Chapter 2
After explaining everything to Micah, Bryn felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
He’d believed her, yet the grim expression on his face indicated he was concerned about her situation.
She was too. She wished for the hundredth time that she’d never succumbed to the temptation of dating Damien.
She knew it was their relationship that made Richard suspect she was involved.
The fact that Damien hadn’t been too upset after she’d broken things off had lulled her into a false sense of security. She’d been glad Damien wasn’t angry, creating a hostile work environment. She’d worried she would have to find a new job, but she hadn’t.
Now she couldn’t help but wonder if part of the reason Damien hadn’t seemed to care about their relationship was because he was preoccupied with embezzling money from the company.
“Do you have any idea where Damien Rochester is hiding out?” Micah’s question pierced her thoughts.
“No. I checked his condo and so did the police. There was no sign of him.” She sighed. “I handle his correspondence, email, and other communications. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary over the past few months.” She grimaced. “Not that the police seemed to believe me.”
“Bryn, you need to think about this.” Micah took her hand in his. “There must be someplace Damien liked to go. Maybe a favorite vacation spot. Or a place he went to get away from the stress of the job.”
“He didn’t take many vacations.” She stared into Micah’s blue eyes. “He went to Jamaica once but hadn’t enjoyed it. He skied in Colorado a year ago, but it’s not ski season anymore. I can’t think of a single place he went more than once.”
“Okay, did he make any strange purchases? Something that provides a clue as to where he might have gone?”
“Nothing that I know of.” She battled a wave of annoyance. “If he wanted to hide something, he’d have sent his mysterious purchases to his home. Not to the office.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” Micah offered a crooked smile. “Sorry, I know I’m grasping at straws.”
“Two club sandwiches?” Bryn glanced up as their server set two plates in front of them. “Here’s the ketchup for your fries. Do you need anything else?”
“No, thank you,” Micah said.
“Looks good,” she added weakly. “Thanks.”
Once the server left them alone, she turned toward Micah. “I’d like to say grace.”
He looked surprised but nodded. “Sure.”
She bowed her head. “Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for this food we’re about to eat. Please keep us all safe in Your care. Amen.”
“Amen,” Micah murmured, then he glanced at her again. They were sitting so close she could see the dark pupils in his blue eyes. “I don’t recall Tommy praying before meals.”
She flushed and shrugged. “I started attending church after his funeral. I found some comfort in learning about Jesus and how he died on the cross to give us eternal life. We were raised attending church, so I believe Tommy is in heaven.”
Micah searched her gaze for a moment, then turned his attention to his sandwich. He took a bite, then said, “We need to find a place to lay low until we can figure out where to look for your boss.”
She nibbled on a fry. Despite having no appetite, she forced herself to eat. “Why not leave that up to the police?”
“I would rather find him first,” Micah admitted. “I don’t like how he left you in the lurch.”
Thinking back to how the Madison police had grilled her for hours, she grimaced. “As much as I’d love to talk to Damien, too, the police have the investigative resources to find him more than we do.”
“Maybe, but I think you might know more than you realize.” Micah’s elbow bumped into hers as he took another bite of his sandwich. Sitting so close to him was a bit unnerving. She knew he’d only chosen to sit beside her so they could talk privately, not because he wanted to be close.
She’d always admired Micah. In high school, she’d harbored a secret crush on him. When Micah had convinced Tommy to join the army with him, she’d written letters to the both of them. Hearing they were going to be coming home had been a relief.
Only Tommy had been killed before he could make it back.
The army had paid for Tommy’s funeral, and Micah had stood grimly beside her throughout the day. Several times he apologized for what had happened. It was as if he felt guilty. She’d assured Micah it wasn’t his fault.
Looking at him again now, she found herself wondering about Micah’s personal life. He didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean much. Micah could have a steady girlfriend or even be engaged.
And now she’d dragged him into her mess. Her stomach knotted again. “I’m sorry.”
Micah arched a brow. “For what? This isn’t your fault, Bryn.”
“My poor decision to date my boss didn’t help.” She toyed with a french fry. “I’m sure you have better things to do with your personal time than sit here with me.”
A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “If you’re asking if I’m seeing someone, I’m not. I’m here because I want to help.”
The flash of relief at knowing he wasn’t involved wasn’t warranted.
It wasn’t as if Micah had ever expressed an ounce of interest in her.
He’d always treated her as a friend, nothing more.
“I appreciate that. But what about your job?” She frowned.
“Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t know what you do for a living now that you’ve left the military. ”
“I work private security.” He waved a hand. “Don’t worry, my boss knows where I am.”
“Great.” She was glad his boss had granted him some vacation time.
Which brought her back to the fact that she didn’t have a job anymore.
Maybe if Damien was found and was innocent of embezzling money, she had a chance of returning to her position.
But after spending hours with the police, Richard Freeman had made it perfectly clear her services were no longer needed.
She hadn’t even had time to consider the impact of losing her job.
She had enough vacation time to cover her for two weeks, but after that?
She didn’t think unemployment would cover her mortgage payments.
And despite having been with the company for the past four years, Bryn knew Richard would fight her unemployment claim.
The way they always did when employees were let go.
Bryn swallowed hard at the realization that she’d have to sell her house. It wasn’t the end of the world, but without a decent reference, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find another position.
Pushing her half-eaten food away, she lowered her head and blinked back tears of despair. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about her future. Or lack thereof.
Damien was still missing, and she was growing worried that something bad had happened to him.
She abruptly realized the gunman who’d targeted her was likely looking for Damien. Whoever that person was might assume—the way the police had because they’d dated—that she knew where he was.
Too bad she was clueless.
“Bryn? You need to eat.” Micah’s brow furrowed. “Stressing over your boss isn’t going to help.”
“I know that.” Again, she squelched a flash of annoyance. “But I can’t just stuff my feelings in a box. Someone fired a gun at me.”
“I understand.” His tone softened as he added, “But you’re safe now.”
She ate another french fry, forcing herself to think through the past few weeks.
Was it possible Damien had a gambling problem?
Maybe he owed someone money and that’s why the gunman was sitting inside her house waiting for her to arrive.
Although the way the gunman had fired at her, rather than trying to force her to talk, didn’t support that theory.
She’d never witnessed Damien gambling, but it suddenly occurred to her that someone else might know more about her boss.
“Do you think the police have already spoken to Damien’s former girlfriend? ”
Micah turned to stare at her. “He had another girlfriend?”
“Yes, a woman named Lori Eastman.” She sighed, realizing she should have thought of Lori earlier. “They broke up last year, several months before Damien and I began seeing each other. I was just thinking she might know more about his personal life than I do.”
“I take it she lives in Madison?” Micah wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Do you have an address?”
She frowned, thinking back to the days she’d sent flowers and other gifts to the woman. “I believe she lives downtown, not far from the medical center. The address is 112 West Lange Drive.”
“Okay, we’ll head back to Madison.” He gestured to her unfinished food. “Please try to eat more. You need your strength.”
Swallowing a sigh, she ate another couple of french fries. Then she gently nudged him. “I’m ready, but I need to use the restroom before we leave.”
“Okay.” He slid out of the seat and stood. Their server rushed over with the bill.
A few minutes later, they were back outside. Micah gestured to his car. “We’ll use my vehicle. I can arrange for someone to take yours back to the rental agency.”
That seemed like a waste of money, but she didn’t argue. If she were honest, she preferred riding with him than driving herself.
The incident of gunfire was still too fresh in her mind.
As she settled into the passenger seat beside Micah, she was grateful for his reassuring presence. Maybe they’d find Damien at Lori’s house.
Or maybe the police would find him.
Either way, she desperately wanted to believe the danger would be over very soon.
Micah drove back toward Madison keeping a wary eye on the rearview mirror. He didn’t believe Bryn was involved in anything illegal. Yet he didn’t trust her missing boss one iota.
He hadn’t mentioned his theory that Damien might have implicated Bryn in his embezzlement scheme. Although if her boss had done that, he couldn’t figure out why there had been a gunman waiting for her at home.