Stolen Identity Read online

  Danielle shook her head. “It has to be the same man. The man who murdered Garrett. The man who just tried to kill us.”

  The man who just stole over a quarter of a million dollars from her.

  “If he thinks we have—or have access to—something he wants, his plan must have been to scare us.”

  She pushed her chair back. “But what evidence does he want?”

  “I don’t know. If Garrett had been collecting evidence against this guy, then it makes sense that he could have also found out other people he was scamming.”

  “So Garrett had evidence to take this guy down and ended up confronting him?”

  “Maybe.” Jason grabbed his phone from his back pocket and punched in a phone number. “I’ll give the police an update, but with their limited time and resources, I also want to call one of our tech guys. If anyone can find this guy, Philip can.”

  Danielle listened to Lauryn singing Disney songs from her bedroom. She closed her eyes and pictured her sitting at her little wooden table, having tea with Sam, Buddy and Eeyore. She couldn’t let this touch her daughter.

  “I’ll forward the email now.” Jason’s voice broke into her thoughts as he spoke into the phone. “The IP address is hidden, but see what you can do to track down the source. And there’s something else I’m worried about. The more I process this situation, the more I’m concerned that Garrett could have been involved in something that has compromised our own security. I’m going to need you to put together a team, because this guy clearly knows what he’s doing….”

  Danielle got up and walked to the back patio, needing some fresh air. The brilliant orange sun cast streaks of light across the dark blue Pacific. She shivered in the cold breeze wishing there was something she could do to make what had happened today disappear.

  Waves crashed in the distance, as the sun sank below the horizon. She’d wrestled with fear before, but today’s panic threatened to completely overwhelm her.

  I don’t even know which way to turn, God. If I lose everything, I need to know that You are still there….

  The back door opened and closed behind her. She turned around. Jason stood at the edge of the patio beneath the outside lamp that gave off just enough light to catch his gloomy expression.

  “Philip is going to work with us to find this guy.”

  She leaned against the wooden rail behind her, studying the hard lines of his face and the tense set to his wide shoulders. Suppressed feelings of longing swept over her, causing her breath to catch. She turned back to the sea in an attempt to contain them. “From what I overheard, I’m not the only one facing loss.”

  “We have contracts with a number of companies who work with classified information. A breach in our security could be devastating.”

  “So you’ll be going back to Portland?” she asked.

  “For now I feel like it’s better I stay here. Philip is putting a team together, and we’ll meet in the morning via a video conference.”

  She took a step toward him, hoping the relief she felt over the fact he was staying didn’t show. She wasn’t going to let her heart get involved this time around. But even the fact that he was staying wasn’t enough to eradicate the fear.

  “He ruined Garrett. You’re looking at possible security compromises. I’ve got my shop and Lauryn to consider. I don’t know how to play this game.”

  He stared into her eyes. “I promise, we’re going to figure this out. Whatever it takes.”

  She still wasn’t convinced there was a way to win. “Garrett tried on his own and look what happened to him. Whoever this guy is, he’s smart. He knows what he is doing, and he’s willing to kill to protect what he has.” She looked up at him, wishing for a brief moment that he would wrap his arms around her again and make her feel safe. Even if it was only for a moment. “What if I can’t keep Lauryn safe?”

  What if Jason’s promise wasn’t enough? What if everything they did wasn’t enough?

  FOUR

  Danielle pushed back one of the soft ringlets lying against Lauryn’s neck then closed the book they’d been reading together. These quiet moments, the ones that hovered between hectic days of trying to balance the needs of a pre-schooler with running a business, had always been her favorite time. It wouldn’t be too many years before tea parties, dress up and sandcastles on the beach were replaced with phone calls from boys and trips to the mall with friends. Which meant that for now, Danielle was content to savor these rituals for as long as they lasted.

  Lauryn fought to keep her droopy eyes open. “Will you read one more chapter, Mommy?”

  Danielle kissed Lauryn on the forehead, before setting the book on the wicker bedside table. “I think we’ve had enough for one night, sweetie.”

  Stress had brought on an achy tiredness that had spread through her body and left her mind in a fog, making even the simplest of tasks challenging. The land of Narnia, and all that was transpiring on the other side of the wardrobe, would have to wait until tomorrow night.

  Lauryn’s lips puckered into a frown. “I’m not tired.”

  “You’re not tired?” Danielle straightened the collar of Lauryn’s pink pajamas. “That is a problem, because Grandma told me that since tomorrow is Wednesday, she’s planning to take you to story time at the library. Would you like that?”

  Lauryn yawned then nodded.

  “Do you know what else that means?” she asked her daughter.

  “That I get ice cream. Grandma always takes me out for ice cream after the library.”

  Danielle laughed. “What I meant was that you need to get some sleep.”

  She nuzzled her daughter’s nose then finished lining up the row of stuffed animals sprawled out along the edge of the bed before standing up.

  “Do you think he’ll come back to see us?”

  Danielle stopped in the doorway. “Jason?”

  Lauryn nodded.

  Danielle’s mind fought to hold on to the slowly fading memories from the past. Memories she wasn’t sure she was ready to let go. Quinton had loved tucking Lauryn in at night. Their bedtime ritual had consisted of bath time, story time and giggles until Danielle had to insist that morning would come all too soon if they didn’t get to sleep.

  And now Jason had somehow appeared back in her life.

  “Do you want him to come over again?”

  Lauryn gave her a sleepy smile. “He said he’d help me build a sandcastle on the beach one day and take me out for crab legs.”

  “Sounds like a lot of fun.”

  More memories resurfaced, flipping between long days beside Italy’s seaside and her senior year at Portland State. The only two men she’d ever loved.

  Jason had been her college sweetheart and first love. Fun and full of life, he’d proposed to her one spring afternoon, and she’d said yes, eager to live the rest of her life beside him. But fear from watching her father walk out on her and her mother had slowly crept into their relationship and, like a weed-choked garden, had eventually become the unwanted motivator that had caused her to run. So instead of walking down the aisle that summer, she’d escaped to Europe and buried herself in art, culture and fourteenth-century Italy.

  Having Jason walk back into her life might have thrown a kink into her normally structured routine, but despite his resurrecting long-lost memories, she wasn’t ready to take a chance on love again. She’d done that with Quinton and had ended up trying to pick up the shattered pieces of her heart when he’d died. That loss was enough to convince her that allowing herself to fall in love again wasn’t worth the risk.

  Tonight had shaken those beliefs because Jason had reminded her how much she missed someone to help share the burdens of life, to encourage her and to help her deal with her frustrations. For months, she’d strived to rely on her faith to be that anchor, but while her trust in God had deepened, she still struggled to let her spiritual life fill the void in her heart that Quinton had left. Trust in God and a Savior might have become more real to her, but s
he still missed the companionship she’d found with Quinton.

  Which oddly enough was the very reason why she couldn’t let Jason back into her heart. Today had reminded her just how vulnerable she really was, but Jason wouldn’t be here forever. He’d managed to appear for a moment, but when all of this was over, they’d both go back to living their own separate lives.

  She let out a slow breath as she walked into the living room to double check that the doors were locked and the alarm set. The wooden wall clock ticked in the background. A dog barked outside. Lights of a passing car reflected through the window. All familiar and yet at the same time, nothing about these past two days held any degree of familiarity. Stories of murder and deceit were things she watched on the ten o’clock news or an episode of CSI. Not in real life.

  Danielle pulled back the curtains covering the front window and stared into the darkness broken only by a lone streetlight. No matter what happened, she wasn’t going to give into the fear threatening to engulf her. That would only let their hacker win…and leave her feeling even more vulnerable and violated.

  At her computer desk she hesitated before clicking on the get mail button. Nothing. She’d checked her secondary account and work account earlier as well as the junk folder. Not only had the police launched their own investigation, Jason had assured her he would use every resource possible to track down the email’s author. But being invisible online wasn’t hard. Which meant finding their hacker could very well prove impossible.

  Danielle set the mouse down. Jason had been right. There was nothing more she could do tonight. Staying up and worrying was only going to make things worse. She needed to take a long hot shower, read her Bible and spend some time in prayer. She started to shut down her computer, then stopped. Jason’s leather wallet sat on the edge of her desk.

  She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and scrolled through her contact list where he’d programmed his number into her phone. Pushing the call button, she waited for Jason to pick up, wishing she didn’t feel so relieved for the excuse to call him.

  *

  Jason strode through the lobby door of the Pacific Cove Inn, hoping he’d made the right decision leaving Danielle alone. The rhythmic crashing of the waves faded as the automatic door shut behind him. Inside he barely noticed the busy geometric carpet competing with sea-green beach decor and black-and-white seashell photographs adorning the walls. Staying with his father was always an option, but he’d decided it would be better to sleep in town instead of the isolated cabin north of town. And after what had transpired today, he was thankful he’d made that decision. No matter what baggage they carried between them, if anything happened to Danielle he’d never forgive himself.

  To the left of the lobby, the hotel restaurant smelled of hamburgers and greasy fries—a reminder of how much he’d enjoyed the meal of mac and cheese with Danielle and Lauryn. For a few minutes, they’d somehow managed to avoid talking about their own rocky past along with what had transpired today. But that hadn’t lasted. The reality of what had taken place today still lay too close to the surface.

  Which was why he’d hated to leave her. And hated even more that he didn’t know what else he could do to make things okay. He’d gone over and over what he needed to say to Garrett when he found him, but had never anticipated not getting to talk to him again. Now he was contemplating a funeral, the urgent need to track down a con man and murderer, and finding a way to protect the woman he used to love.

  His cell rang. He pulled the phone out of his pocket as he started toward the hotel elevators.

  It was Danielle.

  His brow narrowed as he answered the call. “Hey. Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just realized that you left your wallet here.”

  He felt his back pocket where he always kept his wallet and frowned. The distraction of everything that had happened—and even Danielle herself—had clearly affected him. Somehow, he was going to have to find a way to stay focused despite his emotional involvement in the situation. He turned down the hallway toward his room. At least she was okay.

  “I won’t need anything out of it tonight. Do you mind if I pick it up tomorrow?”

  “Of course not.”

  He searched for something else to say, not ready to say goodbye. “You sound tired.”

  “I am, but I’ll be okay. Emotionally everything seems to be hitting at once now that I’m here alone.”

  “I feel the same way. I think what happened is finally beginning to sink in…but I’m also worried about leaving you alone.”

  There was a pause on the line. She’d agreed to let him go to the bank in the morning with her, but he wasn’t sure how much of his help she wanted. He wasn’t a part of her life, and she was used to doing things by herself. Just because they shared a past didn’t mean she wanted him coming to her rescue. And neither did he want his heart broken again. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he was responsible for her. Or the fact that he wanted to be the one to make sure she was okay.

  “I’ll be fine,” she added. “Really. I spoke to my neighbors like I promised. They’re good friends and are home if I need anything. The house is locked, alarm set, Lauryn’s tucked into bed and sound asleep…we’ll be fine.”

  Fine seemed relative. All he felt like he’d accomplished tonight was dredging up more frustration and guilt. Garrett’s parents had called while working on the funeral arrangements. It was something you never plan to do for your own child. And he still didn’t have any answers for them.

  The guilt returned as he skipped the elevator and took the stairs two at a time to the third floor. If he’d pressed Garrett more, and asked more questions, they might be dealing with a simple case of fraud, not murder. He shook away the self-recriminations. Whatever Garrett had been involved in, he’d made his own choices. More than likely, there was nothing Jason could have done to have changed any of it.

  “Any more emails?” He started down the narrow hallway toward his room. She seemed to understand his need to stay on the line, even through the moments of silence when his thoughts were anything but silent.

  “Nothing, though if I were our hacker, I would think that the lower the profile I keep the better considering the police are paying a lot more attention to a murder case. He’s not going to want to take any chances of being tracked down at this point.”

  “You’re probably right.” Jason slid his key card into the slot on his door. “Murder isn’t usually in the mark of a con man, which also means that he’s veered from his normal, familiar territory.”

  Inside, the queen-size bed pillows had been fluffed and the turned-down bed reminded him that he was exhausted. All he wanted to do was escape into a dreamless sleep. He’d take a couple of over-the-counter sleeping pills to ensure he got to sleep, because tomorrow he needed to feel rested enough to deal with the mess Garrett had left behind.

  Jason let the hotel room door shut behind him, dropped his keys onto the short counter beside the coffeepot then paused on the dark blue carpet.

  Something wasn’t right.

  “Jason?”

  “I’m here, it’s just that…”

  He studied the room, then turned toward the bathroom. The light was on, the closet door open. There was a sock on the floor he knew he hadn’t left there.

  The maid wouldn’t have done any of those things.

  “Jason, what is it?”

  “Someone’s been in my room.” Or was still in his room. “Just a second.”

  He searched the bathroom, under the bed and outside on the balcony. Nothing. Whoever had been here was gone.

  “Did they take anything?”

  He rifled through his suitcase that had been opened inside the closet and left in a shambles. The dresser drawers were partially ajar, though he hadn’t even taken the time to unpack when he arrived yesterday. He hadn’t figured he’d be here long enough to move in. “It doesn’t look like it.”

  Anything of value he’d kept with him
.

  And he’d packed light, only expecting to be here for a couple of days. His plan had been to simply find Garrett, confront him then get him back home. Two…three days max. At the moment he had no idea when he’d be able to return home to his apartment. He wasn’t leaving until he had answers. Or until he knew Danielle was safe.

  The need to protect her intensified. He’d seen the look of fear in her eyes as he’d left tonight. She’d been through a lot over the past couple of years, but he also knew that the feelings simmering inside him toward her were nothing more than the result of two people being thrown into a tense situation. Emotionally, he might feel the need to keep his distance, but that didn’t change the fact that he still cared what happened to her.

  “They had to have been after Garrett’s evidence,” he said.

  “You need to let the police know what has happened, because after tonight it’s clear Garrett must have said something to him to make him believe that either you or I have it.”

  “You’re right.”

  Jason opened the sliding glass door to his balcony and stared out at the moon and its silvery reflection across the dark waters. There was something calming and familiar about these picturesque surroundings where he’d spent holidays and summer vacations hiking along the coast, exploring craggy rock structures, sandboarding and going on adventurous jaunts.

  Back then, they’d been convinced they’d live forever.

  “Do you remember the summer we went for a ride on that dune buggy?” There was a slight pause on the line as he waited for her answer.

  “How could I forget? I thought I was going to die that afternoon.”

  “We were lucky that day.”

  The dune buggy accident had happened in slow motion. They’d hit the side of a sand dune, flipping the buggy. He thought he’d lost her in that careless act, but they’d managed to walk away with only a few bruises.

  “I felt powerless when that buggy crashed…and that’s how I feel right now.” He sat down on the edge of the bed. “Like everything’s out of control. I don’t know where Garrett hid the evidence, don’t know what this guy wants—or for that matter how much damage he’s already done. We’ve got to figure things out and the clock is ticking.”