Vanishing Act (5 page)

Or was it just a reaction to his smile and handsome face?

She'd felt uneasy around other men before, and this wasn't the same. He'd never given her a reason to think she wasn't safe with him. But maybe he was a good actor. Maybe her heart was getting too involved, which was bound to end badly. Hadn't she proven that with her father?

It all boiled down to the fact that she knew she could trust him. But how did she know it so completely?

Shoving her wayward thoughts aside when she realized she'd been staring intently at him, she motioned to his car. But he didn't take the hint. “So I've been thinking I should get out and meet more people in town. You know, more than just the people in class. Any suggestions where I should go to get more connected with people our age?” His deep voice was soft, but there was still a commanding
presence to him—something in the way he stood, broad shoulders perfectly straight, feet shoulder-width apart. His muscles looked loose, yet as if he could move quickly at a moment's notice.

He took a step toward her, and although there was still a respectable amount of space between them, she shuffled back, falling into the car. “Danielle? You okay?” he asked, grabbing for her elbow to steady her. But the zing shooting up her arm only served to make her knees knock together.

“Yes, fine. Just clumsy, I guess.” She tried to laugh it off, but it came out sounding like a choked sob. She searched his blue-gray eyes with her own and saw kindness and concern there. The skin at the corners of his eyes wrinkled, as though he was smiling, but his lips stayed in a straight line.

She'd felt safe here—until
he'd
come into town. Was there a connection between Nate and her sudden fears about her past? Was his presence bringing her nightmares to life?

No. Definitively not.

His eyes weren't cruel. His hand around her arm offered support not domination. He wasn't a threat. She knew it in her gut.

And she was equally confident that she could handle the danger that she instinctively knew was at hand. She'd be fine on her own.

Gently pulling her arm from his grip, she stepped to the side and took a deep breath. Even if he wasn't a danger to her, she needed her own space.

“Are you sure you're okay?” His face showed concern.

“Yes. I'm fine, thanks. I'll see you in class tomorrow.”

He nodded as she walked past him headed toward the next car in need of service.

 

Danielle's hands shook violently as she sat behind the steering wheel of Andy's work truck the next evening. She'd spent nearly half an hour trying to talk herself into riding her bike to the college again, but memories of the terrifying bike ride home just two nights before still made her queasy.

Squeezing her fingers into a fist, she took control of her quaking nerves. She could handle this. There wasn't anything out there in the fading sunlight that she needed to fear.

That was true, but it didn't remove the clouds covering the sun or the lack of any other people in the vicinity. She was going to have to get out of the truck's cab and walk two hundred yards to the auto shop building regardless of her unease. Taking several deep breaths, she steeled herself for the moment of opening the truck door.

She was stronger than this. And she knew it.

Blowing out a hard breath, she wrapped both hands around the door handle and yanked it open. The telltale click of the door's release rushed through her ears like the air being sucked out of an airplane. Inhaling sharply, she pushed the door open with her foot and grabbed her book bag as she stepped onto the asphalt.

A brisk wind chafed her cheeks as she locked, then closed the door. Immediately moving toward her destination, she didn't see the figure until his hand clasped on her arm.

And she didn't know how loudly she could scream until the sound echoed off the buildings and dissipated into the twilight sky.

A
s Nate rounded the corner into the parking lot on two wheels, he spied a scene that didn't make sense in his mind: Danielle backed up against her truck and a looming figure in front of her.

He'd been running late because he'd checked out three local bike shops to see if anyone working there might know Nora. Now he floored his accelerator to get to Danielle's side as soon as possible.

His headlights illuminated the scene in front of him. A terrified Danielle slid along the side of the garage's truck, obviously trying to get away from the man in front of her. But her efforts were futile because the intruder moved in time with her, never letting her step free.

The headlights of Nate's car washed out her complexion, but he thought she looked paler than she should. When she saw his car, her eyes found his. He doubted that she could see him in the darkness, but he had no problem seeing her and the broad shoulders of the man blocking her escape.

Whipping into a tiny parking spot, he killed the engine, practically leaped from the car as his door nicked his neighbor's vehicle. Keeping his face firm as he strode toward the pair, he didn't let his true concern show. This wasn't like walking into an assignment he understood. His mind really
should be on the case, but there was no way he could let Danielle be hurt right in front of him. He rubbed his bicep over his side, reassuring himself with the feel of the butt of his gun in his shoulder holster. Whatever was to come, he was prepared.

The other man turned around, probably at the sound of Nate's clomping boots.

“Nate!” Danielle called breathlessly. She took a quick step around the man and hurried to Nate's side but stopped just before touching him.

He looked at the other man, who pursed his lips and nodded at them. Ridley Grant. All suave moves, perfectly coifed hair and trendy clothes. Nate didn't like him already. “Ridley.” He offered only a nod and scowl in return, unwilling to take a step closer and extend his hand for a shake with his classmate.

Danielle took a tiny step closer to Nate, and he could feel the warmth of her body on his arm. He could also see the trembling of her hands as she crossed her arms around her stomach.

“We should get to class,” Nate said, looking the other man in the eye and daring him to disagree. Putting his hand behind Danielle's back, he guided her through the rows of parked cars without actually touching her. Ridley stalked ahead of them so that the gap between them quickly became large enough that Nate could put his arm around her shoulders, tugging her gently to his side in a friendly embrace. “You all right?” he whispered.

“Yeah. He just surprised me as I was getting out of the truck.”

“Did he try to hurt you?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?” he double-checked.

“Mmm-hmm.” She nodded emphatically and continued
looking straight ahead at the back of Ridley's quickly disappearing head.

He squeezed her shoulder, trying not to think about how well she fit into his side, and she leaned into him even more. “Do you want to tell me what happened? What he said?”

She took a shuddering breath. “He didn't say much really. I'm not really sure what he wanted. I was just getting out of the truck, and then all of a sudden he was there. He scared me at first, put his hand on my arm.” She placed her own hand on her forearm to demonstrate. “But when I screamed and jumped back, he just got closer and closer, leaning toward me but not really saying much. Then he touched my hair.”

“What do you mean?”

Rubbing several strands of hair between her thumb and forefinger, she cringed at the memory. “I don't know. He just touched it. He ran his fingers through it at the end right here. He just said it looked pretty.”

Nate had half a mind to agree with the jerk. Her hair was soft and shiny. Even in the growing darkness, he could see how it reflected the tiniest fraction of light. He didn't blame the guy for wanting to run his fingers through her hair. If he had something more than heartbreak and pain to offer a woman and he didn't have a case to focus on…well, no use wondering about those things.

“Then he leaned toward me, almost like he was going to kiss me.”

He went rigid, anger sparking inside him. He knew he wouldn't be kissing Danielle. But a pang in his gut told him he sure didn't want anyone else doing it, either, so long as he was around. “What did you do?”

“I don't know. I guess I just stared at my feet and tried
to push past him. But he didn't budge. Then I saw your headlights.”

“Are you sure you're all right?”

“Yes. I'm fine.” Her body was still shaking slightly, and he hated to let her go. But they were almost to the classroom, and she didn't need Ridley or anyone else thinking that there was something romantic between them.

Dropping his arm from around her shoulders as he used the other to push open the door, he said, “I'll walk you back to your truck after class.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft, and the gentle clasp of her hand on his even softer. She looked up into his eyes and offered him a world of heartfelt gratitude in that one glance.

He certainly understood her fear from Ridley's inappropriate actions. But something else reflected in her eyes. Something had her spooked.

For a second he wished he had the time to hunt it out. But his job wasn't to help pretty mechanics, so he made his way to a seat at the back of the class as Danielle squared her shoulders, shook her head—as if dispelling any worries—and turned to face the class.

“Sorry we're getting started a little late. We'll have to move quickly to get through the material today, so if you have any questions please be sure to ask. Everyone open your books to page 204.”

He followed along with the instruction, but frequently had to force his mind back to the classroom at hand. It wasn't as if he needed the college credit, and now that he had time to sit back and look around the room, his brain wanted to think about how any of the people in the room could be related to his case.

Ridley sat straight on his stool, as though it would take a bulldozer to send him sprawling on the floor. Arms resting
on the table in front of him, he watched Danielle's movements like a panther watching its prey.

Was he a ladies' man, used to having easy conquests, who'd set his sights on Danielle? Or was he real trouble for her?

Suddenly the guy sitting next to Ridley raised his hand. Kirk Banner. For every clean-pressed line that Ridley sported, Kirk offered a wrinkle and a stain. His low-slung jeans were nearly shredded and his dark yellow shirt showed off what looked to have been a pretty hideous bleach accident. Was he trying too hard to fit in with the younger students?

“Yes, Kirk?” Danielle called from the front of the room.

He ran a hand through his greasy blond hair. “Is this going to be graded?”

Danielle's sigh was silent, but Nate could see her shoulders rise and fall from all the way across the room. “As I mentioned in the last class, I'll be grading you on participation and will be passing along my thoughts to Andy when he gets back. He'll be grading your assignments, the ones you've already turned in and the ones that are coming up.”

Kirk sagged a little but didn't look any more attentive than he had before he asked the question.

Just then Nate's pocket vibrated. He surreptitiously pulled out his phone and pressed the button to open the waiting text message from Heather:

 

Roth says S is in place. Target nearly confirmed.

 

He and the Shadow were in the same city, and Nate was at least two steps behind. He had to find Nora ASAP.

 

“All right. Let's head over to the work area, and I'll show you what actual brake pads and shoes look like and where they're located.” As stools scraped on the floor and students made their way to the garage side of the room, Danielle turned to the large metal cabinet behind her. Her hands were steady for the first time since the beginning of class. Hunting through Andy's enormous ring of keys, she found the one labeled Cabinet. But just as she moved to press it into the lock, she noticed that the door stood slightly ajar, and the silver lock was covered in scratches. It had been jimmied.

Quickly looking around at her students, she wondered who would be looking for something in there. It was used only to store auto parts, and a quick glance showed that nothing seemed to be missing. She tried to think of who had been early to class. But the truth was everyone had been earlier than her, except Ridley and Nate.

Kirk yelled from the far side of the old car they were using for teaching. “Is this going to take all night? Some of us have social lives!”

What had his knot wound so tight tonight? She refrained from rolling her eyes at him and instead grabbed the brake pads and shoes for demonstration.

When she rejoined the group, she wedged herself between Ivey and a traditional student with sleek good looks.

Glancing around the semicircle, she spied Nate standing directly across from her. He looked somber and deep in thought when she caught his eye. But then his nostrils flared and eyes crinkled like he was holding back something highly amusing. He just shrugged as if to tell her to continue.

Ivey, who stood to her left, offered a genuine smile and
took immediate interest in the discussion of the use for and replacement of pads and shoes.

The rest of the class seemed to speed by, and in no time Kirk—the jerk, as her mind was apt to fill in for her—reminded her about his needy social life. “Hey, it's time to go. Can we get out of here?”

Danielle quickly smiled and nodded. “Class dismissed. I'll see you all at the next class.”

Ivey hurried to her side. “Great class! That was so interesting.”

“Thanks.”

“Are we on for some extra time next week? Maybe on Monday?” Ivey's eyes filled with hope, and Danielle didn't have the heart to refuse.

“Sure. Why don't we meet here at one on Monday afternoon? I was going to come in and do a little prep for class next week anyway.”

“Perfect! I'll see you then.” Ivey bounced off, her blond hair flying, looking more like a college-aged coed than a mature woman.

The rest of the class had cleared out by the time Nate approached her at the desk. His shoulders looked relaxed, but his forehead was wrinkled, eyes squinting slightly. He looked almost as if he was in pain, so she dropped her bag and reached out to touch his hand, stopping just shy of it.

Touching him could be tantamount to sending an electric current straight up her arm. She wasn't going to pretend that he didn't affect her. Their walk to the building before class, during which he snuggled her under his arm, had been a welcome distraction from her creepy encounter with Ridley. Even now just the memory of it brought a smile to her face, and she wondered what it might be like to have his arm around her all the time.

But it was all useless imagination, so she shifted her
mind back to the present, her hand still dangling awkwardly in front of her. Dropping it to her side, she looked into his eyes.

“What's wrong?”

He shrugged. “I've been thinking about Ridley.”

“Oh, he's just a pest.” She hoped her chin didn't shake at her fib.

“I'm not so sure. I was watching him tonight and he seemed oddly fixated on you. I just want to make sure you're all right.” He winked. “I mean, who's going to fix my car if you're not around?”

“Well, the point of this class is that you should be able to fix it on your own.”

He laughed. “Not likely. I can't even avoid whole trees in the middle of the road.”

She laughed, too, as they moved toward the door. She locked it carefully behind them before walking down the hall.

As they exited the building together for the second class in a row, the hair on the back of her neck stood up again. Tingling sensations ran up and down her arms, and she shivered.

Someone was watching her again. She wasn't imagining it.

At least, she didn't think she was.

Angling her steps toward Nate's warmth, she picked up speed as she moved next to him. He seemed oblivious, as his eyes swept back and forth through the darkness. Did he feel the eyes watching them, too? She was just about to ask him, when they arrived at the truck.

“Well, good night,” he said, turning toward his own car.

But fear crashed through her stomach, nearly stealing her breath. What if someone followed her again? Eventually
she would have to get out of the truck to get into her home. She just wasn't sure she could do it alone tonight.

And for the first time in well over a year, she wasn't alone. She had someone she could ask for help. But she wasn't very good at doing that, either.

God, if it's safe to let Nate in, please show me. I really need a friend, someone I can rely on right now. If I'm not imagining danger, please keep me safe. Give me Your peace in the face of whatever this is.

Lately it seemed that the more she prayed for peace, the more she felt her life spinning out of control. Subbing for Andy. The spying eyes. The jimmied lock. The butterflies that Nate caused. All of it seemed too overwhelming.

She'd come to Crescent City to run away from her past, from her father's death. But she hadn't counted on a whole new set of problems.

Nate was nearly to his car, and she had to make a decision.

“Wait!”

He turned, one shoulder lifted in a questioning stance. “You forget something?”

She shook her head and jogged over to him. “This is going to sound really weird, but on Tuesday, I thought someone was following me home. I'm afraid they might try again tonight.” His face turned stony. “Would you mind just following me back to the garage to make sure no one else is behind me?”

She'd barely closed her mouth before he agreed. “I'll be right behind you.”