more…I can’t wait to continue reading about these characters, and digging deeper into the mystery in Paradise Valley!!”

~ J Douglas

Amazon Reviewer

“This book has proven to be a five star sequel to The Scent of Lies. Don’t let the author’s clean writing fool you, the passion and sexual tension between Private Investigator Emily and Detective Colin is delicious.”

~ jne2003

Amazon Reviewer

“I loved the characters and the intense story line. I am currently reading book 3. So far I love this author and will be reading more of her books. I can’t wait to find out the outcome of the mystery of Evan.”

~ Natalie Hardie

Amazon Reviewer

To purchase or sample
The Heart of Lies
, simply click
here
.

~*~

The Chain of Lies, A Paradise Valley Mystery: Book Three

A sensual and gripping story with murder, romance, mystery, and intrigue—think “Sex and the City” meets “Women’s Murder Club”.

Praise for The Chain of Lies…

“The book was great! I loved this book the best out of all three!! I sure hope you write another one so we can find out what happens to Collin and Emily and the others. You can’t leave us hanging. I love the characters in this book. You did such a wonderful job when you wrote these books, I felt like I was in the books. Thanks for being such a great writer. I couldn’t put the books down - some of them I read in one day!!”

~ Melinda Becker

Amazon Reviewer

“Psychological, mysterious, suspenseful and above all provocative and intriguing your mind. The mastery of the author is undeniable, style is enviable, narrative – awesome…”

~ Boyko Ovcharov

Amazon Reader

To purchase or sample
The Chain of Lies
, simply click
here
.

~*~

Three Days in Seattle

Kate’s sister is missing and her captor is a psychopath. Is the handsome stranger Kate met at the airport going to help her, or is he somehow involved? The desperate race is on to find the sister before both women wind up dead.