Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Every breath sent pain across Delaney’s chest. She winced as she pulled a loose sweater over her head, careful to avoid touching the tender skin on her forearm where the airbag had left its mark—an angry red abrasion that stung under even the gentlest touch.
Sleep had come in fitful bursts, her body unable to find a comfortable position, her mind replaying the terrifying moment when her brakes failed. The car careening down the hill, the sickening crunch of metal—it had all rushed back each time she’d closed her eyes.
She moved slowly down the stairs toward the familiar sounds of breakfast being prepared. Thank God, Mr. Aylett cooked in the mornings. She’d have to figure out something to serve for lunch and dinner that didn’t require heavy pans.
When she entered the kitchen, he glanced up from the stove where he was flipping pancakes, a treat he only allowed because of the protein powder he added to the batter. His brow furrowed.
“What are you doing up?” His voice was gentle but firm. “I told you to sleep in.”
“You need to go to work.” She wasn’t about to let her negligence affect him. Whatever she’d done—or failed to do—to her car, that shouldn’t be his problem. In fact… “I wanted to apologize. I’m so thankful Charlotte wasn’t in the car with me, but she could’ve been.”
“It was an accident, Miss Wright.” He slid a pancake onto a growing stack. “No need to apologize. Do you want to eat before you go back to bed?”
“I’m not—”
“I’m working from home today.” He gestured toward the table with the spatula. “And you’re taking the day off. Doctor’s orders.”
“Did you go to medical school between last night and this morning?” She attempted a smile.
“Don’t need to be a doctor to know you need rest.”
Noah’s kindness made something surge inside. The man had enough to worry about without adding her recovery to his list, yet here he was, taking care of her like she mattered.
“If you really don’t mind, that sounds wonderful.” She should argue, insist that she could push through to do her job, but the thought of crawling back into bed, of letting someone else handle the morning routine, felt like a gift.
She skipped breakfast and retreated to her room. The bed welcomed her aching body, and she fell into a deep sleep.
“Miss Laney?” Charlotte’s voice was barely above a whisper through the door, pulling Delaney from sleep.
She shifted, the pain in her sternum sharp. “Come in, sweetheart.”
Charlotte peeked around the door frame, her blue eyes wide with worry. “Uncle Noah says you have to come downstairs. There’s people here.”
The anxiety in the child’s voice had Delaney pushing herself upright despite the discomfort. “What kind of people?”
“Police people.” Charlotte’s lower lip trembled.
“I see.” She patted the bed beside her, and Charlotte climbed up, snuggling close. “The police just want to talk about my accident last night. Sometimes when people have problems, the police help them figure out what to do. That’s the only reason they’re here.”
Charlotte nodded but didn’t look convinced. Her small body remained tense against Delaney’s side.
“Everything’s going to be okay.” Delaney smoothed the child’s curls. “Your Uncle Noah is downstairs, isn’t he?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then you’re safe. He won’t let anything bad happen to you.” The words came easily. Noah Aylett’s devotion to Charlotte was absolute.
Charlotte slipped off the bed and waited while Delaney slowly pulled herself upright, changed into jeans and a sweater, and pulled a brush through her hair. Even that simple movement sent pain to her chest, but she didn’t let it show, not wanting to add to the child’s fears.
She walked beside Charlotte down the stairs, one hand gripping the rail, the other resting lightly on her little shoulder.
The small living room felt crowded with three men in it. Mr. Aylett stood near the entry while two others occupied chairs in the seating area. She recognized the uniformed police officer from the night before and nodded at him.
The other wore slacks and a button-down shirt.
Both stood when she and Charlotte walked in.
Mr. Aylett’s eyes found hers immediately. “Sorry to get you out of bed.”
The mantel clock told her she’d slept nearly three hours. “It’s not a problem. Thank you for the extra rest.”
He nodded to the man she hadn’t met. “This is Detective Norton.”
He was a Black man in his forties with kind eyes and graying temples. “Ms. Wright, I’m sorry to hear about your accident.”
Delaney settled into a chair, Charlotte immediately climbing onto her lap. Her small body pressed against her bruises, but she wrapped her arms around her anyway.
“The mechanic looked at your car this morning,” Detective Norton said. “He called me with some concerning news.”
Mr. Aylett moved closer to Delaney, his jaw tightening. “What did he find?”
Detective Norton barely spared Mr. Aylett a glance. “It wasn’t mechanical failure or normal wear and tear. Your brake line was cut. Someone deliberately sabotaged your vehicle.”
The room seemed to tilt. Charlotte’s weight against her chest made breathing difficult, but not as difficult as processing what she’d just heard. Someone had tried to hurt her…or worse?
“You’re sure?” The words came out as barely a whisper.
“Clean slice through the brake hose,” Detective Norton confirmed. “The mechanic said it was done with a sharp knife or razor blade. Would have taken less than a minute if someone knew what they were doing.”
Mr. Aylett’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I told you something wasn’t right about last night.” His voice was sharp, directed at the uniformed officer who’d told her to call him Mason. “This wasn’t random.”
Mason shifted uncomfortably. “We’re taking it seriously now.”
Mr. Aylett looked like he wanted to say more, but he clamped his lips shut, glancing at Delaney.
He looked again as if to register what he was seeing.
“Come on, Charlie-Bear.” He took his niece, relieving the pressure on Delaney’s chest. “Miss Laney needs you not to climb on her for a few days.” He settled her on a barstool in the attached kitchen and set her coloring book and crayons on the bar.
“You sit here and color while we talk, okay?”
“’Kay.”
When he returned, Delaney gave him a grateful smile.
“Can you think of anyone who might want to harm you?” Detective Norton asked. “Any disputes, arguments, threats?”
Delaney shook her head, the movement making her sternum hurt. “I’ve been in Driftwood not even two months. I don’t really know anyone except…” She gestured vaguely around the room.
“You’ve lived in this house all that time?” He pulled a notebook and pen from his breast pocket.
“I’ve lived here a little over three weeks.”
“What about before you moved in here?” The detective’s pen was poised to take notes. “Where were you living?”
“I…um.” Her gaze flicked to Mr. Aylett, and his eyes narrowed as if he read her reluctance to say. He’d never asked where she’d been living, and she’d never volunteered the information. There was nothing for it now. “I was staying in a women’s shelter in town.”
The detective’s eyebrows hiked. “Are you running from someone? A husband or boyfriend, or—”
“Nothing like that. I met someone at the church that runs the place and asked if they knew somewhere I could rent for cheap. They said I could stay there until I found a place to live or someone else needed to move in.”
“I see.” Detective Norton made a note, and she assumed the nice people she’d met at the Cedar Shoals Bible Church would be getting a call.
She chanced a glance at Mr. Aylett, finding that not only did he not seem shocked or worried about her admission, but he was nodding as if he’d just discovered a missing puzzle piece.
“Did you make any enemies there?” the detective asked.
“At the shelter? No. I mean, I didn’t make any lifelong friends, but I didn’t have conflicts with any of them.”
Mr. Aylett moved closer and perched on the edge of the couch. “Did you ever let any of them borrow your car?”
“No. Never.”
“What about the people at the store yesterday?” Mason asked. “Did you see anybody following you?”
“No, but I was focused on shopping, not on the people around me.”
“How long were you there?” This question came from the detective. All three of the men watched her closely. Though she knew they were trying to help, she felt like she was being interrogated.
“At least an hour. I shopped and then grabbed dinner in the store.”
“The brake line must’ve been cut while you were shopping,” Detective Norton said, making another note. “The brakes wouldn’t have held all the way from Driftwood to the superstore if they’d been cut before you left.”
The realization sent a chill down Delaney’s spine. Someone had crawled under her car while she browsed shampoo and sweaters, deliberately sabotaging her vehicle, knowing she’d be driving on that winding road in the dark.
Someone had wanted her to wreck. Someone had wanted to hurt her. Maybe kill her. But why?
“Where did you park?” Mason asked.
Delaney grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest. It helped the pain a little and gave her a shield from the barrage of questions. “It was about halfway back from the entrance, in front of the grocery side, under one of the lights.”
“Good,” Mason said. “I’ll check if they have security cameras. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Mr. Aylett’s face had darkened. “You should look into Lena Monroe. Maybe. She’s been sort of stalking me.”
“I spoke with Ms. Monroe this morning.” Detective Norton’s tone remained neutral. “She claims she was home all night.”
Mr. Aylett pushed to standing. “And you believe her?”
“I don’t take people at their word,” the detective said evenly. “We’ll look for evidence.”
Mr. Aylett seemed to accept that, settling on the couch beside Delaney.
The detective turned back to her. “Where are you from?”
“Maine, a small coastal town called Shadow Cove.”
“And you came all the way down here because…?”
“I needed a change.” She kept her explanation vague, unwilling to share her entire history with these strangers. The pillow against her chest felt like inadequate armor.
The detective studied her for a moment longer before turning to Mr. Aylett. “What about you? Besides Ms. Monroe, can you think of anyone who might want to harm your employee?”
“No one specific, but there’s a business deal I’m working on. A merger. Another company is trying to edge mine out.”
“You think someone would target your nanny over a business deal?” Mason’s tone held disbelief.
“I have no idea. It’s possible someone might try to destabilize my life to derail the merger.” He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Delaney knew meant he was frustrated. “There’s a board member who’s actively working against me.”
“Name?”
He seemed reluctant to say, lips pressed closed. Finally, he said, “Lowell Jeffries.”
“Your ex-wife’s brother?” Mason’s eyebrows hiked.
Delaney blinked, surprised at this new information. Mr. Aylett had been married?
“He has reason to dislike me.”
The detective asked, “Reason to try to hurt you?”
“He thinks so.” His gaze flicked to hers but didn’t hold. Instead, he focused on Mason, who had information Delaney did not. “Which brings us back to Lena Monroe.”
Mr. Aylett’s stalker, but what did she have to do with this Lowell character?
And what would Lena do if she thought Delaney was standing in her way?