CHAPTER TWO
Ashley stood outside her apartment with Mrs. Moretti’s meat cleaver in her hand.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Bonnie whispered. “What if the man came back when no one was looking?”
Ashley held her finger to her lips and pressed her ear against the door. “I can’t hear anyone moving around.”
Bonnie stepped forward and held her head against the door, too. “You’re right. Unless he’s super quiet, your apartment’s empty.”
Sweat trickled down Ashley’s spine. She hoped none of her neighbors saw her standing in the hallway. They’d get the fright of their lives and call the police—which is what she should have done. And she would have—if the explanation about why the man was there hadn’t made her partly responsible for what was happening.
She bit her bottom lip. “I’ll open the door.”
“I’ll stand behind you. Be careful—the meat cleaver is heavy.”
Ashley inserted her key into the lock, wincing when the pins dropped into the tumbler. She pushed on the handle, opening the door a fraction of an inch, listening for any noise.
Bonnie stood right behind her, holding her jacket.
Taking a deep breath, Ashley opened the door wider. She tried to see beyond the deepening shadows in the room and the furniture she’d bought from thrift stores.
“It looks okay,” she whispered. “I think we’re safe.”
“Turn on the lights.”
Bonnie’s breath tickled Ashley’s neck. She patted the wall until she found the switches. “Are you ready?” Her jacket pulled as Bonnie’s hand gripped the fabric.
“I’m ready.”
“Okay. Here goes…one, two, three…” Ashley flicked the row of switches and stared at her living room.
“What do you see?”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Nothing.”
Bonnie gasped. “Did he take everything?”
“No. Not nothing as in no furniture. Nothing as in no one seems to be here.” Ashley moved further into the room, still holding the meat cleaver. Until they searched the entire apartment, she wasn’t giving up her only form of defense.
Bonnie followed her as they checked her bedroom, the closet, and the small bathroom. By the time they’d searched the kitchen, it was obvious that the man Mr. Stokes had seen wasn’t there.
Ashley left the cleaver on the counter and frowned. Something was wrong.
Bonnie moved around her living room, stopping when she reached the bookcase. “Your TV and sound system are still here. Where’s your laptop?”
Ashley rushed across the room. The battery recharger was where she’d left it, but her laptop was gone. “I left it there this morning.”
She ran into her bedroom and checked the bedside table, under her bed, and in her closet.
“Did you find it?”
“No—it’s gone.”
“Did you have any information about Jasmine Alfredo on it?”
“No. I moved everything to my cloud storage account.” Ashley sat on the end of her bed and sighed. “I need to tell you something.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s not. I think someone has been following me.”
Bonnie’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you say something before now?”
“I thought I’d be okay.”
“How do you feel now?”
“Worried. Harry was right. Jasmine Alfredo doesn’t want me asking questions about her charities. What am I going to do?” She felt sick just thinking about someone being inside her apartment—about what could have happened if she’d been home.
“You know you can’t stay here, don’t you?”
Ashley took a deep breath. “I don’t have a choice. I’ve got nowhere else to go.”
“You could stay with me. My roommates won’t mind another person in our apartment.”
“I can’t do that. Whoever’s looking for me might come after you, too.”
Bonnie sighed. “I guess that rules out Harry as well. What about your dad? I know you haven’t spoken to him for a while, but you could stay with him.”
“He lives in San Francisco. I haven’t seen him since he married Trisha.”
“You could easily finish your story from San Francisco. If there’s anything you can’t do from there, Harry and I could help.”
Ashley shook her head. “It wouldn’t work. I can’t leave New York and expect to still have a job on Monday.”
“You’ve got plenty of vacation time owing. I’ll tell your editor that you had a family emergency.” Bonnie frowned at the windows overlooking the street. She held her finger to her lips and moved across to the light switches.
Ashley didn’t know what she was doing, but she wasn’t about to second-guess her best friend.
With the lights turned off, Bonnie moved quickly to the other side of the room. Lifting the edge of a curtain, she peered onto the street below.
Ashley looked over her shoulder. When Bonnie pointed to a man on the sidewalk, she frowned. No one would be silly enough to stay close to the place they’d broken into—unless they hadn’t found what they wanted.
When the same man walked past her apartment five minutes later, Ashley looked at Bonnie.
“What now?”
“Pack,” Bonnie whispered. “I know where you can stay.”
***
Ashley’s cell phone beeped. “He’s here.” She picked up her suitcases and took a deep breath.
Mr. Stokes from apartment 3C stood beside Mrs. Moretti. The long black coat he was wearing made him look dignified in an understated, elegant way. At seventy-six years of age, he definitely didn’t look like a decoy for a woman on the run.
Mrs. Moretti straightened the collar of her coat. “Remember—hurry to your friend’s car, Ashley. Mr. Stokes and I will do everything you have asked.” She held Ashley’s hand before opening her apartment door. “Godspeed to you, my dear. Are you ready Mr. Stokes?”
He nodded and tipped the brim of his hat. “Always, Nedda.”
“I will see you outside for a disagreement of Sicilian proportions.” Mrs. Moretti walked out of her apartment and opened the main doors of the building.
Mr. Stokes smiled at Ashley. “Be safe. I expect a full report when this is over.”
She gave him a quick hug. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Best fun I’ve had in ages,” he said as he disappeared into the hallway.
Bonnie counted to thirty, then opened the door. She looked left and right before waving Ashley forward. “The coast is clear.”
Ashley took the lead, rushing toward the apartment buildings back entrance.
Harry’s SUV was parked on the curb. As soon as he saw them, he jumped out of his vehicle and opened the trunk. “Is this all the bags you’ve got?”
“Yes.” Ashley threw her arms around Bonnie. “I’ll call you as soon as I can.”
“Make sure you do. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Harry opened Ashley’s door. “We need to leave. You’ve got a train to catch.”
She slid into Harry’s SUV and closed the door. With a final wave to Bonnie, they were off.
“Everything will be okay,” Harry said as he navigated through the streets. “I’ll call you after you arrive in Buffalo.”
“I hope Mrs. Moretti and Mr. Stokes don’t get hurt.”
“They’ll be fine. I’ve got a feeling they don’t scare easily.”
Ashley peered through the windshield. She hoped so, too.
***
By the time she arrived at Grand Central Station, Ashley’s nerves were strung tight. She didn’t know what she would have done without her friends. The key to Bonnie’s grandmother’s house was in her pocket. No one had lived at her home in Buffalo since she’d died, but it would keep Ashley safe until she was ready to leave. Harry had bought her a train ticket. He’d given her his spare laptop and enough money to last a few weeks. By the time she needed more money he would have opened another bank account and sent her an EFTPOS card.
Her suitcases jostled against her legs as she moved quickly through the main concourse. She didn’t have a lot of time before her train left, but there was one thing she had to do before she left New York City.
Relief surged through her when she saw the front window of the newsagent. She walked into the store and pulled an envelope out of her pocket. On the way to the station, she’d addressed the envelope and slid a piece of paper inside. With trembling hands, she took a silver ring off her finger and placed it inside the envelope.
Waiting in line to buy stamps was like torture. She kept glancing at her watch, hoping she made it to her platform in time. As soon as she’d bought the stamps, she ran toward the mailbox and dropped the envelope inside. She didn’t know what would happen once the ring arrived at its destination, but she needed help. Her friends had already put their lives in danger. Contacting someone she trusted, someone with no connection to her life in New York, might be the only way everyone would be safe.
There was only one person who could help her and he lived thousands of miles away.
***
Matthew knelt on the grass on the northern boundary of his family’s ranch. He made a loop in one end of a length of barbed wire, then twisted the ends together.
Their neighbor had spotted the broken fence from his helicopter. It was just as well he’d seen it. With a herd of cattle due to rotate into this field tomorrow, the fence needed to be fixed to keep them there.
The low hum of an engine filled the Montana prairie. Matthew looked over his shoulder and smiled. He might be sitting in the middle of nowhere, but his twin brother had still managed to find him.
Sean jumped out of his truck. “Do you need the pliers?”
“No, but you could grab another roll of barbed wire off the back of the truck.” Matthew picked up the fence stretcher and caught one end of the broken fence around a clamp. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d still be in Bozeman.”
“I finished what I needed to do. Thought you might appreciate some company.”
“I’d appreciate a hand with this fence a whole lot more.” He twisted the old and new barbed wire together and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Sally invited us to dinner.”
“Tonight?” Sally was their sister, the only daughter in a family of four boys.
Sean dropped a roll of barbed wire on the ground. “Only if your social calendar can fit us in. Nathan said we could go with him. Amy’s working at the hospital tonight.”
Matthew’s social calendar had been empty for longer than he wanted to admit. He liked meeting other people, but he wasn’t interested in dating anyone. It was easier to hang out with his friends on Friday night, enjoy whatever sport was in town at the weekend, and focus on the ranch during the week. Nathan, their older brother, understood better than most how he felt.
Sean stood in front of him with his hands on his hips. “Was that a yes, no, or maybe?”
“Depends on why Sally invited us to dinner. She’s not trying to off-load another llama is she?”
“Not this time, but she did mention something about having too many cats at the animal shelter.”
“We’re not taking them.”
Sean helped him with the next section of fencing. “That’s what you always say. If Catherine and Toby see them, they’ll be coming home with us.”
“Nathan knows we don’t need any more cats, even if his children have other ideas.” Just like he’d known they didn’t need more animals when they’d brought home a goat named Henry who turned out to be a very pregnant Henrietta.
Even Sally knew the difference between a male and female goat, but she’d kept that little surprise until she’d arrived at the ranch.
He joined the next section of old and new wire together.
“Sally’s making apple pie with whipped cream.”
Matthew grunted. “Our sister is definitely up to something. What time does she want us there?”
“No later than six o’clock.”
“We’d better get a move on, then.”
For the next forty minutes they worked steadily, fixing whatever needed repairing. By the time they’d finished, Matthew was more than ready for a hot shower and a piece of his sister’s apple pie.
With Sean’s help, he threw everything into the back of his truck before heading back to their house.
“I nearly forgot to give you these.” Sean reached into the cab of his truck and pulled out a handful of letters.
“Did you mail the parcel to mom and dad?”
“I did. It should arrive in time for their anniversary.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you at home.” Matthew sorted through the letters as he walked back to his truck. He didn’t expect to see anything other than bills, but one envelope was different.
He opened the flap, pulling out whatever was wrapped inside. A silver ring rolled into the palm of his hand. His heart pounded as he read the address someone had written on a piece of paper. There was no message, no name telling him who the envelope was from. But Matthew didn’t need to know any of those things. There was only one person who could have sent him the ring.
Ashley was in trouble, and he was heading to Buffalo to help her.
***
Matthew threw a pair of jeans into his suitcase.
“You can’t be serious?” Sean leaned against the doorframe of Matthew’s bedroom. “How do you know Ashley sent you the letter?”
“I gave her the ring before she left for New York. I told her to call me if she was ever in trouble.”
“She left Bozeman three years ago. And she didn’t call—she mailed the ring back to you. Maybe she’s getting married and doesn’t want it anymore.”
“Ashley is never stuck for words. If she were returning the ring for any other reason, she would have written more than an address. She must have been in a hurry when she mailed it.”
“She dumped you for her career. Do you think she really wants your help now?”
“I don’t know what she wants.”
“But you’re going to Buffalo anyway?”
“Yep.” Matthew grabbed his razor out of the bathroom. “Have you taken my shaving foam again?”
Sean glared at him. “You’re making a mistake. If you won’t listen to me, call Nathan. He should be back home by now.”
Matthew jogged to Sean’s bathroom and found the shaving foam. “If you want to be helpful you could give me a ride to the airport.”
“I’ll take you, but I don’t think you should go.”
“I heard you the first time. Are there any other pearls of wisdom you want to share with me?”
“I’ve said all I need to.”
“Good. Let Sally know I won’t be at dinner.”
“She’ll think you’re crazy.”
Matthew lifted his suitcase off his bed. “I need to be at the airport in forty minutes. Let’s go.”
Sean followed him downstairs, grumbling about people with limited common sense.
His brother was right about one thing. Dropping everything to find the woman who had broken his heart wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done. But then he’d never been particularly smart when it came to Ashley.
***
Ashley walked up the driveway toward Bonnie’s grandmother’s home. The plastic handles of the grocery bags dug into her hands and her borrowed laptop bumped against her back.
She looked at the home in front of her and silently thanked Bonnie for letting her stay here. The Cape Cod-inspired home was lovely. At some point, the steep gable roof had been remodeled to include a second story. With its central fireplace and simple exterior, it would have made a wonderful family home.
No one would guess that a runaway reporter was using it to keep herself safe. She waved at one of the neighbors and kept walking. Apart from Bonnie and Harry, no one from New York had contacted her. But that didn’t stop her from thinking it was only a matter of time before someone else found her.
While she’d been in town today, she’d called her editor at The Daily Times. He wasn’t happy about her being away, but he’d agreed to let her take another week off work. What she’d do after that, she didn’t know.
Bonnie and Harry had both been worried about her. Harry had gone to see Mrs. Moretti to find out if the man who’d been watching her home had returned. Mrs. Moretti and Mr. Stokes hadn’t seen him again.
Ashley still wasn’t sure if he was the person who’d stolen her laptop, but either way, it didn’t matter. She was in Buffalo and away from whoever wanted to stop her working on her story.
She pulled the front door key out of her pocket. Footsteps hit the concrete path behind her. She spun around, hoping it was her neighbor.
When she saw who it was, she didn’t know whether to sink to the ground in relief or start crying.
Matthew still walked with the same calm confidence he always had, still managed to take her breath away with his dark hair, broad shoulders, and sparkling green eyes.
She left the grocery bags beside her and stood on the porch, too stunned to move.
He stopped in front of her. “It’s been a long time.”
Ashley nodded. “Thanks for coming.”
“What’s happened?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’m working on a story that’s become complicated. Someone has been following me. They broke into my apartment and stole my laptop.”
“Why did you send me the ring?”
“I need your help. I’m not safe here on my own.”
“You could have called.”
“I didn’t want to risk anyone tracing the number.”
Matthew’s jaw tightened. He picked up the grocery bags and nodded at the house. “Let’s go inside.”
Her hand shook as she opened the door. “This is my friend’s house. Her grandmother died a couple of years ago and she let me stay here.” She led him through to the kitchen and turned on the coffeepot. “You can leave the groceries on the counter. I’ll put everything away and make you a cup of coffee. How was your flight?” Ashley clamped her lips together to stop more words tumbling from her mouth.
“It was okay.”
She opened the kitchen cupboards and filled the shelves with the groceries she’d bought. After a quick glance at Matthew, she left a rotisserie chicken in the refrigerator and took a carton of milk off the shelf.
“Ashley?”
The carton slipped out of her hand and landed heavily on the counter. She waited for the milk to explode across the kitchen, but nothing happened. Thank goodness it wasn’t open.
She glanced at Matthew. He didn’t know how nervous she was, how much she wished she hadn’t had to ask for his help. Over the last three years, she’d often wondered what would have happened if she’d stayed in Bozeman. She’d loved him, but living in a community with more cows than people had never been part of her plans.
“Tell me about your complicated story,” Matthew said quietly.
Ashley pulled her mind away from the past. “Jasmine Alfredo is a very wealthy woman from New York City. Before her husband died, she started a number of charities to help children and their families. I wrote an article about one of the events her Reaching High Foundation organized. While I was there, I asked some people how her charities are funded and who makes the decision to support different projects. Most people were happy to answer my questions.”
She took two mugs out of a cupboard and filled them with hot coffee. “There didn’t seem to be a consistent answer to my questions.”
“So you decided to do some investigating of your own?”
Ashley handed him a cup of coffee and nodded. “Even though her charities receive massive amounts of money, they aren’t bound by the same rules as a business. I found the publicly available financial records of some of Jasmine’s charities. It wasn’t until I asked about the projects The Reaching High Foundation received funding for, that everything became unstuck.”
“What happened?”
“I was given a copy of their annual report. It was the same type of glossy review that a lot of charities produce. I thought I’d look for some of the people who had benefited from the projects they’d funded. I couldn’t find a lot of information about two of the biggest programs they’d delivered.”
“Did you ask the chairperson of The Reaching High board?”
“That’s Jasmine. I tried calling her, but she wasn’t available. No one would talk to me, so I went undercover at a dinner party she organized.”
“You what?”
“I wanted to see who else was involved in her charities.”
“I can’t believe you were so stupid. What if someone recognized you?”
“I wore a wig and changed my makeup.”
Matthew’s jaw tightened. “You’re tall. You couldn’t go unnoticed if you tried.”
Ashley felt the heat of a guilty blush streak across her face. “Someone must have recognized me. The following week I thought I was being followed.”
“You’re lucky you haven’t been arrested.”
“They wouldn’t do that. I know enough about what’s happened to make someone very worried. Only a small percentage of the funding the Foundation received for the youth center and literacy programs went on those projects. The rest of the money has disappeared.”
“Who took it?”
“I’m not sure. After someone broke into my apartment, I knew I couldn’t stay in New York City. Bonnie has let me stay here, but I don’t feel safe.”
“If you want my advice you’ll go home and tell the police everything.”
She shook her head. “I’ve waited three years for my big break. If I find the person who took the money, the story will make the front page of a lot of newspapers. I’m not handing over all the information without publishing the story first.”
“You’re not listening. This is dangerous, Ashley. You asked me what you should do, and I’ve told you.” He picked up his hat and took his mug across to the dishwasher.
“Where are you going?”
“Home. I thought you might have changed, but you’re still the same.”
“You’re not going to help me?”
Matthew hesitated. “I’m not the person you need.”
“What about the children who could have been helped with the funding?”
“I am not helping you find more evidence about a woman who’s defrauding her charity.”
“But that’s exactly it. I don’t know who took the money. Jasmine works with a lot of people. Any one of them could have taken the money.”
“I’ve got a ranch to run and a life back in Montana.”
“I can do most of the work from here, but I need someone to make sure I’m not followed.”
“Why me? You had more friends than anyone else I knew.”
“I haven’t kept in contact with many people. You’re one of the few people I’d trust with my life.”
Matthew took a deep breath. “How much money went missing?”
“Nearly half a million dollars.”
His eyes widened. “That could have helped a lot of children.”
“Exactly.” Ashley stood in front of him. “I know I treated you really badly, but I need your help.”
Matthew leaned against the kitchen counter, silently watching her as she struggled to find the words she needed to say.
“I’ve already started putting all the information together,” Ashley said. “It shouldn’t take too long to work out what happened with the money. Harry and Bonnie, my friends from work, will search for anything I can’t find.”
Matthew crossed his arms. “If I help you, it’s on my terms.”
She wasn’t sure what his terms would be, but they had to be better than staying in Buffalo on her own.
“I’ll help you, but not from here. You can fly home with me and work from Bozeman.”
Panic gripped her heart in a tight knot. “I can’t go back.”
“I’m booking the first flight out of here. If you’re not on the plane, you’ll be on your own.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
Matthew reached into his pocket and handed her the silver ring. “I’ll be back soon. I need to get my phone out of my rental and make a couple of calls.”
He walked out of the kitchen and Ashley dropped her head into her hands. The thought of going to Bozeman brought back too many unhappy memories. If her mom hadn’t died, she might have felt differently, but there was nothing there for her.
She’d turned her back on Bozeman three years ago. Now she had a decision to make, and it shouldn’t have been this difficult.