Page 10 of Defending Love

Chapter Nine

Eli

“ I t’s probably Carol or one of the other neighbors,” Dani said, walking past me.

I reached for her arm. “Stay back. I’ll answer it.” Unlocking the safety on my gun, I kept it low to my side as I entered the foyer and looked through the side window. “Fuck.”

“What?” Despite my instructions to stay back, Dani was now at my side.

“County Sheriff’s Department.”

A loud knock preceded the sound of a deep voice. “Open up. Sumter County Sheriff’s Department.”

I holstered the gun I’d gotten from my Guardian contact, Mitchell Gray. Lowering my voice, I whispered, “Answer their questions, but don’t volunteer any information.”

“Maybe they’re here to tell us they found the shooter or know who took Dad’s things.”

Doubtful. If they were coming to share, they wouldn’t be banging on the door.

Turning the deadbolt, I opened the door and met the stare of two men in uniform. “Deputies, how can we help you?”

One spoke while the other tried to look around me. “This address is under surveillance due to a recent crime. Explain who you are and why you’re in the residence.”

Dani pushed forward and offered her hand. “I’m Dr. Danielle Sinclair. My parents…my mother,” she rephrased, “lives here. We were getting her a few personal items for her stay in physical therapy rehab.”

“Do you have ID, Dr. Sinclair?”

“Yes. Let me get my purse.”

As she walked away, the second officer looked me up and down. “And you are?”

“I’m Dr. Sinclair’s private security.”

“Can you verify that?”

Dani came back with her driver’s license in her hand and passed it to the officer she’d spoken with. “This is Elijah Rhodes. He works with Guardian Security. After what happened to my father…”

The deputy handed her back her ID. “Dr. Sinclair, your address is Carmel, Indiana. Are you visiting or are you staying here? Will you be in and out of the home?”

I replied. “That depends on her mother. You can understand what a strain the family is under.”

“I appreciate you watching the house,” Dani said. “Have you been keeping an eye on it since my father…?”

“The case has gotten the media’s attention,” the deputy said. “People nowadays can find addresses with a few clicks on their keypad. We’re trying to avoid crimes of opportunity.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Have you had any other calls about anyone coming around the house?”

“Not on our watch.”

I stepped forward. “It’s good to know which department to contact if there are any questions. Your detectives should have Dr. Sinclair and her brother Damien Sinclair’s contact information.”

Dani feigned a smile. “We hope that soon you’ll have a lead on who killed our father.”

“Yes, ma’am, we’re working on that.” He nodded. “Our condolences.”

“Thank you.”

After an awkward moment, the two turned and walked down the sidewalk toward their car.

Dani exhaled.

I stood for a moment with my hand on the doorknob, staring out toward the street. I had a thought. Camera doorbells were no longer the exception. “Are you ready to go?”

“That visit was odd, if you ask me.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Locking the door behind us, I walked Dani to the SUV. The sheriff’s marked vehicle was still parked on the street. “We’re being watched.”

“If they are watching the house that closely, maybe it was their department that took Dad’s files.”

“I had another idea.”

As I drove us back to the rehab center, Dani brought up her earlier question. “The way you were looking around when we first arrived, did you expect to find cameras or microphones?”

“No.”

“You don’t lie well either. You’re saying you were simply fascinated with my parents’ outlets. They truly are top of the line. You see, they provide electricity. So unique.”

I shook my head, slipping on my sunglasses. “I didn’t expect to find any because they were already found. If I had found any, that would mean either someone from Guardian missed one, which is unacceptable, or it could mean that someone else installed new ones.”

Dani leaned forward. “You’re saying that my parents’ home was bugged?”

“They’d been employing Guardian for over a year. The cameras were ours.”

“Did Mom and Dad know?”

“They signed the contract for our security. The exact locations and number of cameras weren’t common knowledge. Don’t discuss it with anyone.”

“Does Damien know?” she asked.

“Not to my knowledge.”

“What’s the purpose of keeping that information from him?”

“Who benefits from your father’s death?”

“No one.” Her answer came without hesitation.

“Damien accused Darius of involvement, but even that doesn’t make sense.

Darius isn’t on Sinclair’s executive board.

His only connection is that he owns shares of Sinclair stock that allow him information and bonuses.

None of that would increase with Dad’s death.

” She gave it more thought. “Dad’s will was updated after his health scare.

Everything he owns, money and property, reverts to Mom.

Even Damien and I don’t receive anything until Mom is gone. ”

“She was shot.”

In the rearview mirror, I watched as Dani pressed her fingers against her temples. “Don’t do that, Eli. Don’t make me suspect my own brother. Damien wouldn’t do such a thing.”

Making her suspect her brother wasn’t my goal.

However, I wanted her to understand the multitude of possibilities.

“I didn’t say that he did.” I turned the SUV into the driveway of the rehab facility.

The number of people outside the front door had decreased, yet there were still about half a dozen.

“I’m driving you around to the back. We’ll park there and instead of taking the elevator, we can take back stairs. ”

“There are back stairs. How did you learn about those?”

“I texted Jack while you were looking for your mother’s things.”

“How will we get through a locked door?”

I parked the SUV and pulled out my phone. “Jack will be down in less than a minute.”

“What about Mom?”

“She’s inside her room.”

Dani had her lower lip tugged between her teeth as I sent Jack a text telling him we were here.

When I opened her door, she stood, beach bag in hand and looked up at me, her navy eyes again covered by sunglasses. “I don’t like feeling that I need to ask your permission to enter a room—like my mother’s.”

“Don’t think of it like that.”

“How should I think of it?”

Placing my hand in the small of her back, I willed myself not to think about the physical connection as I guided her toward the door. “Think of it as staying safe.”

My touch was only a brief contact, yet the familiarity I felt with her was wrong. The longing I tried to suppress to once again feel my lips on hers was also wrong.

The door Dani had exited earlier in the day opened as we approached. Jack Webb was on the other side. As we came closer, he handed me a key. Next time, I’d be able to get us in and out of this door without taking him away from his assignment.

“Is that a key to this door?” Dani asked as she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head.

“Yes, ma’am.”

As we stepped into the hallway, Dani pointed to our left. “That was where Becky came from.”

“The staircase is through this door,” Jack said, opening the barrier on the right. Our footsteps echoed on the metal steps within the cement-enclosed stairway. The door on the second floor opened without an issue. We followed Jack as we made our way to Mrs. Sinclair’s room.

“The staircase must be within security,” Dani whispered. When I met her gaze, she added, “We didn’t have to enter a code.”

“The staff uses it,” Jack said.

“If they do…” she said.

“Anyone could,” I finished.

As we turned the corner near Marsha’s room, my pulse quickened. Her door was open. A quick glance at Dani and we both took off running.

“Mom,” she called.

Marsha’s bed was empty.