Chapter
Eight
That night Mia’s feet pounded the pavement as she ran the winding jogging trails at Piedmont Park. She wasn’t an avid runner, but she did enjoy jogging to clear her head, especially in the cooler weather. She’d tried other forms of exercising, but nothing helped her like a good jog. Taking in a deep breath of cool air, she let it fill her lungs.
As beads of sweat started to slide down her face, she replayed the conversation she’d had yesterday with Nancy. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more: the possibility that Chase had actually been dating Nancy, or that he might have hidden it from her.
She racked her brain, trying to think of any clues that Chase had been having a secret relationship, but she couldn’t come up with anything. Chase wasn’t chatty about his love life, but given their work lifestyles, she didn’t think he had much time for anything remotely serious. Nancy had made it seem like they were on the brink of marriage, and Mia wasn’t buying it.
She realized that from the outside, people might think she was jealous. But it wasn’t like that. She just didn’t want to believe that one of her closest friends had been dating a woman like Nancy. Every word that came from her mouth seemed poisonous. Mia was trying her best not to surround herself with people like that these days.
Mia pushed herself to up the tempo, willing her legs to move faster, trying to sweat out all the stress bombarding her. It didn’t help that Nancy had also twisted the screw by commenting on what people at the firm thought about Mia.
She felt like she’d lost all perspective. She was usually so level-headed and guarded with her emotions. After Chase’s murder, the world seemed like it was crashing down on her. Now she had a team of associates who clearly didn’t want to work for her and didn’t seem to respect her. She had no idea how much Nancy had stirred the pot before Mia even came into the meeting, but after giving it some thought, it seemed like a distinct possibility.
Mia would have to figure out a way to be a true leader and get them on her side. She’d never convince Nancy, but she could win over the others. Nancy clearly had a different agenda. Mia even considered the possibility that Nancy might be mentally unstable—and that idea scared her. Could Nancy have hurt Chase? The evidence didn’t point in that direction, but Mia had a queasy feeling about things.
As far as the rest of the team, maybe she’d try to have more one-on-one meetings instead of group sessions. That way she could build a relationship with each of them. Why did it bother her so much what they thought of her? Maybe because she didn’t want to let Chase down, and they clearly had respected him so much.
Mia was tired of these thoughts, and for a minute just focused on pushing her body to its limit as she wound down the trail in the park. She’d gone farther than she had originally intended, but it was all for the best.
As she rounded the next corner, a tall man jumped out in front of her, startling her. She tried to go around him, thinking it was just a mistake by someone running the opposite direction.
But before she could get out of his way, the man grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the ground. She landed with a thud on her back and yelped in surprise and pain.
He approached, looming over her, wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, and a ball cap pulled down low over his eyes. He gripped her arms and lifted her off the ground before slamming her back down again, knocking the breath out of her.
He leaned down so that his face was only inches from hers and squeezed his hands tightly around her neck. His stale breath made her sick. “You need to stop asking questions and mind your own business. Do you understand?”
She looked into his eyes, and a flash of recognition hit. She’d seen this man before.
Fear shot through her, but with the fear was bubbling rage. She was not going to let this man hurt her more than he already had. She’d taken an entire summer of self-defense classes a few years ago with some women from AWA. And now she was going to put it all into practice.
She raked her nails as hard as she could down his cheeks, drawing blood. He howled and staggered back a step, releasing her throat, and she started screaming at the top of her lungs. He reached down again, trying to grab on to her, and she lashed out with her feet, forcing him to dodge.
She jumped to her feet, and when he started to come at her again, she gave him a swift kick in the groin before turning and running as fast as she could—still screaming for help.
It wasn’t long before she met a couple of male joggers coming from the other direction. They stopped when she called to them. Her entire body was shaking.
“Are you okay?” one of the men asked.
“No. No, I’m not.” She tried to catch her breath. “We need to call the police. I was just attacked.”
Noah walked into the Midtown precinct of the Atlanta police department. He’d gotten a call from Cooper that Mia was being interviewed about an incident that had taken place tonight. Details were really sketchy, but apparently Mia had called Sophie in a panic.
When Cooper had contacted him, Noah felt the need to go down to the station to check on Mia. Yeah, they weren’t exactly close, especially given the circumstances right now, but Cooper and Landon were on an overnight assignment in south Georgia, and it seemed like Mia could use some help.
Noah greeted a couple of officers and explained the situation—making sure to include the fact that he was former ATF. He waited a couple of minutes, and then Mia emerged with a man who was presumably a detective, based on his suit.
When her big brown eyes met his, they widened in surprise. “Noah.”
He immediately noticed the bandage on her neck. There were also some scratches on her arms.
“Ms. Shaw, do you have a way to get home, or should we take you?” the detective asked.
Without hesitation, Noah answered, “I can take her.”
The officer looked to Mia for her approval. She nodded. “Thank you, Detective Sykes.”
“We’ll be in touch to follow up.” Detective Sykes gave Noah a little nod and left the two of them alone.
Noah placed his hand gently on Mia’s shoulder. “What happened?”
She bit her bottom lip. “Can you please get me out of here? Then I’ll explain.”
“Sure.”
He walked close by her side as he led her out of the precinct and escorted her to his Jeep. She was visibly shaken, and anger bubbled up inside him as he wondered who had hurt her.
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
Mia shook her head. “Can we go somewhere else and talk?”
“How about my place? I’m only a few minutes away in the Highlands. No one will mess with you there. I guarantee it.”
“Thank you.”
She sat in silence while he made the quick drive from Midtown to the popular Virginia-Highland neighborhood. He’d bought his classic bungalow when he left the ATF and started his own business. He loved the area, as he could walk to restaurants and shops, and he was only a couple of minutes from their office downtown.
“Let’s get you inside.”
He took her gently by the arm, and they walked up the steps onto his big front porch. He opened the door for her, and she stepped inside.
“Come into the living room and sit down.”
She took a seat on his large beige couch.
“Do you want some water or Coke?” he offered. “Or I could make coffee.”
“Water would be good for now.”
He left her alone for a minute so he could grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. He was ready to learn what had happened to her, but he didn’t want to push her. He purposely gave her a moment to collect herself. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as well before heading back into the living room. The last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable by being too amped up.
Noah stepped into the room and handed Mia the bottle of water.
“I don’t even know where to begin,” she said breathlessly.
“Just take it one step at a time,” he encouraged her.
“I’ve been feeling stressed out from everything that has happened—Chase’s murder, obviously, and now taking over his case—so I decided to go for a jog in Piedmont Park. Everything was going fine, and then all of a sudden a man jumped out of the trees and threw me to the ground.”
He could see the distress marring her pretty face. “Take your time, Mia.”
“I fought against him as hard as I could. I scratched his face. By that time, I was in a bit of a rage. I was scared, but even more than that, I was angry that this man was trying to hurt me, and I was not going to let that happen.”
“You were very brave.”
“I kicked him, and then I just started running as fast as I could in the opposite direction, screaming my head off. I saw a couple of joggers, and they helped me call the police right then and there.”
“Did you get a good look at the guy?” Noah asked.
She grimaced. “That’s what I need to talk to you about.”
“Go on.”
“He spoke to me. He told me to stop asking questions. To back off. As I was fighting, I looked up at him. It was pretty dark on the jogging trail, but I looked into his eyes, and I remembered where I had seen him before.” She took a deep breath. “I ran into him getting off the elevator at Chase’s apartment building the night I found Chase’s body.”
Noah’s head snapped to attention. “Are you sure? Did you tell the police?”
She nodded. “Yeah, but I think they thought I was just confused and distressed by the attack. I didn’t press the cops about what he said, though.”
“Why?”
“I needed time to process it. To figure out what it means.”
“Because you think it could help prove David’s innocence.”
She shook her head. “No. I honestly hadn’t gotten that far yet, but I do know that I recognized the man. I don’t think the police actually believed it was the same guy or that there even was a guy at Chase’s place. They believe I’m just confused and too tied up in all of this to think clearly.”
“What did he look like?”
“Well over six feet. Strong but not overly bulky. He wore a hat, so I couldn’t really see that many details, but he was Caucasian, probably in his thirties or forties. His eyes were definitely dark. I gave the best description I could to the police.”
“You did the right thing.” Noah held back all of the anger that threatened to overtake him. What a scumbag to attack an innocent woman like Mia. He wasn’t naïve. He knew that evil existed. He’d seen it too many times in his career. This was just the type of thing that got his blood boiling. “You realize that this bolsters my theory about the militia connection. You told me you’d been making phone calls. Have you done any further follow-up?”
She sniffed. “Yeah. I’ve talked to my DOJ contact a few times, but he’s a good friend. He would never do anything to put me in jeopardy.”
He didn’t think Mia realized just how dangerous those phone calls could be. “It’s more complicated than that. These groups have sources and informants all over the place. All it takes is someone mentioning an inquiry. Your friend could have the best intentions, but if he asks someone who then asks the wrong person, it could get messy. Real messy. And it sounds like that may be exactly what has happened.”
“You think I’m in danger, then?” Her voice cracked.
Noah needed to be honest with her right now to keep her safe. “I think you should be cautious. Please work with me on the ATF angle from now on. You’re putting yourself at risk by asking questions. Do you have a security system?”
She nodded. “Security system may be overstating it a bit, but I have an alarm. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles like Sophie’s, but it’s functional, and I use it all the time, especially since I live alone.” She took another sip of water. “But I live in a nice neighborhood. Lots of families and young couples and some retirees. It’s not exactly a high-crime area, but I realize in Atlanta we have crime everywhere, especially the closer you get to the city.”
“You did the right thing by fighting back today.”
Her face paled. “We learned in my self-defense class that there are ways to fend off attackers even when they’re much stronger.” She paused. “You’ve been a friend to me even though I probably don’t deserve it after how I’ve treated you lately. I’m not sure how I would’ve made it through this alone. This is the second time now that you’ve stepped up and helped me.”
“Don’t give it another thought. Why don’t we get you home? I’ll make sure everything is fine at your house, and then once you get some sleep, I think you’ll feel better.”
“Thank you.” Mia rose from the couch.
Noah knew one thing. No one else was going to harm her tonight.
The next day, Mia sat in Chase’s office, but she couldn’t seem to move out of his chair. The events of last night had taken a toll. She believed deep within her gut that the man who had attacked her was the man she’d seen at Chase’s place. But she also had to come to grips with the fact that if that was true, then McDonald might not be the killer. Or McDonald could have been working with this man as his accomplice. He’d specifically told her to stop asking questions, and the only questions she’d been asking had been about McDonald’s ATF past. Either way, at the end of the day, she wanted the right person to pay for Chase’s death.
Noah was so adamant about McDonald’s innocence. She’d thought this case was open and shut, but she wondered if it was a bit more complicated after all. Could McDonald be innocent? She had more questions now than ever.
There were loose ends that bothered her greatly. Why were Chase’s files in such disarray? It was almost like he’d been looking for something. Or someone else had been looking for something. And then she remembered that Chase’s apartment had been turned upside down. At first, she’d assumed that Chase and McDonald had fought in the living room, but could she have been wrong about that?
If her attacker was also Chase’s killer, then that meant that he’d been looking for something in Chase’s apartment. But what?
She let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Maybe she was grasping at straws, trying to create problems that didn’t even exist. There was no doubt in her mind that she was off her game. She had to find a way to push through this. She couldn’t wallow in self-pity about the attack. She had a case to run—and win. Chase wouldn’t want her to make a mess of it.
She rummaged through his files, planning to pack up all the LCI materials and take them back to her office. It probably wasn’t healthy to spend too long in his office, even though she also felt a connection to him while she was here. She still needed to box up all of his other things, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it just yet. The finality of that act was just too much to deal with. For now, she’d target the LCI files. Harper had given her time, and she couldn’t imagine they were going to put anyone else in this office anytime soon.
As she searched through the desk drawer to gather up all the relevant files, her hand hit something on the bottom of the drawer above. She leaned down and felt around, then grabbed onto the object and pulled it out of the desk.
She stared down at the flash drive that had been taped to the bottom of the drawer. This was weird. She made a mental note to check what documents were on it. It might not have anything to do with the LCI case, but Chase wasn’t normally one to tape his office supplies to his desk. A chill shot down her spine. Things were only getting stranger. Could this have anything to do with his files being a mess?
Grabbing a stack of folders, she made her way back down the hall to her office. It was probably better for her to work there, or people would start talking. That was one thing about the firm: people were always talking. Just like how Nancy was trying to stir things up.
Mia had lost a bit of sleep wondering if people at the firm really thought about her that way. Chase was the person she had been closest to. She actually didn’t consider anyone else at the firm a good friend. But she also didn’t think she had a bad relationship with any of the staff or attorneys. There was no one she would have called an enemy, and she tried her best to be cordial to everyone. That was why Nancy’s claims had caught her so off guard.
Her phone rang, and she was greeted by the sound of Owen’s voice.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“I sent you a summary update last night on where we are with the document review. Did you get that?”
“Yes. And you said nothing harmful had been identified yet, right?”
“Correct. We’ll keep searching.” She was still learning the personalities of all the LCI executives. She wasn’t sure how frank she could be with the business guys, but she felt it was a necessity to be open with Owen. “I know at the meeting everyone said there was nothing to be worried about, but between us, I’d like to ask again. Do you think any of the execs could have anything to hide here?”
“I don’t think you’ll find anything. And my guys say they’re all tidied up.” He paused.
She sensed his hesitation. There was always more to the story in these cases. If there weren’t, her firm wouldn’t have been hired. “You can trust me, Owen. That’s what I’m here for. But I can’t fix what I don’t know about.” This was a dance she’d done many times.
“Howard has been a bit shifty lately. That’s always been part of his personality, and maybe I’m just paranoid. I worry about what we could possibly find in his email.”
She had to push further. “What are you specifically concerned about?”
“I don’t know what I don’t know. And that’s what bothers me. Howard has consistently pushed for settlement since this thing got started, but at the same time, he claims it’s a sham lawsuit. I worry that there could be something out there maybe not even related to this case that he doesn’t want to come out. He’s said some things over the past month about emails and the sensitivity of his work.”
“I imagine he does handle the most sensitive matters, given that you’re a tech company.”
“Yes, Howard and Ed are the two pillars of the technology development that the company does. They’re not only the brains, they’re also business savvy. Without them, LCI wouldn’t be the same company. I’ve never met anyone as brilliant in the tech space as the two of them.” Owen sighed loudly. “I’m probably just spooked, given everything that has happened. I want to make sure we’re on top of things the best way we can be. And as far as I’m concerned, there’s no way I’m going to take this case to the board to settle unless we get a completely reasonable number. I don’t see that happening unless things change significantly. The board would laugh me out of the room right now.”
She looped back to the Howard issue. “Don’t read too much into anything at this point. Everyone gets antsy when they know their entire hard drive has been swept up and people are rummaging through their emails. Unless you have something concrete, don’t worry about it. Leave the worrying to me, and if the team finds anything questionable at all, you’ll be the very first to know.”
“Thank you, Mia. Keep up the good work.”
They ended the call, and Mia was glad that Owen had faith in her. The question was whether she still had faith in herself.