Unmasking the Shadow Man Page 11

  “If she has a motive, we can find out. Anyone else?”

  “A delivery man was here yesterday afternoon, but he was never out of my sight when he set a heavy package in the foyer for me.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes.”

  Liam clicked away and then returned the cell phone to his back pocket. “I’ll report this to Bryce and have a couple men do a thorough sweep to make sure no more cameras or speakers remain.”

  “Thank you.”

  He regarded her silently.

  “What?” she demanded.

  “Didn’t you tell me your friend wanted to buy this house?”

  “Yeah. So what?”

  “How bad does she want the place? Enough to scare you into selling?”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she snapped. “We’ve been best friends for years. Kimber’s a highly successful Realtor. Buying my house will hardly make or break her business.”

  Liam dug out his phone once more. “What’s her last name again?”

  “Collins,” she said tightly. “As in Collins Realty.”

  “Got it.”

  “It’s not her. Don’t blame Kimber.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “I don’t want you antagonizing my friend.”

  “If she’s got nothing to hide, then she won’t mind a few questions to help us get to the truth. As your friend, she’ll have your interests at heart.”

  Harper sighed. Damn his logic. “You make an excellent point. Can’t argue that.”

  Liam nodded with satisfaction. “Great. Because I don’t want to argue with you. What do you say we enjoy our dinner and table this discussion for afterward? Frankly, I’m starving.”

  “Doubt I’ll enjoy a bite. Must be nice to compartmentalize your emotions,” she grumbled. Although, to be fair, the ability to do so must make his job a heck of a lot easier.

  Liam’s hand rested on top of hers. “Whatever we discover, remember that the truth is never as painful as living a life in fear.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. It’s hard to even sleep here at night anymore.”

  “Stay with me, then.” His gray eyes smoldered as his thumb stroked her hand.

  “But I can’t—”

  “Just stay with me—at least until all this is over.”

  “No. It doesn’t feel right. Running away never solves a problem.”

  “You’d be doing the Baysville Police Department a favor. They’ll still be patrolling my house at night until we discover who shot at us. If they also have to do drive-by patrols of your house, it will be stretching them thin.”

  She hesitated.

  “Do it for me?” He shot her the sexy smile she found hard to resist. “I have enough to juggle without lying awake at night worrying if you’re safe. Plus, together, we’ll be stronger.”

  “In that case, I accept.”

  Chapter Eleven

  K-i-m-b-e-r C-o-l-l-i-n-s.

  Liam hit enter on the keyboard and waited while the Baysville PD’s computer network packaged bits of data in cyberspace, searching for a recognizable hit. Not that he expected anything. Harper was confident that her friend was aboveboard and a well-respected member of the community who’d been born and raised here.

  He had enough years of law enforcement experience to recognize that a prestigious pedigree had no bearing on a person’s morality. Ethically challenged or desperate people came from all walks of life.

  While he waited, Liam read the updated file on his desk regarding the Allen Spencer investigation. Two more underage girls had come forward as victims. The judge had set a very high bond for Spencer, but despite any support from the community, Spencer had rounded up the money and was now out awaiting trial. He was forbidden any contact with minors and had been dismissed from his church.

  Ding. The tiny beep signaled the computer had found some sort of match. Liam clicked on the rap sheet PDF document and quickly scanned its contents. Four counts of check fraud, all within the last month. So, Harper’s friend wasn’t the entrepreneurial success she imagined. Or maybe Kimber just lived way above her means and it had finally caught up with her. It wasn’t like Kimber Collins had committed a violent crime, but she was no angel, either. These weren’t merely bounced checks—she’d written them fully aware there were insufficient funds in her bank account to cover the amounts. The bounced checks totaled over five thousand dollars, and she’d written more than three in a five-day period—which made the charge a felony instead of a misdemeanor, punishable by a two-year sentence. Currently, she was on bail for the offense.

  He tapped a pencil on his desk, pondering the implications. From his office window, he watched as a couple of trustee inmates raked leaves. A loud rap on his open office door shifted his attention to Bryce, who leaned against the door frame, a scowl etching his face.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” Bryce ground out. “You’re no good to any officer if we’re called out for a disturbance. Matter of fact, you’d be a hindrance.”

  “That’s why I’m sticking to paperwork. Limited-duty stuff for a couple more days.” He met Bryce’s scowl. “You’re welcome,” he added sarcastically.

  Bryce pushed away from the door and sat in a chair opposite him. “What kind of paperwork are you doing?”

  “Filing incident reports, taking complaint calls. That kind of thing. Figured I’d help out doing what I could.”

  His boss had the grace to look contrite as he opened a stick of clove-flavored gum. “Appreciate that,” he mumbled, stuffing the gum in his mouth.

  “Any specific reason you wanted to see me?”

  “Heard you’d arrived for work, so I wanted to warn you not to go out on calls.”

  “Hadn’t planned on it.”

  “Good. Because as it stands now, you’re a liability.”

  At least I’m an honest cop—unlike you. But Liam bit back the words. “I’ll consider myself warned to stay put.”

  “Good.” Bryce nodded, apparently mollified that his authority had been validated. “Dad and I are going out for a bite to eat. Want me to bring you back a burger? It’s the least I can do for an injured officer.”

  The conciliatory offer caught Liam by surprise. “No, thanks, I’m meeting Harper in a bit.”

  His boss didn’t make the usual eye roll at the mention of her name. “Surprised she hasn’t left town yet.”

  “Why should she be in any hurry?” Liam stared his boss down. “Seems to me that someone wants her to leave pretty badly.”

  “What are you talking about? That phantom email warning her to get out of her house?”

  How much could he probe his boss for information? “That and a couple other incidents, like the truck nearly running her down,” he said, keeping any other information vague. “How well do you know Kimber Collins?”

  “I’ve known her all my life. She’s married to Richard, a good friend of mine. Why do you ask?”

  He gave a nonchalant shrug. “I was reviewing the arrest log, and her name jumped out at me since she’s friends with Harper.”

  “Right. They appear to be in some financial straits lately.”

  “What kind of work does her husband do?”

  “Sells insurance. I thought he’d been doing well with it. Guess the bad economy’s getting to all of us.”

  “Maybe. Or maybe Richard, or the both of them, have expensive vices.”

  “They live in a beautiful house and drive nice cars. Their kids go to the best private school in the area—so I bet the bills all add up while their income’s taken a hit. No need to suspect anything more dire than that.”

  “Or it could be your friend has a problem.” Liam decided to test the waters. “Like drugs or gambling or even taking up with hookers.”

  Bryce flushed crimson and jumped to his feet. “Richard wouldn’t cheat
on his wife. He’s crazy about her. He might drink a bit—but drugs? No way.”

  He noticed his boss skipped one of the vices he’d mentioned.

  “What about gambling, then?” Liam pressed. “I’ve heard rumors there’s some big-time action taking place right under our noses.”

  “First I’ve heard of it.”

  Bryce was lying. His face had gone from crimson to pale. Either he was incredibly naive, stupid—or part of the problem. Liam’s money—if he were a betting man—was that his boss was well aware of everything that happened in Baysville. But he said nothing while Bryce gained his composure.

  “I’ll put my ear to the ground. Even ask Dad if he’s heard the same rumors. If you get any concrete leads, fill me in.”

  Like hell he would. “Of course, boss.”

  With a satisfied nod, Bryce sauntered away.

  About time he headed out as well. A quick burger and then he and Harper had a date to meet Kimber Collins at her office, ostensibly to get the names of her crew. But he wanted more than that, although he’d have to exercise caution. Harper was already angry he thought of her friend as a suspect, and now he’d learned that Richard was buddies with Bryce.

  Small towns often made for sticky social situations.

  * * *

  THE INTERIOR OF Collins Realty vibrated with an understated elegance. From the expensive crystal chandelier to the plush carpeting and mahogany furniture, it telegraphed glamour and wealth. Not the unattainable kind of wealth—but a step above the run-of-the-mill kind of American dream. Harper cast an appreciative glance at the cream-colored walls and the splashes of turquoise and coral accent pieces that offset the heavy masculinity of the dark furniture. A place both men and women would be comfortable as they discussed the finer points of house bids and mortgage rates.

  “I wasn’t expecting you to bring company,” Kimber said, her eyes flitting from Harper to Liam.

  Harper gave her a reassuring smile. “This is my friend, Liam. We had lunch, and I invited him to come along and meet you. Hope that’s okay?”

  “Of course.” Kimber nodded and gestured at the white sofa. “Have a seat and I’ll get you the crew list on my desk. I’ve printed it out.”

  This already felt awkward, and Liam hadn’t even said a word yet. Must be the police uniform making Kimber uncomfortable. Harper should have asked that he wear street clothes instead. This might have been easier if she hadn’t called ahead of time and told Kimber about the gaslighting attempt.

  “Here you go.” Kimber held out the list to her as she sat in the wingback chair across from them. “But I’m confident none of my employees had anything to do with whoever’s trying to scare you.”

  Harper looked it over.

  “Do you know the people on the list?” Liam asked.

  “A couple are familiar, but not all. But if Kimber vouches for them, that’s good enough for me.”

  “I’ll run them through the police department’s computer, see if any of them have a record.”

  “They don’t,” Kimber asserted. “I do thorough background searches on everyone I hire.”

  Liam folded the paper and tucked it in his jacket pocket. “Not all criminals have records.”

  “What possible reason would one of them have to harass Harper?”

  “That’s what we need to discover. Seems like someone’s afraid of her asking so many questions about Presley and the past.”

  Kimber crossed her legs and casually began swinging the top one as she leaned back into the chair. Harper was glad to see her visibly relax. Of course, Kimber was assured there was nothing to fear. She’d done nothing wrong.

  “’Fraid I can’t help you there, Officer. But if you’re ever in the market for a new home, give me a call.”

  “She’s the best Realtor in town. She’s even offered to buy my house and turn it into a B&B if I decide to sell later.”

  “A B&B?” Liam turned to Kimber. “Have to admit that offer surprises me. How would you have time to run your own business and think about taking on another full-time job at the same time?”

  “I’d hire a manager for the B&B, naturally.”

  “Still would be a formidable task managing both enterprises at once. Especially initially, what with finding staff, marketing and everything else that goes into such a venture.”

  Kimber lifted her chin. “I can assure you, I’m extremely capable and up to the challenge.”

  “I’m guessing you hope the B&B would help with your current cash-flow problem.”

  Cash-flow problem? What was he talking about? Harper glanced from one to the other, trying to figure out what caused the sudden tension in the room. Kimber gripped the sides of the chair, and her lips pressed into a thin white line while Liam sat unnaturally still—a lion ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey.

  “What’s all this about?” she asked, breaking the awkward silence. She tried to get Liam to face her, but he was intent on staring down Kimber. Resentment slashed against her ribs. He’d promised not to antagonize her friend, but he was doing just that.

  Kimber wiped her hands on her navy pencil skirt and then smiled bitterly at Liam. “I see you’ve been checking up on me.”

  “It’s all part of my job to be thorough. And I’m especially serious when it comes to Harper’s safety. She’s reported several recent incidents of hearing noises in the house.”

  “I would never hurt Harper.” Kimber flashed her a panicked help-me-out-here look.

  Harper stood. “Enough. We’ve got the list. Let’s go.”

  “Maybe I’ve looked at this from the wrong angle,” Liam said slowly, leaning back and throwing an arm across the back of the couch. His intent to pursue this matter couldn’t be clearer. “Maybe everything going on at the house was an attempt to motivate Harper to sell to you.”

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve.” Kimber’s composure crumbled, and she leaped to her feet, shaking in outrage. “I’ve known Harper all her life. Who are you to come in here and fling such wild accusations?” She switched her gaze to Harper. “You believe me, don’t you?”

  Harper opened her mouth to say yes, but the word stuck in her throat. She glanced at Liam, and something in his sturdy, calm demeanor gave her pause. Gray eyes pleaded with her to have a little faith in him. How could she deny Liam the benefit of the doubt? After all, he’d trusted in her from the very beginning, even when his boss insinuated she was mentally unstable. She drew a deep breath. “I think we should listen to what Liam has to say.”

  Liam’s eyes glowed with silent appreciation, but Kimber gasped as if she’d been slapped across the face. She pointed at the door. “You can both get out of my office. I won’t be insulted and accused of something I didn’t do.”

  “We found hidden cameras and speakers, Kimber. If I ran tests, would your fingerprints be on that equipment?”

  “How dare you! I should sue you for harassment!” Despite her forced anger, her red lips trembled, and she abruptly sat back down.

  Harper noticed that Kimber hadn’t answered Liam’s question outright, though, and her heart sank at the betrayal by her friend.

  Liam leaned forward, as though moving in for the kill. “If I got a search warrant to have all your home and office computers and cell phones and other technical devices examined for evidence—”

  “You have no grounds to invade my privacy on such flimsy evidence,” she scoffed.

  “If you have nothing to hide, then why not let our computer and audio forensics guy take a look?”

  “I have a lot of confidential information on my computers, about clients. I could never let you go through them without a warrant.” Kimber turned her gaze from Liam and faced Harper, and her normally cool blue eyes were as frightened as a cornered kitten. “You believe me, don’t you, Harper?”

  She cast a glance at Liam. “You believe she’s guilty?”r />
  “Yes.”

  Who to trust? She didn’t want to believe Kimber would play such a nasty trick on her, but desperate people did desperate things. “I don’t want to believe it’s true,” she admitted at last. “But if it was you, please tell me. I need to know the truth.”

  “Come clean and this will go easier on you,” Liam urged.

  “I wouldn’t press charges. Just be honest.”

  Kimber regarded them silently and then keened forward, dropping her head onto her knees. Beneath the cotton fabric of her shirt, her shoulders shook. Harper stood stiffly, watching the woman she thought she knew get herself together.

  Kimber lifted her head. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was strangled, and her cheeks were smudged with black mascara. Nothing like the poised, in-control Kimber she was used to seeing. But then, perhaps she’d never seen the real woman until now. Before, she’d always regarded Kimber as her savior wrapped with a mantle of kindness.

  “Why?” she whispered past the lump in her throat.

  “We need the money. So bad. Richard gambles. It started small—a few bets on sports games between friends—but then it escalated over the years. It got so bad I took him off our credit cards and hid the checkbook from him. Somehow, he always finds a way to get the money, though.”

  Harper picked up the box of tissues on Kimber’s desk and pressed one of them into Kimber’s hand.

  “We’re about to lose everything, even our house,” Kimber confessed. She blew her nose and swiped her face, which only served to make the black smudges worse. “I—I thought I could make a success of the B&B. Even with all of us living there, we’d have a couple of spare rooms to rent out. Plus, I was hoping to eventually add on more rooms through reconstruction.”

  The Collinses’ beautifully restored farmhouse. A showcase home that she’d painstakingly decorated for a decade. And now Kimber was about to lose it all. Pity tamped down her initial anger at Kimber’s deceit.

  “Why didn’t you tell me all this earlier? I would have listened. I wouldn’t have held out for a better deal.”