Protected, page 2
part #1 of Holt Agency, Book Three Series
The officer nodded sympathetically. “I know.”
All Mel had been able to do so far was check that her safe was still in the closet and untouched. Her jewelry box was still in the bedroom, flipped over, the contents all over the floor, but at a glance, nothing appeared to be missing.
She didn’t have thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry by any stretch of the imagination, but her diamond earrings and the pearls her aunt had given her when she’d graduated from high school were both on the floor.
Why would someone break in, turn the place into a tornado, and not steal anything?
The officer handed Mel a card. “Please call if you think of anything at all. Any reason someone might be angry with you. A disgruntled student? Maybe a student’s parents who didn’t like a grade their kid earned? An ex who wasn’t fond of a breakup?”
They’d been through this list already. Mel didn’t have enemies. She didn’t have angry students or parents. She didn’t have ex-boyfriends either. None who were recent anyway, and certainly none who had walked away less than amicably.
“Do you have someplace you can stay?” the officer asked.
“Yeah. I’ll stay with friends.” She rubbed her temples and sighed. The last thing she needed was a giant mess to deal with. The semester had just ended. She meant to spend every moment of the next two months during her break finishing a research paper for publication. It needed to be done by the end of the summer.
She glanced at the front of her townhouse again. Fuck. It would take weeks to clean up the mess. Weeks she did not have.
“We’ll be in touch,” the officer said as her partner joined her.
Mel stood on the sidewalk, too stunned to move as the police climbed into their vehicle. Callie and Grant pulled up at the same moment, and seconds later, Callie was running toward Mel.
“My God, Mel. What happened?”
Grant joined her. He was frowning. Not surprising. “I see the police are pulling away. I guess they’ve already taken a statement and assessed the situation.”
“Yeah.”
Grant moved toward the townhouse. “Let’s go inside.”
Mel followed him, Callie at her side, her arm wrapped around her friend.
“Holy shit,” Callie muttered as they entered. “What the hell?”
Grant said nothing as he moved around the space. He worked for the Holt Agency, so his job was solving mysteries. Mel had no doubt he was going to analyze this break-in to death.
Truth be told, she was kind of freaked out, so she didn’t care if he did overanalyze it. She was shaking.
Grant’s face remained fierce as he asked her all the same questions she’d answered for the cops and then some. He was more thorough. It was the nature of his job. Solve crimes. Solve mysteries. Find people. Rescue them.
“You’re sure no one is mad at you about anything?” Grant asked as she followed him into her bedroom. He bent down to pick up the jewelry and finger through it. “Are these diamonds?” he asked without waiting for an answer to her previous question.
She shook her head and pointed at the dresser where she’d set the real diamonds a few minutes ago. “No. Fake. But whoever it was didn’t take the real ones either. Or the pearls.” She crossed her arms and rubbed her biceps.
Callie was at her side, an arm wrapped around her. “She should come stay with us,” Callie declared.
“That goes without saying,” Grant responded without looking toward the women. He continued to tiptoe around the mess, examining everything. Finally he stopped and rubbed a hand down his face. “I don’t like it.”
Mel shuddered. “Maybe the robber was looking for something more lucrative?” she suggested.
He inhaled deeply. “It doesn’t add up. Pack some things.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll have some guys come secure the place within the hour. You’ll stay with us until we can figure out what to do next.”
Mel winced. “I have a lot of work to do. Research. I have to turn in a paper by the end of the summer. I don’t have time to deal with this mess or the possible ramifications.”
Grant met her gaze. “How important is the paper you’re writing? Any chance someone is hoping to sabotage it? Slow you down? Keep you from finishing it?”
She shook her head. “God, no. That’s ludicrous. My work isn’t interesting to more than a handful of people. It’s about the current Chinese influence on American culture and how it affects purchasing habits. Who’d want to thwart that kind of research?”
His expression didn’t change. “Have you spoken to anyone about it?”
Mel sighed. “The visiting professor from China. He’s a kind older man who went out of his way to answer my questions and provide me with suggestions and data.”
“You’re certain he doesn’t want to publish the work himself?” Grant asked.
Mel shook her head. “Not a chance. He’s not publishing anything right now. He was grateful I was interested. Besides, he’s close to seventy and not spry. There’s no way he could have turned my place upside down.”
“He could have hired other people to do it,” Callie suggested.
Mel glanced at her. “You’re starting to sound like your husband. There isn’t a chance in hell Professor Yang was involved in this.”
“Okay.” Callie hugged her. “I just know how Grant’s mind works. He’s thinking of every angle.”
“Well, that one would be a waste of time.” Mel eased out of Callie’s embrace and started picking up clothes and tossing them on the bed. She was exhausted. It was late. She couldn’t even contemplate the size of this mess and the time it would take to clean it up. She needed to stuff a suitcase, grab her toiletries, and sleep in Callie and Grant’s guest room.
Chapter 3
“Where the fuck are you?”
“I don’t have it yet.”
“Why not?”
“I hired someone to flip her townhome. She wasn’t there. They didn’t find it. She must have it on her person.”
“Listen, asshole, the clock is ticking. If I don’t have that in my fucking hands soon, we’re both dead.”
“Look. I’m trying. I need more time. I’m sitting outside her house now. As soon as she returns, I’ll get it.”
It took Melanie over an hour to fall asleep and it felt like it had been minutes before someone knocked on the door to the bedroom she was using at Callie’s place. “Come in,” she managed.
Callie eased the door open. Sunlight from the hallway bathed the room, letting in enough light for Mel to see Callie’s concerned expression. “I’m so sorry. I figured you were still sleeping. I hated to wake you.” She came all the way in and sat on the edge of the bed.
Mel pushed to sitting. “What’s wrong?”
Callie winced. “I hate to tell you this, but it’s all over the news.”
Mel widened her gaze. “My break-in?”
Callie shook her head. “No. Worse. That professor you interviewed, Yang. He was found dead in his hotel room this morning.”
Mel gasped, now fully awake. “What?” she shouted.
Callie reached for her hand and squeezed. “I’m sorry. I know you liked him.”
Mel’s head was spinning. “That’s crazy. Do they know how he died? Please tell me he had a heart attack or a stroke or something.” Please tell me he wasn’t murdered. Mel had no idea why that possibility even entered her mind.
Callie shook her head. “They haven’t released that information yet.”
Mel groaned and dropped onto her back, unable to continue sitting upright. “I can’t believe it.”
A male voice she knew well spoke from the doorway. “Mel?”
She tossed her forearm over her eyes. The room was spinning as if she were drunk or hung over. She couldn’t process this information. It was worse than finding her home ransacked.
“I’m sorry, hon,” Grant said, his voice coming closer. “But more importantly, I’m worried about your safety.”
Melanie flinched as she lowered her arm and met Grant’s gaze as he looked down at her. “I’m just a professor. I don’t know anything interesting about anything. I’m not hiding anything. Surely it’s a coincidence.”
“Maybe, but I don’t like it, and we’re not taking any chances. I want you to go someplace safe for a while. I’m going to look into this. I’ve called my boss and brought him up to speed on this situation.”
Mel couldn’t believe this was happening. “Your boss? At the Holt Agency? Surely the ransacking of my townhouse isn’t interesting enough to bring the Holt Agency into it.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I don’t want to take chances.”
“What if you didn’t know me and I was a stranger?” She narrowed her gaze at him. “Would you be interested in my home burglary then?”
“Nope. I do know you. You’re not a stranger. You’re my wife’s best friend. You’re my friend too. So, humor me.”
Mel sighed. “I have so much work to do. I need to go home. Clean up the damn mess, get my head on straight, and get my paper started.” Professor Yang is dead? Maybe she should slow down and take a breath. Was there any chance there was a connection?
He glanced at Callie and then back at Mel as if he and Callie had discussed something he was about to share. “There’s a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We often go there to get away. It’s safe and unknown. I’d like you to go stay there for a while. You can work on your paper from there. It will be safer.”
“Or, I could stay here a few days, work on my mess during the day, and sleep here at night.” That idea seemed far more plausible. She couldn’t just leave town and ignore the giant damn tornado that was her townhouse.
Grant frowned and shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of you going over there, especially alone. No way in hell do I want Callie over there either. I’d rather leave the mess for now. The townhouse is secure. No one is getting into it for any reason without my knowledge. Humor me. Leave everything where it is in case there’s a clue in the mess that might help us. Just for a few days. I’ll hire someone to go in and put everything to rights when I’m confident we don’t need any sort of evidence anymore.”
Mel blew out a deflating breath. “I can’t believe this is happening. I’m a damn professor. Why would someone be harassing me?”
“That’s what I want to find out. Meanwhile, please go to the cabin. I’ve already spoken to one of our drivers. He’s going to take you there and make sure you’re totally safe.”
“Take me? I need my car.”
Grant nodded. “Someone else will follow in your car, Mel. The two men will ensure you understand how the alarm system works and that you have all the provisions you need.”
Mel stared at him before shifting her gaze to Callie who looked as though she totally agreed with her husband on this.
“Trust me,” Grant continued. “No one knows about the cabin. It’s sort of a safehouse.”
Mel glanced back and forth between her friends. “I didn’t even know you guys owned a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.”
“It’s not ours,” Callie murmured.
“It belongs to a friend,” Grant added.
Mel didn’t ask any more questions about the cabin. It undoubtedly belonged to the Holt Agency. They had safehouses all over the place, including other countries. She exhaled slowly. There was no way Grant was going to let up on this issue. He was stubborn when it came to safety. “Fine.”
Grant nodded. “Good. My guys will be here in an hour. Can you be ready by then? I assume you brought enough clothes with you last night to head for the cabin without going home?”
“I guess.” Lordy. This was drastic and happening so fast. She couldn’t keep up.
Grant headed for the door. Before leaving entirely, he turned around. “Have you spoken to Holden?” he asked cautiously.
Mel shook her head. “No. Not for a few months. He’s been on an assignment in some foreign country. But you don’t need me to tell you that. I’m sure you know exactly where he is.”
She hated to sound snarky. She hated to feel snarky. She tried not to think about Holden most of the time. Tried being the operative word. Most days she thought about him at least a few times, and she never went to bed without tossing around for a while, remembering what it had been like to sleep with him by her side.
It was ridiculous. She’d had him for eleven days. Two and a half years ago. They’d stayed in touch over the months and years, but not frequently. Lately that contact had dwindled. She’d seen him only twice since the cruise that changed their lives. Both times they’d been cordial. Neither time had they slept together.
That amazing vacation had been a one-off. She reminded herself often that the sex surely hadn’t been as amazing as she remembered it. Her brain embellished how damn fantastic he’d been. To believe otherwise was foolish.
Grant hesitated and then nodded and left the room.
“I’m sorry,” Callie whispered. “For everything. I know this is a disaster. I promise I’ll make sure Grant hires good people to clean up your townhouse. I’ll supervise it myself when I can. I’ll make a list of what needs to be replaced.”
“It’s just stuff,” Mel muttered. “I’m not very materialistic. It’s just that I don’t have time to deal with this. And my God, Professor Yang is dead…” she reminded herself yet again. “I can’t believe it.”
“I know. It’s shocking. I don’t want something to happen to make you dead too.” Callie narrowed her gaze. “Please take this seriously. I’m worried someone wants something from you.”
Mel took a slow breath. “It’s hard to imagine. Hopefully it’s a coincidence. I’ve never even pissed off a fly.”
Callie smiled. “I know. You’d probably stop your car and move a turtle out of the road to make sure no one hit it.”
Mel gasped. “Of course I would. I have done that. More than once. Don’t you?”
Callie chuckled. “Don’t panic. I definitely would, but I’ve never come across a turtle stuck in the road. It’s people like you who are aware of things like that.”
Mel narrowed her gaze. “What kind of person am I?”
Callie squeezed her hand again. “Kind. Caring. Loving. And you need to start dating again.”
Mel groaned. “We aren’t seriously going to have this chat again this morning, are we? My plate is a bit full to add dating today.”
Callie shrugged. “Not today, but soon. When this is over, please let me set you up with someone. I know at least two guys at work who—”
Mel moaned as she shoved her friend a few inches over so she could swing her legs around and slide out of bed. “You’re not setting me up, especially not with people who work for the CIA. If and when I decide to date, I’ll pick someone boring. Another professor or an accountant or something.”
Mel headed for her open suitcase and tugged a pair of jeans and a sweater out, as well as panties and a bra. She needed a shower and to spend some time alone, processing what she’d learned so far today.
“There’s no way you’re going to settle for a boring man, Mel. I know you better than that. You need excitement.”
Mel shook her head. “I need stability. I need someone I can count on. Someone who lives with me and comes home every night. Someone with a steady job that won’t get him killed.”
“Someone who doesn’t make your heart pound?” Callie stood and shuffled toward Mel. “You can’t settle, Mel.”
They’d had this conversation too many times to count. “Drop it, Callie. Today is a bad day to badger me about dating. I’m fine. I’m happy.” She pasted on a very fake exaggerated grin. “See?”
Callie chuckled. “Go shower. We’ll talk again later.”
Mel spun around and headed for the guest bathroom. She was shaking as she shut and locked the door. Professor Yang was dead? Was there any chance in hell his death had something to do with her townhouse break-in?
She shuddered. It certainly seemed possible. But why?
At least Mel had her head on straight enough to realize leaving town was probably a good idea. She could catch her breath at the cabin. Work without being disturbed. She’d be safe there for a few weeks or even a few months.
If Callie and Grant went there to get away, it must be gorgeous. Mel would bet it was far more luxurious than the average cabin in the woods. It probably had every modern convenience known to man and then some.
Maybe it would be fun. An adventure. Like a working vacation. She might as well think of it in a positive light, especially since she didn’t have any other options.
Chapter 4
Ten hours later Melanie wandered around the cabin, double-checking every lock and window just like Jerad and Robert had instructed her before they left. The men had also gone to the grocery store in the town twenty minutes down the mountain and picked up enough supplies to last her for weeks. She was just one woman. How much food did they think she could eat?
As suspected, this cabin was definitely more like a luxurious vacation home with every modern convenience. It was certainly nicer than her townhouse. It was also larger.
The downstairs was a spacious great room with a wall of windows along the back, overlooking the most amazing view she’d ever seen. The colors were all warm burnt oranges, burgundies, and browns. She wasn’t usually much of a cook, but the kitchen was so damn fantastic that she might actually decide to spend more time trying out new recipes.
The upstairs had three bedrooms: two guest rooms and the master. There was also a guest bath and an office with a desk where she intended to work on her paper.
The best feature of all, however, was the master bathroom. It had a huge whirlpool tub with a giant picture window that overlooked the mountains. Melanie had spent the entire afternoon thinking about climbing into that tub with a glass of red wine and a book.
It was time. Maybe she was being frivolous, ignoring the real world, but in her defense, Callie and Grant had both encouraged her to escape reality and relax and enjoy this working vacation.
