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Shadow Of Suspicion
Christy Barritt
FRAMEDFirst, computer specialist Laney Ryan’s accused of kidnapping her neighbour’s daughter—and now someone’s trying to kill her. The police don’t believe Laney’s story…except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn’t guilty.Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they’re framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realises his feelings for Laney aren’t strictly professional and that he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney’s name…before their possible future together is fatally cut short?
FRAMED
First, computer specialist Laney Ryan’s accused of kidnapping her neighbor’s daughter—and now someone’s trying to kill her. The police don’t believe Laney’s story...except for Detective Mark James, whose instincts say Laney isn’t guilty. Together, Mark and Laney must figure out who really abducted the teen and uncover why they’re framing Laney. But when their search for the truth turns deadly, Mark realizes his feelings for Laney aren’t strictly professional and that he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe. With a dangerous suspect swiftly closing in, can they find the missing girl and clear Laney’s name...before their possible future together is fatally cut short?
Another gunshot rang out.
More glass shattered. The tension in her chest tightened as anxiety gripped her.
“Stay here,” Detective James said.
Laney didn’t have time to argue. He pushed away from her, his gun drawn, and approached the door.
Please don’t let him get killed, she silently prayed, her palms pressed into the cool tile floor of her entryway. Shards of glass lay around her, a reminder of the gravity of the situation. Would they make it out of this alive?
The detective had been a thorn in her side, to say the least. He’d put her through the ringer at the station. Then again, she supposed he was just doing his job. But still, she didn’t want to see him hurt. Especially not after he’d shown a halfway-human side of himself in the car.
“Sol, put the gun down!” Detective James yelled.
Laney sucked in a quick breath. Sol? Sol was shooting at her? Had the man lost his mind? Was this what grief did to a person?
Laney knew the answer to that question: yes.
Dear Reader (#ulink_9cb5601a-9dad-5f0b-8543-a9654ecc9603),
I’ve always loved spy stories. I think because they’re so out of the realm of my ordinary life that they seem a bit like a thrilling roller-coaster ride—full of high-stakes adventure yet safe. The more dangerous, the better. Bring on the excitement—as long as I can stay safe in my little suburban house!
I’ve gone through the Citizens FBI Academy, as well as my local Citizen’s Police Academy. People have asked me if I’d ever want to go into law enforcement. My answer is always a quick no—I’d be terrible doing those jobs!
I hope you enjoyed getting to know Laney and Mark. Their stories certainly intrigued me and kept me guessing as I wrote. Laney was falsely accused and was desperate to both clear her name and to rescue her neighbor.
Have you ever been falsely accused? Maybe your situation isn’t anything like Laney’s, but it’s not fun when people make assumptions about you. I’m comforted by the fact that God loves me and sees me as I am.
I’d like to give a special thank-you to those who serve our country. From police officers to firefighters, to the military and even the CIA—you’re doing a job I could never do. For that, I tip my hat.
Many blessings,
CHRISTY BARRITT’s books have won a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery and have been twice nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious—but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover and a road trip aficionado. For more information, visit her website at christybarritt.com (http://www.christybarritt.com).
Shadow of Suspicion
Christy Barritt
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
—Micah 6:8
This book is dedicated to those who put their lives on the line in order to protect others: police, firefighters, military and countless others. Thank you.
Contents
Cover (#ud5f69934-94e4-5ad9-9669-7fc4d549afb8)
Back Cover Text (#ua85a0cbe-e323-59f5-a39b-ebb2651c62b3)
Introduction (#u30aac37a-71e9-51f8-ae23-587b7e9ee37e)
Dear Reader (#ulink_bdc0920f-8d93-551c-9d3a-79a986c37215)
About the Author (#u1efa1314-98bb-5b75-95ff-d017b37ee7bf)
Title Page (#u62aed6e0-e0ed-5c5a-84ee-1efad2a7e2b6)
Bible Verse (#ua267bcbf-0005-597f-9aed-6605e91a56d2)
Dedication (#u7b5ac95a-938e-53c6-b4ee-fca2e1ce0e09)
ONE (#ulink_df67af69-5727-5697-bb95-1e64c266bf11)
TWO (#ulink_def66803-ba41-5fd3-8ff8-b57de568ee2e)
THREE (#ulink_94ea8d36-226a-526c-a98a-dcb84ec49ee3)
FOUR (#ulink_22c49d9c-9604-5690-b37f-c1835af0f386)
FIVE (#ulink_c8ac752d-a37c-5f00-ac35-2dacf4891999)
SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)
THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
NINETEEN (#litres_trial_promo)
TWENTY (#litres_trial_promo)
EPILOGUE (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
ONE (#ulink_534a44f7-05db-5479-a9a5-3aef5450bd54)
Laney Ryan paused, her fingers poised over her keyboard midstroke. A noise outside her suburban home caused her spine to clinch and a moment of fear to seize her thoughts.
She was being silly. The sound was probably her neighbor across the street returning home. Or maybe a deliveryman was dropping off a package. It was nothing to be concerned over.
Her instincts blazed, and she was unable to believe either of those scenarios. Something was going on outside her house—something she needed to prepare for.
Quickly, she turned off her computer and stashed it in the locked drawer hidden beneath her desk. Wasting no time, she stood. She had to get to her bedroom to grab her gun.
She’d only taken one step in that direction when her front door burst open.
A flash bang exploded in her entryway, and smoke filled the house. Feet stampeded across her floor as an unseen army invaded her space. As enemies breached her territory. As danger closed in.
She ducked by the dining room table and stifled a scream, unwilling to give away her presence even though panic rushed through her. She grabbed the edge of a chair, unable to see. Smoke blocked her vision, filled her lungs, burned her eyes.
What was going on? Had someone discovered what she did for a living? Would they try to make her talk using whatever means necessary?
Fear trembled through her bones. She’d known this day might come, but she’d hoped it wouldn’t. Prayed it wouldn’t.
More smoke stung her eyes. A cough caught in her throat, and she tried to hold it back. Shouts sounded around her.
How many of them were there? How many men had infiltrated her home? How long would it be before the smoke cleared and they found her?
Her house—her haven—suddenly felt like a war zone. She swallowed hard, trying to remember all the training that had been drilled into her in case she was ever captured and interrogated. Silence was of the essence. She knew secrets that could bring this country down. And in the wrong hands... She shuddered to think about what would happen.
A man in SWAT uniform appeared in front of her, his gun raised. “Laney Ryan, you’re under arrest.”
“For what?” she demanded.
Another cop pulled her to her feet and jerked her arms behind her with enough force to snap her bones as he pressed handcuffs around her wrists. Her body instantly ached.
“You’re the prime suspect in the disappearance of Sarah Novak.”
Her heart plunged. Sarah? What had happened to her sweet neighbor? The girl was only fifteen, and Laney thought the world of her.
“What’s wrong with Sarah? What happened?” Her voice trembled as she braced herself for whatever news was about to come.
No one answered her. The cop behind her shoved her toward the front door as more officers invaded her home, searching every nook and cranny. Probably looking for evidence of what had happened. But why there? Why her?
Each step felt surreal, like something that happened on a TV show, but not in her real life. Panic threatened to engulf her as reality set in. She was being arrested. She had to stop this before it had a domino effect on her future.
“You’ve got this all wrong. I would never hurt Sarah,” she rushed to tell them.
The cop behind her didn’t seem to hear anything. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will...”
The words faded as a haze came over her. Laney had just seen Sarah that morning. She and her father, Sol, had stopped by and asked for help hemming a skirt for a school event that weekend.
Sarah was only fifteen. She had so much of life ahead of her. What if she was hurt? Or worse? The thought caused Laney’s heart to lurch.
Please, Father, let her be okay. Watch over her. Protect her.
A shock of cold air hit her as the cop shoved her onto the front porch. The stay-at-home mom across the street stood in her front yard, gripping her toddler’s hand as she watched everything unfold with a look of horror on her face.
That wasn’t even Laney’s biggest concern at the moment. She couldn’t care less about what her neighbors thought. Her biggest concern was Sarah.
Shouting sounded in the distance. Laney pulled her gaze toward the noise. What now?
Sol, she realized.
He stood on the edge of her lawn, between her house and his. His face was red with anger, and a female cop restrained him from lunging at Laney. His body language clearly screamed that he was in attack mode.
“Where’s my daughter? What did you do with her?” the slight man shouted. He looked ready to spring. “You’re a monster!”
Laney’s heart plunged. How could Sol think she had anything to do with this? She loved Sarah as if she were her own daughter. She would never, ever do anything to put her in jeopardy.
She opened her mouth. She wanted to say something. To convince Sol of her innocence. To explain that she had no idea where Sarah was.
But no words would leave her throat.
Poor Sarah.
Had she seemed okay that morning? No. Now that she thought about it, Sarah had seemed melancholy when she was at her house.
She’d whispered to Laney before she left, “Can we talk sometime?”
Laney had smiled and told her, “Of course.” She figured it was the typical teenage problems: boys, college, grades, pimples even.
Would things be different right now if Laney had taken the time to listen to her then? But she hadn’t been able to. Sarah had to go to school, Sol had been there, and Laney had to start working. She knew the dilemma would haunt her, though. The what-ifs were the worst.
She’d experienced them many times before. She’d lost sleep over questions like that. Nearly lost her mind, for that matter.
