Shadow of Doubt (An SBG Novel Book 2) (18 page)

Oh my God. Somehow more folks managed to join this sadistic party than at the pool!

Michelle blinked and couldn’t stop trembling.
Who are all these people?

Power, strength, and confidence oozed from their attractive pores. Not to mention the awesome lethalness she sensed from the vast majority in the room.

Every cell inside screamed at her to run, hide, do something other than stand in the corner and quake. Cappy rested his hand on her back and she hated how she instantly felt comforted. She shouldn’t . . . but she did. Daggone him. FBI agent or a derivative of some agency was the last person she should be cuddling against and drawing strength.

“Michelle.” Cappy’s use of her name pulled her away from studying the group now overwhelming the small cottage. “No one’s here to hurt you.” He pointed to the chair. “Sit, please.”

As if she really had another choice. She made a promise and now had to see it through. She dropped into the uncomfortable straight-backed chair and instantly shifted. A spring or something was out of line, digging into her butt.

Cappy accepted a box from Gorgeous Woman and placed it on the floor beside the chair. Before she realized his intentions, he knelt, gripped the hole in her sweatpants with both hands and tore the fabric apart. The ripping sound made her wince. When he got to the elastic bottom, he used a pair of scissors he pulled from the box.

Michelle’s nervous shaking intensified as nine pairs of eyes continued to watch her. Dang. She wished he’d clued her in on his plan. She’d have asked for him to patch her up somewhere else without the audience.

He spread the fabric and air rushed over the exposed long gash on her knee.

“It doesn’t need stitches, does it?” she asked Cappy softly, though she wasn’t sure why she bothered. The silence in the room assured that everyone heard the question.

“It might of,” he replied in his low, rumbly voice. “But it’s too late to go that route now.” He met her gaze with a deep regret. “I’m sorry, but it’s probably going to leave a scar.”

Figures. Another mark to add to her collection. She shrugged and tried to play off how much hearing that bothered her. “Nothing we can do about it now, right?”

His brown eyes deepened.

The Senator loomed closer. “You may have compromised Cappy, but you don’t have
me
wrapped around your finger. I want to know exactly what happened Friday night.”

“Senator,” Jeremy barked, peering over his shoulder.

“No.” The politician pointed a finger. “I’ve waited long enough. I’m not letting you drag this out, playing Nurse Nightingale. She can answer questions while you bandage her leg.”

“I didn’t kill him,” Michelle blurted, then winced.
Real smooth. Very convincing.

Now that she got past the shock of the Senator’s behavior by the pool, she knew she had to stand up to the man herself. Men like Bob Harris only respected those who held their own ground, and right now she needed every advantage if she hoped to convince him and the rest to believe her. Lifting her chin, she said with feigned authority, “And I’m not saying another word until I at least get a name for every person in this room.”

“You don’t need to know a name to goddamn tell me what happened,” Senator Harris shot back, his face a deeper shade of red.

Cappy dropped the cotton full of hydrogen peroxide and started to whirl but Michelle placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He searched her face but she looked away, capturing the politician’s eyes. Pain, fury, fear, and too many other emotions flitted through his irises, reminding her the man just lost his son. He was probably still a jerk on a normal day but she should forgive his intensity.

“Need?” she repeated, praying Cappy couldn’t hear or feel her thundering pulse. “Probably not, but everyone here saw that freaking YouTube video, which means they know more about me than I’d ever want them to. I don’t think asking for a name before we start the
conversation
is too much to ask.”

Jeremy patted her leg and she caught his proud smile out of the corner of her eye. She let out a breath . . . and got a butt full of spring.

Great. Small accomplishment about to be undermined by fidgeting. She shifted forward as minimally as she could.

“That’s fair, Senator,” Cappy said, turning his back to the TV, half facing her and the others. “You know mine and Talon’s. Stiles, you start. State it all.”

All?

Gorgeous Man exchanged a quick undecipherable look with Cappy then raised a hand and offered a pleasant smile. “I’m Special Agent Raymond Stiles and this is my partner, Special Agent Sonya White.” He indicated to Gorgeous Woman beside him.

“Special Agent?” Michelle echoed, her vision dimming. Suspecting their affiliation was one thing, having it confirmed . . .

Cappy squeezed her right leg. “The blond woman standing beside Senator Harris is—”

“Special Agent Isis Howard,” she cut in, striking a pose as if in a photo shoot.

WTH?
She expect applause?

“FBI?” Michelle couldn’t help asking the obvious.

“Yes,” Cappy answered.

Had the air in the room gotten heavier?

Jeremy pointed to the newcomers, Autumn Barbie and Ken. “Sandra Walsh and Casper Grady. Associates here to help me.” He shifted. “And you’re sort of familiar with the man awkwardly holding up the wall beside the TV.”

The guy she had dubbed Bill Gates the moment he entered the cottage jerked and his face grew red as he raised a hand in a weak wave.

“Ted Byrnes,” Cappy announced. “Aka the travel agent to you. To others he’s the computer guy.”

She attempted to inhale but hardly any air made it to her lungs. Sweat pooled under her arms and she wished she hadn’t asked the question. FBI, a Senator/father, associates, computer expert . . . what rabbit hole had she fallen into Friday night to induce this nightmare?

“In fact,” Cappy said, “Ted, you don’t need to stand here for this. You want to get set up on the dining room table? I’m sure there are some projects needing your attention while you listen in.”

He seemed relieved to be dismissed and wasted no time disappearing. How refreshing. Bill Gates didn’t want to gawk at her while she tried to hold it together and convince everyone she wasn’t a murderer.

“Everyone is here to find out what happened to Colin,” Cappy said in the silence. “Remember that. It’s not about accusing you, it’s about learning all the facts so we can answer that question correctly, okay?”

Michelle shifted again and surreptitiously glanced at the who’s who of folks
not
to be in the same room with when suspected of murder. Her heart lodged firmly in her throat and her nerves made her palms itch. Her eyes landed on Jeremy and a small river of shock helped snap her out of her head. His wide, expansive chest was still exposed. Why the sight shook her when she knew she hadn’t given him his shirt back, she had no clue, but his muscled pecs drew her in.

He shifted his crouch, breaking the hypnotic spell and moved to tend to her knee again.

Yeah, bet everyone in the room caught her drooling at the man. Rice on a stick. Would she ever be suave at least
once
in her life?

“Now that we wasted enough time,” the Senator rumbled, “What happened Friday night?”

Ho boy. No more putting it off. The thin layer of sweat on her palms doubled and she swallowed. “Like I said, you’ve all seen the YouTube video.”

“Yes, but back up to the beginning,” Cappy said, ripping open a bandage package. The sound seemed overly loud in the silent room. “What made you go to the club?”

Cappy smashed the ends of the bandage as gently as he could, trying to ignore the scars visible on her skin. Every time he saw one, his blood pressure rocketed, making him lose focus. Who was he kidding? Just touching her skin made him lose focus even though it was completely inappropriate.

Michelle shifted for the millionth time. Was his question really that difficult to answer?

“A coworker of mine scored passes to attend the grand opening of Ardent,” Michelle answered, her hands firmly clasped together.

“You make it a habit of hitting all the bars?” Senator Harris belligerently asked. Cappy had just about enough of the man’s bullying.

Michelle’s cheeks reddened, but she lifted her chin and looked the man in the eyes. “No, actually I don’t. Thanks for assuming.”

Cappy held in a snicker.
That’s my girl
.

“In fact,” Michelle continued, “I probably wouldn’t have gone Friday if it hadn’t been for Cindy’s birthday. She knew someone connected to the club who gave her the passes as a gift.”

“You have a name for the person Cindy knew?” Magician asked, holding a pen above a small portfolio notebook.

Michelle shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. I didn’t think to ask.”

“You close to Cindy?” Romeo continued, also holding a pad and pen.

The two played their roles with ease. Cappy’s knees cracked. He winced.
Damn age.
He stood to get the blood flowing back through his legs. Small stings and tingles coursed through his veins and he paced to the other side of her chair in an effort to walk them off.

“Not really.” Michelle shrugged. “I mean, we work together every day, but I don’t see her outside of work, normally.”

“So why go then?” Isis perched on the edge of the couch.

Michelle’s ears turned an adorable shade of pink and her gaze hit the carpet. “I wanted to. It had been a long time since I had gone out so when Cindy offered me a chance to go to an exclusive club’s grand opening, I jumped at it.”

Cappy’s heart tugged. Her stiff posture, clenched hands, and avoided eye contact spoke volumes. He bet she kept herself isolated from everyone, so no one thought to include her in their plans. He wanted to shake Cindy’s hand. The outcome may have been disastrous but at least the woman remembered to invite Michelle.

“So, you’re at the club,” Senator Harris snapped. “How did you get involved with my son? Why did you choose him?” The intensity of the questions seemed beyond the scope of a grieving father.

Red flags popped up in Cappy’s head.

“I’m not much of a drinker, but all these guys kept buying us rounds.” The spots on her cheeks deepened. “I tried to keep up with the other girls, but it only took a few drinks before I was drunk.”

Cappy gripped the back of the chair. The visual filling his mind of men salivating and groping her in the darkened space made him want to hurt someone. Then his mind twisted the thought and he became ill. Those drinks could’ve been spiked. Didn’t she have one ounce of self-preservation?

“I’m still waiting for how you targeted Colin.” The Senator crossed his arms. “Not really interested in all this ‘setting the scene.’”

Her head snapped up. “I didn’t
target
Colin. He came up to
me
.”

“And why would he do that?”

Michelle recoiled.

“Hey.” Cappy stepped forward.

The Senator ignored him, sliding his gaze up and down her body. “You’re not his type.”

“That’s enough,” Cappy barked, positioning himself beside her. “Questioning her about Friday night, helping us understand the events is fine, but I won’t tolerate you insulting her.”

“You’re out of line, Cappy,” the Senator responded in a low voice, his hard eyes now focused on him.

“So are you.”

They continued to stare at each other.

“Shall I get a ruler?” Talon’s question broke into the power play.

“We still have a lot of ground to cover,” Wraith chimed in. “Can we all agree to keep the side commentary and opinions to a minimum?”

Cappy broke the eye contact and patted Michelle’s shoulder. He wanted to deck the politician for placing the mortification in her eyes. She had to know her curvaceous body and beautiful face would draw any man to her side, despite what the Senator claimed.

“What did Colin say when he approached?” Magician asked, helping to move the interview forward.

Michelle’s eyes slid to the Senator once, twice, then she answered with a bit of resignation, “I can’t really recall, but I do remember thinking he was probably talking to me to get to Cindy.” She rubbed her forehead. “I think I offered to introduce them but he laughed and declined.”

“I can understand why,” Romeo stated with a smile.

Cappy appreciated the smooth boost of confidence, yet felt a territorial stirring in his gut.

“Sure. Right.” Michelle gave a weak chuckle and continued to rub her forehead. “He, um, said something about waiting for me.”

“Waiting for you?” Cappy stiffened. Another red flag began waving.

She gave a dismissive gesture, her neck now as red as her face. “Yeah, I know it was probably just a line, but as drunk as I was, I thought he was the sincerest, sweetest man on earth. When he turned away to order us another drink, a coworker of mine read me the riot act for holding out and talked me into going back to his hotel room.”

The territorial stirring amped into a full-blown hissy. Son of a bitch. He
knew
she had gone. Christ, he had watched proof of her cavorting with the guy on the Internet, but still,
Mine
kept running through his mind.

“Anyone else approach either of you before or during your departure?” Wraith asked.

“Not that I remember.” Michelle’s face scrunched like she tried really hard to recall. “He handed me the drink, I took a sip, and told him I’d go with him. He didn’t waste time closing out his tab after that.”

I bet.

Michelle sat forward. “Can you answer a question for me? Is the video the only reason why everyone thinks I did this?”

Nacio rested the sole of his shoe against the brick and casually studied the coffee shop. The couple sat at a little table in front of the window. A map—most likely of Indianapolis—now spread between them and Mr. Alger pointed at something while he spoke. Mrs. Alger seemed in agreement with her over-the-top nodding.

“Damn,” he muttered. His gut told him they weren’t perusing the map to meet Michelle but to join in the search. He’d have to move to Plan B. Where should he take them down in order to draw Michelle out? Nothing jumped out at him in either direction he looked. Just enough foot traffic clogged the sidewalk on the side street, which wouldn’t allow him to get away with doing it here.
Carajo.

The Algers exited the shop and turned as if to head back to the main street.

A stroke of brilliance hit him and he actually smacked his head. Why didn’t he think of this before when they had passed that cluttered, narrow alley earlier? He had the perfect ammunition to lure them away.

He jogged to catch up, keeping his eyes peeled for another alley. At a break in the storefronts his heart kick-started. This showed promise. One glance revealed he found his spot. Now to bring the Algers back.

He fiddled with the edge of his flannel shirt, making sure the end still covered the revolver. All set. He quickened his steps and maneuvered until he was within a foot of the couple.

“. . . great coffee.”

“Yes,” the wife answered. “I think we should go again tomorrow and try that special the girl talked about.”

Nacio reached out to tap Mr. Alger on the shoulder when the guy abruptly stopped.

Even better.

“Excuse me,” Mr. Alger said to a small group of suited men.

Nacio slammed his hand to his side and turned away. Dammit. Feds?

“Can you show me . . .”

Nacio couldn’t stick around and wait for the rest of Mr. Alger’s sentence. He found the alley and took a stroll, memorizing the layout of strewn dumpsters. Didn’t matter. He’d catch them later or here tomorrow.

***

Romeo still couldn’t believe the scene unfolding in front of him. Never had he seen Cappy so agitated and so protective in the five years they’d been teamed together. The guy was known for not becoming excitable, being a Boy Scout, and staying cool under pressure, but those traits had started crumbling the moment they gathered around the computer back at Grady’s. First, the man defied SBG’s rules by revealing his real name and a piece of his past, then he ordered everyone to drop their directives and race here, and now his normal pragmatic temperament unraveled to this intense, emotional display.

Hallelujah and praise Michelle.

It still blew Romeo’s mind to know the guy had been declared dead by the Army for the past six years. Romeo liked to think his ability to read people was so fine-tuned it was almost an art, but not once had he ever imagined Cappy had that bombshell lurking in his background. Sure, every operative who worked for SBG had pretty much severed ties with their past, but knowing the CO would never have family or friends to call on once he got out was a horrible thought.

Outside of the occasional hookups Cappy had
nobody
to blow steam off with when he needed a break from the team. Not healthy. At least Romeo had Magician or any of the other operatives in Delta to raise some hell with when a one-night stand wouldn’t do.

Cappy had been too lonely for too long and if Romeo was reading the situation right, Michelle was in the same boat. A perfect match. And the chemistry between the two? Seriously off the charts.

Perfect timing for it too. Romeo had noticed a trend and prayed for it to continue. First, Wraith had defied everything to save Grady, her soul mate and, fingers-crossed, the next new operative in their world. Now it appeared as if Cappy had a chance to break away from SBG’s insular mold and find happiness for himself. With Victor behind bars and the Senator preoccupied with his son’s death, Cappy had a chance to make this work and solidify a new era for SBG.

Michelle shifted in the seat for the thousandth time. She picked at her fingers and generally gave off the helpless, in-over-her-head vibe.

In Romeo’s book, if Cappy believed in her innocence, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt and wait until all the evidence was in before making his judgment. He had worked alongside Cappy for too long, in too many shitty situations for Romeo not to trust the CO’s instincts. Of course, the possibility existed that the guy’s feelings for Michelle colored his objectivity, but Romeo seriously doubted it. One thing he learned long ago: Cappy never put himself above the team. Then again, the man had never been faced with a situation like this either.

Michelle sat forward. “Can you answer a question for me? Is the video the only reason why everyone thinks I did this?”

“I haven’t even begun yet,” Senator Harris postured.

“I think we can answer one for her before we get back to it,” Romeo answered in a voice he reserved for unpredictable jackasses. “It’ll make a good segue to the next line of questions anyway.” He flicked a glance at Mag, then Isis. The two women continued to pretend the other didn’t exist. Fine by him. He had no desire to get caught up in their weird dichotomy where the rules changed in a blink and no one gave him the update.

He stood to help play up the Special Agent angle for a second. “You may not be aware of this yet but the FBI, with the U.S. Marshals tagging along, executed a full search warrant in your apartment yesterday within five minutes of learning your identity.”

Michelle jerked and swallowed hard, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and fear.

Hmmm. Normal fear regarding law enforcement or something more behind the reaction?

Crappy grimaced, but didn’t seem real surprised. They all had played this game too many times to know the search was bound to happen.

“We’re just waiting on the results of certain forensic tests,” Romeo continued. “As far as the rest, you know we’re not supposed to talk about the case we’re actively building against you, right?”

“Stiles,” Cappy growled, a huge frown tugging at his mouth. Had the man’s chest muscles just swollen when he crossed his arms?

Romeo held in a laugh and crack about him being a puffing cock, and focused on Michelle. She was definitely a looker. With her height and curvaceous, solid frame, she matched Cappy perfectly.

“Cappy, he’s right,” Senator Harris jumped in. “We shouldn’t discuss case details.”

“Do you honestly think she did this after she told you how they met?” Cappy defended her, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder.

An overabundance of touching, strong reactions, readiness to believe and defend everything she said, throwing a back-off-she’s-mine vibe, and oozing sexual tension? The guy had it bad, probably gone as far as fallen in love with her, though he wasn’t even close to admitting it yet, and she radiated the same.

A strained undercurrent surrounded the two, proving Isis had been right by the pool.
Something
had happened, and by the way Cappy kept yanking his hand back or ripping his gaze away, he fought the attraction.
Battle’s lost, man
.

“We only have her word for how they interacted in the club,” the Senator hurled back.

“We can get the security footage,” Mag replied smoothly, standing and straightening her suit. “That would corroborate or disprove her story.”

“It’s
not
a story,” Michelle lobbed. “Go ahead, get the tape. You’ll see it happened just like I said.” She pointedly looked around the room, holding everyone’s gaze and stopping with Romeo’s. “As far as not talking about the case you’re building
against
me, how can I prove I didn’t do it if I don’t know how to defend myself?”

Bravo. His respect for her raised another notch.
That’s right, honey, keep coming at me
. He hoped she was innocent and Cappy worked through whatever held him back. Mag would benefit from having this fighter around to talk to. It was obvious from the scars on Michelle’s face and legs that she had suffered from some kind of tragedy. Mag could finally have a female to bond with about her captivity by the sex-slave dealers when she was undercover—she needed more than him and for some reason, she had never confided in Wraith.

Romeo inclined his head. “That’s fair.” He pretended to capitulate. “But you didn’t hear this from anyone in this room. Got it?” Boy, did he mean that on multiple levels.

She sat forward. “Agreed.”

The Senator huffed.

“You have something you want to say to the class?” Cappy asked the man.

Romeo had to agree. The guy seemed a little more erratic than just a man who lost his son.

“No. Just get on with it so we can get back to the real information needed.”

Cappy dipped his chin, and Romeo took over again. “The video is a large part of it. SA Howard has been with the investigation from the beginning. She can tell you what evidence they’ve gathered so far.”

Isis rose as if about to address the masses versus one civilian.
She does love her theatrics.

“There’re the basics,” Isis stated, holding up a hand to count. “The video being number one. The second most damning piece is your fingerprints on the champagne bottle.”

“So?” Michelle blinked, her eyebrows furrowed as if trying to remember something. “I’m pretty sure I moved it to the side table before I closed the curtains.”

“That’s true,” Isis agreed, “and in the video you held it by the lower half.”

“Okay.” Michelle searched Isis’s face. “So . . .”

“The fingerprints we found on the pieces were also on the neck.”

Cappy straightened.

“Neck?” Michelle pinged her gaze to everyone as if she hoped they’d tell her the punch line to the joke.

“Pieces.” Cappy’s head snapped up. “Are you telling me Colin had been bludgeoned by the champagne bottle?”

“Ding. Ding. Ding,” Isis chimed, pretending to shoot him with two finger-guns.

Romeo winced. The boy’s father stood a foot away. A little respect for how his son died should be shown.

Michelle jumped to her feet. “There is no way I could have done that!”

“Why not?” Isis shot back. “You’ve already proven you could pick up the bottle.”

“Barely.” Michelle began weaving in place. “Did you not see how drunk I was?” She stopped her demonstration and straightened. “That bottle was heavy. We hardly drank anything.”

“So?” the Senator asked, planting his fists on his hips. “What’s your lack of consumption got to do with anything?”

“I had to use both hands when I staggered to the table. There’s no way I could’ve gripped it by its neck and hit Colin with it.”

“Why not?” Bob Harris retorted. “You could’ve held it like a baseball bat.”

“And if the contents fell steadily out in that position, the bottle would’ve gotten lighter,” Isis continued to hammer at Michelle.

The muted sound of bones cracking preceded Cappy as he took a step forward, but Romeo discreetly held up a hand. They were finally getting what they needed and Cappy raging like a love-whipped schoolboy wouldn’t help anything.

Cappy’s jaw tightened and Romeo could’ve sworn he heard the guy’s molars grinding.

“Is that what happened?” Michelle placed a hand to her mouth.

“You tell me,” Isis answered instead.

“I didn’t hit Colin with a bottle. I couldn’t have even if I tried.”

“Why?” Romeo asked, the tension inside him rising higher.

“He wasn’t as drunk as me. He’d have dodged an attempt with no problem.”

“Not if he was handcuffed to the bed.” Isis dropped the final damning piece of evidence.

Michelle paled and stumbled back. Cappy caught her and tucked her under his arm. She shook her head, mumbling, “No.”

Cappy thrust his chest out and glowered at Isis. “Handcuffed? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Colin Harris had been found in the bed with his arm handcuffed to the headboard.” She glanced at the Senator who turned and stared out the window. “Bludgeoned, with pieces of the champagne bottle all around him and the floor.”

Michelle’s eyes widened, her skin leeching even more color as she continued to shake her head in denial. “He was alive when I left, I swear.”

Come on, come on, come on,
Romeo silently willed. Say it. What happened?

“Do you still have the video?” she asked instead.

“Ted!” Cappy bellowed, causing Michelle to jump and push out of his arms.

“Already have it up!”

“Watch.” Michelle waved toward the dining room. “You’ll see, he was still alive.”

Romeo exchanged a look with Mag. Had Michelle seen a different video than they had?

Magician shook her head and shrugged as if to answer his silent question.

“Can you fast forward to after I shut the curtains?” Michelle asked, following the group and finding a spot between himself and Cappy.

“What am I looking for?” Romeo asked after Ted accommodated the request.

On the screen, Drunk Michelle bolted out of the room and paused, looking back into the bedroom.

“There!” Michelle pointed. “Colin was alive and shouting at me.”

Romeo winced at Drunk Michelle ralphing in the corner before stumbling out the door.

“That’s not proof,” Isis said. “You could’ve just as easily been mortified at what you had done.”

“What was he shouting?” Romeo asked at the same time, worried for Cappy.

The CO’s face was unreadable except for the pulsing vein rising in his forehead. Did the man see how they still had nothing to back any of Michelle’s claims?

Michelle swallowed hard. “All kinds of nasty stuff.” Her eyes slid to the Senator and her cheeks flamed redder.

Yeah, having Daddy in the room made this suck harder but they needed to know. Romeo waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about him. What did Colin say?”

Cappy opened and closed his hands by his sides, his eyes now hard and glittering.

Michelle closed her eyes for a moment then answered, “He sneered how much I had a reputation for liking it rough and kinky. Then he called me a tease for role-playing with everyone but him.”

“Goddamn son of a bitch,” Cappy exploded.