Deadly Setup Page 3

“No,” Mullins said with a casual hitch of his shoulders. “It’s not an unreasonable request. You’re the detective responsible for her brother’s arrest and she is your ex-girlfriend.”

  Irrelevant from Seth’s perspective. His jaw clenched in exasperation. It was his case, and no one would do a better job investigating Paige’s accident than him. Especially not Brett Ralston. He’d been a friend of Trey’s, but like the rest of local law enforcement, he’d seen the evidence and believed Trey was guilty. Like that wasn’t a conflict of interest for her, too.

  “Seth, I’m sorry.”

  Seth didn’t comment. Didn’t protest. If Paige didn’t want him on her case, fine.

  Mullins studied him, eyes narrowed. “Are you going to be okay with this?”

  Like he had a choice. Seth lifted a shoulder. “Sure. Absolutely.”

  “Good to hear.” Mullins’s face brightened. “Because we’ve been drowning around here since you’ve been gone. Now that you’re back, I have some things I’d like for you to get started—”

  “Hold on, Chief.” Seth waved a staying hand. “You were right when you said I’m still on vacation. And for the next week I plan to stay away from the office and out of sheriff’s department business.” He never should have stopped last night.

  “But—”

  “See you later, Chief.” Seth lifted his hand in a saucy salute and turned to walk out of the office. Now more than ever he needed time off. To unwind, get some work done and hopefully forget about Paige.

  * * *

  Paige walked down the sidewalk toward Boone Auto Body and Wrecker, trying to keep pace with Deputy Detective Brett Ralston of the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department. After a restful night, she was feeling the effects from her accident. Her limbs were stiff, body achy. But she wasn’t complaining. At least she was out of the hospital. A couple ibuprofen and she’d be fine.

  Instinctively, she reached for her shoulder bag, then realized it wasn’t there. Her heart sank, reality settling in. Her purse and other personal things had been left inside her car. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled. Hopefully, her items had been recovered by the wrecker service.

  Boone Auto Body and Wrecker was an older establishment that had been in business for decades. She entered the ancient brick building through a set of dingy glass doors and into a small waiting area. Everything around her was well worn, from the weathered wood reception desk to the cracked orange-vinyl chairs. The smell of grease and oil seasoned the air.

  She blinked as tears bit her eyes. This was the final resting place for her spunky little Jeep, her first purchase after she graduated from college.

  No big deal, she told herself. It was only a car. Still, she couldn’t hold in a weary sigh.

  “Are you okay?” Brett raised his bushy brows beneath his combed-back blond hair.

  Okay was a relative term. She bit her lower lip. Leaning against one of the weathered wood pillars, she managed a nod.

  A short, pudgy woman came around the corner carrying a cardboard box. “Miss Becker, here are the things recovered from your car.”

  Paige riffled through the menagerie of items. She hadn’t realized how much stuff she’d crammed into her handbag, which had obviously erupted like a volcano on impact. Besides her wallet, most items in her purse were trivial—receipts, candy, pens, markers, even a few stray tubes of lip gloss. Several other items from her car were in the box as well—an umbrella, her Bible and a small satchel of paperwork, even her ring of keys. But where was her—

  “Is that everything, Paige?”

  Paige snapped her head up at Brett’s question. “My phone. It’s missing.”

  They both turned to look at the young woman behind the front desk, her name tag reading Lisa.

  “Everything was removed from the car,” Lisa said. “The wrecker brought it in early this morning and everything left of it has been stripped. The seats, carpet, even the dash is gone.”

  “Gone?”

  “Anything that can be salvaged is taken out. Then everything else goes to scrap. You’re fortunate we found what we did.”

  Paige’s heart sank. The one thing she needed was gone.

  “It shouldn’t be too hard to get a replacement phone,” Brett said.

  Except her notes and the numbers for friends and family of Madison’s that she wanted to contact were on that phone.

  “Please sign this form, acknowledging receipt of your belongings,” Lisa said, handing her a clipboard.

  Paige scribbled her name on the line marked with an X, then started gathering her things, stuffing them back in her bag. Memories flashed in her head, errant bits and pieces of the night before—the storm, the truck, her Jeep tumbling down into the ravine. Just as quickly her thoughts switched to her brother, locked behind bars for a crime he’d never commit. Her mind fixed on that reality.

  She wasn’t going to let the loss of her vehicle or a cell phone stop her from uncovering the truth. Lord willing.

  Later that day, sometime after three, she walked out of the phone store, her new cell phone tucked in her purse. She stepped through the arched portals of the Blue Ridge Marketplace, an outdoor shopping area of home-style restaurants and retail shops.

  The anxiety-ridden adrenaline of the last twenty-four hours finally started to subside. Paige drew in a deep breath and let it out as she worked on getting her thoughts in order.

  Ever since she could remember, her brother had been her protector. Their single mom took off when they were young, and although they were left in their grandmother’s care, it was Trey who watched over her. Growing up, he made sure she had what she needed and never wanted her to worry about anything.

  Even now with his freedom hanging in the balance, he wanted to protect her, which was why he’d tried to distance her from his case.

  Paige, I don’t want you to put your life and career on hold for me. Trey’s oft repeated words rang in her head. She was twenty-eight, not a little girl anymore, and a counselor. Caring for others was her job. And who better to care for her brother?

  Despite her brother’s attempt to shield her from his troubles, she refused to sit by any longer. After months of constant badgering, Trey finally broke during her last visit with him and answered questions about Madison, her friends and family.

  Although Trey and Madison had been married nearly a year, Paige never really knew her sister-in-law well. Madison stayed somewhat elusive when it came to Trey’s family and friends. In fact she quickly pulled Trey into her world. A world built around her mother, brother and the family business.

  Paige couldn’t stop the surge in her heartbeat when she thought about how distant her brother had become after he got involved with Madison. If it hadn’t been for Seth’s love and support—

  Whoa! Enough. Paige stomped down those thoughts and hurried along the sidewalk. She had a job to do and no time to waste wallowing in the past. Tomorrow would be here before she knew it, and she had more important things to think about than Seth—like figuring out who’d killed Madison.

  She entered the parking deck and traversed the enclosed flight of switchback stairs that led to the fifth floor, where her rental car was parked. Two years earlier, city officials granted approval for this midtown shopping complex to be built. After months of delays, construction finally began just about the time she was leaving.

  So much had changed in the ten months she’d been gone. Her picturesque little mountain town was moving up in the world.

  Without her.

  A wave of sadness swelled inside her. Paige shook it away and continued up the narrow stairs. As she approached the third-floor landing, her feet faltered, stopped cold by a thunderous metallic clank, which reverberated from several floors below her.

  Paige grabbed the handrail.

  A moment later, heavy footfalls sounded, reining in her panic. She heaved a silent sigh of relief. A door slamming. It was just someone heading to their car.

  Stop being so edgy, she ordered herself.

 
Yesterday’s storm and all the chaos that followed still had her on edge. She took a deep breath and willed herself to relax. She started back up the steps but didn’t get far before a faint, muffled voice echoed up the stairwell.

  Heart tripping, Paige strained her ear to listen.

  A long second ticked by. Then she heard it again, a voice reverberating off the concrete walls and up through the stairwell. It sounded like her name.

  Fear slashed through Paige. Once again, her mind flashed to the accident the night before. Would someone be so brazen as to come after her in broad daylight? In a busy shopping area?

  At the thought, her pulse ratcheted higher. She didn’t plan to wait around and see. She hurtled up the stairs to the next landing but halted as another thought sprang to life. What if it wasn’t her name she’d heard but a cry for help?

  Before she let fear seep back in, Paige spun around and grabbed hold of the railing. “Hello? Is everything okay?” she called out, pitching her voice to carry through the stairwell.

  In the silence that followed her ear picked up a deep raspy breath. A longer pause and then thump, thump, thump. Pounding footsteps, emulating the deep thrum of her own heartbeat.

  Fresh panic spiraled through her as Seth’s words raced through her head: Don’t wait until something goes wrong. If you feel uncomfortable in a situation, get out of there.

  When would she learn? Yesterday, she’d wasted too much time analyzing the situation and she’d ended up in a ravine.

  Lord, help me. Paige zigged and zagged up two more flights as footsteps pounded from behind her. Her shoulder bag banged into her side, spurring her on. Out of breath, she hit the fifth-floor landing and flung open the door.

  Whack! The sound echoed as the metal door met resistance, followed by, “Hey! Watch it.”

  A surge of surprise jumbled with relief swept over Paige at the sound of the deep, rich baritone voice. But when the man stepped around the door, her knees weakened at the sight of him. Seth Garrison.

  * * *

  More and more Seth wished he’d just stayed out of town. Even better, he wished Paige had stayed in Durham. They hadn’t seen each other in over ten months, and now he couldn’t stay out of her way. Literally.

  “Hello, Paige,” Seth said, taking a step forward and holding his hand under his nose to keep the deluge of crimson from pouring out.

  “Seth... I’m so sorry.” Paige stared at him, color rising in her cheeks. “Oh, my. You’re bleeding.” She dug a handful of Art’s Bistro napkins out of her purse, shoving them at him. “I hope you’re okay.”

  He’d live. He sniffed and took the napkins, wiping his nose. Although he had to admit being on the receiving end of Paige’s concern helped dull the pain some. He smiled briefly to ease her mind. “Nothing’s broken. However, I hope throwing doors open like that isn’t part of your new routine.”

  “No—no. Of course not.” Paige swallowed and shot a nervous glance at him. “I was just in hurry.”

  “So I gathered.” Seth stilled, gazing at her. Something flickered in her eyes; it wasn’t just anxiety but fear, putting Seth’s nerves on edge. A protective feeling welled up inside him, liquefying his resolve to keep his distance and stay out of her business.

  He started to ask her a question, then stopped as a coldness seeped through him as common sense reasserted itself.

  Protecting or even consoling Paige wasn’t his responsibility. She’d just had him thrown off her case. She didn’t want his help or concern.

  And he didn’t need the frustration. Let her new detective, Brett Ralston, take care of that.

  Seth weighed that rationale for a split second before concern for Paige won out. No matter that the relationship between them had grown cold, he still cared about her. “So what’s going on that’s made you in such a hurry?”

  Paige stared back at him, her brow knitted. “I’m probably just being paranoid, but I think someone may have been following me.”

  “Following you?” Concern crawled up Seth’s spine. He wiped his hands and trashed the napkins in a bin by the wall. “Let me take a look.”

  Brushing past Paige, Seth stepped into the stairwell. Automatically, he moved his arm to feel the reassuring bulge of his Glock 23 beneath his leather jacket, nestled in its shoulder holster.

  Not that he expected to need it, but he’d learned long ago during his navy SEAL training the value of taking precautions.

  Sunlight streamed in from the open door behind him, illuminating the typically dim space. He crossed the narrow landing in three strides as a dull pounding echoed from below, the sound of heavy-booted feet on the metal stairs.

  Seth leaned over the balustrade and peered down the stairwell to the ground floor. He glimpsed a shadow moving down the steps. His heartbeat kicked up. Maybe Paige wasn’t being paranoid.

  Patterns of short labored breaths echoed back to him through the center stairwell. A moment later, a dark figure loomed into view. He appeared to look around before he stepped from the stairwell onto the concrete first floor.

  Seth craned his neck for a better look. Male. Sturdy build. Baseball cap. He watched as the man threw a fleeting glance back up the staircase before he turned and sprinted away, disappearing into the shadows.

  Alarm slithered up Seth’s spine. He spun and exploded into a run even before he heard the ground-floor door slam. Bypassing Paige, he headed down a row of parked cars toward the east side of the fifth-floor lot.

  “What’s going on?” Paige called to him.

  Without stopping, he yelled back, “Check the front lot and see if anyone is getting into a vehicle or leaving. And let me know what kind of vehicle they’re driving.”

  Seth skidded to an abrupt halt at the block wall at the back edge of the parking deck. Grabbing the edge firmly, he lurched forward and looked down into the lot below, anticipating a dead end. There was a plethora of outdoor parking; the guy could be anywhere. But Seth hoped this remote lot would be the top choice for someone wanting to be out of the public eye.

  Seth’s heart rate surged when his hunch paid off and he spotted a man in a ball cap scurry across the parking lot to a white Ford pickup and climb inside.

  Could this be the same vehicle that ran Paige off the mountain?

  Extended cab. Long bed. Seth grabbed his phone to get a picture. As he adjusted his camera to zero in, the truck took off out of the lot and barreled around the corner. A fresh burst of anger burned in Seth’s gut.

  Who is this guy? He gritted his teeth as that question slammed into his brain.

  Turning his head, he saw Paige hurrying toward him.

  “What is it?” she asked, her eyes wide.

  Seth took an uneasy breath and pocketed his cell phone. “I saw someone in the stairwell. He left through the ground-floor exit. I had hoped to get a look at him.”

  “Did you see him?” Paige glanced over her shoulder to the parking lot below.

  “Only a glimpse,” Seth said. “Just before he took off in a white pickup.”

  Her startled green gaze swung back to him. “Long bed and extended cab?”

  He nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

  “I knew it.” She breathed in, issuing a tremulous smile of relief. “It has to be the same creep that ran me off the road.”

  Despite the concern weighing heavy in his chest, Seth smiled back. Everything was speculative, but Paige’s intuition about someone trying to hurt her was taking on more credibility. The question was, who was that someone? “I’ll make sure to update Detective Ralston on what happened today, now that he’s the detective on your case.”

  Paige brightened further, offering a short nod. She didn’t seem to notice his little dig. Not that she owed him anything. Although, given the way their conversation went last night, it was probably just as well he wasn’t running her investigation. They’d butted heads more than they’d discussed her case. Hardly productive.

  “Now that we have a possible make and color of a vehicle, will that be
enough to narrow down a suspect?”

  Seth heard the hope in her voice, and as he looked up, she took a step closer. He caught the scent of her perfume. Vanilla.

  Soothing and sweet. The Paige he remembered.

  And with her sweet scent came a slew of uninvited memories, a blast of slide-show images flashing in his mind. But rather than letting them linger, Seth squashed them, slamming the book on that chapter of his life. Some things in life couldn’t be undone. And a failed relationship was one of them.

  Yep. Good thing he wasn’t on her case.

  Seth unclenched his teeth and eased back a step, putting some more distance between them. “We’re dealing with a very common vehicle. Things could take time.”

  Paige deflated a little. “I guess it wasn’t much of a lead after all.”

  “It’s a start and will get the ball rolling.” Seth came back, adding, “Every clue matters.” At least to him. Although he was no longer running Paige’s investigation.

  Her lips quirked upward, and she brightened again.

  The knot of uneasiness in Seth’s gut ballooned into a boulder at Paige’s easy smile. Even in his attempt to encourage her, he worried she wasn’t concerned enough about her own safety. Instead, she focused on saving her brother—at all costs. Seth sighed, folding his arms over his chest. “In the meantime, Paige, you should consider going back to Durham to lie low for a while, at least until after Trey’s trial.”

  “You’re kidding,” Paige said, a bewildered expression on her face as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “Unless my brother’s case will be reopened and the investigation into Madison’s murder gets underway again, I won’t be going anywhere.”

  Seth unfolded his arms, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his bomber jacket, wishing she’d be reasonable. “Under the present circumstances, I don’t think it’s a good idea to hang around and wait on that possibility.”

  Paige looked at him, her brows scrunched tight. “Someone in Boone obviously wants me dead. Shouldn’t that alone cast some doubt on my brother’s guilt? At least enough to get Madison’s murder investigation rolling again?”

  Seth shifted his weight with a deep breath, an ache settling in his chest as he thought of a more probable explanation for Paige’s attacks. Vengeance.