Misconceptions Read online

  “I suppose everyone’s tongues are still wagging.”

  The sympathetic look on Calvin’s face gave her hope that he might at least hear her out.

  “It’s okay, you can tell me the truth.”

  “Well … let’s just say you made an impression.”

  “What, exactly, did you hear?”

  He shifted in his chair and took a sip of coffee. “Word at the station is that you’ve joined some kind of cult and lost all ability to report any news without a religious bias.”

  She slammed a hand on the table. “What? If anyone is biased it’s them!”

  Calvin sat back. “It’s always been a challenge being a believer in a field that’s predominantly filled with non-believers.”

  “I’m sorry, Calvin. I’m new at this.” How could they completely ignore all of her findings? “What do you think? Do you think I’ve lost my mind?”

  “I think if we’re going to get this story fired up on YouTube, we’d better get started.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Dominique tossed her keys on the kitchen dinette in her small apartment. Amazing how her temporary housing felt more like home than her place in Florida. At least she’d just paid for the month, so she could stay for another few weeks.

  The light flashing on the phone sitting on the counter drew her attention. A voice mail. More than a week had passed since Dominique had last seen Joe, but she prayed the message was from him. She pushed the button.

  “Dominique, I got your message. I was beginning to wonder if you’d every return one of my calls.” Joe’s voice seemed to fill the small room.

  Her heart slammed in her chest when he paused. Would he break up with her over the phone?

  “We need to talk. I can stop by after rounds.”

  He was coming over. That could be good or bad. The past week had been torturous. Her mind had played all kinds of tricks on her: He’ll never forgive you. How could you hide the truth for so long? Maybe she should call and cancel. If he broke up with her face-to-face, she’d be a mess. No. When he showed up tonight, she would tell him everything and leave the results to the Lord.

  The afternoon dragged. After a shower, she passed the time cleaning the apartment, then rearranged the floral decorations in the living room several times. A short walk would help settle her nerves, but she didn’t want to take the chance that Joe would come while she was gone.

  Before she could make up her mind, two knocks sounded. She held her breath as she peered through the eyehole.

  Joe twisted a single, long-stemmed red rose in his hands.

  He’d brought her a flower—things were looking up. She opened the door but immediately felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Words stuck in her mouth. “Hi, Joe. It’s good to see you.” The heat climbed up her face.

  “You too. You look—you look good.” He stammered like a teen on his first date.

  “Want to come in?”

  “Yes. Here … this is for you.” He held out the rose.

  She smiled and accepted the rose. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Do you have any iced tea?”

  “Coming right up.” She returned in a few minutes and set a tall glass on the coffee table in front of the studio couch, where he’d made himself comfortable. His cologne hung in the air and tantalized her senses as she took the seat next to him.

  She couldn’t keep her mind from flashing back to the kiss they’d shared. She’d recalled their passionate kiss thousands of times in her dreams. Lord help me keep focused. Wanting to fill the silence, she blurted out, “I owe you an apology.” She cleared her throat. “And an explanation.”

  His soft brown eyes held no condemnation or anger. “I’ve talked a little with Dad. He filled me in on some of the details, but said he wasn’t at liberty to share your whole story.” His words were a statement, but she heard the question in them.

  “Your dad is one special man.” Dominique moved her thumb through the condensation on her glass. “How much did he tell you about my past?”

  “He confirmed Penelope’s claims that you’re an investigative reporter, and he shared your conversion story.” He adjusted the collar on his shirt. “ I’m not going to lie, Dominique. I’m more than a little confused. I wish you would have trusted me and told me the truth from the beginning.” He took a sip of his tea. “Things were crazy at the hospital when you left. However, I think you should know you missed the best part.” The smile he offered warmed her heart and gave her hope.

  “What did I miss?” She returned the smile.

  “The look on Penelope’s face when you grabbed the flash drive and took off running. It was priceless.” He chuckled. “I had no idea you could run so fast.”

  Dominique laughed. “I was one of the top sprinters on my high school track team.” She sobered and cleared her throat. “I’m also sorry I didn’t return any of your phone calls. I had a lot of thinking and praying to do. It took me a while to work up the courage to face some ugly things about myself. I don’t know if you’ll be so willing to forgive me once you know the truth.”

  His eyebrows raised. “The truth about what?”

  She twisted a loose strand on the worn sofa. “My past. I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” She turned away from his gaze. He would hate her when he found out about the baby.

  He ran a finger down her cheek. The gentle touch sent a shiver down her back. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes too. Everyone has.” His eyes were filled with understanding and compassion.

  Lord, help me tell him the truth.

  Joe cleared his throat. “Why don’t we pray first. Prayer is always a great way to start any difficult conversation.”

  As they bowed their heads, Dominique wiped away a tear. The urge to tell him the truth swelled. After several minutes of silence, she summoned the courage to speak. “I had an abortion.” Her words hung in the air like a balloon filled with air waiting for someone to bat at it so it didn’t land on the ground.

  Joe slid from the sofa and knelt in front of her. He gently lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “Dominique, when you asked Jesus to forgive you and come into your life, He forgave you. You don’t have to carry the guilt of the abortion anymore. You’re forgiven.”

  She bit the inside of her lip to try to hold back the tears. When she thought she could speak without triggering a waterfall, she only managed to speak just above a whisper. “I knew when I met you that you were out of my league. You’re like this super Christian.” She took in a shuddering breath. “I was so scared to tell you. I worried that you’d think I was a horrible person. How could you not? I’ve thought it for years.” She looked away and blinked back more tears.

  “I could never think that. I’m the furthest thing from a perfect Christian. ”

  She let out a long sigh. “You have no idea what a relief it is to have all this out in the open. So many times I wanted to tell you the truth, but I was afraid you wouldn’t forgive me for taking an innocent life or for the many lies I told to protect my cover.”

  “We’re both new to this relationship. From here on out, I want you to know you can trust me.” He snapped his fingers. “I hate to change the subject, but did my brother ever get a hold of you?”

  “Houston? No. Why?”

  “While you were gone there was another murder. I know this sounds crazy, but Houston thinks you may know something about it, or have information that could help with the investigation.”

  She sat up straight. “Why would I know anything? Who was the victim?”

  “Houston said he found your business card at the scene. He tried calling you several times, but said you hadn’t returned his calls either. He said her name was Sheri or Sharon or something. Why would the victim have your card?”

  Dominique gasped. “Sharon? No that can’t be. You must be mistaken.” Sharon’s face flashed in her mind. Her poor husband … and the baby. Unthinkable. What else could she have done to prevent this senseless act?

&nb
sp; Joe stood and pulled her into his arms. “I’m afraid not.” He retrieved one of Houston’s business cards from a pocket. “Give him a call. He’ll be able to answer your questions.”

  She placed the card on the table. “Things keep getting worse. Someone has to stop him.”

  “Who?”

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “I wish I could tell you, but I have a little more research to do before I can report my findings. I promise I’ll fill you in as soon as I can.”

  “Dominique, no. Please promise me you’ll speak to Houston before you do any more investigating. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  His kiss on her cheek was so soft. She turned her head until his lips touched hers. Such a sweet, soft kiss. Oh, how she’d missed him while she was gone.

  He pulled away and offered her a smile. “As much as I’d love to stay, I’d better take off. I have early rounds tomorrow.”

  Dominique walked him to the door. He turned and kissed her again. Heat traveled up her neck.

  “I’d better leave now.”

  She ran her fingers along his chin. “See you soon?”

  “I’ll call you later.” He kissed the top of her head. “Please call Houston, and stay safe.”

  She closed the door behind him and let out a long breath. Thank you, Lord!

  She picked up Houston’s card. Sharon’s dead. She leaned her head against the wall. How could this have happened?

  Her hands balled into fists. Vinnie Fernandez was responsible. She was an investigative reporter. She should be able to dig up something that would connect him with Sharon’s murder. She would do everything within her power to make sure he paid for his crimes.

  Chapter Thirty

  In the quiet office, Travis scrolled through the entries in his accounting software from the last six months. What a nightmare. With a sigh, he clicked through each of the categories. How could that be? He ran his fingers through his hair. He hadn’t made any progress on the loan from Vinnie. He switched screens to his personal finances, pulled out a calculator, and ran some numbers. Even without double-checking them, the truth was evident. They were going to lose their house. He dropped his head into his hands. He’d failed his family.

  He paced the length of the room. How would he tell Cindy and the kids? They had less than a month to vacate the premises. Not much time to find a place and pack a house as large as theirs, even if he didn’t pour so much time into trying to solve his financial woes and Cindy didn’t spend almost every waking moment at the hospital.

  The thought of all the accumulating bills, even though Audrey’s doctor talked of releasing her soon, made him sink back into the seat behind his desk. He checked his phone to see if he had possibly missed a call or text from Angelica about the medical bills. Did Vinnie have enough pull to get their insurance policy reinstated? But even if he did, the co-pays would still be significant.

  The front door squeaked opened. He could have sworn he’d locked it. The hair on his arms stood on end. He opened the top drawer on his desk and searched for something to defend himself. He grabbed the letter opener. I’m going to need more than this to defend myself against Vinnie’s thugs.

  Footsteps came closer.

  Travis took a deep breath and lowered the opener to his side.

  The office door opened. Houston strolled in and tossed a small brown package onto Travis’s desk. “This arrived at my house. It’s addressed to you,”

  “Thanks. I’ve been waiting for it.” He dropped the letter opener on the floor and ran his fingers over the package, anxious to open it. Would it meet his needs?

  “Mind if I ask what’s in there?”

  Travis leaned over and turned up the volume on the CD player. The noise would block out their conversation if Vinnie was listening. “It’s a pen of sorts.”

  Houston leaned on the desk. “What kind of pen?” His focused stare and tense shoulders told Travis he was in his detective mode. Maybe it was time to trust him. “It’s a recording pen.”

  “Please tell me you’re not planning to use that thing on Fernandez.”

  Of course Houston wouldn’t understand. The pen was his best choice … his only choice. “I know it’s not much, but it’s all I could think of.” He ripped open the package and plucked the contents out. “It seems like he’s always one step ahead of me. I thought if I could lead him into a damaging conversation, I could use the recording against him and get out of my contract.”

  Houston’s eyebrows shot up. “How deep in are you?”

  “Pretty deep.”

  “Can you be more specific?”

  He swept his arm over the length of his desk. “He owns it all, Houston.” Travis rubbed the back of his neck. “My business, my house, all of my personal accounts. It’s only a matter of time before he calls in all of my loans. I have no way of paying him off.” He slumped back in his chair.

  Houston paced in front of the desk. “How’d you get in this mess? Does Cindy know?”

  “Are you talking about our finances, or the other matter?”

  “Both.” He planted his hands on the desktop. “It’s time to own up to your bad choices. You need to talk with your wife.”

  Travis drummed his fingers on the desk. “I’m going to. It’s not like this is some easy conversation.” He looked away. “I doubt she’ll ever forgive me.”

  “She’ll forgive you, Travis. Do you even know her?”

  “Of course I know her; we’ve been married for almost eight years.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. You have to trust your wife. She’s your life partner, not some business associate you’re trying to hide secrets from. If you want your marriage to survive, you have to be honest with her.”

  Travis’s cell phone beeped. An incoming text. He read the message from Angelica. Vinnie is on his way to your office … get the cop out! His heart rate doubled and he shot out of his seat. “You’ve got to leave. Now!”

  “What’s going on? Who’s the text from?”

  “Angelica. Vinnie’s on his way. Somehow they know you’re here. He always knows.”

  “I think you have a mole.”

  “A mole?”

  “How well do you know Angelica?”

  “Vinnie assigned her to me after I signed the contract. I’ve suspected her a few times, but she’s helped me with so many other things that I thought I was just being paranoid.”

  “What kind of things?”

  Travis twirled the pen between his fingers. “My health insurance mess for one. I don’t know what I would have done if Audrey’s medical bills weren’t covered. She also helped me with a few side business deals that could help me get out of my contract sooner.” Travis let out a long breath. “ I don’t think she’d put her own neck on the line like that if she was reporting back to Vinnie.”

  “That’s how Vinnie works. He’ll plant one of his more dedicated employees in your office to work with you. They build a relationship, get you to trust them. Before you know what hit you, he has complete access to all your information, whether you like it or not.”

  “Can we talk about this later?” Travis rearranged the files on his desk. “Right now I’m more concerned with you getting out of here alive.” Travis lowered the volume on the CD player.

  “Okay, I’ll leave.” Houston signaled for a notepad.

  Travis handed him the paper and tapped his fingers on the desk while Houston scribbled a note. Don’t record him now. It’s too dangerous. I’ll think of a plan.

  Travis motioned to Houston to leave from the back end of the subdivision.

  Houston held his gaze for a moment, then made a quick exit.

  Travis looked over the recorder pen on the desk and quickly scanned over the directions. This isn’t too hard to figure out. Thankfully, the manufacturer included a battery with the recorder. He shoved the contents and directions in a drawer and slammed it shut.

  He didn’t want the device to stand out, and after assembling it, was impressed wit
h how compact and inconspicuous the pen looked. The device was nearly identical to a Montblanc pen.

  He glanced around the room. Where could he hide it?

  Should he heed Houston’s advice and forget about the pen for now? No. He’d thought this through already. He didn’t have time to wait for Houston to come up with a plan.

  Travis pressed the record button, then hummed a little tune. He pressed the play button and smiled when he heard his attempt at music. Should do just fine.

  He tucked the pen in his shirt pocket. Now he’d just have to steer the conversation in a direction that would offer incriminating evidence against Vinnie.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  You have a mole. Travis couldn’t get Houston’s words out of his mind. How else could Vinnie continually stay one step ahead of him? Angelica had been feeding information to Vinnie all along. He’d let his attraction to her blind him to the truth. How could he have been so stupid to trust someone employed by a crime boss?

  Vinnie was still about ten minutes away, not really enough time to search Angelica’s office. She probably wouldn’t be careless enough to leave any telling evidence around. But if Vinnie caught him looking, he would be more likely to say something incriminating. At the least, it would be easier to maneuver the conversation in that direction.

  Muscles that still ached reminded him of Vinnie’s last warning, but Travis pushed the thoughts aside. If he could get evidence against Vinnie, it would be worth another beating.

  He hiked the stairs two at a time to Angelica’s second-floor office. He grasped the cold brass knob, but it refused to turn. She put a lock on the door? His fingers swept across the top of the doorframe, seeking to find an extra key.

  Nothing!

  A curse escaped under his breath. Enough is enough! Whose office was it anyway? He took two steps back and kicked the door open, ignoring the pain that radiated through his body from his still-bruised ribs.

  Inside, everything was in perfect place. The unobtrusive cherry desk sat in the center of the room, the top completely cleared of clutter. Not even a speck of dust would dare to rest on top of it.