In The Arms Of The Enemy. Carol Ericson

softened and her lashes fluttered. “I’m sorry.”

      “You don’t have to be. Just know I’m not on your husband’s side. I don’t even know your husband and wouldn’t want to, except to plant one on his face.”

      She pulled her shoulders back. “Okay. It wasn’t you.”

      “Of course not.” Cranking his head from one side to the other, Cole asked, “How’d you know someone had been in here? Looks neat to me.”

      “I’m very particular. I can tell.”

      “Maybe Linda came over. She lives in the duplex next door, right? Maybe she had to get something or was going to leave something for you?”

      Caroline shook her head and the droplets from her hair rained down on the floor. “Linda wouldn’t do that. Someone was in here.”

      “And you think it was your ex or someone he sent?”

      Her gaze dropped to her fingers, twisting in front of her. “Maybe. I suppose it could be a thief.”

      “A very neat thief.”

      “A thief who didn’t want to be discovered.”

      “But one totally unaware of your super detection abilities.” Cole smiled like an idiot, wanting to touch her, but afraid he’d send her over the edge. “You need to get out of those wet clothes. And the mud. You should see the mud.”

      “I dropped my dinner just inside the front door. I’m going to take a hot shower and curl up with my sweet potato fries.”

      “Do you want to call the police?”

      “No!” A red tide washed over her cheeks beneath the mud smears. “I have no proof anyone was here. The sheriff’s department would put me down as a lunatic.”

      “Are you sure you’re going to be okay here by yourself?”

      “I’ll be fine. Linda should be home soon. I’ll ask her if she was here. Maybe you’re right.”

      “I can stay while you shower. I mean, wait in here.”

      “Really, I’m okay. I’ve been on edge.” She breezed past him and picked up the bag of food on the floor, and then opened the front door. “Thanks for coming back and helping me. I feel like a fool.”

      “I wasn’t going to leave you flailing around in the mud.”

      She rolled her eyes. “That bad, huh?”

      “You were scared and had a fall.” He put his finger to his lips. “I won’t tell a soul.”

      “Good night, Cole.”

      “Good night, Caroline.” He left the house and waited on the porch as he listened for the click of the dead bolt.

      Jamming his hands in his pockets, he put his head down and walked briskly to his car, keeping to the paved walkway.

      He started the engine and cranked on the heat and defroster full blast. Blowing on his hands and rubbing them together, he eyed Caroline’s duplex over the steering wheel.

      Had he miscalculated? Would her ex really travel across the country to stalk her, or more unbelievably, send someone else to do it? How had she been so sure someone had broken in? Was it paranoia or was she really expecting trouble? And from what quarter? An abusive ex-husband, or from someone equally as dangerous? A drug trafficker looking for his money?

      Cole felt a stab of guilt that he’d circled back to his original suspicions. He’d put those to rest after talking to Linda Gunderson, and what earthly reason would Linda have to lie for a complete stranger? To fabricate a whole life for this stranger?

      Money? Timberline Treasures hardly looked like a bustling, profitable enterprise.

      He threw the rental into gear and backed out of the driveway. Maybe Caroline had paid Linda to claim her as a cousin. Linda told a mighty convincing story.

      As he watched Caroline’s porchlight fade into the darkness in his rearview mirror, he set his jaw. There were too many puzzle pieces that didn’t fit. Caroline Johnson hadn’t quite convinced him that she wasn’t the woman with Johnny Diamond.