Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Things had been slow all morning, and Dare decided to take the time to check on the one thing that had been weighing on his mind since the moment Ainsley had pulled into his driveway at the crack of dawn. There was a chance his questions might throw up some red flags, but he couldn’t help it. He needed to know exactly what he was dealing with if he was going to help her.

Tapping the car’s plate number into the database, he watched as Patricia Fullerton’s information popped up on the screen. Dare bit back a growl.

Damn it, Ainsley.

Considering her wariness, it wasn’t exactly surprising that she hadn’t registered the car in her name. Still, it was illegal and she ran the risk of getting pulled over and fined—if not arrested—every time she got behind the wheel.

He cleared the search, then entered Ainsley’s information into the database. Anger surged through him as the information populated on the screen. Her license had expired in October on her last birthday. While some people genuinely forgot to renew their license despite the reminders that came in the mail, he was certain this wasn’t an oversight. For some reason, she’d chosen not to renew it.

Because she couldn’t afford to? Dare steepled his fingers and clenched his molars together. Ainsley struck him as the type of woman who would follow every law to the letter. So why blatantly choose to ignore this?

Dare knew the car was registered to Patricia Fullerton, but he didn’t have access to the title, so he couldn’t verify the true owner. If Ainsley had purchased the car legally, that meant the title hadn’t been transferred properly. If she hadn’t purchased it by legal means…

His stomach flipped violently. Was Ainsley capable of stealing a car? Possibly. It was evident that she was low on cash. And the fact that she appeared to be on the run bothered him immensely.

He switched databases, then entered Patricia Fullerton’s name into the search bar. The hairs on the back of Dare’s neck lifted, and every cell seemed to freeze in place when the word “deceased” jumped out at him. He stared at the screen for several moments, contemplating the implications.

Mrs. Fullerton had passed away five months ago, apparently from natural causes. The older woman had lived alone until her death when she’d been found by a relative, her daughter, Tess Newman. The local medical examiner had declared cause of death cardiac arrest, so an autopsy was never performed.

If the woman had, indeed, died of natural causes, it was possible the family had sold off her assets—including the car. But if her death only appeared to be natural…

Everything inside him revolted at the idea. There was no way Ainsley could have anything to do with the woman’s death. He’d stake his life on it. But the question remained—how had she acquired a car that technically belonged to a dead woman?

His lips pressed together in a firm line. He didn’t like any of the options that came to mind. He scrolled until he found the woman’s next of kin, Tess. Dare found her number easily enough in the White Pages, and he punched in the number, then waited for the call to connect.

The phone rang nearly a dozen times before rolling over to voicemail, and Dare left his name and number with a request for her to call him back at her earliest convenience. Frustrated and angry, he threw himself back in the chair and glared at the computer screen.

Nothing about Ainsley made sense. She was polite almost to the point of subservience, yet she was driving a car that didn’t belong to her with an expired license. He recalled her reaction every time he got near—the way she would shy away from him or duck her head as if to make herself less visible. He’d seen this before, and his suspicions only grew stronger with every passing moment.

If the situation was truly as dire as he expected, she would be safe at his place. But he would need her to trust him enough to stay there. At least she wasn’t driving to and from work somewhere. He had a plan for that, too, and he needed to talk with Marley.

Dare gathered up the paperwork on this desk and shoved it into his bag. Typically he worked at the station through dinner, but since Ainsley had just moved in, he wanted to get home in case she needed anything. He left his office and cut across the bullpen toward Detective Sawyer Reed. “I’m headed out. Yell if you need anything.”

“You got it, boss.” The man tipped his head, and Dare strode out into the warm sunshine.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled up to the Premier Packaging facility just outside of town. He made his way into the lobby and lifted a hand in greeting to Marley, who was on the phone with a customer. She waved her fingers at him, and Dare idly skimmed a magazine while he waited for her to wrap up the call.

Once she’d hung up, Marley stood and rounded the desk with a grin. “Hey, stranger. What brings you by?”

She opened her arms to him, and he pulled her into a bear hug. “I can’t come see my big sister from time to time?”

Marley snorted as she leaned back to study him. “You could, but you won’t pry yourself away from your desk long enough. Must be serious if you came by in the middle of the day. Am I under arrest?”

“Very funny.” Dare rolled his eyes. “Actually, I’m here to help you. You still wanting to go paperless?”

“We keep talking about it, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day.” Marley let out an aggravated sigh and swept an arm around the front desk. “I can barely keep up with orders as it is.”

Marley and her husband, Troy, owned and operated Premier Packaging, a plant that manufactured multi-use plastic boxes. Troy had expressed an interest in going paperless a few months ago at dinner. Though Marley could do it a bit at a time around her regular duties, it would take her forever to scan seven years’ worth of documents into their system.

“I might have a solution for you.” Dare propped an elbow on the desk. “I have a friend who’s looking for some work.”

Her gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Who is it?”

Dare rolled his eyes heavenward with a sigh. “Does it matter?”

“It’s a woman, isn’t it?” she exclaimed. “Are you dating her?”

Ainsley’s pretty face flashed before his eyes, and Dare’s stomach tightened. He didn’t want to think about Ainsley in that capacity, because he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t noticed just how beautiful she was. “If you must know, she’s my new tenant. She’s renting the suite.”

Marley’s brows drew together. “Do I know her?”

“Doubtful. It’s the Laynes’ oldest daughter, Ainsley. She just moved back to town, and she needs a place to stay.”

Marley tapped her lip. “The name sounds familiar, but I can’t place her. I’ve seen the other two around—is she as pretty as they are?”

Dare shot her a look. “Mar...”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine. If you think she’s up for it, I’d love the help. She can stop by tomorrow, and?—”

“Actually…” Dare cleared his throat. “I was thinking she could work from home.”

Her gaze narrowed, taking on a protective edge. “Is she in some kind of trouble?”

That was one of the things he loved most about his sister. She was incredibly intuitive, and she fought to protect those close to her. “I’m honestly not sure,” he admitted, “because she doesn’t talk much. But if I had to guess… yeah. All the signs are there.”

“Damn.” Marley let out a harsh breath. “Is she safe?”

“She’s with me, of course she’s safe.”

“You know what I mean.” Marley turned her green gaze on him.

Unfortunately, he knew exactly what she meant. If someone was after Ainsley, it wouldn’t matter that he was Sheriff. They would wait until she was alone, then strike. He would need to be extra vigilant and keep an eye out for any strangers in the area.

His gut twisted into a tight knot at the thought of someone hurting her. No one deserved that, least of all Ainsley, who was one of the sweetest, most reserved women he’d ever met. He was glad she’d trusted him enough to come to him; whatever was going on, he’d make sure she was safe.

Dare dipped his chin. “I’ll protect her.”

His sister studied him for a second before nodding. “Why don’t I bring some files over later this evening? I can get her set up, show her the basics.”

Dare pointed a finger her way. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“Me?” Marley affected her most innocent expression. “I have no idea what you mean.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” he said caustically as he strode for the door. “Just bring whatever she’ll need, and I’ll see you at six.”

“Seven,” she called after him, a teasing note in her voice. “I wouldn’t want to intrude on dinner with your guest.”

He pushed outside, feeling both relieved and more disgruntled than when he’d entered a few minutes prior.

Big sisters were such a damn pain.