Fatal Disclosure by Sandra Robbins Read Free Book Online Page B

holding up.”
    Her hand shook, and her eyes grew wide. Mark frowned and stepped closer. His mouth formed a silent what?
    Betsy pulled the phone away from her ear, clicked to speaker phone, and held it out so they both could hear. “What do you want?”
    A low chuckle rattled into the room. “Something you have.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Betsy’s hand shook, and Mark’s fingers tightened around hers to hold the phone still.
    “Don’t play me for an idiot. He gave it to you.”
    Betsy swallowed to relieve her burning throat, but her mouth had gone dry. “Nobody gave anything to me.”
    “Oh, really? I find that hard to believe. I think you want to bargain with me. Okay, I’ll play along. How much do you want for it?”
    “I’m telling you I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her shrill words bounced off the walls.
    For a moment he didn’t speak. Then he sighed, and the sound seeped into her soul like an icy death knell. “Have it your way, Miss Michaels. But I think you’ve just made the wrong choice.”
    “W-what do you mean?”
    “The car at the cemetery was just a warning. You’d better keep looking behind you, because we’re coming for you. When we do, you’ll wish you’d cooperated with us.”
    “Please, listen to me…”
    The silence on the phone told her the caller had disconnected. The cell phone slipped through her fingers and thudded to the floor at her feet. Mark bent down, scooped it up, and handed it back to her.
    “We’ll check the phone records, Betsy. I’ll find out who called.”
    She bit her lip and shook her head. “You forget I’ve lived my whole life with police officers. I know he was smart enough to use a phone that can’t be traced.”
    He reached out and gripped her hand. “You’re probably right, but we’ll try anyway. Until we know who he is, I’ll stay close to you. I promise I’ll protect you.”
    Betsy glanced down at their locked hands. A few minutes ago, he’d held her fingers still when the voice on the phone had frightened her. In that moment she’d been glad Mark was with her, and she felt the same way now.
    The memory of what had occurred in Memphis was nothing compared to what she had experienced today. Mark hadn’t given up until he’d brought that case to a close, and he hadn’t changed. His dogged persistence would make him do everything in his power to keep her safe and to find out who had called. If he could do that, it would make spending time with him worthwhile.
    * * *
    Fifteen minutes later, Mark followed Betsy through the back door of the Island Connection Bed-and-Breakfast. He hadn’t known Betsy had a studio in the house when he’d booked his reservation. Maybe it would have been better if he had stayed somewhere else, but then he wouldn’t have been able to watch out for Betsy.
    He shook his head in resignation. This might not be what he’d envisioned when he came to the island, but he had to admit he looked forward to seeing Betsy on a regular basis. He had never meant to hurt her, and it pained him greatly that he’d done just that. Truth was, even when he was so intent on bringing down Rousseau, he knew Betsy had qualities he admired.
    Why couldn’t he see the good in people the way she did? There were two reasons. The first was because she had a deep faith in God. He’d never known anyone like her. She’d often spoken to him and tried to convince him of God’s love, but he’d never been able to accept something he couldn’t see.
    The other reason was because he’d seen what human beings can do to each other, and it sickened him. He’d never wanted to spend his life searching for hardened criminals who gave no thought to the hurt they inflicted on their victims, but that’s just what he’d done. And all because of that long-ago morning in his family’s driveway. He couldn’t forget the vow he’d made that day.
    Now, eighteen years later, he couldn’t rid himself of the obsession