Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 02.5 - The Edge of Lies (3 page)

She slid her arms around his waist, and he pulled her snugly against him. “The important thing is that you finally made it and we were able to get married after all.”

“And don’t forget about the spectacular honeymoon,” he said with a nod and a seductive smile.

Then he dropped a bombshell on her.

“Remember I told you I was thinking we should get away from this place?”

“Yes,” she replied cautiously, pulling back a bit.

“I’ve researched a number of small towns out west, and I think I’ve found the perfect one for us.”

“You want us to move to the west?” Emily dropped her hands and stepped back. “But Susan and her brood are my only family. I can’t move that far away from her.”

“But, love, what about our family?”

“Our family?” In her mind, she saw a few little towheads running around the yard laughing and playing with their dad. “That’s a long way off, Evan.”

“I mean you and me.”

“But I like it here in Virginia.”

“Come on. Think of it as an adventure. A new life in a quaint little town. You can teach, and I can open my own private investigation office.”

“What’s the name of this perfect place?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Paradise Valley. Doesn’t it sound perfect?” Evan ran a finger down her arm and took her hand. “Just a leap and a jump from Seattle. You love Seattle, don’t you?”

She studied him for a few moments, mulling over the possibilities of it. She loved the
thought
of Seattle—she’d never actually been there.

“All right,” she finally agreed. “I’ll go, but I’m warning you, if I don’t like it we’re moving right back to Virginia.”

He swept her up in his arms and twirled her around the living room of their small apartment. Then he kissed her deeply, passionately, sending her mind and emotions into a delirious spin.

“You won’t regret it, darling.” Then he scooped her off her feet, kissed her again, and carried her into the bedroom.

Chapter 4

They drove across the country in Evan’s gun-metal-gray Dodge Avenger, surviving a tire blowout, a crazy summer storm in the Midwest, and a near-miss on the freeway a couple of hours outside of DC.

Emily had finally drifted off to sleep, only to be awakened when their vehicle swerved almost out of control. She opened her eyes abruptly, frantically asking Evan what had happened. He told her that a black Suburban clipped their bumper. Relieved to be safe, she thanked him for his expert driving skills—if not for that, they might have crashed into the ditch, or worse.

“Where did the SUV go?” she asked, glancing out the back window.

“I don’t know,” Evan replied. “He must have taken that last turn-off.”

“Shouldn’t we call the police?”

“And tell them what? I’m just glad the bugger is gone.”

She accepted the explanation and was relieved that the Suburban had disappeared, deciding it was probably just a case of road rage.

The rest of the trip went much smoother and, within a few days, they made it to Idaho, as did the moving van. The newlyweds unpacked and settled into Paradise Valley, into the well-kept, craftsman-style bungalow they’d purchased on a charming tree-lined street in the older part of town.

Not long after moving in, Emily’s sister phoned. “How was the trip?”

Emily told Susan about the freak summer storm they’d battled and the flat tire, but she thought she’d keep the near-miss on the highway to herself. Knowing what a worrywart her sister was, not to mention Susan’s misgivings about Evan, she thought it was best not to offer her any more fodder for her rants.

“I don’t understand, Em, why you had to move all the way across the country. Now we’ll never see you.”

“I hardly saw you when I was in Virginia.”

“You were welcome to come and visit any time.”

“It’s not as if Maine is just a few hours’ drive, Susan. With the Georgetown student loans and the pittance I made at the diner, you know I couldn’t afford to come very often. It wasn’t like you ever offered to fly me up there.”

“Emily, we’re not flush with cash either, what with Brian’s business not doing well and kids to raise. It cost us quite a bit to bring our whole family down to DC for your wedding, not to mention my dress and Brian’s tux.”

“I’m sorry it cost you so dearly, Susan. I didn’t mean to be such a burden.”

“Why are you being so argumentative—so defensive?”

“Defensive? I don’t think so. It’s just that…”

“What?” Susan asked.

“Well, it wasn’t as if you ever really liked Evan, or the fact that I was marrying him.” Emily remembered the remarks her sister had made right before the wedding.

“He’s okay. It’s just that he’s a man of the world and you’re a sweet young girl from the country.”

“You make it sound like he’s bedded women all around the globe and I just fell off a turnip truck. I know I’m young, but I am college educated and have been living in the city for a few years.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you, but you have to admit, you two are very different. I’m just not sure he’s the one for you. I don’t want to see him break your heart.”

“Well, I
am
sure.”

Emily sighed and pulled her hands through her hair. Was this how it was going to be between her sister and her husband?

“I don’t understand why it was all so sudden—the decision to move, I mean. Sounds to me like he’s running away from something.”

“No, Susan, we’re running
to
something—to a wonderful new life in a charming little town—a new home, new careers, new friends.”

“He’s taking you away from your family. And forgive me if I’m wrong, but he comes across like a bit of a shady character, like he’s hiding something. Did you ask him about why he was late to the wedding yet?”

“I did, but it’s really none of your concern. I love him, Susan. He’s my husband, for better or for worse.” Emily bit her tongue, trying not to say something she’d regret.

“For your sake, Em, I hope it’s for better.”

~*~

Emily decided that it would be for the better. She made the commitment to follow through and get her state certification to teach in the area. While she did this, Evan found a small space to rent and set up his business. He brought her down to the office, which was a single-room commercial space about fourteen by eighteen feet, in an old historic building on Main Street. He proudly showed her the lettering on the opaque glass in the top half of the door that announced
Evan Parker, Private Investigator
.

Emily ran her hand over the lettering, tracing each curve of every letter. “It’s perfect, Evan. I can’t imagine any other name on this door—it’s like it belongs here.”

Emily held in a deep sigh. She was happy for him, but her teaching certification process was taking longer than expected and she’d heard that teachers in the area were being laid off due to budget cuts.

So, while looking for something else to put her time and energies into, their real estate agent suggested she try her hand at selling homes. He’d said she was smart and attractive and might do very well in their largely affluent community.

At his prompting, and with Evan’s encouragement, she went to real estate school, got her license, and jumped in with both feet.

~*~

Within a couple of weeks of hanging her license with a local brokerage, Emily offered to sit an open house for another agent, since she had no listings yet of her own. The seasoned agent gave her a few pointers on how to hold a successful open house, along with a warning to be safe.

Emily hadn’t thought of that before, that holding an open house could be dangerous. Now she was a little nervous.

Over the three-hour period that she held the house open, she only had a handful of guests and a few nosey neighbors.

As the open house was winding down, a middle-aged man in shorts and a t-shirt walked in. She greeted him and showed him around, not thinking anything of it until he asked to see the recreation room in the basement. Something in her gut warned her not to do it, but she put it off to her imagination, plus, she wanted the sale. Besides, what was she going to tell him? “No, I can’t go down there with you because you might be a pervert and try to rob me or sexually assault me.” Clearly she couldn’t say such a thing, so, she followed him down the stairs.

Still, she hung close to the bottom of the staircase, in case she had to make a quick getaway, pointing out features from there—the fireplace, the built-in wet bar, the bedroom and bathroom located down the hall. She suggested he go take a look at them.

“Aren’t you coming?” the prospective buyer asked.

Her stomach did a little flip. “I’ve seen them before. Go ahead, take a look. If you have any questions, I’ll be right here.”

“Emily?”

She startled at hearing a man’s voice calling her name from upstairs. “Evan? I’ll be up in a minute,” she called up the staircase. Feeling safer, she walked toward the back bedroom and looked for the man.

“Any questions?” she asked as he emerged from the bedroom.

He shook his head. “I’ll be in touch.” He climbed the stairs and left.

Emily was relieved to know Evan was there, but she got an earful from him about personal safety after the man left.

Once they were home, he suggested they go for some shooting practice the next morning. She could use his weapon for now, he offered. On Monday, though, he wanted her to apply for a concealed weapons permit and then he’d buy her a gun of her own.

This was a safe, quiet town—there hadn’t been a murder in Paradise Valley in almost twenty years, she reminded him—but she went to the shooting range with him anyway, just to make him happy.

Chapter 5

Emily gazed around her bedroom—their bedroom—she could hardly believe that six years had gone by since their wedding day. But time was not the only thing that had passed. Evan had too.

The memories twisted her heart and stung her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. She wiped it with a tissue from her nightstand. As she dropped the crumpled tissue into the wastebasket beside the bed, Emily noticed her handbag sitting nearby on the floor. It was like a beacon, urging her to take the step she knew she needed to if she ever wanted closure.

She eased the leather-bound notebook out of her purse and placed it on the bed in front of her, her hand lingering for a moment, caressing the cover. She released a held breath and gingerly opened the journal. “Well, here we go,” she said. “For better or worse.”

Inside the cover was a note in Evan’s handwriting—it was addressed to her. She read it silently as the tears continued to flow.

My dearest Emily, if you are reading this it likely means that my fears were realized and I am gone. I secured this under the gazebo, in a place I built out of love, hoping one day you would find it.

I can only guess you might have questions, concerns, about what happened to me. You deserve to know the truth. I can’t give you all the answers, but I can share with you my fears and suspicions, along with my account of our time together. I want you to read this, linger over my words and envision the story as it unfolds—see yourself through my eyes. I don’t ever want you to doubt my love for you, darling. It is as real as anything I’ve ever known.

~ Evan

Emily wasn’t at all sure she was ready for this, but knowing what she did now, she was painfully curious about what she might find within these pages. She shifted over to what had been Evan’s side of the bed. She breathed in the essence of him, hoping to do as he had said—get inside his mind and live the words as they unfolded.

She turned the page and began reading. It started with the day they’d met. He’d described their wedding, seeing her in her gown, their honeymoon, his fears when she had asked him about why he’d been delayed, the ache he’d felt at having to lie to her.

He’d put so much detail into his words, she really did feel as if she could see everything through his eyes. As she read on, beyond their wedding, to the life they were building together in Paradise Valley, Emily was riveted, transformed.

~*~

Evan had work coming in, but he was getting restless tailing unfaithful husbands and doing boring background checks for a growing number of employers. He was used to fast-paced, high-powered work, something for which he could use his brain and his brawn. Hiding out in this small town was beginning to grate on him.

One afternoon, he thought he sensed someone following him, watching him, when he and Emily were having lunch at an outdoor café in downtown Boise. One minute they were laughing, talking, and enjoying their meal, and the next he took off.

Emily must have thought he was crazy as he raced out of the restaurant. When Evan reached the spot where he thought he saw someone watching, he found no one there. If someone had been there, they were gone now.

He returned to the restaurant, breathless and full of adrenaline, to find a confused-looking Emily staring through him with laser-focused eyes. “Sorry, I thought I saw someone I used to know, love—in this small town, what are the odds? I wanted to catch up to him before he left, but I was too late. Maybe another time.”

Her face relaxed and she gave him a little smile, her blue-green eyes sparkling now, clearly believing every word—man, how he loved her.

He returned the smile and took her hand across the table. It did little to calm him. He was still worried, still preoccupied. Was he losing his edge? Had someone found him? Was he really being followed, or was he just being paranoid?

His former life had been far more dangerous than Emily knew, and what made it worse was he couldn’t tell her about it. It would only cause her to worry, maybe even endanger her life if she knew too much.

~*~

A week or so later, Emily was seated at Evan’s desk, looking adorable as she worked to get him and his office organized. Being new to real estate, not having much business, she had offered to help him set things up and file his paperwork in her spare time. Plus, as it was their three-month anniversary, she had told him she wanted to spend some extra time with him today.

Standing beside her, he motioned toward the file cabinet. “This pile needs to have folders made and filed into the cabinet in the corner. They’re copies of background checks I’ve already submitted to the employers.”