Shadow Of Suspicion

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 (#ulink_235668b8-30d0-5f78-bb0f-e5b343460f59)

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.