Sleep eluded him, causing Nate to toss and turn, his thoughts spinning in circles as he ruminated over the mystery of Alderman Turner’s murder. Eventually he gave up, dragging himself out of bed early in the morning. The cabin was quiet, and he found himself glad that Melissa and Hailey were still asleep.
He needed some quiet time to come to grips with the fact that his uncle Tom was involved in something criminal. More than just covering up a murder, as if that wasn’t bad enough. The motive for killing Turner had to have been big enough to take the risk of getting caught. And for all he knew, his uncle was still involved in whatever illegal activities had led to the murder in the first place.
After getting dressed in the comfortable jeans and sweatshirt that he’d found packed in his duffel and securing his weapon in deference to Hailey, he padded into the kitchen to make some coffee. Waiting for the pot to brew, he stared out the window, squinting at how the sun reflected blindingly off the snow.
Another beautiful day out, but all he could think of was that this was just another day closer to Christmas. It didn’t seem fair that Hailey should have to be here, hiding in a remote lakeside cabin over the holiday. He needed to step up the investigation, to get the proof he needed to convince Griff to take a chance on continuing the case as soon as possible.
Nate filled up a large mug with steaming black coffee and headed over to the table where he’d left his computer. He created a new email address and then wrote a note to Jenna, asking her to bring him the electronic supplies he needed from his house.
Too bad he hadn’t thought about this before now. He hated the idea of Jenna having to sneak past whoever was staked outside his place once again. And unfortunately his gadgets were stored all over the living space, so she’d have to search around to find everything he needed.
If he didn’t hear from her in a couple of hours, he could finally charge up one of the new disposable cell phones and call her.
Sipping his coffee, he began to search further back in time in order to figure out what Alderman Turner might have been involved in. Not an easy task, but Nate knew how to make the most of the technology he had at his fingertips.
“Good morning.” Melissa’s soft, husky voice startled him so badly he spilled coffee on his jeans.
“Uh, hi,” he said awkwardly, turning in his seat to face her. How was it possible that she looked so beautiful first thing in the morning, even with sleep-tousled hair and no makeup?
“Thanks for making coffee,” she murmured, heading straight over to the pot. “I’ll get breakfast started. Anything you’re craving in particular?”
He didn’t want her to feel as if she needed to cook for him, and he was about to offer to do it himself when Hailey bounded into the room.
“Can we build a snowman, Mommy? Can we?”
“After breakfast,” Melissa said with an indulgent smile. “What would you like? Oatmeal or eggs?”
“Oatmeal,” Hailey said, jumping up and down with excitement. “I want oatmeal.”
“Works for me,” Nate said, pushing the computer off to the side and then rising to his feet. “I’ll make it.”
“No, no, I’ll do it,” Melissa said hastily. “Just sit down. You’re working, and I don’t know how to search the internet the way you do.”
He sank back down, making a mental note to do the dishes afterward. Even as he continued to search, he was distracted by Hailey’s chatter.
Melissa was patient and kind, allowing Hailey to stand on a chair to help stir the oatmeal. He couldn’t help comparing her to his own absent mother.
Nate vaguely remembered making Christmas cookies with his mom one time. In fact, she’d scolded him for eating too many and making himself sick. He couldn’t recall what she’d looked like that day, but surely there must have been other tender moments they’d shared.
Too bad he couldn’t think of anything specific.
No sense in dwelling on that now. He went back to the case at hand, but so far he hadn’t found out much about Kevin Turner. He was tempted to ask his dad what he remembered since they’d lived just across the street, but he doubted that old neighborhood memories would be much help.
“Thanks,” he said when Melissa set a steaming bowl of oatmeal down on the table. She and Hailey sat and then bowed their heads to pray.
“Dear Lord,” Melissa said, “we thank You for this food and shelter. We also ask for Your continued protection and guidance as we continue to seek the truth. Amen.”
“Amen,” he said, appreciating the content of her prayer.
“Dig in,” Hailey said with enthusiasm as she added brown sugar and raisins to her bowl. It was weird being together like this, as if they were a family.
But they weren’t. A fact he needed to remember.
“Have you thought about our plan to go back to the restaurant?” Melissa asked.
“Yeah, I sent Jenna an email with a list of supplies that we’ll need. I don’t like making her go back to my place again, but it’s better than trying to buy everything new. I haven’t heard from her yet, though.”
“You have cameras and listening devices at your house?” she asked in surprise.
He could feel the tips of his ears burning with embarrassment. Could he sound like a bigger nerd? Probably not. “I happen to like electronics,” he mumbled. “Mmm, this oatmeal is really good.”
She didn’t ask anything more, and as soon as they were finished eating, he jumped up to do the dishes. “You cooked. My turn to clean up,” he insisted.
“Let’s go outside, Mommy!” Hailey pleaded with wide hazel eyes. “Please?”
“Take her outside. I’ll wash the dishes and continue working,” Nate said firmly.
Melissa hesitated, and when her gaze met his, he was struck by the fact that she’d expected him to come outside with them. And while the thought was tempting, he had work to do.
At least, that’s what he told himself. But as he finished drying the plates, watching as Hailey and Melissa laughed and played, building a snowman in the front yard, Nate knew that he’d insisted on staying inside to prevent himself from getting too close.
He settled down behind the computer, determined to find something that would help. After some more digging he discovered that both Kevin Turner and his uncle, Tom McAllister, ran for office at the same time, roughly six years before the murder. Then they were also re-elected four years later.
Had they made some sort of pact back then? Obviously they’d both received campaign contributions, but were some of them illegal? Or worse, did they use the campaign funds as a way to hide dirty money? Like from drugs?
The idea of his uncle Tom being involved in something illegal was deeply disturbing, but he also couldn’t deny the fact there were drugs planted in Melissa’s room to discredit her story. Were those narcotics part of their scheme? Unfortunately, the connection seemed to make sense.
Nate had no idea how much time had passed, but just as Melissa and Hailey came back in, he found a bunch of campaign celebration photographs from the second election.
He scrolled through the pictures and then stopped abruptly as a large group photo bloomed on the screen. He stared at it in shock.
“Nate?” Melissa’s voice was faint, as if she were speaking through a thick blanket. “Nate! Are you all right?”
No, he wasn’t all right. His chest hurt as he struggled to breathe.
“What did you find?” Melissa crossed over and leaned against his shoulder. “That’s Alderman Kevin Turner,” she said, pointing at the man standing off to the side. “Who’s the woman he’s talking to?”
The band around his chest finally loosened enough for Nate to respond. “That’s my mother, Rosalie Freemont.”
* * *
Melissa caught her breath at Nate’s terse admission. His mother? The woman who’d abandoned him and his father? She found herself leaning closer, trying to get a good look at her.
Rosalie was stunningly beautiful. Her hair was darker than Nate’s sandy color, but they shared many of the same facial features, and it was easy to see where Nate had inherited his good looks. But she couldn’t help thinking that the closeness between Nate’s mother and Alderman Turner was far too cozy for comfort, especially since there was no mention of Nate’s father.
“I wonder if she knew that this picture was taken,” Nate said in a low tone.
“I’m sorry,” she said, putting a soothing arm around his shoulders. It couldn’t be easy to come face-to-face with a painful part of his past.
“No need to apologize,” he said gruffly, pushing away from the computer and breaking away from her embrace. He stood and began to pace. “Fact is, I barely even remembered what she looked like until I saw the photograph.”
“I lost my mother to a brain aneurysm,” Melissa said. “It was a total shock. One minute she’s alive and talking. The next she was gone. Not like my father, who knew he had cancer and that he only had a few months to live.”
“I’m sure that was terrible for you, but at least your mother didn’t leave voluntarily,” Nate said.
“Do you know that for sure?” she pressed. “Isn’t it possible something awful happened to her?”
“No. In fact, my uncle Tom told me and my dad that she was living out in Arizona. Even with that news, my dad didn’t initiate divorce proceedings until I was in college. He asked Tom to get them to my mother, and they were returned with her signature on them.”
“That’s awful, Nate,” Melissa said, her heart breaking for him. No little boy should have to go through something like that. Why couldn’t his mother have tried to stay in touch?
“Never mind that now,” Nate said with an impatient wave of his hand. “I still haven’t heard from Jenna about getting the technology we need to bug the restaurant. I’ll try calling her with one of the disposable phones.”
“I just looked at mine, and there’s only one bar, so I’m not sure we’ll get service up here,” Melissa said with a sigh.
Nate looked at his phone and scowled. She watched as he tried to call Jenna, only to receive an error message. Tossing his device aside, he crossed back over to the computer. “I’ll try one more email, but if that doesn’t work, my regular cell gets better service so I’ll have no choice but to use it.”
She followed him and was relieved to see that Jenna had responded. “What did she say?”
Nate read Jenna’s message out loud. “‘Happy to help, but have no clue what any of this stuff looks like. I’ll distract the guys watching the place so you can go in and get what you need.’”
Melissa straightened and glanced at him. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” She hated the thought of Nate putting himself in danger.
She read over his shoulder as he typed a response.
Sounds like a plan. What time can we meet?
Jenna quickly replied back.
I swapped for a day shift today, so how about when I’m off work, maybe around 4:30? I’ll meet you at my place.
Sounds good. See you then.
Nate sent off his reply, and once again, Melissa squashed a flash of jealousy. He’d made a point of explaining that he and Jenna were friends and colleagues, nothing more. So why did the familiarity between them bother her?
Quite honestly, it shouldn’t.
“So, what should we do in the meantime?” Melissa asked.
Nate glanced at his watch. “I’m sure Hailey needs to eat lunch soon, right?” When she nodded in agreement, he continued, “We’re almost two hours from Brookmont, so we’ll head in as soon as we finish eating.”
“All right,” she agreed. “It wouldn’t hurt to drive past the restaurant to see if anyone is there who we recognize.”
“I think that’s a good idea. I really don’t like dragging you and Hailey with me, but I’m not sure that leaving you here alone is a good option.”
“I’d rather go with you,” she said hastily. “Between the two of us, I’m sure we can protect Hailey.”
Nate nodded, but there was a troubled expression in his eyes as if he had doubts about the plan.
Too bad. No way was she letting him go off on his own, leaving her and Hailey here to wonder what was going on.
Melissa draped Hailey’s hat, scarf and mittens around the heat vent near the floor so they would be dry by the time they needed to leave. Then they played another game of Chutes and Ladders before heading back into the kitchen to make soup and sandwiches for lunch. She’d been touched by the fact that Nate had insisted on cleaning up the breakfast dishes. She hadn’t had anyone helping her with the chores since Jeremy died.
Although if she were honest, Jeremy hadn’t really helped out in the kitchen much. He was a good man, and she believed he’d have been a great father, even though he hadn’t been given that chance.
She remembered praying in church those first few months after his death as she’d grown large with his child, trying to make sense of God’s plan. Her pastor had helped a lot, but it wasn’t until now that she realized maybe this was all happening just the way God intended.
Had He brought her and Nate together for a reason? Something other than finding out about the murder she’d witnessed?
She’d been disappointed that Nate hadn’t joined them outside, assuming that it was more than just working on the investigation that had kept him away.
Despite how great he was with Hailey, she didn’t get the sense that he relished the idea of being a role model for her daughter. Which was a little odd, considering that he had a great relationship with his dad.
“I’ll clean up,” Nate said when they’d finished their meal.
“We’ll finish faster if we do it together,” she pointed out. “Hailey, why don’t you get your handheld computer game for the car ride?”
“Okay,” Hailey agreed. The little girl disappeared into the bedroom to fetch what she needed.
Nate didn’t say much as he washed the dishes. She placed the leftover soup in the fridge before picking up the dish towel to begin drying.
“Do you really think using the cameras and microphones will work?” she asked in an effort to break the strained silence.
“I hope so,” Nate said in a grim tone. “We need something more to go on. Finding the man who’d been murdered didn’t help as much as I’d hoped.”
“I know,” she agreed with a sigh. “I wonder if the interior of the restaurant has changed over time.”
Nate shrugged. “They renovated the kitchen a few years back, but I think the layout of the dining room is basically the same.”
“That will help,” she murmured. She could already envision the best places to plant the cameras and listening devices.
But first they needed to get the equipment out of Nate’s house.
The time was close to one thirty before they were on the road, heading back toward civilization. The two-hour drive seemed to fly by as their car ate up the miles. Nate exited the interstate and took side streets until they reached the restaurant.
Melissa twisted her fingers together as he first drove past the restaurant and then circled around to pull into the parking lot.
He sat there for a moment, staring out through the windshield.
She put her hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”
“That’s my uncle’s car,” Nate said, gesturing to an expensive SUV parked near the front door. “I assume some of the others are here, too. Unfortunately, I don’t know what the chief of police drives these days. You were right. They must still meet here on a regular basis.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to make him feel better. And she thought it was creepy that these men were still holding meetings here. Did that mean whatever criminal activities they were involved in had continued over the years? The thought made her feel sick.
After several long minutes, Nate put the vehicle in Reverse and backed out of the parking lot. “Looks like we’ll get there early,” she said, attempting to lighten things up.
“Yeah, I know.” He drove toward the meeting point, showing her his place along the way. Melissa was dismayed to realize just how close to his female coworker he lived.
Jenna joined them about twenty minutes later, earlier than they’d originally planned. Nate got out of the car and went over to talk to her, while Melissa tried to be patient.
She was glad to see that they seemed to be all business, speaking only for a few minutes before Nate came jogging back to the car.
“I need you to drive,” he said, opening the passenger-side door and holding out the keys. “Jenna will give us a few minutes to get in position before confronting the vehicle that’s parked a few doors down from my place.”
“Okay.” Melissa took the keys and slid out to go around to the driver’s side. She adjusted the seat for her shorter legs and then followed Nate’s directions to the street behind his place.
“I want you to drive around for about five minutes,” Nate said as he slid out of the seat. “My house is right behind this white one. It won’t take me long to get what I need. I’ll meet you back here, okay?”
“Got it.” She forced a smile, glad that thanks to the winter solstice, darkness was already starting to fall. Within moments Nate disappeared into the shadows.
Melissa gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove, committing the street names to memory. The five-minute drive seemed to drag on forever, but soon she pulled up to the curb where she’d dropped Nate off.
Her heart pounded with nervousness as she peered out, searching for Nate. It was probably a good thing that the windows in the white house that butted up against Nate’s were dark, indicating no one was home. But where was he? Had Jenna’s diversion worked? What if he’d been caught?
Melissa belatedly realized that there was no way for Nate—or Jenna, for that matter—to get in touch with her if something bad had happened. She had her disposable phone, but neither one of them had the number.
One minute ticked by and then another. Her stomach tightened with concern.
Where in the world was Nate?