Alana Candler, Marked for Murder (24 page)

Waves slapping against two motorboats tied to a long pier in the water calmed her tense nerves and relaxed her tight muscles.

She kept replaying the phone conversation over in her mind. The woman, Patricia, must be more than Jaydn’s friend.

Once again, she felt the heavy burden she had placed on Jaydn’s shoulders by allowing him to bring her here. It was obvious he felt obligated to protect her, and it was costing him. It was damaging his relationship with the woman on the phone, and if he missed more days at work, it might cost him his job.

“What am I going to do, Lord? I want your will in my life. Maybe Jaydn’s not a part of it, but right now, I need his help. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have this place to hide. Please help his friend understand.”

Her heart felt lighter after talking to her Lord, but she still had no solution to the problem.

She had avoided Jaydn all morning—trying to keep her heart from chasing something she knew wasn’t right. The first few hours of the day were spent dodging him as he worked in and out of the office of the big house. When lunchtime finally arrived, she was no more at ease in his presence than she had been during breakfast.

Brad would call tonight and let them know how the investigation was going. This morning, he’d told her what he learned so far—nothing—at least not enough to put all the pieces together. She was hoping he might have better news tonight.

She watched the gentle breeze blow the long sweeping branches of the willow tree as it kissed the tops of the clipped grass in the yard.

When she heard Jaydn calling her name, she turned to see him standing at the door of the house, searching the yard. Her position beneath the willow tree, among the bushes and flowering plants of the garden, hid her from his view.

She stood and waved.

When he saw her, the relief settled on his face as he waved and headed in her direction.

“I was beginning to worry. Neither Evan nor Sam saw you leave, and my imagination ran wild.”

Alana felt heat rise on her face. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to people watching my every move. I needed some time to myself.”

Her gaze strayed to the three security guards walking around the lake’s edge. “Bodyguards remind me that I’m in danger, you know?”

He moved to stand behind her and began massaging her shoulders. “Just relax a few minutes and don’t worry. You said God has taken care of you up to this point. Surely you don’t believe He’ll quit watching out for you after all the protection He’s given so far.”

Her muscles softened in response to the deep pressure. The stiffness in her shoulders gradually faded away.

“Jaydn, I’m really sorry about this morning.” She said as he moved to sit beside her on the outdoor bench. “I guess it was hard for your friend to understand why another woman was answering your phone.”

Misery burned in the back of her throat—misery for the situation she was in, misery for the position she forced upon Jaydn, but most of all, misery that Jaydn had a girlfriend who had the right to be angry when a strange woman answered his phone.

Jaydn turned his body toward hers and raised her chin with one finger.

“Alana, I don’t want you to worry about the woman you talked to this morning. Believe me when I tell you that the . . . relationship . . . I had with Patricia is over.”

The next words stuck to her tongue, but she forced them out.

“Because of me?”

“Absolutely not! We already fought every time we saw each other. Our values, our goals, even our plans for the future were going in two different directions. A break-up was inevitable. I guess I’ve known it was over for a long time. I just didn’t want to admit it.”

Alana saw the yearning in his face—heard it in his voice—that desire to love and be loved. She softened her gaze and placed an understanding smile on her face. Surprise flashed in his eyes, and his gaze held hers captive. Her breath caught in her throat. She could get lost in the dark blue pools and want never to be found.

Be ye not unequally yoked!

Please help me, Lord.

She turned to pick a daisy from the bush next to her seat on the bench—trying to plant her feet back on firmer ground.

A ragged breath escaped Jaydn’s lips, and he stood to his feet.

“I have to go. I mean . . . I need to see about some things at work. If it’s okay with you, I’m going back to Landeville for a little while this afternoon. If there’s something you need me to pick up for you, let me know.”

“No. There’s nothing.” Then, she had a sudden thought—almost a wish for something familiar in the midst of chaos. “Hey, wait! Would you . . . oh, never mind. It’s silly.”

“Come on, what?”

“I just thought it’d be nice to do something normal for a change—maybe watch a movie and make a bowl of caramel popcorn?”

“What?”

Alana heard the surprise in his voice and noticed the tension that tightened his jaw. Shocked at his reaction to her request, she replied hesitantly. “Well, I noticed you have a couple of
Indiana Jones
movies in your stash. I just thought . . . it’s not any fun to watch movies without caramel popcorn.”

Jaydn stiffened. Almost as if a shutter closed over his eyes, his emotions slammed shut in her face.

Alana felt his withdrawal like a slap in the face. She was confused and lifted her head in puzzlement. One minute he acted like he cared, and the next minute he withdrew—physically and emotionally. Over a simple request of popcorn and a movie.

Fine! If that’s the way he wanted to be, she could be aloof as well. She didn’t want the caramel popcorn, anyway.

“Never mind. It was just a thought. Thanks anyway.”

Jaydn stood there—looking pained. “I’ll post extra guards while I’m gone, and I think it’d be a good idea if you stayed inside . . . at least until I get back. If you need anything, ask Marty. He’s in charge while I’m gone.”

Her mouth was too dry to answer, so she just nodded. She watched him as he turned and walked into the house, wondering what in the world just happened.

FORTY-EIGHT

AFTER LEAVING ALANA SO ABRUPTLY
, Jaydn mentally kicked himself all the way back to the house. He stopped outside the cabin and paced back and forth in front of the double-glass doors.

What in the world was he thinking?

He was spending too much time with a certain young lady. She was becoming attached. He could see it in her eyes— the uncertainty, the anticipation, the longing. He knew she felt the same pull of attraction he did, but when she found out he lied . . .

He remembered her words: “Rich men are arrogant and demanding. They’re nothing but tyrants in suits.”

For some reason, her words churned up a whirlwind of disappointment he didn’t want to contemplate just then. After the way he acted at the office, he knew she would lump him into the pile of “tyrants” she had known. And she would be right.

Getting too close to Alana meant having to reveal his secret—he was a selfish, arrogant fool.

So what else was new?

Why should what she thought of him matter so much? He was letting her thoughts and beliefs influence what he thought about himself—just like it was in the beginning with Patricia. Patricia had used the fact that he had money for her own advantage, but with Alana, it would be the opposite. She hated money, and she hated power.

And what was that about caramel popcorn? Had Naomi told her that caramel popcorn was his favorite snack? Did Alana intuitively know that he longed to have someone to share it with?

Suddenly, his thoughts choked him, and he couldn’t breathe.

What was he doing? He needed to get away from here!

He took a long minute convincing his heart this was the thing to do and then turned on his heels and headed into the house.

Saying he felt a strong attraction to Alana was an understatement. She filled his whole world with hope for the future.

Their future.

Could they have one together?

He wished they could.

He needed to feel they could.

But she had made her feelings perfectly clear about people with money, and she would never forgive him for deceiving her about his fortune.

FORTY-NINE

BRAD’S PRECINCT BUILDING WAS LOCATED
in downtown Landeville—about three miles from Jaydn’s office building. Comfortable clothes made it easy for Jaydn to jog the short distance, and his troubled thoughts kept him company as he ran. By the time he pushed through the front doors of the building, clouds billowing overhead matched his mood perfectly. Maybe spending some time with Brad would offer insight into how to come clean with Alana.

“Jaydn! Man, you’re the last person I expected to see here!” Brad’s voice suddenly turned to panic. “What are you doing here? Where’s Alana?”

Sweat popped out on his forehead, but Jaydn answered assuredly, “She’s fine, Brad. She’s still at the cabin. Security’s on code red, and the alarm system’s set on the highest setting.” He paused to let Brad’s heart rate return to normal. “I needed to see about some things at work, and . . .”

Brad’s countenance changed, and he took a calming breath of air. “I’m sorry, Jaydn. I didn’t mean to imply—”

“It’s okay. I understand. Anyway, I’m headed back in about an hour, but first I thought I’d come by and talk to you.”

“Come on in the office, buddy. I have a few minutes to give you.”

Jaydn stood beside Brad’s cluttered desk and held his breath when he saw what covered the surface. Grizzly photos of a body wrapped in sheets, along with a ransacked apartment and topsy-turvy rooms.

“Man, how do you do this every day?”

Brad scooped up the photos and put them inside a file folder. “It’s hard sometimes, but I’m ashamed to say it all becomes routine after a while. It’s hard to have empathy with a grieving family when every case melds together into one big unsolved responsibility.”

“Were those the pictures Alana took?”

“No, for some reason, those got mailed to the Stranton lab. They’ll get here tomorrow, I hope. I haven’t even had a chance to look at them yet. Have a seat there, Jaydn, and tell me what’s up.”

Jaydn sat down on the lumpy cushion.

“If you really want to know . . . it’s Alana. She’s been . . . sort of keyed up, but, I’m afraid it’s not just from this business.” He pointed at the file folder. “This morning she intercepted a phone conversation that was meant for me. I’m afraid the woman I’ve been dating wasn’t happy to hear another woman’s voice answer my cell phone. Not to mention the fact that I was supposed to pick her up last night, and with all the trouble, I completely forgot.”

Brad winced. “Man, I forgot you told me you had an appointment last night. I’m really sorry.”

Jaydn raised his hands. “It’s okay, really. I’ve been trying to find a way to break off my relationship with Patricia, but it’s not an easy thing. Maybe it was for the best. If she gets mad at me and breaks it off herself, then it’ll save her pride. I’m just sorry Alana had to bear the brunt of her anger this morning.”

“You know, Jaydn, I think Alana likes you. I’ve never seen her as open and responsive with anyone else in my whole life. She’s usually more reserved.”

“Maybe it’s only the strain she’s been under.”

Brad shook his head slowly. “No, I don’t think so. She’s always been reserved and private. But with you?” He nodded his head decisively. “I think she cares a lot about you. And, I don’t think it’s because you saved her life, either.”

Jaydn looked out the window at the traffic stopping for the red light. “I like her too, Brad. But, do you know what I like the most about Alana—the thing that draws me to her?”

Brad tilted his head and waited.

“It’s the sincere way she lives her religion and the closeness she has with her God. Well, with
my
God now.” He flashed Brad a half-smile and waited for his response.

Brad raised his brows and Jaydn squared his shoulders as Brad probed further.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘
my
God,’ Jaydn?”

“I finally accepted God as my Savior.”

Brad came around the desk and pumped Jaydn’s hand enthusiastically with a big smile on his face. “That’s great, Jaydn! When did this happen?”

“Just yesterday. You know, I think I really believed there was a God all my life, but I wasn’t ready to put my faith in Him until now. It just sort of happened.”

“Does Alana know?”

Jaydn shook his head. “No, I haven’t mentioned it to her yet.”

Brad sat on the edge of the desk and patted Jaydn on the back. “Well, Jaydn, I won’t deny that I was worried about Alana. I could see she cared about you, and I worried she was becoming too attached. The Bible asks the question ‘How can two walk together unless they be agreed?’ I knew it would cause problems for you both down the road unless you were on the same page about your beliefs. I’m happy for you, man.”

“You know, I thought being a Christian would feel like being in somebody’s army, but it just feels peaceful and serene. There’s something calming about giving a loving, powerful being complete control of your life.”