Deadly Setup Page 6

  “Amy Miles, the woman who works for him,” Paige said, the concern in her voice escalating on each spoken word. “She was very uneasy when I arrived at the antique mart today. She said Gentry would be upset to see me there. He obviously doesn’t keep his hatred for Trey or even me a secret from his staff.”

  Amy Miles. Seth knew that name. Stopping beside his truck, he thought back over the files he’d briefed today. He pulled open the passenger door for Paige. “Wasn’t Miss Miles a close friend of Madison’s?”

  “Yes.” Paige nodded and then proceeded to tell him about her conversation with Amy and how the woman appeared nervous, even apprehensive about talking to her. Once again Paige had a gut feeling that Amy suspected something, going on to say that Amy had doubts that Trey was Madison’s killer.

  Seth couldn’t suppress his grimace. Wishing she’d stop trying to play detective and start worrying about her own safety.

  A low rumble of thunder punctuated his thought.

  Seth shut Paige’s door as a light drizzle started to fall and then scrambled around the other side as his gut feeling said, yeah right.

  Dread climbed up his back, ramping up his concern, and the urge to protect Paige roared up again. But no matter if he wanted to keep her safe, she wasn’t about to let him back in her life, even on a temporary basis. That alone should have deterred him, but just knowing Paige’s life was in jeopardy trumped any rationale he could come up with.

  He was a doomed man.

  FOUR

  The ride to Paige’s car dragged on forever. Paige shifted against the passenger seat, trying to keep her attention focused out the windshield. A thick silence hovered in the truck cab as neither she nor Seth attempted to make small talk. When she finally couldn’t stand it any longer, she risked a glance at him, wondering what even possessed him to come by the magistrate’s office. She knew his perspective about her being in Boone. And he wasn’t an advocate.

  What she saw as a loving sister’s attempt to clear her brother’s name, Seth characterized as a delusionary crusade, one that would only stir up anger among townsfolk and compromise her safety all at the same time.

  And she had to admit certain points to his argument made sense, save one. Her mission wasn’t delusionary. Because with every fiber of her being she believed Trey was innocent. Now all she had to do was find the evidence to prove it.

  She drew in a deep breath to bolster her courage. She had a big job ahead of her.

  If she hadn’t known her brother’s kind nature, strong family values and flawless integrity, she might have questioned his innocence herself. But she had no doubt in her mind that even in his darkest moments he would never be capable of what he was accused of.

  The allegations just didn’t make sense. Trey was an elite navy veteran who’d conducted covert operations throughout the most dangerous corners of the globe. Even if he was inclined to commit murder, he’d never be so careless as to leave behind a string of evidence. Regardless of the bout of depression he was battling or his recent loss of sobriety.

  And the sad kicker Paige was still processing was that Trey hadn’t had a drink in eight years, not since he’d found his way to sobriety in college after falling victim to alcohol addiction. Since then Trey had been fiercely against the use of any substance and had even served in the local schools as an antiaddiction advocate. He understood the effects of drugs and alcohol and that abusing them destroyed lives, including their parents’.

  Paige swallowed hard around the sudden lump in her throat as she thought about what a black hole of despair her brother’s life must have become for him to let his guard slip and pick up that first drink.

  And that relapse cost him plenty. His sobriety, his reputation and possibly his freedom.

  Sorrow for her brother quickly morphed into fear. Paige blinked away the sudden tears blurring her vision as she thought about the perils of Trey’s future.

  She hated to even fathom him spending the rest of his life behind bars. But reality was, unless there was new evidence in his defense, the probability of that happening was quite real. Today as she sat confined to the holding cell at the jail, she got a small taste of what her brother’s living conditions had been for the last ten months. A closet-like concrete space, cold and lonely—a horrible existence, especially for someone innocent.

  Paige pressed a hand to her lips to hold in a sigh. Don’t give in to fear, she counseled herself firmly. She needed to stay strong for Trey’s sake, but the giant fist squeezing her heart only served to remind her what she was up against.

  Somewhere out there a murderer was on the loose, and she needed to find him.

  “You okay?”

  The deep, resonant sound of Seth’s voice sent her thoughts splintering into a hundred directions. She jerked around to find him staring at her. Lines of concern creased his forehead as he gripped the steering wheel, waiting for the light to turn green.

  “You seem pretty keyed up.” He gestured to her hands. She looked down. Both were clenched into fists, squeezing so tight her knuckles blanched.

  “Yeah, I guess I am.” Paige quickly unclenched, flexed her fingers. “It’s been a rough day, but I’m okay and trying to stay positive. Just a little glitch on the road to success.” Even as she tried to sound lighthearted, Seth scowled.

  “So you are planning to stay in town?”

  Not this again. She looked away. “Of course. I don’t have a choice but to stay and finish what I came to do.” Now more than ever.

  “Like I mentioned to you before, being in town, trying to dig up information to help Trey, isn’t going to be easy for you. And, yes, Paige, you do have a choice.”

  So was that why he’d come by the magistrate’s office? To remind her that she wasn’t welcome back in Boone? Well, she’d already figured that out and wasn’t leaving. Fighting a scowl herself, Paige didn’t bother to respond, but instead she gazed at an invisible point in the distance, relieved when the light turned green and the truck started moving again. She didn’t have the stamina to defend her motives at the moment. Seth didn’t get it. He never would.

  As they turned onto Queen Street, one by one the rustic antique gas streetlamps flickered to life, spilling a soft yellow glow across the parking area beside Cramer’s Antique and Gift Mart.

  Seth pulled into a parking spot several down from her rented sedan, shifted into Park and killed the engine.

  Finally. Paige barely resisted a sigh of relief as she started to unbuckle her seat belt.

  Seth pushed open his door and then paused as the interior dome lights penetrated the dusk. “Paige, I know you think trying to help Trey is the right and noble thing to—”

  “Please, Seth, don’t—” She waved a hand. “I don’t want to go through this again. I just need to get home.” A long sigh slipped out. Then, pulling her purse on her lap, she riffled through it for her keys.

  “Paige, listen to me, please,” he demanded softly, and his voice, thick with emotion and concern, momentarily took her breath away.

  With her pulse sprinting, Paige pulled in a deep breath, blew it out. How dare he catch her off guard like that. She’d much rather go up against that stubborn just listen to me spirit of his. Because at the moment, her stubborn I’m not going to listen to you spirit was seriously waning.

  “Paige?”

  Paige pulled out her keys, fisting them in her left hand. Reluctantly she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Seth, I know you don’t approve of what I’m trying to do. But please try and understand that I can’t leave Boone without answers.”

  He frowned, an anything but understanding look on his face. “I get that you want to help your brother. I just don’t think you’re going about it in the right way. Talk to his attorneys—”

  “I have. They’ve given up.” And her brother was also on the brink of giving up himself.

  “Come on, Paige.” Seth growled. He scrubbed a hand through his hair, frustration creasing the corners of his eyes. “This isn’t your battle.” />
  Really? Her stomach quivered at his statement. Then whose battle was it? Her brother was locked behind bars, and no one was fighting for him. “I tried to have faith in law enforcement and the justice system. But no one is giving us the answers we need.”

  “Maybe the answers you want aren’t out there.”

  Paige’s heart gave a solid kick. No, she’d never believe that. And the doubt she heard in Seth’s tone only served to remind her why she needed to keep her distance from him. She needed to stay positive. Have faith. Lord, help me stay on the right path. And open Seth’s eyes to the truth. About God and her brother.

  “Thank you for the ride, Seth.” She refrained from commenting further. She pushed open the truck door and jumped out. She took a deep breath, filled her lungs with fresh air, blew it out. Without even a glance back, she hurried to her rented sedan.

  She needed to get on with her plans. With her life. Being around Seth made accomplishing both nearly impossible. He was like an overprotective father. But that was Seth. Safety first. An admirable quality, one she appreciated and actually practiced herself. But in this situation, he was way off base.

  Plain and simple, her brother needed her help.

  And although she wasn’t naive enough to not take the threats against her seriously, she tried not to focus on them. She couldn’t let fear take over.

  Firmly reiterating that, Paige fumbled with her keys with shaking fingers.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Seth watching her. Whatever was left of her nerves shredded further. Why couldn’t he be nice and just go? But instead he moved up beside her, gently steadying her hand. Instantly, warmth skittered through her extremities, and her heart jumped into a gallop. “Here, let me help.”

  Biting into her lip, she tried to hold it together as his thumb pressed the key fob and the door lock clicked.

  “Thank you.” She jerked her hand away as if he’d bitten her, still shaking from her reactions both to Seth’s touch and the reality of having him around again. She took a step back, teeth gritted. She’d spent ten months reining in her own battered emotions, keeping them in check, and she wasn’t about to forget the fact that Seth had locked her brother up and refused to listen to reason even while her heart was being yanked to pieces.

  And it wasn’t only Trey’s arrest that caused her such intense grief, but also the loss of their relationship. Shattered trust, by the one man she’d once thought would always be there for her.

  She was wrong.

  A hard lesson to learn, but one she wouldn’t forget.

  Frustrated, she yanked on the car door handle and slid behind the wheel. As she started to pull the door shut, Seth stopped the door with his hand. “I’ll follow you to the condo.”

  As much she wanted to get away from this man, she didn’t bother to argue. Not like he’d listen anyway. She nodded, turned the ignition and finally breathed.

  * * *

  Fifteen minutes later, Seth pulled into the Beaver Creek condo complex and parked in the spot beside Paige. As he climbed out of his truck, he could tell by Paige’s heated glance that she wasn’t thrilled with him being there. Which under normal circumstances might have deterred him from hanging around, but life in Boone was anything but normal these days. And he planned to keep an eye on her until he knew she was out of danger.

  Awkward or not, she’d better get used to it.

  Paige popped open her umbrella against the light drizzle and started toward the back of her rented car. “Seth, I appreciate your help tonight, but I’ve wasted enough of your time. I’ll just call security and they can escort me to the condo.”

  “I’m already here.” Seth flipped up the collar on his jacket and pocketed his keys. “Just lead the way and I’ll make sure you get in safe.”

  Thunder rumbled in the distance and a frigid breeze kicked up, sending fall leaves skittering along their path as they crossed the parking lot and walked down the brick sidewalk to the front of the condo building.

  An awkward silence passed between them as they headed up the wood steps to the third floor. A slight breeze drifted on the cold night air and intensified the uneasiness stirring a pit in Seth’s gut. Heightened further by the cool distance Paige kept between them. Not only was she physically several steps ahead of him, emotionally they were light-years apart.

  He remembered a day when Paige would have handed him the umbrella and sidled up beside him, staying close and protected from the storm. An awkward moment never existed between them before Trey’s arrest. Now, every passing moment they were together was awkward.

  Conflicting emotions roiled through him, colliding with each other as he was tempted to sit Paige down and talk through their differences. But he knew if he did, she’d be even more frustrated with him. She was so focused on helping her brother, the last thing she worried about was their unresolved issues. Then again, maybe he was the only one still struggling with how things had ended between them.

  Something he needed to fix. Time to get a life. Move on like Paige apparently had.

  Okay, enough. Stow the emotional nonsense, Garrison. He ordered himself to get a grip, afraid that if he relaxed his guard he’d be pedaling backward to a place he didn’t want to be—falling back in love with Paige Becker.

  His relationship with her was way beyond over. He knew that without a doubt. Too bad his rational mind and his heart didn’t always see eye to eye—he cared about Paige, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual.

  Still, annoyance burned in his gut that she put so much energy into avoiding him. Even now.

  An old saying of his mother’s rolled through his head, and never had it been so fitting. If you have an issue, come up with a solution. So, he guessed it was up to him to put a stop to what was annoying him.

  Seth leaped up the stairs two at a time and caught up with Paige just as she stepped onto the third-floor landing. “Tie,” he huffed, pretending to be out of breath.

  Paige jerked to a stop, her eyes wide as her face scrunched in question. “Tie?” She lowered her umbrella.

  “You appeared to be racing, and I caught up.” He followed with a wink and a sly grin. “So, tie.” He pumped his right arm in feigned celebration.

  Amusement flashed across Paige’s green gaze, glittering beneath the overhead lighting in the walkway. Then she laughed, a genuine sound that warmed Seth’s heart and eased some of the tension hanging between them. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to get ahead of you. I just didn’t want to poke out an eye with my umbrella.”

  Yeah, right. He nodded. “Good to hear, because I thought you might be trying to avoid me.”

  The amusement in her gaze faded, replaced by a shadowy look of chagrin, bearing witness to her true feelings. She stuffed her umbrella in her bag. “Honestly, Seth, I appreciate you taking the time to come with me here and walk me to the condo. I’m just exhausted and not thinking clearly. Actually, I’m looking forward to getting home and relaxing.”

  Him, too. Although relaxing probably wasn’t on his agenda for a while. Not until he knew Paige was safe and sound in another county. “Guess we better get you inside, then.”

  They headed to the condo, the clanking of their heels echoing off the wooden decking as they made their way to the last unit on the left. Seth waited as Paige dug out the key. “Thanks again, Seth,” she said, inserting the key in the lock.

  She jiggled the doorknob. “This door always sticks.” Leaning a shoulder against it, she added more pressure and gave it a push. And as she did, Seth heard a sharp crack.

  It sounded like wood splintering. Taking a step back, he looked up. Like the snap of a dead tree limb or—

  “Watch out!”

  “What’s wro—” Paige whirled back, but before she could finish, Seth grabbed onto her and pushed her through the doorway. He hit the ground with a thud, taking Paige with him.

  Heart thundering, Seth froze, keeping Paige in his protective hold. It took only a moment more before another sharp fracturing noise split the air; a secon
d later, a large chunk of cedar siding, ripped clean from the side of the building, dropped and swung like a sickle across the doorway, then crashed with an earsplitting thwack onto the decking.

  * * *

  “How did that happen?” Paige whispered, fear, coupled with the weight of Seth shielding her body, robbing her breath.

  “Good question.” Seth’s voice held a quivery edge. Combined with the way his heart pounded against hers, she could tell he was as unnerved as she was. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I think so.” She managed a small nod, her heart tripping in her chest.

  “Good.” He shifted his body away from hers and got to his feet. A sudden coolness prickled her skin, replacing the warmth and comfort of being safe in his arms. An unexplained reaction she wouldn’t bother rationalizing at the moment. Then Seth grabbed her hand and helped her up. “Stay put,” he said as he pulled out his cell phone, turning it on flashlight mode.

  Nausea rolled in Paige’s stomach, and her quaking legs threatened to buckle. Taking a step, she leaned heavily against a wood column in the entryway, pressing a hand to her chest. Was this another intentional attack on her life?

  She swallowed hard, her throat and mouth suddenly dry as she watched Seth move through the doorway and out the front door. Pitching his flashlight to shine over the wooden threshold, he shook his head with a groan. “Unbelievable. It looks like the only area of damaged siding is just above your front door.”

  Terror sent tingles of dread shooting through her extremities. He’d just confirmed her worst fear.

  An hour and a half later, Paige strode into the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department Criminal Investigation Bureau. She walked alongside Seth as they continued down the corridor, shoulders pulled back, feigning nonchalance as if she didn’t mind being there. When in truth, she hated the idea.

  They stopped outside the evidence processing office, and as Seth leaned against the door frame asking the officer a couple questions, Paige waited a few steps away, trying to adjust to finding herself back in a place reeking with memories of her brother’s arrest. Even ten months wasn’t long enough to erase the oppressive feelings of déjà vu.