Mountain Secrets Elizabeth Goddard (life changing books to read .txt) 📖

be a help in an investigation. Our end goal is finding out who’s behind this operation.”

Jason clenched his jaw. “She’s not a criminal.”

“In the meantime, we’re going to put a tail on her boss and look into Mary Helms’s connections. For now, you are Isabel Connor’s protection. If you’re seen together, it will further the cover that the two of you are thieves working together and maybe you can figure out Sun and Ski’s level of involvement, if any.”

“I’ll let you know when they contact her about the bookmark.” Feeling a little frustrated, Jason clicked off the phone. Michael could be really myopic when it came to the investigation. At least this way, Isabel would be safe. He’d see to that. He slumped down on the couch, closed his eyes and pulled his feet onto the couch, allowing the heaviness of sleep to overtake him.

He awoke to the smell of coffee and bacon sizzling in a pan. Isabel was dressed in a long skirt, boots and a sweater. Her honey-blond hair was pulled up into a loose bun. Soft tangles surrounded her face. She looked beautiful.

She offered him a smile. “Feel better?”

He rose to his feet. “Yes. I needed that.”

“Coffee is on and I should have a late breakfast ready in just a minute.”

He poured himself a cup and wandered around her small living room. Her walls were decorated with cross-stitched Bible verses and nature photos. He picked up one of the photos on the mantel. A boy of about ten smiled at him.

She plated the food. “That’s my little brother, Zac.”

Isabel must be about twenty-five. “Your mom had kids really far apart.”

A shadow seemed to fall across her face. “He’s a half brother. But as far as I’m concerned, he’s just a precious little brother to me.”

There were no other photos that could be family. Only a picture of Isabel with her boss at a picnic, both of them smiling for the camera, and one of Isabel with her arms around two women her age, a cabin in the background surrounded by forest. The women wore matching T-shirts that referenced a church retreat.

She handed him a plate of food. The aroma of bacon made his mouth water. Her brown-eyed gaze rested on him for a moment. “There’s no room for a table. I usually eat on the couch.”

They sat side by side. Her posture was ramrod straight, her chin slightly lifted. When she’d been afraid and tired, he’d seen a more vulnerable side to Isabel. Now she’d returned to that professional demeanor that had originally made him think she was from money. He thought he was pretty good at seeing past people’s facades, but Isabel wore hers like armor. Now he knew why. Maybe she thought the more formal she seemed, the less likely people were to guess she had a record.

He helped her with the dishes and they headed downstairs to the office.

“Mary will have left me a message about which houses I need to get ready.” She swung open the door to the office, which was empty.

“Is this door always unlocked?”

“We come and go all day. It’s just easier. The real-estate people next door are hardly ever there.”

He stared out at the street, wondering if they were being watched.

Tension threaded through Isabel’s words. “Guess I should lock it from now on.”

“Maybe this will all be over soon.” His words held a note of doubt. Would thieves come after her because she could identify them even if they got the bookmark back? He had the feeling the demand for the return of the bookmark was being engineered by someone higher up in the pecking order. It took a level of criminal sophistication and moxie to come after someone in a police station. Maybe even someone with connections to the police or the financial means to bribe their way into what should be a secure building.

The office phone rang.

Jason swung around.

Isabel pressed her lips together. He read fear in her eyes. His heart beat a little faster, and he swallowed to produce some moisture in his mouth. “Go ahead. Answer it.”

She remained as still as a statue.

He stepped toward her, his shoulder pressing against hers. “I’ll be right here. And I won’t leave until I know you’re safe.”

The stiffness in her body softened. She seemed to draw courage from what he said. She took in a breath and lifted the phone.

Isabel’s heart pounded against her rib cage. She steadied her shaking hand. “Hello.” It didn’t even sound like her voice.

She could hear breathing on the other end of the line.

“Hello,” she repeated, her voice growing stronger. She put the phone on speaker so Jason could hear too.

“The Clauson family home. You know it?” The man on the other end of the line had a husky voice.

“Yes.” The Clausons were Sun and Ski clients.

“There’s a big shindig there. An invite will be waiting for you at the front entrance of the Clauson house. At eight forty-five go to the library. History of Rome, volume seven, page twenty-five. Got it?”

Her hands were sweating. “Yes.”

“Your friend is not invited.”

The line went dead.

Isabel threw the phone down as though it was on fire. The memory of everything that had happened at the Wilsons’ bombarded her. These people played for keeps. “I can’t do this.”

From where he stood beside her, Jason brushed his fingers over her arm. “I’ll find a way to be at that party. You won’t be alone. I need to get a picture of the pickup man anyway. For them to believe that we really are thieves who want in on the action, we’ll have to give them the real bookmark.”

She shook her head. “He said you weren’t invited.”

“It’s a party with lots of people around,” Jason said. “I’ll find a way to stay close and not be noticed.”

The steadiness of his voice and his expression of unwavering resolve almost convinced her. “I guess if they wanted to hurt me, they would have chosen somewhere remote. Do you suppose they’ll