Loe raamatut: «Captivating Witness»

Chapter 1

Fifteen years later...

Reggie Frost pressed the wash button on the industrial-sized dish sanitizer, then looked up and sighed at the big old-fashioned clock on the wall at the Frost Family Diner. It wasn’t even eight at night yet, but she was already exhausted. And an hour behind schedule.

Two of the other servers had come down with the flu, so she’d pulled an open, then worked a crazy busy lunch rush, a sleepily slow dinner hour and was now doing a close, too. She was just thankful that Fridays were notoriously slow before the start of the summer tourist season. Any other day of the week, and she would’ve been stuck there for the late-night snack crowd, too. And a week or two from now, when Whispering Woods was overflowing with out-of-town guests, she would’ve been lucky to get off work before midnight.

Small things to be grateful for, Reggie acknowledged.

It helped, also, that tonight was the kickoff for the annual Garibaldi Gala.

Hosted by its namesake, the party started out with fireworks on the Friday before the so-called official opening of tourist season. Everyone who didn’t have somewhere else to be was on the other side of town, jostling for free cotton candy and the best view of the soon-to-start light show. But even before she got saddled with the never-ending shift, Reggie hadn’t been planning on attending the late-night festivities. She was working on a plan. One she hadn’t yet disclosed to anyone. One she wouldn’t disclose unless it worked out. And in order to make it happen, she needed Jesse Garibaldi’s attention. She had to make sure the man knew without a doubt that she was as committed to the community as he was. It was the main reason she’d signed on to help out at family-friendly fair the following morning.

And she wanted to be well rested enough that she could cheerfully paint two hundred sticky-with-cotton-candy faces, work the lunch rush—again—then attend the Saturday night dinner and dance. The last part was key. The party was an exclusive one. Accessible only to those who worked for or with Garibaldi. And the man of the house always attended in person. Her hope was to speak to him directly. To present her request and hope that he’d bite.

No point in passing up on free food and drinks, either.

She tapped an aching foot, waiting for the cycle to finish its run. With the exception of the last load of dishes and a final trash bag waiting its turn to be run to the bin outside, the diner was in shutdown mode. Everything was tidy, all the floors sparkling. Reggie was sure even her long-passed grandmother—who had opened the place back when the town was still a forestry one—would be pleased with the way it looked at the moment.

And, she thought, it’ll prove to Dad that I can do it on my own.

“That’ll teach him to call me a slacker,” she grumbled.

But it was an affectionate complaint. She’d left the tiny town twice. Once, in pursuit of an education in psychology. Another in pursuit of love. Neither had panned out, and her dad teased her all the time about giving up. But the truth was, the time she’d spent away from Whispering Woods had put her life in perspective. She really did prefer the tight-knit community to all else. She enjoyed being near her father. She even liked the idea of inheriting the management of the diner over the management of potential future clients. Besides which, Reggie was convinced that she could learn far more about the human psyche while waiting on tables than she could from a textbook.

Those things made her more than happy to set up a permanent life in the touristy town.

Dishes and all, she thought with a smile.

As if on cue, the sanitizer buzzed, and she quickly turned her attention to putting away its contents. Plates in their slots, mugs on their racks, cutlery in its case. In minutes, she had it sorted out. With another sigh—this one satisfied—Reggie grabbed the green bag from the ground and marched toward the rear door of the diner.

Five minutes, she said to herself. Then you’ll be on your way home. A half hour, and you’ll be in the bath. And tomorrow night, you’ll be sitting somewhere else, sipping champagne and eating canapés. And hopefully celebrating a victory.

But she no sooner had the door cracked open than one of her no-nonsense work shoes got caught in a groove in the cobblestone just outside, sending her flying. As she fell forward, one knee smacked the ground and the bag flew out of her grip. Reggie watched in disappointed frustration as the bottom split open and bits of leftover food and soggy napkins rolled out. All right beside the Dumpster that had been her destination in the first place.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered.

She started to push herself up, then went still as the sound of feet thumping on concrete reached her ears. A heartbeat later, there was a wordless cry, then a thump as something—someone—hit the other side of the big bin. The whole thing rattled. Even the lid shook in protest.

Then a man’s voice—laced with obvious fear—carried through the alley.

“I swear,” he said. “I swear that I wasn’t planning to say anything.”

A second man replied immediately, his tone calm and controlled, but somehow full of derision, too. “The thing is, two minutes ago, you told me there was nothing to say. Now you’re telling me you won’t say anything. Which is it?”

There was the sound of a muffled sob. “Both.”

“Both?”

“Yes!”

“That answer just doesn’t fly, my friend. You should never have come back to town. You were told what would happen if you did, weren’t you?”

The Dumpster rattled again, and Reggie cringed backward as a narrow-shouldered man dived out from behind it. He tried to tear across the alley, but the man chasing him was faster. Bigger. And wearing a police uniform.

For a second, Reggie was so startled that she almost forgot to stifle a gasp. She didn’t recognize the first man. But she knew the man in the uniform. A rookie named Chuck Delta. He’d moved to town very recently, hired on for the upcoming tourist season, and he came into the diner every morning to grab a bagel and a coffee.

Was he there on official business? Was the man he now held by the collar a criminal? Should Reggie make her presence known?

But before she could work through an answer to the last question, the first two were answered.

“You’re supposed to help people,” said the smaller man. “And I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The big one shook his head. “Maybe not this time around. But I recognized you. And that’s enough.”

Chuck took a step toward the stranger, his hand stretched out toward the man’s mouth. And in a futile attempt to escape, the stranger flailed, then cringed back against the wall.

Something worse is going to happen.

The second the thought popped into Reggie’s head, it came to fruition.

A flash of metal.

A muted bang.

A muffled cry.

Reggie stumbled backward fearfully, trying to right herself and instead scraping against both the ground and the discarded garbage scattered over it. A soup can—which had somehow sneaked out of its rightful place in the recycling—rolled across the road. She froze, watching it make its way out into the open, ping-pinging along.

Too much noise!

Her eyes lifted fearfully just in time to see as the first man slumped forward, and Chuck started to turn. And the need for self-preservation finally kicked in. Reggie’s feet smacked against the cobblestone, her brain urging her along in time with the beat of her flight.

Run-run, run-run, run-run.

She pushed out of the alley and hit the concrete sidewalk.

Quick-quick. Quick-quick. Quick-quick.

She hit the corner, then continued straight onto the pavement.

Go-go. Go-go. Go—

The screech of tires was the only warning she had as she darted out, and her chanting brain didn’t have time to catch up. With her feet still moving, she raised her eyes in horror. A slick black car was sliding toward her, kicking up the scent of burning rubber as it skidded over the road at a wild angle.

But Reggie couldn’t stop herself.

Biting down on her lip so hard that she tasted blood, she flew straight into the driver’s-side headlight. Or maybe it hit her. The sudden, sharp pain all the way up her body made it impossible to say which was true. She crumpled to the ground.

No!

She couldn’t afford to stop here. She had to keep going. So she fought to get to her feet, her hands flailing to grab something—anything—to pull herself up. What she found was a warm hand. Two warm hands, in fact. One wrapped around her own, and another on her shoulder.

Wide. Tall. Strong.

A man.

And Reggie’s first instinct, spurred by the violence she’d just witnessed, was to fight him off. Tooth and nail if she had to.

But he was mouthing something at her. Words she couldn’t quite make out. And his eyes—light brown and as warm as his hands—were staring down at her, full of concern. A little familiar. And genuine. She was almost sure. But was it enough?

She swiveled her head in the direction she’d just run from, and the world spun. It would have to be.

“Help me,” she said, her voice not much more than a croak.

He replied, and it sounded like “I’m trying.”

“Please.”

His expression went from concerned to puzzled, to even more concerned. But thankfully, he didn’t argue. He just bent down, lifted her from the ground and tucked her against his broad chest. She closed her eyes and sank into him gratefully, praying he could keep her safe from the craziness she’d just witnessed.

* * *

Detective Brayden Maxwell inhaled as he shifted his hips to accommodate the added weight, and a lightly spiced scent hit him. Pleasant. Just like the feel of the girl—who he recognized from the quaint little restaurant a few blocks over—curled up in his arms.

Reggie, wasn’t it?

He glanced down. Yep, her name tag confirmed that he had it right.

Just two minutes earlier, he’d been on the phone with his brother, telling him that things were going smoothly. The plan didn’t have a hitch. Finally, after a decade and a half of searching, he was sure, all but 100 percent sure that they’d located their target. The man who’d walked away without a scratch, but left them with deep scars.

Now this.

What had spooked her so badly that she’d run out in front of his car like that? He hadn’t seen anything himself. Heck. He’d barely seen her. He was just glad he’d had enough time to swerve as much as he had. She’d smacked herself pretty hard against his bumper, but three seconds less notice...he shook his head at the thought, then inhaled again, and the sweet smell filled his nose a second time.

Cinnamon, maybe? Pie from the diner?

He studied her for another moment. She was always smiling while she served at the restaurant. One of those big smiles that lit up her whole face. It was almost too big for her very petite form. Perfect for her sparkling eyes, though, which were the greenest he’d ever seen. Which were all but closed now. Fluttering just a little. Her body was shaking a little, too.

Yeah, she was definitely more than shaken up. Maybe not in medical shock, but definitely under a great amount of emotional distress.

Not good.

Brayden frowned and brought his attention to the street. He scanned it carefully. Up. Then down. Then both ways again. He couldn’t see a shred of anything suspicious. Or anything much at all, for that matter. The sky was dim, but the streetlights—few as they were in this small town—hadn’t yet come on. The moment hovered right between dusk and true darkness, and his eyes hadn’t quite adjusted.

He gave himself one moment more to study the surrounding area. Nothing jumped out, but his instincts were definitely alight.

He decided not to waste any more time looking for—and thinking about—something that might not even be there. The girl was scared. Possibly hurt. Both those things necessitated his assistance, even if he didn’t factor in her specific request for help.

“All right,” he murmured. “Let’s get you somewhere you can feel safe.”

Where that was, he didn’t know yet. But his experience with trauma victims told him that getting her away from the scene would be a good start.

He stared at his car for a second, then decided it would be easiest to transport her in the back seat. She could lie down instead of trying to keep upright. As Brayden tugged open the door and laid her down, she started to shiver even more, and her teeth were chattering, too. The evening air was far too warm for that kind of chill.

Definitely something close to shock.

“Hey,” he said, careful to keep his voice low and gentle. “I’ve got a blanket in the trunk. Sit tight while I grab it, okay?”

She gave him just the barest hint of a nod. It would have to do. He strode to the rear of the car, popped open the lid, then retrieved a thick duvet from the pile of items he’d just washed at the Laundromat. It still had a hint of warmth, leftover from the dryer.

Perfect.

He slammed the trunk shut, then moved back to the side of the car, where he carefully tucked the blanket around Reggie’s tremor-riddled form. He made sure to cover her completely, shoulders to toes, noting that one of her shoes was missing. A quick glance in the direction she’d sprinted from told him the missing piece of footwear was nowhere close.

“Okay,” he said to her. “We’ll worry about that later. For now, I just want you to lie still. Can you do that?”

She gave another tiny nod, the duvet bouncing with her agreement.

“Good.” He put a hand on her covered shin, glad to see that her shivering had tapered off already. “You’re going to be fine. I promise.”

Then Brayden closed the door and made his way back to the driver’s seat. He turned the key and eased the car onto the empty street. He drove along slowly, mentally assessing what his destination ought to be.

The local doctor? He’d heard there was a man who ran a practice from his home, but it had to be after hours now.

Her place? He hadn’t a clue where it was.

The diner where she worked? Fine, unless she’d just run from there. It was only a few blocks over, after all.

Maybe Brayden’s own rented cabin? He paused to think about that possibility a little further. His temporary home was out of the way. But at least he knew where it was, and was familiar with its resources. Of course, having guests over wasn’t on his list of priorities. He had his mission—his one and only reason for taking up residence in the tiny town—and getting to know the pretty waitress wasn’t a part of it.

Because running over her with your car was?

Brayden stifled a sigh. Yeah, that hadn’t been on his to-do list, either. But adjusting to accommodate unexpected scenarios was a pretty key element in his work. So he’d just have to do it now.

As he put his foot to the gas, he let himself lift his eyes to the rearview mirror. Reggie had disappeared into the bulky blanket; her waiflike form was but invisible. Only a wisp of her dark hair peeked over one corner. For a second, it actually made him smile.

Then a flash of red and blue caught his eye, and as he adjusted his gaze to find the source, his smile dropped off completely. Straight ahead, a police car was cruising toward them. Flashers on. Sirens off. A solo, uniformed man at the wheel.

Something about the sight of the car deepened his worry. Generally speaking, when working a case that crossed jurisdictions, his boss made sure to alert the local authorities. Brayden knew that wasn’t the case here. His captain at the Freemont City PD had authorized the investigation—even if he hadn’t provided the time and the resources—and that sanction was enough. But the man they were investigating had entrenched himself in the Whispering Woods community. He had the mayor’s ear, and many pieces of the town’s property in his pocket, and the local police probably wouldn’t take kindly to having one of their favorite citizens investigated. So the case was more covert than most, and Brayden’s presence a well-kept secret.

Moments later, the cruiser pulled up behind him. The cop inside pointed sideways, and Brayden’s concern spiked. Still, he had no choice but to pull over. He flipped on his signal and slowed the already moving-at-a-crawl vehicle. The cop waved again, and Brayden pulled the car over completely. He rolled down his window and waited with barely contained impatience as the other officer climbed out.

Brayden noted that the man was barely more than a kid. Clean shaven, fresh faced. But with a stiffness to his shoulders. Straight out of the academy, maybe, with something to prove.

Brayden sighed, forced a smile and readied his license and registration. “’Evening, Officer.”

“Sir.” The younger man gave the paperwork a cursory once-over, then handed it back. “You’re not a local. You just passing through?”

The question made Brayden want to frown, but he held it in. No one just passed through Whispering Woods. There was one road into the town, and nothing but mountains and trees on the other side.

“I’ve got a business venture in mind,” Brayden said. “Got a short-term lease on one of the cabins out by the creek.”

“Ah.”

“Yep. Was I speeding, Officer?”

The kid shook his head. “Nah. I’m just investigating a report on a disturbance.”

Brayden felt his eyebrow twitch. The guy had to be inexperienced if he was giving even that bit of information away so freely.

“Anything I should worry about?”

“Nah,” the rookie said again. “What about you? You see anything suspicious happening around here in the last few minutes?”

Brayden made himself laugh. “Around here? I’ve been in town for over a week and I don’t think I’ve even seen a misbehaving squirrel.”

The kid’s face relaxed marginally. “Does tend to be a bit quiet. From Freemont City myself. Used to a faster pace.”

Freemont.

The mention of his own hometown made Brayden want to stiffen. He guessed it wasn’t entirely improbable that it was a coincidence. Whispering Woods was two hundred miles north of the Oregon city, and even though it was a bit off the beaten path, it was still a decently popular tourist destination. That didn’t mean he wasn’t going to file away the information for later. He made a mental note, then relaxed his face into another smile.

“Guess that’ll do it,” Brayden said. “Good to be vigilant, though. Even in a small town.”

“You bet.” The kid gave his bare face a scratch, then stepped back. “Have a good night.”

“You, too.”

Brayden put the car back into Drive and flicked on his signal. He didn’t make it as far as pulling out, though, before the young cop called out again.