Page 15 of Shadow of Deceit
Ryan faced Mia. His pointed stare made it clear that he wanted her to tell Russ about the threatening letter. She gave a quick shake of her head and hoped Russ didn’t notice the interchange.
If he did, the controlled expression on his face didn’t let on. “I apologize if I’m pushing too hard, Mia. I’m simply trying to locate the person behind the fire no matter who it is. The best thing you can do to clear your name is provide me with a copy of the will and think about anyone who might be behind the fire.” Directing a sharp look at Ryan, Russ tromped out of the room.
“Excuse me.” Ryan spun and raced after Russ.
Watching him exit in hot pursuit of his brother, a burst of vulnerability brought tears to the surface.
Wassomeone other than her father behind the fire?Washer life really in jeopardy?Wasit the right thing to do to keep the letter from Russ?
Or had she left herself unprotected and in the path of a lunatic?
* * *
Ryan charged down the hallway, gaining on Russ, who rushed away as if he hadn’t fired such unbelievable allegations at Mia. She wasn’t guilty of arson, and Ryan wouldn’t let Russ accuse her of it. His brother was likely letting their past color his behavior toward Mia.
Or maybe he was letting his general grumpiness get in the way. He’d served in the Marines, and after he got out, he started in law enforcement, loved every minute of it, and threw himself into the job for Portland Police Bureau. He became a detective, then a child was murdered on his watch, and he blamed himself. Drowned his problems in a bottle for a couple of years. Ignored his son and wife until she filed for divorce and got custody of their son.
He’d climbed out of the bottle and had come a long way since the divorce was final, but was angry about not being able to see their five-year-old son, Zach, very often. So if anything threatened people he cared about in any way, like Jessie being trapped in a fire, he dug his heels in and behaved like a pit bull.
Ryan caught up to him near the nurse’s station and spun him around by the shoulder. “You’re crazy, bro, if you think Mia is involved in this. She gains nothing until her year is over.”
“Are you sure? Have you seen the actual will or did she just tell you that?” He paused and let his words linger in the air. “Who knows. If it’s true, maybe there’s a loophole. Maybe she does get the cash now if insurance pays out.”
Money never motivated Mia. She could have changed, but the warning letter pointed to someone else setting the fire. If only he could tell Russ about the threat, Mia would be cleared. But Ryan had promised to keep his big mouth shut. He would give her until the end of the day tomorrow to tell Russ, and if she didn’t, he would.
He clenched his fists and let his fingernails bite into his palms to keep from revealing the secret. “Mia had nothing to do with the fire. Nothing.”
“You can’t know that.” Russ raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You planning on making a habit of defending her again?”
“She doesn’t need me to defend her. She’s done nothing wrong.”
Russ cocked his head. “Then it’s not a problem if I investigate her.”
Ryan’s hands itched to throttle his brother, but how would that help? Russ was just doing his job, and Ryan needed to accept that. “Okay. I get it. You have to do this. Your job requires it. But you can go easy on her. She risked her life to save Jessie. She might’ve died if Mia hadn’t been so brave.”
Russ studied Ryan’s face and didn’t look away. Just held his focus until Ryan grew uncomfortable under the intense scrutiny and had to speak. “What’s that look for?”
“I try to take that into consideration, but it seems odd you’re defending her like this when she bailed on you.”
Ryan had always given her the benefit of the doubt and believed she had to leave or suffocate under her father’s mental abuse, but he didn’t know that for sure, and he wouldn’t say anything.
“And while you’re at it,” Russ continued. “Maybe you should ask if your guilt for not leaving with her is keeping you from seeing her involvement in the arson.”
It wasn’t that Ryan hadn’t wanted to go with her to Atlanta. He had. Big time. But his mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and he wouldn’t leave her or his family at such a difficult time.
Russ clapped Ryan on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m not trying to railroad her. I’m keeping an open mind. She may well be innocent. If so, you can say I told you so all you want. All I ask is that you think about it before you rush to her defense without any evidence to support your position.” He lifted his hand and saluted. “I’ll catch you later.”
He strode away as questions pummeled Ryan. Had he jumped to defend Mia without any thought as Russ had said? Was Ryan simply protecting her on instinct from their past relationship? Or was she really innocent and in danger from an unknown source?
She’d changed so much physically over the years that maybe her personality had drastically changed too. The woman he’d once known may not exist anymore.
There was only one way to find out. Spend time with her. Get to know the new Mia. See for himself.
He spun and headed back toward her door. Before going home and cleaning up, he would convince her to work with Wilderness Ways. That way, if Russ was wrong and someone had her in his sights, Ryan would be right by her side to defend her from all danger.
5
Weariness from a sleepless night oozed from Mia’s bones, but she smiled at Nurse Karen as she straightened Mia’s blankets before stepping up to a cart holding a computer. Nurses belonged on the top of Mia’s chart of selfless giving people, and she was thankful for Karen’s kind care.
