A Billionaire's Redemption(13)

Of course I’m sure. In fact, I heard the intruder just on the other side of this door a few seconds before you got here.”

Miss Merris, the house alarms were turned on and undisturbed when we came in. Nobody’s come inside this house tonight but us.”

But I heard him breathing—”

The policeman cut her off politely, but firmly. “Folks’ imaginations run wild when they’re scared. We see it all the time. But you’re safe now. No one was in the house, and frankly, no one looked to have been in the garden. If there was someone back there, it was probably just some kid taking a shortcut home. Why don’t you go on to bed, miss. We’ll reset the alarm on the way out and make sure the place is all buttoned up.”

Do you know where James Ward is right now? What if it was him? The Ward Ranch backs right up on the other side of the woods behind our property. You need to have someone check on him. See if he’s home or not.”

It’s the middle of the night. I’m not going to disturb the Ward family at this hour just to satisfy your curiosity—”

Desperate to sound reasonable and calm, she enunciated carefully, “The man raped me. Asking where he is immediately after an intruder came into my home does not constitute idle curiosity, Officer.”

Ma’am, the house is locked up tight and there’s no sign of anyone having been in the house who doesn’t belong here.”

The Wards and Merrises had been like family forever. Heck, she knew the code for the Ward home’s security system. James Ward undoubtedly knew the security code for this house. But she didn’t waste her breath trying to change the officer’s mind. He’d decided she was imagining things and nothing she said was going to change his opinion.

...go on to bed, and everything will be fine in the morning,” he was saying soothingly.

God, she hated it when people patted her on the hand like this, with a metaphorical “there, there,” as if that would make everything better. She wasn’t an idiot, and she knew what she’d seen and heard.

The cop wasn’t taking no for an answer to the whole go-to-bed thing, and waited expectantly in the hall while she changed into pajamas and a robe. She called out that she was in bed, and the jerk opened the door to poke his head in and see for himself.

Good night, miss. You just stay in bed and get some sleep. And don’t let your imagination run away with you again,” he said sternly before closing her bedroom door and heading downstairs. She mumbled a foul name at the closed panel of her door. She was a United States Senator, for goodness’ sake, not a naughty five-year-old.

Surely the intruder had nothing to do with those secret files she’d stumbled across. No way could anyone have reacted to her discovery that fast, right? It was just a coincidence.

She’d deal with those tomorrow. But tonight, she was going to try to take Deputy Green’s advice and get some sleep.

Huddled under her comforter, she listened to the sounds of the cops finishing up and leaving. Silence fell over the house. She wasn’t crazy, darn it. There had been someone in the garden, and there’d been someone right outside her bathroom door. But no matter how hard she listened for movement, all she heard were the normal sounds of the house itself and an occasional branch banging into her window on a gust of wind.

* * *

Damned police. Chased a person off just when things were getting interesting. Willa Merris thought she could hide? Hah. She’d never be safe. If she was so secure in her ivory-tower mansion, then why was her silk blouse right here, right now?

Face buried in her shirt, the intruder drew in a deep whiff of the eggplant-colored silk. That rich floral scent of Willa’s swirled up. Intoxicating. Infuriating.

Ride the rage. Ahh, God, it felt good. Down, down, into the abyss, self lost in the fury. Ohh, yes. Come to me, sweet Willa. We’ll go down in flames, together....

* * *

If she slept at all, it was in short spurts and fitful at best. She’d never been so grateful to see the sun creep through her bedroom window as she was the next morning. She finally slept, then, waking only when Louise knocked on her door to say that the phone was ringing off the hook and Mrs. Merris was worn out dealing with it all.

After saying a short prayer for nothing important to happen on her short watch in the job, Willa dressed and went downstairs to face her first full day as a United States senator.

She stepped into her father’s office and frowned. His computer had still been running last night when she’d fled the room. Who’d turned it off? Her mother rarely came in here, and surely the police wouldn’t have messed with it. Louise wouldn’t dream of touching Mr. Merris’s computer, even if the man had been dead for weeks. She was superstitious about such things.

Willa turned it on and, while it booted up, wandered into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. Her mother was eating lunch with Louise at the kitchen table.

Willa kissed her mother’s cheek and asked the housekeeper, “Louise, would it be possible for Marcus to come spend a few days with us?” Louise’s son was recently returned from an overseas tour with the marines.

I don’t know. Why do you ask?”

I’d like to hire him as a security guard. It would be a temporary gig, but I’d feel better if we had a man in the house at night.”

Louise grinned. “You mean a big, strong, ex-marine who can chase away the boogeyman?”

Not her, too. Willa sighed in exasperation. Would no one believe her? “I swear, Louise. I saw someone in the garden.” She didn’t bother trying to convince the woman that the intruder had made it all the way to her bathroom door.

Honey,” her mother murmured, “you’re distraught. Maybe you should go away for a few days. Get some rest.”

I don’t want to leave you alone, Mom.”

Minnie waved a bony hand. “I’ll be fine. No one bothers anyone around here. And the police take care of everyone.”

Had Minnie forgotten her husband had been murdered less than three weeks ago? Willa made eye contact with Louise across the table, and the two women shared a private eye roll. It must be nice to own so much real estate in la-la-land and never have to deal with reality.

I’ll call Marcus,” Louise offered.

Willa smiled her thanks and retreated to the office. She set down her mug of coffee and entered the password for the classified files from last night. She moved the mouse to click on—

Where did it go? The file labeled Senate CMA wasn’t in the list. Frowning, she checked the file directory. Not there. She tried a search of the hard disk. Nothing. What the heck?

She did a computer-wide file search. Still nothing. The file was gone.





Chapter 6

Okay, she was not losing her mind. She hadn’t imagined those files last night any more than she’d imagined that breathing outside the bathroom door. She tried every search parameter she could think of, but nothing turned up. All traces of the sinister committee had disappeared.

She picked up the phone and started to dial Larry Shore, but thought better of it partway through dialing. He’d been a complete jerk yesterday at the press conference, and he hadn’t been any better here at the house. Instead, she looked in her father’s address book and found the number for his Congressional office in Washington, D.C.

Good afternoon, Senator Merris’s office. This is Amber. How may I help you?”

Hi, Amber. This is, uhh, Senator Merris.”

The young aide spluttered, flustered.

Amber, is there anyone in the office who can tell me about the Senate Committee on Miscellaneous Affairs?”

Umm, one moment, ma’am.”

Willa waited. And waited. Finally, after nearly five minutes, a male voice came on the line. “Hi, Senator Merris. This is Larry Shore’s assistant. Committee on Miscellaneous Affairs, you say?”

That’s correct.”

I’m sorry. No such committee exists.”

Would you do me a favor? Crank up my father’s computer in his office and go to his private file directory. I’m assuming you have access to it?” At his affirmative noise, she continued, “I’ll stay on the line.”

In about a minute, Larry’s aide said, “Okay, I’m looking at it.”

Start reading the names at Defense Construction Oversight Committee and read down from there.” Willa read along on her own computer screen as the aide recited exactly the same list of file names she was looking at. Neither list contained the CMA file.

If a duplicate copy of the missing file had ever existed on her father’s Washington, D.C., computer, it had been erased, as well. “Thanks,” she said thoughtfully. “That was helpful.”

If there’s anything more we can do for you, ma’am, just let us know.”

I will. Thanks again.”

On the one hand, she was relieved. The intruder last night probably hadn’t been James Ward, after all. However, the man who’d broken into the house had apparently done so with the express purpose of erasing that file. Wow, that had been fast. It spoke of power and reach that boggled her mind.