Deadly Setup

“Trey Becker?” Ted echoed, then added, “I thought the case against him was airtight.”

“Just looking over it with fresh eyes. Brainstorming.” Seth rocked forward and shrugged. “Probably a waste of time.” But he wanted to make sure the case was as rock solid as he remembered, secured by evidence and not assumptions.

Ted nodded. “The good news is, Trey’s trial is in less than two weeks. So Paige shouldn’t be in town long. In the meantime, where’s she staying?”

Thirteen long days. Seth bit back a smirk. He looked at Ted. “She’s staying at a friend’s condo at Beaver Creek.”

“That’s good. A gated community.” Ted nodded again. “I heard that patrol cars were making extra rounds in the area last night. Ralston must have ordered that.”

Seth wished Ralston had been so proactive. He shook his head. “Ralston didn’t. I did.” Seth thought he’d sleep better with beefed-up security in the condo area. He was wrong.

Ted’s laugh rumbled through the room as he walked out the door. “And you’re not on Paige’s case? Right. You might want to buddy up with Ralston on this one.”

“No. Ralston’s got it.” For now. Seth planned to keep his eye on things from a distance. Like it or not, Paige didn’t want him around.

* * *

The bell tinkled over the aged wooden door when Paige stepped into Cramer’s Antique and Gift Mart, a quaint shop filled with not only antique treasures, but also floral arrangements, gourmet treats and unique works of art.

Several steps inside, Paige’s nose picked up the rich scents of dark chocolate and fresh flowers mingling with old polished wood. An aroma that on any other day might have been appealing. But today a wave of nausea overtook her.

Paige swallowed against it, hoping she wasn’t wasting her time coming here. Originally, she had planned to get in touch with Madison’s friends and coworkers and distance herself from the Cramer family. But without the list of contact information she had on her phone, she was left with no choice but to stop by the family business to make those connections.

Paige said a quick prayer that she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries and that she’d learn something new. Anything. A single clue. One little piece to the puzzle. She’d be happy with that.

Every clue matters. Seth’s words played in her head. A warm feeling washed through her, and she felt a momentary twinge of peace. Inwardly she smiled. One clue at a time, and God would lead her to the truth.

Paige heard muffled steps. She looked to the right as a tall thirtysomething woman in jeans and a purple sweatshirt rounded the corner, a potted plant in her hand. The woman stiffened and froze when she saw Paige. Her eyebrows gathering over her wide, challenging stare confirmed Paige’s greatest fear.

She wasn’t welcome. Her heart throbbed. So far, she’d met opposition at every juncture. Trembling yet determined, Paige swallowed around the lump in her throat and forced her feet forward. Feigning nonchalance, she extended her hand. “Good morning. I’m Paige—”

“I know who you are, Miss Becker.” The woman, whose badge read Amy, slid the pot onto the counter beside the register. “I saw your picture in yesterday’s paper.”

Great. She’d probably made front-page news—Trey Becker’s Sister Runs Off Mountain Pass. She bit back a sigh.

“And I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be here,” Amy continued in a low, strained voice as she craned her head to glance over her shoulder.

In that split second Paige felt the anxiety in the room ratchet higher. She followed Amy’s glance to an open doorway at the rear of the shop.

Icy tingles skipped up Paige’s spine. “Is Mrs. Cramer in?”

“No.” A grimace took hold of Amy’s face. “Mrs. Cramer hasn’t worked since Madison’s death. She can’t even step into the shop. Everything around here reminds her of her daughter.”

Paige’s heart surged, touched by Mrs. Cramer’s grief. This wasn’t fair. A mother losing her daughter. No mother deserved that. She fought back the memories of Madison’s brutal murder, sudden tears biting her eyes. Lord, somehow bring Mrs. Cramer comfort. “I’m very sorry to hear about Mrs. Cramer. I know her heart is broken.”

“It has been hard for everyone,” Amy replied tightly as sadness crept into her hazel eyes. “And I’m sorry about your brother.”

The unexpected words wrapped around Paige like a hug. “Thank you,” she said, taking a long breath. Then she remembered something Trey had told her. A close friend of Madison’s, Amy Miles, had informed police that someone had been stalking Madison before she died. An allegation Trey was now suspected of. Was this the same Amy?

It was hard for Paige to keep the quaver out of her voice as she asked Amy about her relationship with Madison.

Grabbing a pair of pruning shears, Amy worked as she spoke in a hushed tone, pausing one time to glance back at the doorway. “We were close,” she started. “At times, like sisters. But there were things about Madison I just couldn’t figure out.”

Interest piqued, Paige took a step closer. “What kind of things?”

“Well—” Amy shrugged as she continued to snip brown tips off the leafy houseplant. “Madison’s impulsiveness, for one. She would jump feetfirst into something only to later try and backpedal out of the situation.”

“Like her relationship with my brother?” Paige muttered, mostly to herself. Madison and Trey’s whirlwind romance had gone from dating to married in a matter of weeks. They’d eloped without even planning a wedding. Less than a year later they were separated, her brother’s heart broken.

Amy stopped pruning, and she met Paige’s gaze. “Yes, Madison jumped into the marriage. But Trey wasn’t the problem. Being committed to anything or anyone scared Madison to death.” She set down the shears. “But Madison did love Trey. I’d hoped things would work out for them.”

The words slashed through Paige. After Trey and Madison separated, Paige rallied around Trey, struck by the hurt he was dealing with, never considering his wife’s pain. Madison had suffered the loss of her father when she was a teen. A traumatic loss that could affect a victim’s ability to form healthy relationships throughout a lifetime.

A deep sadness swept through Paige, trailed by guilt. She’d counseled women with similar issues. Why hadn’t she thought to reach out to Madison?

Before regret got the best of her, Paige took a calming breath. The past couldn’t be erased. She needed to concentrate on the future. Trey’s future. She cleared her throat. “Amy, do you believe my brother killed Madison?”

Amy’s eyes went wide, and her pale complexion turned impossibly paler. “I don’t know what to believe.”

Hope wrapped around Paige’s heart and squeezed. I don’t know meant there was some doubt in Amy’s mind. Unlike other narrow-minded, judgmental townsfolk who already had her brother tried and sentenced. Seth included.

Hiking her purse strap higher on her shoulder, Paige pressed on. “Did Madison ever tell you she thought someone was stalking her?”

Amy grimaced and shook her head. “Miss Becker, you really should go. Madison’s brother will be in soon and wouldn’t be happy to see you here.”

She could understand Gentry having hard feelings. He believed Trey had killed his sister, but hopefully he’d understand that she was just looking for the truth. “Amy, if you’ll just answer a few more questions, I’d be so appreciative.”

“I’ve already said more than I should have.”

Actually, she hadn’t said enough. Paige hesitated a moment and then shrugged. “I’m just trying to make sense of it all. Trey is my brother and—”

“I get it,” Amy cut her off with a harsh whisper. “To answer your question, yes, Madison mentioned a couple weeks before she was killed that at times she felt like she was being followed.”

“Why didn’t she go to the police?” Whoa. Paige took a deep, bracing breath. She was starting to sound like Seth.

Amy locked eyes with Paige. A kind of impatient stare that said, listen closely. I’m only going to say this once. “Madison second-guessed everything in her life and in this case, she kept going back to the notion that she was just being paranoid.” Amy started clipping again. “I guess I didn’t take it serious enough, either. Otherwise, I would have pressed her to contact law enforcement.”

“Amy, it’s not your fault.” Paige was also good at second-guessing. A dangerous practice, as she was finding out. She sighed and crossed her arms. “Did Madison ever convey to you that she thought Trey might be stalking her?”

A quick wag of Amy’s head sent adrenaline skipping through Paige. “No, she never implied anything like that to me, and I told the detectives the same thing.” Picking up the shears, she pointed them at Paige. “Miss Becker, please understand, Trey was the one person Madison did trust.”

A mixture of sorrow and confusion flooded through Paige. Madison loved and trusted Trey but she’d walked away from their relationship. No wonder Trey was depressed.

But, if Madison didn’t think of Trey as a threat, had there been someone else she was afraid of?

Paige took a step even closer. “Amy, was there anyone you can think of that Madison had an issue with? Or maybe had an issue with her?”

“Really, Miss Becker, you should leave now.” Amy stopped clipping. She didn’t make eye contact. “I’ve told the detectives everything I—”

“Paige, what are you doing here?” The gruff male voice boomed from the back of the store, silencing Amy and sending Paige’s heart into spasms.

Paige jerked her gaze back to the doorway, freezing on Gentry Cramer’s face. His dark stare drilled her as he shoved his phone in his pocket and came nearer, not breaking his stride as he stalked around old pieces of furniture and display cases, chest puffed out, muscles flexed. A taller, stocky man she didn’t recognize followed him.

“Gentry, how are you?” Paige asked in a strained voice. The sick feeling in her gut just intensified. She hadn’t expected a warm reception—Gentry had never been overly friendly to her, even before his sister’s death—but his anger was even deeper than she’d suspected. But as he was fighting for justice for his sibling, she was also fighting for hers. Maybe he could understand that?

“Good morning, Gentry. Good morning, Eli.” Amy spoke up, a slight quiver in her voice. “Miss Becker just stopped in to see Mrs. Cramer. I told her your mother wasn’t here and she was just getting ready to leave.”

“My mother?” Gentry growled, his mouth hardening to a straight line. “She can barely get out of bed these days. The last thing she needs is to be confronted by the sister of her daughter’s killer.”

Paige’s heart nearly burst wide-open, just hearing the word killer. The one word she hated to be used in conjunction with her brother. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? That question burned deep in her mind, but instead of shouting it out, she breathed deep, willing herself to calm down. Now wasn’t the time to make that point. “Actually Gentry, I stopped by with hopes of speaking to some of Madison’s coworkers. I know how hard her death has been on your family, and I’m so sorry for your loss. It would never be my intention to upset your mother or anyone else, however—”

“Then get out.” Gentry’s voice snapped like a too-taut elastic band as he gestured sharply with one long-fingered hand toward the door.

His counterpart, Eli, took a step, plunking curled fists on his hips. “Miss Becker, you need to leave. Let me walk you out.”

“That’s not necessary,” Paige said, clutching her purse closer to her side. She spun on her heel and headed for the door. Heart thumping, she was shaking inside. Perplexed. This was crazy. She swallowed around tears clogging her throat. Both she and Gentry wanted the same thing—for Madison’s killer to be brought to justice. She couldn’t just walk away.

Frustration peaking and acting purely on adrenaline, she stopped short, wheeled around and turned her gaze back on Gentry.

The intensity in his expression as he glared back at her made it difficult for her to even breathe; still, she went on. “Gentry, if justice is what you’re seeking, please listen to what I have to say.” Paige tried to keep her voice from shaking. “I know there’s a mountain of alleged evidence stacked against Trey, but he never would have hurt Madison. I really believe her murderer is still out there. If you’ll just give me three minutes, I’ll explain.”

The scowl on Gentry’s face never wavered. Just that same contorted expression and narrow-eyed stare, like she was out of her mind. “You’ve overstayed your welcome, Paige.”

The sound of sirens pierced the air. Her heart stopped, then burst into a savage beat when she glanced behind her and out the window at the flashing red, blue and white lights of the deputy cruiser parked right outside.

Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse.

* * *

“What do you mean, Paige has been arrested?” Seth shot out of his chair, dropping his half-eaten sandwich on his desk.

“Deputy Hobbs brought her in about an hour ago,” Ted said, dogging Seth’s steps as he stalked out of his office and down the hallway that would take him outside the building.

“And what’s she been charged with?”

“Misdemeanor trespassing.”

Seth stopped short, one hand on the exit doors, and looked at Ted. “Trespassing? Where was she?”

“Cramer’s Antiques.”

He should have known.

Seth pushed through the exit and headed across the street to the jail.

Clouds had gathered overhead, and a light icy drizzle was falling. Seth took an inhale of cold, moist air, which did nothing to diffuse the heat building inside him as he wondered what kind of trouble Paige would get herself into next.

Inside the county jail, he took the elevator down one level to the basement, then entered a long, dark corridor that led to the magistrate’s office. Pushing through a second set of double wooden doors, he entered the courtroom. He allowed his gaze to cruise the front three rows of seats, about half-filled with suspects waiting for their preliminary hearing before the magistrate. Paige was right there among them.

As Seth took a seat in the back row, Paige was called to a podium to have her charges read—criminal trespassing in the second degree.

Deputy Ed Hobbs stood to the side and explained to the judge how Paige had unlawfully remained on the Cramer’s Antique and Gift Mart’s property after the owner, Gentry Cramer, made several reasonable requests for her to leave.

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