His Missing Wife, Jaime Hendricks [free reads .txt] 📗

as the one they took from James’s house. There was no proof he’d done anything to Tessa, and the extra DNA was still being analyzed. And the VLPD, that Solomon prick, made his point with James’s arrest—his intention was to make James look like a homicidal maniac in case they couldn’t find Jane Doe’s killer. Or if Tessa turned up somewhere—no, James wouldn’t think about that. Tessa was fine. He was going to find her.

Well done, Solomon, you asshole.

It took James about forty minutes to get to Robert’s office, in a town that had a little bit more of a city feel than Valley Lake’s Main Street. Robert’s building was sleek, with a mirrored outside that reflected the bridge connecting the city in the background. Thankfully, the parking was underground. He took the ticket from the machine, happy there was no attendant who would possibly say “Hey, you look familiar, aren’t you—” before stopping and shielding themselves from the vicious murderer they’d just come face-to-face with in a parking garage.

He parked far away from the elevator, on purpose, not wanting to run into anyone. He approached the seventh floor where Robert’s firm was situated and felt the apprehension as soon as he opened the glass doors. Prying eyes from behind the receptionist’s desk cut through him like a saber.

“Hi. I’m here for Robert Brown. James—”

“Yes, James Montgomery.”

Her hair was red and cut into a short, straight bob just above her shoulders, and she wore thick black-framed glasses. Her lips were outlined a dark red to match her hair, and they didn’t move from their straight line. No matter how many criminals she dealt with daily, James was sure this was her first double homicide in suburbia. Guilty killer!

She got up and walked around the desk and curled her finger, indicating he should follow her, so he did. She led him to Robert’s office at the end of the hallway, behind another set of glass doors. James could see it was a huge corner office with a great view of the bridge and the water, but what concerned him was Robert’s frantic stance. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbow, his usually sleek hair was out of place, and voice was raised at whoever he was talking to on the phone. His head snapped to their direction and he waved James in.

James turned around. “Thank—” Nope, no need for thank you, redhead was already gone. Guilty killer!

Robert pointed to the empty seat in front of his desk. His face flushed with frustration.

“I don’t care!” He slammed the phone down and blew out a puff of air. “We have a problem, James. Rosita’s body was missing an earring on her left lobe. A big emerald earring. And they just found it in your house. Your bedroom, to be specific.”

What the— “Wait. What? Who? Who’s in my house?”

“I got a courtesy call from the DA about executing another search warrant. Your phone is still busted so I couldn’t get in touch with you and I knew you were on your way already. There was another anonymous tip, someone claiming to know about your affair with her, just like someone who said they saw you go to her house the night she was murdered.”

One hundred percent impossible. Who was framing him? “This is insane, Robert. How are they allowed in my house?”

“I sent Evan over to let them in—you said he could be the point of contact. He’s overseeing the whole thing.”

James was panic-stricken. How were Rosita’s belongings in his house? She was only there once, for his promotion party. And he’d seen her in those earrings after that. She always had those things on.

“Well, you were already arrested for her murder, but this is going to make the charges impossible to drop. Impossible!” He slams both hands down on his desk. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. I mean, the anonymous tips are all hearsay. But still. This isn’t good. They might revoke your bail.”

He was going to die in jail. For something he didn’t do.

Time for the big guns.

“Look, I’m not accusing him of being a murderer, but I’ll bet my last dollar I know who the father of that baby was. I wonder if—”

Like an angel on his shoulder knowing James was innocent, Robert’s phone rang, and he lifted a finger to stop James’s rant before he answered the phone.

“Robert Brown,” he answered as he picked up the phone. “Oh, your timing couldn’t be better. What did you find out?” Robert wrote something down on a notepad. “Got it. I have James Montgomery here right now. I’ll find out.” He slammed the phone down. “That was my guy who was getting information about the rent-a-car. Do you know anyone named Maribel Lopez?”

35

Tessa

When I pull the door back and my eyes adjust, I think they must be betraying me. I’m beyond stunned at the woman standing in front of me. She’s tiny and afraid, dressed in all black, with her blond hair tucked inside a baseball cap.

“Maribel?” My voice catches in my throat, full of shock. “Oh my God, what are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“Can I come in?” Her eyes are rimmed red, so I know she’s been crying. “Drew is here. He found you. We need to talk.”

My carefully cultivated world spins out of orbit in front of me. Drew is here. He found you. The words, while spoken aloud, don’t register immediately. Yet I nod, surely white as a ghost, and move away from the opening to let her in, and she shuffles past me inside. I stick my head out the door and look left to right to see if she’s been followed. Someone—Drew—could be hiding anywhere at the end of the cul-de-sac. Hell, he could be in the bushes right outside the front door and launch an attack. I need to protect her, and myself.

I close the door slowly, quietly, like I’m keeping the whole meeting a secret.

I wish I