Colton's Body of Proof
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Karen Whiddon
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Chapter 1
Sometimes Ellie Mathers wished she had the kind of nine-to-five job she could leave at work. Instead, she tended to take her cases home with her, reviewing the evidence, looking for that one thing that would finally provide the answer NYPD needed her to provide. She loved her job and was good at it, even though the constant need to stay on could be exhausting and counterproductive. She’d tried yoga and meditation, learned she didn’t have the patience for either, and settled on hitting the gym three to four times a week for grueling workouts with weights and machines. She’d found a good morning workout prior to going into the precinct helped get her blood pumping, which tended to clarify her thought process. Which served her well, since her job as a crime scene investigator required her to be sharp and focused.
Which was why today, leaving her gym and heading for the subway to begin her forty-minute trip to Brooklyn, she couldn’t help constantly scanning her surroundings as she hurried to catch the train at 42nd Street. As she jogged down the steps, mentally urging the slow-moving people in front of her to go faster, she eyed the crowded platform and quietly groaned. She needed to make a quick decision where she wanted to wait for quick access off, which meant she needed to get on last. Whether she got a seat or not, she never cared, but she had to be as close to the exit as possible. Some of the awful things she saw at her job had taught her to always keep her back toward the wall whenever possible and have an escape route mapped out.
As she reached the bottom step, she once again scanned the crowd. Most people barely even noticed her, but as a woman with short, dark hair looked up and met her gaze, Ellie froze. Their gazes locked before the woman looked away.
It couldn’t be. Aliana Martin. Ellie wanted to rub her eyes. Instead, she battled her way through the crowd on the platform, determined to reach the woman’s side.
Just then, the train arrived, coming to a stop with the familiar screeching sound. The doors opened, the crowd moved and somehow the dark-haired woman melted into the throng and disappeared. Heart pounding, Ellie followed.
Inside the car, Ellie grabbed the pole closest to the door, ignoring the swirl of people moving around her. Holding tight, she continued searching for Aliana. If indeed, that was who she’d seen. After all, Aliana had vanished without a trace sixteen years ago. Despite the fact that this woman had dark hair and Aliana had been blond, Ellie would recognize her face anywhere. After all, they’d been best friends, as close as sisters, inseparable since kindergarten.
Finally, Ellie thought she’d found her, standing at the other end of the same packed car, gripping a pole close to the last set of doors. Taking a deep breath, Ellie began to make her way toward her. This earned her several glares from her fellow passengers, which she ignored.
But when she managed to reach the opposite end of the car, the dark-haired woman with Aliana’s face was nowhere to be found.
Damn. “Maybe I’m just working too hard,” Ellie muttered to herself. “Seeing things.” Except she’d long ago learned to trust her gut feelings. And she knew without a doubt that she’d seen her long-missing best friend.
Which meant Aliana had to be here somewhere on this moving train car.
It would take about forty minutes to get from Midtown to Queens. Plenty of time to find her. Unless she got off at one of the earlier stops. Which hopefully Ellie would see.
Unless... Ellie glanced at the door between cars. Illegal unless an emergency, but people still did it. She thought she remembered reading that there had been eight deaths so far this year due to people trying to move from car to car while the train was in motion.
Since Aliana wasn’t here, that had to be what she’d done. Eyeing the door, with the warning sign clearly posted above it, Ellie decided to wait until they reached their destination. If she could spot Aliana again, when they got out, she could catch up to her. Would catch up to her. Aliana had disappeared once. Ellie didn’t intend to let her do so again.
The back of Ellie’s neck crawled, alerting her that someone was watching her. Casually, she looked left, toward the next car. Sure enough, Aliana stood on the other side of the door, staring at her. As soon as Ellie met her gaze,, Aliana moved away. Soon, Ellie lost sight of her as she disappeared into the crowded car.
No matter. They were nearly at their destination. Aliana might try to move fast, but Ellie felt confident she’d be faster.
Finally, the announcement for Jamaica-179th Street came. Ellie moved as close as she could get to the exit door, ready to sprint the second it opened. She figured Aliana would try to get the jump on her since she clearly, for whatever reason, wanted to avoid Ellie. As the train shuddered to a screeching halt, a burly man stuffing a donut into his mouth elbowed his way in front of her just as the doors opened.
Somehow, Ellie managed to dart around him. Though she was one of the first to exit her car, the steady stream of people moving away from the train made it difficult for her to locate Aliana. But she tried. Weaving through the crowd, she searched for a tall woman with glossy brown hair wearing a pale blue sweater.
But after a good five solid minutes, she reluctantly had to admit defeat. Aliana had once again managed to disappear.
Walking to the lab, she began to question herself. Had she really seen Aliana, or just someone who resembled her? Every person had a doppelganger out there, or so she’d heard. Maybe this sighting was just a random, weird coincidence brought on by wishful thinking. After all, she’d just gone over the case for the umpteenth time. She always did as the anniversary of Aliana’s disappearance came around.
But Ellie knew what Ellie knew. She felt certain she’d seen her missing former best friend. More than certain—positive. Yes, life had been completely different back in high school. She and Aliana had been teenagers, joined at the hip, though when Ellie had started dating Liam Colton, Aliana had stepped back to give her some space.
Talk about a blast from the past. Liam Colton. He’d been cocky then, his bad boy persona and rakishly handsome looks drawing Ellie in like a magnet. Liam had been there for Ellie when her best friend had vanished, comforting her and even helping her search for clues as she tried to figure out what had happened.
Despite Ellie’s attempts to reform him, however, Liam had drifted away, getting in more and more trouble. He ran around with what Ellie’s mother had called a bad crowd and ultimately wound up in prison for helping steal a Lamborghini. When Ellie went to visit him in jail, he broke up with her. But that was a long time ago. Doing time had changed him. These days, he ran a scared straight program at high schools throughout the city, including the one where Ellie’s mom worked as principal. Since she worked with Liam’s older brother Sean, she’d heard about his transformation there too.
Liam. Despite his obvious failings as a teen, he’d become a steadfast, responsible adult. She almost couldn’t picture that.
Shaking her head, she heaved a sigh. Odd how seeing Aliana had brought to mind a man she’d managed to avoid thinking about too deeply for years.
Impulsively, she dug out her phone. Scrolling through her contacts, she stopped when she reached his name. How was it even still in here? And was it even current? He’d called her once, after he’d gotten out of prison. Though she hadn’t picked up, she’d saved his information just in case she changed her mind. Since she’d eventually forgotten it, she hadn’t.
Adrenaline still pumping, she stabbed the button to call him before she could reconsider. To her surprise, he picked up on the second ring.
The instant she heard his husky and still familiar voice, she started talking. Babbling, actually. “Hi, Liam. It’s Ellie. I know it’s been a long time, but I swear I saw Aliana today and you are the only person I could think of who might believe me.”
Silence from his end. She filled that with an awkward laugh. “But then again, maybe I shouldn’t have bothered you. In fact, I’m sorry I did. I’ll let you go now...”
“Ellie, wait.” He cleared his throat. “I have to admit, I’m surprised to hear from you.”
Self-conscious now, she began to walk faster. “Yeah, when I saw Aliana...”
“This isn’t a conversation for over the phone,” he interrupted. “How about you meet me for coffee and we can discuss it?”
“When?” she asked, before she had time to think better of it.
“How about now?”
She checked her watch. “Where? I’m in Brooklyn right now. Greenpoint, to be specific.”
“So am I,” he said, sounding surprised. “I’m giving a talk at Midwood High School later this morning. I’m actually on my way over to Joe’s. Do you want to grab a cup with me?”
“Midwood? You know my mom’s the principal there?”
“I do.” He laughed. “She sings your praises often. What do you think about having coffee?”
Joe’s wasn’t far from the NYPD Forensic Laboratory where she worked. “I can do that,” she replied. “I should be there in five.”
Ending the call, she continued at a good pace, though she still took time to appreciate the bright sunshine that promised a warmer afternoon. Since March mornings were still chilly, she kept her hands jammed in the pockets of her coat. Soon, bare branches would bud, then give way to lush green leaves. Since she took this route to work every morning, many of the shopkeepers recognized her and waved. She always smiled and waved back.
Though the building where she worked was only a few blocks away, she took a quick detour down Humboldt Street. Joe’s Coffee Shop sat down the block, on the opposite side, almost at the end. She’d been there more than a few times since she loved their imported Jamaican coffee.
“Ellie!” someone shouted. There, on the other side of the street, a tall, muscular man with killer blue eyes grinned at her.
Her heart stopped, then started up again, rapid-fire.
Liam. She’d know him anywhere. Same dirty blond hair, square jaw and broad shoulders. Though the tough-looking boy had morphed into a drop-dead-sexy man. As their gazes met, she felt an instant jolt of attraction, eerily reminiscent of her sixteen-year-old self every time she’d been anywhere near him. Judging by the way his eyes darkened, she affected him the same way.
The light changed and she started across, checking both ways to make sure traffic had stopped. Halfway there, she heard a loud pop, too loud to be a car backfiring. Gunshot? A woman a few paces behind her screamed and immediately, everyone on the crosswalk panicked and started running. Since Ellie had instinctively crouched low, the mad rush of people trying to get away nearly ran her over, shoving her sideways into the cross street. Struggling to get to her feet, she’d just turned herself around and gotten upright when Liam sprinted out and grabbed her, yanking her away from traffic.
Somehow, they made it to the sidewalk. Heart pounding, blood pumping, Ellie struggled to catch her breath.
“Are you all right?” Liam asked, still holding on to her arm.
“I think so.” She frowned, refusing to be embarrassed. “What the hell was that? It sounded like a gunshot.”
“I agree.” Letting go of her, Liam glanced around. “No one got hit if it was. It sounded as if it came from a car driving by, though I didn’t see it. Like someone took a shot out of a car window.”
Still stunned, Ellie took a deep breath. “What do you think they were shooting at?”
“You, Ellie,” Liam replied. “I believe they were shooting at you.”
Considering that, she stood stock-still. She had been ahead of everyone else in the crosswalk, by several feet. “If that’s the case, they are a terrible shot. I made a perfect target.”
The lack of emotion in her voice had him searching her face. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She brushed off his concern. “Thank you for helping me back there. And while it might be tempting to go with supposition, there were a lot of other things someone could have been taking a shot at besides me.”
“Maybe so. But I still think this needs to be reported.”
She nodded. “You’re right. I might as well head into the precinct and make a report on my way to my office.”
“Would you mind if I escort you?”
Liking that he asked instead of insisting, she managed a smile. “Of course not. We still need to talk about my seeing Aliana. We can do that on the way there.”
As they walked, side by side but not touching, she told him everything. “I’m absolutely positive it was her,” she said, once she’d finished. “Without a doubt.”
“Okay,” he agreed, which she loved. Immediate acceptance. “Then we need to figure out what she’s been doing the last sixteen years.”
“And what happened to her.” They’d reached her work building. She’d just started for the door to pull it open when Liam easily reached around her and did it instead. “After you,” he said. His easy smile made her entire body buzz.
“Hey, Mathers.” The woman manning the front desk motioned to her. “One of your friends stopped by and left you coffee and a bagel. She said it was your favorite.”
Grateful, Ellie accepted the cardboard cup and paper bag she held out. “Did you get a name?”
“Sorry.” She shrugged. “The phone started ringing and I barely had time to talk to her. Pretty brunette. That’s all I’ve got.”
Not too helpful since that described more than a few of her friends, but she smiled and thanked her. Two of her best friends often sent coffee or cookies and she reciprocated. “Come on, Liam. Let’s go call your brother and make that report so I can get to work.”
Following Ellie, Liam couldn’t help but admire the sexy sway of her hips while at the same time marveling at her composure. Though neither of them could be positive that the shot had been meant for her, he considered it a very likely possibility. But then again, Ellie worked as a crime scene investigator, so likely she’d become inured to stuff like this. Either that, or she simply didn’t believe him.
Spotting his brother Sean across the room, Liam grinned. “Looks like you won’t need to make the call. Sean’s here. He can take the report.”
“Detectives from the various precincts stop by often. This time, I’m glad it’s him.” Ellie spun around and made a beeline for Sean. Liam simply went along after her.
“Hey, Ellie.” After greeting her, Sean cocked his head and eyed Liam. “And Liam. What brings you here today?”
“Ellie and I were meeting up for coffee at Joe’s. When she started to cross the street, someone took a shot at her.”
Immediately, Sean’s broad smile turned into a frown. “Are you serious?”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Ellie interjected. “The shooter could have been aiming for someone else. There were other people there in the crosswalk with me.”
Her words made Sean relax slightly. “Was anyone hit?” he asked. “I haven’t heard about any 911 calls about an incident. But I can check.”
“There were no injuries,” Ellie replied. “I doubt anyone called. For all we know, it could have been someone firing a shot into the air or accidentally discharging their weapon.” She shrugged. “Though I didn’t look around for a bullet or anything. Maybe I should go back and do that.”
“Not a good idea,” Liam immediately said. “You don’t need to be putting yourself at risk again.”
Sean looked from one to the other. Liam could tell his brother wondered what exactly was going on. “Agreed,” he finally said.
Ellie muttered something under her breath but didn’t argue. “Fine. I’ll just pretend it never happened.”
“I still think you should file a report,” Liam said. “Just to have it on record in case anything like this happens again.”
She shrugged. “I’ll write something up and email it to you, Sean. Will that work?”
“Definitely.” Sean still watched Liam, his gaze narrowed.
“Good.” Ellie smiled, her dark eyes warm as she looked from Sean to Liam. “Now what brings you to the forensic lab, Sean? Am I working on one of your cases?”
“Not you, but Radley is. He’s not in yet, so I thought I’d hang around and wait for him.”
“He should be here soon,” she said. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” Then she turned her attention from Sean to Liam. “I’ll see you around, hopefully. Maybe we can catch up another time. For now, I’m going to go eat my breakfast and drink my coffee before I get started with my day.”
Clearly, she didn’t want to discuss this in front of Sean. “See you around,” he repeated.
“Great.” With that, she walked off, releasing her long, dark hair from the ponytail so it cascaded down her back.
Damn. Liam didn’t look away until she’d vanished.
“What’s going on with you?” Sean asked, taking Liam’s arm and steering him toward an empty desk. “I can’t even remember the last time you talked to Ellie.”
Since Sean knew all too well that Liam hadn’t seen Ellie in years, Liam only smiled. He thought about telling Sean about Ellie believing she’d seen Aliana, but decided it wasn’t his story to tell.
“Sit,” Sean ordered, gesturing at one of the chairs across from the desk. Once Liam had gotten seated, Sean dropped into the other chair. “I see you at least once a week and you’ve never mentioned this.”
“Mentioned what?” Liam asked, though he knew.
Sean gave an exaggerated sigh. “I didn’t know you’d gotten reacquainted with Ellie. How’d that happen?”
“She called me,” Liam replied. “It was kind of weird to hear from her after all these years, but I recognized her voice immediately.”
“Interesting.” Pleasantries out of the way, Sean checked his watch before he got down to business. “I’m surprised to see you here. Have you had any more thoughts about our conversation with Ciara Kelly?”
Liam had accompanied Sean and their other siblings, Eva and Cormac, on a visit to Ciara’s apartment just about a week ago.
Ciara’s husband, Humphrey, a well-respected psychiatrist who’d been like a second father to Sean and Eva, though he and Liam hadn’t been as close, had been missing for two months. He hadn’t been seen since he entered the criminal courthouse on Centre Street to testify in a trial. Not only had he never made it to the trial, but he’d missed two client appointments, hadn’t checked in with Ciara at all and didn’t show up at a dinner party he’d reportedly been looking forward to. He’d simply vanished without a trace. Although Liam had had his issues with Humphrey when he was younger, he was as worried as the rest of his siblings that they hadn’t been able to locate the man in all this time.
“I was just as shocked as the rest of you when she admitted their marriage was a fake,” Liam admitted. “While Ciara and Humphrey never acted really lovey-dovey, I always figured that was due to their need for privacy. But hearing Ciara say their marriage was one of convenience and that she and Humphrey didn’t love each other? That felt like a punch in the gut.”
“I know.” Sean grimaced. “Did you believe her when she said she had nothing to do with his disappearance?”
After thinking for a moment, Liam finally nodded. “Yeah, I did. Clearly she cares about him.”
“So she said.” Ever the cynical cop, Sean didn’t sound convinced. “This entire situation is just plain weird.”
“I agree.” Liam leaned forward in his chair, again thinking of the Aliana Martin disappearance. Like Humphrey, Aliana had seemingly vanished into thin air. The police had investigated, but hadn’t been able to unearth anything, not even a single clue.
“Seeing you with Ellie sure brought back memories,” Sean mused. “Even though you’re both completely different people now.”
That comment made Liam laugh. “We were teenagers back then,” he said. “So yes, we grew up. Thirty-two is a far cry from sixteen.”
“True,” Sean conceded. “But you know what I meant. You were headed for a life of trouble back then.”
Once, hearing his older brother say something like that would have made Liam bristle. But Sean was right. After losing both his mother and father so young, he’d been an angry teenager, especially after losing their father. Liam had been determined to do stupid stuff like steal fast cars. He’d loved the adrenalin rush and, in typical young, blockhead fashion, hadn’t thought about the consequences.
“You always had a weakness for expensive luxury hot rods,” Sean continued. “Even when you were a kid. Remember your Matchbox car collection?”
“I still have it somewhere,” Liam admitted. “Why the trip down memory lane?”
Sean shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe seeing you with Ellie. You two sure were sweet on each other.”
Uncomfortable for some reason, Liam cleared his throat.
“How bad is the coffee around here?” he asked, partly to change the subject.
Sean grimaced. “I don’t know, but I’d guess it’s about the same as it is at every other lab or precinct in the city. I doubt it’s any better at the crime lab. That’s why most of us get some on the way in to work.”
“Which is exactly what I was about to do when Ellie called. Have you ever been to Joe’s? They specialize in fresh-roasted, Jamaican coffee. It’s really good.” Just thinking about it made Liam’s mouth water.
“How about we walk over there now?” Sean suggested. “It sounds like we could both use a cup of that coffee. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to take a look around, maybe see if we can find any bullets or anything.”
Pushing to his feet, Liam waited for his brother to get up. “That’s a great idea.”
They started for the door. Halfway there, Liam stopped. “Where’s Ellie’s office? I want to see if she’d like us to bring her back a cup.”
Sean studied him and finally shrugged. “Sure. Why not? It’s this way.”
A small metal sign on the door signaled Forensic Laboratory. “That’s the actual lab,” Sean pointed out. “They all use it. But each of the investigators has their own small office over here. Here’s Ellie’s.”
Since the door was open, they didn’t knock but simply walked inside. Ellie sat at her desk, her half-eaten breakfast in front of her. She looked up at them, her eyes wide, pupils dilated, her dusky skin clammy. And then, as she opened her mouth to speak, she doubled over, hands across her stomach.
Concerned, Liam rushed over. “Are you all right? You look—”
Before he could finish the sentence, she grabbed her trash can and vomited into it. Over and over she retched, the sound awful. Instead of moving away, Liam went closer and held her long, dark hair away from her face. He glanced back at Sean and his tough cop older brother looked slightly queasy, though he remained standing in the doorway.
Finally, after apparently emptying the contents of her stomach, Ellie sat up. Liam released her hair and took a step back, waiting while she grabbed a tissue from her desk and wiped her mouth.
“What the hell happened, Ellie?” Sean demanded.
Liam had already focused on the half-eaten bagel still on her desk. “Food poisoning doesn’t act that quickly,” he pointed out. When Ellie met his gaze, he could tell the same thought had occurred to her.
“Do you think?” she began, grimacing as she slurred her words.
“You were poisoned?” he finished. “Yes. I do.”
“Why?” Sean wanted to know. “Why would anyone want to hurt you? It’s not like you’re working on some big, controversial case involving the mob or something.”
Gaze still locked on Liam’s, Ellie ignored him. “Good thing I vomited. If this was what I think it might be, it can cause renal failure.” The slurring seemed slightly less pronounced. She grabbed a bottle of water from her desk and quickly drank nearly half of it.
“You really don’t have any idea who might have delivered this bagel and coffee,” he pointed out. “The woman working the front desk said she didn’t get her name.”
“True. What I do have are the resources to test the contents. If someone put some sort of poison in either the bagel or the coffee, I can find out what.”
“Don’t you think we should get you to the ER first?” Liam gently suggested. “Make sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” She waved his suggestion away and got to her feet. When she stood, she swayed. “I’m a bit dizzy, but it will pass. I’m way more interested in testing your hypothesis.” With that, she got up, grabbed the half-eaten bagel and the coffee cup, then the trash can liner. Balancing it all, she headed toward the lab, weaving only slightly.
Liam looked at Sean, who shrugged. “She’s pretty damn headstrong,” Sean commented. “I’d just assume that she’s going to be all right and leave it at that. Do you still want to head to Joe’s?”
“I’m not going anywhere until I find out the results of Ellie’s tests,” Liam said, crossing his arms. “In fact, I plan to wait right here in her office until she gets back.”
“Suit yourself.” Sean swung around as if to go. A second later, he turned back. “You know what? I’m going to wait too. I really need to get back to the precinct, but I want to find out what’s going on here.”
“I can’t blame you,” Liam said.
Though tempted to go into Ellie’s lab, Liam decided not to bother her while she worked. Instead, he sent a quick text, letting her know he and Sean had decided to remain in her office.
A second later, she texted back. Come on into the lab.
Needing no second invitation, Liam showed Sean the text. After leaving her office, they pushed through the door marked Forensic Laboratory. Ellie looked up when they entered, then gestured for them to come closer.
“You’ve already seen me at my worst,” she said without a trace of embarrassment. Though she spoke to both, she looked at Liam. “You might as well see me in my element.”
The fact that she cared at all about how he saw her wasn’t lost on him. He filed that information away to consider later. Right now, he approached her work surface, a large, stainless steel table lit by several overhead lights. Liam went around to the other side.
Ellie had already taken samples of the bagel, the cream cheese and the coffee and appeared to be in the process of testing them. “Ah-ha,” she said. “I thought this coffee tasted sweet.”
“What was in it?” Liam asked.
“Ethylene glycol. One of the main compounds in antifreeze.” She shook her head. “Exactly what I suspected once I realized I’d been poisoned.”
Sean swore. “Then someone really did try to poison you.”
“Yes,” Ellie replied. “I’m lucky I didn’t drink more. This stuff can cause renal failure and...death.”
Stunned, Liam stared. She could have died. “Do you guys have video cameras in your lobby?” he asked.
“Yes, of course.” She met his gaze. “We’ll definitely want to review the footage from this morning and see who dropped off my special breakfast.”
“Maybe you should get checked out by a doctor?” Liam asked. “Just to make sure.”
“If I have any other issues, I will,” she promised. “Right now, I want to see the film.”
They both looked at Sean. Mouth set in a grim line, he motioned to them to lead the way. “Let’s find whoever is in charge of security. He’ll know how we can see the tape.”
Ellie picked up a phone on her desk and dialed a number. After speaking softly into it, she hung up and turned to them. “The security office is upstairs. They know we’re coming and have promised to have the tape ready to view.”
When they got off the elevator on the second floor, a uniformed officer met them. “This way,” he said, marching them back to a small room with a medium-sized television mounted on the wall. “Wait here,” he ordered. “I’ll have it pulled up in a second and it will play on that screen.”
A moment later, he returned. “Here we go.”
They watched the black-and-white footage. A woman entered the precinct, wearing a baseball cap pulled low over her dark hair. Wearing a bulky sweater, she kept her face down, successfully avoiding a direct view of the camera.
“That’s her,” Ellie said. “Aliana Martin!”
