After a moment she took a deep breath. “Did you know that Kyle was murdered?”
Lucas exhaled a deep breath. “Yes. It’s been covered enough by the local media. ‘Kyle Lockhart, respected antiques authority and honored young leader in the local arts community, found brutally murdered in an apparent burglary of his office at Shackleford’s Imports,’ I believe is how the newscasters on TV stated it.” He regretted his mocking words when he saw her eyes fill again. He swallowed and spoke in a gentler tone. “I’m sorry, Mia. You have my condolences.”
She looked up at him, and he recoiled from the anger that lined her face. “I don’t need your pity, Lucas. Not now. I need help to find his killer. That’s what I want you to do.”
He shook his head and stood up. “The paper said the police had arrested somebody. If it’s true that they have enough evidence for a conviction, then the case is closed. The killer will be found guilty, and you can move on, living the life of a rich widow.”
“Rich widow? Is that what you think of me?” she screamed as she jumped to her feet. “I would love to get on with my life, but, unfortunately, I can’t. Tony Chapman, who was arrested for killing Kyle, was able to make bail, after which he ran. As far as the authorities are concerned, he’s disappeared. But he hasn’t. He’s terrorizing me and making my life miserable.”
Her outburst stunned Lucas, and he frowned. “What do you mean he’s terrorizing you?”
She sank back to the couch and closed her eyes for a moment. “A few days after Tony jumped bail, I began getting phone calls from him demanding to know where Kyle had hidden it. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, but he didn’t believe me. The phone calls have gotten worse, and tonight he came to my house and attacked me. I only got away because I had a canister of pepper spray on my key ring.”
Lucas stared at Mia and tried to process what she’d just told him. “Mia, I don’t know what to say.”
She scooted to the edge of the sofa and stared at him, her eyes pleading with him for help. “I need help, Lucas. I want to hire you to find him. He’s a fugitive, and you’re a bounty hunter. If you can bring him in, then maybe I can put this whole crazy ordeal behind me.”
Work for her? She wanted that after everything that had happened between them? He pushed to his feet, walked over to the window and stared outside. He couldn’t help her. It would stir up too many memories that he had safely stored away, and he didn’t need to be reminded. But he had to admit, she needed help.
Finally he turned back to her and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mia. I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to work for you. But I’m sure Adam would be glad to do it.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Adam?”
“Yes. You remember my older brother. He takes cases like this all the time. Why don’t you come by our office later today...?” A sudden thought hit him, and he shook his head. “No, he won’t be in today. We’re going to Nashville. Maybe you could come tomorrow.”
She stared at him for a moment before she slowly rose to her feet. “No. I can’t wait that long.”
“Then what about Jessica? She’s going to be in the office today. I’m sure she would be glad to help you.”
She shook her head. “That’s all right, Lucas. If you won’t help me, I’ll have to figure out another way to get through this.”
The words, spoken without any emotion, hit Lucas as if his heart was being ripped from his body. He watched as she took a step to leave, but he felt powerless to stop her. She had almost reached the front door into the entryway when her cell phone rang. She stopped and pulled it from her pocket. Her eyes grew wide, and she began to shake.
“He’s calling again!” she moaned. “Why won’t he leave me alone?”
Lucas was at her side in two strides and jerked the phone from her hand. “Hello! Who is this?” he yelled into the phone.
There was a short pause before a soft chuckle sounded. “Hello. Mr. Knight, I assume. Tell Mia that running to you isn’t going to help her any. You can’t be with her every minute, and the next time I get my hands on her, I’ll gladly cut her throat without hesitation.”
“You’ll what?” But there was no answer. The man had already disconnected the call. Lucas handed the phone back to Mia. “He’ll cut your throat? What’s that about? You didn’t say anything about a knife.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “I didn’t? That was when he caught me trying to get in my car. He was holding a knife to my throat when I sprayed him with the pepper spray.”
Lucas’s mouth dropped open. “Do you realize that his reflex action could have left you stabbed and bleeding to death?”
She nodded. “I did. But doing nothing would have been worse. I knew I couldn’t be his victim.” She clenched her fists and pounded them against the sides of her legs. “I don’t want to be anybody’s victim anymore.”
Something in the way she said it sent warning signals flashing in his mind. Maybe there was more to Mia’s situation than she was telling. If so, he wanted to find out what it was. He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“Are you hungry, Mia?”
“Yeah, a little. I think I drank about five cups of coffee while I was in that diner, but I couldn’t eat anything.”
He smiled. “Would you like some breakfast? I still know my way around the kitchen.”
Her body relaxed, and she smiled the first real smile he’d seen since she arrived. “You always were the best cook I’d ever known.”
His skin warmed, and he couldn’t help but grin at the compliment. “It was one of my many talents,” he joked. “If I’m going to take your case, I need to find out all the details, and I always work better on a full stomach. Go on in the kitchen. I need to call Adam and leave a message for him. Then I’ll see what I can rustle up for us to eat.”
He swept his arm in the direction of the kitchen, and she smiled before she headed there. He closed his eyes for a moment and bit down on his lip. What would Adam say when he told him why he was canceling on their trip to Nashville? Especially when his brother found out that Lucas had just accepted Mia Lockhart as a new client at the Knight Agency. After a moment he shrugged. It didn’t matter.
Mia had shown up on his doorstep looking like a lost waif. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that she was in a lot of trouble and needed help. If he could help her, that’s what he needed to do. He’d never forgive himself if he sent her away and then learned from the news that she’d been hurt, or killed.
But finding the bail jumper was all this was going to be. She was hiring him for a job. After it was over, she would pay him, and he’d never have to see her again. That’s the way he wanted it, and that’s the way it was going to be.
Thirty minutes later Mia sat across the kitchen table from Lucas and stared down at the plate in front of her. “This is delicious. I haven’t had an omelet in a long time, and you always made the best,” she said.
