Shadow Of Suspicion

She’d just started trusting again. After her husband’s murder, it had been difficult. Panic attacks had plagued her, as well as nightmares. She’d been making progress, but now this. Her therapist had his work cut out for him when all of this was over.

Detective James leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Just tell me what you did with her.”

Laney closed her eyes, exhausted from repeating herself. “I’m sure witnesses told you that no one saw me leave the house with Sarah. Because I didn’t leave the house with her. I don’t know why she came over while I was on my walk. I don’t know how she got inside or where she went from there. But I didn’t do anything with her.”

He sighed and leaned back as if weary from the conversation. “Anyone else have a key?”

“No.”

“You sound concerned about her. Were you desperate to get her away from her father?”

Laney shook her head more adamantly. “No. Not at all. Why won’t you believe me? I’ve been framed for this. I’m innocent here. Check my record. It’s clean.”

“We did check it. You’re right. You have no priors. Stranger things have happened, though.”

She leaned back, determined to think everything through. Something wasn’t making sense to her, and she needed to pinpoint just what that was. Finally, it dawned on her. The way everything had played out today didn’t make sense.

The situation had escalated too quickly. The police had just barged into her home and deemed her guilty. She realized the urgency of the matter, but something was missing.

“Don’t you think sending a SWAT team to my house is a little extreme?” she started. “You could have just questioned me.”

“In situations like this, time is of the essence. An Amber Alert has already been issued. Sarah mentioned your name when she called, a neighbor confirmed Sarah showed up at your house, and financial records show a large sum of money was recently taken from your account.”

Her jaw dropped open. “A large sum of money? I sent that to my in-laws to help with some medical bills.”

“We’ll have to confirm that.”

“All of that was enough evidence to get a no-knock warrant?”

He stared hard at her. “Yes, it was, as a matter of fact. We couldn’t risk you harming the girl.”

This was getting old. How long were they going to keep her there? Were they going to lock her up? Would they question her until she confessed purely out of exhaustion to a crime she didn’t commit?

Her head ached, her mouth was dry, and her muscles cried out for relief. She had to try a different approach here. She shifted, determined not to be defeated. “Please, you’ve got to listen to me. I’m innocent and the real bad guy is getting away with this.”

“Who do you think the real bad guy is, Ms. Ryan?” Detective James leaned toward her again, obviously changing tactics himself.

His broad shoulders, she would guess, could either bulldoze someone or offer a landing place for tears. Muscles rippled beneath the material of his button-down shirt, confirming that he was not someone she wanted to mess with. His jaw was strong and tense with thought.

But right now, he leaned back, as if softening.

Her guard went up. This man wasn’t her friend, and he would do whatever he had to in order to get answers. She’d be wise to remember that.

“I have no idea. But she didn’t seem happy this morning. Maybe this was random. Maybe she ran away. Maybe she’ll check in at any minute.” Her voice escalated with each new sentence. “There’s nothing else I can tell you.”

Someone tapped on the one-way glass that composed half a wall. The detective excused himself and stepped out of the room.

She sucked in some deep breaths. Detective James had perceptive eyes. He was watching her every move, just waiting for her to mess up. But she had no reason to walk on eggshells, she reminded herself. She’d done nothing wrong.

Would he ever believe her? She wasn’t sure.

When he came back into the room a few minutes later, his face looked grimmer than before. The lines on his forehead had tightened. His eyes cooled. His shoulders were rigid. Something was in his hand.

He sat across from her and held up a device. Her phone, she realized. How had he gotten her phone? Had they gotten her computer, as well? She hoped not, although the classified projects she was working on should be safeguarded by the measures she’d put in place.

“Do you recognize this?” he asked.

She nodded stiffly. “Of course I do. It’s mine.”

His eyes flickered. “Do you recognize the message on the screen?”

She peered closer and sucked in a breath as she read the text message.

Meet me at 11:30. It’s urgent.

Those were Laney’s words. Written from her phone. Listed as coming from her. And the message was being sent to Sarah. She recognized her number.

Sarah replied:

I have school.

The person pretending to be Laney had written:

It’s urgent.

Laney backed harder into her chair and shook her head. Someone was framing her—and they were doing a good job at it.

“I didn’t send that,” she muttered, knowing she was wasting her breath.

The detective’s blue eyes were unyielding. “So you’re saying someone took your phone and sent this for you?”

“I know it sounds far-fetched. But yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying.” But, in her gut, she knew this was far worse than she’d ever imagined.

* * *

Mark met his police captain in the hallway outside the interrogation room an hour later. Captain Hendricks was a stoic man who was twenty years Mark’s senior, putting him at around fifty years old. The man had a light brown mustache and thick hair that matched. He was well respected in the department and was known as a man who could get the job done.

In the hours since her arrest and the interrogation, Laney hadn’t caved in the least. If anything, she seemed even firmer in her insistence of her innocence. Honestly, he felt a little sorry for her. It was his job to get answers, but the woman seemed downright frightened.

“Let her go,” Captain Hendricks said, staring through the glass at Laney.

Mark followed his gaze. She looked so innocent and unassuming. Like a computer geek—the cutest computer geek Mark had ever laid eyes on. But beneath all of that, who was hiding? Someone manipulative? Out for herself? Drowning in her own delusions?

“Let her go?” Mark asked, certain he hadn’t heard correctly.

The captain put his hands on his hips and frowned—though the man always looked like he was frowning. “We don’t have enough evidence to hold her.”

Mark thought back to his sister. If the police had stayed on top of the case, she would still be alive right now. He never wanted that to be the case for one of his investigations. He’d vowed to be better than that.

“What about the phone call Mr. Novak got?” Mark reminded him. “The neighbor across the street who saw Sarah go into her house?”

The captain’s gaze flickered to Mark, a touch of annoyance there. The captain didn’t take kindly to being questioned. “It’s all circumstantial. Keeping her here won’t help us find the girl.”

Mark drew in a deep breath, trying to pace his thoughts and remain respectful. “What are you thinking?”

The captain continued to stare at Laney, his eyes narrowing with thought. He was calculating something, Mark realized. But what?

“I want you to keep an eye on her, stick by her side,” he finally said. “Hopefully she’ll slip up and lead us right to Sarah.”

“Did you check the records? Did Sol call her?” Many times in situations like these, the parents were the first suspect. Even though Sol’s coworkers had verified he’d been at work all day, the detectives still needed to follow up.

“We confirmed he called her house phone.”

“Her house phone? She said she was out walking. Why didn’t he call her cell?”

“He claims he couldn’t find the number. Anyway, we’re going to focus on Laney in this case. There’s more evidence against her.”

Mark didn’t like the way this was playing out. Though he was reserving his judgment on Laney’s guilt, everything was pointing to her. Still, he had to follow the evidence. The team had just finished up at her house, but processing everything would take longer.

However, he’d been pressing her hard for answers. She hadn’t once asked for a lawyer. She hadn’t broken under the pressure.

That took a lot of strength.

Mark shifted, grateful he could speak openly to his captain. “What if she’s not guilty, Captain?”

He raised a shaggy eyebrow. “Everything is pointing to the fact that she is guilty. The text message. The money. An eyewitness. If you weren’t able to break her, I doubt she’s going to at all.”

Mark wasn’t ready to let this drop. “Maybe she didn’t break because she’s innocent. She has no motive.”

The captain’s jaw flexed. “Her motive is there. Maybe it’s buried down deep. But it’s there. We’re going to figure out what it is. Drive her home. See what you can get out of her. Play the good cop for once. See if she’ll open up.”

The problem was that Mark wasn’t one for being fake. But he knew better than to argue with the captain. He nodded instead. “Yes, sir.”

As he walked back toward the interrogation room, his shoulders felt heavier. Feeling even more brisk than before, he threw the door open and charged into the room. Laney jerked her head up from where it had been buried in her hands. Her eyes were red rimmed, as if she’d been crying. He inwardly flinched at the despair on her face.

“You’re free to go,” he announced.

Laney blinked. “What?”

“You heard me. You’re free to go.”

She stared at him a moment before quickly standing, almost as if she feared he’d change his mind. “Okay, then.”

“I’ll drive you home,” Mark said.

“That won’t be necessary. I can—”

“I insist,” Mark said. “It’s for your safety.”

“My safety?” She blinked again. “You think I’m in danger?”

“People don’t take kindly to child abductors. We need to take every precaution possible.”

She stared at him another moment before nodding. “I see. That’s fine, then.”

Mark escorted her outside and into his car. Awkward tension crackled between them as he started down the road. Laney crossed her arms and stared out the window. She was obviously uncomfortable. So was he, for that matter. But he would do whatever it took to find the missing girl.

Rush hour traffic was in full swing, and the sun was already sinking low enough to cause a blinding winter glare as he headed west.

What if Laney was innocent? Allegations like these could turn her life upside down in a way that was hard to recover from.

Then he remembered the text message. He couldn’t overlook that.

“Tell me again what you do for a living, Ms. Ryan.”

She continued to stare out the window. “I work for a company called CybCorp.”

“What exactly do you do for them?” They’d been over some of that already, but it seemed like a safer—friendlier—conversation than bringing up Sarah again.

Build trust. That was what he needed to do if he wanted to find answers. He’d had the opportunity to do that very thing with the man who’d killed his sister. If he could go back, he would go through whatever means necessary to make the man open up. Maybe Lauren would still be alive if he’d tried a little harder, if he’d pressed a little deeper, if he hadn’t given people the benefit of the doubt. He hadn’t been a cop back then, but he’d been in contact with the perp all along; he just hadn’t realized it.

“I’m a programmer. CybCorp handles security for various businesses throughout the country. They’re a smaller company, but they’re reputable and they allow me to work from home.”

“Must get lonely working at home.”

She cut a sharp glance his way. “Let me guess—you’re trying to trap me into confessing I abducted Sarah because I was lonely.”

He shook his head. He actually hadn’t been. He’d just tried to imagine what it would be like being single and also working alone. “I was just making conversation.”

Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I like solitude, believe it or not.”

“You said earlier that you’re not married.” He already knew the answer, but he needed to develop some rapport with her. He’d read the police report—these details didn’t appear relevant to the current investigation but were essential for putting together a psychological profile of Laney.

Laney frowned, staring out the window and rubbing her hands together. “No, I’m not. Not anymore. I’m widowed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sure you are.” Her shoulders slumped even more, as if the burdens she carried overwhelmed her. “Sorry. You didn’t deserve that one.”

“What happened?” He kept his words soft and light.

“He survived Afghanistan, only to be killed by a home intruder here in the States. He’d only been home for three weeks when it happened.” Her voice cracked and she finished with a deep gulp of air.

“I can’t imagine. How long ago did that happen?”

A new somberness washed over her. “Three years. I was down in Norfolk at the time. I decided to get a fresh start here in Richmond afterward. There were too many memories down there. I had to get away.”

“Makes sense. How did the two of you meet? A computer programmer and a navy SEAL.”

“Proof that opposites attract, I suppose. I was actually in my last semester at MIT. I came with some friends down to Virginia Beach. I nearly got pulled out to sea by a riptide. Thankfully, Nate was there with some of his SEAL buddies. We were an unlikely pair, but Nate wasn’t the type who always had to be macho and tough. He liked watching sitcoms and eating popcorn with melted mints at the bottom and playing old-school arcade games. We were inseparable after that. I graduated and got a job down in Norfolk so I could be near him. We got married four months later.”

“Sounds like a nice story.”

“Yeah, it is...it was.” She absently rubbed her arms. “I know you probably won’t believe me, but I was actually planning on being at that school banquet with Sarah tomorrow night. I’m incredibly sad that won’t be happening. I’d been so looking forward to it.”

“You like Sarah?”

“She’s a great girl. Smart. Curious. Personable.”

“Let me guess. She reminds you of yourself at that age.”

A sad smile tugged at her lips. “Actually, she kind of does. It might sound crazy or maybe even expected. I don’t know. But I guess I did see part of myself in her—my old self, at least. I’m not that person anymore.”

He pulled to a stop in front of her house. It seemed the press hadn’t caught wind of this case because they were surprisingly absent, and, at the moment, all the neighbors were inside their houses. Hopefully that meant no drama. The front door had been temporarily fixed—more to prevent an insurance claim than to be helpful.

Laney’s hand went to the door handle, and she turned toward him. “Thank you.”

He nodded toward her house. “I’m going to walk you in.”

She visibly bristled at his announcement, as if the very idea offended her. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I do,” he insisted. “I need to make sure your door was put back on its hinges and that no one is nosing around your place. Believe me, it happens. No more tragedies today.”

She seemed to hesitate before nodding. “No more tragedies.”

They climbed out of the car and started through the dry grass toward the porch.

At the door, Laney slid her key into the lock and paused, her lungs heaving with what he assumed was anxiety. Inside, there were probably too many bad memories for her. The invasion. The accusations. The interrogation that followed. Besides, the flash bang could shake up the steadiest of personalities.

“Let me go first,” he said.

Before she could argue, Mark slipped past her. He kept his hand on his gun as he walked from room to room. This time, he saw the house through different eyes. No longer as a potential suspect’s place, but instead as the residence of someone whose life had been turned upside down.

He saw pictures on the wall and on the entryway table of Laney with a man whom he presumed to be her deceased husband. He saw the pictures of vacations together. Of Laney in front of the Christmas tree. Of the smiling couple standing in front of a backdrop of autumn-entrenched mountains.

She appeared to have had, at one time, a full life.

How did someone go from that to being such a loner? It seemed like a shame.

Of course, some people might say the same thing about him. He lived for his work. He had ever since his sister disappeared. He’d found it easier to pour all of his time and energy into a single cause than to let his thoughts linger on the tragedy in his life.

He had let one person in, though. Chrystal. He thought he might find healing in falling in love, but instead all he’d gotten was more heartache. She’d broken his trust just like his stepfather had. He was better off growing old alone than trusting someone else and being disappointed.

He walked back toward Laney, ready to give her the all clear. Before he could, a gunshot pierced the front window.

He ran toward Laney and threw her on the ground, praying he wasn’t too late to protect her.

THREE

Fear coursed through Laney as she heard glass shatter. As she realized a bullet was being fired. As she felt the detective throw her to the ground. As she quickly acknowledged the fact that someone was shooting at her.

Had the whole world gone crazy? How had a day that had started so ordinary turned into such a nightmare?

What she wouldn’t do to turn back time. Not just on today. But to bring Nate back. To feel happy and safe again. To believe the whole world was in front of her.

But that wasn’t possible.

Right now, she just had to survive. Take it day by day, moment by moment. That’s how she’d gotten through the last three years.

Please, Lord, help me. Please.

“Are you okay?” Detective James yelled over her.

She could feel his heart pounding into her back. Or was that her heart? She couldn’t tell.

Laney thought she said yes to his question, but she could hardly hear. Her ears rang. Life seemed to both blur and sharpen around her.

Another gunshot rang out. More glass shattered. The tension in her chest tightened as anxiety gripped her.

“Stay here,” Detective James said.

She didn’t have time to argue. He pushed away from her, his gun drawn, and approached the door.

Please don’t let him get killed, she silently prayed, her palms pressed into the cool tile floor of her entryway. Shards of glass lay around her, a reminder of the gravity of the situation. Would they make it out of this alive?

The detective had been a thorn in her side, to say the least. He’d put her through the wringer at the station. Then again, she supposed he was just doing his job. But still, she didn’t want to see him hurt. Especially not after he’d shown a halfway human side of himself in the car.

When she’d told him about Nate, his compassion had seemed sincere. But could she really trust the man? Or was he just trying to gain her faith in him because he hoped she’d open up about Sarah? If that was his goal, he was in for a rude awakening because she knew nothing.

“Sol, put the gun down,” Detective James yelled.

Laney sucked in a quick breath. Sol? Sol was shooting at her? Had the man lost his mind? Is that what grief and worry did to a person?

Laney knew the answer to that question: yes, it did. Grief could tear a person’s heart in half and make them act erratically. Make them feel crazy, off balance, like they didn’t care about anything while overly caring about everything.

“You released Laney. She took my daughter,” Sol called from a far distance. “She’ll get justice one way or another. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Shooting her would do no good. It won’t help you find your Sarah,” Detective James shouted, peering beyond the door frame. He was pressed against the wall, looking strong and capable with a gun in hand and wearing a black leather coat.

He could easily pass for one of those larger-than-life detectives on TV.

Laney shook her head. Where had those thoughts come from? And why now of all times?

“She needs to pay,” Sol shouted.

“Let the law be the judge of that. If she’s guilty, we’ll find evidence to nail her. She’ll be behind bars for life. Shooting her would be too easy.”

Gee, thanks, she wanted to mutter. But if the detective’s words saved her life, then so be it. Laney would clear her name herself if she had to. But she was never going to be able to do that under these circumstances. Here, she was a target. Her life was on the line. In fact, if the detective hadn’t been there, that bullet could have taken her out.

She couldn’t stay there tonight, she realized. It was too dangerous. But where would she go? She had no coworkers or family. Even church...though she attended each Sunday, she always slipped in late and left early. She was the poster woman for being reclusive lately.

Nate wouldn’t have wanted this.

But it was too late to make any changes at the moment.

Detective James was on his radio, calling for backup, she realized. This situation could easily escalate and someone could end up hurt...or worse.

She felt frozen, though, unable to move from her spot on the floor. Too afraid to breathe even. She’d be dead right now if the detective wasn’t with her.

But if Sol really thought she took Sarah, why would he try to kill her? Then he might not ever find his daughter. The man was acting irrationally. Come to think of it, he’d seemed distracted this morning, as well. Did he know more than he was letting on?

Her thoughts raced, as if playing in fast-forward. Who could have taken Sarah? Laney had no idea. In those quiet moments in the integration room, that’s all she’d thought about. But she’d drawn no conclusions. She couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt the girl.

Please, let this be a misunderstanding.

What if Sarah had run away? Maybe she’d never been abducted at all. There could be a logical explanation for all of this. Would the police ever see that, though?

“Sol, we need you to put the gun down,” Detective James called, still pressed against the wall. “Can you do that for me?”

“You’re only going to let her go.”

“We’re going to keep investigating,” he said. “We’re not done yet.”

Just then, red and blue lights flashed in the front yard. Backup had arrived, Laney realized.

A moment later, amidst the yelling outside, Detective James lowered his gun and approached her. His eyes were narrow with worry and concern. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and pushed herself from the ground, mindful of the shards of glass surrounding her. “Yes. Thank you. I... I don’t think I’ll stay here tonight.”

“Probably a good idea.”

She wiped her hands together, trying to ignore how badly they were trembling. None of this seemed real—yet it was. “I’m going to go grab some things. A change of clothes and my purse, at least.”

“I can drive you to wherever you’re going.”

“You don’t have to do that.” She shook her head, another surge of panic rising in her. She desperately wanted someone to trust, but the detective wasn’t that person. Besides, she needed to be there alone so she could grab her computer—if the police hadn’t gotten it yet. Her work for the past nine months was there. In the wrong hands... She shuddered to think about what would happen if the program she’d developed ended up at the mercy of terrorists.

Detective James’s gaze assessed her again, his calm demeanor somehow quieting her trembles. “Your hands are shaking badly. I don’t think it’s safe that you get behind the wheel.”

“But...then I won’t have a car.” She desperately needed some type of control in her life. She felt like everything was being taken away, and so quickly at that.