Page 14 of Evidence of Deceit

Her heart was furiously beating as she set the house alarm and marched into a hot, humid day. Her pulse was pounding in time with her steps. She glanced around furtively—no Keith.

The cab was cold when she slipped in, but the temperature did nothing to bring down her anxiety. She told the cab driver where to drop her off. It was a few blocks from the shelter. Couldn’t take too many chances. Keith could be mighty persuasive when he wanted information.

Twenty minutes later, she was deposited in front of a storefront in a gentrified part of Black Pointe. The taxi driver was annoyed that she didn’t leave a tip. Tough.

There were a few people on the street, mostly young moms with kids in strollers. It was still early enough that the stores weren’t too busy. Sweat was pouring down her back and forehead. She swiped at her face. Her heart thumped so loudly, like a mating call, she was sure Keith could hear it. Glancing around, she didn’t see any signs of him.

She walked several blocks and quickly spotted the shelter.The description she was given was spot-on. It was a three-story older brick building in the middle of a quiet neighborhood. She turned and looked around. Good. No cars on the road or people walking on the sidewalk.

She hurried up the short brick path, hardly noticing small gardens on either side with an array of flowers and colors. She stood in front of the brown door, beads of sweat on her face, her hands shaking. She inhaled deeply and rang the doorbell before she lost her nerve. Its sound echoed through the building and scared her enough to jump back.Get ahold of yourself, silly. She heard footsteps and saw a shadow by the peephole. A lock clicked. She heard two more clicks before the door slowly opened. A middle-aged woman stood there.

“Penny?”

The woman smiled and nodded. “You must be Claire. Come in, honey.” She looked furtively around the street and then pulled Claire into a chilly hallway and closed the door, taking time to re-engage each lock.

Claire followed Penny down a long hallway painted a soothing green and heard laughter—a sound she hadn’t heard in a while. She almost didn’t recognize it. Two small children raced around a living room on her left, skidded to a stop in front of her and stared. She bent down and told them her name was Claire. They bobbed their heads and continued racing around.

Cheerful sounds came from the back of the house, and the scent of tomato and basil wafted toward her. Her stomach rumbled.

They continued down the hall to the kitchen, where several women were cooking, laughing and washing dishes. A sweet domestic scene. One that belied the real situation. The large space was painted a cheery yellow with flowered curtains at the windows. The linoleum floor showed its age but was spotless, and a large, slightly worn wooden table witheight chairs filled the space. The stove and refrigerator looked used—no stainless-steel appliances or granite countertops here. The irony wasn’t lost on her that she had all that and look where that got her.

Penny introduced Claire—first names only, she said, unless someone wanted to share that information. Fine by her. Claire was relieved that she didn’t need to make up a last name. Keith’s name was as well known here as in New York and the surrounding area. He had been written up in newspapers for his philanthropic work. She wanted to believe no one would contact him, but she had been disappointed before.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Jumped.

“Sorry. I wanted to help you get settled in,” said Penny. “Everyone here can fill you in on the schedule when you’re ready to come down. No hurry. Take your time.”

Penny led her up a flight of stairs to the second floor. She opened the door to a small bedroom, painted a pale blue. White curtains at the window let in light. There was a single bed with a colorful fern spread, a single chair with a standing light behind it, and a small dresser.

“It isn’t big, but it’s comfortable, and you’ll be safe here. Unfortunately, you’ll have to share the bathroom,” said Penny.

“Thank you. It’s wonderful and more than I expected,” said Claire.

Penny closed the door softly behind her. Claire stood there in the silence and let out a deep breath. She did it! She was officially on her own. But she was scared. A shelter for abused women was the one place she never thought she would end up at when she married Keith four years ago. Of course, there was a list of things relating to Keith she never thought about.

She unpacked her suitcase; the contents didn’t fill even one drawer. Claire hung up the one dress she’d bought. Like the shoes, it was a designer brand she found at the thriftshop. Could have been hers at one point in time. She sighed and plunked down in the chair. It was a little lumpy, but still.

She needed to make a list of her next steps—from deciding if she was staying in Florida to finding a job. One way or another, she desperately needed money. Should she divorce Keith or just disappear? Silly question. Divorce was out of the question. He would never let her divorce him. If he knew she was here, he’d cajole and harass her until he got her back or worse. Disappear, it was. She rubbed her forehead. So many decisions to make.

She also had to call Sheri and let her know that she had moved on and was okay.

Chapter Eight

Sam sat at her conference table only half-listening to the early morning meeting with a new client. Luke and Hank were also there, getting details. Her mind kept wandering to Claire and wondering how she was doing. The more she thought about Claire, the more worried she became. The woman was barely holding herself together, and after Keith had shown up last night looking for her, it was all Sam and Mark could do to convince Claire to stay the night at the house.

Keith had been pleasant enough, polite enough to not accuse Mark of hiding Claire. He was a decent-looking man, short blond hair, expensive suit, and expensive shoes. He had an air about him that said, “I’m a big deal.” Even from her position in the kitchen, she could see his eyes. Predatory eyes—eyes that promised violence if you got in his way. Sam sensed that Keith knew Claire was there and would be biding his time. Something had to be done to protect Claire. But what?

She knew men like Keith. Hell, she dealt with men like Keith. Bullies who hurt women or worse. Her work at theshelter and interacting with the women living there had been a reality check. The world wasn’t a great big happy bubble. There was always something or someone around to pop it. Keith wouldn’t stop until he found Claire. He’d hurt her before. Stood to reason her life was in danger now.

Sam made up her mind. She didn’t own a security company for nothing. Claire wasn’t going to be alone. Sam’s mission was always to help the disadvantaged and helpless—to help them get on their feet and empower them. KnightGuard Security would protect Claire until she got things sorted out. That is, if Claire would let them. Claire had a lot of pride. Sam knew Claire didn’t have any money and wouldn’t like accepting help, but this wasn’t charity. She was family.

Sam made her excuses to the client and asked Luke to take over. Luke was more than capable of handling anything the client needed. He cocked his brow but nodded. She got in her car and drove to Mark’s house. She thought about the different scenarios for helping Claire. KnightGuard was getting so busy that she was shorthanded. Going over who might be available, she remembered Joe Harkin would be back the next day, although she was reluctant to ask him because of the last fiasco with an abused woman going through a divorce. If he said no, she would rearrange her schedule. Claire would be safe.

Bah. First she needed to touch base with Claire, then she would figure out what to do going forward.

Sam parked in Mark’s driveway. She sat in the car and stared at the house and had the feeling she was already too late. She inserted her key and slowly opened the door. When she heard the beep of the alarm, she reset it.

“Claire.”

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