Christy Barritt - Key Witness

“This must be serious if my dad hired the assistant director.”

Denton’s nonanswer seemed to be answer enough. Elle chewed on her thumbnail as they rolled down the road. Everything still seemed so surreal. Was this really happening? Maybe it was a nightmare and she’d wake up any time now.

She knew she wouldn’t, though.

“Why don’t they just ask for money?”

Her question seemed to surprise Denton. “What was that?”

“If they know I’m a senator’s daughter now, why don’t they simply demand money? Isn’t that what they’re ultimately after? Why go through all this trouble to threaten me?”

“That’s the question we’re trying to answer, Elle.”

They pulled onto the lane that led to her family’s home. Tonight, the drive seemed eerily quiet. It was just because everyone else was at the reception, she told herself. It’s where she should be.

Denton pulled up at the gate. Elle unbuckled her seat belt and leaned forward, feeling like safety was finally in sight. “Just pull forward and I’ll wave to Jimmy. He’ll open the gates for us.”

Denton crept closer, but the gates didn’t move.

Denton gripped the steering wheel. “You think he stepped away for a minute?”

“I doubt it. He’s very dedicated to his job.”

Nausea churned in Elle’s gut. Something was wrong. She knew it. She could tell that Denton knew it, too.

He put the car into Park and pulled the gun from its holster beneath his jacket. He glanced in the backseat at her. “If anything happens to me, Elle, I want you to get into the driver’s seat and get out of here as fast as you can.”

Reality hit her like cold water in the face, causing her hands to tremble. “Denton, why are you talking like that?”

“Just do what I say, okay? Lock the doors when I get out.”

“You’re scaring me. Can’t you just stay in the car? Call the police?”

He locked gazes with her. “Everything’s going to be okay. I just need to check things out.”

She nodded, even though all her instincts told her to do just the opposite.

“Did you hear me, Elle?”

She started to nod again, but instead cleared her throat. “Yes, I hear you.”

Denton climbed from the vehicle and Elle hit the lock button almost before he was even out. Her heart raced as she watched him approach the guard station. Where was Jimmy? Why wasn’t he at the gate like he always was?

Lord, I don’t even have the words for the situation. My heart is just crying out to You. You know my prayers even when I don’t.

With the skill of someone who had done this a million times before, Denton checked his surroundings, moving swiftly but purposefully.

Capable. Denton was capable, Elle reminded herself. It would be different if it were her out there looking for Jimmy while trying to keep one eye out for the bad guys.

As he disappeared inside the guard house, she held her breath. Minutes ticked by. Or perhaps it was actually seconds that felt like minutes.

Was Denton okay? Was Jimmy inside? And was Jimmy okay? Questions raced through her head so fast she could hardly keep up.

She didn’t release her breath until she saw Denton emerge. He strode over to the SUV and tapped on the window until she unlocked the door. He slid inside.

“Well?” She tried to read his gaze but couldn’t.

“Jimmy’s been shot. I called the police. They’re on their way.”

“Shot? Will he be all right?”

“He’s dead, Elle.”

* * *

Elle’s parents’ lawn became a jungle of emergency response vehicles, trolling firefighters and police officers and dizzying flashing lights. The police had already questioned both Denton and Elle, and now the crime scene unit was collecting evidence. Elle’s father and his entourage had arrived and now milled around, only adding to the confusion.

Elle looked pale as she stood on the massive porch, her arms wrapped over her chest and a dazed look in her eyes. Denton wrapped up a conversation with her father and hurried across the darkened lawn toward her. She was a sight to see, that was certain. Even in the middle of the terrible circumstances he’d already seen her experience, she maintained a certain dignity and strength that Denton had to admire.

She didn’t turn his way as he strode up the stairs and to her side. Her eyes had that faraway look still. Denton put a hand at her elbow, trying not to jar her. “Elle, I need your help.” He needed to distract her from her thoughts, also.

Some of the focus returned to her gaze as she angled toward him. The tight hold of her arms over her chest loosened slightly, but her eyes still looked strained. “Of course. What do you need?”

“To start with, I need a list of your father’s staff, his interns, his campaign volunteers—everyone.”

“Do you plan on checking out all those people? Because we have hundreds of volunteers right now. The election is only three weeks away.”

“We’ll vet them all if we have to.”

She stared at him a moment before nodding, shades of blue and red from the police cruiser in the distance lighting her face. “I’ll get a list for you if you think it will help.”

He nodded toward the front door. “I’ll also need a tour of the house and a list of anyone staying there.”

She blinked. “A tour?”

“It’s going to be your temporary home and mine until we know you’re safe. I’m bringing in another agent to guard the perimeter at night and someone else to shadow your father. We can’t take any chances.”

She swallowed, still appearing stiff. The shock of finding Jimmy hadn’t worn off yet. The death of a loved one sometimes never wore off. Denton knew all about that.

Elle stepped toward the door, her lithe figure somehow looking weighed down with a million stones at the moment. “Why don’t I give you that tour now? It beats standing out here and staring at the chaos and destruction around me.”

Exactly. “Sounds like a plan.”

They walked into the massive house—seven thousand square feet, from what Denton had been told. Two wings and no expense spared. Apparently, the senator had won several big lawsuits as a trial lawyer that afforded him any luxury he might want.

They paused in the two-story marble entryway, and Elle pointed to the left. “In the south wing, we have the kitchen, living room, my father’s office, two other rooms we use as offices when working here and a library.”

“Do you work here a lot?”

She shrugged. “We have campaign offices throughout the state, including one in Norfolk. But working here is convenient and the space is ample.”

“Your best option right now is to work here until these men are caught.”

Her expression remained neutral. “That’s what I concluded, also. That’s no problem. I can do my job from here with relative ease.” She sucked in a deep breath and slowly released it, as if regaining her composure. “Oh, and speaking of work, Bentley stays in a bedroom upstairs, also.”

“Bentley stays here?”

“Not all of the time, but if he’s in town with my father, he’s around enough that he’s practically family.” She stepped in the opposite direction. “In the north wing we have the family’s bedrooms, some guest suites, a racquetball room and an exercise room.”

“I’ll need to stay somewhere close to your bedroom.”

“The bedroom beside mine should be comfortable for you.”

They moved through the house, and Denton found out her schedule for the week—which included a huge fund-raising gala in two days. The mere thought of it caused Denton’s muscles to tighten. Big crowds, a difficult-to-control environment and at least two men who wanted Elle dead—not a good combination.

Elle paused by the kitchen, her luminous eyes glancing up at him. He saw intelligence in their depths...and fear. “I don’t have to go to the gala.”