The Heart of Lies

chapter 22



“Do you think they’ve searched Maggie’s place yet?” Emily asked Colin as she finished her mocha cappuccino and dug in her purse to refresh her lipstick.

He checked his watch. “Maybe.”

“You’d think if they found the murder weapon,” she wagged the tube of lip color at him, “or anything else incriminating, Ernie would have called us.” She pressed her freshly-coated lips together.

“He will. Be patient.” He pitched his empty disposable coffee cup in the nearby trash can, then hers, as if he was making free-throws with a basketball.

As Emily stuck her lipstick back in her purse, her phone began to ring and she saw it was Maggie.

“The cops are here!” Maggie burst the words out without even giving Emily the chance to say hello. “They’re tearin’ my place apart,” she cried.

While Maggie went on ranting, Emily had visions of Maggie’s neat little cottage in total disarray with drawers overturned and the contents of her closets and cupboards strewn all over the place. She hoped Ernie and his people had more decency than that. Emily shot an expressive look at Colin as she scooped up her purse and stood to leave.

“Don’t worry, Maggs, we’ll be right over,” she assured her before hanging up. “We need to get to Maggie’s. I guess Ernie and his people are searching her place and she’s all in a lather.”

“Is Josh there?” he asked, following Emily out the door.

“She said Alex just brought Josh home, so they’re both there—Isabel too.”

“With all those people there, why does she need you there too?” Colin opened the car door for her.

She paused and stared at him, resting her forearm on the top of the door. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, but from your tone I’m guessing I should be.” He skirted around the car and slipped in behind the wheel.

“Friends are there for you, Colin, when you’re going through the tough stuff,” she said, climbing into her seat and closing the door. “That’s what makes them friends.” She shifted in her seat to face him. “You know how I feel about that. And what she’s going through is more awful than what I had to. I can’t imagine anything worse than having your child accused of killing the man you loved.”

He looked at her for a moment without speaking, as if he was thinking through what she just said. Then he turned to check for traffic and pulled away from the curb.

“Weren’t your friends there for you when Miranda died?” Emily recalled him telling her what he’d gone through, trying to get past the pain and move on, but she didn’t remember him mentioning any friends at the time. His parents, yes, but not any friends.

“Guys aren’t like girls, Emily. We don’t get all emotional and touchy-feeling with each other—especially Marines. We’re told to buck up, don’t cry, be a man.”

He checked the rearview mirror, then straight ahead. He had both hands gripping hard on the steering wheel, and Emily noticed his knuckles clenching.

She reached out and put her hand gently on his forearm, sorry she had brought up the painful memories.

“Can you imagine my Marine buddies giving me a hug?” he asked, letting out a hollow laugh. “Or my fellow officers crying with me? Or wanting me to talk with them about my feelings?”

He checked the rearview again before taking a right turn onto Maggie’s street. “My family was there for me, but that was it.”

“Oh, Colin.” Emily sighed. She couldn’t imagine not having the support of close friends.

“I don’t have the kind of friendships you have, babe.” His expression softened as he glanced over at her briefly, eyes glistening. “Not that my buddies don’t care…”

Her chest tightened and she felt a small lump growing in her throat as she realized the pain this conversation was dredging up for him, so she decided to change the subject. She reached a hand up and lightly stroked the back of his neck. “Listen, why don’t I let you take me out to dinner tonight? A little food, a little wine, a little dancing—what do you say?”

Colin pulled the car over to the curb in front of Maggie’s charming little house and turned the engine off. He gently cupped her face in his hands and studied her eyes. “I think I’d like that.” He kissed her, softly at first, then more urgently, moving his hands to her back, pulling her toward himself.

When they came up for air, Emily drew in a breath and released a long sigh. “Whew,” she exclaimed as she fanned herself with her hand.

“Emily, I—”

Colin was interrupted by a rap on the car window.

Emily whipped her head around, startled. Isabel was standing outside the car. With her cheeks flushing dark pink, Emily pushed the button to lower the window.

“Sorry to have to break up the party, kids, but you’re wanted inside.” Isabel put a few fingers to her lips in exaggerated pretense to cover her giggles.

Blushing, Emily climbed out, knowing her friends had seen them from the house.

Colin came around the car, as well, and they all meandered into the cottage.

“Emily!” Maggie cried out as soon as Emily came through the door with Isabel and Colin trailing behind her. Maggie ran and threw her arms around her, and Emily returned the hug, patting her friend sympathetically on the back.

“It’ll be okay,” Emily said, trying to soothe her friend’s frazzle over having her house torn apart. She could hear voices and movement, like drawers and cabinets slamming, coming from the rear of the house, out of one of the bedrooms. “Where’s Josh?”

Maggie released her embrace. “He’s out back on the deck with Alex and Sully. The detective said it was best if they stayed out of the way.”

“Let me go see what I can find out for you,” Colin offered, skirting around the women and stalking down the hallway.

“Camille’s in the kitchen. You want somethin’ to eat? She’s made a big pitcher of sweet tea and some kind o’ sandwiches. I think she’s workin’ on a pie of some sort.”

“No, I just had a cappuccino, but thanks.”

“I’ll have some,” Isabel piped up as she headed to the kitchen. “I’m starved.”

Colin and Ernie came down the hall, toward Emily and Maggie, with a couple of other officers behind them, speaking in low voices.

Emily wasn’t able to make out what they were saying, but the tenor of their voices seemed to be friendly.

“Maggie,” Ernie called out as he approached, “we’re finished. Sorry for the inconvenience, ma’am.”

“Did you find what you were lookin’ for?” She crossed her arms tightly over her chest and glared at him.

“No, but I had to do my job and take a look. Tell Josh he can come back inside.” Ernie marched out the front door with his entourage.

“I’ll go tell him,” Colin offered, traipsing off to join the men.

“Look at this mess,” Maggie moaned.

Emily skimmed the living and dining rooms. There were things out of place, but it certainly wasn’t the disaster she was expecting. “Don’t worry, we’ll help you put everything back the way it was.”

“I’m gonna go see how badly they tore up my bedrooms,” Maggie declared, stomping off.

Sully poked his head out of the kitchen and whispered to Emily. “Is my sister with you?”

“Hello, Sully. No, she went to check on her bedroom. If you like, I can—”

“No, it was you I wanted to talk to,” he said in a low voice, glancing around. “Can we step out front?”

“Okay.”

What was this about? She walked outside first and he pulled the door shut behind them.

“Em, you haven’t mentioned our little discussion the other night to anyone, have you?” Sully gestured to Emily to move down the walkway a bit.

“No, no one.”

“I’m going crazy, Em. I have no idea what to do.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Sully.”

Emily believed Sully was basically a good man who had been sucked into this scheme because he was desperate for money. She always thought Lucas was a smooth operator and he obviously took advantage of the man’s weak point, but what did Sully want from her? How was she supposed to help him?

“Is there any way you can find out where Lucas hid the money he stole from the investors?” His eyes were glassy and the dark circles below them told her he still wasn’t sleeping much.

“The police have impounded the computers and their techs are going through them, trying to put the pieces together.”

“I’m ruined, Emily. I’m just plain ruined.” He hung his head and rubbed a hand across his forehead. His normally straight and confident shoulders now slumped in worry.

“Sully,” she said, putting her hand on his arm, hoping to calm him down, but he drew it back sharply.

“I’m not worried for myself, you understand.” He seemed to struggle to look her in the eyes. “I’ll take what’s coming to me. I screwed up and I’m willing to take my lumps, but this will—” His voice broke and he coughed to clear his throat, staring down at the ground. “This will destroy my wife, not to mention Maggie.”

“I’ll do what I can to find out where the money is, Sully, but I can’t guarantee you that finding it will get you the hundred thousand back.” She didn’t want to believe he was capable of murder, but she couldn’t deny the possibility his desperation may have driven him over the edge the night Lucas was killed.

His phone shrilled in the holster on his belt and he pulled it out and looked at it. “It’s Carolyn. I have to take it.” He stepped away and cleared his throat again before answering.

Emily looked toward the house and noticed Colin standing in the living room window watching them. She wondered what he had seen and if he could have overheard any part of their conversation. Certainly if he had seen her reach out for Sully’s arm and him whipping it back, he would have questions.

The front door opened and Isabel came bounding down the few steps. “Hey, Em, do you have a minute?”

Emily glanced over to Sully who was walking toward her, sticking his phone back in its holster.

“I have to go. That was my wife and she’s extremely upset. Apparently our house was next on Ernie’s list of searches and she doesn’t understand why. I guess I have some explaining to do.” Sully backed away. “Tell Maggie I had to go,” he said as he turned and hurried down the walkway.

“What was that about?” Isabel questioned.

“Sully’s wife just called. Ernie is searching his house next for the murder weapon.”

“Why are they searching Sully’s house? Ernie suspects Sully might have it?”

“Not as much as he suspected Josh, but since he didn’t find it here, I think he wants to rule out Sully.”

“If he doesn’t find it there, then who’s next?”

“Fiona is my guess,” Emily speculated.

“Why Fiona?”

“Why not Fiona? Remember the daggers she was throwing Maggie’s way at the sales presentation where Lucas proposed?”

“Daggers?”

“Well, not real daggers, but if looks could kill…” Emily raised her eyebrows as she crossed her arms.

“A woman’s scorn and all that?” Isabel said in a hushed voice, laying her hand on Emily’s forearm for a moment.

“That and the money.” Emily rubbed the tips of her fingers together with her palm facing up. She glanced at the living room window again, but Colin had moved away.

“Oh, yeah, the money,” Isabel agreed, nodding her head.

“No one seems to know where it is, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Fiona might know. Another good motive for murder.”

“Maybe we should wring her scrawny little neck until she tells us where it is.” Isabel made realistic gestures with her hands and Emily could picture Fiona’s neck being twisted. “Alex and I want our hundred thousand dollars back.”

“You and half the town.”

“Half the town?”

“Well maybe not half the town, but certainly a lot of people.”

Isabel nodded her agreement.

“Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Isabel glanced around and stepped closer to Emily, speaking in a soft voice. “I heard from Jethro today. He asked again if he could see the gun, have it run through ballistics to see if it was involved in any open cases.”

“What did you tell him?” Emily asked, feeling her heart beat quicken its pace. She wasn’t ready to hand it over to anyone. She wanted to know more before she let it out of her control.

“I still told him you were simply talking hypothetically, but I don’t think he bought it.”

“I have a bad feeling about that, Isabel. I don’t want to give him the gun just yet. I don’t even want him to know for certain that I have it.”

“Knowing him, he probably won’t let up now that he knows about it,” Isabel warned.

Goosebumps rippled across Emily’s arms and she suddenly felt exposed standing out in the open in front of Maggie’s home. “I don’t know why, but something doesn’t feel right. We should go inside, now.”

“Why?” Isabel asked as Emily grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the house.

As they climbed the few steps to the front door, Emily shuddered and turned to look toward the street, then she shoved Isabel inside, hurrying in after her.

“What are you doing, Em?” Isabel moaned, catching Colin’s attention.

He had been sitting in the living room, talking to Alex, enjoying a glass of Camille’s sweet tea, but he shot out of his seat and rushed to Emily.

“I got an eerie feeling outside. The sense someone was watching me,” she whispered to Colin.

“What’s going on?” Isabel pressed.

“We think someone has been following us,” Colin answered. “Black sedan, late model, not sure of the year and make and I haven’t seen a license plate yet.”

“Black is a very common car color in this town, Emily” Isabel pointed out.

“Maybe, but it’s giving me the creeps.” Emily felt a slight shiver run up her back.

Colin put his arm around her and patted her shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I appreciate that,” she told him, shrugging away from his arm, “but it’s not like I’m some weak little woman.” Looking back at him, she instantly realized she had probably embarrassed him a little in front of Alex and Isabel.

Fumbling with how to lighten the mood, she thought of something that might do the trick. “You’re the one who nicknamed me the pistol-packin’, smokin’ hot lady PI, remember? You wouldn’t want me doing anything to tarnish that title, now would you?” she teased, flashing him a toothy grin.

He burst out in laughter, as did Isabel and Alex.

~*~

Colin dropped Emily off at home to get ready for their dinner date and he headed to his apartment to shower and change. But first, at his insistence, he briefly went inside to help her search the house to make sure no one was there hiding, waiting to pounce.

After that, she promised she’d call him if she felt in danger, assuring him that she had him on speed dial.

He hadn’t wanted to leave her alone, not after being so certain they were being followed, but she didn’t want to be coddled. He thought back to when he had first met Emily. She had recently decided to leave her career as a real estate agent and had taken on her first case as a PI.

Emily was so new to private investigation that Colin had given her a bad time about her lack of experience—or so she told him. They were at a barbecue at Alex and Isabel’s house, a set up by the girls. Seated next to her at the dining table, he’d felt the physical attraction was mutual. He had casually asked her what she did for a living.

“Well, I was a real estate agent, but I am currently transitioning into being a private investigator,” she’d said.

He nearly choked, coughing and sputtering. He grabbed his glass of iced tea and took a couple of gulps.

“Did something go down the wrong way?” she’d asked.

“You could say that,” Colin replied, coughing a few more times. “You said you’re transitioning into being a private investigator?”

“Yes…why?”

“Well, you can’t just be a real estate agent one day and decide to be an investigator the next.”

The pleasant smile that had graced her face then twisted into a grimace, as she’d seemed to bristle at his comments. She’d picked up her plate and stomped to the kitchen. She told him later, after they’d begun dating, that on that first night he had offended her so deeply that she didn’t care how handsome he was—his words were so condescending she’d had to get away from him before she’d told him what she really thought of him.

Thinking back now, Colin wondered how he’d ever convinced her to give him a chance.

Since those early days, Emily had developed into a skilled investigator and had learned to adeptly handle a gun. She was a bulldog for details and confident in her abilities. He hoped that confidence wouldn’t be her undoing.

She was lovely and kind-hearted and she looked for the best in people. Yet at times she was stubborn to a fault. Altogether, these were the qualities that made her so endearing and attractive to him—in her line of work those qualities could also get her killed.

He had already been down that road once, losing a woman he loved, and he had been reluctant to go down it again, but he was so in love with Emily he couldn’t help himself. He had almost told her several times that he loved her, but each time something stopped him, something got in the way. He wondered if maybe he wasn’t supposed to say it, wasn’t supposed to lay his heart out bare to her.

She had been the only woman in the last two years to break through the wall he had built around his heart after Miranda’s death. He’d had no intention of falling for her like that, but Emily had systematically dismantled that wall with her sweetness and her charm, her vulnerability and her strength. But now that his heart was exposed and ready to love again, he was beginning to feel the need to start rebuilding the wall again.

The other night when Sully came over to her house, Emily had glossed over the truth when Colin had asked her what they were quarreling about. And earlier at Maggie’s, he had seen Emily talking to Sully out front, it looked like they were arguing about something, but she wouldn’t tell him what. She was hiding something from him—he knew it—but what?

How could he trust her if she was holding something back from him?

He looked in the rearview mirror as he drove. The pair of headlights in the mirror could have been anyone’s, but now he was keenly aware of impending danger and was taking no chances. He abruptly pulled the car to the curb and watched as the next few cars passed him. No black sedans.

Collin rejoined the flow of traffic and headed to his apartment, just a few more blocks ahead.

Was he the object of the pursuer, or was she? Did it have to do with the murder case Emily was working, or something else?

He knew she was still following leads in her late husband’s murder, even talking to a former FBI agent to see if he could be any help in uncovering Evan’s true past. He had friends in the CIA as well as the FBI, Emily had told him, and the man had assured her he would try to find out something. Did the mysterious tail have anything to do with that?