Page 20 of Out of the Shadows (Angelhart Investigations)

“I’ve never seen him before,” she said.

The man was anywhere between thirty and forty, with short dark hair, a square jaw, and a couple days’ growth of beard. He

wore dark sunglasses, a generic black baseball cap with no logo, a black T-shirt, and dark gray khakis. He had the stance

and body of someone who regularly worked out. The photographer had zoomed in so Jack couldn’t get a gauge of this height.

Jack didn’t know what specifically was going on, but he and Margo had been going back and forth on a theory now that they

had the Bishop Securities report. The company was legit, though they sometimes walked the legal line. Jack considered them

a “fixer” for businesses, to help make problems disappear. But committing a felony? He didn’t see it.

Their report was clear: They were hired Saturday morning to locate Charlie Barrett and pay him for the files. They had run

a background on Charlie and sat on his apartment and his work from 4:00 p.m. Saturday through Monday at noon when Margo ran

them off. He hadn’t shown up. They returned Monday at 4:00 p.m. and stayed all night. Again, Charlie hadn’t shown. They’d

taken photos of every person entering the building, and on Saturday night they had taken a vague photo of two men entering

at 1:10 a.m. and leaving an hour later. One of the men could have been the man in the ball cap. They hadn’t seen what vehicle

they’d arrived in.

“Rapperson wanted the files, but I don’t see him committing a major crime like a hit-and-run or trashing your house to scare

you. Hiring Bishop was logical for him, and when they learned about you, they reached out to you at your clinic instead of

home because you would feel safer there with people around,” Jack said. “They didn’t want to intimidate you, they wanted your

cooperation.”

“How did this other guy get my address?”

“There are a half dozen ways,” he said. “He could have found it in Charlie’s condo, or by running any number of public reports.”

“Then why run me off the road?”

“Either he wanted to scare you or he wanted time to search your house when he knew you would be out. He didn’t care whether

you were hurt or not.” That angered Jack greatly—that this guy would hurt innocent people to get to Charlie.

Laura rubbed her temples. “And he’s looking for those files too?”

She sounded skeptical, and Jack didn’t blame her. It seemed a lot to go through for legal records. “I don’t know if it was

the files or something else. We have the files now, and while there is potential blackmail material in the records, nothing

has jumped out at my mom as being worth all this trouble. Your friend Bob said that there was a smaller box that Charlie took

with him. Maybe that had something valuable inside.”

“Why is he in LA?” Laura asked as she paced the kitchen. “Why hasn’t he called me? How could he put the kids in danger like

this? Dammit! I need to talk to him.”

“For what it’s worth,” Jack said calmly, “I doubt Charlie knew what he was getting into.”

“I don’t care!” She turned to the kitchen window above the sink and put her hands on the counter, took a long, deep breath.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“Good. Because I’m not sorry that I’m mad, I just don’t want to take it out on you.”

“Margo has a theory. Charlie worked on Thursday, and he could have overheard Rapperson and his lawyer talking about the storage

unit. He likely didn’t know what specifically they wanted inside it, just that there was something valuable. He may have gotten

it into his head that he could profit off it. The auction was at three Friday, which coincides with him leaving work at lunch

and would have given him enough time to go to the bank and withdraw cash, then rent a U-Haul.”

“He did not think this through. He never thinks anything through. That’s why we lost the house, lost every dime in the kids’

college funds, why I left!”

The kids came in with Luisa at that moment. Cody’s face fell, and Sydney ran through the kitchen and down the hall.

Cody went to his mom and hugged her. “It’s going to be okay, Mom.”

She hugged her son and said, “Yes, it will. I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have heard that.”

“Daddy means well,” Cody said, sounding almost grown-up.

“I better talk to your sister. You okay?”

“I’m fine. Luisa rides, can we take the horses out later? It’s too hot now, but after dinner? Please? And she wants to see

Nimbus, she might want a kitten!”

Luisa laughed. “Not me, kid. But I might be able to find a home for one.”

“The horses need to be exercised, after dinner would be great. I’ll be right back.” She followed her daughter down the hall.

Cody went into the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of lemonade. He poured two glasses over ice and handed one to Luisa.

“I made it this morning,” he said.

“As long as you didn’t let Margo help, it’s probably great,” Luisa said, and Jack laughed.

“Do you want some, Jack?” Cody asked.

“Sure, thank you.”

Cody poured another glass and gave it to Jack. “From the lemons behind the barn. We also have oranges and limes and a garden,

but Sydney is better at growing things than me.” He sat down. “Did my dad break the law?”

“No, I don’t think so,” Jack said.

“Mom doesn’t usually get so upset. I don’t like it when she’s sad.”

Neither do I , Jack thought.

Laura knocked on Sydney’s door and entered before her daughter said anything. She was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling

fan. She wasn’t crying; she looked more angry than sad.

Laura pulled out the desk chair and sat down. “I shouldn’t have lost my cool like that, I’m sorry.”

She felt like she was always apologizing to her kids for what she said or didn’t say, for what Charlie did or didn’t do. She’d

tried to stop, but she hated that they didn’t have the stability that she’d had growing up. She had never wanted them to become

a statistic, kids growing up with divorced parents. And now they were.

“I’m almost thirteen, I know things.”

Almost thirteen. Laura restrained her laughter. Sydney would be thirteen at the end of March, nine months from now.

“I know Dad screwed everything up.”

“Not everything. We have you and Cody. The two best things in my life. I mean that.”

“I know,” she mumbled. “I don’t want to be mad at him, but I am.”

“Honey, your dad would never hurt you. Ever. He doesn’t even know what happened on Sunday—”

“Because he wasn’t here. He didn’t call you or me. I’ve left five messages for him. And he’s not ignoring me, he just doesn’t have his phone! And we’re here worrying about him, and he’s in Los Angeles. And didn’t even tell us he was going!”

Laura hadn’t told Sydney all the details, and maybe she should have. Hell, she didn’t even know everything that Charlie was doing.

“Whatever your dad did, he did it for the right reasons.”

“He did it because he thinks if he makes it big with one of his stupid ideas, you’ll take him back.”

“I’ve told him many times that won’t work. I would love to raise you in the same house as your dad, to be a family again.

But—” How much should she tell her daughter? She didn’t want Sydney to resent Charlie—or her.

“You don’t have to make excuses for him.”

“I’m not.” She paused. “I love your dad and always will. We grew up together, we were friends, and we had fun. But there comes

a time when you can have fun and be responsible. For me, it came when I had you. You were the most beautiful, perfect baby I could have ever dreamed about.

I fell in love, hook, line, and sinker. And I knew that I had to be serious about my career, I had to provide a home and love

and stability. I wanted to. You and Cody make my life better, you make me a better person. Charlie loves you both. He just has a very different idea of what a home is. A different idea of stability

and responsibility and trust.” She paused. “I love your dad, but he broke my trust.”

“I know,” Sydney whispered. “But Dad still thinks he can win you back.”

“When we find him, I’ll talk to him.” Again. And again. Until he understood that their relationship was over and done. She

had never led him on or led him to believe she would have a change of heart, but maybe she shouldn’t have had him over for

dinner so often. She thought it was good for the kids—but if Charlie couldn’t separate that from his feelings for her, then

neither of them would be able to move forward.

“You good?” Laura asked.

“Yeah. Thanks, Mom. I’m sorry I ran out, but...” She shrugged, sighed. “Just, everything.”

“I know.”

Laura got up to leave when Sydney said, “Do you like Jack?”

“Yes, he’s very nice, very good at his job.”

“That not what I meant, Mom. ”

Laura’s heart skipped a beat. “I don’t understand,” she lied.

Sydney rolled over on her side and propped her head on her arm and grinned. “You’re blushing.”

“I am not!” She was. She could feel her flushed skin.

“I saw you looking at him this morning, before you went to the clinic.”

Oh, God, she did not want this conversation with her daughter. “Well, he’s a nice-looking man.”

Now Sydney laughed out loud. “Nice-looking? Is that what you call it?”

“Just stop. Now’s not the time.”

“Then when? You’re not getting younger.”

“I beg your pardon!”

“I think he likes you, too. Mom, don’t let Dad stop you from going out.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“You haven’t been on even one date since... ever.”

“You and Cody come first.”

“Of course we do,” Sydney said with a smile. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t go out sometime. I appreciate everything you

do, Mom, I really do, even if I don’t act like it all the time. Like, I still don’t understand why I can’t have a cell phone

when every single one of my friends has one.” She paused, as if waiting for Laura to give in—so Laura remained silent. “But

I think you’d be happier if you found someone to share things with. Someone that’s not your kids.”

Laura crossed the room and hugged her daughter. “When did you grow up on me?”