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“Okay, tell me about these five men,” Nate said. “You mentioned at the mall that you couldn’t go to the police without risking your and Hailey’s lives, which makes me think one of them must be a cop.”
Melissa didn’t meet his gaze, and the way she twisted her fingers in her lap made him wonder if she was trying to find a way to avoid the truth.
“Listen, you have to tell me what you know,” Nate urged. “Otherwise I won’t have any choice but to call my boss and have you taken in for questioning.”
Her head jerked up, her stormy gaze clashing with his. “Don’t,” she said sharply. “Hailey will be the one to suffer if you do that.”
Nate wanted to yank out his hair in frustration. “Then cooperate with me. What do you know about the five men you saw twelve years ago?”
She hesitated and then let out a heavy sigh. “You were right. One of them was a cop,” she confirmed. “I saw him come in several times in uniform, although he wasn’t wearing it the night of the murder.”
“Do you know his name?” Nate demanded. “Can you describe him?” He didn’t like believing a cop had gone bad, but unfortunately it wasn’t the first time that one had succumbed to temptation. And probably wouldn’t be the last, either.
“I don’t know his name,” Melissa said. “I wish I did. And he wasn’t the one who actually committed murder, but he was there watching the whole thing.”
“Party to the crime,” Nate muttered. “And could easily be arrested as an accomplice.”
“Yes, I’m sure he could. And I think he must have other cops who are willing to bend the rules, too. Otherwise, how would they have got away with stashing drugs in my bedroom?”
Nate could see her point. “Did you find them? Is that why you left?”
Melissa bit her lower lip, another sign of nervousness. “No, I didn’t find the drugs. I was too afraid to go home. I ran away and hid until morning, catching a bus when the early route started.”
“I don’t understand why you didn’t come to me for help.” Nate knew it was ridiculous to be wounded by actions she’d taken twelve years ago, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. “Especially when you knew I was planning to major in criminal justice.”
“I didn’t want to drag you down with me,” she murmured. “I found out from my father that the police showed up on our doorstep first thing in the morning, demanding to speak with me about a stabbing victim found outside the restaurant. My dad thought I was in my room, so he let them in.”
“Without a warrant?” Nate asked in dismay.
She nodded. “My dad was shocked to realize I wasn’t home. And when the police searched my room and found the drugs, he wasn’t sure what was going on. Don’t you see? They would have tried to discredit you, too.”
“Maybe, or maybe I would have been a credible witness on your behalf,” he said grimly.
“I wasn’t going to take that chance,” she said firmly.
Nate didn’t agree with her decision, but there was nothing he could do now to change the past. If he’d paid more attention back then he might have connected the stabbing victim with Melissa’s disappearance. But he hadn’t. For now, he needed to stay focused on the present. “You must know at least one of the men’s names,” he said. “You told me you waited on their table. Surely you noticed a name on a credit or debit card?”
“No credit cards. They always paid in cash.”
Nate couldn’t believe Melissa didn’t have a clue to the identity of at least one of the men. “There must be something you remember about these guys. Did they have any scars? Tattoos? Any distinguishing features at all?”
Melissa shook her head, spreading her hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that stands out in my memory.”
Nate stared up at the ceiling for a moment, trying to push back the wave of helplessness. “Okay, so you’ve told me what happened all those years ago, but what about today? How was it that these two guys found you?”
“I noticed the tail as soon as I left the hospital,” Melissa said in a low tone.
“Hospital? What were you doing there?”
She blinked rapidly, and Nate was disconcerted to realize she was on the verge of tears. “Visiting my father. His dying wish was to see his granddaughter in person.”
The anger he’d felt toward Melissa’s father for keeping them apart instantly evaporated. “I’m so sorry,” he said huskily.
Melissa sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Me, too. I honestly didn’t think coming home after all this time was that much of a risk. Especially since my father and I faked my death.”
“Why did you wait four years to do that?” Nate asked.
“Because they found me in California. So I conveniently died and moved all the way across the country to a new location, with another new name.”
Nate couldn’t help sympathizing with her. He’d hated the idea that she’d been forced to go on the run, not just once but twice. “Go on. So, you left the hospital and noticed what?”
“I was being followed, so I headed into the mall, hoping to lose them in the crowd.”
“Carrying Hailey beneath your winter coat was a smart move,” Nate told her.
A slight smile tipped the corner of her mouth. “Thanks. Anyway, from there you know the rest.”
Yeah, he knew the rest. The men with guns had shot at him, and he’d shot at them in self-defense. Then he’d left the scene of the crime.
Too bad he didn’t have a clue what their next steps should be. He wanted to keep Melissa and Hailey out of harm’s way, but right now, he didn’t even know who the bad guys were.
“Excuse me. I need to check on Hailey.” Melissa rose to her feet and quickly made her way into the other room.
Nate hovered in the doorway between their connecting rooms, listening as she coaxed Hailey into brushing her teeth and putting on her pajamas.
Then the little girl insisted on saying her nighttime prayers.
“God bless Daddy up in Heaven, and Mommy, and Mr. Nate, who saved us today. Amen.”
“Amen,” Melissa echoed. “Sleep tight, Hailey. I’ll be right here if you need anything.”
“Okay, Mommy,” the little girl murmured sleepily.
Nate was touched by the fact that Hailey had included him in her nighttime prayers.
There were so many things that were different about the woman Melissa was today compared with the girl he’d loved years ago. Yes, she was a mother now, but that wasn’t the only thing that had changed.
She was raising her daughter as a Christian. Because of Hailey’s father? Did she love him still, even though he’d passed away?
Not that Melissa’s feelings were any of his business. He wouldn’t risk getting emotionally involved. And not just because he sensed she was still holding something back from him.
She’d left him without a word, breaking his young heart.
No way was he willing to risk another heartbreak.
* * *
Melissa took her time getting ready for bed, admittedly as a way to avoid spending more time with Nate.
She’d already told him far more than she’d intended. Anything else would only hurt him.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she mourned what they’d lost. Their young love, so pure, so sweet. They’d never done anything more than kiss, but even twelve years later, she could still remember the sweetness they’d shared. For several weeks after she’d left, she’d find herself looking for him, wishing he was still there for her to lean on.
Why hadn’t her father mentioned the letters Nate had written? Surely he hadn’t thrown them away. Why not pass them along, especially after she’d been forced to fake her death? They’d both thought she was relatively safe from that point forward.
And where were Nate’s letters now? Hidden somewhere in her father’s house?
For a moment, she actually considered going back to the house where she grew up to search for them. But of course, she couldn’t take the risk. For one thing, she was pretty sure her dad’s house was being watched, the same way the hospital had been. How else had they found her? Besides, heading there was probably exactly what they’d expect her to do.
No, going to her childhood home wasn’t an option. Besides, whatever Nate had written hardly mattered now. She’d been married all too briefly before losing her husband to a rare infection that had settled in his lungs. Jeremy had helped her find God and had given her Hailey, the two greatest gifts of all. No reason to go back and attempt to recapture the past.
Far more important to plan the next steps of her mission to keep Hailey safe.
By the time Melissa emerged from the bathroom, Nate’s room was dark except for the blue glow of the television. Relieved that she didn’t have to talk to him anymore, she slid into the bed next to Hailey. Wearing her jeans and sweater wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she didn’t plan on sleeping.
Once Nate fell asleep, she’d take Hailey and slip away. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice they were gone until morning.
Yet, in spite of herself, Melissa dozed, jerking awake a few hours later. She took a moment to orient herself before sliding out of bed.
Moving silently, she eased toward the doorway between their connecting rooms. The television was off now, and she stood for what seemed like endless moments listening to Nate’s deep, rhythmic breathing.
It was tempting to venture into his room to search for his car keys, but she didn’t want to risk waking him. No, her best chance to escape was to slip away without making any noise.
She gently closed the door on her side of the room, hoping to muffle any errant sounds. She packed the few meager belongings they had back into the suitcase and then took out her mobile phone.
Only twenty percent of battery left, but enough juice to enable her to call for a taxi once she was far enough away from the motel.
After setting the suitcase near the door, she went over to the bed to wake Hailey. This would be the most difficult part of sneaking away. If Hailey cried or made any noise at all, she knew Nate would be up in a flash to see what was wrong.
Thankfully, the little girl was so sleepy, she simply curled up against Melissa’s chest, snuggling into the hollow of her shoulder.
Since the hallway outside their rooms was heated, she decided to wait until they were safely away before putting Hailey’s coat, hat and boots on. Carrying everything with her wasn’t easy, but she managed to open the door, wincing when it creaked a bit.
Moving as quickly and silently as possible, she stepped out and then closed the door behind her. The hallway was brightly lit, making it easy to navigate as she headed toward the stairs on the far side of the building, opposite from the lobby.
Inside the stairwell, she paused to get Hailey into her winter gear. She was still half-asleep, so Melissa couldn’t exactly make her stand to get dressed. Somehow she slipped her daughter’s arms into the coat sleeves. Getting her hat on was no problem, although the boots were difficult. She hoped they wouldn’t fall off.
She carried Hailey and the suitcase down the stairs, and when she reached the bottom, she paused to catch her breath.
Melissa hated the thought of leaving Nate for a second time without saying goodbye, but she forced herself to go anyway. The cold winter air stole her breath as she went outside, and Hailey instantly started crying.
“Shh, it’s okay. We’re going to be fine.”
“It’s cold,” her daughter sobbed.
“I know, sweetie. We’ll get someplace warm soon.” Hailey wasn’t used to northern winters, having spent her entire life in South Carolina. And the idea of snow was more fun than the cold reality of it.
Melissa stayed alongside the shelter of the building as long as possible before making her way toward the sidewalk. There was a gas station on the other side of the street, but the windows were dark, indicating the place was closed.
Headlights cut through the darkness, heading in her direction. For a moment she froze, fearing she’d been found. But she sighed in relief as the vehicle kept going.
She carefully walked across the slippery surface of the gas station parking lot, wondering if venturing out like this was such a good idea. Would she manage to find a taxi this late? She fumbled for her phone, intending to search for a local car service.
Another pair of headlights approached, only this time, they abruptly turned into the gas station rather than driving past. Melissa froze in the center of the bright lights, her heart lodging in her throat as the car came to an abrupt stop. The driver’s side door opened, and a tall figure stepped out.
Survival instincts kicked in, and she dropped the suitcase and turned to run. But she quickly lost her footing on the slippery, snow-covered pavement. She felt herself falling and twisted as much as possible, landing on her shoulder in an attempt to avoid landing on her daughter.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but the driver of the car was on her too quickly, preventing her escape. In the dim recesses of her mind she realized Hailey was crying, but her gaze was focused on the man looming over her.
“Now I’ve got you,” he said with savage satisfaction. He reached down and roughly grabbed her arm as if to yank her to her feet.
No! Melissa kicked at the stranger, screaming for help. She tried to jerk from his grasp, but he held on tight. She let go of Hailey. “Run, Hailey! Run!”
Something hard hit her in the face and she bit back a cry of pain, tears springing to her eyes. At the moment all she cared about was giving Hailey time to get away.
Desperate, she kicked at her captor again.
Out of nowhere, a second figure came out of the darkness, grabbing the man around the throat and dragging him off her. At first she didn’t understand what was happening, but then she recognized Nate.
She pushed herself to her feet, taking off after Hailey, scooping her daughter into her arms. Still slipping and sliding, she made her way behind the shelter of the gas station building. As much as she wanted to help Nate take down the guy who’d grabbed her, she knew her priority had to be keeping Hailey away from harm.
Resting against the building, breathing heavily, she closed her eyes and thanked God for sparing them.
“Melissa?” Nate’s deep voice cut through the darkness.
“Here,” she managed in a low tone.
“Are you all right?” he asked, coming over to where she was huddled with Hailey.
Her cheek throbbed with pain, but she nodded. “We’re fine,” she whispered.
“Come on. We need to get out of here,” Nate said grimly.
She shifted Hailey in her arms and made her way toward Nate. He put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her back toward the motel. He paused just long enough to pick up the suitcase she’d dropped and brought it along with them.
She didn’t want to go anywhere near the man who’d hit her, but forced herself to trust Nate. They passed the black car, and she couldn’t help glancing over in that direction.
All she could see was the vehicle listing to one side. It took a minute for her to realize the driver’s side tires were flat.
Had Nate done that to prevent the man from following them? And where was the driver?
She shivered, her stomach clenching with dread. She hadn’t heard the sound of gunfire, but she had to believe Nate had neutralized him somehow. She was deeply thankful he’d noticed she was gone and had come after her.
But how had the driver of the black car found her in the first place?
They must have known she was with Nate. What had he said back at the mall? He’d called for backup? Anyone with a scanner could have heard that information.
Including the dirty cop who’d tried to frame her as a drug addict.
