Love Inspired Suspense June 2015 #1 (9 page)

“I have several meetings. One of those with the president. How about you?”

Her spicy scent surrounded him, roping him to her. He inched forward. “Interviewing a suspect concerning the break-in of General Meyer's office.”

“I'd ask who but I know you. Mum's the word.”

“We have a few leads from going through the security videos, nothing solid, but that doesn't mean we won't narrow the suspect list down to a few.”

“And then keep an eye on them,” she said with a grin.

His heartbeat began tapping faster against his rib cage. She had a great smile. “I'll make a law-enforcement officer out of you before this is over.” He couldn't resist plunging his fingers into the thick waves of her hair.

Her eyelids slid partially closed, and she shivered. “Not me. You can have the job. Look what has happened with my one attempt at investigating.”

Holding her head framed between his hands, he leaned toward her until he was a breath away. “True. You'd better leave that to me.” Then he brushed his lips across hers, lightly, teasingly.

Now his heartbeat hammered maddeningly within his chest. The urge to sweep her against him and deepen the kiss overwhelmed him. He started to, when a rap at the door echoed through his hazy thoughts.

Selena reacted by pushing away from the desk, stepping to the side and breaking their contact, her hair mussed where he'd held her. She started for the door.

“Wait.”

She turned toward him, and he ran his fingers through her strands to neaten them.

“There. I wouldn't want any tongues wagging around here about us. I'll let the person in on my way out.” He winked and sauntered toward the door. “See you later today.”

He peered over his shoulder as she greeted one of the president's staff. He wanted to kiss her properly. He'd choose a better place next time.

Earlier today, he'd found out when Vincent Geary would be in his office this afternoon. He intended to have a talk with him about the gold cufflink he'd found in General Meyer's office the day of the Easter Egg Roll. He'd discovered they had been purchased at a Washington, DC, jeweler last Christmas by the congressman as a gift to each of his male staff members. Jeffries's aide had been dodging his calls and attempts to interview him. He was determined Geary wouldn't today.

Twenty minutes later, he sat across from the congressman's aide in his office. “I'm glad you could meet with me on short notice.” He intentionally hadn't set up an appointment with Geary after the two times he'd tried and been given the runaround.

The tall, slender, dark-haired aide with equally dark brown eyes lounged back in his chair, his elbows resting on the arms while his fingers formed a steeple. “What can I do for you? Is this something to do with Congressman Jeffries's son's murder? I'd love to tell him that you are close to arresting someone. Erin Eagleton, perhaps.”

“This concerns something different. General Meyer discovered someone had rifled through her files the morning of the Easter Egg Roll.”

His eyebrows beetled together. “How can I help you?”

“After the break-in, one of your cufflinks was found under the general's console behind her desk.” He'd taken a photo of the piece of evidence and gave his cell phone to Geary. “Is that yours?”

“It looks like it.”

“You hadn't been on her calendar that day or the day before. How did your cufflink get there?” Nicholas scrutinized him for any small indication he wasn't speaking the truth—not that his gut feeling would ever hold up in court.

“I have no idea unless it's been there since the last time I met with the general in her office, which was last week. Later that day, I noticed I'd lost it.”

“And you didn't backtrack and check to see if someone found it? I understand it was a special gift from the congressman.”

“No. I'd been quite a few places that day.”

Although Geary's expression seemed relaxed, when Nicholas had first mentioned the cufflink, his left eye had twitched twice and his mouth had tensed slightly before Geary maintained control over his reactions. Smooth. “Did you say anything to anyone about losing it?”

“I had a dinner meeting with the congressman. I might have said something to him. If it was under a console, the cleaning staff could easily have overlooked it. Will I be able to get it back?”

“When the investigation is over.”

Geary frowned. “I've missed wearing them. I suppose I should be glad that at least you found the missing one, and I'll get it back sometime in the future.”

Nicholas started to rise but stopped. “Oh, by the way, why were you at the White House the evening before the Easter Egg Roll? In the West Wing.” Geary had been one of many caught on camera near the general's office.

The aide's mouth firmed into a scowl. “I attended a reception with the congressman in the Roosevelt Room before the state dinner. I've done nothing wrong and resent the accusation.”

“What accusation?”

Geary glared at him but remained silent.

Nicholas stood and extended his hand for Geary to shake. He finally did and the clammy feeling confirmed to him that the aide had been lying. But he didn't have any hard evidence to prove it—just years learning to read people.

Geary accompanied him into the hallway and Nicholas felt the aide's eyes on him as he strode toward the elevator. When the doors swished open, Congressman Harland Jeffries exited. With his hair graying, his tanned features stood out even more.

He spied Nicholas and said, “Weren't you here earlier today?”

“Yes, sir.” Nicholas shook the man's cold hand. “I needed to see Vincent Geary. He mentioned losing one of his initialed cufflinks that you gave him at Christmas. He felt bad about losing it.”

The congressman looked at a spot behind Nicholas. “It seems I remember him telling me he lost one somewhere.”

“When?”

“Frankly, everything has been a blur for me with all that has happened. I don't remember exactly.”

The elevator doors opened with the down arrow lit up. “Thanks, Congressman.” Nicholas stepped inside and punched the button for the lobby. His gut instinct told him Jeffries was hiding something.

When he headed out of the building, his cell phone rang. He saw it was his captain, so he found a quiet area to answer the call. “What's going on, Gavin?”

“A woman who reportedly looks like Erin Eagleton was spotted spying on Congressman Jeffries's house. I need you and Isaac Black to go check it out.”

For Selena's sake, Nicholas hoped it
was
Erin—it meant her cousin was alive. But finding Erin would also mean bringing her in for questioning and grilling her about the night of Michael Jeffries's murder. Was Erin the killer?

* * *

Nicholas pulled up in front of Congressman Jeffries's mansion, parking behind Isaac Black, a Capitol K-9 Unit member who used to work for the CIA. With Max on a leash, Nicholas approached Isaac, a tall, muscular guy with dark brown hair and eyes. Abby, his canine partner and a beagle, wagged her tail and greeted Max.

Nicholas scanned the large home. “I understand from Gavin that a neighbor, Mrs. Applegate, reported a woman who fit Erin's description was outside the congressman's house, looking in the windows. Jeffries is at the Capitol and is aware that we're going to search the grounds. He mentioned his gardener works today and may have seen something.”

“I'll interview the gardener while you talk to the neighbor. I'm going to do a walk-around and see if I can find him.”

“I will, too, after I talk with Mrs. Applegate. Are you having Abby sniff for a bomb?”

“As a precaution.” Isaac glanced around. “If it was Erin skulking around, why would she come here? For what purpose?”

“I don't know. And we don't know if it
is
Erin. I agree we take every precaution and check everything out. We don't need the congressman killed, too.”

With Max beside him, Nicholas made his way to the palatial house to the right of the Jeffries's mansion. A petite woman with graying hair, dressed in jeans, a blue shirt and straw hat, opened the door. “I'm here to see Mrs. Applegate.”

“I'm she. Please come in, Officer.”

“Max is my K-9 partner. He is very well behaved. May I bring him in?”

“Of course. I love dogs.”

Mrs. Applegate led them to the living room. Nicholas sat in a wingback, while she sat across from him on a couch. The casually dressed lady was in stark contrast to the elegant surroundings. “Please tell me what you saw earlier. You reported seeing a woman trespassing on Congressman Jeffries's property at around two o'clock.”

“Yes. I don't wear a watch when I work in my gardens, but I'd just gone back out after a short break to work on my roses, my prize flowers. If you come back in three or four weeks, they'll take your breath away.”

“What I saw of your flower beds is beautiful.”

Mrs. Applegate beamed. “Any artist loves to hear that. Anyway, I was outside working when I saw a woman in glamorous, big black sunglasses, just like Erin always wore, looking in a window of the congressman's house. She had a silk scarf wrapped around her head like from an old Grace Kelly movie. I assumed it was Erin because the few times I saw Michael and Erin arriving at the congressman's house in a convertible, Erin wore a scarf just like that to protect her beautiful, long curly hair. Anyway, she didn't look like anyone he has working for him. I'm familiar with his staff and gardeners.”

“How tall do you think she was?”

“Five-seven, five-eight.”

Nicholas knew from previous meetings with the Capitol K-9 Unit that Erin Eagleton was five feet eight inches tall. Forensics had noted that the murderer was, too.

“Of course, I can't be certain it was Erin Eagleton, but I know from watching the news that she's been missing ever since Michael was killed, so I called it in immediately.” Mrs. Applegate shook her head. “Such a tragedy about Michael. I was on vacation in Paris when the murder occurred.”

“You said she was wearing sunglasses, but did you get a look at her face, features such as her nose and mouth?”

“I only got a brief glance at her face, and I didn't have my eyeglasses on, but because of the sunglasses, scarf and her general height and build, I thought the person was Erin.”

Nicholas nodded. “What did you see the woman do?”

“She ducked down when the gardener came around the side of the house, then hurried away, running off in the opposite direction.”

“Will you come outside and show me exactly?”

“I thought you might say that. I'm ready to go. Anything to help Harland. Poor man. Losing his son like that. Harland is always checking on me, especially if he hasn't seen me in my gardens in several days.”

As they walked from the house and around the side toward Jeffries's property, she told Nicholas stories of how much the congressman had helped her. Nicholas had to admit that the man was a study in contradictions. Kind to some, like his captain. Jeffries had even started a foster home on his property. But that didn't mean the congressman wasn't corrupt. Nicholas kept thinking about Jeffries's ties to Thorn Industries, a shady pharmaceutical company that he'd said had tried to strong-arm him with bribes he refused to take. Nicholas wasn't so sure Jeffries hadn't taken those bribes. But again, he couldn't prove anything. Without proof, his captain didn't want to hear a word against Jeffries.

Mrs. Applegate stopped near her rosebushes, which were beginning to leaf out. She pointed to a large window on the right side of the mansion with bushes under it. “That's where I saw her. You know, now that I think about it the woman looks similar in style and build to Tabitha Miller, too—she's one of Harland's aides—but there wouldn't be any reason for her to be skulking around the congressman's house.”

He envisioned the woman he'd interviewed earlier today. She was around Erin's height and had that same glamorous style as Erin. Nicholas could easily imagine her in huge black sunglasses and a silk scarf keeping her hair from being blown around in a convertible. Could Tabitha be the woman Mrs. Applegate had seen? Mrs. Applegate was right when she said Tabitha wouldn't have a reason to sneak around. The congressman's staff would admit her inside.

No, it made more sense that it was Erin. But why had she come? What was she looking for?

* * *

A few minutes before seven, the last of the meetings over, Selena was ready to go home. Nicholas had left a text telling her he was going to Congressman Jeffries's house and might be a while before he was finished. All she wanted to do was go home and collapse. Halfway through her second meeting she'd felt all the exhaustion from the past weeks' frantic pace physically and emotionally catching up with her. Her two days of rest hadn't turned into any rest at all, not with the break-in at her home and the visit to the prison.

She gathered her purse and work tablet and headed for the underground parking lot. As she strolled toward her car at the far end, she thought of all the things she needed to do.

Her cell phone chimed. Nicholas. “Are you done for the day?” she asked him.

“Yes, I've left the congressman's house. Are you heading home?”

“I'm nearly at my car.”

“You need to wait for me. Remember, I follow you to and from work.”

“I fell asleep at my desk. I imagined my bed and thought that might be a better place to sleep. I'm going to have to finish some work at home. I don't usually do that.”

“I'm not far from the White House. Wait. I'll feel better.”

“Okay,” she said and gave him her precise location. Nicholas said something, but she couldn't hear over the sound of a motorcycle behind her and heading toward the exit. She raised her voice. “I didn't hear you. Just a sec until the bike passes.” She twisted toward the motorcycle.