Page 7

Chapter Seven

T he impact of the truck into her smaller crossover vehicle snapped Jetta forward, her seatbelt holding her in place. She mashed on the brake pedal and wrenched the wheel to the right to avoid clipping the car in front of her. By some miracle, she managed to maneuver onto the grassy verge and out of the traffic lane. The pickup roared off, weaving in and out of traffic until she couldn’t see it any longer.

Her phone had flown from the console onto the floor of the front passenger seat. She trembled so violently, it took her three tries to put her car into park and cut the engine. She set the emergency brake and hit the flashers before releasing her seatbelt. Her shoulder and hips ached but she was in one piece. At least the airbag hadn’t deployed. Rubbing her belly, she prayed her baby was okay too.

Reaching over, she snagged the phone and placed a call to 911. A knock on the passenger side window, which she’d lowered a couple of inches, triggered a scream.

A man held up a phone, his forehead creased. “I called 911. Police and ambulance are on their way. Are you okay?”

“911, where’s your emergency?”

Jetta raised her finger to the man to indicate she was on a call and replied to the dispatcher. “Someone clipped me with their vehicle and fled the scene, but another driver called it in, so I think I’m good.”

“What’s your location?”

“I’m on 50 near Graham Road.” Jetta clenched her fingers together to stop the shaking.

“I’m showing emergency personnel are on their way to that location. Are you in a safe place to wait?”

“Yes, thank you.” Jetta disconnected the phone and turned to the man. “Thank you for calling. I think I’m okay. Did you see what happened?”

“Yeah, a white truck with Florida plates clipped your bumper.” He craned his neck as if to see the back of her vehicle. “Your left rear bumper is toast. I was sure you were going to smash into other cars.”

“Me too.” She leaned back against the seat as the sound of sirens filled the air. Seth! She’d been talking to him when the accident occurred. Before she could hit redial, an ambulance screeched to a halt, along with a fire truck and police cruiser. Opting instead for a quick text, she let him know she was fine.

The next moments blurred as she repeated what had happened to a Fairfax County police officer, then allowed an EMT to check her over for injuries in the back of the ambulance. He gave her over-the-counter pain medication and an ice pack for the darkening bruises on her shoulder and hip. He strongly recommended she report to her OB-GYN to check on the baby.

“Jetta!” She turned from the back of the ambulance as Seth raced up, his face pale. “Are you okay?”

“Just some bruises, thank goodness.”

His concerned expression nearly made her rush into his arms, but she hugged herself instead. Hadn’t she learned her lesson in Chicago about letting her feelings push her too quickly into a relationship?

“What happened?” He reached out a hand as if to touch her shoulder but dropped it without making contact. “I was so worried when the call dropped after you screamed.”

She drew in a breath, then recounted the accident. “A bystander snapped a photo of the fleeing truck, and the police officer said the vehicle was reported stolen.”

“Have they recovered the truck?”

“I don’t know.” She shivered. Seth stepped closer, his bulk soothing instead of intimidating her like a man of his size would normally do. So unlike Kyle, who used his height to get his way. She’d thought Kyle had a kinder side too until he’d proved her wrong. Better to remember that and not get fooled again. Seth’s caring veneer might hide a darker underbelly.

A light touch on her arm brought her out of the painful memories and back to the side of the road. Seth’s gaze fastened on hers, his brown eyes dark with compassion.

“Sorry, trying to make sense of it all,” she said, not bothering to explain what was on her mind. Let him think it was the accident rather than her ex.

The Fairfax County Police officer—O’Brien, Jetta recalled—returned. Jetta introduced Seth as her next-door neighbor and indicated the officer could talk in front of him.

“Ms. Ainsley, we have reports of a truck abandoned at a Safeway parking lot a few miles from here with the driver gone. We’ll tow it to our forensics lab to see about any prints and to match the damage on the vehicle’s front bumper with your car.”

By the skepticism she detected in the officer’s voice, Jetta said, “But you don’t think we’ll catch whoever hit me.”

O’Brien shook her head. “My guess is whoever stole the vehicle clipped your car by accident as they attempted to put as much distance between where they got the truck and wherever they were headed.”

“You don’t believe Jetta was deliberately targeted?” Seth’s question was one Jetta hadn’t considered.

“Why would you think that?” O’Brien raised her eyebrows as she looked from Jetta back to Seth.

“Because someone deliberately poisoned her dog yesterday and killed a raccoon,” Seth said.

“Tell me what happened.” O’Brien pulled a notebook from her breast pocket and jotted down Jetta’s account of Bingley’s trip to the vet. “Where’s this dead raccoon?”

“In my trashcan,” Seth said. “I checked her backyard this morning and found traces of ground beef near the left back corner fence line.” He showed several photos of the flecks of hamburger on his phone to the officer and Jetta.

O’Brien frowned. “I’ll send one of our animal control officers over to recover the raccoon’s body and do a thorough search of your yard. Do you have any security cameras installed on the property?”

“Not that I know of, but I’ll ask my mom.” Jetta explained about her mother’s accident. “I’m cleaning out the home so Mom can put it on the market. She needs to live in a one-level home when she gets out of rehab.” Too much information the officer didn’t need to know, but Jetta couldn’t wrap her mind around the idea of someone after her. Kyle had harassed her, but his MO was to use his current love interest to do his dirty work for him. Except for…

Jetta clamped a hand over her mouth as bile rose in her throat. She stumbled toward a bit of land between the pavement and a parking lot curb and heaved the contents of her stomach onto the straggling grass. She leaned over, hands on her knees until the nausea passed. After straightening, she wiped the back of her hand over her mouth. Yuck. She needed something to swish out the aftertaste.

“Here.” Seth handed her bottle of water. “It’s a little warm.”

She accepted it and used a mouthful to rinse her mouth, spitting it out onto the grass. Then she drank some of the water. “Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize.” His gaze flicked down to her extended belly, then back to her face. “It happens.”

“Ms. Ainsley?” O’Brien called. “Are you feeling better?”

Jetta nodded, then returned to where the office stood by the crushed back bumper of her car. She couldn’t dredge up another apology for her unruly stomach.

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Yes.” Seth showed the officer the photo of the note. “I found it on her front porch this morning when I was checking the outside of the house for any more contaminated meat.”

The officer read the note. “What do you think it means?”

“I have no idea.” A headache gathered strength behind her eyes. “I’ve only been home for the past seven months.”

“Where were you before?” the officer asked.

“Chicago.” Jetta didn’t provide additional info, not wanting to go down that particular rabbit trail.

“And you’re helping your mom?”

“Yes.” Jetta had nothing else to add, fatigue pulling at her body as the adrenaline drained away.

“I put the note in a plastic bag. It’s at my house,” Seth put in.

“I’ll tell the animal control officer to pick it up when she comes to do the sweep of the backyard.” O’Brien closed her notebook. “I’ll let you know if forensics recovers anything useable from the truck.”

“Do you think this is related to the string of carjackings and stolen vehicles?” Seth inquired. “ The Herald ran a story about the uptick in those kinds of crime last week.”

“Possibly.” O’Brien firmed her lips, indicating she wouldn’t be saying anything more. “Here’s my card. Your vehicle appears to be drivable. Contact me in a few days for a copy of the accident report.”

“I will, thank you.” Jetta pocketed the card, then checked her phone. 11:45 p.m. “I need to pick up Bingley from the vet by one.”

He glanced toward the traffic moving at a steady clip on the busy road, then back to her. “I had to park across the street.” He pointed to the parking lot of a Latino grocery store. “Would you like me to follow you to the vet and home?”

Relief coursed through her at his offer. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was about driving anywhere by herself. “Sure.”

He nodded, then waited for a break in traffic before jogging across the street. She climbed into her vehicle and started the engine as she waited for him to come her way. The emergency vehicles cleared the area and traffic soon returned to normal. When Seth pulled behind her, her heart skipped a beat—because she was relieved to have someone following her home, not because of his concern for her. Jetta didn’t want to focus on the latter, no matter how much her heart told her otherwise.

* * *

Seth hurried from his driveway to Jetta’s, catching up with her as she inserted her key into the deadbolt at the front door. Bingley milled about her feet, his leash looped over her wrist. By the slump of her shoulders, exhaustion had staked a claim on her body, probably aided by an adrenaline crash. While he needed to go through the fire scene photos and submit some with captions to his editor, he had to ensure Jetta and her dog were safe and sound first. She’d hardly said a word at the vet, who had declared Bingley fully recovered.

While he didn’t want to overstep, he did want to do what he could to help. “If you’d like, I could take Bingley to my backyard until you’re settled inside.”

She removed the key before turning to him. “Would you? I’d forgotten I can’t let him out back until animal control comes by to check the yard.”

“Happy to.” He held out his hand, and she placed the leash in his open palm. “Take your time. We’ll be fine. Come on, Bingley.” With a wave to Jetta, he jogged back to his house, pausing at his side gate to open it. Once inside the enclosure, he secured the gate, then released Bingley to explore the space. The dog raced from one area to another, sniffing furiously before selecting a corner of the yard to do his business. That morning, Seth had done a sweep of this space as well as Jetta’s to ensure it would be safe for Bingley—a precaution he was glad he’d taken. He found a sturdy stick near the fire pit and tossed for Bingley to chase, having seen Jetta throw balls with the dog.

“Hey.” Jetta closed the gate behind her and joined Seth. “Thanks for this.”

“Anytime. We hardly use the backyard, so you can let Bingley play here for as long as you need to.”

The dog bounded up and dropped the stick at Jetta’s feet. She obliged with a toss, and Bingley ran after it. “You work for The Herald , right?”

“I do, mostly as a photographer, although I do write some of the shorter news pieces.” As if on cue, Seth’s phone buzzed, probably Fallon or Brogan harping about the fire pics.

“Do you have to get that?” She nodded toward his pocket where an incoming call buzzed incessantly. Bingley brought the stick back, then flopped down in front of them to gnaw at it.

He glanced at the screen. Brogan. He let the call roll to voicemail. “I’ll get it later.”

Her gaze directed toward the dog, she hunched her shoulders. “Being a journalist, you know how to find things out, don’t you?”

He nodded. Her mouth pinched, and a line creased her forehead. Something was bothering her beyond the accident. He recalled she’d mentioned something about her father but had given no details. When she didn’t expound, he prompted. “What do you want to find out?”

“Whether my father was guilty of embezzlement.” She shot him a glance as if to gauge his reaction.

Seth didn’t respond, letting her tell the story in her own way. He thought he might have passed a test because her shoulders relaxed.

“It’s been fifteen years since he was accused of taking millions from Topher Robotics, where he was the chief financial officer. When the cops came to arrest him at our house while I was at a friend’s house, he collapsed with a heart attack. He didn’t make it.”

“I’m so sorry.” Seth responded to the pain in her voice, although he couldn’t imagine actually missing the man who’d fathered him. He didn’t know if his dad were alive or dead—and he didn’t care to find out. Not after the childhood he’d had. But he shoved those memories back into their scarred box hidden deep in his heart and refocused on Jetta. “What happened with the embezzlement charges?”

She shrugged. “I have no idea. I only found out about the accusation yesterday. I was still in elementary school, but my brothers and sisters were either in college or already working their first fulltime jobs.” Her lips quirked upward. “My dad always called me his little unexpected caboose.”

“How many siblings do you have?” He couldn’t recall how many kids Emily had mentioned over the years and envied Jetta her obviously close-knit family.

“Four. Jared’s the oldest and sixteen years older than me. Then comes Jenna, who’s fourteen years older.” Jetta ticked off siblings on her fingers. “Jason comes next, and he’s a dozen years older, and Jade’s only ten years older. All are married, but only Jared and Jason have kids.”

“What about you?” Heat climbed the back of Seth’s neck at his inane question. Obviously she was about to have a baby.

She chuckled, the sound thready. “I’ve sworn off men.”

His heart sank at the pain and determination in the words. He wanted to press for an explanation but instead turned the conversation back to her father. “You said they all knew about your father’s, er, problem?”

“Yes.” She directed her gaze to him. “Then this morning, I opened a package addressed to my dad that arrived in yesterday’s mail. It had a note saying the enclosed documents could help clear my father’s name.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, right?” She reached down to scratch Bingley’s head between his ears. “The first I hear about Dad’s past is when this mysterious—and anonymous—package shows up saying he’s innocent. But that’s not even the really strange part.”

Seth raised his eyebrows. “It’s not?”

“The postmark is from fifteen years ago.”

“How could that happen?”

“Who knows? The mail service can be erratic, but losing a package for more than a decade seems extreme. So of course, I Googled ‘lost mail’ and saw a news article about a letter that finally made it to the recipient a decade after it had been mailed. A US Post Office official said in the article that sometimes mail gets jammed behind the automatic sorting machines and isn’t discovered until the piece is moved for cleaning or repairs.”

“Weird.” A piece of information related to lost mail pushed to the front of his memory. “I think I read somewhere about a letter delivered in England more than a hundred years after it had been mailed, plus another letter in the US that had been lost since World War II.”

“Makes me grateful this one made it to us sooner than that.”

“What was in the envelope?” Seth figured he could ask since she’d been so open with him about the situation.

“Spreadsheets and bank statements.” Bingley nudged into Jetta, the movement drawing her attention to the animal. “Oh, right. I should feed you.” She patted the dog’s head. “The thing is, my mom said she’s determined to find out the truth behind the accusations, and I want to help.”

She bit her lower lip. “I’m not sure where to start, but maybe you could help?”

“I’d be happy to.” His heart thudded at the thought of spending more time with Jetta. He sternly told himself it was because she needed his assistance, not that she wanted an excuse to be with him. Besides, she basically indicated she wasn’t ready for another relationship.

“You would?” The smile blossoming across her face stole his breath.

He should have said no, palmed her off on Brogan. His heart would not be safe if she kept looking at him with those big blue eyes and smiling so broadly. His phone buzzed again.

“You need to get back to work, but why don’t you come over for dinner and I can show you the papers?”

Seth agreed before he could think better of it. “Sure. What time?”

“How about around six?”

“I’ll be there. Can I bring anything?”

“I think I’ve got it covered, but thanks.” She snapped a lead on Bingley’s collar. “I appreciate your help with my dog and coming out to the accident scene. I’d been feeling overwhelmed lately and praying about cleaning out the house, my mom, and … things.”

He didn’t miss the hesitation between the last two words, wondering if her swearing off men had anything to do with the “things” that had been overwhelming her.

“You’ve been an answer to prayer.”

Her words jolted him to the core. Of all the things he expected her to say, that hadn’t even occurred to him. He’d never been anyone’s answer to prayer, and he liked hearing her say so. She seemed to be expecting a response, so he said, “I’m honored you would consider me so.”

His statement brought another dazzling smile to her lips. She tugged on Bingley’s leash. “Well, then. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“See you.” He walked her through the side gate, then headed to his own front door while she and the dog went inside her house. He had to sort through the fire photos and check in with Brogan. Perhaps he’d even have time to a little research into who Jay Ainsley was.

He hesitated before calling Brogan as he reviewed the series of events over the past twenty-four hours. Jetta might not see them as connected, but to his mind, a very clear pattern was emerging. Someone was targeting Jetta—and it was his job to make sure she stayed safe.