Midnight Exposure Page 16

  Doc shushed him and concentrated on the stethoscope pressed to Reed’s back.

  Doug held up a hand, crossing-guard-style, toward Reed. “Excuse me, but you’re not a cop.”

  “You know damned well that I was.”

  “Was is the key word there. You’ll have to leave this to a real professional. I don’t like civilian interference.” The cop gave Reed his back and faced Jayne. “Pardon me, Miss Sullivan, but this all seems a bit far-fetched, don’t you think? Especially since you reported an attempted abduction in Philadelphia four years ago. I don’t know a single person who’s been kidnapped, yet you’ve reported three attempts, all in broad daylight with no witnesses.”

  “What the fuck are you saying, Doug?” Reed yelled, and then burst into a coughing fit. Behind him, the doctor yanked out his earbuds and shook his head in disgust. He moved around the table to inspect a row of cuts on Reed’s arm.

  “You have to admit that Miss Sullivan either has the worst luck in the entire universe or she does something to incite violence. What kind of photographer are you, anyway?”

  Bile rose in Jayne’s throat as she groped for a response. If she said she was paparazzi, he’d definitely blame her job. His investigation would stop before it started. Her eyes shifted to Reed. She should tell him what she really did for a living, but not with the cop around. Instead of answering directly, she ripped the bandages off her wrists. The two-day-old scabs were dark and raw-looking, slightly puckered around the edges. “You think I asked for this?”

  Doug crossed his juiced-up arms and puffed out his chest.

  “For your information, there was a witness to the attack in Philly,” Jayne said. “If he hadn’t been there, I’d be dead.”

  The doctor turned his head to frown at Jayne’s wounds. His gaze drifted to the scar on her cheek. His mouth went tight before he turned back to Reed’s arm.

  “I’m just saying you might not be as innocent as you seem,” Doug sneered.

  Reed’s face purpled. “You—”

  “Easy, Reed,” Doc cut in and glared at the cop. “Consider this your only warning, Doug. I will not tolerate you upsetting my patients again.”

  Doug lowered his voice. “Did you know Miss Sullivan has a sealed juvenile record? Wonder what that’s all about.”

  Over the clear plastic mask, Reed’s gaze darted to Jayne. His bloodshot eyes were filled with anger. He opened his mouth but erupted in a series of hacking coughs.

  Doug’s verbal barrage continued. “Ever use drugs, Miss Sullivan? Because drug use would explain a lot.”

  “Never.” Jayne glared at Doug. Her pulse pounded through her temples. Her peripheral vision reddened. She didn’t trust her temper enough to say any more.

  “Stick around town, Miss Sullivan. I’m going to have more questions for you.”

  Reed wheezed, “Unless you arrest her for something, you don’t have the authority to hold—” Coughing interrupted his statement.

  “How the hell is she going to identify the house or her attacker if she’s not here? Either you want me to investigate or you don’t. Make up your mind.” The cop glared at Reed. “I didn’t ask for this job, Kimball. If anything it’s her fault. None of this would’ve happened if she hadn’t come to town.” Despite all his protests, Doug’s cold blue eyes were glittering. He might not have asked for his new authority, but he was enjoying every minute.

  Doc tore off his latex gloves with a loud snap. “All right. That’s enough, all of you. Reed, shut up and breathe. Miss Sullivan, it’s your turn. Doug, get out.” He jerked a thumb toward the exit.

  But the cop was right about one thing. The whole situation was all her fault. If Jayne hadn’t come to Huntsville to spy on R. S. Morgan, the police chief would still be alive. Reed wouldn’t be suffering from smoke inhalation and burns. She wouldn’t have been kidnapped. Jayne pressed a hand to her stomach. Nausea churned.

  The cop shot Reed a pointed glare. “If you’re interested, there’ll be a press conference later today. News crews are on the way. Be here in a couple hours. And they just might be interested in a certain piece of information about Jefferson Kimball. Miss Sullivan isn’t the only one who isn’t as innocent as she pretends to be.” Doug stormed out. The door slammed behind him.

  Who is Jefferson Kimball?

  Jayne caught Reed’s eye. Beneath the grime and soot, Reed’s face drained. He looked away, his Adam’s apple moving with a hard swallow.

  Now was obviously not the time to ask him.

  The doctor guided Jayne to the exam table. “Reed, you should talk to Nathan. Maybe he’ll put a leash on Doug.”

  “Good idea,” Reed said, his tone tight as his bloodless lips. “But I’m not holding my breath. Nathan has his own agenda.”

  Reed had a secret. Something to do with Jefferson Kimball. Would he share it with her? She studied his face as his expressionless mask slid back into place.

  Guess not.

  The one man who’d managed to gain her confidence was pulling away. The trust and connection that had been in his eyes minutes before the interview had vanished.

  Doug’s statement must have hit home. Reed had nearly lost his life because of her. My God, she’d nearly orphaned Scott. This morning’s incidents had proved her assailant wasn’t going to let her go. Just being near her put Reed and his son in jeopardy. If Reed was smart, he’d keep his distance from her.

  And he was a very intelligent man.

  The doctor selected a pair of scissors and began enlarging one of the rips in Jayne’s jeans. Antiseptic followed with a sharp sting that brought tears to Jayne’s eyes. She told herself it was the antiseptic fumes, not Reed’s justified withdrawal, that caused her next breath to rattle in her chest.

  The doctor bandaged her skinned knees and turned his attention to her wrists. “I’m sorry, Miss Sullivan, but these look like they’re going to leave scars.”

  “I know.” Hardly mattered at this point. She’d finally warmed up to a man and look how that had turned out. She’d nearly gotten him killed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  How much does Doug know?

  Reed stared through the plate glass window. Outside the closed diner, firemen milled. Across the chrome-edged table, Nathan sat back in the tattered booth. “I’m sorry about Doug. He’s just upset about Hugh. We all are.”

  Reed bit back his response. The only thing that was upsetting Doug was the fact that he hadn’t officially been made chief yet.

  Does Nathan know? Chances were the cop had run panting to the mayor the second he’d uncovered Reed’s past. Reed studied the mayor. Nathan was a hard person to read. He always looked earnest. He probably practiced expressions in the mirror.

  The mayor turned his attention to Jayne, who was sitting on Reed’s right. “Miss Sullivan, can I get you something to eat or drink? It’s lunchtime. I sent the cook home, but I can still heat something up for you. Soup maybe? You look cold.” Nathan took Jayne’s hand between his palms and held it a few seconds too long.

  Reed doused the unexpected spark of anger. He had no claim on Jayne. As soon as they were finished with Nathan, Reed would take her to collect her stuff and her Jeep. Then he had to figure out how to get her home safe. She couldn’t drive all the way to Philadelphia by herself. But if Hugh had made other arrangements, he hadn’t shared them with his staff or Reed. Hugh’s death had left Jayne’s fate hanging.

  But Doug’s threat underscored the reason Reed had avoided relationships all this time.

  Because it was the right thing to do.

  Jayne had to be long gone before the press arrived and his past turned into a ratings boost for the local media. Wouldn’t take them long to discover his identity. Camp outside his house, cameras and mics in hand, ready to attack. The pit of Reed’s stomach went sour as he pictured TV vans parked at the curb beside Scott’s school, waiting to snap a picture of the child of tragedy.

  Again.

  “No, thank you.” Jayne extracted her hand and shifted a hair clos
er to Reed. Their shoulders touched. He wanted to put his arm around her but didn’t. The fire, Hugh’s death, Doug’s callous questioning, and yet another attempt on her life added up to a hell of a day.

  Reed still hadn’t fully processed the day’s events. Freaking out over Doug’s announcement had been stupid with a capital S, though. Of course the press was coming. A kidnap victim had escaped her abductor and the municipal building had burned to the ground. The police chief had been killed. That was a lot of news for a small town. Doug’s statement shouldn’t have been a surprise. The cop’s use of Reed’s real name had, however, been a real shocker.

  Reed was still choking on it.

  After he removed Jayne to safety, he and Scott could lie low. They could drive down to Bangor and hole up in a hotel for a couple of days while Reed kept an eye on the news.

  But running felt cowardly. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He didn’t feel he could trust Doug to adequately investigate Hugh’s death or Jayne’s abduction. Without a proper investigation, a psycho would continue to roam Huntsville or go after Jayne in Philadelphia.

  “I’m so sorry about everything that’s happened to you.” Nathan’s voice interrupted Reed’s mental debate. The mayor was staring into Jayne’s eyes. Sincerity slid from the mayor like grease from a plate of bacon. How could he resist, though? Those eyes of hers could pull a man under, which was why Reed was avoiding all contact with them.

  Irritation burned more than Reed’s throat. He needed information from Nathan. The sooner he got it, the sooner he could make a plan. “Doug said something about a press conference.”

  Nathan nodded. “Five o’clock. In front of the municipal building.”

  “Do you really think letting Doug talk to the press is a good idea?”

  “I’ll handle the press conference. Doug will read a very short statement and answer any questions with ‘I can’t comment on an ongoing investigation.’ A state investigator is taking over the case anyway. Doug isn’t qualified to run this show.” Something flickered in the cool blue of Nathan’s eyes. “Don’t worry, Reed. Doug won’t be giving away any information.”

  He knew something about Reed’s past. But how much?

  Reed coughed as fresh tension gripped his throat. Nathan wasn’t the kind of man to trust with secrets.

  Nathan rose from the opposite side of the table and walked back into the kitchen. When he returned, he held a tall glass of ice water in each hand.

  “Thank you.” Jayne sipped her drink. Reed followed her gaze to the windows as she swallowed. No news vans yet. Outside the glass, firemen worked as the town rallied. People would stick together here. Natives were shy of tourists and newcomers, but once you were in, you were golden. If only Reed could be sure the town wouldn’t turn on him like the city of Atlanta. The backing of the community would help him make a stand.

  He shouldn’t have hidden his identity all these years. The townspeople were sure to resent being lied to. Hugh had known all the details, and he’d supported Reed. But Hugh was dead. There was no one to stand behind Reed now.

  Help wasn’t going to come from Doug; that was for sure.

  “I’m going to clean out one of the back storage rooms for a temporary office for Doug.” Nathan was a control freak, so the idea of having Doug right here under his thumb would appeal to him.

  The cool water soothed Reed’s throat. His coughing subsided but his gut still burned. “Any idea what started the fire?”

  Nathan glanced at Jayne. “The fire chief thinks it may have been the space heater in Hugh’s office. He must’ve left the heater on by mistake. We had a power surge when the electricity came back on during the night. It’s speculation at this point, though. Nothing’s been substantiated except that Hugh’s office seems to be the point of origin. We’ll have to wait for a full report from the state arson investigators.” Nathan sighed and gave his head a sad shake. “I don’t know how many times I told Hugh that thing was a fire hazard.”

  Reed didn’t comment. If Nathan had made sure Hugh’s office was adequately heated, there’d have been no need for Hugh to use a space heater at all. There was no point in saying it. Nathan’s conscience was coated in Teflon. Nothing ever stuck.

  Could the fire have been an accident? Cops weren’t big believers in coincidence.

  “One thing’s been buggin’ me, Nathan.” Ashen dryness rose in Reed’s throat and he took a swallow of water. “Hugh didn’t have his key in his hand when he was standing in front of the door. Why wouldn’t the office have been locked if Evan wasn’t in yet?”

  Nathan’s eyes dropped to the table. He lowered his voice, although the diner was empty. “Who knows? I didn’t want to say anything before, but I think Hugh was starting to get forgetful.”

  “Really?”

  Nathan nodded emphatically. “Just little things, but he was getting up there. He’d been talking about retiring for the past year or so, but something was holding him back. Maybe he was afraid he’d be bored.”

  “Hmmm. Never thought of Hugh as that old, but you could be right,” Reed said.

  “It’s a shame he never got a chance to enjoy his golden years.”

  “How’s Doris holding up?”

  At the mention of Hugh’s wife, Nathan’s expression turned stony. Reed would bet Doris had had a few choice words for the mayor. “She’s a tough old bird. She’ll be OK, but it’s going to be hard to fill his shoes.”

  Typical Nathan. Only worried about what affected him.

  “You’re not seriously considering Doug, are you?” Reed gave Nathan a pointed stare, which the mayor avoided.

  “Well, he’s the only candidate so far.”

  Jayne opened her mouth. Under the table, Reed covered her hand with his and squeezed lightly. She took the hint but pulled her hand out from under his palm. Reed’s fingers twitched. He missed both the contact with Jayne’s smooth skin and the deeper connection with the courageous woman. But it was better to keep his distance. Really.

  “I have some serious objections to the way he treated Jayne during the interview. He was downright rude, Nathan.” Reed paused before dropping the bomb. “It’d be a real shame if she sued the town.”

  Nathan’s gaze shot to Jayne. She met his stare with pure blue ice. “You should stick around. The reporters are going to want to talk to you. You could be famous.”

  Jayne didn’t answer, but her fair skin blanched a shade paler. Reed stood, his hand under Jayne’s elbow lifting her with him.

  “Well, we’d better go collect Jayne’s things from the inn.” Reed ushered Jayne from the booth, leaving Nathan to stew.

  On the sidewalk, Jayne spun him around. “Why’d we run out of there? I wanted to give him a piece of my mind.”

  “Don’t worry. We gave the mayor a few things to think about. You can bet he’ll chew out Doug’s ass within the hour. Yelling at Nathan only gets his back up.” Reed turned her and steered her toward his truck. “What Nathan said about Hugh is a total crock, though. Hugh never forgot a thing. Something else is going on.”

  Jayne’s arm brushed Reed’s. Heat radiated from the contact. Reed wanted to get closer. He wanted to bury his head in her hair and forget all about the fire and Hugh’s death. But if he took her in his arms, he’d never be able to let her go.

  “Are you sure it wasn’t that you just didn’t see it because you liked him so much?” Jayne asked as she climbed into the vehicle.

  Good question. Another good reason to avoid personal relationships. They destroyed objectivity.

  Reed stepped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Let’s go get your stuff.”

  Moments later, wind blasted Reed’s back as he jumped out of the Yukon and followed Jayne up the steps of the Black Bear Inn. From the walkway that led to the rear parking area, a parka-clad Bill stopped shoveling. His gaze fell on Jayne. He took a step back, dropped his shovel, and bolted around the corner of the house.

  “Bill,” Jayne called after him.

  Reed cupp
ed her elbow and steered her toward the front door. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not you. He’s just like that around strangers.”

  The lobby was as stifling as usual. “Mae?” He tapped the bell on the registration desk.

  “Keep your pants on,” Mae yelled from the back room. She ducked through the doorway from the family quarters. Her puffy eyes, devoid of makeup, lit on Reed and went soft. “Reed, honey. Come sit down. I heard what happened this morning. Are you all right?” She embraced him in a fierce hug and led him to the sofa. The heat from the woodstove seared the burns on his face right through the bandage.

  “I’m fine, Mae. Thanks.”

  Mae turned her motherly charm on Jayne. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you alive and well. I told Hugh—” Her voice caught on a sob, quickly stifled with Yankee fortitude.

  Reed patted her shoulder. “Hugh was a good man.”

  “That he was. He served this town for thirty years.” Mae nodded and sniffed hard. She turned to Jayne. “You’ll want to collect your things.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Jayne’s voice quivered. “But I don’t know what happened to the key.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll get you the master.”

  After Jayne retrieved her belongings, then what? She’d pick up her Jeep and drive off? Alone? That idea gave Reed an empty ache in the center of his chest. But what were her options? She couldn’t stay in town. Doug sure as hell wouldn’t protect her.

  Christ, her kidnapper could be anybody. Doug and Nathan both had blue eyes. So did a quarter of the men in town.

  Three minutes later, Reed unlocked the door to Jayne’s room. One lone piece of crime scene tape dangled from the jamb. Jayne tried to push ahead, but Reed held her back. “Let me go in first, please.”

  She stepped back and gestured him forward, but she was only two steps behind him when he crossed the threshold. She stood in the corner and rocked back and forth on Scott’s big boots as Reed gave the room a quick sweep.

  “OK.”

  Jayne made a beeline for the armoire and threw it open. Her face paled. “My equipment’s not here. The compact camera was in my purse, but I left my digital SLR and all my lenses in here.”