Chapter 13

 

“You want to search my home? Rifle through my personal possessions?” With a choked sob, she pulled free of his embrace.

“I don’t want to, dammit, I have to.” Chase cleared his throat and thrust his fingers through his hair in an effort to get his emotions in check. “Look, it’s my job. I don’t always like it, but I swore to uphold the law. I have to follow every lead even if it kills me to do so.”

She seemed to consider his words, though her expression remained mutinous. “But you believe me, right?”

He did. Even knowing the bracelet was indeed in her bedroom—exactly where Jimmy insinuated it would be. “I do.”

Her expression softened. “Good.” She turned and slowly paced the room, her arms crossed and shoulders slightly hunched, her eyes flitting around though not settling on anything in particular.

Hannah was a lot more troubled than she let on, Chase realized, and a stab of uncertainly hit him square in the chest. He hated himself for feeling even one iota of doubt when it came to this amazing woman. But his gut instinct told him something wasn’t quite right; that she had lied to him…he just didn’t know about what.

He glanced at her shiner again as a bad feeling settled in his chest. When she’d claimed to have tripped and fallen yesterday, Chase hadn’t thought much about it since Hannah had always been a bit of a klutz. But what if she’d been covering up for something—or someone? What if Jimmy had been waiting for Chase to leave yesterday so he could confront her? Hell, what if he’d been the reason Chase had been called away on that false report?

But why would Jimmy go to so much trouble simply to talk to her? They’d been over for months…unless Jimmy had, in fact, stolen Lindy’s bracelet, just as Lindy always suspected—and planted it in Hannah’s bedroom, just as Chase suspected. Could Jimmy have been trying to win her back and became angry when she shot him down? Big ego, little man.

His jaw tensed as the thought of Jimmy striking Hannah took root. If Chase discovered that little prick had laid a single finger on her, there wouldn’t be a place on earth he could hide.

Chase just prayed Jimmy’s fingerprints would be found on the pie box they’d fished out of the Russo’s trash.

“Fine. But Chase? I want you to do it. The search, I mean. It’ll feel less…like a violation.”

If she only knew, he thought as he picked up the phone to call Mike into his office.

 

* * *

 

Hannah could only stare in dumbfounded shock as Chase pulled a bracelet she’d never seen before from her special box in the dresser. He held it up, his face devoid of expression as he read aloud what she assumed to be an inscription.

“To Melinda With Love – M&D.” He lifted his gaze. “Hannah, if you didn’t take this bracelet, then I need you to explain to me how it ended up in your room.”

An odd numbness settled over her before her pulse kicked into high gear. “This is crazy. I’ve never stolen anything in my entire life. And I sure as hell wouldn’t steal from a friend. Lindy isn’t only Drew’s fiancé; she’s become like a sister to me.”

“But this bracelet went missing months ago,” Mike pointed out. “Long before Drew and Lindy were serious.”

Hannah couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her face heated with anger as blood rushed to her cheeks. “I repeat:  I’ve never stolen anything in my life.”

Chase dropped the bracelet into a small evidence bag and sealed it before handing it over to Mike. Officer Cooper had also accompanied them, but Chase had him busy searching downstairs. “For the record, I believe you. Which means Jimmy had to have planted it.”

Her relief swift, Hannah covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh, my God, that’s it! Jimmy must have planted it in my room.”

“But when would he have had the opportunity,” Chase immediately countered. “You haven’t seen him in months. Right?”

She resisted the urge to touch the tender, bruised flesh beneath her eye. A painful reminder of what a liar she’d become. “No, I haven’t seen him. But…he could have broken in while we were at work. I mean, he would’ve had plenty of opportunities lately with Drew and my dad gone.”

“True.” Chase and Mike exchanged looks, which unnerved her for some reason. Chase said, “I’m going to have to bring you in for a formal questioning, and I’ll give my dad a call on the way. He’s one of the best defense attorneys in the state.”

They escorted Hannah downstairs where Coop was busy searching through her mother’s china cabinet. Chase strode over and spoke quietly with him for a minute. The officer nodded and turned to cast her a quick, curious look before closing the cabinet and leaving through the front door.

At least they’d been respectful of her home. For that, she was grateful. But it did little to assuage the feeling of betrayal she felt toward Jimmy. He’d planted that bracelet in her room as insurance. As soon as the cops picked him up for questioning, he put his plan in motion to set her up. Hannah didn’t know whether to scream or cry. No one had to tell her how serious this could become if Chase failed to find evidence to discredit Jimmy’s claim against her.

She considered simply telling him the truth about Jimmy’s visit yesterday, but again, fear kept her lips sealed. At least until Chase found the evidence needed to clear her name and put that disgusting ex of hers behind bars. Hannah had complete confidence in Chase’s abilities as a cop. Unfortunately, she also knew he’d blow a gasket if she told him the truth about her injury and would no doubt beat Jimmy to within an inch of his life.

Chase came up beside her and gripped her waist. “It’s going to be okay. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let Jimmy get away with this,” he said, knowing her better than anyone.

She leaned into his side, but couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “I’m just happy you believe me.”

“I know you’re not a thief. But in light of the evidence…” Chase blew out a reluctant breath and pulled back to look her in the eye. “I’m going to have to place you under arrest.”

Hannah knew it was coming. She gave a curt nod and drew on her inner strength to keep the tears at bay. Last thing she wanted to do was make this harder on Chase by falling apart.

Mike stepped forward and put a hand on Chase’s shoulder. “Why don’t you let me take care of this while you give your father a call?”

Chase held her gaze in question. Hannah smiled reassuringly. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. Give your dad a call. I really would feel better having him at my side when I face the judge.”

Hesitation flickered in the depths of those golden-green eyes. He nodded, gave her arm a quick squeeze, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket and stormed out the front door.

Mike read Hannah her Miranda rights quickly and efficiently. Ignoring the tears burning her eyes, she preceded him from the house.

Chase stood next to the driver’s side of their squad car, still on the phone. He disconnected as they walked up. “My dad should be here in about an hour. I’ll have you wait in my office until he arrives.”

“I don’t want you giving me preferential treatment.”

“So I should slap some cuffs on you, throw you in a cell?”

His sarcasm bordered on fury, which only fanned her own temper. “If that’s normal procedure, then yes.”

Their gazes held for one heat-charged moment. Then Chase muttered under his breath and yanked open the rear driver’s side door. “Just get in the car.”

Annoyed by his tone—not to mention mortified to have had Mike witness the contention between them—it was all Hannah could do to keep her tongue planted in her cheek. But she knew this ridiculous situation was every bit as stressful for Chase as it was for her, so she kept her mouth shut and reminded herself how lucky she was to have him on her side—and in her life.

She also reminded herself that she had no right to be angry with him when she was keeping vital information from him. For his own sake, she reminded herself, though it didn’t make her feel any better about lying to the man.

They arrived back at the station by six-thirty. Chase, silent and stoic, escorted her into his office and, after a few quick words with Mike, shut the door and motioned for her to have a seat. She didn’t like this side of Chase; cold, unemotional cop.

Ironic considering she’d practically tossed his tender loving care in his face when she claimed to not want preferential treatment.

“Chase, I’m sorry for my ungrateful attitude earlier. I was scared and angry and…well, I’ve never been in trouble with the law before.”

His expression softened. He leaned back against the corner of his desk and crossed his arms. “I know, honey. And I want to do everything in my power to get you through it. I don’t want to scare you more than you already are, but felony burglary is a serious charge. If we can’t find a way to prove that bracelet was planted, and Lindy decides to press charges, you could be facing jail time.”

Her pulse quickened as his words sank in and she dropped down onto the chair. Prison time? Her heart plummeted into her stomach at the thought. And not only that, but having to explain this all to her father and Drew. What a nightmare. Though she couldn’t be sure about Lindy since they had only known each other a short time, Hannah knew neither her father or brother would doubt her innocence, even in light of the so-called evidence. But it would kill her father if she did end up behind bars. And Drew would find a way to blame himself; he and Lindy would have this hanging over their relationship.

She had to tell him about Jimmy’s visit. Too much was at stake now for her to justify keeping the secret any longer.

“Chase, I have something—”

The phone on his desk rang. Chase picked it up before the second ring. “Hello?”

He eyeballed her in an odd way as he listened to the person on the other end of the call. After a couple “Is she sure?” and a “Got it, thanks.” Chase tossed the receiver back in its cradle and walked across the room to shut the blinds. No catcalls or laughing followed this time.

When he finally turned to face her, Hannah could read the hurt and fury from a mile away.

She stood. “What is it; what’s wrong?”

“Seems we might have an eye witness who can place Jimmy at your house yesterday.”

Oh, no. “I…Who is it?”

He strode forward until he was practically toe to toe with her. “Mrs. Burant. She was out back pulling weeds when she saw Jimmy hop the fence into your backyard. When she asked him what he was doing, he claimed you two were back together and that you had invited him over.”

“That’s a lie! I had no idea he was…”

When she didn’t finish her reply, Chase supplied, “Coming over?”

Unable to stem the flow of tears this time, Hannah nodded miserably.

“Dammit, Hannah, you lied to me! Why? I mean, the obvious answer is you’re still carrying a torch for the guy. But after last night…could I be that big an idiot?”

“Of course not! I love you, and I loathe Jimmy. You have to believe me.”

“I don’t know what to believe. I feel like a damn fool.”

A fresh surge of anger came roaring forward as she gave his chest a shove. “You are a fool, Sheriff, if you believe a word Jimmy says. Yes, I lied to you about him being in the house yesterday, but only because I was afraid of what you might do if I told you the truth.” She reached up to lightly finger her bruised eye.

Chase let out a low curse as her implication set in. “The bastard hit you, didn’t he? I knew it. My gut told me your story about tripping didn’t make sense, but I couldn’t think of a single reason you’d lie to me.” He swiped his hand through his hair and looked away for a moment, as if to get his emotions in check. “Why, Dimples? Why would you protect that piece of shit?”

“He didn’t hit me…exactly. And I wasn’t protecting him, I was protecting you.”

“Explain ‘exactly’.”

Her shoulders slumped as her anger dissipated. Forcing herself to make eye contact, she took a deep, ragged breath even as suspicion lingered in those smoky hazel depths.

“You’re protective of me, always have been. It terrified me to think what you might do if you knew Jimmy had—”

“I’m not some hot-headed teenager, Hannah. I can control my temper long enough to do my job.”

She quirked a brow, and though he didn’t smile, the hard lines around his mouth softened.

“Just tell me what happened.”

He’d brought his tone down to a gentle roar, and for that she was grateful. Hannah sat back down and wrapped her arms around herself. “I started the bath water and went into my room to grab a book. The closet door flew open, and there stood Jimmy.”

“That gutless sonofabitch.”

Hannah silently concurred. “He starts talking about how he put a down payment on a place for us, and moving in together…as if the last six months didn’t happened. For the first time, I realized he must be delusional or something. I told him I knew exactly how he got that money and he…made the connection to you.”

“Dammit, Hannah—”

“I know, and I’m sorry! But Jimmy knows how much Hutch means to me, and I didn’t want him to think he’d gotten away with stealing from him.”

“Look, I get it. I understand. But if we can’t come up with something to charge him with—and in light of this new evidence it’s a very real possibility—he’ll go into hiding. He’d be stupid not to. And then it could take weeks to find him. Maybe even months. How am I supposed to prove your innocence if the prime suspect is nowhere to be found?”

Tears welled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks before she could swipe them away.

“Ah, hell, Dimples.” Chase knelt down before her and cupped the back of her head. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in gentle support. “Honey, I promise I won’t give up until I prove that weasel framed you. But right now I need you to finish telling me what happened. Any detail, no matter how small, can make a difference.”

Hannah gazed up at him and wondered how she’d gotten so lucky. This incredible man loved her. And more important—he believed her. “Jimmy said the only way I could know he was a suspect is if you’d told me, and that we must be sleeping together for that to be the case.”

“The man’s a pig. I’ll never understand what the hell you saw in him.”

“He was the anti-you,” she admitted. “I’d been waiting forever for you to notice me, and when Drew mentioned you were seeing Serena Hightower, I knew I didn’t have a chance in hell.”

He smoothed his knuckles across her cheek. “Serena has nothing on you, honey. Nothing.”

She cleared her throat as his hot gaze warmed her to the core. “Are you sure you want me to continue?”

That fierceness returned to his eyes. “Yes.”

She dropped her gaze to her lap, hating like hell to have to finish this particular tale. “He, uh, grabbed me, tried to kiss me. Made a crude comment or two. I told him we were through, that I wanted nothing more to do with him, but he didn’t take it well. He grew angrier, tried to force…”

When her words trailed off, Chase shot to his feet with a muttered curse. His hands fisted, and Hannah watched as he pulled himself together and turned back to face her. “I tried to warn you, dammit, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Hannah nodded miserably as fresh tears pooled in her eyes, and she grew angry with herself for such weakness. “You were right. I mean, I truly believed it when I told you he could never harm a woman that way. But yesterday…Chase, I saw it in his eyes. He would have forced me.”

Chase tugged her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “Honey, I swear to you I will never let that bastard touch you again. He won’t get within a hundred feet of you as long as I’m drawing breath.”

“Your arms are the only place I feel safe anymore,” she whispered against his chest. “Never let me go, Chase.”

“Not a chance,” he whispered right back, his voice gruff. “Hannah, I have to know. Did Jimmy...hit you?”

She nodded, reluctant to meet his gaze. “He slapped me, but then seemed to suddenly snap out of it. It was as if he were two different people, and I swear I’ve never seen that side of him before. He apologized and grabbed my arm to keep me from running out of there. He seemed remorseful; swore he never meant to hurt me. I tried to pull free at the exact moment he let me go, and the rest of what I told you is true. I fell and smacked my face on the nightstand. Of course, that’s when we heard you pull up into the driveway, so I told him to get the hell out and never come back.”

Chase pulled back to look her in the eye. “I still don’t understand why you lied to me. He could have come back and…” He gave his head a disbelieving shake and swiped his fingers through his hair. “Hell, I can’t even think about it or I’m going to put my fist through the wall.”

“I’m sorry. I was an idiot not to tell you.” Hannah tightened her grip around him as shame prickled her face. “It’s just…I know how you feel about him, and with good reason. I was so afraid you’d go tearing off after him, beat him to within an inch of his life, and—”

“The bastard deserves much worse after everything he’s done. To you, Hutch, Lindy. He’s an animal who needs to be put down.”

Jaw clenched, his eyes darkened as his expression hardened. A frisson of fear trickled up Hannah’s spine at the thought of what Chase still might do given the opportunity. “Or locked up. And that’s another reason I didn’t tell you. After going on and on about how Jimmy could never hurt a woman, I was shocked; mortified. This guy I thought I knew so well was every bit the monster you’d said he was. Not the misunderstood loner I’d always thought him to be.”

Before Chase could offer a reply, his cell phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller ID. An indistinguishable emotion crossed his face. “My dad’s here. You ready to face the judge?”