Shadow of Doubt Read online

  Once he was back at Sanctuary, it didn’t take long to get the dogs situated. Mad Dog snapped a picture and sent it to Kate, knowing she was worried.

  Kate: Thanks. *smiley face* They look happy.

  Mad Dog: They’re in good hands. Stop worrying. Any word on your dad?

  Kate: Nothing yet. Still waiting. Super busy today. Everyone’s coming in to ask about Dad. Call you later?

  Mad Dog: You got it, baby.

  Kate: *smiley face blowing a kiss*

  “How’s Kate’s dad?” Sam asked, bringing in a fresh bowl of water for the dogs.

  “Still waiting to hear.”

  She nodded. “It’s nerve-racking. They do the tests, but no one will tell you anything until the doctor decides to show.”

  “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”

  She shrugged. “My grandparents had their share of health issues, so I can relate.”

  “You okay here?”

  “Yeah, got it covered. Sandy’s here. Plus, Steve and Heff are just down the hall if we need them. Go on. Doc’s waiting for you.”

  “Thanks, Sam.”

  Mad Dog set a course for the war room. He and Doc had plans to do some underground exploration, which would be a welcome distraction. After loading up on tech, they headed out, taking the snowmobiles since most of the locations on their list were off-road.

  Rather than go to the Paxton entrance, where he’d been with Kate, they scouted out other possible entry/exit points, using the maps and software Cage had created with his digital wizardry. After four hours, they were able to cross two possible access locations from their list. One looked as if it had been deliberately closed with the use of explosives; the debris pattern hadn’t been made by anything natural. The other held initial promise, but that changed when they discovered a cave-in that prevented them from going any farther after a few hundred yards.

  Cage and Church were out, too, but they were working from the inside out, using Paxton as their starting point and mapping the way. Progress was slow. The mines were a labyrinth with tunnels branching off every couple hundred feet, frozen in time. They discovered more evidence that someone had been using the tunnels recently as well as a possible entry/exit point that was conveniently located in the general vicinity of the weekend-warrior compound.

  “Some sections have been shored up recently with pressure-treated lumber and I-beams,” Church reported.

  “Not to mention, crates of supplies,” Cage added, “as well as generators and enough fuel to power them for months.”

  “Preppers?” Smoke guessed.

  “Who else?” said Heff. “I guess that explains why we haven’t seen a lot of activity above ground lately.”

  “Has Kate said anything to you?” Church asked, looking Mad Dog’s way.

  “About the preppers? No. Why?”

  “Because, along with the crates, we found shipping slips. At least some of those shipments are being ordered through Handelmann’s business account.”

  “So? I told you I saw Jerry Petraski picking up big orders the two times I was there. It makes sense that Eric Handelmann would place the order and pass the discount on to a longtime customer.”

  “Maybe,” Church said, but he didn’t look convinced. “In any case, I want you to go into those shored-up sections with Cage tomorrow and take a look around. You know more about creating an underground hidey-hole than any of us.”

  Mad Dog nodded. “Will do.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Kate

  “The tests revealed a blockage in one of his coronary arteries,” Kate told Chris over the hands-free connection in her Jeep. “The cardiac specialist assigned to my dad’s case recommended a balloon angioplasty to widen the vessel. He said it was a minimally invasive procedure and didn’t seem overly concerned.”

  The doctor might not have been concerned, but Kate, her mother, and her sister were. The visual that accompanied his textbook description of creating an incision in the groin and basically shoving a wire wrapped in a balloon up into her dad’s heart—or near enough—sounded pretty invasive to her.

  “It could be worse though, right?”

  “It definitely could be worse,” she agreed, choosing to look on the bright side. “I was worried they were going to tell us he needed open-heart surgery or something.”

  “How is your mom handling it?”

  “Not well. It’s really shaken her. My father is her rock, you know?”

  Her mother’s whole life revolved around being a stay-at-home wife and mother. She didn’t have a college education. Hadn’t held a job outside the home from the moment Kate’s older sister was born thirty-three years ago. If something happened to Kate’s father, Beth Handelmann would be utterly devastated.

  “The doctor prescribed some sedatives for her,” she continued, “and Kylie’s been taking care of things around the house, making sure she eats and trying to keep her calm.”

  It was a real eye-opener for Kylie; she’d never had to take care of anyone but herself. To Kate’s pleasant surprise, she appeared to be stepping up.

  “They’ve scheduled the procedure for tomorrow morning. If all goes well, they’ll keep him overnight for observation and then release him the next day. He’ll have to take it easy for a couple weeks though, which means I’m going to have to hold the fort for a while longer. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. Take as much time as you need, Kate.”

  “I miss them. And you.” She craved the feel of Chris’s strong arms wrapping around her like a warm, protective blanket, blocking out the world so she could lose herself for a while. How quickly she’d come to think of him as her sanctuary.

  “We miss you, too,” he said kindly. “It’s only temporary.”

  She exhaled. “I know. I feel bad about dumping them on you though.”

  “Don’t. Everyone loves them, and they’re being taken care of. Is Renninger behaving himself?”

  Kate smiled, thinking how Luther had been scarce for the rest of the day, staying in the back. “He is. What did you say to him anyway?”

  “Guy stuff.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “How are you doing?” he asked, changing the subject. “Have you eaten?”

  “No, not yet.”

  “What do you say Duke and I take a ride down there and treat you to some takeout?”

  “As wonderful as that sounds, I’m going to have to pass. The woman who covered my Meals on Wheels route is flying out to Seattle to see her first grandchild, so they’re without a driver this week. I’m on my way to the firehouse now to pick up the food. After that, I’m heading over to the hospital to play cards with my dad.”

  “You’re a good woman, Kate Handelmann.”

  “Good enough to get another picture tonight?” she asked hopefully.

  He laughed, a low, deep rumble.

  She soaked in the sound, letting it wash over her and seep into her soul. “Make it R-rated. I’m talking happy trail here, Mr. Sheppard.”

  Another laugh. “Yes, ma’am. Be safe, Kate. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “’Kay.”

  ~ * ~

  The ladies at the firehall were happy to see her. Unsurprisingly, they had many questions and comments.

  Most concerned her father: “How is he?” and, “Any updates?” and, “Didn’t see it coming.”

  Some asked about the puppies: “How many?” and, “The shelter’s already so crowded.”

  And, of course, the inevitable: “How is that handsome young man you’re seeing?” and, “Lord, he’s a big one,” and, “Have you seen what they’re doing up there yet?”

  Thankfully, Kate was on a tight schedule and used that as an excuse not to stay and chat. After explaining about hospital visiting hours and the need to get over there so her mother and sister could have a break, she eked out her escape.

  The people on her route were glad to see her, too. They also had questions but were understanding when she cut each visit sho
rt. Kate felt bad about that. She was the only visitor some of them got these days. However, most were excited about her bringing the pups around when everything settled down.

  Also, she remembered to ask Mr. O’Farrell if he’d be willing to talk to Doc. He seemed quite excited about the prospect of having another interested ear to bend.

  Deliveries completed, she made her way over to the hospital. Her father was in good spirits, though she could see the tiny stress lines around his eyes. Kate wondered how much of that was due to his upcoming procedure and how much was concern for her mother.

  “How’d everything go at the store today?” he asked.

  “Good. A lot of people came in, asking about you. They send their best wishes.”

  “Thank them for me, will you, Katy-belle?”

  “Already done.”

  “No problems?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “I’m sure Luther was a tremendous help,” her mother said.

  Kate bit her tongue. Luther was good at what she called schmoozing. On those infrequent occasions when he emerged from the back, he talked to people, flattered them, told them things they wanted to hear. Actually doing stuff? Not so much.

  Thankfully, Kylie coaxed their mom into getting something to eat shortly after, leaving Kate alone with her father. He visibly relaxed after they were gone.

  “Tough day, Dad?” she teased.

  “I’ve had better,” he said on a sigh. “Now, tell me what really happened today.”

  “Nothing happened. It’s all good.”

  He smiled that same smile he used to give when he knew he’d just caught her in a fib and then waited for her to crumble. And waited.

  “Fine.” Kate exhaled after several minutes had passed. “Luther is pissing me off. He’s acting as if Handelmann’s is his store.”

  “How so?”

  “When Jerry Petraski came in, Luther intercepted him and took him into the back. When they came back out, they shook hands, and Jerry left with little more than a nod my way.”

  “So?”

  “So, when I asked Luther what Jerry had wanted, he told me not to worry about it, that he’d taken care of it.”

  Her father considered this. “Sounds like he’s doing exactly what he said he was going to do—helping out.”

  “It’s more than that, Dad. I don’t trust him.”

  “Come here,” he said, patting the space on the bed beside him.

  Kate leaned against it rather than sat because the bed was narrow and her butt wasn’t.

  “Your view of Luther is jaded, Katy-belle.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he spoke again before she could protest, “And I understand. I really do. He hurt you. But you have to let it go. To err is human; to forgive, divine.”

  “I have forgiven him. In fact, I’m kind of glad he did what he did. If he hadn’t cheated while we were together, we might have actually been married by now, and I wouldn’t have known there was anything better out there.”

  “By better, you mean that young man who’s been hanging around?”

  “Chris.”

  “What do you know about him?”

  She could tell him that Chris was from the Midwest. That he had a degree in architectural engineering and was a SEAL, but those things weren’t important, not to him and not to her. “I know I like the way he treats me and the way I feel when I’m with him.”

  Her father’s expression became pensive. “Sometimes, we grow so accustomed to what’s around us, we fail to appreciate it. Then, something new and shiny comes along, and it seems so much better than what we have. But it rarely is.”

  “The grass is always greener? If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is?”

  His lips curled at the corners. “Something like that. All I’m saying is, be careful about burning bridges behind you. It can make it a hell of a lot harder to get back home.”

  “But what if those bridges are structurally unsound?”

  He laughed softly. “Just do me a favor, will you, Katy-belle?”

  “Anything, Dad.”

  “Don’t do anything that’s going to upset your mother—at least, not until I’m back on my feet. She’s not strong like you.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “That’s my girl. Now, did you bring the cards?”

  Kate got up, went to her jacket, and extracted a deck from the pocket. Then, she adjusted his bedside table, pulled up a chair, and began to shuffle. “Rummy, blackjack, or Texas Hold ’Em?”

  ~ * ~

  Kate was exhausted by the time she fell into bed that night. The house was eerily quiet. It felt so empty without Duke and his doggy family.

  She checked her phone, pleased to see that Chris had granted her wish. Pleased and somewhat in awe. It was a picture of his happy trail all right, leading down into a pair of black boxer briefs. She enlarged the image on her screen to get a better look, certain that her tired eyes were playing tricks on her.

  They weren’t.

  And that was unaroused.

  She sucked in a breath as heat washed over her body, her core clenching as she imagined what it would be like to make love with this man. To wrap her hand around him and stroke him to hardness. To wrap her lips around him and taste his desire. To wrap her legs around his waist and feel him fill her where she needed him most.

  Kate unbuttoned her pajama top and opened the edges to the side, keeping her breasts mostly covered but her abdomen visible. Then, she pushed the covers down to her hip bones, slipped her free hand underneath, and snapped a picture. Using a free editing app, she added a heart and a short message—Thinking of you—and sent it to him.

  Then, she let her imagination and her fingers run wild before falling into a deep, content sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Mad Dog

  “Jesus,” Mad Dog said on a breath as he looked at the picture on his phone.

  The woman was going to kill him.

  His morning shower lasted longer than usual. Also, he needed to stock up on soap if she was going to keep sending him photos like that.

  His first thought when he saw the florist’s delivery truck outside the main building was that Smoke or Heff had done something to put themselves in the doghouse. When he entered the kitchen and saw Sam eye-fucking the huge chocolate-dipped fruit bouquet and heart-shaped box of chocolates, he realized his mistake.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day,” Sam said, beaming. “Steve got these for me. He’s so thoughtful.”

  “What about those?” he asked, pointing to the bouquet of roses sitting off to the side.

  “Heff got those for Sandy, but I haven’t seen either of them yet today.” She laughed. “Doubt we will anytime soon either. Sandy warned me they probably wouldn’t make it up for breakfast. She said she was giving Heff his present this morning.”

  Mad Dog couldn’t resist. “Oh, yeah? What did she get him?”

  “I don’t know for sure, but I know a large package came earlier this week, wrapped in discreet plain brown paper.”

  He grinned. Mad Dog strongly suspected that Sandy had discovered Heff’s penchant for adult toys.

  “Did you get anything for Kate?” she asked.

  “No, but I should have.”

  “It’s not too late.”

  “Her dad’s having an angioplasty today, and she’s got a lot on her plate. Not sure it’s the right time.”

  Sam considered that. “Hmm. Maybe you could do something low-key and thoughtful now and offer a rain check for something more later.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, you said she’s got a lot on her plate, right? Do something that’s going to make things easier for her. The most important thing is to let her know you’re thinking about her.”

  He nodded. It was sound advice. “Thanks, Sam.”

  “Anytime.”

  Mad Dog wasn’t the most romantic guy in the world, but he had some ideas he thought Kate might like. He pulled out his phone and got to
work in between bites of chocolate chip pancakes and crispy bacon.

  First order of business: ordering flowers.

  There was only one florist in Sumneyville, so that was who he called. The woman on the other end of the line sounded harried and annoyed, but her attitude changed completely when he told her who the order was for.

  “Oh, these are for Kate? Why didn’t you say so?”

  It turned out that the florist’s grandmother was on Kate’s Meals on Wheels route. The florist—Penny—told him that her grandmother always looked forward to Kate’s visits because she stayed around to chat and have a cup of tea.

  She also told him that Kate wasn’t really a traditional-roses kind of girl and suggested an arrangement of brightly colored flowers instead, assuring him that she had the perfect thing and that they would make it over to Handelmann’s by lunchtime.

  The next item on his to-do list was ordering lunch itself. He knew Kate didn’t have time to go out, so he called Andy’s—the place they’d gone on their first date—and arranged for something to be taken over to the store instead.

  Then, he snapped a bunch of pictures of the dogs and made each photo into a coupon to be redeemed whenever she wanted.

  He was feeling pretty damn proud of himself by the time Cage came in and dropped into a chair. Mama Dog immediately went over to him. She’d really taken a shine to him over the last few days. The feeling was mutual.

  “I’ve been doing some research on Kate’s friend Luther Renninger, like you asked.”

  Just hearing the guy’s name chapped his ass. “And?”

  “And you were right. The guy’s shady as fuck. I’m still looking into it, but it appears as if Renninger’s being investigated by the IRS for tax evasion and unethical accounting practices. They’ve put a hold on his LLC account.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit. That could mean bad news for his clients, too. They could be audited and held liable if the IRS finds that he fudged returns. The IRS doesn’t give a shit who did the prep. If you signed the return, it’s your responsibility. From what I could tell, Renninger handles the accounts of most of the local businesses in Sumneyville, including Handelmann’s.”