Borrowed Identity (22 page)

Tingles of familiar electricity shot through her body. The warmth of his hand sliding down her back fueled the desire in her veins. She wished she could melt in his arms. If there hadn’t been a fire the other night, what would their rela
tionship be like? Would he have made love to her again? Would he have whispered loving words in her ears?

More importantly, would Michael have confessed before Wade had had the chance to show her his badge?

The truth might have affected her differently if it had come from Michael’s lips first. She would have known he trusted her.

But there
had
been a fire. She had been rushed to the hospital and Wade had tumbled her world upside down for her.

“I saw someone,” Kelly said, pulling out of Michael’s hold. “I didn’t get a real good look at him—I just saw a foot, maybe part of a leg. Whoever it was disappeared into the closet. For the first time since all this started I didn’t have to wonder if I was imagining it.”

“You should have yelled for me.” Michael shook his head worriedly. “Chasing criminals is a dangerous business. Leave it to the professionals.”

“I didn’t chase him.” She glanced up at Michael’s handsome face, memorizing every inch of it in the dim light. She’d gotten used to having him around. “Boomer ran into the passage, and I was worried he might get hurt. I was chasing
him.
Unfortunately, the door swung shut behind me. I got locked in.” She frowned, realizing something. “How did you get in here?”

“Paddy and I found the door in the study.” Michael grinned smugly. “Persistence pays off.”

“There really are secret doors and passageways throughout Moore House,” she said in awe.

“Obviously,” he replied in a dry voice.

Boomer barked, making them both jump.

“Boomer!” Kelly laughed. “You silly dog. You scared me half to death.”

She bent over and petted his golden fur. He didn’t appear to be hurt. Kelly’s relief didn’t last long. With another loud
bark, Boomer shot down the dark hallway. He vanished before Kelly could yell his name.

“Don’t worry,” Michael said. “He’ll be fine.”

“Yeah. He’ll probably find his way out of here before we do.”

“As long as we’re in here,” Michael suggested, “we should search every passage and check out every door. Then we can do something to block them so whoever is taking advantage of them won’t be able to anymore. Stay behind me just in case we’re not alone in here.”

“I hope our mystery guest is long gone. Maybe he went straight for the exit after I spotted him. That would be the smart thing to do.”

“No one said anything about this guy being smart. If he was, he would have left as soon as he realized I was on the job.” Michael grinned at her as if trying to lighten the dark mood. “Look at the bright side—you have a lot more storage space than you originally thought.”

“That’s not funny.”

“Now we know how the bad guy gets into your bedroom so easily.”

“I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out a long time ago,” she said. “And what about Wade? He’s a genius when it comes to construction. He should have noticed.”

“How do you know he didn’t?”

Kelly didn’t like what Michael was getting at. She glared at him through the darkness.

“Wade would have told me,” she insisted. “I know him. You don’t. Stop trying to make me doubt him. He’s been a good friend.”

“Fine.” Michael sighed. “I just think it’s a bit odd that such a ‘genius’ wouldn’t notice the layout of the rooms didn’t quite fit.”

“I didn’t notice it, either,” Kelly said. “We broke through the side wall and put the new shower there, but we
didn’t push it far enough. If we’d just gone another inch or two, we would have found the passageway.”

“Hmm,” was Michael’s only comment.

Kelly decided to change the subject before they got into a major fight. Now was not the time for raised voices, not with the possibility of her attacker being nearby.

“I wonder how many separate passages there are in this place.”

“I have no idea,” Michael admitted. “I was in a hurry to find you, but I did glimpse a few side tunnels and intersections. I think these corridors were set up like a maze. Fortunately, I have a pretty good sense of direction.”

Kelly placed her hands on Michael’s back as they walked, afraid of being separated from him. The lighter barely lit a five-inch circle around his hand. She hung on to him, following him blindly, her trust in him intensifying with every passing second.

They found a few different doors on the second floor. Kelly was stunned each and every time. She was having trouble believing any of this was real; it just didn’t seem possible. She had grown up in Moore House. She’d been a curious child. She should have stumbled across at least one of the doors while playing.

“Here,” Michael said. “Hold this.” He handed her the lighter.

She had no idea what he was planning to do, but she did as he asked, straining her eyes in the dark. There was a wide gap in the floor to one side of them. Michael latched on to a wooden beam nailed to the wall. Kelly realized there was a ladder leading down to the first floor. He descended slowly. Moments later she heard his feet hit the ground.

“Okay. Toss me the lighter.”

When she allowed the flame to die, her surroundings went from dark to pitch-black, shocking her even though she had
thought she was prepared for it. She couldn’t see a blasted thing now.

“I don’t know where to drop it,” she complained.

“Throw it toward my voice.”

She prayed she would drop it down the hole to him and not just lose it on the wood floor. It wasn’t as if she could move around on hands and knees searching for the thing. The hole was big enough for her to fall through. Breaking her neck wasn’t on the agenda.

“I got it,” Michael said. “Now climb down the ladder. Take it easy, one step at a time. I’ll be here to catch you if you fall.”

It sounded like a promise to her.

Michael used the lighter to illuminate the hole so she could find it.

Kelly moved at a snail’s pace, carefully placing one foot on the first rung, then gripping the edge of the floor as she lowered herself. The light died and her breath caught in her throat. Fearing something was wrong, she froze.

Had the bad guy found them?

Then Michael latched on to her waist, his fingers holding her with gentle pressure. Relief spread through her as her feet finally met solid ground. But Michael didn’t let go.

Instead he pulled her closer. Their bodies touched, and Kelly instantly forgot about the madman lurking in the hidden passages. Desire blazed to life within her.

“Sweetheart,” he said, “we need to have a long and serious talk.”

“Now?” Was he out of his mind? “Here?”

“No. We’ll take care of business first. But then I want to talk with you. Alone. As soon as it can be arranged.”

“Sounds serious,” she said.

“It is,” Michael replied.

“You can’t give me a little, tiny hint what you want to discuss?”

“Us. Our future plans. Yours and mine.”

“Oh.” She didn’t get a chance to say more. Holding her hand Michael flicked the lighter back on and headed down the hallway, pulling her behind him.

“I don’t believe it,” Michael said. “There’s a light here.” He pulled on a dangling string and the lightbulb blazed to life. “I think there might be another exit here.”

He dug at a deep grove in the wall. With an intruder in the house, she felt it was risky to stay in one place for too long. Since she didn’t have eyes in the back of her head, she revolved slowly, scanning their surroundings. She tripped over something on the ground and fell right on top of a skeleton.

Kelly’s face stopped a mere inch from empty eye sockets. Without flesh on bone, the skull seemed to be grinning at her. Or was it grimacing?

She bolted away from it, her mouth forming a scream, but Michael’s hand covered her lips before the sound was even born.

“It’s okay. I don’t think it’s anyone you know.” He knelt beside the skeleton. “It could be that Barrington woman. Maybe she didn’t escape after all.” Rising, he took Kelly’s hand and flicked the light off. “We’ll tell the authorities about this later. Let’s go.”

They found a couple more secret doors. Eventually they exited the passageway through the opening in the study. They left the dark hallway as quietly as they had entered. Neither of them had seen a sign of another living soul.

Paddy was waiting for them in the study. He beamed at them, his gaze dropping to their interlocked hands. “I see you found her,” he said.

Boomer raced out of the passageway behind them and straight across the room. Seconds later they heard his huge feet trotting up the staircase.

“There are doors everywhere,” Michael announced. “I
want them all blocked. You and Kelly can take care of that while I search this entire house from top to bottom. There wasn’t anyone in the passages. If someone is in this house, I’ll find him.”

“You don’t want me to go with you?” Kelly asked, trying to keep the hurt from her voice.

“I need you to go with Paddy, because I know the house and I don’t need a guide. Paddy does. Simple as that.” Michael lifted her chin with a strong finger, forcing her eyes to meet his. “We’ll talk soon. I promise.”

She forced a smile. Waiting to speak to him was going to be like waiting for the dentist to begin a root canal. Especially since she didn’t know what he wanted to say to her. It could be bad news or good news. Either he was going to declare his feelings for her or he was going to end their relationship and bring about some closure.

Relationship? He’d made love to her once. She would have to keep a careful rein on her tongue when they finally got a chance to talk. A word like
relationship
could scare a guy off faster than a double-barrel shotgun.

Kelly reluctantly led Paddy around the house to each of the rooms that boasted a secret door. She helped him block them one by one, using the closest piece of heavy furniture. Her thoughts were with Michael the entire time. He had taken on the most dangerous job himself. What if the killer was roaming around Moore House, waiting for an opportunity to kill again?

If she was going to lose Michael, she wanted to lose him to his job—not to a dangerous psychopath. Let him return home in one piece, wherever that turned out to be. She realized he hadn’t even told her what state he resided in. Wherever it was, he could return there without a single protest from her. At least she would know he was alive and well. That way she could hold on to a glimmer of hope that
someday he might seek her out. But even if he never did, she would be happy knowing he was out there somewhere.

Paddy’s rough voice broke through her thoughts. “Hang in there, kid.”

“What?” she said.

“With Michael,” Paddy explained. “He’s had a hard time of it. My wife Mary and I tried to love Michael as if he was one of ours, but he feels like he’s somehow unworthy of love. I think you could change all of that.”

Goose bumps broke out on her arms.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” she said.

“Well, it’s obvious to anyone with two eyes that that boy is crazy about you. I haven’t seen him like this before. Give him time. Don’t be afraid to open your heart to him. He’ll come around.”

“How did you first meet Michael?”

“I was working for the Chicago Police Department and Michael was assigned to be my partner. He was a rookie, and I was considering a change in career. He was a good cop with sharp instincts, but he was hard to get to know. He doesn’t open up easily.”

“I’ve noticed. Did he ever talk about his childhood? His father?”

“Yes, ma’am. He spoke to Mary more than to me. His father was a real piece of work, the bastard. I wasn’t too broken up when I heard about his death.”

“Did Michael’s father ever hit him?”

Paddy seemed surprised. “Not that I know of. I think the jerk abused his sons verbally, mentally, but not physically. Why? Did Michael say something to the contrary?”

“No.” Kelly glanced at the door, hoping Michael wouldn’t overhear them. He wouldn’t like it if he knew she was asking questions about his past. “But then he doesn’t open up easily. You said so yourself.”

“Mary has a way of getting people to talk to her. Michael
told her about his childhood. His mother was a mess. She was scared to death that her husband would track her down, so they moved around a lot. They were always looking over their shoulders.” Paddy’s lips tightened into a pained grimace. “His mother eventually shacked up with another jerk. Michael’s father probably didn’t hit him often, but his step-father did. Michael used to get between the creep and his mother, try to protect her.”

“Oh my God.” Kelly covered her mouth with a trembling hand. “No child should go through that.”

“Michael got bigger, stronger, and finally put the guy through a window. It was the last time the man ever laid a hand on either one of them.” Paddy looked toward the ceiling, remembering. “Michael has trouble trusting. He doesn’t love easily, but when he does give you his love, it’s yours for life. He looks at Mary like a second mother, and she spoils him with home-cooked dinners every time he’s in town.”

“And I thought I’d had a rough life. At least my father loved me and took care of me. I didn’t have to protect him.”

“Give Michael some time. Be patient with him. He watches you with a spark in his eye.”

“What about Michael’s love life?” she asked. “Has he ever been married?”

“Michael? Married?” Paddy laughed. “Hardly. Oh, he’s been with a bevy of beauties over the years, but none of them have been smart enough to snag him.”

“Snag him?” Kelly snickered. “You make it sound so romantic.”

“Don’t let Michael’s tough-guy attitude fool you. Deep down I think he is a romantic. He wants what we all want—true love. I overheard him telling my Mary how he envied me once. He told her he wanted a woman like her, someone smart and compassionate.” Paddy smiled at Kelly. “I think he found that in you.”

“He doesn’t want me. He used me. He lied to me. Am I supposed to forget that? How can I trust him now?”

“He wanted to tell you everything from the beginning.” Paddy chuckled. “I wish I had a dime for every time he spoke about telling you the truth. I warned him not to, of course. You were a wild card. We had no idea what you might do. You could have gotten us all killed.”