Cara Putman - Deadly Exposure

Even as she tried to pull away, Caleb pushed his way inside and led her to the couch.

“Dani, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

She fought the urge to get up and leave the room. No matter where she went, he’d follow. Persistence was too ingrained in his personality.

“Dani?” The concern in his eyes couldn’t be faked. She felt her defenses melt away.

“A note. It was on the back door when I got home.” Her body tensed as she remembered the feeling. “I went jogging on campus. When I got home, I found an envelope taped to the back door.” She stopped as the words seared her mind once again. You should be more careful, little girl. Campus on a Sunday is empty. Don’t ever forget I’m watching you.

Since the time she could read Nancy Drew, Cara has wanted to write mysteries. For years she asked God if this dream was from Him. Her life was full. She graduated with honors from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Go, Huskers!), moved to the Washington, D.C., area, married the man of her dreams, worked in the nonprofit world, went to George Mason Law School at night while working, and then started having children. While her life was far from empty, the dream wouldn’t die. Then she followed her husband to Indiana. Talk about starting over! In 2005 she attended a book signing at her local Christian bookstore, where she met Colleen Coble. The rest, as they say, is history. With prompting from her husband, Cara shared her writing dream with Colleen. Cara’s been writing ever since. To learn more about Cara and her books please visit her at www.caraputman.com.

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

—Psalms 62:5–6

To Colleen Coble. When we met in April 2005,

I couldn’t imagine the friendship God had

in store for us. Thank you so much for taking

my dream and breathing life into it. You truly were

the midwife for this book. I am honored to count

you as a friend and mentor.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

A book isn’t written in a vacuum. Many thanks to Sabrina Butcher, who read this book in each of its iterations, and to Gina Conroy and Sabrina who read the final draft under a crazy deadline. You gals pushed me to make this book better. Thanks to Rachel Allen, Virgene Putman and Rhonda Putman for watching my kids as I raced to finish this book against a tight deadline.

Thanks to Eric for always believing I could do this, to Abigail and Jonathan for being so proud of their mommy.

Thanks to Krista Stroever, my editor, for taking a risk on this writer. And to Karen Solem for believing I could do this.

Dani Richards barely noticed where the usher pointed as she turned to take Aunt Jayne’s arm but groped emptiness. Dani spun in a circle, searching for her. “Aunt Jayne?”

“She went that way, ma’am.”

Dani nodded at the usher and hurried across the plush red carpet toward the boxes. She slipped into their box, but it remained empty. Then she heard a raised voice from the adjoining box. She darted to it, parted the curtain and pushed through. Aunt Jayne relaxed next to a young woman whose stiff back and chin pointed high made it clear she was trying to avoid eye contact. “There you are. You scared me to death, Aunt Jayne.”

“No need to worry. I looked for our seats and found this lovely young lady instead.”

“You don’t belong here.” The woman looked from Dani to her aunt, emerald eyes flashing. Her regal bearing sagged with a hint of disappointment. She glanced beyond Dani into the emptying foyer.

Aunt Jayne patted her hand. “Don’t worry. Your young man will join you. You’re too lovely to miss.”

Dani examined the woman more closely, wondering why she seemed so familiar. In her job as a reporter, she worked with too many people to count in an average week, but this woman tugged at her memory. “Have we met before?”

“Please leave.” With a quick twist of her wrist the woman glanced at her watch.

“Sorry for the interruption. Come on, Aunt Jayne. Cats starts any minute.” Together they reentered the foyer and slipped up the stairs to the right box. Dani released a deep breath, determined to enjoy every moment of the evening. After the latest trial she’d covered on her crime beat for Channel 17, she’d earned the reprieve. Her aunt deserved her full attention on a night when the cloud of Alzheimer’s had slipped away, even fleetingly.

Aunt Jayne sank into her seat and smiled. “Thank you for bringing me, dear. It’s so nice to have you in town again.”

Dani settled beside her in a maroon seat as the orchestra crescendoed into the opening notes of the musical, prepared to relish each moment. She’d spent the five years since graduation working her way through the ranks of broadcast journalism, moving from Cheyenne to Des Moines to St. Louis. She’d given it all up to move to Lincoln for Aunt Jayne. Her mom believed she’d lost her mind, and her dad tried to convince her to take a job at his station in Chicago each time they talked.

Lincoln had been lonely, especially when Aunt Jayne’s bad days outnumbered the good. She’d wanted to dance when she reached Peaceful Estates and found Aunt Jayne alert and excited. A sliver remained of the woman Dani remembered from summers spent in Lincoln. If only she reappeared more often.

The curtain rose, and Dani leaned into the railing. She glanced at the neighboring box, but couldn’t see more than outlines in the darkness. The opening song began, and her attention focused completely on the stage covered by a large set that resembled a junkyard. The actors stretched and danced as they mimicked cats and sang. The scenes flew by, and too soon the curtain sank for intermission.

Dani shifted against the seat and straightened. Renee Thomas. That was the woman’s name. She’d interviewed the grad student for a story on promising research at the university. Though Renee had been formal and distant tonight, she’d been much friendlier and relaxed during the interview. Odd, since people tended to freeze in that setting. She’d practically glowed as she discussed the research, something about protecting the food supply from terrorist attacks. Dani had worked with her to describe the research in layman’s terms.

Aunt Jayne tapped Dani’s arm lightly. Dani smiled. “Are you okay? Need a break from sitting?”

“Maybe we should hunt for the story. Surely it’s hiding somewhere.” Aunt Jayne looked at her, amusement glowing in her eyes.

“There’s a loose plot, keep watch.” Dani stretched in her seat and her gaze slid into the box to her right. Renee sat motionless. She studied the woman, remembering the edge of worry that marred her expression. Renee had remained alone after all. “Let’s stretch our legs a bit.”