Forgotten Secrets, page 5
“We’re both seeking answers.” He took a step closer. “We’ll get farther faster if we work together.”
Cat mulled over her options. Changing her routine by sleeping in an area hotel might get noticed by someone in her unit. She couldn’t afford for her current predicament to become common knowledge. Even a hint of scandal could tarnish her reputation and hinder her chances of advancement.
“The shed or the porch. It’s your choice. For one night only.”
* * *
Gray’s wallet lay untouched on the table between him and Catriona.
“Are you sure you don’t want some privacy?” she said. Seated opposite him, she was unnaturally still. Her hands were folded in her lap, her posture military straight and her eyes watchful. After Pike had left, she’d disappeared behind her locked bedroom door and returned wearing clean clothes. The particular shade of her green shirt made her eyes shine. Her hair had been washed and combed into a sleek red curtain.
“Positive.”
He wasn’t entirely comfortable, either. He’d been prepared to argue his way to watching over her tonight, whether it be from the shed, porch or rental car. But protecting Catriona wasn’t his only motivation, and that was the trouble. Bottom line—he didn’t want to explore his past alone. The sergeant had proved to be courageous and resourceful. She’d be a suitable ally against Bianca’s abductors.
A timer sounded in the kitchen behind her. “Pizza’s done.”
She left him alone again. He heard the oven door creak open, the pan slide against the rack and the door suction closed. His stomach growled in response to the aroma of golden crust, tomato sauce and melted cheese.
“Do you need help?” he called, his focus on the wallet.
“I’m good.” She returned with twin plates bearing piping-hot slices. “This doesn’t compare to homemade, much less Chicago-style pies. I’d planned to do the weekly grocery run tomorrow.” Dashing back into the kitchen, she got grated Parmesan, napkins and drinks. “I guess you don’t remember what kind you like.”
“Could be a good thing. Maybe I’ll discover I prefer nutrient-dense foods.”
“Everybody has a weakness for junk food,” she countered. “Kurt’s was corn dogs.”
“Kurt?”
“My fourth foster dad.” Her lashes swept down, and she took her time chewing. “He was a youth pastor at a small church in the suburbs. He was the best.”
“What happened?”
“He died of a heart attack.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I begged to stay with Dana and the kids. She wanted to keep me, but then she decided to move to another state to live with her mom.” Frowning, she reached for her soda. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”
He’d noticed something was different about Catriona’s home. The furnishings were well loved, eclectic pieces he guessed were thrift store finds. The patterned pillows, throws and rugs had been paired together with an eye to creating a restful haven. It wasn’t the decor, he realized. It was the lack of personal photographs.
“Did you keep in touch?”
“She sent letters for about a year.” Wiping her fingers on the napkin, she tapped the wallet. “How long are you going to wait? The suspense is killing me.”
Gray pushed aside his plate. “Let’s hope this is more helpful than my phone was.”
The first thing he found was a library card. Catriona’s eyes brightened. Examining it evoked her first real smile.
“I’m impressed.”
“Maybe I don’t use it to check out books.”
“You could be a chess club member.”
“Or a car magazine fanatic.” He pulled out three store loyalty cards. “I don’t remember shopping at any of these places.”
“Shopping isn’t all that memorable, in my opinion,” she said, scrunching up her nose. Pointing to a green one, she said, “This is a popular organic grocery store chain. Maybe you are health conscious.”
“Or I went there once and the cashier insisted I get a loyalty card.” Gray counted out ten twenty-dollar bills. “I can repay the nurses.”
A shrewd look stole over her face. “Trust me, they were happy to donate to your cause. Is there an insurance card? Gym membership?”
Gray checked the remaining slots. “I missed one.”
He stared at the black-and-white photo of himself against a blue background. The words Armed Forces of the United States jumped out at him.
“That’s a DD Form 2.” Catriona scooted her chair around to his side. “The blue color means you’re either retired or on temporary or permanent disability. You’re not old enough to have served twenty years. Maybe it’s connected to your knee injury.”
He was, or rather had been, military. Gray sat a little straighter, satisfaction filling him. “I wonder what MOS I had.”
Catriona blinked at his use of the acronym for Military Occupational Specialty. As she studied him, her silver-green gaze clouded over. “You should return to the hospital and have them use the Social Security number listed here to dig into your medical history. This isn’t your home state, but many clinics and hospitals have patient portals.”
“I’m good.”
Her gaze narrowed.
“Not one hundred percent,” he amended. “But decent, considering.”
“Considering you spent the night in the ER, you mean?” She made a dismissive sound. “What if you have a heart condition? What if you’re supposed to be taking prescription medicine?”
“Pike would’ve told me if they’d found something to that effect in the SUV at the park.”
“Would she?”
“I would know if my heart wasn’t working right.” It did react oddly whenever she was nearby. Not that he would ever utter something so trite.
Her lips pursed. “You left the hospital too soon.”
He didn’t have an argument for that.
She leaned over and grasped his wrist. “What’s behind the zipper part of the wallet?”
Her touch distracted him. Her fingers were warm, her nails short with a clear sheen. A simple silver ring adorned her right hand.
Noticing his hesitation, she pulled away. He inspected the hidden opening. “Got something.”
He removed a thick, folded paper and, laying it on the table, smoothed it open. Catriona gasped. She snatched it from his grasp, her brows snapping together.
“Why do you have a picture of me in your wallet?”
SEVEN
It was clearly a surveillance photo. Someone had followed her—stalked her—and snapped a picture without her knowledge or consent. Her throat itched with outrage.
Gray pushed back his chair and gained his feet. “I know how this looks—”
“Yeah, creepy.” Cat deftly grabbed her Glock and tucked it in her rear waistband. She tapped the image of herself in conversation with her friends Olivia and Brady Johnson. “This was taken outside the church I attend.”
“Listen to me—”
“You invaded my privacy. You were surveilling my home from the town park.”
Cat mentally worked through the implications, acknowledging that she wanted Gray to be a good guy. But what she wanted didn’t factor in. If her law enforcement experience had taught her anything, it was that human nature was wily and unpredictable. Some people were skilled at hiding their true selves. She had to consider Gray’s amnesia might be a facade. He could be working with Bianca’s captors. Perhaps they wanted something from her and figured inserting Gray into her life was the way to get it.
“I am not the enemy, Catriona.”
She refocused on him, noting his relaxed stance and open expression.
“Think through the events. I showed up to warn you, not help those guys whisk you away.”
“That’s not sufficient evidence,” she said, without much conviction. The shock of discovering the photograph was gradually fading. “You could be working a different angle, trying to ingratiate yourself into my life.”
His brows winged up. “Allowing myself to be injured in the process is a little extreme, don’t you think?”
“Everyone’s definition of extreme is different. If someone is desperate enough...”
She stared at the photo and thought of the times she’d been duped. Fooled into thinking the popular girls liked her, when they’d really been angling to get close to the older teen boy in her foster home. Tricked into thinking Jared Lonas actually wanted to be her date to spring formal, when he’d simply been playing a joke on the poor, unwanted foster girl. Life experience had taught her to be cautious. Military brotherhood, the bond that developed between marines who worked and trained together, had provided a false sense of security, setting her up for the biggest mistake of her career. She’d thought Sergeant Toby Craft was like most other marines—honorable and trustworthy.
Gray’s patient voice broke into her thoughts. “During the first phone call, you heard Bianca ask if I’d seen someone. A female, remember? Tonight she called to warn me you were in danger. She had to have confessed to her captors that you are her half sister, no doubt due to threats against her or her father. Catriona, you are the reason Bianca and I came to North Carolina. Whether or not her claims are valid, you brought us here.”
High beams flashed across the front of the house, drawing them both to the windows.
“What is Olivia doing here?” This was far from an opportune time to visit.
“Do you want me to wait on the screened-in porch?”
Cat studied his profile long enough that he turned and met her gaze head-on. Her instincts said he was safe. Plus, she was armed, and he wasn’t.
The knock was swift and succinct.
“She’s already seen the rental car. It’ll be easier to introduce you.”
“What are you going to tell her?”
“No idea.”
Unbolting the lock and swinging open the door, she plastered on a smile and greeted her closest friend. Olivia was a hugger. Cat masked her discomfort—she was sure to be covered in bruises tomorrow—and accepted the thick workbook Olivia held aloft.
“They handed out the new Bible study books Wednesday night, and I promised Jody I’d drop it off.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Cat hadn’t participated in a women’s study before and was slightly apprehensive about the prospect. Olivia had reassured her that sharing her private thoughts wasn’t mandatory. “You just got off work?”
“One of our manta rays is ill, and we had to quarantine her. I’m hoping it won’t take long to diagnose the problem.” Olivia worked at the local aquarium. She gestured over her shoulder. “What’s that vehicle doing in your yard?”
To their left, Gray shifted his stance, and the contrary floor beneath his shoes creaked. Olivia jerked toward the sound, her thick black braid slipping over her shoulder and jade earrings swinging widely.
“Hello,” she ventured, curiosity peppering her voice.
“I apologize for startling you. The name’s Gray Michaelson,” he supplied, offering his hand.
“Olivia Johnson. Is that your vehicle?”
“Not exactly.” His sudden smile was disarming, and Cat’s tongue felt glued to the roof of her mouth.
Olivia’s bright gaze bobbed between them. “Whose is it, exactly?”
“A rental. Gray is passing through the area.” Cat finally found her voice. “He required some assistance, and I was in the right place at the right time.”
Gray coughed and averted his gaze. A crease formed between her friend’s brows, and she opened her mouth to speak.
Cat dropped the workbook onto the coffee table and took hold of Olivia’s elbow, steering her toward the door. “Is Brady waiting at home for you? I suppose you guys have a nice dinner planned at Sullivan’s.” The Sneads Ferry restaurant was popular with the locals and base residents alike. “Are you still craving lime-flavored foods?”
“Actually, he’s on a night flight. I’m in no hurry to get home.”
Gray lifted his hand in farewell. “Nice to meet you.”
Cat ushered Olivia onto the porch and shut the door firmly behind her.
“What was that about?” she demanded. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know.”
“Oh, I think I do.”
“It’s complicated.”
What an understatement. She could have an heiress sibling who was being held for ransom. She was now wanted by the same abductors, and she was stuck with a mystery man.
Olivia framed her waist with her hands and leveled an obstinate stare at her. “I’m no stranger to complications.”
Catriona had had a first-row seat to said complications. The widow’s past had collided with the present in a spectacular way. Olivia had been living on the New River Air Station, the smaller base a few miles from Camp Lejeune, and Cat had been assigned to stand guard outside her house. Olivia often said God had used circumstances to orchestrate their friendship. The notion was a nice one, although it was difficult for Cat to believe He’d care whether she had friends or not. He hadn’t cared that she’d grown up without parents.
“You have a little one to think about now.”
“Being pregnant doesn’t mean I can’t be a supportive friend.”
A lowrider truck with darkened windows rumbled past, music rattling the windows, and Cat tensed. She had to get Olivia away from the house.
“The truth is I’m intrigued by this guy. I’m enjoying talking with him,” she blurted.
Olivia’s hands slipped from her hips. “That’s a first. You usually greet my matchmaking attempts with disdain.” She tilted her head. “What’s different about this one?”
Face smoldering like a burn pit, Cat tried not to squirm. This had to be convincing. “He’s, ah, easy on the eyes.”
“I can see the appeal,” Olivia said wryly. “Older. Mysterious. Eyes that sweep you to a tropical paradise. He’s a stranger, though. You’re not immune to danger simply because you’re military police.”
“I can handle myself.” She walked to the stairs’ edge. “I’m not sure how much longer he’ll linger.”
“He didn’t look eager to leave.” A thoughtful expression flitted over Olivia’s features. “Text me later.”
Cat was tempted to confess what was really going on, but it was safer for Olivia if she kept it quiet.
“I will.”
“I expect details, Cat.” Patting her shoulder, she descended the stairs and navigated the tidy concrete squares connecting the porch to the driveway.
The light pole at the edge of the property winked on, a golden beacon in the bluish-pink haze. When Olivia had gone, she reentered the cottage and found Gray where she’d left him...at the window, with an unobstructed view of the porch.
“Spying on me?”
Sinking his hands in his pockets, he studied her with an unnerving gaze. “Watching out for you. It’s not a good idea to be outside in the open. Those men could return at any time.”
Cat sensed his reprimand had nothing to do with the threat and everything to do with her reservations about him.
“If my memory wasn’t an issue, I could outline the events that led us to this point. I can’t answer your questions. I can’t explain why I was carrying your picture around in my wallet or how I obtained it. Maybe I took it. Or maybe I paid someone to.” He lifted his chin. “I understand that I’m a risk, but there’s a frightened girl out there who’s depending on us. We have to work together to bring her home. I’m asking you to trust me, Catriona.”
* * *
Gray had expected the silence that greeted his speech. He hadn’t expected to be given the guest bedroom. Catriona’s response had been diverted by a patrol car’s arrival. Pike had made good on her promise. They would have Officer Wong’s protection for the night.
“Here you go.” Placing a pillow at the head of the twin bed, she said, “I haven’t taken the time to hook up the television in the living room. Help yourself to whatever you find interesting on the bookshelf.”
A painted aquamarine bookshelf held a variety of books and magazines. “Have you lived here long?” he asked.
“About three months. I was in the barracks with other single lance corporals and corporals. Once I got promoted to sergeant, I was given the choice to live in town.”
He imagined she’d jumped at the chance. “This is the first time you’ve lived alone?”
“Yes.” She dodged his gaze. “If you get hungry, you know where the kitchen is.”
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, well, the shed is unsuitable for even a dog to sleep in. I also figured you wouldn’t get any rest on the porch, and I need for you to be at the top of your game when the drop goes down tomorrow.”
Pike had convinced Winthrop that the threat was indeed real, and he’d agreed to meet the abductors’ demands. The money would be placed, as instructed, in a specific trash receptacle at the city park. JPD would be on site to identify the pickup man and follow him to Bianca’s holding place. Catriona and Gray were too invested in the outcome to sit this out.
“Pike and the other officers won’t be happy to see us.”
“Then we’ll make sure they don’t.”
EIGHT
“Are you sure this is the spot?”
