Covert Cover-Up, page 1
Rescuing a neighbor lands her in a killer’s sights...
Private investigator Katelyn Bradley rushes to help when she suspects a burglary at her neighbor Beck Goodwin’s house—and arrives just in time to save him. The widowed dad is convinced the attack is linked to his wife’s mysterious death, and now Katelyn is a target, too. Trapped in someone’s crosshairs, can Beck and Katelyn uncover his late wife’s lethal secrets...and keep each other alive?
“Beck!” Katelyn’s voice broke through the chaos in his mind.
Panting for breath, he dropped the ax at his feet on the top step along with pieces of wood.
“The door is dead,” she said. “No need to keep hacking.”
He stared through the exit he’d opened up in the door at the glowing landing. “I’m not sure we can get out this way.”
There were no good options.
“Help! Can someone hear me? Help us!” Katelyn had left his side and gone back to the windows. She shouted through the opening that was much too small to escape through.
But how could anyone help them, even if they heard her cries? Beck was done deliberating about what to do next. It was time for action.
“We have to face the flames, Katelyn. It’s the only way. I’ll go up and check it out first.”
Katelyn grabbed his arm. “No. You can’t.”
“Neither can I let you die here.”
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of more than thirty novels and novellas. A 2011 Carol Award winner, she was a double finalist in the 2016 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and a 2016 Carol Award finalist. Elizabeth graduated with a computer science degree and worked in high-level software sales before retiring to write full-time.
Books by Elizabeth Goddard
Love Inspired Suspense
Mount Shasta Secrets
Deadly Evidence
Covert Cover-Up
Coldwater Bay Intrigue
Thread of Revenge
Stormy Haven
Distress Signal
Running Target
Texas Ranger Holidays
Texas Christmas Defender
Wilderness, Inc.
Targeted for Murder
Undercover Protector
False Security
Wilderness Reunion
Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
Covert Cover-Up
Elizabeth Goddard
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
—Isaiah 43:2
To my only daughter, Rachel. God is always with you.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all my writing friends and family who encourage and tolerate me along this amazing publishing journey!
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dear Reader
Excerpt from Fugitive Chase by Jenna Night
ONE
Katelyn Bradley stood at the curb and stared at the dark home. No lights were on. Not even a porch light. No surprise since it was after midnight.
Here goes nothing.
The streetlights were few and far between in the neighborhood and shed little light. No dogs barked that might alert her to danger, but she would stay cautious. Shoving aside her fears, she crept forward while remaining aware of her surroundings. She swatted a mosquito that buzzed her ear.
Everything was probably all right.
Bushes edged the porch and the windows around the house. She hoped no one was hiding in the foliage as she continued up the steps and onto the porch. She peered into the shadows around her, but couldn’t see a thing. Katelyn knocked on the door, then turned her back to the house and looked around the yard, also glancing at the neighbors on each side and the houses across the street. In her peripheral vision she could see that next door, Clara remained on her own porch watching Katelyn’s every move.
After she got no response, she turned to the door again. “Beck, it’s Katelyn. Your neighbor. Clara told me she was concerned. She sent me to check on you.”
A few more moments passed.
This time of night, he was probably in a deep sleep. He might be furious at her for waking up his son, too. Regardless, she wished he would turn on the porch light and chase away the shadows. She wished he would answer and let her know that he and Oliver were okay.
Clara had informed Katelyn that she’d seen someone creeping around the house. She was a caring elderly woman whom some considered too nosy. Katelyn thought of Clara in different terms—the woman was simply concerned. More neighborhoods needed watchdogs like Clara.
While she waited, Katelyn palmed the gun she kept hidden and tried to decide her next step. Was this another one of Clara’s false alarms? Clara had called the police on too many occasions.
Katelyn had moved into the house next to Clara six months ago. Since Katelyn ran a private investigations and security partnership with her brother Ryan’s fiancée, Tori Peterson, Clara had turned to asking Katelyn to check on neighborhood anomalies when they occurred, instead of phoning the police.
After too many times knocking and ringing the doorbell, concern tightened her chest. Though she again palmed her weapon, she reminded herself that she was no longer a police officer. The last thing she wanted to do was unnecessarily frighten Beck or his young son, Oliver.
The distinct sound of shattering glass erupted inside the home.
Katelyn tensed. Clara had been right. Unless, of course, it was only Beck knocking over a lamp as he walked in a groggy state to respond to her untimely knocking. But her instincts told her Beck was in trouble.
“Who’s in there? Open up!” She paused. “Clara?” she called over her shoulder.
“Yes, dear. I’m watching from my porch.”
“Call the police.” In the town and county seat of Rainey, the Maynor County Sheriff’s Department served that role.
“Are you sure?”
“Tell them Katelyn Bradley requested help.”
Still, the police wouldn’t get to the home in time and Beck had a child—Katelyn couldn’t wait. The struggle inside continued. She tried the doorknob and it turned, which both surprised and relieved her. Holding her weapon at the ready, she entered the home as if she was in her old job as a cop.
She wanted to shout “Police!”
That could stop whatever chaos reigned inside, but then she would be impersonating a cop.
Even now, she wondered who she thought she was, going in to save the day when she’d failed so spectacularly before.
Katelyn focused her thoughts on the moment. Grunts and groans came from somewhere in the home. Clinking and clattering, too. Her eyes adjusted to what little light filtered through the mini blinds from outside. Following the sounds, she rushed into the large comfortable living room, then down a long hallway decorated with framed family photographs and a child’s artwork. All this she took in as she prepared for what she might encounter.
“Beck? Are you okay?”
Sirens rang out in the distance. Still, much too far away. Every second counted. Katelyn would continue to search until she found him. She prayed he would be safe, but her gut clenched as dread took hold.
Entering a spacious library, more light spilled in from a neighbor’s security light. She spotted an overturned chair and froze. Shards of colored glass from a Tiffany lamp were spread across the wood floor.
And a body... Beck was on the floor.
At the sight, her heart stuttered. Gasping, she rushed forward. “Beck!”
He groaned.
Before she could drop to her knees next to him, a bulky form grabbed her from behind. Katelyn used defensive techniques to free herself, but in the process, the hulking invader disarmed her. Panic engulfed her. He was gaining the upper hand and she had to get back the advantage. Gulping for breath, she knocked the gun from his hand and freed herself, then whirled to face off with the masked man.
When he lunged for her, she kicked him in the throat. As he stumbled back, she tore off his mask. The light spilling into the room lit up his face, and she memorized the details. Katelyn didn’t miss the threatening, murderous look in his eyes. Eyes she would never forget.
A display of red and blue lights flashed in the windows and reflected on the walls. Sirens blared.
The now unmasked face scowled. Her attacker swung his massive fist toward her. Katelyn dodged, but he kicked his leg out, too, and she lost her balance, falling to the floor as he fled the room. Katelyn glanced at Beck. Unmoving, he was awake and gave her a pensive gaze as he pushed to sit up.
Deputies rushed into the home. Lights flooded the library.
Guns were aimed at her and Beck as they remained on the floor. Squinting, she held up her identification—her PI credentials. “I called you.”
“I’m the homeowner.” Beck shifted to his knees. “The attacker fled the house. Maybe someone should look for him.”
Unlike Beck, Katelyn made no movements until the deputies lowered their weapons.
“Katelyn Bradley.” Deputy Clemmons, one of her detective brother’s friends, helped her to her feet. “What happened here?”
“I walked in on an assailant who had attacked Beck.” Katelyn waited for Beck to take the lead.
He held her gaze a moment, then looked at Deputy Clemmons. “I dropped my son off at his grandparents’ and when I came home, I walked in on a burglar. He attacked me. Then Katelyn entered just in time.” He sent her an odd look.
Clara hadn’t mentioned that Beck had just gotten home. She’d only said she’d seen someone creeping around the house. Had that been Beck she’d seen, checking out his home? Not that it mattered at this point.
“Do you need a paramedic? You look kind of beat-up.”
Beck’s face reddened. He was a fit guy. Worked at some rock-climbing facility. Clara had said he’d once been a world-class rock climber—no doubt he was strong.
“I’m fine.” His voice projected confidence. “I was caught off guard.”
By someone strong enough to take down Beck Goodwin. Katelyn was glad the law showed up when they had.
Deputy Clemmons started taking their statements and filling out the paperwork for the report stating that Beck had walked in on a burglary and had tried to restrain the thief. Inserting herself into the incident, PI and neighbor Katelyn Bradley had walked into the home and eventually the library, where she found and engaged the assailant, who fled upon the arrival of law enforcement.
“Ah, whose weapon?” Deputy Clemmons asked as he eyed the gun on the floor by a chair.
Now it was Katelyn’s turn to be embarrassed. “That’s mine.”
Clemmons reached down and grabbed it, then handed it over. “Might want to hang on to it.” He leaned closer. “I won’t tell your brother.”
Great. Now he would hold that over her—he’d wanted a date with her since forever ago. Not happening.
“Well, folks, I think we’ve seen enough. You startled a burglar. Good thing no one was shot.” Clemmons’s tone had turned more serious as he held her gaze. He studied Katelyn. “You saw his face.”
“Yeah. I got a good look.”
“What about you?” Clemmons asked Beck.
“No.”
Clemmons acted like he questioned Beck’s response, but then focused on Katelyn. “Can you come in tomorrow to look at mug shots? Maybe he has a record.”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“See you tomorrow then. I’m sure Mr. Goodwin here is grateful to have such a skilled neighbor, but... Katelyn, please wait for us to arrive next time.” His last words held a scolding tone.
Of course he would say that. Maybe she deserved that reprimand, but what about Beck’s life? Plus, in her mind things weren’t adding up. If the attacker had only been a burglar, why had he stayed until the moment the deputies arrived? Why fight Beck and then Katelyn? Why not flee the scene as soon as his presence was discovered in the home?
The deputies cleared out, and Katelyn turned to look at Beck. She should leave, too, but she wanted to make sure he was truly okay. Her heart had beat a little faster the few times she’d interacted with him, which hadn’t been many. She lived two houses down from him—on the other side of Clara.
His gray eyes took her in. “I would thank you for barging into my home to play the hero but you could have been hurt. I had it under control. I almost had the burglar.”
Seriously? She stifled a laugh. Well, of all the ungrateful attitudes. “You were on the floor when I found you.”
“You could have been killed.”
A knot grew in her throat. Rather than continue the conversation, she turned and marched home. Two county vehicles were still parked at the curb. One deputy stood at his vehicle and talked on the radio. Were they out looking for the burglar? Or lingering only to make sure he’d fled the neighborhood for good?
Whatever. She didn’t have to stick around and listen to Beck’s criticism when he should have been thanking her instead. That’s what she got for trying to help. The man didn’t appreciate it. If she hadn’t intervened he could have been killed. He could be dead right now.
She took a shortcut and crossed Clara’s lawn rather than using the sidewalk. The woman was nowhere to be seen. Good. Katelyn would be hard-pressed to produce a smile at the moment. Ryan would hear about her involvement tonight sooner or later. Detective Ryan Bradley was her twin, but could be annoyingly overprotective, which was especially true after what he’d been through months ago when he’d almost lost Tori Peterson, the woman of his dreams, now his fiancée. Tori had become Katelyn’s partner in her private investigations and security services business—Peterson Bradley Investigations.
Let them find out in good time. She wouldn’t bother either of them at this hour. Her brother and Tori were getting married this coming weekend and Katelyn wouldn’t throw a wrench into that event, especially since it seemed that some obstacle was always getting in the way. She was happy they had both found each other. She’d thought she’d found love once but had been betrayed. Katelyn wouldn’t give away her heart again.
Home and in bed, Katelyn tossed and turned, fearing that she would fall asleep and dream again of her failure to protect her partner when she’d been a cop on the Shasta PD. Then she finally gave in to exhaustion...
This was it. She was going to drown in the lake if she didn’t do something. But what could she do? Death loomed large and much too near. Her lungs burned as she gasped for oxygen. For air. She had to get to the surface, away from the darkness. Away from the death.
She kicked and...
Katelyn flung her arms, her lungs screaming. She was wide-awake now. This wasn’t a dream. Someone was pressing a pillow over her face.
* * *
With both hands, Beck gripped the shoulders of the big man and yanked him from where he was hovering over Katelyn and smothering her with a pillow. Beck had broken the man’s hold. The formidable attacker cursed, and before Beck could tackle him, the man whipped out a gun and aimed at Beck’s head.
Katelyn screamed, “No!”
Beck knocked away the weapon as it fired, the shot deafening. The attacker kicked him in the gut. Pain ignited as Beck fell against the dresser and landed in the corner.
The guy fled the room, just as he’d left the library earlier that evening.
Beck scrambled up and started after him. He chased him through the dimly lit home, knocking items from a table as he moved past.
“Wait. Come back. Who are you? What do you want?” Beck called after him.
In the laundry room, the man escaped out an open window.
Beck caught himself and bent over his thighs. What was he thinking? Like he really wanted the man to come back and shoot him in the head. But Beck was desperate for answers.
Still, as desperate as he was, he wouldn’t chase the guy down. Not when Katelyn could be injured.
He needed to go back and check on her, but first he peered through the window and watched the man disappear across the back alley and into the shadows. Even if he tried, he would never find him now. If the man had any brains, he would leave the vicinity. Should have already left with the recent police presence in the neighborhood.
Dawn would be breaking soon and there would be more eyes to witness his crimes. Beck shut the window and locked it. Had she left her alarm system disarmed? The window unlocked?
Beck left the laundry room and headed into the kitchen to get back to Katelyn. Before he crossed the space, he spotted her. She stood at the hall entrance, staring at him with wide eyes—those big blue-green eyes that had caught his attention the first time he’d met her.
