Lakeside Peril
That was one of the reasons she’d hired him. Because he was the kind of person you wanted in your corner. Laura must have thought so. Why else would she have jotted his name in her notes? And now that she’d met Hunter, Chloe could certainly understand why Miss Ida beamed with almost motherly pride.
Thinking of how much she missed her mother right now, Chloe pushed away her doubts regarding her father. She had to find out who killed Laura and she prayed their father hadn’t been involved in any of this.
Please, Lord, don’t let anything else bad happen to the people I care about. Or to the man I hired.
Miss Ida shuffled around the desk, her hand patting her silvery white bob. She wore a blue cashmere turtleneck and black pants with a snazzy pair of black pointed-toe loafers. “Can I get you anything?”
“No, thank you,” Chloe said.
“Can I pray for you?”
Chloe wanted to hug this sweet woman tight. “Yes. That’s the best thing you can do for me right now.”
The older woman touched Chloe’s hand and sent her a peaceful smile. “I’m on it.”
Chloe sank against the big chair and inhaled the smell of something spicy-sweet wafting out from the diffuser on a nearby table. This was a beautiful place, Victorian and rambling, with elegant antique furnishings and big, cozy rooms. But Chloe couldn’t enjoy being here.
Hunter had told her they’d get in, get what she needed and move on. But where he’d take her, she didn’t know.
He’d grilled the sweet clerk and through it all Miss Ida had remained calm and explained that she hadn’t seen any strange cars or any mysterious men. Chloe hoped she could leave without getting this lovely old place shot up. She certainly didn’t want Miss Ida or any of the other guests to get hurt.
Hunter came barreling back down the stairs, his gaze moving from her to the very curious Miss Ida. “You can come up now.”
He didn’t speak again until they were inside the room. “Did you have anything in the safe?”
“Yes. And on the table.” Chloe grabbed the briefcase she’d left on the mahogany table near the French doors. “This is still locked. Is the safe?”
“No,” he said, guiding her to the closet. “I didn’t want to say anything downstairs, but the safe is open and empty.”
Chloe stared into the closet. “I think they found what they wanted. My laptop was in there.”
Hunter let out a frustrated breath. “They must have zoomed in on the safe with a grab-and-go. Must have seen us coming since they left the briefcase. But you said you made copies of part of the information and stored those copies in a secure place?”
She lifted her chin. “I did, but now I think you’re right. No place is safe. And I’ll never be safe again, either.”
“All the more reason to put you in hiding,” he said. “Grab your things. We’re getting out of here.”
Chloe found her overnight bag and shoved her clothes and toiletry items in it and zipped it. “I didn’t bring much,” she said. “I’m ready.”
Hunter took the big leather bag and she held on to her briefcase and her purse. “My laptop had a lot of other files I could use—work-related documents and my contact list.”
“Too bad,” he said, guiding her down the back stairs to the big courtyard surrounded by banana trees and sago palms.
Hunter opened the wrought-iron gate and slid around the corner. “We need to ditch my bike and get my truck.”
Chloe couldn’t argue with that. “Where is your truck?”
“About a half mile to the east at my place near the marina.”
“Think we can make it without being shot at?”
“I doubt it.”
He kept her near the bushes and trees, his gaze moving along the street by the inn. “I’m going to put you in the patrol car and let the officer follow me to my place. We’ll switch out vehicles there, okay?”
“Okay.” Curious to see where he lived, Chloe followed him through the shadows to the parked cruiser out on the curb.
When they got close, Hunter did a knuckle knock on the driver’s-side window. “He has to be inside, since I didn’t see him walking the perimeters.”
He found the officer slumped over the steering wheel.
Hunter turned and shoved Chloe forward. “Run!” he shouted, pointing to the road toward the marina. “Run, Chloe, and don’t look back.”
FIVE
Chloe held tight to her shoulder bag and briefcase and took off running up the sideway toward the marina located on one of the curves of the lake. But where was Hunter?
She glanced back and saw Hunter close on her heels.
With two men chasing him.
He caught up with her and shoved her into some oleander bushes. “Go,” he said. “Shortcut across the park.”
He took her briefcase and they kept running until he pulled her up into a sandy driveway shadowed by tall palms on each side. “We’re at my place,” he said. “I dropped your overnight bag back at the inn. Used it to trip one of them up.”
“It’s okay. Nothing I can’t replace.” She was out of breath, but at least they seemed to be safe for now.
Hunter kept her in front of him and glanced back over his shoulder as he whisked her up the steps leading to a small covered deck. “This should buy us some time. They might have figured out I live here already so we need to hurry.”
“Another house on stilts,” she said, taking in the whitewashed shingles covering the side of the house.
“A necessity in hurricane country.”
He opened a side door and led her in. “Stay away from the windows.”
Chloe knew the drill. She scanned a galley kitchen and a big square room that contained a bed and living area with a bathroom off the back. Very sterile and stark. No room for anything lasting.
But she couldn’t analyze the house right now. “Will they ever stop?”
“No,” he said. “Give me your phone.”
She found her phone in her crossover bag. “The GPS? I didn’t check it earlier.”
“I’m thinking it’s more than a GPS.”
He kept looking out the window, her phone in his hand.
With the light from one muted lamp, he scrolled through her apps. “Just what I thought. Someone has put a spyware app on your phone.”
“What?” Chloe rushed over to stare at her phone. “How could that happen?”
“It’s not that hard,” he said. “If you left it on your desk or let someone use it for just a couple of minutes, they could easily set this up.”
“I left it on my desk at work,” she said, her mind overflowing with several scenarios. “Any number of people could have had access to it.”
He showed her a map he’d pulled up. “They’ve tracked your every move, beginning with your private flight and the rental car and look.” He pointed to a red dot on the map. “Here’s the Millbrook Inn.”
Chloe let out a gasp. “Then that means they’re on their way here now. They know where we are right now.”
“Yes.” He deleted the app and then he took her phone and dropped it on the floor. “You have several missed calls and messages from someone named Bridget. You’ll have to wait on getting back to her.”
“Okay,” Chloe said. She’d seen the messages, but she hadn’t had a chance to check in with her overly protective friend. Bridget worked for Conrad Oil, too, as Chloe’s assistant. Bridget knew almost as much about the company as Chloe did, since she shadowed Chloe and scheduled her days.
Which was probably the main reason Chloe was avoiding her. She didn’t want to get Bridget involved any more than she already was.
Hunter kicked the phone toward the sofa. “That should throw them off for a while. We have to go.”
He hurried her down to where a big black truck was parked behind the house. Before she could get in, he swung the door open and lifted her up onto the seat and then he ran around to the driver’s side and got in.
Chloe ignored the sensations that had shot through her when he’d placed her inside the truck. Strength mixed with steel. That was him. A man of steel. Superman? No, just a man who’d hardened himself against the world.
But his touch had been gentle.
Spinning tires and spewing dirt made the big vehicle sound as if it was growling, but Hunter got them out of the yard and through a back alley.
* * *
“So far, so good.”
They were headed along the Bay Road out from town when Hunter noticed a car tailing them too close. He glanced in the rearview mirror, but he didn’t say anything to Chloe.
When the car sped up and did a bold tap against the back bumper, he shifted into overdrive. “I’m taking you to the safest place I know,” he told Chloe. “Hold on.”
Chloe grabbed the door and glanced back. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, just a tailgater getting a little too close.”
“They’re after us again, aren’t they?”
“I think so.”
Hunter watched as the pickup backed off. But he knew what was coming next. The truck came at them again. When he heard the shot, he braced for the worst, his right hand automatically reaching for Chloe. “Get down.”
She screamed and leaned forward.
But the shooter wasn’t trying to hit either of them.
He’d gone for one of the tires.
And now Hunter’s truck was spinning out of control.
Hunter gritted his teeth and held on to the wheel, letting the truck do what it had to do before he could get it back into control. Once he’d righted it, he’d done a complete one-eighty turn and was now facing the truck idling a few yards away.
“Are you all right?” he asked Chloe. He pulled his gun out and readied it.
“Yes.” She sat up and glanced over at him. “Hunter?”
“Keep holding on,” he said. “Time to play chicken.”
“What are you doing?” Chloe held so tightly to the door handle she thought her knuckles would crack. “Hunter?”
“Just hang on,” he said, the grit in his words enough to warn her to stay quiet. “Get down in the seat.”
He let down his window and held the gun close to the opening while he revved the engine, making the big truck roar with power. Then he hit the gas pedal and headed straight for the truck that had tried to run them down, firing bullets all the way. “I’ll show these idiots how it’s supposed to be done.”
Chloe took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing her body to curl in a tight ball as she tried to stay out of the line of fire. They were going to crash into the idling vehicle. Even with one bad tire, the Chevy ate up the space between them and the people who’d chased them.
Return fire popped and sizzled all around the Chevy.
She opened her eyes for a fraction of a second and peeked over the dash, a scream wedged inside her throat. Bracing herself for the crash, she thought about Laura and wondered why in the world she thought she could trust this man. He was as full of rage as her late stepbrother.
And then at the last second, the other truck jerked to the left so hard and fast the driver couldn’t right it as he tried to swerve away. The vehicle hit the soft earthy drop-off leading down into the bay and went over, dirt spraying out behind it and the smell of burning rubber lifting up into the air.
Chloe held her breath, her eyes on Hunter. He slammed on the brakes and stopped the truck, his right hand still on the steering wheel. His gun still aimed out the door.
“I guess we won that round,” he said on a low growl. Then he turned to stare over at her. “How ya doing over there?”
Chloe wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. “You scared me.”
“I had to stop them, one way or another.”
She nodded and finally let go of the door, her hands shaking so badly she gave up and held them together in her lap.
He watched her in that quiet, dangerous way that unnerved Chloe. But she wouldn’t fall apart now.
“What’s next?” she asked, swiping at her hair.
“Do you know how to change a tire?”
Amazed that he somehow made her smile in spite of what they’d just been through, she said, “As a matter of fact, I do.”
His look of surprise was replaced with one of admiration. “It’s okay. I was messing with you. That flat tire is evidence. We can’t touch it.”
“What about them?” she asked, looking back toward the road behind them.
“Not my problem.”
“Aren’t you going to report them?”
“Eventually.”
He got out and came around to her side of the truck and opened the door, his dark gaze scanning her until he seemed satisfied that she wasn’t hurt. Then he handed her the gun. “Stay here while I make sure we’re safe. Shoot anything that moves.”
Chloe did as he said. He turned and stalked over to the bay side of the curving road and stared down into what looked like a thicket of scrub brush and palmetto palms. Then he pulled out his phone. She heard him giving details, so he must have called someone official.
He came back to stand by her and he took back his gun. “The truck’s halfway submerged in the shallows, but I can’t tell if they’re still in it or not. They probably got out and ran up toward the beach area. I reported the accident, so I’ll have to stay here and give a statement to the police.”
“I have to get out of here,” Chloe said. “But do I go back to Oklahoma and start all over?”
“It’s not safe there, but we’ll come up with a plan.”
“We need to keep moving.”
“I know,” he said. “And this could take a while, but if I’m going to be your official bodyguard, you need to wait here with me for now, understand?”
She didn’t like having to wait, but she did like the part where he’d accepted being her bodyguard. “I’ll wait.”
“I’ll try to hurry things along,” he said.
She stared out into the distance where the crescent moon hung over the bay like a bright lantern. “Should I call my dad and play coy?”
“No. They might have a tracking device or a tracer on his phone, too.”
“They know where I am already, Hunter.”
“But they don’t know if we have any new information or not. You can’t talk to him right now. Or anyone else, either. I’m sorry.”
Chloe didn’t protest. When they heard sirens echoing from the east, she gave Hunter one last glance. “I hope those men run into some sharks out there.”
He nodded and took off to meet the ambulance and the cruiser.
Chloe thought she probably should have told him that Bridget knew why she was here and that she would have a hissy fit once she found out what had been going on. How could she tell her nervous Nellie friend that she’d been shot at and chased since she arrived in Florida early this morning? Even though she’d helped Chloe track down Hunter, Bridget had warned her against this trip. But Hunter had been her last hope.
Now she’d put him in danger, too. When would this ever end?
The only glimmer of hope came from Hunter actually witnessing this attack. He believed her when no one else would.
Thank You, Lord.
Right now Hunter had his hands full. She’d tell him later about everyone who knew she was here and about what she’d found in Laura’s notes. Once they were away from this swamp-infested curve in the road, she’d be able to think about who might want her dead.
Because she’d never believe her father was behind this.
* * *
Hunter’s work sometimes involved talking to the locals and filing reports, but tonight he didn’t have the stomach for the mundane part of being a private investigator.
He needed to get Chloe somewhere safe. This road was too isolated and too exposed for her to be sitting here in the dark.
So he hurried things up with the two patrolmen and then called Blain to give him an update and waited to see what the first responders had found in the dense foliage along the hillside down to the bay.
“The vehicle is empty,” he heard one of the EMTs telling the responding officer. “We checked all around. One door is open, so if anyone was inside, they either managed to get out or they drowned.”
Hunter had heard enough. He’d done all he could here and he didn’t need to be in on any further searches. His truck had been moved off the road. The tow truck could have it for now to take in as evidence.
He made a call to Alec and then opened the passenger-side door and looked into Chloe’s wide eyes. “C’mon. I’ve got a friend coming to give us a ride to a safe place.”
She took the hand he offered and hopped down. “You seem to have a lot of friends.”
“Just three that I can count on.”
She didn’t ask any more questions. They stood by the truck, the damp cold night air surrounding them while the water lapped at the shore down below.
“Those men got away, didn’t they?” she asked, a shiver tapping down her spine. “There had to be at least two, right? One driver and one gunman.”
He leaned down and swiped at his bangs. “You must watch a lot of crime shows.”
“I’m just being logical.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. These kinds of underlings always travel in pairs.”
“And the ones who first showed up at the bar would have taken me or shot me right there if you hadn’t been there with me,” she said. “But you stopped them.”
“You should have stayed in Oklahoma and let the locals figure this out.”
“The locals don’t care.”
He gave her a hard stare, but his whisper was raw and low. “And you think I do?”
His question hadn’t fooled her. She stared up at him with wide-open eyes. “I know you do. You’ve proven that over and over today.”
She had him there, but Hunter wasn’t ready to concede. “I didn’t have much of a choice. I couldn’t let you get hurt or worse. I won’t have that on my conscience.”
“You’re right,” she said, a cold disappointment cresting in her expression. “You were just doing your job.”
Thankfully, Alec pulled up in a sleek SUV and saved Hunter from having to analyze things too deeply. Best to just go with it and not think about how this woman was cramping his style and messing with his head.
“Ride’s here,” he said, taking her by the arm to put her in the backseat.
Chloe gave him a questioning look as she got in the vehicle but she didn’t say anything.
Hunter got in the front. “Alec Caldwell, meet Chloe Conrad.”
Alec turned around and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about the circumstances.”
Chloe stared at his extended hand for a moment and then shook it. He was different from Hunter. More clean-cut and upper-crust. “Same here. Thank you for helping us.”
“You’re welcome,” Alec said. Then he turned and faced Hunter. “Where to?”
“About that, bro,” Hunter said. “We need one more favor, but it’s a big one.”
SIX
Chloe couldn’t believe Hunter had brought her here, of all places. But she hadn’t had time to argue, since he’d insisted they had to hide her until he could come up with a plan.
He’d asked Alec Caldwell to let her stay in the training dorms at a place called Caldwell Canines Service Dog Association. It was a big industrial building on the outskirts of town, surrounded by security fences and a well-lit parking lot and training yard.
The preacher—their other friend they’d also called—a nice man named Rory Sanderson, escorted Chloe to one of the dorm rooms and set her suitcase on the luggage rack before he scanned the area outside the small window. “You should be safe here. Your room faces the training yard.”
Chloe glanced around at the stark but clean room, which contained a single bed, a cushioned side chair and a small functional dresser/desk combo with a tiny flat-screen television and a narrow closet. A small bath was off to the side. When Hunter had suggested she stay in one of the dorm rooms here, she’d been surprised. But now she was beginning to understand. Alec had readily agreed.
“So this is the Caldwell Canines Service Dog Association?”
Rory Sanderson’s smile lit up. Giving her a blue-eyed gaze, he said, “The official name is the Alexander and Vivian Caldwell Service Dog Association. But that’s a lot to remember. We call it Caldwell Canines for short.”
He pointed to the area beyond the second-story window. “Clients who are in need of a service dog are screened for acceptance, but this organization rarely turns anyone away. Clients come here to train with a dog matched to their needs. Most of the dogs are pound animals, so a lot of them live here on the property until they can be matched with a human. Funding covers scholarships for those who can’t pay their own way.”
He stopped and grinned again. “Sorry. I’m on the board of directors, so I have to give that spiel to everyone I meet.”
“Interesting,” Chloe said, the distraction taking her mind off her troubles for a brief time. She closed her eyes and prayed that Hunter would stay safe. He’d gone back to the bay to search for the two men who’d tried to kill them.
“It’s a win-win situation,” Rory said. “People come here from all over the country, a lot of them wounded veterans, and work with the staff and the animals. I’ve seen a lot of amazing things happen in this place. These dogs learn to do all kinds of everyday tasks, but I think it’s the unconditional love that cures our wounded warriors more than anything.”
Chloe smiled at that. “Animals can sense things like that, right?”
“Right.” Rory gave her a patient, understanding stare. He probably thought she needed lots of prayers and maybe a puppy, too.
She heard dogs barking, but the big yard looked deserted. “I don’t see anyone training out there,” she said, numbness and apprehension tugging at her. She certainly didn’t want to stay in this big place all by herself.
“Alec said they’d just finished a session. But there is an entire staff here around the clock and most of them are trained in either K-9 work or service dog expertise. And if anyone unknown walks up onto the property, the dogs will all start barking.”
She had to smile at that. “Hunter brought me to a place that is covered by a lot of watchdogs?”
“Hunter has a wry sense of humor and a strong sense of duty.”
She could agree with that. “I hope he finds the people responsible for all this.”
Rory turned from the window and gave her another quiet stare. “Hunter is good at his job and he has a knack for sniffing out bad people. If anyone can solve this puzzle, it’ll be Hunter Lawson.”
“That’s why I came across the country to hire him,” she admitted. “I’ll be fine here if you and Hunter vouch for this place.” She hung her jacket across the chair. “And Alec assured me this is okay. I got the feeling he’s here a lot.”
“He’s devoted to the cause,” Rory said. “And his PR assistant had to move to the West Coast with her air force husband, so he’s doing double duty for a few weeks until he finds someone to replace her.”
“That is devoted.” Chloe imagined working here could be very rewarding.
“Okay, then. A few things to know.”
Rory showed her the small bathroom connected to her room and then took her to meet some of the staff members and showed her the kitchen and dining area and the lounge where a television, magazines and books were located, and explained the Wi-Fi hotspots to her but suggested she didn’t get on the internet for her own protection.
“Stay on the premises and mostly in the training yard,” he told her. “This place has tight security. It’s well lit and it has a state-of-the-art alarm system. We’ll all come by and check on you around the clock, and knowing Hunter, he’ll find someone he can trust to sit right outside your room. You can also alert the staff at any time, day or night.”
“Who will come by?” she asked. “I need to know what to expect.”
Again, that patient smile. “Me,” Rory said. “Alec and probably his wife, Marla, Blain and his wife, Rikki, if she’s in town, and my fiancée, Vanessa. She’ll force you to look at wedding stuff and she’ll go on and on about her dress and the food and how much she loves me but just humor her, okay?”
Chloe liked the preacher. She smiled and nodded. “Okay. I don’t mind looking at wedding stuff or hearing how in love your fiancée is with you. I think that’s sweet.”
He grinned over at her. “It’s a girl thing, right?”