Chapter 17
17
" I can't believe you talked me into this." Calvin peered past Jenna into the dense patch of woods. The overcast sky made the early evening hour appear later, but it still wasn't enough to shield them if anyone ventured to Stellar Cleaning by Stella. He'd parked on the street so his truck wouldn't be the only one in the parking lot, but they'd be screwed if anyone drove by the building.
"It's not my fault your approach didn't work," Jenna said. "This will get us into the law office without issue. But first, we need a reason to be there." She grabbed the keys he'd taken from the office out of his hands and unlocked the door. "This will be quick and easy then we can get back to Oliver at the shelter."
His throat constricted. He liked the way ‘we' sounded way too much. Especially when Oliver was a part of it. The little boy was not only adorable, but more fun than Calvin imagined a toddler could be. The thought of saying goodbye to him gutted him as much as saying goodbye to Jenna.
Ushering Jenna through the doorway, the stringent scent of disinfectant stung his nostrils. A dull ache pulsed against his wound. He shoved aside the pain and stalked across the dark room. "Hopefully things are labeled because there's a lot of shit in here."
The idea of Jenna putting herself in the path of a possible killer made his skin itch, but no way he could pass as the new woman sent to clean the office. He'd only agreed to her plan because he knew there was no talking her out of it. He'd stay as close to the law office as he could, and he'd made her promise to be as quick as possible. If she wasn't back in his truck in the fifteen minutes they'd agreed on, he'd go in himself and carry her out.
"And what do you plan to do while you're inside?" he asked, wanting her to memorize every detail of her scheme.
Jenna found a cleaning cart against a wall and pushed it to the door. "I'm going to show up at closing, pretend like I'm there to clean, then snoop around his desk and files. Look for some sort of red flag. I won't touch anything but snap pictures to show you. Easy peasy."
Calvin tossed a few cleaning products onto the collapsible cart. "If his computer is unlocked and you have time, you should see if there's any open tabs."
Jenna disappeared between a row of shelves. "Did Stella's employees wear a uniform or anything? I need to look legit."
"How would I know?" He shifted through some open boxes. More bleach and rubber gloves.
"You were here yesterday. Do you remember if the employee you spoke with wore anything specific?" Her voice called from the back of the room.
He tried to pull forward an image of Amy, Stella's employee, but all he remembered was her sad eyes. "No idea." A large, clear tub sat high on the shelf. He stretched to grab the lid. His side screamed in protest. Groaning, he pulled down the container and doubled over with a hand pressed to his side.
Jenna rounded the corner. "Are you all right?"
"Fine." He gritted his teeth. "Looks like shirts in there."
Rushing to him, Jenna placed a palm on his back. "That can wait. Did you pop a stitch?" She lifted his shirt. Cool air brushed over his exposed skin. She gingerly skimmed her fingertips over his tender flesh, her face dipped low in front of his abdomen. "The bandage looks fine."
He sucked in a breath. Her touch heated his blood. He lowered his gaze to the top of her head. A million scenarios invaded his mind. He buried his hands in his pocket so he didn't do something stupid like grab handfuls of thick black hair. "I'm fine. Just hurts. Look in the tub."
Jenna glanced up with a furrowed brow. "You sure?"
He nodded, unable to speak with lust constricting his throat.
Jenna dropped to her knees and lifted the lid from the container. She pulled out a black polo shirt. Stella's logo was stitched on one side. "Perfect."
Standing, she yanked off her sweater and handed it to him.
His gaze dropped to the black lace bra barely reining in her full breasts.
She smirked. "Eyes up here, buddy."
The lights flicked on. Jenna met his gaze with wide, terror-filled eyes.
Calvin pressed his finger to his lips and hooked an arm around her waist, holding her close to him. He turned to press her against the back wall, out of sight of whoever came inside. Her full cleavage pressed against him. He bit back a groan. If the government needed to investigate new forms of torture, this should be at the top of the list. Jenna's warm breath skimmed against his neck. His palm flattened on her spine. He yearned to rub his hand along the smooth curves of her back.
Heavy footsteps pounded into the room. His pulse thundered in his ears. The sound of shifting items on one of the metal shelves in front of them rustled in his ears. Shit! Holding his breath, he made his brain work. Right now, they were trapped in the back corner behind the numerous shelving units. But it wouldn't be long before whoever was inside made their way to where they were.
The steps grew closer, the rattling more pronounced. Calvin didn't chance peeking around the corner to see who was inside, but if it was one of Stella's employees, they'd grab what they needed and leave. The intruder didn't appear to know where anything was—or was looking for something specific that had been moved. Cleaning products crashed to the floor, the person responsible for throwing them to the ground unconcerned with the mess.
Just like at Stella's house.
Jenna pressed her face into his neck. She wrapped her arms around his waist.
Calvin clenched his jaw. If whoever was in here didn't find them and kill them, he'd die anyway from being so damn close to Jenna.
Rat-a-tat-tat
Jenna lifted her head and stared at him with raised brows.
He shook his head, straining his ears to hear. "Text message?" He mouthed the question.
Jenna shrugged.
Muttered curses sounded then drifted away. The lights shut off.
Calvin glanced around the corner.
Hurried footsteps darted in the opposite direction, followed by the opening and closing of the front door.
Dammit. Whoever had been inside disappeared before Calvin could catch a glimpse.
Jenna blew out a deep breath and melted against him.
He circled his arms tighter around the small of her back.
She tilted up her chin so their gazes locked. A shy smile danced on her lips. "You can let me go now."
He coughed, expelling the pent-up desire still lodged in his throat. "You're right. We need to hurry. That was too close."
Jenna shook out the shirt she'd clutched in her fists then pulled it over her head. "How do I look?"
Unable to help himself, he grinned. "Like you work for Stella."
"Great. Let's go."
He huffed out a breath and pushed the now-filled cleaning cart behind her. They might not have been busted for breaking and entering, but it didn't mean they were out of the woods yet.
Jenna took a deep breath and ran a hand over the wrinkles on her shirt. If she was going to trick the employees of Custer and Sholl into believing she was the new cleaning lady, she needed to walk in there like she belonged. Calvin waited in the car, parked on the street out front, but he wouldn't do much good while she was inside.
Not like she expected to run into any trouble. A quick trip in and out.
Pushing the cart through the door, she stopped at the receptionist desk with a timid smile.
A middle-aged woman with tired eyes and sleek brown bob met her gaze. "Hello, can I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Suzy." Amy told Calvin Stella's other employee only cleaned for residential clients. Hopefully she hadn't ever helped Stella with the law firm.
The receptionist tilted her head to the side. "What can I do for you, Suzy?"
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm here to clean. I know Stella always cleaned after hours, but…." Jenna dropped her gaze and sniffed back emotion.
The receptionist—Mrs. Tanner on the name plate—took a quick peek over her shoulder. "Mr. Custer and Mr. Sholl don't like interruptions during business hours, but I think we can make an exception. Mr. Sholl isn't in right now anyway. You don't need to do a full clean. Maybe just wipe down the break room and take the trash. That'll be plenty for now."
Excitement clashed with Jenna's jumbled nerves and threatened to turn her timid smile into a mile-wide grin. "I'll make sure to tidy up the waiting room as well before I leave."
She pushed the cart down the corridor and searched for Milo's office. Closed doors lined the hall. She read the name plates until she reached the last door at the end of the hall. Perfect.
Her heart pounded in her ears as she stepped inside. She left the door open only a crack, hoping to hide her activities to anyone who stumbled passed. A quick glance didn't show anything useful set out on the credenza or desk. She hustled to the sleek computer. A wall clock ticked loudly, announcing the passing seconds. She moved the mouse and the password request popped onto the screen. Dammit. Of course she'd need a password. She mentally scrolled through the most common passwords people used, each entry rejected.
Shit. Scanning the contents cluttering the desk, she mentally worked what Calvin had told her about Milo over in her mind. He gave the impression of putting family first. Was that more than just a fa?ade? The framed picture on the corner showed a loving family with happy smiles. She typed in his wife's name-Debbie.
Incorrect Password.
Debbie1
The desktop screen filled with icons. Relief sagged her shoulders.
She dropped into the seat and brought up the web browser, studying the tabs at the top of the screen. The familiar blue and white F of Facebook caught her attention. She clicked on the site. Pictures and status updates littered his newsfeed. She ignored them all and clicked on Facebook Messenger.
The site refreshed. A list of names and faces Milo had corresponded with took up the left side of the page while his most recent conversation took center stage. She scanned the discussion, rolling her eyes at the rude remarks exchanged with some other guy. This might show Milo was an asshole but wouldn't prove he was a killer.
She skimmed the list of faces and names on the side. A picture of a stunning brunette with blunt bangs cut across her forehead and brilliant red lips caught her eye—Laura Smothers. She brought up the exchange, reading through as quickly as her eyes could take in the words.
Laura: Why are you being so distant lately? I know there's someone else.
Milo: Why would I ever need anyone else but you, baby?
Laura: *Snort* I don't know, maybe ask your wife the same question.
Milo: Don't be like that. You know I can't leave my family. That doesn't mean I don't love you.
Laura: Then why haven't you called lately? I saw the message that popped up on your phone. Don't play dumb with me. I know there's someone else.
The door flung open. Milo Sholl stood in the doorway.
Jenna jumped, clicking out of Facebook and wheeling back the desk chair. Her mind spun in circles. Excuses burned her tongue, but none came out.
Hard blue eyes glared at her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She jumped to her feet. "I'm so sorry. I needed to sit for a second. My ankle is twisted."
He took a step forward. His anger filled the room. "I don't give two shits about your ankle. Who are you and what are you doing in my office? Looking at my computer?"
"I work for the cleaning company. I came in to empty your trash can." She lifted her palms and rounded the side of the desk. "I promise. I wasn't doing anything. I just needed to sit."
Lowering her face, she tightened her sweaty grip on the cart and made a beeline for the door.
A large hand clamped around her bicep. Milo jerked her toward him. "I don't believe you."
She swiped her tongue over dry lips. "I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Please, you're hurting me. I'm just here to clean."
Milo dropped his gaze to her shirt then over to the cart. He released his grip, but hostility still came off him in waves. "I don't want to ever see you in here again, do you hear me?"
Swallowing hard, she leaned against the cart for support and hurried out of the office. She might have only been inside for ten minutes, but she'd learned all she needed to know about Milo Sholl. The man was a cheat with a bad temper.
Now she just needed to find out if her sister was more than just the woman who cleaned his office.