Highland Shifter (MacCoinnich Time Travels #4)(58)
Author: Catherine Bybee

“You want me to check this Philip guy for priors?”

“We’d like to know anything you can find out about him. Family, friends…places where he spends time outside of work.”

“I’m not a private investigator. I’m a cop.”

“He broke into my apartment. I saw him leaving.”

“Did he take anything?”

“No,” Helen said. “But then he followed me to Scotland.”

Jake removed a small notebook from his jacket pocket. “Spell his name.”

Helen rambled off the spelling and offered his place of business with an address and phone number. After Jake stuffed the book away, he turned to Liz. “I’ll see what I can find. How long do you think you’ll be here?”

She shook her head. “We don’t know. But unlike before, we know we can get back and how. Helen has the key.”

Jake narrowed his eyes in Helen’s direction. “Seems to me if this Philip guy wanted to harm you, he would have by now. My guess is he’s searching for something. Something you have.”

“I don’t have anything. Before my trip to Scotland, I was an open book to the man.”

Jake stood and everyone in the room stood with him. “I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”

At the door, he stopped. “Do you plan on disappearing again, Helen?”

The hair on Simon’s arms stood on end. Helen glanced his way with a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze. “N-no, not permanently anyway.”

“Then you might consider coming into the station sooner than later. Tell everyone you’re not a missing person and call off the search. Suspicion is higher when you’re found. Considering you’re the only one here with an identification that can be traced, it wouldn’t work well for anonymity to be found here.”

“Right.”

Simon stepped forward. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

Jake’s left eye twitched but he didn’t argue as Simon led him out. The others stayed behind.

“What else can I do for you, Simon?”

Smart man. “About identification. Maybe you could give me a name of someone who can create such a thing.”

“False ID would be illegal.”

“We both know I’m not a criminal. I need to protect Helen and don’t need to worry about being detained for deportation. Though I’m not sure where they would deport me to.”

Jake snorted. “Don’t you have some kind of special power that would help you get away?”

Simon flicked a finger in the air and a small flame shot in the sky. “A diversion wouldn’t stop the police from searching for me. Revealing to the world what we’re capable of would be catastrophic. We don’t need reporters camped out here.”

Reaching for the car door, Jake opened it and shifted one foot on the ledge. “I’ll see what I can do. But you didn’t get the information from me. I like my job, and have this crazy desire to eat. I was on probation for over a year after your mom and Fin disappeared the last time. I’m only helping because of Todd. But I have to look out for my kids first.”

Simon nodded. “I understand. Any help would be appreciated.”

He stood back as Jake slid behind the wheel and left Mrs. Dawson’s driveway.

No one understood the need to protect a family more than Simon.

He turned back to the house, determined to protect his.

* * * *

Helen felt a bit like a teenage kid sneaking out of the house. A part of her loved having so many people around who seemed to care, but she’d always lived her life alone. Only abiding by the rules she made for herself and no one else…so waiting until Simon and the others approved of what she wanted to do wasn’t in her.

One good thing about having a house full of people was her ability to play each against the other to sneak out. She told Myra she was with Simon, told Simon she was with Liz and told Mrs. Dawson that she needed a nap. Cian wasn’t anywhere to be found, not that she’d say anything to him. The guy wigged her out. The strong silent type never did anything for her. Cian was all that and more.

Jake had called the day before to inform Liz that Philip’s record was clean. Not one prior, not one juvenile offence. He had a brother, however, who was anything but clean. Serving life for a rape and murder charge without the possibility of parole. According to Jake, Philip visited his brother on occasion, but nothing appeared out of the ordinary. The police had brought Philip in for questioning a couple of times in regards to Helen’s disappearance. With nothing more than a criminal brother to go on, they didn’t hold him.

Philip wasn’t the reason for her disappearance and didn’t like the thought of the man being accused of something he hadn’t done.

Armed with a story written in her head, Helen drove away from Mrs. Dawson’s home ready to face her boss. It was Wednesday. Shipments came in on Wednesday so the auction house would have a few more people around than normal. Though she probably would have lost her job, she thought it best to act somewhat remorseful for her unexplained absence.

Her hands shook as she pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine. “Here goes nothing,” she whispered to herself as she slid out of the car. Not taking any chances, she walked through the front door, knowing the cameras pointed there were always running.

A shriek from the back of the building told Helen she’d been seen.

“Oh my freaking God.” Lisa darted around the tables and embraced her hard. “I thought you were dead.”

Guilt welled in Helen’s chest. She hadn’t thought she’d be missed. Not like this anyway. “Not dead.”

Lisa moved away to look at her, and then pulled her in for a second hug. “You scared the crap out of me. Jesus, where have you been? Are you all right? Were you hurt?”

“I’m sorry I worried you. I met this guy—”

“A guy?”

“Yeah, an amazing Scottish yummy—”

“You’ve been missing for over two weeks. The police have questioned everyone. We thought you were dead and you were off with a guy?”

The concern in Lisa’s face shifted to hurt.

“I know, totally irresponsible of me. He took me to this remote cabin. I lost my cell. It’s been crazy. God, I’m sorry I didn’t find a way to tell you I was okay.”

“I hope he was worth it.”

“Is any guy really worth it? I’ve probably lost my job, huh?”