I drove back into town, my mind in a whirl of fear and confusion. She wouldn’t have gone without saying goodbye. No matter what, I knew she wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t have lost her.
I knew her.
Didn’t I?
No. I couldn’t doubt the lass. She’d hidden and lied to protect herself, but every other part of her was honest.
Something else had happened. Someone had come for her, I was certain.
Frantic, I pulled up outside my bar. On the forecourt to his garage, Hank worked on a car. He waved me over.
“This might not be any of my business,” he started, “but is Autumn in any sort of trouble? I know you two are item now. It’s just my wife saw her in the back of a car with her boy. He was crying, and she looked upset, too, and these two men in suits were in the front—”
Fuck. “When was this?” I barked.
Hank blinked. “Not more than half an hour ago. They drove past the house in a silver car. You know how you have to slow to get safely around our bend, so she got a great view in—”
Adrenaline surged, and I whirled back to my car.
“Bull? Can I help any?” Hank called, but I needed to go. Autumn needed me.
Just as I pulled back into the street, a little red car zoomed up. A car I knew well—I’d bought it. Cindy braked, sliding the last few inches to block me in. She leapt out, and I did, too.
“What the hell?” I snapped.
“I can’t do this anymore,” she screamed, rounding the bonnet. Her silky dressing gown barely contained her body, and makeup stained her face where she’d been crying.
“Move the car. I need to go,” I yelled.
Cindy cranked open the side door and brought Archie from the car.
“Not now.” I jammed my fingers into my hair.
“Yes, now! You’re the only person who can take care of him. I need you to have him. I can’t… I just can’t!” Cindy threw Archie into my arms, and I caught the bairn, gathering him to me. His mother whipped around and got back into her car. Without another word, she backed up and spun off, only closing her door at the last second, the cord of her dressing gown trapped outside.
“Da,” Archie said and whimpered, cuddling in.
“It’s okay, lad.” I hushed him. Then I covered his ears. “Hank?” I bellowed. “I need to borrow a car seat. Now!”
Five soul-destroying minutes later and I was speeding away on the track that passed Hank’s place and headed out of town. This way led to one of two places: the highway to Seattle, in which case I’d lost them, or to a holiday lodge. I had my hopes pinned on the second.
In his car seat next to mine, Archie held his little hand out for me, and I took it.
“We’ll sort your ma out later,” I told him. “It’ll all be fine.”
“Da, Da,” he said again.
I drove fast. We made the turn off for the lodge, and I peered ahead as we trundled up the track.
A silver car sat outside the separate guesthouse.
My heart thundered.
Stopping in the main car park, I reached past Archie and collected my gun from where I had it stowed in the glove box. Then I locked the bairn in the car and stole around the back of the house.
15
Found
Autumn
The two men sat the other side of the kitchen table in the guesthouse. On my lap, Benjamin squirmed, but I wasn’t about to put him down.
Fear slithered down my spine, and I swallowed against panic.
The truth. All I have to do is tell the truth.
They sifted through the paperwork, making notes as they went.
“Finally, the apartment in Clavisham Heights, Park Lane, Westminster,” the first man read from the paper.
“No,” I replied as calmly as I could. “Not that one either. I’ve never heard of it, and I never visited there.”
The second officer made an entry on his laptop, his mouth a flat line under his moustache.
“Miss Phillips, you’re claiming you had no knowledge of all twelve properties, despite your name being associated with the purchases, and you being in possession of the papers?”
My breathing stuttered. “I know how it sounds, but I really didn’t know. I ran because Tabby, I mean Tabitha, my sister, said we were in danger. We came home to find intruders in our house. What else was I to think?”
The men exchanged a glance. Moustache adjusted his gun belt, his forehead creased in what appeared to be frustration.
“She told me to take Benjamin and run, so I did. I came here,” I added.
“We’ve visited your former residence. Are you expecting us to believe that you abandoned your whole life, your clothes, your nephew’s toys, family pictures, and all your possessions but still found the time to take these?” He held up the property documents.
Tears welled in my eyes. “They were in cards which were bundled with our passports. Tabby said to grab them, and it was easy to do so. I didn’t think twice. Not until today when I realised something must be up with them. I returned to Lena’s, found the packet, worked some of this out, and packed our bags. Then you were at the door. I was going to find my friends”—and Bull, oh God, Bull—“and say goodbye before heading to the airport to go straight to your commanding officer. I even left her a message saying to expect me.”
Another look was exchanged, and the second man left the room, closing the door behind him.
The first officer eyed me, but his demeanour changed. Lightened slightly. “Why did you run?”
“I told you, I was scared.”
“Yet you were prepared to walk right back into that same danger today.”
Benjamin stood on my lap, wobbling. I summoned my strength and tried to explain my thinking. “The most important person in the world is this little guy here. When we left, it was after a direct threat. People had invaded our home, so we couldn’t stay. Going back was risky, too, but we couldn’t run forever, not after I knew what I had in my possession. That’s why I rang your commanding officer: To put us under the protection of the military police. Even if you don’t believe me, you have to protect Benjamin. You must.”
Moustache returned. He raised a single eyebrow to Officer Number One then rested a hip on the table.
Against the odds, relief settled inside me. Whatever the men said or did now, the chase was over. I couldn’t think about missing Bull, or anyone else in Falls Ridge. It would tear me in two. But this would be done with. Done and over.
The first officer rolled his shoulders. “The two investigators who searched your father’s home—”
“Investigators?” I jolted upright.
Benjamin squawked at my movement.
“They worked for us and had been employed to find the department’s missing money. Your father and sister wouldn’t divulge where they’d concealed it, and it’s a substantial sum.”
“The people searching our home were police? Why didn’t they say?”
“Not police, but a specialist private investigation firm subcontracted to look into the case. I understand their methods are covert, which is presumably why they didn’t identify themselves to you.”