Random Acts of Murder: A Holly Anna Paladin Mystery, Book 1 (Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries) (18 page)

CHAPTER
29

I walked into my house, my heart still pounding.

What had just happened?

Why had I done that?

I should have just stayed away, minded my own business. Like I didn’t have enough problems already.

Now
I’d just shared my first kiss with a man who’d been my high school crush and lead antagonist. And I had no one to talk to about what had happened.

Of all the people I could have kissed, why Chase? Maybe I shouldn’t have allowed myself to be swept away. I shook my head. Nothing was making sense right now. One minute my heart was soaring with joy
, and the next I was berating myself.

I sighed, exhausted from my internal conflict.

I didn’t turn the lights on as I made my way through the house. I wanted some hot tea. With honey. Jamie had given me some from a local beekeeper, saying something about it helping me with allergies. I didn’t even know I had allergies.

I’d make tea
, then take a long bath. Tea and baths always made everything better.

In the kitchen, I flipped the
light switch.

Nothing happened.

My blood froze.

I slowly turned, looking for a sign of someone. Of something out of place. Of anything else that set off warning bells.

That’s when I heard a creak come from the dining room.

My gaze shot across the room.

I couldn’t flee upstairs. Only ignorant chicks in horror flicks did that.

To get to the front door, I’d have to pass the dining room.

No way would I do that.

I backed into the living room instead
. I made a split-second decision.

I walked to the bookcase and slowly, quietly turned it until I was on the other side. In the library.

I ducked behind the sofa there, in a nice little corner where I felt protected from the world.

At least, I felt protected from the intruder in my house.

I heard something else click.

My heart pounded in my ears and my skin crawled.

I waited for something else to happen.

I waited to see shoes.

I should have run out the back door, I realized. Only then I’d have to run to the gate, which was at the front of the house. By that time, the intruder could have grabbed me there.

In the moment, this had seemed like a great idea.

I pulled out my phone and texted Chase. I prayed he would get it.

Immediately, he texted back.

I’m on my way. You’ll be okay, Holly.

I hoped he was right.

**
*

I was counting the minutes, every cell of my body on alert, waiting for what would happen next. As I bided my time, I saw I had several missed calls. All from my oncologist.

Why couldn’t they realize that I didn’t want to be poked and prodded anymore?

Just then, my phone buzzed.

I glanced down.
My brother was texting me about—what else?—a campaign event.

I texted back:
Busy with other things right now. Like an intruder in the house.

I figured it couldn’t hurt if more than one person knew what was going on, just in case I was never seen again or something. We went back and forth in our texts a moment, and I told him the police were on their way.

I heard another click.

The front door. That’s what it had to be.

Had the intruder left? I prayed that was the case.

I continued praying. And counting. And trying not to panic.

My phone buzzed again. It was Chase:
I’m at your house. Where are you?

I told him I was in the library and that I was okay.

Checking out the rest of the house. Stay where you are.

I wanted to jump out and run to him. But I didn’t dare move. Not yet. Not until I knew there was no one between
Chase and me.

Time couldn’t pass fast enough as I waited for him to check everywhere.
I heard him moving throughout the house. I prayed I didn’t hear him being hurt. Hear his body hit the ground. Any grunts of pain.

I felt fairly certain
the intruder had left. But I couldn’t be sure. I hadn’t seen anything. I had no confirmation.

My phone buzzed again.

House is clear. I’m coming to you.

The next thing I knew, I heard his voice. “Holly, it’s okay. I’m here.”

At once, I jumped from my hiding place. I ran toward Chase and threw my arms around him.

“Are you okay?”
He pulled me close.

I nodded.

“I checked out the rest of the house. There’s no one here.”

“
Thank you so much for coming.”

“Of
course.”

I saw that look in his eyes again. The look that went beyond friendship. The look that sh
owed he was torn between caring about me and analyzing the way I’d fled from his house earlier.

Another voice sounded at the front of the house. “Holly? Where are you?”

I’d recognize that voice anywhere. It was Alex.

My family’s phone tree was in full effect.

***

An hour later, the electricity was back on, Ralph was here, and two uniformed officers were looking for fingerprints.

Chase had faithfully stayed by my side.

The strange thing was that nothing appeared to be taken. Nothing was damaged.

“Are you sure there was someone here?” Alex asked.

We’d all gathered in
a semicircle in the kitchen, and Alex was cross-examining me.

I nodded. “I heard someone. The electricity was out.”

“Plus, the front door was open when I got here,” Chase said. “I assume that’s how the intruder made his getaway.”

“But how did he get inside?” Alex pressed.

I shook my head. “I have no idea. I didn’t see any signs of forced entry.”

“Anyone outside of the family have a key to this place?” Chase asked.

“Mom did lose her keys at that awards banquet for you, Holly,” Ralph said. “She assumed she just misplaced them and that it wasn’t a big deal, that even if someone found them, they wouldn’t be able to identify who they belonged to.”

“Maybe she didn’t misplace them,” I muttered.

Ralph pulled me into a side hug. “I’m just glad you’re okay. We’ve never had any real problems around here before.”

Alex poure
d a cup of coffee. “Good thing Mom’s not here. She’d have a heart attack.”

She handed Chase the steaming mug
, and he accepted.

“Make you not want to be so trusting, Holly?” Alex asked
as she fetched another cup of java.

I blinked, surprised at her question. “What do you mean?”

“You’re Little Miss Idealist who always sees the best in people. You rethinking that yet?” She took a sip from her mug.

I shook my head. “No, not really.”

She rolled her eyes and turned to Chase. “Holly’s the one who thinks love can change the world, who thinks simple acts of kindness can build bridges, and who wants to save her first kiss for marriage.”

My bottom lip dropped open and my cheeks heated.

She did not just say that.

No!

I didn’t dare look at Chase, even though I could feel him staring at me. I knew he’d have questions.

How would I answer them?

“What’s wrong?” Ralph asked. “You usually start arguing right about now on why your values shouldn’t be criticized.”

I shook my head, speechless.

“I think her values sound nice. In my line of work—and with my past—Holly is a breath of fresh air,” Chase said.

My heart stopped pounding quite as quickly.

“I have to admit, with what I see every day, her worldview is kind of nice,” Alex said. “I’m her big sister. I have to give her a hard time.”

“I wish
my constituents were that positive,” Ralph added.

“Your parents didn’t name you Holly Anna for nothing,” Chase offered. “I’ll take an optimist to a pessimist any day.”

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Chase stepped closer and squeezed my arm.
“You should probably change your locks, Holly. Stay somewhere else tonight until that’s done. Please.”

I didn’t dare look up at him.

Instead, I nodded. “Fine. I’ll stay with you, Alex, but just for tonight.”

“Great. I’ll wait with you until you pack up a few things.”

“Actually, I’ll stay with her.” Chase shifted toward my siblings. “Why don’t you both go ahead and go? I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. Instead of a smart rema
rk, she shrugged. “Fine by me. It will give me a chance to spruce up my guest bedroom.”

Ralph looked back and
forth between Chase and me. “I guess I’ll run, too.”

I wanted to beg both of them to stay. I didn’t want to explain myself to Chase. And, though I knew I wasn’
t obligated to, I knew I would attempt to do just that.

Queasiness jostled in my stomach
as soon as both of them left. Reluctantly, I pulled my eyes up to meet Chase’s. I crossed my arms and pressed my lips together, remembering that kiss.

“Is it true?” Chase’s
eyes looked smoky, intense.

“
Is what true?” I wanted to forehead smack myself. Of course I knew what he was talking about. I was buying time, trying to put off the conversation, if only for a few seconds longer.

“You were saving your first kiss for marriage?”

I pulled my arms tighter across my chest. “It’s complicated.”

“Then give me an uncomplicated version.”

“It’s really nothing that you should concern yourself with.”

“I kissed you tonight, Holly. Of course I’m curious. More than curious, truth be told.”

I sucked in a long, deep breath, wishing I could hide under a rock somewhere. I looked away. “I decided in high school that I would save my first kiss for my wedding day.”

His eyes widened. “Then . . .? Tonight . . .?”

How did I even approach this? I hadn’t intended on kissing him. I hadn’t given it much thought at all, really. Maybe that was my problem. I’d stopped thinking and started feeling.

“Things change, Chase. I don’t know what else to say.”

“I feel like I took something special from you, and I don’t say that lightly. I’ve kissed . . . plenty of girls. I’ve kissed—” He ran a hand through his hair and stepped back, obviously frustrated. “I’ve kissed girls who meant nothing to me.”

H
is words were like a slap in the face. I was like nothing to him. “I get what you’re saying.”

He shook his head adamantly. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”
He looked toward the ceiling. “What am I trying to say?”

I put my hand on his arm. “Look, Chase, that kiss had no strings attached. You didn’t ruin me for life. You
didn’t destroy my dreams or taint me. Life happens. Views change. I don’t know what else to say. Just don’t read too much into it. Really.”

He
stared at me. His mouth opened, like he wanted to say more. But then he shut it again and nodded. “You should get your things.”

I stepped toward the stairway
, grateful for an excuse to get away. “You’re right. I should.”

I hurried upstairs, wondering why life had to be so complicated.

CHAPTER
30

I didn’t sleep well at Alex’s house. Plus, there was the fa
ct that she got up every morning at 5:00 a.m. to run. She came back at precisely 5:30 and drank coffee that percolated, thanks to a timer, while she ran. She fixed steel-cut oatmeal, topped with frozen berries and nuts, along with a green smoothie.

I wished it were my sister’s routine that kept me awake, but truthfully I hadn’t slept well all night. There were too many thoughts turning over in my mind. I thought about the intruder in my house. Why had he been there?
Certainly he had a purpose, yet his motive still wasn’t clear.

Then there was my kiss with Chase. I wished I could put it out of my mind, that I could stop thinking about it. But every time I closed my eyes I could feel his warm lips on mine. I could feel his hands drawing me closer. I
could feel my heart racing.

All of those
images disappeared when I replayed the conversation where he’d learned that he was my first kiss. I wished I were stronger, that I didn’t feel a touch of humiliation about the whole incident. But there was something unnerving about it.

I’d been so strong for so long. So why had I
let him kiss me? Why hadn’t I stopped him? Why Chase of all people? Maybe it was because I realized I might die without ever being kissed, and that seemed like a crying shame.

I couldn’t exactly explain that to him, though.

Tired of my thoughts, I pulled a robe on and stomped downstairs. Alex looked way too perky as she read the newspaper at the kitchen table.

“Morning, sis.”

I grabbed some coffee and plopped down across from her. “Hey, Alex.”

“You look awful.”

“Thanks.” I ran a hand over my face.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Not really. I hadn’t felt well in a long time, and it was only going to get worse from here. “I’m fine. Just a bit overwhelmed, I guess.”

“T
hat was so strange what happened last night. The only thing I can surmise is that you walked in in the middle of a robbery. Whoever it was didn’t have time to finish what he started.”

I nodded, rubbing the edge of my mug. “I suppose that makes sense.”

“Either way, it could have turned out much worse.”

“Absolutely.”

She stood and put her bowl in the sink, rinsing it with some water. “So, what’s going on with you and Chase?”

I looked up, surprised. “Me
and Chase? Nothing.”

“Don’t tell me
‘nothing.’ He couldn’t take his eyes off of you last night.”

“He was doing his job and making su
re I was okay.”

She ra
ised her thin eyebrows. “Keep telling yourself that. But, while he couldn’t stop watching you, you avoided his gaze like your life depended on it.”

I supposed this was what happened
when you had an assistant district attorney for a sister. Not much got past her. That worked great for the justice system, but terrible for me. “You’re reading too much into it. We’re friends. Plain and simple.”

“You want to know what the weird thing is?”

I tapped my finger on the table. “I don’t know if I do or not.”

“I could actually see you two together. I think you could handle each other.”

“Handle each other?”

“I mean, you could compl
ement each other. You have enough in common and enough differences, too. The differences make the relationship interesting; the things in common keep the relationship together.”

Just then, my cell phone rang. I glanced down, drawing in a breath when I saw Jamie’s number. She hadn’t talked to me since our argument. Had she finally decided to forgive me?

I stood and paced over to the corner for some privacy. “Jamie?”

“Hey, Holly.” Her vo
ice cracked. “I need your help. It’s John. We haven’t seen him since yesterday morning, and he’s not answering his phone. I think something is seriously wrong, Holly.”

***

I sat on the couch beside Jamie and squeezed her hand while Mama Val explained everything to Chase.

I couldn’t stop thinking about seeing
Little T whispering with Abraham that night after I left the youth center. Then John had met up with Little T, and they’d disappeared somewhere together. I hoped I was reading too much into things, but it appeared I wasn’t.

“My baby alw
ays comes home to check on me. He just wouldn’t do something like this.” Mama Val dabbed a tissue under her eyes.

“Has anything suspicious happened lately? Has John acted in any way
out of the ordinary?” Chase asked.

Mama Val shook her head while Louis patted her hand. “
No. Nothing. He was on the straight and narrow. He’d turned his life around.”

“Turned his life around from what?” Chase asked.

“He got involved with some bad people in high school. That’s when I pulled him out of his public school and enrolled him in a private school. I had to work two jobs to pay his way there. But I didn’t want my son to get caught in that trap of being with the wrong people and doing the wrong things.”

“I see. And that worked? He stopped hanging out with the wrong crowd?” Chase held a pen and paper in his hands, jotting notes.

She nodded. “It did. He started working part-time at that sports complex. He plays basketball in his free time. He goes to church every Sunday.”

Chase nodded. “I’ll need a list of his friends. Anyone that I can talk to who might know something.”

“I already made one.” Mama Val handed him a piece of paper.

Chase stood. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

“I appreciate it.”

I squeezed Jamie’s hand one more time. “I’ll be right back,” I whispered.

I walked Chase outside, all the way to his car, before saying anything. Honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was to face him right now, to see any more questions in his eyes. But there were bigger issues than my humiliation at stake.

“You doing okay this morning, Holly?” he asked, his voice low and intimate.

I nodded. “Me? I’m fine. I’m the least of my concerns. There’s something I thought you should know, though. I didn’t want to say it inside, just in case there’s nothing there.”

“Okay.”

“I volunteer at the youth center down on Grand Avenue. When I was leaving the other night, I saw one of the youths—he goes by Little T—whispering to Abraham, the director of the youth center. I ended up following Little T. I saw him meet up with John.”

“You followed someone you were suspicious of? That doesn’t sound very wise.”

I raised my hand. “I know. I didn’t think I was in danger. I was just making sure they weren’t getting themselves in trouble.”

“And if they were—”

“That’s beside the point. John hasn’t been seen since then. I think they picked up on the fact that I was following them, and I lost them.”

“
What’s the name of this director again?”

“
Abraham Willis. He’s a nice guy, Chase. He and his wife are barely scraping by, but somehow they have money to go on a cruise to the Bahamas in another week or so. I hate to think the worst . . .”

As soon as the words left my mouth
, I regretted them. Abraham was my friend, and I’d just thrown him under the bus. Should I give him a heads-up? Should I talk to him first?

If I did that, and he was guilty, then I’d b
e tipping him off.

I was just no good at this being
-deceitful thing.

“I’ll talk to him. I’ll be subtle. Okay?”
Chase assured me, seeming to read my thoughts.

I nodded. “Thank you. I really think he’s a good guy.”

“Even good guys can have secrets.” His face clouded as he said the words.

Apparently
, Chase had a few secrets of his own.

“Thanks again for everything
,” I told him. “I know you’re busy, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d want to handle this than you.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

I stared at him a moment, remembering the kiss and strangely wanting another one. Did Chase?

His cell
phone beeped. His face registered surprise when he looked at the screen. “We just got some results back on those bullets that were fired at you. T.J. is checking it out now.”

“What can you tell me?”

“Nothing. Not yet. But we may have some answers for you very soon.”