Page 24 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

Tears stung her eyes, and a familiar sense of unworthiness settled on her shoulders like an itchy blanket. Feeling inferior, as though she lacked the intellect or common sense to be a respectable person, was one of the biggest hurdles she’d overcome in the past six months.

Tense silence hung in the air. Mrs. Collins and Elsie both wiped their eyes. Dean clenched his jaw and his fingers hit the keyboard with so much force Clara feared he’d break it.

“Still didn’t work,” Dean said. “I can hack into the computer without the password. It’s just going to take longer.”

“What about a number or something?” Clara asked. “Try one dumb bitch.”

Dean’s fingers attacked the keyboard again. His eyes peered over the top of the screen, connecting with hers. “I’m in.”

She sucked in a sharp breath. Leave it to Mitch to use such a demeaning term for his password. She could see him chuckling every time he typed the words. But if this proved one thing, he wasn’t nearly as smart as he thought.

“What now?” She had no idea how this stuff worked. Heck, Mitch hadn’t given her access to the only computer in their house. He’d been about isolation. Keeping her locked in the house as much as possible, alone and scared. He’d controlled her every move, her every minute.

But not anymore.

“Now I check to see if he saved any files from an outside source. If not saved, I can check to see if anything was downloaded. Most people don’t think to delete those items, but if he did, there are still ways for me to find what he deleted.”

“That stuff just stays in there even if the person gets rid of it?” she asked.

“Sometimes. With people who are really savvy, they can make sure it’s completely erased, but even then, it’s possible to find traces on the hard drive. My guess, Mitch isn’t that savvy.”

The echo of the keys bounced around the room. Each passing second increased her anxiety until she thought her pulse would pound right through her skin.

“And I was right,” Dean said, his words hard and clipped. He worked his jaw back and forth and curled his hands into fists on top of the table. “Not very bright at all, but very disturbed.”

She scooted to the edge of her seat, breath trapped in her lungs. “What is it?”

Dean flipped the lid shut. “You need to call the sheriff’s department. You don’t want to see this, but they need to get their hands on this right away. Based on what I just found, Mitch is going away for a very long time.”

Curiosity gnawed at her stomach lining. A part of her wanted to know exactly what Mitch had been up to, but another part told her to leave it be. Her life had been enough of a nightmare lately. Something told her seeing what was on that computer would haunt her for the rest of her life.

10

The last place Heath thought he’d spend his off-call evening was back in the sheriff’s station, filling out paperwork. Living right outside of town was great for peace and quiet but shit for finding the asshole who smashed a car window in his driveway. The camera attached to his doorbell hadn’t caught anything, and there weren’t neighbors or businesses around to question.

Not like he didn’t know who had broken the glass. Mitch was sending a message, he just needed to figure out how to prove it was him.

The door connecting the bullpen to the front waiting area swung open. He glanced up to find Dean Kingston, Elsie Sweet, and Clara filing inside.

He shot to his feet and weaved between empty desks, his heart in his throat. “Are you all right? Are the kids hurt?”

Elsie gave Clara a reassuring smile. “Dean and I will be with Owen. I’m sure Heath can bring you back when you’re ready.”

Dean dipped his chin in greeting and kept a tight grip of the leather computer bag draped over his shoulder.

Owen appeared in the doorway to his office. His expression was pinched, and he waved the new arrivals his way.

Dean and Elsie moved forward, leaving Clara behind.

A hundred scenarios of what could have brought Clara to the sheriff’s department ping-ponged inside him until he thought he’d jump out of his skin.

Clara averted her gaze, latching her hands together at her waist. “We’re fine.”

Relief swept through him and threatened to take him out at the knees. “I got your text. Smart thinking to take a photo of Mitch so close to your home.”

She finally met his eye. “I wasn’t sure you got it. You never responded.”

The hurt in her voice tugged at his conscience, and he mentally smacked himself upside the head for not messaging her back right away. He’d planned to, until he’d found the unexpected surprise waiting for him in his driveway. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t get the message until I was almost home, and once I got there, my attention was required elsewhere.”

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