Love Inspired Suspense March 2015 - Box Set 1 of 2: Protection Detail\Hidden Agenda\Broken Silence (27 page)

Maybe it was after he'd read Romans 12:2 on a card he'd found in his wallet. Because of protocol, he shouldn't have had it there. But someone in the train station had handed it to him. He'd shoved it in his pocket, and somehow it got wedged into his wallet.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

It was the word
transformed
that caught his attention. He'd read that verse probably a million times before. But something about reading it then, something about the thought of being transformed—not into someone the CIA wanted him to be, but into someone God wanted him to be—started to nudge at his conscience.

The memories slipped away as Bailey stood and rubbed her hands on her jeans.

“I think I'm going to turn in for the evening. I left a sandwich on the table for you.”

“Thank you,” he told her.

She slipped off to bed.

He stood, stretching. Maybe he should get his mind off everything by doing some reading. Sometimes just clearing his head for an hour helped him to see things more clearly.

He walked over to the bookshelf and examined some of the titles there. There were plenty of international thrillers and several classics.

What will it be? Grisham or Dickens? he asked himself.

He picked up a title when something caught his eye.

He plucked up a small piece of plastic.

Only it just wasn't a piece of plastic.

It was a hidden camera. Had someone been watching their every move all along?

ELEVEN

B
ailey woke the next morning and sat up in bed. She had hardly slept a wink last night. She'd had too much on her mind. Plus, despite the electricity being on, the house was freezing.

Aside from her normal worries, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about her conversation with Ed. He'd showed a surprisingly human side to himself and broken some of the stereotypes she'd placed on him.

What if he did have a good reason for missing his dad's funeral? She couldn't imagine what it might be, but Ed had looked truly mournful that he hadn't been here for his father.

She also wondered what his story was. DC lawyer? There was more to him than that. Maybe he was former military or doing such high-profile work that he'd been threatened. Would that explain why he carried a gun? Why he seemed to know so much about self-defense and bombs?

He still hadn't explained why he thought his father had been murdered, though. Mr. Carter had said some strange things, but at the time Bailey thought he'd just been talking crazy. What if he hadn't been?

But why would someone want to murder someone like Mr. Carter? He was retired, trying to enjoy life. He'd been a number cruncher and, even though she'd joked with Ed about it, why would someone feel the need to kill a number cruncher? It didn't make sense.

Finally, she threw her legs out of bed, got dressed and padded downstairs. As she started toward the kitchen, she noticed Ed sitting in front of the fire. He stared at something in his hands, something small, the size of a coin.

She paused and finally decided to approach him. He didn't even look up as she walked his way, which only increased her curiosity.

“Good morning,” she finally said.

He continued to stare at the gadget in his hands. “Good morning.”

“Everything okay?”

Finally, he glanced at her, a new hardness in his eyes. “You ever seen this before?”

She squinted at the object, leaning closer. “I don't even know what this is.”

“It's a camera. It was hidden on the shelf.”

Her hand instinctively went to the bruises at her neck. She could still feel the man's hands there, squeezing, as he threatened her. “Why would there be a camera on the shelf?”

She knew the answer: someone was monitoring her. Who knew where else there were recording devices? They could have planted some on Bailey, for all she knew. With technology as advanced as it was in today's society, a listening device could be a small as a pin tip, she guessed.

“You tell me.”

She took a step back. “What sense would it make for me to record myself while I was here?”

He straightened, his aloofness returning at full force. “If not you, then who? Who came to visit my father in his final days? Anyone?”

She shook her head. “The usual, I suppose. Mary Lou. Henry Wilkins. The pastor from the church down the road. Samantha stopped by with some freshly baked bread. A cousin came by. I'm not sure he ever said his name.”

Ed's eyes widened. “Did my father invite his cousin here or did he show up unexpected?”

“I don't think your father invited him. He seemed surprised and asked me to give him some privacy, though.”

“And you did?”

“Of course I did. Did you think I'd eavesdrop?”

When he didn't immediately respond, Bailey knew what his answer was. She seethed inwardly. Just last night she'd begun to think he was halfway human. She'd been wrong.

She stared at him, irritation rising in her. “You really think that I not only listened in on your dad's conversations, but that I put cameras around the house? Why would I do that?”

He shook his head. “No, but I think you know more than you're letting on.”

So much for the progress that seemed to have happened last night in their strained relationship. She had to turn this conversation around before all the headway they'd made disappeared.

“Look, Ed, maybe we should stop arguing and start working together. We both cared about your father. Working against each other isn't doing either of us any favors.”

He stared at her before nodding. “Maybe you're right.”

She lowered herself onto the chair across from him, still feeling prickly from his accusations. “Can you tell anything from the camera? Is it still recording?”

“No, I disabled it. It's pretty generic looking. I'd have to send it to a lab for more testing.”

“Did you check for any more cameras in the house?”

“I was up for most of the night trying to sweep the place. I found three other recording devices.”

Ed looked tired. He had slight circles under his eyes, his hair was tousled and he was obviously irritable. He was going to make himself sick if he didn't get some rest.

“Who would do this?” The man who'd threatened her would. But who was he? And why? Even more: If Ed knew the answers to those questions, would he tell her?

“I have no idea. I was hoping you might be able to help.”

“What if...what if those cameras were planted after your father died? There were lots of guests in and out during that time.” She could broach this carefully, without giving anything away.

“Why would someone do that?” Ed tilted his head, seeming intense and focused.

“Someone's obviously looking for something. Isn't that why the library was turned upside down? Maybe someone planted those bugs, hoping to be alerted if we discovered whatever it is they're trying to get their hands on.”

Something flickered in his gaze. Was it admiration? “You could be right.”

She rubbed her hands on her jeans, trying to cover her unease. “So, what now?”

“Now I'm going to send this camera to a lab.”

“You have a lab?”

“As a lawyer, I have a lot of sources I can use for research.”

She leaned closer. “Since we're talking about working together now and everything, why don't you just admit that you're not just a lawyer.”

Ed's expression remained unchanged. “What do you mean?”

“You're a lawyer for the government, aren't you?”

He didn't say anything for a moment until he finally nodded. “I am. That's why I couldn't be here for the funeral. The case I was working on was an issue of international concern. The ramifications of me leaving in the middle of things would have been devastating. And I don't say that lightly.”

At least she'd gotten one thing right. “Sounds serious.”

He nodded. “Very. And complicated.”

“Life has a way of being complicated.”

“How about we try to make it uncomplicated? Let's go into town and talk to some people. This island is small enough that if strangers have been hanging around, someone would have seen them. We need to get to the bottom of what's going on here,” Ed offered.

Bailey smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

Before they could stand, the doorbell rang.

* * *

Ed pulled the door open and saw the thirtysomething man standing there. The man wore jeans, had one hand tucked into his pocket, and his expression showed confusion.

Perhaps this was the man claiming to be his father's cousin? His father didn't have any cousins, so whoever had come used that as a cover.

“Can I help you?” Ed asked.

“I was looking for Bailey, actually.”

Ed stepped back to give Bailey a better view. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the man there. “Todd? I thought you were gone.”

“My mom is all better after her car accident. I decided to come back here and see the storm damage.” He held out a stuffed animal. “I found this on your doorstep, by the way.”

Bailey's face went pale. “Oh...uh, thanks. I don't know how that—how that got there.”

Ed's eyes narrowed. What a strange reaction. She recognized that stuffed animal. Was it hers? If so, why wasn't she saying so?

The man—Todd, Bailey said—glanced at Ed and extended his hand. “Todd Blakely.”

“Ed Carter.”

“Bill's son?” Todd said, some of his coolness dissolving. “Nice to meet you.”

“Todd helped repair the pier, as well as a few other things on the property, until his mom broke her leg in a car crash,” Bailey explained. “He went back to Delaware to be with her.”

Ed remembered reading about Todd. He'd done background checks on all of the people his father employed, just to be safe. Todd was former navy, had been out for five years, and he'd taken on various jobs as a contractor. His record seemed squeaky-clean enough. Ed couldn't help but wonder what his relationship with Bailey had been. He tried to tell himself that he didn't care, but something about the thought of the two of them being together bothered him.

And made him dislike Todd.

“Come on in,” Ed offered, remembering his manners.

Todd shook his head and took a step back. “I don't want to impose. I only wanted to check and make sure everything was okay.” He glanced beyond Ed at Bailey. “Maybe we can catch up sometime?”

Bailey nodded, hugging the teddy bear close to her. “Sure thing. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be around.”

“Let me know before you go, okay? I mean, if you wouldn't mind.”

“I'll do that.” She nodded, but her expression was still grim.

Todd waved before turning and starting down the path leading away from the house.

Ed waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Bailey. “Friend?”

She nodded and set the stuffed animal on a chair. “Just a friend. I can see your wheels turning.”

“I never make assumptions.” Not about romance, at least. He was making a lot of assumptions about that bear. If she wanted to tell him, she would. But he had to bite his tongue not to say anything or ask any questions.

They stepped out of the house and started toward town.

“We got to know each other some when he was fixing up your dad's place,” Bailey said. “Mr. Wilkins hired him several times, but that's as far as it went. I had the feeling Todd wanted more.”

Ed resisted a chuckle. “Had the feeling? I can confirm by the way he looked at you that your suspicions were correct. The man obviously wasn't happy to see me here today.”

Bailey shook her head as she tucked her hands into her pockets. “I think you're reading too much into it. Besides, I'm not anxious to date anyone.”

He raised his eyebrows, surprised at her hesitancy. “Why's that?”

“I'd rather be single for the rest of my life than be with the wrong person. I'm happy.” She shrugged, dragging her feet a little. “I mean, at least for the most part. Of course there's a part of me that would like to settle down somewhere permanent and have kids—like my sister did. But after you get burned a few times by bad relationships you start becoming a skeptic.”

“I see.”

She glanced at him, shielding her eyes against the sunlight. “You ever been married?”

He shook his head. “Almost.” Now, why had he shared that? He hardly ever talked about Claire, especially not with practical strangers like Bailey.

“What happened?” Her eyes lit with curiosity.

That was exactly what he didn't want.

The day was warmer and the waters had gone down some from the storm. Still, the sand was wet at their feet as they walked toward Erma's. “What can I say? She broke my heart and left it in a million pieces.”

“Is it still in a million pieces?” She glanced up at him, her expression bordering on adorable.

“The damage just might be irreparable. But it's better that way.” It was. He'd learned his lesson the hard way. It wasn't something he'd easily forget.

Bailey frowned. “Why? Because you can have more time on your job that way?”

He wasn't trying to impress anyone, but the criticism in Bailey's voice got to him for some reason. “It's not that I want my job to be my life, but it's hard to find balance. It's hard to take steps back.”

“So, why don't you just do it? Make changes? It sounds hard, but that's only in theory. In reality, taking steps back is as simple as saying no. Establishing boundaries. Becoming proactive with your life instead of vice versa.”

He glanced over at her. She walked along casually, her hands in the pockets of her white zip-up sweater. Her hair blew in the breeze, and he was struck again by her natural beauty. “You're probably right.”

“Of course, you need to consider that the person giving you this advice is jobless and without a home or any roots at all for that matter.” She flashed him a wide, self-deprecating smile.

He smiled also, feeling some of his walls come down. It was something he hadn't felt in a long time—the prospect of letting someone in. “Things will look up for you, Bailey.”

“I know I'll find another job. Have another encounter with someone else as they're facing death. I have this restless feeling in my chest, like maybe there's something more for me. I just don't have any idea what that something is.”

“You said you're a person of faith. Pray about it. You'll get an answer.”

She glanced up at him, slowing her steps for a moment. “You surprise me sometimes, Ed.”

He raised his eyebrows as an emotion close to delight spread through him. “Do I?”

She nodded. “You do. You're...you're different than I thought you'd be. I'm sorry if I was harsh when we first met.”

“If you can overlook me accusing you of my father's murder, then I suppose I can overlook you thinking I'd broken into the house.”

They both let out a laugh, the sound nervous and strained, but honest. The restaurant came into view just down the lane.

“Let's see if there's any food left,” Ed said.

He had the strangest urge to reach out and grab her hand. Of course, he didn't do it. There was too much at risk. There was no way he could put his heart at risk, as well.