Sandra Robbins - Yuletide Fugitive Threat

“I’d like to do that myself,” Lucas said, “but I don’t know about that at the moment.”

Ryan cocked an eyebrow as he shrugged out of his coat. “You said you have a new client? What’s going on?”

Lucas hesitated a few seconds as Ryan hung his coat on the hall tree. “It’s kind of complicated,” he said.

Ryan glanced toward the living room and then back to Lucas. “How?”

Lucas cleared his throat. “Has Jessica ever said anything to you about Mia Lockhart?”

Ryan nodded. “She’s mentioned her. She was your girlfriend in college. Right?”

“Yeah. Well, she’s in trouble, and I think the police need to know about it.”

He led Ryan into the living room where Mia sat on the couch, her hands clasped in her lap. A worried expression covered her face, and her fingers trembled. She glanced from Ryan to Lucas as they entered. Ryan stepped over to the couch and held his hand out.

She reached up and shook his hand, and he settled on the couch next to her. “Mia, I’m Ryan Spencer, Lucas’s brother-in-law. I’m a detective with the police department. Lucas said you’re in trouble. Do you want to tell me about it?”

Her gaze darted to Lucas and then back to Ryan as she grasped the edge of the afghan and pulled it up to her neck. “Are you familiar with the Kyle Lockhart murder case?” she asked.

Ryan nodded. “I am. I know the detectives working the case against Tony Chapman. He must have some friends in high places if they were willing to post such a high bail. It didn’t surprise us when he jumped bail.”

“Kyle was my husband, but I never met Tony Chapman until after Kyle was killed,” she said.

Lucas settled back and listened as Mia began to tell her story to Ryan, who made notes on a pad while she talked. From time to time he would ask a question, and she would respond. When she finished, Mia leaned back against the cushions of the sofa as if she was exhausted. Throughout her story, she hadn’t mentioned anything about the abuse she had suffered from her husband. Maybe she thought the police already knew, since it was a matter of public record.

Ryan glanced over the notes he’d taken before he looked back at Mia. “And you have no idea what Chapman wants from you?”

“No.” Her eyes grew wide, and the muscles in her throat rippled as she swallowed. “If I knew, I’d give it to him just to get rid of him. But I have no idea what it is.”

Ryan flipped the notebook closed and inhaled. “It seems that he’s determined to get whatever it is. Lucas did the right thing in getting you to talk to me. The police have been looking for Chapman, and we have some leads we’re checking out. With Lucas on the case, too, hopefully it won’t be long until he’s caught. Until that time you need to be in a safe place. It doesn’t sound like you should go home. Are there any family members you can stay with?”

Mia shook her head. “No. I told Lucas I could go to a hotel.”

Ryan glanced at Lucas. “That’s probably best. Maybe it will only take a few days for us to have him back in custody. Why don’t you check into a hotel but stay in close touch with Lucas? We’ll keep you posted on developments.”

Lucas frowned. “Do you really think a hotel is a good idea?”

“There’s nowhere else I can go, Lucas,” Mia interrupted as she rose to her feet. “I’ve taken up too much of your time today. I’ll find a hotel and let you know where I’m staying.”

Lucas jumped to his feet, too, and shook his head. “No, I don’t want you to go alone. I’ll go with you and get you settled somewhere.”

“Lucas, you don’t have to—” she began.

“I think he should go with you, Mia,” Ryan interrupted as he rose. “It’s always better to be safe.”

She shrugged. “Okay. If you think that’s best.”

Ryan turned to Lucas. “I’ll check with you in the morning, but let me know if you need anything else tonight.”

“I will,” Lucas said as he ushered Ryan toward the door. “Tell Jessica I may be late getting to the office in the morning. I’ll make sure Mia’s okay before I come in.”

“Will do.”

Lucas closed the door behind Ryan and turned back to the living room. Mia still stood in front of the couch, her hands clasped in front of her. Her lips trembled as a slight shiver rippled through her body. Lucas stopped in front of her and frowned. “Are you okay?”

She sucked in her breath and blinked. “Yeah, just tired. Except for my nap earlier, I haven’t slept much in the last few days.”

“Then let’s get you to a hotel. You can order some room service and get settled for the night. I think we should leave your car here. If Chapman comes by to check on it after he realizes his tracker has been turned off, he’ll see it and think you’re still here.”

“Okay.” Her purse lay on the coffee table, and she reached for it just as a chime alerted her from the phone inside that a text had arrived. She looked up at him, a startled expression on her face, before she pulled the phone out. She stared down at the text, and then her body began to shake.

“What is it?” Lucas asked.

The phone slipped from her hand and dropped to the floor. Lucas reached down, picked it up and read the words of the message. I told you not to talk to the police.

Mia’s hand clutched at her throat, and her head shook from side to side in denial. “How does he know I talked to the police?”

“I don’t know,” Lucas muttered, “but he does. We need to get you out of here right away.”

He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the kitchen and out the door into the enclosed garage. Opening the back door of his car, he pushed Mia inside. “Lie down on the seat and don’t sit up until we get to the hotel.”

Then he jumped in the driver’s seat, started the engine and raised the automatic garage door. As he backed out to the street, he scanned both ways in hopes of seeing a car where Chapman might be hiding, but he saw nothing unusual along either side of the street. A movement caught his eye as he shifted gears, and he glanced around to see the automatic garage door opening at the house of Mrs. Peterson, his elderly neighbor across the street. Where could she be going at this time of day? But sometimes when her daughter got off work, they met for dinner. She was probably headed to a restaurant right now to do that.

He dismissed the thought and turned his attention back to Mia, who lay in the backseat of his car. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“We’ll be at the hotel in a few minutes.” He glanced in the rearview mirror once more as he turned the corner and pulled into the heavy afternoon traffic.

She didn’t say anything, and he sighed as he rubbed his hand across his eyes. Hopefully, he was doing the right thing in putting Mia in a hotel. It didn’t seem completely safe, but he didn’t know what else he could do. This had certainly turned out to be the most surprising day he’d spent in a long time, and it had brought up too many memories he’d tried to ignore for years.

Maybe Chapman would be caught soon, and Mia could return home. Then he could put her out of his mind again and get on with the life he’d built for himself.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Lucas unlocked the door to a room on the second floor of a midtown hotel and held it open for Mia to walk past him. She stopped just inside the door and turned to him. “Thank you, Lucas, for getting this room for me. I’ll repay you.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. The agency will put it on your bill. For the time being, order your food from room service, and don’t leave this room.”

Her eyes blinked, and her breath hitched in her throat. For a moment she had almost forgotten that this was a business arrangement. Of course Lucas wasn’t helping her out of the kindness of his heart. She’d hired him to do a job for her, and this was just part of the services his agency supplied. His concern for her safety was no different than it would have been for any stranger who came to him for help.