After the Storm

“Carol Sims is a good reporter. She has worked with the police before. Her father was a former police chief and she has a good relationship with the department.”

  “Great, would you mind asking her to come in?”

  “Sure,” she replied. “Before I leave, the staff meeting you wanted set up—four o’clock was a good time for everyone.”

  “Okay. I’ll send an e-mail confirming the time. Thanks, Rachel.”

  He resumed typing on his computer. Rachel left and returned to her desk, stopping only to tell Carol that Luke needed to see her.

  Rachel read her column again and then submitted it. She needed to leave now in order to be at the police station by two.

  * * *

   Upon arriving she met Mrs. Harrison, the elderly neighbor who lived across the hall.

  “Oh, Rachel, those poor ladies.” Mrs. Harrison took Rachel’s hand. “Who could have done something so horrible? I don’t know what this world is coming to. I just don’t know.”

  “I agree, Mrs. Harrison.” Rachel patted her shoulder. “You be careful on your way home.”

  “I will, dear.”

  Rachel headed to the information desk where the lead detective met her.

  “Ms. Harman, I’m Detective Andrews. Would you please follow me?” They walked into the interrogation room. Even though she had nothing to hide, her nerves were getting the best of her, different scenarios playing out in her mind.

  Detective Andrews was an older gentleman whose stern, wrinkled face relayed the seriousness of his job. “Ms. Harman, you stated earlier that you were with your boss, Luke Ashton.”

  “Yes, that’s correct. The storm knocked out the power to the apartment building. He happened to be grilling outside on his patio and invited me to have dinner with him. After we ate, we decided to walk through the neighborhood, stopping only to rescue a mama cat and her kittens from the sewer. Plain and simple, I was with him the whole evening.” A knock on the door startled her. “Detective Andrews, may I see you for a moment?”

  “Excuse me, Ms. Harman.” Detective Andrews left, leaving his file open. The journalist in Rachel got the best of her and she slowly leaned forward to catch a glimpse of the report. The name Melissa Miller caught her eye. Detective Andrews came back in. “Sorry for the interruption.” Melissa Miller, Melissa Miller… Rachel kept repeating the name in her mind. “Ms. Harman, I’m going to let you go for now. We may call you back in later for additional questioning.”

  Rachel hurried through the police station and then to her car. She wanted to make it back in time for the staff meeting and most importantly, to look up the name Melissa Miller beforehand.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Rachel flew into the office, arriving only as everyone was filing into the boardroom.

  “Stop everyone! Melissa Miller—that’s the name of one of the women found last night.”

  Luke flashed a smile. “Okay, everyone let’s get busy finding out who Melissa Miller is, and how a mugging put her in the basement of my apartment building. Carol Sims will be lead on the story.”

  Everyone rushed off to work on the story. Rachel and Luke exchanged glances that made them both blush. Rachel walked away, her heart fluttering.

  Rachel was entering her office when Jarrett, the new intern, came running up to Luke. “Mr. Ashton, you’ve got to see this.” It was an article from an internet magazine. The headline read—The New Publisher of This Week Questioned in Murder of Two Women.

  Rachel’s stomach dropped. She moved closer to Luke to examine at the article.

  “Look who the writer happens to be. Gage Winter. Why would he do something so despicable?”

  “To get back at me for firing him, that’s why. I have to clear my name before the magazine is destroyed by negative publicity.”

  Rachel returned to her office, more determined than ever to find out who Melissa Miller was.

  Carol Sims knocked on Rachel’s door. “Got a minute?”

  “Sure.”

  “Look what I discovered—Melissa Miller had a restraining order against her soon-to-be ex-husband.”

  * * *

  A short while later Rachel lagged behind as everyone gathered into the board room. When she could stall no longer, she joined her coworkers.

  Already seated at the head of the table, Luke remained silent while Rachel searched for somewhere to sit. There was only one empty place, by Carol Sims and—of all the luck!—to Luke’s immediate right. There went her hope to slip into the staff meeting a minute or two late without anyone noticing.

  “Thanks for the sticky assignment,” Carol muttered as Rachel eased herself quickly next to her friend. Was it Rachel’s imagination or did Carol make a point of shifting her chair to put some physical distance between them?

  “Now that we’re all here,” Luke said, glancing in Rachel’s direction, “let’s get started. I’ve always thought it was a good idea for a new boss to maintain the status quo for a while after coming on board.” He spread his hand in front of him, palms up. “So much for good ideas.”

  The ripple of laughter calmed Rachel’s nerves somewhat. While Luke described his vision for the magazine’s future, the sound of his voice and the faint scent of his aftershave kept pulling her thoughts back to the previous evening. Who was this Luke Ashton? Was he the warm, sensitive Christian man he seemed to be or some twisted serial killer who hid bodies in the basement? His hand was so near. That same hand touched her last night…

  The sudden burst of applause took Rachel by surprise. Uh-oh, she hadn’t heard a word of the new publisher’s initial pep talk. Joining the enthusiastic clapping, she hoped there wouldn’t be a pop quiz before she had a chance to catch up.

  “Any questions or comments?” Luke asked. He waited a decent period of time, then said, “Thank you for coming. Ms Sims and Ms Harman, do you have a few minutes?”

  Rachel watched her coworkers file out of the conference room. Wasn’t it enough she’d spent most of the afternoon at the police station? Now she would miss the chance to unwind and join the informal postmortem that always took place in the break room after staff meetings.

  “Why don’t we adjourn to my office?” Luke said. “It’s more private.”

  Carol closed her notepad. “I’ll be right there as soon as I make a quick pit stop.” She zipped out the door without waiting for a response.

  “I hope that went all right,” Luke said, gathering his notes.

  I need this job, Rachel thought. “I can’t remember when I’ve been to a better meeting.”

  Luke chuckled. “You don’t have to resort to flattery.”

  He stood and stretched, reminding her of his muscular physique.

  “I’m going to grab a bottle of water on the way. Want anything?”

  As she was about to ask for a soda, Rachel’s brain finally engaged. “Let me get your water,” she said. “I have to look at the choices to decide what I want.”

  “Sounds good. And keeps me from crashing the party a first staff meeting usually spawns.”

  Elbowing her way to the vending machines, Rachel admonished herself not to be so taken with Luke’s charm. Maybe it was all a clever facade. She bought two bottles of water and hurried to Luke’s office, wishing she’d had time to find out what he said at staff meeting.

  Carol sat in one of the leather chairs facing Luke’s desk. “Thank you,” she said, extending her hand. “How did you know I was thirsty?”

  Rachel handed her friend the water she’d bought for herself and placed the other bottle in front of Luke. “Thanks,” he said, with just a hint of a smile. “Please close the door.”

  “What I’m going to tell you is just between the three of us for the time being,” Luke began. He removed the cap from the bottle of water and took a sip. “Ten years ago, I was assigned to cover the opening of a new art museum in Paris. I stayed in New York overnight, and someone took my passport, wallet and watch. I guess the thief had a key to my hotel room, and unfortunately I’m a heavy sleeper.”
>
  “How terrible,” Carol said.

  “Yes, it was a mess. I missed my flight because it took a couple of days to get my credit cards replaced and my passport reissued.” Luke stood and started to pace. “The rest of my trip was uneventful. No one ever tried to use my credit and I thought the incident was behind me.” Turning his back, he went to the window and looked into the distance. “Next time I boarded an international flight, federal marshals pulled me off the plane and I was arrested.”

  In spite of herself, Rachel gasped, “No!”

  “Yes. It took several days to sort things out. It turned out someone used my passport and ID to steal my identity. Then this fake ‘Luke Ashton’ went on a crime spree in Europe.” Luke sat at his desk and took another drink of his water. “He has never been caught. Every time I think this is over, he intrudes on my life again. I’ve never met Melissa Miller that I recall.” He replaced the water bottle cap. “After a sleepless night, I’ve reached the conclusion my nemesis has struck again.”

  Rachel felt an icy fear begin to grip her chest. “Then, that means…” She couldn’t say the words.

  “Yes, he may very well reside in this city. And barring an extraordinary coincidence, he knows where I live.”

  Carol was matter-of-fact. “You have to tell the authorities.”

  “I told them the whole story last night—dates, names, police report numbers. I don’t think they believed me, but they’ll find everything checks out.”

  “Aren’t you worried?” Rachel asked.

  “I’ve been saying a lot of prayers.” Luke smiled. “I’m no hero, but I am a newsman. Carol you have the ingredients for a blockbuster story to be broken in This Week, of course. Rachel can help you track down sources.” He leaned forward. “And not one word of this to anyone else. This guy has dealt me misery for ten years. I may as well reap the benefit of telling the story when he’s caught.”

  “I’m on it, chief,” Carol said. She glanced at her watch. “Maybe I’ll have dinner in a little Italian restaurant I know where some of my cop buddies hang out.”

  “Be careful,” Luke warned. “This could get dangerous.”

  “Right,” Carol said, already halfway out the door.

  Luke came to sit next to Rachel. “I’m the publisher and you’re a staff writer. My head tells me to stay away from you, but my heart keeps overruling my common sense. Would you like to have dinner with me, Rachel?”

  Rachel’s chest constricted and she could barely take a breath. Oh, she enjoyed his company—far too much. With him, she did not seem to be able to muster up an ounce of resistance.

  Could she trust him? He came with plenty of baggage.

  Could she believe his story about someone stealing his identity? Just how did his credit card end up next to two murdered women?

  To all outward appearances, he acted the part of a practicing Christian, but she knew nothing about his background, where he grew up, his family, or even his friends.

  At any rate, his common sense about staying away from her was right on target. If she dated him it would open the door to an avalanche of gossip in the office. Her cheeks grew hot and she took in a slow deliberate breath.

  “I’m sorry, but I have some important personal business that I cannot put off any longer. Perhaps another time.” She gave him a smile though her heart thudded dully. She wasn’t lying. She did need to restock her refrigerator.

  “I’m sorry, too.”

  His crestfallen features tugged at her sympathy, but she would not take her words back. Until now, no man had ever so completely won her over. She needed to put some distance between them.

  She left the office and drove to the supermarket. She lingered over the steaks in the meat department and thought about the wonderful meal she had shared with Luke. Unable to resist, she bought two of them. She told herself that one steak would be for mama cat and her kittens. While she needed to keep her distance from Luke she could not abandon the little family she had helped to save.

  She also bought another container of propane for her own grill. Luke may have been a Boy Scout, but she had been a Girl Scout. Next time the power went out, she would be prepared. She bought a more powerful flashlight, too.

  Hungry, she wound up with far more than she needed. Burdened with several bags of groceries, she drove home. Before she reached her section in the apartment complex, she noticed a fancy car that looked very much like the one Gage owned parked on a side street about two blocks away from her apartment.

  “I guess he already has another girlfriend,” she mused. “Maybe he had another one all along. I was simply a passing fling.”

  As she pulled into her parking space, she glanced at Luke’s apartment. The windows were dark. A spasm of guilt hit her. He could be sitting all alone in a restaurant eating a lonely meal and worrying about his future.

  Reassuring herself that she had done the right thing under the circumstances, she carried her burdens into her own apartment. Setting her groceries on the counter, she heard a loud thump overhead and the distinct howl of mama cat.

  Her pulse jumped. Had the cat knocked something over? Or had one of the kittens climbed up the tall bookcase she had seen in the living room and then fallen off?

  She still had his spare key. She had to check on the animals. If one of them were injured, she would never forgive herself. She grabbed the key and raced upstairs. Flinging open the door, she switched on the light and found herself face-to-face with Gage.

  “W-what are you doing here?” she stuttered.

  “Get this cat off me!” He tried to pull the cat off his leg, but the feline slashed his hand. Swearing, he reached for one of the heavy brass bookends on the coffee table.

  Anticipating what he intended to do, she ran to save the cat. The cat did not get hit, she did. Pain exploded in her head, and she blacked out.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Rachel awoke with her head aching and a queasy stomach. Other parts of her hurt as well. It took her more than a few minutes to assess her situation. Masking tape held her hands together behind her back. Her feet were wrapped with the same. She sat on the couch and beside her was Luke, but he didn’t move. In fact, he seemed to be barely breathing. However, he had not been bound with tape.

  “Luke,” she whispered. “Are you all right?”

  He did not answer her.

  Terror spiraled through her. She struggled with her bonds, but while masking tape did not have the strength of duct tape, Gage had used a ton of it. Still, she picked at it with her fingernails, but she was so nervous, her fingers kept slipping.

  The light in the room had been turned off, but in the glow of the streetlight outside, she could see Gage pulling the grill into the room. He closed the glass door to the balcony and pulled the grill nearer to the counter.

  “Untie me, you creep.”

  Gage did not look up from his task. He disconnected the rubber hose on the propane tank. “Scream and I knock you out again.”

  Panic tightened in her throat, but she decided to try reasoning with him. “Look, I don’t care what you were doing in this apartment. I know you’re angry with Luke because he fired you—”

  “He handed me a new opportunity.” Gage straightened. Even in the dim light she could see his wide smile. “I’d thank him but I hit him harder than I hit you.”

  He went to the refrigerator and took out a package of meat. Opening it, he laid some pork chops on the grill. “Everyone knows you’re not supposed to grill inside, but it’s looking like rain again.”

  “You’re going to asphyxiate us?”

  “Too many clues left behind if I did that.”

  The horror of what he intended dawned on her, but she could do nothing more than say a fast prayer. Meanwhile, he continued to set up the scene. He put wineglasses on the coffee table and poured red wine into them.

  “It will be a sad, but touching scene.”

  “Why are you doing this? He fired you over a personality issue. It happens to a lot of empl
oyees. You can get another job. You’re good at what you do.”

  “I never expected praise from you. It seems insincere under the circumstances.”

  “I never did anything to you.”

  “You turned me down last night when I wanted to take you out.”

  “That’s not a reason to kill me.”

  “What’s one less female when all’s said and done?” It was his gleeful manner that sent cold dread into her bones. Had he murdered those two women? How could he? He was so fastidious. After all, he didn’t want her to mess up his car.

  She wrestled against nausea. There were ways to murder people that did not involve much of a mess. He was going to kill her and Luke. What did it matter if she made a giant leap of logic? She had made progress on the masking tape, but not enough to free herself.

  Between the pain in her head and the sickness in her stomach she wanted to cry, but she struggled to hide her emotions.

  Gage picked up the brass bookend where it lay on the floor and placed it neatly on the table. “I wish I had a rose to put in Luke’s hand.” He sighed and turned back to the grill.

  Beside her, Luke shifted slightly. She glanced at him and though she could not be sure due to the dim light, she thought he winked at her. Her heart turned over. She was going to die next to him. How she wished she had gone out to dinner with him!

  “Did you kill Melissa Miller? Is she your ex-wife?” she asked Gage.

  “Her? Ha! She’s some crazy woman my ex-wife met who thought she had me all figured out. When I found Luke’s credit card and put it next to their bodies, I thought that would be enough to pin the blame on him, but the police in this county are dimwitted.” He glanced out the window. “Perfect, it is starting to rain. I’d recommend you say your prayers.” He snatched a box of matches from the counter and opened the valve on the gas. Rachel heard the steady hiss and smelled the odor of the gas as it wafted through the room.

  He ran toward the door, but Luke jumped up and tackled him. They both fell with a loud crash.

  At that moment, the door opened and several policemen rushed in.

  “Turn off the propane gas,” Rachel called.

  One officer turned off the valve and opened the glass door to the balcony. The other officer slapped handcuffs on Gage.

  Mrs. Harrison stepped into the apartment holding mama cat. “I knew something was wrong the way this poor cat was crying outside my door. Then I heard a bunch of scuffling going on, so I called 911.”