Expert Witness: A Romantic Suspense Novel (21 page)

Letting out a deep breath, she nodded her head in understanding. “Goodnight, Chase,” she said, her voice husky.
 

Damn, he didn’t want this night to end. He reminded himself that he wanted to do things right with her. The reminder provided only a minuscule amount of relief, while the more primal part of him thought of the numerous ways to do things right with her.
 

“Night,” he said, retreating to his room while he could.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Chase had been sure he’d have had trouble sleeping, but the next morning, he woke up feeling rested and still a little energized from the night before. He threw on a T-shirt and cargo shorts and headed out into the living room. Jordan was already awake and talking on the phone. From the bits of the conversation he heard, he could tell she was briefing Karen on her Skycoaster adventure.

“I really did!” she exclaimed. After a brief pause, she continued. “I know. I couldn’t believe it myself. But Karen, it was the best feeling.” She looked up to see him standing there. “Oh, Chase just walked in. I’m going to go and see what we’re doing for breakfast.”

Chase couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but he saw Jordan’s eyes widen.
 

“I know it does, but it’s not like that,” she said, turning her back toward him. Her hair was swept up in a messy bun with escaped tendrils drifting around her face. She began to laugh while tucking a loose strand behind her ear.
 

He wondered what was being said on the other side.
 

“I promise,” she was now saying. “And I’ll call the detective back first. Keep your fingers crossed that it’s good news.”

Chase tried not to be distracted by how beautiful she looked with wisps of coffee-colored hair framing her flushed makeup-free face. “Morning,” he said as she set the phone down. “What was that about?”
 

Before he could clarify that he meant the part about the detective, Jordan turned a deeper shade of red. He suppressed a smile. The woman had no need for cosmetics. She created her own often enough.
 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was wondering why you were supposed to call Detective Larson today?” he asked.
 

“Right,” she replied. “Karen said he called the office yesterday, shortly before they closed, looking for me. He didn’t say what it was, but Nancy took the call and told him she’d be sure to get the message to me. Of course, she’s used to me returning her calls almost as soon as she’s finished leaving the voicemail.” She turned her eyes skyward. “Last night was definitely an anomaly.”

“Maybe they’ve got a lead on this guy’s ID. The last time I spoke with Larson, he said they were subpoenaing the airtime minutes of Rigdon and were going to have him identify the number of the guy who hired him. From there, they would attempt to follow the numbers trail.”
 

“But I thought the guy who hired Rigdon used a throwaway phone?”

“Yeah, he did, but there are a few ways they can still trace it back to a general location. Why don’t you call him back now and see what’s going on?” He hoped the detective had gotten a break in the case. The jerk didn’t deserve to be running free while Jordan was confined to looking over her shoulder every day.

§

Jordan picked her phone back up and dialed Larson. He answered right away. She hit the speaker button so both she and Chase could hear him. “Detective, this is Jordan Clayton. I received a message that you’d been trying to get in touch with me. Chase Armstrong is also on the line.”

“Hello, Jordan, Chase. Yes, I was calling to let you know that we’ve arrested a suspect in your case. We were able to trace a location from the phone used to call Rigdon and set up the deal. Lucky for us, the suspect left it on, and we were able to isolate a possible residence within a one-block radius. We went ahead and compared the location to forensic cases you were assigned to. Don’t worry, only the ones from public records. We found one match—a Mr. Charles Buckman. Interestingly, when we followed up with Keith Lancaster after your call, he’d reported that this same guy was very critical of your work. Keith told us Buckman’s comments were the main reason he initially didn’t want you assigned to evaluate his father.”

Jordan immediately recognized the name as the father in a child-custody dispute she’d been hired to work. It had been a particularly heated case, with allegations of abuse and neglect made from both sides. Ultimately, the judge had used the information gained from the psychological evaluations to render a decision and placed the children in the custody of their mother.
 

“Yes, I remember the case,” she stated.
 

“Well, turns out the wife had recently filed a restraining order against him following threats that he was going to get his revenge. During our interview, he confessed to hiring Rigdon. Bank records verified five thousand had been withdrawn from his account, just prior to the first pickup date Rigdon reported. Almost everything fits the timeframe perfectly.”
 

Jordan listened without comment. She knew she should feel relieved, but strangely enough, hearing the details only made it more real to her. Putting a face and a name she knew with the man who’d been trying to kill her brought the whole thing home for her.
 

Bending her head down, she shut her eyes and covered her face with her hands. It was a lot to process. She was vaguely aware of Chase now standing behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.
 

“You still there?” the detective asked.
 

“Yes,” she managed to get out. “It’s just a lot to take in.”
 

Chase circled his thumb around her shoulder, gently massaging her tightened muscle while he listened to the discussion. “You said everything
almost
fits the timeframe perfectly,” he interjected. “Is there something that doesn’t?”

“Well, he still isn’t admitting to trying to run you guys off the road or sending the letter and showing up at the house. But there’s little doubt we’ve got our guy. I think he figured out how much trouble he was in after admitting to the attempted hit and clammed up. Said he wasn’t answering anything else without his attorney present.”
 

“Yeah, I can imagine he would,” Chase said. “So, he’s in custody now?”

Jordan’s breath caught at his question. She surely hoped so. Chase was still kneading her shoulder, and she leaned into him to intensify the pressure.
 

“Oh, yeah. He isn’t going anywhere. Arraignment is tomorrow, and the judge will probably withhold bail, given the situation and potential threat to everyone. But I can call and let you know for sure,” Larson said.
 

Jordan found herself feeling a little more grounded with Chase’s help. “Thank you, Detective. I appreciate your work on the case. I can’t tell you how much of a relief it is to know you’ve got him in custody.”

“No problem. I’m real sorry you’ve had to go through this. I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

“We’ll be looking out for your call,” she said before hanging up. She let out deep sigh.
 

Chase turned her around to face him, his eyes emanating concern. “Well, I’ll say that definitely qualifies as good news, but I know it’s a crappy situation. Are you okay?”
 

“Yes. No. It is good news. It’s just… Is it weird that I still feel… I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words.” She smiled wryly. “I guess I need one of those feeling charts like we use for the kids. The ones where they can touch the face that reflects their emotions.”

“Are you still scared?” he asked.
 

“No, not scared, but vulnerable maybe? Like I’ve been taking things for granted that aren’t really givens.” She offered him a questioning gaze, not sure if she was making sense.
 

“I get it,” he said softly. “It changes the way you look at things—but not entirely in a good way,” Chase said, raking a hand through his wavy hair.
 

She nodded slowly. “I think so. I mean, I know what can happen from working with trauma victims, and I’ve reviewed more police reports than I care to remember, but it’s so different to be in the situation myself. There’s a part of me that wants to go back to how I saw things before this happened.”
 

He reached out, placing both of his large hands on her forearms, his feet planted squarely in front of her. “It takes time, Jordan. Give yourself that. Things will get easier.”

She nodded. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her feel like he was speaking from his experience. Given his life experiences, he probably was. She thought back to their earlier conversation. He’d said that he’d made a mistake when he’d been protecting someone. What had he meant? She wondered if he’d ever share the details with her.
 

Chase let his hands fall back to his sides, and she tried to concentrate on the present.
 

“So, what happens next?” she asked, pinning him with her stare. She’d directed the conversation into rough waters. Her emotions were raw, and any control she had was precarious. Dealing with whatever she and Chase shared now might be more than she could bear. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
 

 
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I’m not going anywhere until we hear from Detective Larson tomorrow,” he said in a firm tone. “If the judge denies bail, this guy won’t be getting out any time soon. With a felony conviction, he’ll be in prison for years.”

“And after tomorrow?” Jordan tried to pose the question casually, but her heart was in her throat as she waited for him to reply.
 

Her feelings weren’t one-sided. She was certain of that. Though at the beginning she’d had her doubts, his attraction to her was readily apparent now that she knew him better. It was his entire reason for holding back that she wasn’t sure of. If this guy was held behind bars tomorrow, Chase wouldn’t be her bodyguard anymore. There’d be no more conflict of interests. His job wasn’t well suited to a long-term relationship; nevertheless, she was willing to give it a try if he was. But a relationship with her had to be something he wanted as much as she did.
 

Chase looked past her for a moment and then met her questioning gaze. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. If this guy Buckman isn’t a threat anymore, I’ll probably head back to Orlando tomorrow. There are some things I’ve been putting off in the business that I need to get to.”

Jordan crossed her arms in front of her. The hurt was likely reflected on her face, but she tried to mask it as much as she could.

Chase’s eyes softened, and he grasped her waist, pulling her closer to him. His voice was earnest. “Look, Jordan. I have a feeling there may be no going back with you. So when we move forward, I don’t think I’m going to want anything to stop it.”
 

“What does that mean?” She looked at him with uncertainty. She was being direct, but she’d rather know than not.
 

“It means—” he raised his eyebrows, “—let’s wait until we know for sure that this guy doesn’t, by some chance, get out tomorrow. Because if he does—and I’m not trying to worry you, but it’s my job to stay prepared—I’ll be here, making sure you stay safe.”

And then it clicked for her. He wasn’t going to begin something before he was sure she wasn’t still in danger from this guy. Whatever had happened in the past, the mistake he was referring to, must have been pretty awful for him. Part of her wanted to tell him to just let go. She trusted him and wasn’t worried he’d repeat mistakes of the past. The other part of her felt grateful that he was so intent on keeping her out of harm’s way, and she admired his refusal to do anything he thought might compromise that.
 

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “And I thought I could be stubborn when I wanted to be,” she said with resignation.
 

A slow smile spread across his face. “I prefer to call it determined…or maybe persistent. Unwavering?”
 

 
“You’d better stop now. I thought ‘stubborn’ was putting it nicely.” She gave him the smile he was searching for. “You may not want to hear my alternative descriptors.” She tried to ignore the fact that he still hadn’t let go of her waist and was now using his thumb to trace small circles around her abdomen. Spirals of heat coiled from each ring.
 

The man was going to drive her nuts.

“Ouch,” he said. “You don’t think that was a little below the belt?”
 

Her eyes unconsciously drifted downward as if the answer to his question lay literally below his tapered waistline. She admired the view. His sculpted quad muscles expanded out from the edges of his shorts, leading down to equally toned calves. How he kept muscles like that and hadn’t been to the gym once since he’d worked for her, she had no idea.
 

Catching herself in the middle of her impromptu excursion, she redirected her gaze back up in time to catch Chase’s eyebrows shoot upward. The circling motion came to an abrupt halt. His look was equivalent to the one Coyote gave the Roadrunner when he actually caught him.
 

Her face had to be glowing crimson because even her ears were heating up. Still, she had to work at stifling her laughter at his nonplussed reaction to her unintended faux pas.